2010 Season Podcasts
In order to help you better appreciate the operas in our 2010 International Season, the Education and Outreach Department has developed a series of introductory podcasts hosted by Nick Reveles. These 15 to 20 minute ‘conversations’ can be enjoyed by opera fans as well as those who are new to the art form. Informal yet informative, this is a great way to prepare to come see the operas during our season.
To subscribe to our Podcast RSS feed through Libsyn.com please go to http://sandiegoopera.libsyn.com/rss.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Faust: Great Marguerites on Record
We're lucky in that many of the great sopranos of the past who've sung the role of Marguerite in Gounod's Faust recorded excerpts or were involved in complete commercial recordings of the work. Let's survey them and bask for awhile in the beauty of these voices!
Monday, July 19, 2010
The Gender-Bending Role of Octavian
In Richard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier we have a wonderful example of a hosenrolle or 'trouser role', a female singer portraying a male character in an opera. Strauss and other composers in opera history had a lot of fun with these roles, and it's time to explore how Octavian fits into the tradition.
Monday, July 12, 2010
The Role of Calaf in Puccini's Turandot
One of the most exciting male roles in all of Puccini's operas is the role of Calaf, the Tartar Prince who comes to China and falls in love with Turandot. Although Miguel Fleta, who created the role in 1926, did not record anything from the role the tenor whom the composer had in mind all along did. Take a listen to some of the tenors who made the role famous, find out more about Calaf and hear some beautiful music!
Monday, July 05, 2010
Carmen: Why It's All About Don Jose!
Sure, she's the 'star', and yes, she gets all the great, memorable tunes. But did you every think that maybe, just possibly, the opera is really about Don Jose? Musically, at least, I think he's more interesting! Let's take a listen!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Faust: The Devil, You Say!
In looking forward to bass-baritone Greer Grimsley's performance in our upcoming production of Gounod's FAUST, I thought it would be fun to look more closely at the role of Mephistopheles and the historic basses who sang the role.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Margarethe Siems: the First Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier
Imagine my surprise when I discovered, not terribly long ago, that there were recordings of members of the very first production of Der Rosenkavalier from Dresden, 1911! Here's an introduction to the very first soprano to sing the marvelous role of the Marschallin, Margarethe Siems. Enjoy!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Famous Turandots on Record
Luckily for us, Puccini's opera Turandot premiered in 1926, well after the invention of sound recording. So even though we don't have a recording of excerpts from the opera by the two principals (soprano Rosa Raisa and Miguel Fleta), we do have recordings of some of the sopranos who made history in the role. Let's survey a handful of those sopranos and see if we can get a good sound picture of what Puccini might have expected for the role.
Monday, April 12, 2010
San Diego Opera's 2011 Season Podcast
Announcing San Diego Opera's 2011 International Season! Listen to Dr. Nicolas Reveles, the Geisel Director of Education and Outreach introduce Puccini's Turandot, Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier, Gounod's Faust and Bizet's Carmen, operas that will be brilliantly produced and performed at the Civic Theatre. Join Dr. Reveles for an operatic adventure in listening!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Great Tenors in La Traviata
Tenors from Caruso to Domingo have sung and recorded music from Verdi's opera La traviata. Here's a survey of some of those famous singers and their recordings for your enjoyment, a benefit of which will be to get more familiar with Alfredo's music before you come see our production!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Giorgio Germont: You've Gotta Love Alfredo's Father!
Poor Alfredo's father: he often gets short shrift in discussions of Verdi's masterpiece La Traviata, and he deserves better! Here's a survey of his role in the opera as well as some wonderful recorded excerpts to help you get to know him better.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Great Choices, Great Opera: Nabucco
Great art is about great choices, and Verdi made great choices in writing operas like Nabucco! I'd like to reflect for a few minutes on just what kinds of choices he made in this exciting opera as we come to the end of this brilliant production!
