Ojai Music Festival To Debut New Opera For 68th Season

"It's not unusual for the spirits of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven to hover over an outdoor concert. At this year's 68th Ojai Music Festival, though, they will be appearing in corporeal form as characters in The Classical Style, an eagerly anticipated comic opera that is making its debut. It should make a fitting centrepiece, as innovation, creativity and new music have long been hallmarks of the four-day event, which takes place about 80 miles north-west of Los Angeles. Ojai is known for its setting among the citrus groves and the mountains, and for a strong spiritual tradition dating back to the 1920s when the community became a centre for Jiddu Krishnamurti, a philosopher, and his followers. Thomas Morris has been the artistic director of the festival for the past decade. Each year he chooses a different music director, and together they shape the programme. This year he turned to Jeremy Denk, a MacArthur Award-winning pianist and writer who also wrote the libretto for The Classical Style. (The score is the work of Steven Stucky, a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer.) Mr Morris says the festival has 'a history of eclectic choices' when it comes to musical directors.

Historical Music Man: Aaron Copland served as
one of the many music directors for the festival.

Contemporary music was already its focus by the 1950s, and in those early years directors included Igor Stravinsky, Aaron Copland and Lukas Foss. More recently Mr Morris has tapped Mark Morris, a choreographer, Dawn Upshaw, a soprano, and eighth blackbird, a chamber-music ensemble. At the same time, composers like Steve Reich, John Cage, John Adams and Thomas Adès have found Ojai a congenial place for American or West Coast premieres of their work. The common element, notes Mr Morris, is that 'the artists who come to Ojai are not only performers but also thinkers and innovators.' The theme behind this 68th festival had its roots in a conversation between Mr Denk and Mr Morris a few years ago. Mr Denk had an idea for a chamber opera based, rather curiously, on an award-winning book of criticism by Charles

Kristīne Opolais And Jonas Kaufmann Not Exactly Headed For Sand

Kristīne Opolais and Jonas Kaufmann in rehearsal
for Manon Lescaut which opens June 24 in London.
(Photo: Bill Coooper/Royal Opera House)

"Louisiana, early 18th century. A few kilometres outside New Orleans: Manon and her lover, Des Grieux, have escaped the city on foot, hoping to reach an English settlement. What lies ahead of them seems insurmountable: plains so vast and mountains so high they would daunt the roughest and hardiest of men and women. As night falls, Manon can walk no further and succumbs to the unavoidable. She collapses from thirst and weariness, and dies in the ‘the depths of the desert’. The inhospitable land the two lovers describe in the last act of Puccini’s Manon Lescaut has more than puzzled contemporary audiences and directors alike. The original poster of the opera’s 1893 premiere showed sun-baked arid hills and what appears to be like an agave plant (more commonly found 2,000km away in the accurately arid desert of Arizona, not in Louisiana). To put it mildly, the setting is a largely inaccurate description of the outskirts of New Orleans, even some three centuries ago. Devastating hurricanes aside, the southern city is used to a healthy amount of rainfall. And water also abounds in lakes, streams and other watercourses that dissect this meandering delta region of the Mississippi River. It's an area alive with mammals, birds and reptiles. In fact, rather than thirst, it's likely that hungry coyotes or alligators would have led to Puccini heroine's untimely demise. So why did the composer and his librettists get it so apparently wrong?

Drowning in a flood from some hurricane might
have been more realistic than a desert death.

The original source of the opera and later adaptations offer a few possible clues. In his 1731 novel L’Histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut, French writer Abbé Prévost gives some details about what was then predominantly uncharted territory to European colonizers. Apart from a mention of ‘barren and uninhabited plains’, the author describes Manon’s resting ground only briefly: ‘We sat down in the middle of a vast plain, unable to find a single tree to give us shelter.’ One of the last scenes of the 1830 ballet-pantomime Manon, by dramatist Eugène Scribe, is also set in the ‘vast desert of New Orleans.’ But his 1856 opera Manon Lescaut, with music by Daniel François Esprit Auber, takes place in the ‘plains, and forests of North America.’ Both Prévost and Scribe seemed to have portrayed a settlers’ misconception about much of America west of the Appalachian Mountains." [Source] Read the entire article by Mattia Cabitza by clicking here. See the original poster for Manon Lescaut and a photo of Kiri Te Kanawa with Plácido Domingo in the 1983 production at the ROH, after the jump.

