Opera San Luis Obispo

The Real World of Opera

operaslo — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:53:36 +0000

A woman is being held prisoner in her own bedroom with her son as her only companion. Her husband has just been killed in a hostile take-over of the country. The man who was responsible for her husband’s death is in love with her; yet she still is holding strong to the memory of her beloved departed. Her sister-in-law who had previously spurned the advances of the killer is now asking for his love, but he refuses. To complicate matters, the sister promises her love to the man’s best friend who only wants her for her rank and money. Furthermore, the dead man is actually alive and well and he returns from hiding just in time to see his wife give in to the man who supposedly killed him.

Drama: Appealing to Audiences Everywhere

No, this is not the plot of the latest reality tv show drama; instead, it is the story of Rodelinda Handel’s baroque opera, newly returned to the Met stage. The drama, the angst, the anger, and the backstabbing is all there. It’s the Real World series from the 1700′s. Each glance is shooting daggers and each hand is slapping the face of someone else. There is pillow punching, eaves dropping, dramatic slamming of things, and destruction of property. Temper tantrums abound in this production as the spider web of relationships unfold.
While we all think that soap operas and reality tv were the first to bring the melodramatic, entangled web of relationships and life to the public, it is not a recent media ploy. The earliest art forms all dealt with the real drama of life. Be it Shakespeare, classic Greek tragedies, or Baroque opera, the foundation of each of these stories lies in the reality of life, relationships, and the complications that arise. Yes, this drama is often times magnified to the extreme; but it is still within the realm of possibility. So, why do we love watching others’ drama so much? Perhaps it is to make our own lives feel more exciting and important. Or, perhaps it is to put our own problems into perspective. Whatever the reason, the drama of life will go on to entertain us for the rest of our lives. But, before you turn on that TV, consider visiting your local opera company or a met broadcast instead. For who needs reality tv when you have the opera house? I sure don’t.
The next Met live in HD production will be Faust by Gounod on Sunday January 15th at 2 PM at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center sponsored by Opera San Luis Obispo. Call 888-233-2787 for ticket information.

-Marissa Bloom

www.marissabloom.com

The dramatic Renee Fleming as Rodelinda

Transmitting Opera Around The World

operaslo — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:26:25 +0000

This afternoon, as I stepped into the beautiful Performing Arts Center of San Luis Obispo to catch the encore presentation of Don Giovanni, live in HD from the Met, I thought back to my first Met broadcast 4 years ago. It was only the second season these broadcasts were made available and I was in my senior year as a vocal arts major at USC. The father of a student at the USC film school was involved in creating the technology used in the transmissions, so we were able to see the live shows for free at the USC theater. When I attended my first Met Broadcast, a beautiful and heart-wrenching portrayal of La bohème, on April 5th of 2008, I knew that the face of opera would be forever changed. No opera glasses were required and we could literally see Angela Gheorghiu’s tonsils as she sang her soaring high notes in the role of Mimi. I looked around the theater that day at the collection of professors, music students, film students, and opera lovers: all riveted to the movie screen as we became a part of the action on stage. Many of my film student friends had never seen an opera before in their lives, and yet, they were completely hooked. No one was asleep; no one was yawning; no one was checking their watches or leaving at intermission. It was in this instant that I found a spark of hope for the future of opera. Opera was keeping up with the times by connecting to smaller communities and younger generations. Opera was growing and moving forward. Opera was staying alive.

The next year, I entered my grad school in West Virginia. A drastic change from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, West Virginia left me missing my $20 student tickets to the LA opera and the constant immersion in the operatic repertoire. Feeling quite homesick and culturally starved, I was overjoyed to find out that the local movie theater would be transmitting the Met broadcasts that year. There I was, sitting in a tiny 75-seat movie theater, getting lost in the intensity of Solome and knowing that thousands of others in the world were doing the exact same thing…. even if there were only 5 others sharing the experience in my theater’s audience.

Today, as the performance of the Met Broadcast Don Giovanni wrapped up, I gazed around the Performing Arts Center at the crowd of 315 opera-lovers: a group representing all ages, economic backgrounds, and education levels. Some were dressed to the nines in full tuxedos; some were wearing jeans and t-shirts. Yet, we all laughed together, applauded together, gasped when flames shot from the stage, and, best of all, we all couldn’t get enough. This operatic experience was creating a community, creating new opera-go’ers, and bringing people together through the arts: if only over a electronic signal. I find comfort in knowing that wherever I go, I will never be more than 60 miles away from a Met broadcast transmission… and the community that broadcast creates.