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Nabucco's Prayers
We all know by now that Verdi's Nabucco is loosely based on the Bible, and the deep background of the story is the Babylonian Captivity, the Exile. Upon looking more closely at the libretto of the opera, one can find all of the different forms of prayer that one can actually find in the Bible, prayer-forms that are actually recognized by Biblical scholars. Did Temistocle Solera, the librettist for Verdi's opera, know the Bible that well? Perhaps, perhaps not. But listen to the examples you'll find in today's podcast and make up your own mind.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Great Sopranos Sing Mimi!
In the same spirit as a podcast we posted a few months back about great Rodolfos in the history of recorded sound, here is a brief survey of some of the great sopranos who've sung the role of Mimi, especially created for this week as we open Puccini's La Boheme! Enjoy the sounds of Farrar, Albanese, de los Angeles, Tebaldi and Freni as we look forward to Saturday night's opening.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Puccini's La boheme: Another Look at "Another Look"!
Since we are going into production on our first opera of the season, let's take another look at a podcast that first ran on June 10, 2009, all about the first act of Puccini's La boheme and how the composer uses musical ideas to tell a great story. This is a great brush-up in preparation for your trip to the theatre, beginning on January 30!
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Stars of our 2010 Season: Meet Piotr Beczala
Let's kick off our 2010 San Diego Opera Podcast Season by meeting one of the stars of our first production, Puccini's La Boheme: the young Polish tenor Piotr Beczala! This is first class singing from the lyric tenor that we've all been waiting for!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Opera's Game-Changers: Revolutions in an Art Form
With the opening of James Cameron's film Avatar last week, I started thinking about moments in opera history that were game-changing, that began revolutions in the art form. Let's take a quick look!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Happy Holidays from San Diego Opera
What are the holidays without hearing your favorite opera singers dabble in music outside the opera repertoire? Anyone for the three tenors singing Leroy Anderson's Sleigh Bells? Or Leontyne Price singing O Tannenbaum? Here you are, some of our favorite holiday recordings! Enjoy, and have a great holiday season!
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Favorite Violettas: La Traviata in Recorded History
Among the favorite heroines in opera we have Violetta, a tragic figure to be sure, but a glorious one because of her musical and theatrical personality. Many great sopranos have essayed the role. Let's listen to some of them and try to recreate some of the excitement that they must have produced onstage.
Monday, November 30, 2009
My Favorite Moments in the 2010 Season!
Doing so many lectures around San Diego County on our season, I'm being asked what my favorite moments are in the various operas I'm talking about. Here's a post-Thanksgiving offering, then. My own favorite arias and ensembles from our upcoming season, just to whet your appetite for what's just around the corner! Enjoy!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Verdi: The Early Years
Nabucco might have been Verdi's first success, but it was his third opera. What were the first two like? And how about the two that followed that success in 1842? Let's explore the operas of Verdi, the early years.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Making the Case for La Rondine, Puccini's "Operetta"
San Diego Opera is producing the evergreen standard "La boheme" by Puccini, an opera that all opera lovers know and love. But what about one of his lesser known works? Not terribly long ago, I discovered "La Rondine" and realize what a get this opera is. Let me introduce it to you so that you can come to love it as much as I do!
Monday, November 02, 2009
Recitative Revisted: Defining Character
Maybe you haven't noticed, but recitative is treated differently in different eras of opera history. Earlier operas utilized harpsichord and other keyboard instruments to accompany recitative, later operas used the full orchestra. But are operatic characters treated differently, even within the same opera? Let's explore!
Monday, October 19, 2009
In a Mood for Massenet!
OK, I'm a sucker for gorgeous melodies, the perfumed atmosphere of lush orchestrations and over-the-top dramatic singing. No, not Puccini...but Massenet! He's one of my all time favorite opera composers, call it a guilty pleasure. Let me introduce you to some music that you may not know from Massenet's output.
Monday, October 12, 2009
What On Earth Is The Concertato?
Impress your opera-loving friends with your newly found knowledge of one of the most exciting musical events in most standard repertory Italian operas and that even occasionally shows up in the French and German repertoire! The Concertato…here it is. Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask. Free of charge.
