Carthage, Tunisia, Berlioz and us in Century 21. The site of Carthage has been excavated and is now an ancient site somewhat restored in our time. Colleagues with the Hannibal Alliance and I have corresponded since Tunisia won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Maybe we could do a field trip to Carthage with Opera Daily and meet my Tunisian colleagues there or perform part of the Berlioz at that site. The French established the National Theatre there and Tunisia signed the first peace treaty w/ America in 1789.
Berlioz is grateful too. Every night Berlioz' Father read him the AENEID as a bedtime story which became part of his artistry as a composer. It was never heard complete in Paris in his lifetime and for 90 years until the Royal Opera House did it in the 1950's with brutal cuts. LES TROYENS was vilified by critics for almost a century and one remarked that Berlioz was buried under the Wall of Troy. Nonetheless, you work here is extremely important for LES TROYENS and Berlioz in Century 21.
I am looking forward to going deeper. It's mind boggling to me how moved he was as a child by Virgil's poetry. To say he was a genius feels like it falls short when describing him.
BTW Les Troyens (4 hours) started at 7pm- ended before midnight The Met premiere breezed by in waves of exhiliration, rhapsody and sensuality. Each Chorus, Dance, Solo, Interlude or Duet were breathtaking. The orchestration a miracle. Wagner's RING falls short by comparison.
Having finally wiggled my toes in the warm waters of French opera, I have plunged in and begun swimming with "Les Troyens". First of all, I am certain I would have enjoyed six hours of the kind of grand spectacle required by Berlioz's grand opera. After all, films, plays and streaming services have enabled us to sit through hours of entertainment. Berlioz was simply ahead of his time. Shirley Verrett and Nicolai Gedda performing “Nuit d'ivresse et d'extase infinie” was so beautiful. There was so much to learn about the shimmering, incredible voice and the extraordinary life of Shirley Verrett in the YouTube videos I watched. Is it unusual to have a voice which can slide between mezzo-soprano and soprano roles? Verrett herself was a gorgeous woman, and reportedly a fine stage actress, too. Having only paid fleeting attention to her, I now get why the family opera lovers were always attuned whenever she appeared on TV. Michele, I so appreciate your guidance, and the contributions of other subscribers, to my edification and enjoyment.
I will let others here comment on your question "Is it unusual to have a voice which can slide between mezzo-soprano and soprano roles?" - but I will give you my two cents: I am not going to speak for Ms Verrett or anyone else but my gut usually tells me that they were a soprano the whole time ;-)
At LaScala I watched Verrett rehearse the revival of Verdi's MACBETH in Milan with Claudio Abbado. They were a great team and their recording remains one of the best.
Opera Daily's format is perfect for my shortened attention span and the times we live in. The information presented is just enough to savor, without getting satiated. Even so, comments here and on YouTube often point me in new directions. Now I'm eager to hear Shirley Verrett and Claudio Abbado in Verdi's "Macbeth". I'm also interested in the great opera houses, having been to only three of them. I also think about opera singers who have achieved fame and fortune. It can't be talent alone. I wonder about the mix of variables that create celebrity (such as location, training, patrons, publicity, connections, critics, physical attributes and probably race and class). I have some mild regret about not cracking open that big history of opera book that languished at home for years. At least it is now in the hands of my sister, a trained classical though not a professional, singer and a true aficionado. Me, I'm grateful for the time to explore what I used to ignore. Onward!
Not to worry, you can learn more OPERA over the course of your lifetime. Since it is performed in repertory, unlike the American Theatre, you can enjoy a variety of works. Others are heard ONCE and disappear as well.
Mr. Quinn, thank you for encouraging my interest and exploration. I love being introduced to classic operas - along with the composers, librettists, orchestras and artists - all of which have survived the passage of time.
I'm curious, though . . .Does opera today have an avant garde, as the term might be used in theater or the fine arts? I'm not thinking so much of historical, former iconoclasts, like Igor Stravinsky and Camille Saint-Saens. I'm also not thinking about opera singers who perform other kinds of music. Without intending offense, I ask if opera is a museum piece? Is she always a stuffy, high-minded old lady or does she have a bit of the bad girl (or boy) in her? I welcome the community's response.
By the way, I love stories about people throwing objects at an opera stage, or walking out, when someone's art pushed the boundaries (and their buttons).
Extraordinary works by John Adams, a wild Alice in Wonderland cycle by David del Tredeci, Italian composer Sylvano Bussotti are all still alive and composing. Philip Glass' SATRYGRAHA and AKHNATEN are also absorbing but he writes too much like his awful DISNEY and COLUMBUS pieces.