Penny Woolcock Discusses Her Latest Project: Dog Fighting

"Her latest gritty film project exposes the shady world of dog-fighting....Of the many distressing scenes in Penny Woolcock's new documentary, Going to the Dogs, which explores the underground world of illegal dog-fighting in Birmingham, one stands out. It's of a young pitbull in training, not out in the city streets – this breed is far too demonised by both press and the police to go for anything even resembling normal walkies – but rather at home, strapped tightly by its lead on to a treadmill....Penny Woolcock is no stranger to the difficult documentary – previous subjects include homelessness and gang culture – but a film about dog fighting, she admits, 'took a great lump out of my heart. There was a period while filming when I felt completely lost, to be honest. I thought it was going to be unremittingly cruel, but the reality was somehow not quite as bad as I'd feared.' The months she spent infiltrating this hidden world were exhausting for Woolcock, now 64. It left her with nightmares, and migraines. For this reason, she has readily embraced the job she has stepped into next. You see, as well as being a film-maker, she is also a director at the English National Opera, and she is currently deep in rehearsals for a forthcoming production of Bizet's The Pearl Fishers. Her second career in opera began late in life, when she was invited – out of the blue, the way she tells it – to direct John Adams's Doctor Atomic at the Met in New York. She went on to direct an earlier staging of The Pearl Fishers at ENO in 2010. 'It's exhausting work,' she says, smiling, 'but I will admit, it's a welcome change from dog fighting.'" [Source] 

No Dogs, Just Fish: Leïla (Hanan Alattar) and Nadir (Alfie Boe) in the 2010 production of Bizet's
The Pearl Fishers at ENO directed by Penny Woolcock. (Photo: Dylan Martinez/The Sunday Times)

Elizabeth DeShong Returns To SFO For New "Madama Butterfly"

"San Francisco Opera audiences have twice had the opportunity to enjoy the rich mezzo-soprano of Elizabeth DeShong: first in her company debut as the Page in Salome in 2009, and more recently in the trouser role of Maffio Orsini in Lucrezia Borgia in 2011. The native of central Pennsylvania currently lives near her husband’s family in Akron, Ohio, though, like many singers in great demand, most of her year is spent on the road. Currently, she is in town for her third role with SFO, as Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, which she will sing opposite Patricia Racette’s Cio-Cio San June 15–July 9. Earlier this year, she sang the role with the Metropolitan Opera, garnering stellar reviews such as this one in The New York Times: 'The mezzo Elizabeth DeShong was outstanding as Butterfly’s servant Suzuki. With her deeply resonant low register, she created a character who is tragically prescient about the unfolding disaster.'" Read the full interview that covers a range of topics including why she identifies as a mezzo-soprano rather than contralto; keeping the flexibility in the voice without getting pegged as a Rossini-only artist; how to avoid focusing on gender in pants roles; an in-depth analysis of Suzuki's character; and if Verdi's Amneris is a role she will take on down the road. [Source] For more about Elizabeth DeShong, click here. A colorful image of the Jun Kaneko production of Madama Butterfly, that will be performed at the San Francisco Opera, is after the jump.

Evans Mirageas Explores Daily Makings Of "Carmen" In Cincinnati

Evan Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilkins Artistic Director for Cincinnati Opera, has devised a unique marketing tool to spread the word about the company's upcoming production of Bizet's Carmen. On May 20, the first video hit YouTube titled "Evan's Daily Digest - Carmen Day 1." The videos now total 12 and continue to multiply. Each segment offers a day-to-day behind the scenes look at the building of the opera. Some episodes even feature trivia about locations the Cincinnati Opera has performed in the past, like the Cincinnati Zoo. Other factoids include why we say "break a leg" to performers just before curtain. It's an ingenious way to engage audiences before they arrive at the opera on opening night June 12. You can watch all of the videos by clicking here.  More about Evans Mirageas and rehearsal photos after the jump.

L'amour est un oiseau rebelle: Carmen (Stacey Rishoi) plays hard-to-get
during rehearsal for Cincinnati Opera's production, directed by Alain Gauthier,
that opens June 12. For tickets, click here.