Monday, October 05, 2009
German Opera Composers Before Wagner
You may well wonder: was there such a thing as a German opera composer before Wagner? His works so outshone every other German composer within his lifetime that we tend to forget about people like Weber, Spohr, Nicolai, Lortzing and Marschner. Who??
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Romeo and Juliet: Great Artists from the Past
Let's get familiar with the music from Gounod's Romeo and Juliet by exploring some of the great artists who essayed these roles in the past. Does the name Eide Norena ring a bell? Or Georges Thill? both of them will become favorites of yours after you hear this!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Great Arias from Operas You've Never Seen!
Now here's a sample of wonderful music from operas that I'm sure you've either never seen or never WILL see! You'll hear music by such diverse composers as Cilea, Catalani, Auber, Thomas and...Rossini. Enjoy this excursion into the unknown.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The "Other" Roles in 2010
Let's take a few minutes to listen to excerpts from our 2010 Season which feature the secondary principal singers, roles like Marcello, Ismaele, Mercutio and Germont. You can have the greatest Rodolfo and Mimi in the world, but you'd better have a Marcello who can match them!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Great Tenors in La Boheme
We're all looking forward to the debut of Piotr Beczala with San Diego Opera in the role of Rodolfo in La Boheme. Let's review some of the great Rodolfos of the past, from Caruso to Wunderlich.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Meeting Abigaille
No, not your Aunt Abigail, or Abigail Adams, but Abigaille...ah-bee-gah-EE-leh...the power hungry, curtain chewing villainess in Verdi's Nabucco, one of our 2010 productions. She's ruined many a voice, beginning with the very first lady who attempted the role. Let's get to know her a bit and find out what it is that makes her so, well, difficult!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Just What Is A Leitmotif?
We've thrown this term around a lot in our podcast series. It's time to define it and listen to some worthy examples from the operas of Richard Wagner. It is summer, after all, with Ring festivals going on throughout the world!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Gambling Music in Opera
If you think about it, there are a number of operas with gambling, gaming or card-playing scenes in them (and not just Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades!) Have you ever noticed that those scenes have a remarkable similarity? Let's start with La traviata and have some summer fun with gambling music!
Monday, July 20, 2009
If You Don't Know Claudia Muzio, You Should!
Here's a singer who was the muse of Maria Callas, among many other great sopranos, who opened the San Francisco Opera's War Memorial Opera House and who was considered one of the great singers of her day. Ever heard of her? Probably not; so here she is. Meet Clauda Muzio!
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Art of the Love Duet
Love duets are a part of just about every opera in the standard repertory, so much so that we don’t think about them much. We just luxuriate in their beautiful melodies. But there’s always a reason for those ebbs and flows of passion. Let’s explore some of the love duets in the early periods of opera history and see what makes them tick!
Monday, June 29, 2009
La Traviata: The Real Violetta
The most fascinating aspect of Verdi’s La traviata is that the story is based on true events in the life of a real, 19th century French socialite, who had many aristocratic, well-connected and famous lovers, went through numerous fortunes and died of tuberculosis at the tender age of 23. Who was this remarkable woman? Listen to this week’s podcast to find out!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Romeo and Juliet: The Love Duets
One of the more unusual aspects of Charles Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet is the fact that the tenor and soprano who sing the two title roles have four (count ‘em, FOUR) love duets! Let’s take a look at these duets and see what the challenges are in them for the singers as well as for the audience.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Nabucco: Verdi's First Success
Nabucco was Verdi’s third opera and his first true success. But what was the measure of success in opera in 1840s
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
La Boheme: Another Look
We've covered Puccini's masterpiece La boheme in our 2010 Season Podcast; but let's take a closer look. The composer's sense of drama and his complete mastery of the use of melody make this an unforgettable work. Here's our Director of Education, Dr. Nicolas Reveles, to give you an insight into what makes this opera tick!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Great Moments in the 2010 Season: What I'm Looking Forward To!
