Opera Features
First Person(s): soprano Susan Bullock and baritone William Dazeley on filming Britten’s Owen WingraveFriday, 11 December 2020
Two of the singers in an ambitious project to film Britten’s opera based on a Henry James story – part timeless tale of repressive tradition which chimed with the composer's pacifist beliefs, part ghost story – which was originally “made for television” and premiered on the BBC, give their impressions close to the time of... Read more... |
‘Our whole industry is supported by vulnerable freelance creators': Chen Reiss on the artist in a time of CoronavirusMonday, 23 November 2020
I am not the first to say this, and I won’t be the last, but what a strange year 2020 has become! Read more... |
First Person: tenor Nicky Spence on working with Blackheath locals on screen StravinskyFriday, 09 October 2020
As patron for a community organisation, I see clearly how opera is the biggest collaboration going. Between stage, orchestra pit, school liaisons, chorus leaders, make-up bays and the magicians of the technical team, every cog is of equal importance. Read more... |
Eavesdropping on Rattle, the LSO and Bartók’s BluebeardWednesday, 16 September 2020
One source of advance information told us to expect a reduced version of Bartók’s one-act Bluebeard’s Castle, among the 20th century’s most original and profound operatic masterpieces. Read more... |
First Person: Antonia Bain on directing a short kitchen opera for filmWednesday, 29 July 2020
The Narcissistic Fish is a brand new opera specifically created to be filmed. Read more... |
Classical music/Opera direct to home 14 - sound and vision at the highest levelFriday, 05 June 2020
As more musicians emerge from lockdown to conduct, play and sing in audience-less venues - ongoing kudos to the Wigmore Hall for its weekday lunchtime concerts, a fixure for so many viewers and listeners - here are some more off-piste treasures, a past glory from the... Read more... |
Avoiding meltdown from lockdown: Michael Chance on The Grange Festival's strategy for survivalWednesday, 20 May 2020
Where to start? We at The Grange Festival began in mid-March (the 15th) with a letter to our company, all those few hundred who come and work for us during the festival months and who are all, almost without exception, employed on a freelance basis, warning of a likely cancellation but urging a commitment to stage the summer festival over June and July (with preparations stating in mid-April) if at all possible. Read more... |
Classical Music/Opera direct to home 6 - Parsifals for EasterFriday, 10 April 2020
Wagner's final drama, of learning, suffering and redemption through compassion, is second only to Bach's Passions at this time of year, and seems likely to strike a special note in the present crisis. Read more... |
Classical music/Opera direct to home: 3 - Two JenůfasWednesday, 25 March 2020
We're learning fast what works and what doesn't with online arts offerings in a time of coronavirus. A distinguished young pianist I know rightly pointed out to me yesterday that however good the artists sharing their talents with us from their living/music rooms, and however reassuring it is to be able to join them at a set time, bad sound cancels out most of the pleasure (though he didn’t rule out making an appearance himself). Read more... |
Sondheim at 90 Songs: 2 - 'Epiphany'/'A Little Priest'Tuesday, 24 March 2020
Two numbers, one hair-raising slice of music-theatre. When Sondheim's paying homage to the older, revue type of musical, you can extract a string of top hits: Follies, from which Marianka Swain chose "I'm Still Here" yesterday, could yield at least half a dozen more choices, Company almost as many. Read more... |
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