In light of this convo, OD is going to take a sharp right turn on Wednesday and serve up a John Adams piece I had been planning...will be curious to hear thoughts. I know it will cause some to flirt with the unsubscribe button, but I feel like it's my duty to weave these modern pieces in! :-)
Magical
Carthage, Tunisia, Berlioz and us in Century 21. The site of Carthage has been excavated and is now an ancient site somewhat restored in our time. Colleagues with the Hannibal Alliance and I have corresponded since Tunisia won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Maybe we could do a field trip to Carthage with Opera Daily and meet my Tunisian colleagues there or perform part of the Berlioz at that site. The French established the National Theatre there and Tunisia signed the first peace treaty w/ America in 1789.
***A marvellous tapestry of voices and orchestra***
Well said!
Berlioz is grateful too. Every night Berlioz' Father read him the AENEID as a bedtime story which became part of his artistry as a composer. It was never heard complete in Paris in his lifetime and for 90 years until the Royal Opera House did it in the 1950's with brutal cuts. LES TROYENS was vilified by critics for almost a century and one remarked that Berlioz was buried under the Wall of Troy. Nonetheless, you work here is extremely important for LES TROYENS and Berlioz in Century 21.
I am looking forward to going deeper. It's mind boggling to me how moved he was as a child by Virgil's poetry. To say he was a genius feels like it falls short when describing him.
BTW Les Troyens (4 hours) started at 7pm- ended before midnight The Met premiere breezed by in waves of exhiliration, rhapsody and sensuality. Each Chorus, Dance, Solo, Interlude or Duet were breathtaking. The orchestration a miracle. Wagner's RING falls short by comparison.
Having finally wiggled my toes in the warm waters of French opera, I have plunged in and begun swimming with "Les Troyens". First of all, I am certain I would have enjoyed six hours of the kind of grand spectacle required by Berlioz's grand opera. After all, films, plays and streaming services have enabled us to sit through hours of entertainment. Berlioz was simply ahead of his time. Shirley Verrett and Nicolai Gedda performing “Nuit d'ivresse et d'extase infinie” was so beautiful. There was so much to learn about the shimmering, incredible voice and the extraordinary life of Shirley Verrett in the YouTube videos I watched. Is it unusual to have a voice which can slide between mezzo-soprano and soprano roles? Verrett herself was a gorgeous woman, and reportedly a fine stage actress, too. Having only paid fleeting attention to her, I now get why the family opera lovers were always attuned whenever she appeared on TV. Michele, I so appreciate your guidance, and the contributions of other subscribers, to my edification and enjoyment.
I will let others here comment on your question "Is it unusual to have a voice which can slide between mezzo-soprano and soprano roles?" - but I will give you my two cents: I am not going to speak for Ms Verrett or anyone else but my gut usually tells me that they were a soprano the whole time ;-)
At LaScala I watched Verrett rehearse the revival of Verdi's MACBETH in Milan with Claudio Abbado. They were a great team and their recording remains one of the best.
Opera Daily's format is perfect for my shortened attention span and the times we live in. The information presented is just enough to savor, without getting satiated. Even so, comments here and on YouTube often point me in new directions. Now I'm eager to hear Shirley Verrett and Claudio Abbado in Verdi's "Macbeth". I'm also interested in the great opera houses, having been to only three of them. I also think about opera singers who have achieved fame and fortune. It can't be talent alone. I wonder about the mix of variables that create celebrity (such as location, training, patrons, publicity, connections, critics, physical attributes and probably race and class). I have some mild regret about not cracking open that big history of opera book that languished at home for years. At least it is now in the hands of my sister, a trained classical though not a professional, singer and a true aficionado. Me, I'm grateful for the time to explore what I used to ignore. Onward!
Not to worry, you can learn more OPERA over the course of your lifetime. Since it is performed in repertory, unlike the American Theatre, you can enjoy a variety of works. Others are heard ONCE and disappear as well.
Mr. Quinn, thank you for encouraging my interest and exploration. I love being introduced to classic operas - along with the composers, librettists, orchestras and artists - all of which have survived the passage of time.
I'm curious, though . . .Does opera today have an avant garde, as the term might be used in theater or the fine arts? I'm not thinking so much of historical, former iconoclasts, like Igor Stravinsky and Camille Saint-Saens. I'm also not thinking about opera singers who perform other kinds of music. Without intending offense, I ask if opera is a museum piece? Is she always a stuffy, high-minded old lady or does she have a bit of the bad girl (or boy) in her? I welcome the community's response.
By the way, I love stories about people throwing objects at an opera stage, or walking out, when someone's art pushed the boundaries (and their buttons).
Extraordinary works by John Adams, a wild Alice in Wonderland cycle by David del Tredeci, Italian composer Sylvano Bussotti are all still alive and composing. Philip Glass' SATRYGRAHA and AKHNATEN are also absorbing but he writes too much like his awful DISNEY and COLUMBUS pieces.
In light of this convo, OD is going to take a sharp right turn on Wednesday and serve up a John Adams piece I had been planning...will be curious to hear thoughts. I know it will cause some to flirt with the unsubscribe button, but I feel like it's my duty to weave these modern pieces in! :-)
looking forward to that.