Dr. Nicolas Reveles surveys the great moments upcoming in San Diego Opera's 2010 Season from La Boheme, Nabucco, Romeo & Juliet and La Traviata. Enjoy!
Thursday, May 07, 2009
San Diego Opera's 2010 Season Podcast
San Diego Opera is proud to announce its 2010 International Season: Puccini's La Boheme, Verdi's Nabucco, Gounod's Romeo and Juliet and Verdi's La Traviata. Hear Dr. Nicolas Reveles discuss the season with exciting musical excerpts in this special, extended podcast!
Monday, May 04, 2009
Great Moments in Madama Butterfly!
Madama Butterfly opens this week, Saturday, May 9! Nick Reveles previews the opera for you by playing all the great moments from the opera: Pinkerton's first aria, Butterfly's entrance, the great love duet from Act I and Butterfly's touching aria, "Un bel di vedremo". Enjoy it as we get ready to open this fantastic production!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Japanese Influences in Madama Butterfly
Puccini went to great lengths to get just the right exotic color for the score of his opera Madama Butterfly. Take a listen to seven authentic Japanese folk tunes that he inserted in to the fabric of the score!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Peter Grimes Opens This Week!
Are you ready? Benjamin Britten's opera Peter Grimes opens this Saturday, April 18 at San Diego Opera. Listen to this repeat of Nicolas Reveles' original podcast on the opera first uploaded last June. It will get you in the perfect mood to enjoy and appreciate this magnificent opera.
Monday, April 06, 2009
The Source of Peter Grimes
And now for something completely different. Here is a dramatic reading of the poem upon which Britten's opera, Peter Grimes, is based. It is a section of the work "The Borough" by George Crabbe, an early nineteenth century poet from Suffolk on the east coast of England. Note the difference between the Grimes of the poem, who is an outright villain, and the Grimes of the opera, an ambiguous character of whose guilt the audience is never really sure. Enjoy this reading by Nick Reveles, Director of Education, underscored by music from the opera.
Monday, March 23, 2009
The Color of Rigoletto and Other Mysteries
And now for your semi-annual Italian lesson: the word is 'tinta', and it means 'color'. Now that you know what it means to us, let's discover what it meant to composer Giuseppe Verdi, especially with regards to our next production, Rigoletto, opening this week!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Rigoletto Redux!
Here's a repeat of the popular June 23, 2008 podcast on Rigoletto, which opens next week on March 28. Listen as Nick Reveles explores the reasons why this opera is a highlight in the operatic output of composer Giuseppe Verdi, and why we should flock to see it!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Rigoletto Sound-Alikes: The Verdi Baritone
Verdi's Rigoletto didn't just spring from nothingness: there were a number of baritone roles in his earlier operas that foreshadowed this brilliant creation. Here are examples of two of them from Ernani and Macbeth. Enjoy!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Heard Any Early Verdi Lately?
As we look forward to San Diego Opera's production of Verdi's Rigoletto opening in March, let's take a quick tour of the operas that put Verdi on the operatic map!
Monday, February 09, 2009
Windmills and Chivalry in Don Quixote
Those of you with tickets to San Diego Opera's production of Massenet's Don Quixote are in for a real treat: it is a wonderful character study. Let's dig in to the famous windmill scene and what makes it work musically, textually and dramatically.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Massenet's Don Quixote, A Hidden Jewel
San Diego Opera is currently in rehearsal for Massenet's Don Quixote (Don Quichotte), and we're quickly realizing what a brilliant piece of music theatre it truly is. Take a listen to this podcast and discover some of this opera's secrets!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Great Tenors in Tosca
Education Director Nick Reveles does a quick survey of great tenors from the past who have interpreted the role of Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca. There's some great singing here!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Tosca Opens This Week! Ten Ways to Enjoy the Opera
For you newcomers out there, here's a list of ten ways to help you enjoy Puccini's masterpiece even more when you come to the Civic Theatre for a performance. Developed from years of opera-going and a desire to know just a little more about an opera before I go. I hope it helps!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Musical Characters in Peter Grimes and Madama Butterfly
Let's continue last week's discussion about musical 'characterization' and see how Britten and Puccini deal with defining characters through music.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Musical Characters in Tosca, Don Quixote and Rigoletto
Musical characterization is something that an opera composer does to distinguish operatic characters from each other, musical signals that tell us about their personalities. Let's take a look at our first three season productions and try to find out how these composers tell the stories of the characters in their operas.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Bel Canto: Is It The Words Or The Music?