~ Marissa Bloom ~ http://www.marissabloom.com/

It’s a Busy October!

operaslo — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:07:57 +0000

There are three things happening this month which ought to make every OPERA lover excited!

Here they are in chronological order:

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#1. The 1st Met: Live in HD performance of the new season!

Donizetti’s Anna Bolena – Met Premiere Production
Sponsored by Phyllis and Robert Frank, The Moca Foundation, Mary and Tony Bianco

Saturday, October 15 at 9:55am @ the Performing Arts Center, San Luis Obispo

Anna Netrebko

Anna Netrebko opens the Met season with her portrayal of the ill-fated queen driven insane by her unfaithful king. She sings one of opera’s greatest mad scenes in this Met premiere production by David McVicar. Ekaterina Gubanova is her rival, Jane Seymour, Ildar Abdrazakov sings Henry VIII, and Marco Armiliato conducts.

Tickets on sale:
Tickets: $25/public or $10/student with valid ID

$225 for 11 simulcasts (save $50)
$125 for 6 simulcasts (save $25)

Purchase online: www.pacslo.org
In person/phone: PAC Ticket office 805-756-2787; 888-233-2787
or Toll-free 888.233.2782 (CA only)
and TTY: 805.756.6170

(*OperaSLO To Go will be performing during the intermission of this simulcast)

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#2. OperaSLO presents: The Yeomen of the Guard

Saturday, October 22 at 7:30pm &
Sunday, October 23 at 2:00pm
@ the Clark Center for the Performing Arts, Arroyo Grande

Tickets: $20-$50

Jack Point & Elsie Maynard

Students save 50% with valid I.D.

Purchase tickets: here

The Yeomen of the Guard is Gilbert and Sullivan’s exciting operetta brimming with intrigue, love triangles, disguises, and “topsy-turvy” schemes. In what is considered to be one of Gilbert & Sullivan’s finest, this thrilling tale is a tapestry of poignant moments, satire, bawdy humor, and delicate romance. OperaSLO’s Artistic Director Brian Asher Alhadeff will conduct two performances with the critically acclaimed cast from Sierra Madre Playhouse and the OperaSLO Chorus and Orchestra. Directed by Eugene J. Hutchins, a familiar face from OperaSLO’s past.

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National Opera Week

#3. National Opera Week

October 28 – November 6, 2011

Fun, free activities to be presented by organizations nationwide

www.operaamerica.org/operaweek

Dozens of opera companies, schools and organizations in 29 states across the nation will celebrate the third NATIONAL OPERA WEEK from October 28 – November 6, 2011 by offering free, accessible events to their communities. National Opera Week is coordinated by OPERA America, the national service organization for opera, with support of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

National Opera Week celebrates the vibrancy of opera in America today and brings the inventiveness and excitement of opera to a national audience. The strength and diversity of established opera companies, community opera ensembles and opera training programs across the United States will be on display through free, dynamic activities designed to engage novices, opera lovers and everyone in between. National Opera Week activities include flash opera events, open houses, online activities, lecture/demonstrations and community performances.

Say “hello” to OperaSLO To Go!

operaslo — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 04:49:19 +0000

The San Luis Obispo community is filled with wonderful restaurants, coffee houses, and wineries. OperaSLO has recognized these places as untapped venues for our local singing talent. Therefore, we are proud to be the sponsor of a new singing group aptly named OperaSLO To Go. These artists are eager to bring the stories of the great operas, art songs, and American musical theatre to fresh new audiences.

If there is a space to sing and a crowd to hear, OperaSLO To Go will be happy to perform. Our goal is to break down the barriers that keep the average art lover from what is arguably the grandest art form ever devised. Often, misconceptions are perpetrated that opera and classical singing is stuffy and “high brow”. This is an injustice! The singing is beautiful. The stories are accessible and timeless. And we will be there to prove it.

Perhaps our vision is best described by our mission statement:

“OperaSLO To Go is a group of singer/actors who wish to plant seeds of

interest among diverse audiences in the San Luis Obispo community.

We are committed to providing a live performance experience of classical

and modern works with a focus on accessibility and audience

development.”

OperaSLO To Go will also be available for educational outreach. Our youngsters deserve to have exposure to the wonders of music history. With music education facing ever diminishing support from our public schools, what better way to supplement our children’s artistic diets than to bring them the melodic masterpieces of the famous arias?

This program was made to be free for its listeners, and therefore, survives on donations alone. To learn more about individual and business giving, please visit http://www.operaslo.org/support/ or call (805) 541-5369.

