"Age Of Innocence" Shows Martin Scorsese Love For Opera

Ms. Pfeiffer (facing camera) at the opera in the film Age of Innocence. Read a wonderful article documenting the history of opera in the life of director Martin Scorsese by clicking here.

"The Age of Innocence is a 1993 American film adaptation of Edith Wharton's 1920 novel of the same name. The film was released by Columbia Pictures, directed by Martin Scorsese, and stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder. The film won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, and was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Winona Ryder), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score and Best Art Direction. The film was dedicated to Martin Scorsese's father, Luciano Charles Scorsese, who died before it was completed." [Source] The opera scene that opens the movie is from Gounod's Faust and shot at the Philadelphia Academy of Music. Watch the scene and read the movie plot, after the jump.

Veronese Soprano Cecilia Gasdia To Get Recordings Reissued

"La casa Teldec ripropone poi una ristampa, uscita proprio in questi ultimi giorni dell'anno, di alcune opere in cui appare come interprete il soprano veronese Cecilia Gasdia. È il caso dell'edizione del Faust di Gounod (Teldec 1993) che viene rieditata con la partecipazione di interpreti di fama internazionale: dal tenore Jerry Hadley, a Samuel Ramey, Alexandru Agache, Brigitte Fassbaender, Suzanne Mentzer e dalla direzione di Carlo Rizzi a capo della Welsh National Orchestra. Un giorno di regno di Verdi è invece un video live dal Teatro Regio di Parma del dicembre 1997, per la regia, scene e costumi di Pier Luigi Pizzi, riproposto dalla Hardy Classic, in cui Cecilia Gasdia è a fianco di altri noti cantanti, come Anna Caterina Antonacci, Paolo Coni, Alfonso Antoniozzi e Bruno Praticò nella direzione di Maurizio Benini. Al 1981 appartiene la felice edizione live della verdiana Luisa Miller, con una Cecilia Gasdia ancora fresca della sua strepitosa vittoria al Concorso Callas (1980). L'opera andò in scena al Teatro Fraschini di Pavia, con la direzione di Gianandrea Gavazzeni e i cantanti Nazzareno Antinori, Simone Alaimo, Carlo Desderi, con il Coro e l'Orchestra della Rai nella regia di Filippo Crivelli. L'opera viene ora proposta in Dvd dalla Hardy Classic. E infine di questi giorni anche l'uscita della Aida areniana del giugno 2012 (in versione Blue Ray 3D) con Hui He, Marco Berti, Andrea Ulbrich, Ambrogio Maestri, la direzione di Daniel Oren, per la Opus Arte." [Source]

"Alerte! Alerte!" With Paul Plishka, Pietro Ballo, Kallen Esperian

The Metropolitan Opera presented Gounod's Faust today as part of their "Live in HD" series. Here is a throwback to a 1989 concert performance of the final trio "Alerte! Alerte!" with Paul Plishka, Pietro Ballo and Kallen Esperian:

René Pape Looking Very "Easy Rider" in New Photo

Glenn Petry of 21C Media Group posted this picture of René Pape. He is currently at the Metropolitan Opera signing copies of his new Deutsche Grammophon CD Wagner Arias. He will also be featured as Méphistophélès in Gounod's Faust for the "Live in HD" series broadcast around the world in movie theaters tomorrow.

Singers to Perform Gounod's "Faust" in Coeur d'Alene

Tenor Vale Rideout will sing Faust.

"Faust, the old professor, restored to youth and vitality by his deal with the devil, is played by nationally acclaimed Vale Rideout, whose love songs soar on majestic high C’s. He has been acclaimed by New York Times, Opera News, Boston Globe, Denver Post, to name a few. Just this year, he will be singing lead roles in Tampa and Phoenix, will be a soloist with the Dallas Symphony at Carnegie Hall, and will have leading roles in world premieres of two new operas. Marguerite, the beautiful, gentle innocent who is seduced by Faust, condemned by her brother, and reduced to insanity and murder is played by Shana Blake Hill. Her performance of Rosalba in the Cincinnati Opera’s Florencia en el Amazonas was hailed by the national Opera News as 'floods of glorious sound.' Bass Jamie Offenbach, makes the Satanic Méphistophélès alternatively thunder through the auditorium then softens to hypnotically sweet tones of enticement. Jamie has sung leading roles with the opera houses in Los Angeles, Santa Fe, Baltimore, San Diego Opera and many more. He is a regular at the Savonlinna, Finland Music Festival. Valentin, the devout soldier challenges Mephistopheles and his protégé, Faust, to avenge his sister’s honor, but finds the sword is no match for satanic power. His role is played by Jason Detwiler, whose career has encompassed over thirty leading roles from San Diego to Virginia. This year North Idaho also gets to meet Michele Detwiler as Dr. Faust’s student,

Bass Jamie Offenbach and soprano Shana Blake Hill.

Siebel. Critics have described her as 'amber-voiced,' a 'velvety mezzo soprano.' 'riveting,' 'holding center stage commandingly.' Stage directing will be by Aaron St. Clair Nicholson, a frequent lead singer at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Acclaimed throughout North America for both singing and acting, he debuted as a singer at the Met under the direction of the famed Placido Domingo. His concept for this performance of Faust includes the mists and long dark shadows of German impressionism, similar to the feel of the original Dracula movie." [Source] Performances will be at North Idaho College on Friday, September 23 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, September 25 at 2:00 PM.

Jonas Kaufmann To Honor Post-Surgery MET "Faust" Dates

"Jonas Kaufmann, a major international tenor who has become an increasingly important presence at the Metropolitan Opera, plans to go ahead with an Oct. 30 recital at the house just two months after undergoing chest surgery, the Met said on Monday. He also remains committed to a run as the title character in a new production of Gounod’s Faust, which opens on Nov. 29, and to appearances in the Ring cycle in the spring, the Met said. 'Jonas Kaufmann has assured the Met through his management that he plans to sing all of his scheduled performances here this season,' according to a company statement. Mr. Kaufmann said on his Web site that he needed to have an operation to remove a node from his chest. 'I do not wish anyone to become alarmed reading this, but my physicians have ordered me to have the surgery done as soon as possible, and it will take place after my appearance in Stockholm on Sept. 2,' he said. He is scheduled to sing in the Jussi Björling gala that day at the Royal Opera. Mr. Kaufmann’s Web site lists five other performances in October, starting on Oct. 10." [Source]