Let’s explore further a topic that we discussed a few months back, inspired by a recent article in the New York Times by the eminent music critic Anthony Tommasini on the nature of bel canto. Does this elusive Italian term describe a style of musical composition, especially in terms of melodic direction, or a composer’s sensitivity to words? Or both? You be the judge!
Monday, December 01, 2008
Dance In Opera. And I'm Not Talking Ballet!
We all know that opera and dance have been intertwined since the beginning, and in France they were co-equal arts living in the same space. But have you ever given thought to all of those moments in opera where dance actually moves the drama along, not a tacked on, pretty addition to the opera but an important part of the narrative? Let's talk about it!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Christmas For Opera Lovers
Here's what I hope will be an annual tradition...the San Diego Opera Christmas Podcast! Since we're quickly moving into the holidays, I'd like to make some suggestions about recordings and DVDs that will help your opera-loving family members and friends get the most out of our 2009 season. Enjoy!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Scaling the Heights: Coloratura Sopranos
In a series of occasional surveys of specialized voice types here are a few words (and a few sound clips) of every opera lover's stratospheric dream...the coloratura soprano. When the composer says 'jump', she asks 'how high?'
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Meet Our 2009 Artists!
Furlanetto, Vargicova, Racette, Haddock...they're all here. Give them a listen in order get a preview of the wonderful international stars we'll have singing in our 2009 Season!
Monday, November 03, 2008
Is There Recitative In Modern Opera?
Whatever happened to recitative? Did it die with Donizetti or did composers somehow carry on the style? And more importantly, does recitative still have a place in so called modern opera?
Monday, October 27, 2008
Operas I Can't Live Without
People have asked, so here are my Top Ten, the desert island operas and the recordings I can't live without.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Overtures, Part Deux
Let's continue our discussion of the opera overture by looking at Mozart, Rossini and the composers of our 2009 Season operas. More on the evolution of the overture...
Monday, October 13, 2008
Sinfonias, Preludes and Overtures: Where Do We Begin?
Let's take a little time out to focus on the role of the orchestra in opera, beginning at the beginning: the overture. What is the role of the overture? Since it's the first music you hear, it's pretty important, right? Well, maybe. Here's a brief history.
Monday, September 15, 2008
The Verdi Duets: That's My Tune, Go Get Your Own!
The Verdi duets are his crowning achievement musically, as far as I'm concerned. Let's discover why, and get a better understanding of what makes them work so well.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Are You New? Here's How To Really Enjoy An Evening At The Opera!
Are you dreading it? Are you looking forward to it? You're just putting up with it because your wife wants to go? Which opera is good to bring the kids to? Give me 15 minutes, I'll show you how to have a good time at the opera, from dinner before to drinks after!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Benjamin Britten and English Opera
Britten, the composer of "Peter Grimes" which San Diego Opera will be producing in 2009, was a crucial link to composers today who work in the English language. Let's explore his contribution to the art.
Monday, August 18, 2008
The Vocal Cadenza: Some Singers Just Want to Show Off!
Besides defining just what a cadenza is, let's go a bit further and ask ourselves if there are dramatic or even emotional reasons for cadenzas, or are they just an opportunity for a singer to milk applause from the audience?
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Massenet. The French Puccini?
In my humble opinion, Massenet and Puccini are speaking essentially the same language and share a similar turn-of-the-century aesthetic. Listen in and see if you agree!
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Thematic Reminiscence: Come Again?