Julianne Baird Gives Musical Retrospective About Benjamin Franklin

Soprano Julianne Baird has one of the most
extensive discographies. Click here to see
some of her recordings. (Photo: John Emerson)

"An appreciation of music was common among the founding fathers. Thomas Jefferson was an avid violinist and practiced up to three hours a day. A young Col. George Washington once paid the equivalent of $300 for a ticket to a concert in Philadelphia. But arguably, Franklin was the most enthusiastic music lover of them all, and his appreciation will be the focus of Benjamin Franklin's Musical Life, a free public concert Wednesday, June 11, 4 p.m. at Rutgers. Internationally renowned soprano Julianne Baird, distinguished professor of music in the Department of Fine Arts, Rutgers University-Camden, will perform a program that encompasses the full range of Franklin's 18th century world. His eclectic tastes ranged from simple Scottish folk songs, tavern tunes and political satires to Handel's Messiah and French opera. Baird, one of the world's 10 most recorded women and an admired musical scholar, will be accompanied by Rebecca Cypess, assistant professor at Rutgers' Mason Gross School of the Arts. Edward A. Mauger, founder of Philadelphia on Foot and author of several books and articles on Philadelphia and colonial life, will serve as narrator, and the narration is taken from Franklin's own words. The concert has been performed in such venues as Fraunces Tavern in Manhattan and in London for the Benjamin Franklin House Museum. The 90-minute concert will take place in the Schare Recital Hall (second floor), Marryott Music Building, 81 George St. in New Brunswick. It is presented by the New Brunswick Summer Session. 'What can you learn about the founding fathers from their musical tastes?' Mauger asks. 'Scholars and writers have explored virtually every facet of their lives - politics, philosophy, family living, their childhoods, their rivals and relationships. The multifaceted, brilliant Franklin was perhaps the most enthusiastic music lover of them all. Of his many inventions, the one that brought him the greatest personal satisfaction was his glass armonica.' The armonica is an instrument played by rubbing glass or crystal goblets or bowls, and Franklin invented a radically new arrangement after seeing water-filled wine glasses played in England in 1761. With his design, it became possible to play up to 10 glasses simultaneously." [Source]

Washington National Opera Throws Japanese Themed Ball

"On June 7, the Washington National Opera held its annual fete, The Opera Ball, at the residence of Japanese Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae and his wife, Nobuko Sasae. More than 500 guests, including the District’s biggest opera fan, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), and Newt and Callista Gingrich, were treated to four opera performances and then dinner prepared by the Japanese embassy chefs under a custom-made chandelier of 1,000 origami paper cranes — a symbol of eternal good luck." [Source]

Norman Garrett, one of the evening's performers, sings to honored
and distinguished guests. Click image to enlarge. (Photo: Yassine El Mansouri)

Frederica Von Stade Continues Astonishing Stage Performances

"As is the case with movie actresses, opportunities decrease when female opera singers reach a certain age. There are only so many chances to be the Countess in Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades, for example. So when the much-beloved mezzo Frederica von Stade retired from the opera stage in February 2011 at age 65, with a final outing as Mrs. De Rocher, the show-stealing featured part that Jake Heggie wrote for her in Dead Man Walking (2000), her many fans assumed that was the end. It wasn't. Ms. von Stade is back, this time at center stage in A Coffin in Egypt, a one-act chamber opera written for her by Ricky Ian Gordon. The work had its premiere at the Houston Grand Opera in March, went on to Beverly Hills and is now at Opera Philadelphia. Working with librettist Leonard Foglia, Mr. Gordon based the opera on Horton Foote's play of the same name. It's a ferocious character study. Myrtle Bledsoe, age 90, living in the tiny backwater town of Egypt, Texas, looks back on her life, and for the most part, it isn't pretty. In 1900, at 19, a beautiful, much-pursued city girl, she married a rich farmer, but the promise of that beginning was never fulfilled. Her husband, Hunter, cheated on her openly, first with a black prostitute, and later with a 17-year-old high-school girl whose father he shot and killed. His crime went unpunished, and Hunter and Myrtle's nephew, assuming he would be similarly immune, murdered his own father. Even Myrtle's daughters were no comfort to her; they blamed her for Hunter's tomcatting ways." [Source] Read the full Wall Street Journal review of the show here.

Plácido Domingo's Sports History As A Soccer Player Served Him Well

Plácido Domingo playing soccer in 1980.

"As the World Cup nears, soccer fanatics will inevitably jink the conversation toward the beautiful game. That includes Placido Domingo, who explains why at 73 he can still get down on one knee to declare his love to the soprano. 'I was a goalkeeper and I know how to throw myself onto the floor,' said the Spanish opera singer. Even if his sporting past has served him well in his career, the tenor-turned-baritone never expected to be where he is today, still singing on stages all over the world. Because of that unexpected longevity, he finds himself doing double duty as leading man and general director for the LA Opera, where he wrapped up its 28th season this past weekend as the love-struck monk Athanael in Massenet's Thais, the 139th role of his career. Around 18 years ago, Domingo took over the direction of the Washington National Opera, and then more than a decade ago became director of the young Los Angeles company. 'I really thought I would be singing for a very short time,' he told Reuters in an interview last week at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, where he first performed in 1967. 'That's the reason I started thinking of being a director of a theater. The voice is there, so I keep singing.'" [Source] A picture of the tenor playing soccer in 2011, can be found after the jump.

