OperaNow! #232: The Sophisticated Vowel

San Diego Opera names new General Director...Met Opera Board President doesn't stand for reelection...How to get rehired for a choral gig...ENO creates new CEO role...Bartoli pulls out of west coast tour...Julius Rudel memorial concert for NYCO Renascence. 

This week in Oliver's Corner: Spoiler Alert - Dead Man gets out of jail because his ma' sang an aria about forgiveness. 

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Update on Monday, March 30, 2015 at 3:27PM by Michael Rice

Where did everybody go?

Comments

[Timothy]

Finally got a chance to listen....

When I looked at pictures of the La Donna del Lago production, I 100% thought that Malcolm was being played by a countertenor. (Speaking of gender confusion: Yay! Doug is back!)

I'm very excited to see what David Bennett will do (will be allowed to do) in San Diego. I know people say this every time an opera company makes a surprising choice in a new leader, but maybe, just maybe, Bennett is the guy who will really create a new model for larger, regional companies.

I forgot to comment on the last episode and mention Reggie Mobley. I heard him singing Bach motets, one on a part, with the Spire Ensemble and the voice is insane. I thought the Black History Month segments were great, Oliver.

Speaking of great segments... Awesome work on DMW! I, like Doug, love going into new works cold and while I've listened to parts of DMW, I've never really studied the work. I recently went to Silent Night at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City (all four performances...) and really enjoyed the fact that I only had the vaguest idea of what to expect. Much like Heggie's writing in DMW, I'd describe Kevin Puts' work as "cinematic". I really appreciate how both a capable of moments of incredible lyricism, but then find times, in the case of Silent Night, to really challenge our ears with extended technique and non-traditional harmonies. Puts did a great job of using the orchestra in the battle scenes in Silent Night.

I'm glad the first segment was done on a show without Mike or Jenny. It gave Oliver a chance to be really honest about his impressions without worrying too much what the two panelists, who are more familiar with the work, might think. Now, if Mike can make it on the show, we can hear his thoughts. It's a shame Jenny won't be back from Australia.

The video of Jessye Norman and Kathleen Battle singing "He's Got the Whole World" is my absolute favorite. I have the same narrative running in my head when I watch it that Oliver does. Kathleen thinks she's the shit and that she can take on Jessye, so Jessye just lets her try until the end when she unhinges her jaw and swallow's Battle's sound whole. It's validating to know I'm not the only one reading that far into it.