Yes it's a formidable name, but it's one of the most easily recognizable techniques that composers use to pull their operas together. Spend a few moments and let me give you some great examples from our 2009 season!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Tosca: Recordings I Love
A little summer diversion: there are so many good recordings of Tosca out there, but which ones are best? I'm not sure, but here are some of my favorites, recordings that you'll be able to find on Amazon.com.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Recitative: OK, So Just What Is It?
Recitative. It's a word you hear thrown around a lot in operatic circles, but do you know what it really means? Not to worry...here's everything you need to know about recitative and then some. You'll be thanking me when you can use it intelligently during the next intermission at the opera. Your friends will be impressed. Seriously.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Madama Butterfly: Here She Comes Again!
Do we need to see Madama Butterfly again? The answer is a resounding YES! In the truly great operas, you always find, see and hear something new every time you experience them. Let Nick Reveles make a few suggestions about why Butterfly is a joy to look forward to this season.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Peter Grimes: The Ultimate Operatic Outsider
Premiered in 1945, Benjamin Britten's Opera Peter Grimes marked a fresh start for opera in English. It's a gripping, intense drama set in a small fishing village off the east coast of England. Find out what makes this opera tick, and why no one should fear twentieth (or twenty-first!) century opera.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Rigoletto: Just What Was Verdi Thinking?
Rigoletto, San Diego Opera's third opera in the 2009 International Season, is a rather revolutionary piece of musical theatre. Audiences just weren't ready for the anti-hero hunchback jester who pimped for his boss. Are you ready??
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
San Diego Opera International Season 2009: An Overview
San Diego Opera's 2009 Season looks to be the most exciting we've ever had! Listen now to this podcast, hosted by Dr. Nicolas Reveles, and hear descriptions of and audio excerpts from Tosca, Don Quixote, Rigoletto, Peter Grimes and Madama Butterfly. There's something for everyone in 2009, especially anyone who loves beautiful music!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Don Quixote: A "Heroic Comedy"
Jules Massenet is best known for operas like Manon and Werther. This opera isn't known quite so well, but it is a stunner! Learn more about it and hear some of the gorgeous music that it contains in this podcast about our third opera of the 2009 International Season.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Tosca: That Shabby Little Shocker Is Back
Puccini's Tosca, once called a "shabby little shocker", is back to open the 2009 Season. Here's another look at one of the most melodramatic opera scores of the twentieth century (it premiered in 1900) and certainly one of the most gorgeous!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The Pearl Fishers Opens This Week. Cult Oyster Blues.
The same guy who wrote Carmen penned this little gem. It's our French offering this season. Remember: pearls and basic black will never go out of style, especially at the opera.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Exoticism in opera. Is that incense I smell?
What's up with operas like Aida, The Pearl Fishers, Madama Butterfly and Turandot? Nineteenth century opera seemed to corner the market on exotic locales.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Basses: the lowdown on the down low!
OK, OK, I was just trying to get your attention. Nothing salacious here, just a brief overview of the guys at the bottom. No, really!
Friday, April 04, 2008
Aida Opens This Week. It Ain't Your Grandma's Aida. Or Elton's.
Another Italian take on an exotic time and place. Why is this everyone's favorite opera?
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
A Word on Verdi
The old man knew what he was doing: he wanted opera to be real theatre. And if a Verdi opera doesn't come off that way, then something's wrong.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Baritones: Every man thinks he IS one
The baritone is the man's man of opera. If George Clooney were an opera singer, he'd probably be one. But he's not. So we won't go there.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci Open This Week.
Truthiness at the opera! I never thought I'd reference Stephen Colbert in this series. But here we go. Verismo, naturalism and the Italian penchant for a slice of life.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Italy and the Opera. Why?
Because. A brief history of Italy and its relationship to one of her most glorious exports. Besides limoncello. Say Euridice three times fast.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Mezzo-Sopranos: Tony Still Doesn't Live Here!