Purina Dog Dreams Of Swimming To Rossini's "Largo al Factotum"

In the commercial sequence for Purina's Pro Plan dog food, we see a Cardigan Welsh Corgi deep in sleep dreaming of a swimming race with another dog to fetch a ball. The music playing under the advertisement is the aria "Largo al Factotum" from Rossini's opera Il Barbiere di Siviglia. To learn more about the dog food, click here.

Leyla Gencer And Grace Bumbry In Unconventional Performance

Grace Bumbry (left) and Leyla Gencer (right) appear backstage during performances of Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea at La Scala in 1967. Listen to the performance here.  See some other unique casting choices for this Baroque piece, after the jump.

"L'incoronazione di Poppea (SV 308, The Coronation of Poppaea) is an Italian opera by Claudio Monteverdi, with a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello, first performed at the Teatro Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Venice during the 1643 carnival season. One of the first operas to use historical events and people, it describes how Poppaea, mistress of the Roman emperor Nero, is able to achieve her ambition and be crowned empress. The opera was revived in Naples in 1651, but was then neglected until the rediscovery of the score in 1888, after which it became the subject of scholarly attention in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Since the 1960s, the opera has been performed and recorded many times. The original manuscript of the score does not exist; two surviving copies from the 1650s show significant differences from each other, and each differs to some extent from the libretto. How much of the music is actually Monteverdi's, and how much the product of others, is a matter of dispute. None of the existing versions of the libretto, printed or manuscript, can be definitively tied to the first performance at the Teatro Santi Giovanni e Paolo, the precise date of which is unknown. Details of the original cast are few and largely speculative, and there is no record of the opera's initial public reception. Despite these uncertainties, the work is generally accepted as part of the Monteverdi operatic canon, his last and perhaps his greatest work. In a departure from traditional literary morality, it is the adulterous liaison of Poppea and Nerone which triumphs, although this victory is demonstrated by history to have been transitory and hollow. Moreover, in Busenello's version of the story all the major characters are morally compromised. Written when the genre of opera was only a few decades old, the music for L'incoronazione di Poppea has been praised for its originality, its melody, and for its reflection of the human attributes of its characters. The work helped to redefine the boundaries of theatrical music, and established Monteverdi as the leading musical dramatist of his time. [Source]

Silvana Dussmann: A Study In Dramatic Soprano Vocal Prowess

Born in Vienna, soprano Silvana Dussmann was destined to perform the German repertoire of Mozart and Strauss. After studying with Rita Streich and Gerhard Kahry, she won first prize for operetta at the Vienna Belvedere Competition in 1987. Her debut was as Lisa in Franz Lehár's Das Land des Lächelns at the Volksoper Wien opposite Nicolai Gedda. She soon became an ensemble member of the Tiroler Landestheater Innsbruck, where she sang

roles such as Ilia (Idomeneo), Konstanze (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Micaëla (Carmen), Laura (Der Bettelstudent), and Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus). Subsequently in 1990 she debuted in the title role of Emmerich Kálmán's Die Csárdásfürstin at the Seefestspielen Mörbisch. By 1992 she was engaged by Opernhaus Graz where she extended her repertoire to roles like Violetta (La Traviata), Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), Agathe (Der Freischütz), and Angèle Didier (Der Graf von Luxemburg). Beginning in 1994, Ms. Dussmann began performing at the Wiener Volksoper as Musetta (La bohème), Marchesa del Poggio (Un Giorno di Regno), Frau Fluth (Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor), Vitellia (La Clemenza di Tito), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Countess Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro), and the title role in Norma. In 1996 she was reviving her portrayals of Musetta and Rosalinde for the Wiener Staatsoper. She went on to perform at the Aalto-Musiktheater in Essen, the Bayerischen Staatsoper in München, Israel Philharmonic in Tel Aviv, and Opera Bonn. At Wiener Festwochen in

Belgium's Vlaamse Opera Latest Rooftop To Host Honey Bee Colonies

Opera Buzz: Chef Nobels (r) and Rik Janssens (l)

Following suit of the Palais Garnier in Paris and Wien Staatsoper in Vienna, Vlaamse Opera becomes the most recent addition to placing bee colonies on the roof. The idea to put 160,000 bees on the roof was generated by chef Seppe Nobels from the restaurant Graanmarkt 13 in Antwerp. Four hives are under the supervision of beekeeper Rik Janssens. Hoping to produce 30-45 kilograms of "opera honey" annually, the opera intendant Aviel Cahn says he hopes it will help the environment as well. A portion of the proceeds from honey sales will go to the opera. In addition to being sold in the gift shop, guest singers will be offered the sweet nectar when performing with the opera.   