CICF: Grand Finale and Awards Ceremony

operaslo — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 22:00:51 +0000

This evening marked the final event of the 2011 California International Choral Festival. Each choir, upon receiving an award, performed a song selection of their choice. The attending choirs were joined by the San Luis Obispo Vocal Arts Ensemble and the MiraCosta Choir for the grand finale. All of the singers sat together onstage during the awards ceremony.

Every singer on the stage combined to form one large choir, and performed the two pieces from the Required Pieces Competition – Di Lasso’s setting of Jubilate Deo and Eric Whitacre’s Lux Aurumque. The audience response, again, was thrilling. For the grand finale, the combined choir performed A Song of Peace, by Jean Sibelius. Barbara Hoff accompanied the finale number on the Forbes Pipe Organ, and the audience was invited to participate in the final chorus of the piece. To accentuate the feeling of crossing all possible borders through music, the song was also interpreted in American Sign Language.

The piece was an excellent capstone to the weekend’s atmosphere of good cheer and unity. The 2011 California International Choral Festival proved to be a great success – attendance was high throughout the weekend, the audience enjoyed the program, and the choirs were ceaselessly enthusiastic. In a parting remark, the Festival’s creator, Gary Lamprecht, proudly stated, “See you all in two years!”

We know we’re looking forward to it!

Winners

Required Pieces Competition

3rd Place – Christ the King Church Choir, Uganda

2nd Place – University of Redlands Chapel Singers, Redlands, CA

1st Place – Riverside City College Chamber Singers, Riverside, CA

Folk Song Competition

3rd Place – Soli Deo Gloria, Fresno, CA

2nd Place – Riverside City College Chamber Singers, Riverside, CA

1st Place – University of Redlands Chapel Singers, Redlands, CA

Choirs’ Choice Competition

3rd Place – Soli Deo Gloria, Fresno, CA

2nd Place – University of Redlands Chapel Singers, Redland, CA

1st Place – Riverside City College Chamber Singers, Riverside, CA

People’s Choice Award

Riverside City College Chamber Singers, Riverside, CA

Judges’ Award for Exemplifying the CICF Spirit

Prime Note Ensemble, Philippines

CICF: Choirs’ Choice Competition

operaslo — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 15:00:33 +0000

A more traditional choral event took place on the stage of Cal Poly’s Harmon Hall today, as each attending choir performed three of their absolute best pieces. Traditional dress and native garb were out in favor of tuxedos, dresses, and other formal wear. Ethnic instruments, for the most part, gave way to a cappella singing. Folkloric subject matter and bucolic songs were replaced with liturgical and poetic texts. In contrast to the levity of yesterday’s festivities, today, the audience itself was less rowdy and more subdued.

This hardly precluded some of the best singing of the weekend, however. Each choir brought their skills to the table in a show of artistic mastery and enthusiasm. The showstopper of the afternoon, however, was the performance of Richard Burchard’s Ecce dedi verba mea by the Riverside City College Chamber Singers. The second of three songs in the choir’s set brought the audience to a standing ovation and two full minutes of applause. The choir, as well as its director, John Byun, were so moved by this display of appreciation that many found tears of happiness in their eyes. The enthusiasm generated by this one song led to one of the most exciting displays of the choral art that California has ever seen.

Audiences were allowed to vote for their favorite choirs of the Folk Song and Choirs’ Choice Competitions, which will be tallied tonight for the awarding of the People’s Choice Award. Tonight will be the Grand Finale, at which awards for each competition will be granted. Attendees of the weekend are excited to discover where the judges have ranked each choir, and of course, to hear the song of acceptance that each placing choir will perform.

CICF: Folk Song Competition

operaslo — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 22:00:50 +0000

Choirs took the stage tonight donned in traditional dress and with one objective in mind – to represent their home nation and stir up cultural pride. American choirs performed choral arrangements of classic American folk tunes, spirituals, and other Americana selections. The Filipino choir engaged the audience with war chants and songs of domestic life. Christ the King Church Choir, visiting from Uganda, enthralled the audience with antiphonal folk songs and battle stories.

The spectacle of the evening was unmatched. Authentic cultural displays from each choir created an atmosphere of worldliness that is rarely seen at choral festivals. The evening was akin to visiting a living museum. History, culture, and music combined for an unforgettable experience. Many songs used ethnic instruments and percussion, combined with rhythmic dancing, stomping, and clapping. Each group was well-versed in their cultural traditions and was eager to represent them chorally. Many of the selections were appreciably different from the western choral tradition and fit a different mold entirely, living up to the spirit of the evening’s festivities. Through this unique concert theme, the California International Choral Festival provided a host of new opportunities and listening experiences for American choral fans that would have otherwise not been possible to hear live.