Mamas, witches and gypsies. And real women with an independent streak. If The Sopranos were an opera, Livia would be one. A mezzo, that is.
Monday, February 25, 2008
What Is An Aria?
A brief history of something you didn't know existed until you started coming to San Diego Opera. Why don't we just call it a song and be done with it?
Monday, February 18, 2008
Tenors: Opera's 'Players'
The sopranos all die and the tenors have all the sex. Wassup wid dat?
Monday, February 11, 2008
Mary, Queen of Scots Opens This Week!
"What's a nice Italian composer like you doing in a place like this? Gaetano Donizetti, composer of Maria Stuarda (Mary, Queen of Scots) gives us a very Italian take on British Royal history. Can you say, "Liz is a vile bastard" in Italian? You'll learn how here. Tell your friends.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Is 'bel canto' a new restaurant in the Gaslamp Quarter?
Maybe it oughta be. But short answer: no. Tune in the long answer. It's got something to do with beautiful singing and we've got it!
Monday, January 28, 2008
The Sopranos: Tony Doesn't Live Here!
...or Carmela or Meadow or Johnny Sack. But if you want to get to know the other sopranos, tune in. Coloraturas, dramatics, lyrics...they're all gorgeous and they're all here.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Tannhauser Opens This Week. Are You Ready For Wagner?
I know you're really NOT ready, but here it is: the composer you swore you'd never understand or listen to. Or sit through. (Aren't these operas like, 15 hours long?) and what's everybody screaming about?
Monday, January 14, 2008
Opera Basics: Words and Music
Something kind of cool happens when words and music meet. You know, your song?? It reminds you of when you met that special person...where you were, what you did, maybe even what time it was. Multiply that by one hundred and you have opera!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Introduction to The Pearl Fishers
Discover Georges Bizet's (composer of CARMEN) other opera THE PEARL FISHERS in this podcast introduction by Nicolas Reveles, Director of Education and Outreach for San Diego Opera. Coming from an era of great French operas, hear how Bizet's genius turns elegant and lyrical in this exotic stage piece set in old Ceylon. If you don't know the tunes from this opera, then you're in for a treat! (First posted June 25, 2007)
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Introduction to Aida
Giuseppe Verdi's great masterwork AIDA is the subject of this podcast introduction by Nicolas Reveles, the Geisel Director of Education and Outreach for San Diego Opera. The discussion centers on the passionate music of Verdi, the choices he made in re-creating the world of ancient Egypt onstage, and why this opera is still so popular today. (First posted June 25, 2007)
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Introduction to Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci
Nicolas Reveles, the Geisel Director of Education and Outreach for San Diego Opera, discusses this classic pairing of two verismo operas by Pietro Mascagni (CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA) and Ruggiero Leoncavallo (PAGLIACCI). Verismo is 'realism' in Italian: and these two short operas are filled with passion, violence, and death with overwhelmingly beautiful music to match the tragic stories. (First posted January 25, 2007)
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Introduction to Mary, Queen of Scots (Maria Stuarda)
In this introduction to Gaetano Donizetti's MARIA STUARDA (Mary, Queen of Scots) host Nicolas Reveles, Director of Education and Outreach for San Diego Opera, discover why this early 19th century masterpiece is the very definition of 'bel canto' opera. Hear highlights of Donizetti's lyrical music and explore the real history behind the story: the relationship between the royal cousins, Mary Stuart and Elizabeth I. (First posted June 25, 2007)
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Introduction to Tannhauser
In this introduction to Richard Wagner's TANNHAUSER, learn about the challenges involved in producing this monumental work, hear highlights from the score and explore the themes that the composer was trying to communicate in this 19th century 'morality play'. San Diego Opera Education Director Dr. Nicolas Reveles hosts. (First posted June 27, 2007)
Monday, January 07, 2008
Opera: What's the Big Deal?
NEW! Everything that you need to know about opera as art in 15 lean minutes! You'll also come to know that opera is everywhere, I mean EVERYWHERE. So get over yourself. You know you love it...