San Francisco Opera "Show Boat" Cast Garners Excellent Reviews

Morris Robinson lets loose with his booming voice for the role of Joe at the War Memorial Opera House.

"A couple of highlights: There's granite-voiced bass Morris Robinson, as the stevedore Joe, pacing himself through 'Ol' Man River,' aligning with the show's African-American chorus to build this iconic number -- part spiritual, part dirge -- into a majestic cry for justice. There's actor and comic Bill Irwin, as Cap'n Andy Hawks, who is all fluid motion and spark-plug energy: clowning, moon-walking or floating like Fred Astaire. His face is plastic. He is pure expression and heart -- an unforgettable performance. Not that Show Boat is light fare. What it is is an intensely American hybrid, celebrating vaudeville, jazz, opera, spirituals and popular song. It addresses distinctly American themes: racism against African-Americans and opposition to inter-racial marriage, especially. These themes play out aboard the Cotton Blossom, a floating theater -- a showboat with its own troupe, led by Cap'n Andy. His daughter, Magnolia Hawks (soprano Heidi Stober, perfect as the ingenue), is the story's pivot. We follow her through her ill-fated marriage to gambler Gaylord Ravenal (baritone Michael Todd Simpson) in the 1880s, and then through single motherhood and her resolute fashioning of a career in the 1920s New York theater. A subplot involves Magnolia's best friend, Julie La Verne (soprano Patricia Racette), who is bi-racial and has been 'passing' for

Hei-Kyung Hong Wins $300,000 Ho-Am Prize From Samsung Group

The soprano in the MET Opera gallery.

"Samsung Group yesterday honored the five winners of the annual Ho-Am Prize, who were announced last month. Lee Sang-yup, a professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Kaist), operatic soprano Hong Hei-kyung and three others received the prestigious award along with 300 million won ($294,319) each at the Ho-Am Art Hall in central Seoul. The other winners are Nam Hong-gil, a professor at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology in Daegu, Seung K. Kim, a professor at Stanford University, and the Rev. Kim Ha-jong. 'The brilliant achievements of the recipients are proud assets for Korea and these people are models to emulate in our era,' said Kwun Sook-il, head of the National Academy of Sciences, during a congratulatory speech at the award ceremony yesterday. 'The winners of Ho-Am awards are the hope and future for our society.' About 550 leaders of Korean politics, business, academia, media, culture and sports, as well as foreign emissaries based in Korea, were in attendance, according to the Ho-Am Foundation. The Ho-Am Prize is given to Korean citizens who make the biggest contributions each year in science, engineering, medicine, the arts and philanthropy. The foundation said the winners are chosen through a four-month review process with seven expert panels screening candidates in each area." [Source]

Lyric Opera Of Chicago Gets Acoustic Makeover On Stage

The proposed backdrop that could add recital capabilities to the cavernous opera house. 

"In the latest collaboration between the renowned Chicago architect Jeanne Gang and a Chicago-area arts institution, Gang and her firm, Studio Gang Architects, have designed a new acoustical shell for Lyric Opera the company will use for its concert performances at the Civic Opera House beginning in the fall, Lyric announced Wednesday. The dynamic, modular stage enclosure, to be unveiled at Lyric's 60th anniversary concert on Nov. 1, will be the first concert shell to be created by the architectural firm, although Gang and her partners have dealt with similar acoustical design issues in previous projects, she said. 'This is a unique project for us,' she said of the new concert shell, which Lyric plans to use for performances distinct from the operatic productions that constitute its main stage season. Lyric Opera officials have not disclosed the cost or funding sources for the project. Construction of the shell is scheduled to begin next week, followed by acoustical tests of the completed enclosure later in the summer. Their intention, officials said, is to replace Lyric's existing stage shell with a more efficient, more visually appealing enclosure that will improve the projection of acoustical sound in the cavernous, 3,500-seat Ardis Krainik Theater and relate, in a design sense, to the Art Deco style of the stage proscenium, with its receding perspective. 'We thought it would be far more interesting if there was something connected to the space, so it wouldn't look like it simply dropped in from outer space,' Gang said." [Source]