The exuberant audience response was a testament to the excitement of the evening. Audiences cheered to see choirs dressed in native garb and displaying the full spirit of their cultural pride. The music was infectious, as the often rhythmic performances set listeners’ feet tapping throughout the night. Even so, the competition is set to get even tougher, as tomorrow marks the Choirs’ Choice Competition – each choir will perform a fifteen minute set of their own choosing, meaning that each choir will bring their very best to the table!

CICF: Required Pieces Competition

operaslo — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 13:00:35 +0000

This morning, the Required Pieces Competition kicked off the first of a series of three competition events for the weekend. Each choir was required to perform Orlando Di Lasso’s setting of Jubilate Deo and Eric Whitacre’s Lux Aurumque, in addition to a third song of their choosing that was not judged. In spite of the competitive nature of the event, the mood of the entire affair was still one of good spirits and diplomacy.

Two choirs, the Prime Note Ensemble of the Philippines, and Soli Deo Gloria of the United States, were not eligible to compete with other choirs due to the fact that they were not mixed-voice choirs (i.e. they were either men’s or women’s choirs). This did not preclude them from a billing in the program, however. Soli Deo Gloria enjoyed a great crowd response with a choral spiritual, while the Prime Note Ensemble performed an affecting choral rendition of a Spanish-language pop music tune.

One of the greatest thrills to come out of an event like this is that listeners could hear the same song performed by different conductors and different choirs. A different conductor will change the sound of a choir entirely, through subtle manipulation of gestures and facial expressions – choirs respond to these instinctively. Needless to say, a different choir will also produce a different sound, but watching different conductors closely will yield some insight to how they have interpreted a particular song or passage.

With some of the choirs unable to attend the event, the Required Pieces Competition ran somewhat shorter than expected. However, the opportunity to see several different conductors and choirs offer their differing interpretations of the same material was an edifying experience.

We’ll be back for tonight’s coverage of the Folk Song Competition!

CICF: Ready-Set-Sing!

operaslo — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 22:00:35 +0000

Today marked the first day of the California International Choral Festival. Featuring choirs from as far around the world as Uganda and the Philippines, the event felt more like the Olympics than a typical choral showcase – singers waved flags of their respective countries, choirs opened the event singing their own national anthems, and the feeling of togetherness was tangible. Directors, singers, and listeners alike mingled at the opening bash before the show, sharing stories of their career paths and musical aspirations. The atmosphere was positively electric as the choirs took the stage to perform the anthems of their home nations. Good cheer pervaded the audience, as each choir seemed to receive more and more applause than the last.

Once each choir had represented its nation, Gary Lamprecht of the San Luis Obispo Vocal Arts Ensemble took to the podium. Vocal Arts Ensemble welcomed each visiting choir with a composition in each choir’s native language. Each choir cheered to hear the diplomatic display. After the gregarious gesture, Lamprecht jokingly asked if the choirs felt welcomed, to which each responded with a resounding affirmation of applause. The final song of the evening was a contemporary choral piece pleading for understanding and peace in the world, providing an affecting capstone to the unity of the event.

Unfortunately, three of the visiting choirs from other countries were unable to participate. The choirs slated to visit from Ukraine, Indonesia, and the Republic of the Congo could not attend the event due to diplomatic or financial restrictions. While this may have been a disappointment for the many visitors who wished to hear as many talented choirs as they could, nothing could diminish the overall feeling of the opening night. Choirs from around the world, coming together to stand and sing, proved to be an ineffable, experience.

Check back again for continuing updates on the rest of the weekend’s events!

What’s Coming from The Met Next Season?

operaslo — Mon, 09 May 2011 18:57:37 +0000

People have been asking, “What’s coming from the Met next season?” Well.. Here they are! It looks like there will be a lot of new productions. And they will be continuing the performances of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, of course.

Here is the Met: Live in HD line-up for the 2011-2012 season:

(courtesy of The Metropolitan Opera)

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Donizetti’s Anna Bolena – New Production*

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Mozart’s Don Giovanni – New Production*

Mariusz Kwiecien brings his youthful and sensual interpretation of Mozart’s timeless anti-hero to the Met for the first time, under the direction of Tony Award®-winning director Michael Grandage and with Fabio Luisi conducting. Also starring Marina Rebeka, Barbara Frittoli, Ramón Vargas, and Luca Pisaroni.

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Wagner’s Siegfried– New Production*

In part three of the Ring, Wagner’s cosmic vision focuses on his hero’s early conquests, while Robert Lepage’s revolutionary stage machine transforms itself from bewitched forest to mountaintop love nest. Gary Lehman sings the title role and Deborah Voigt’s Brünnhilde is his prize. Bryn Terfel is the Wanderer. Fabio Luisi conducts.

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Glass’ Satyagraha

The Met’s visually extravagant production is back for an encore engagement. Richard Croft (right) once again is Gandhi in Philip Glass’s unforgettable opera, which the Washington Post calls “a profound and beautiful work of theater.”

Handel’s Rodelinda

Sensational in the 2004 Met premiere of Stephen Wadsworth’s much-heralded production, Renée Fleming reprises the title role. She’s joined by Stephanie Blythe and countertenor Andreas Scholl, and Baroque specialist Harry Bicket conducts.

Gounod’s Faust– New Production*

With Jonas Kaufmann in the title role, René Pape as the devil, and Marina Poplavskaya as Marguerite, Gounod’s classic retelling of the Faust legend couldn’t be better served. Tony Award-winning director Des McAnuff updates the story to the first half of the 20th century with a production that won praise in London last season. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts on the heels of his Don Carlo success.

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The *Enchanted Island– New Production

In one extraordinary new work, lovers of Baroque opera have it all: the world’s best singers, glorious music of the Baroque masters, and a story drawn from Shakespeare. In The Enchanted Island, the lovers from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream are shipwrecked on his other-worldly island of The Tempest. Inspired by the musical pastiches and masques of the 18th century, the work showcases arias and ensembles by Handel, Vivaldi, Rameau, and others, and a new libretto devised and written by Jeremy Sams. Eminent conductor William Christie leads an all-star cast with David Daniels (Prospero) and Joyce DiDonato (Sycorax) as the formidable foes, Plácido Domingo as Neptune, Danielle de Niese as Ariel, and Luca Pisaroni as Caliban. Lisette Oropesa and Anthony Roth Costanzo play Miranda and Ferdinand. The dazzling production is directed and designed by Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch (Satyagraha and the Met’s 125 anniversary gala).

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Wagner’s Götterdämmerung

With its cataclysmic climax, the Met’s new Ring cycle, directed by Robert Lepage, comes to its resolution. Deborah Voigt stars as Brünnhilde and Gary Lehman is Siegfried—the star-crossed lovers doomed by fate. James Levine conducts.

Verdi’s Ernani

Angela Meade takes center stage in Verdi’s thrilling early gem. Marcello Giordani is her mismatched lover, and all-star Verdians Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Ferruccio Furlanetto round out the cast.

Massenet’s Manon– New Production*

Anna Netrebko’s dazzling portrayal of the tragic heroine in Laurent Pelly’s new production travels to the Met from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Piotr Beczala and Paulo Szot also star, with the Met’s Principal Guest Conductor Fabio Luisi on the podium.

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Verdi’s La Traviata

Natalie Dessay will put on the red dress in Willy Decker’s stunning production, in her first Violetta at the Met. Matthew Polenzani sings Alfredo, Dmitri Hvorostovsky is Germont, and Principal Guest Conductor Fabio Luisi is on the podium.

Opera San Luis Obispo

The Real World of Opera

Transmitting Opera Around The World

~ Marissa Bloom ~ http://www.marissabloom.com/

It’s a Busy October!

There are three things happening this month which ought to make every OPERA lover excited!

Here they are in chronological order:

#1. The 1st Met: Live in HD performance of the new season!

#2. OperaSLO presents: The Yeomen of the Guard

#3. National Opera Week

Say “hello” to OperaSLO To Go!

CICF: Grand Finale and Awards Ceremony

CICF: Choirs’ Choice Competition

CICF: Folk Song Competition

CICF: Required Pieces Competition

CICF: Ready-Set-Sing!

What’s Coming from The Met Next Season?

Here is the Met: Live in HD line-up for the 2011-2012 season:

—————-

Donizetti’s Anna Bolena – New Production*

————

Mozart’s Don Giovanni – New Production*

————-

Wagner’s Siegfried– New Production*

—————-

Glass’ Satyagraha

Handel’s Rodelinda

Gounod’s Faust– New Production*

————-

The Enchanted Island– New Production*

————–

Wagner’s Götterdämmerung

Verdi’s Ernani

Massenet’s Manon– New Production*

—————

Verdi’s La Traviata

The *Enchanted Island– New Production