The festival is headed by two extremely diverse individuals. The Executive Director Mr. Glenn Hodgins whose C.V. is rather impressive owns an air which is decidedly all business neatly hidden behind a most pleasant and engaging personality. If ever there was an iron fist under a leather glove, this man would personify such a concept. On the extreme other side is Mr. Roman Borys the Artistic Director, an exceedingly extroverted man whose mind is a profound encyclopedia of the art form of chamber music. These two gentlemen as a pair are exceedingly well matched and, without question this was going to be an audience COMMANDOpera would thoroughly enjoy given the obvious intellect on the other side of the boardroom table. Mr. Borys is a member of the Gryphon Trio, an internationally esteemed ensemble which recently released a Beethoven disc highly favoured by the BBC Music Magazine. The Gryphon Trio has been a part of the festival since inception seventeen years ago, but recently agreed to take on a more formal role regarding artistic direction with Chamberfest. 

The Gryphon Trio.

The announcement for this seasons schedule was made public in the spring of this year, which in the opinion of COMMANDOpera is fine for local audiences, but perhaps not so much for the European audience who regularly fly in for the two week festival. As readers are well aware, Opera seasons are booked three years in advance with only a few changes necessary as the actual season approaches release. Chamber music however is a far more intimate affair, comprised of quartets, trio’s, soloist’s et al., which underscores a certain volatility when engaging artists. One can only imagine the extremities of nuances required to put together a cohesive season which surpasses each previous year. How is it possible for example to surmount one of the finishing acts which was the Ying Quartet from Jessup Iowa and their late night Dim Sum which featured a collection of short works from Chinese Canadian and Chinese American composers? Perhaps by inviting the quartet back this year for further performances? Done.

Opera goers are a most assured audience of chamber music over full tilt orchestral works for one rather obvious reason. Opera audiences understand the significance and nobility of unique, subtle artistry and thusly own a natural instinct for chamber works. COMMANDOpera for example looks for what an artist can do with a particular air. There is a uniqueness to the vocal instrument which illuminates any work distinctively. One has often found while attending orchestral performances a rather large sound, and while often beautifully nuanced, there is zero room for any instrumental artist to flourish. Chamber music is diametrically opposite: it’s all about a soloist at one with their instrument imbuing whispering colours and shades.

A performance by Taffelmusic at Dominion Chalmers Church Ottawa.

And just where does this festival take place over a fourteen day period with 6-8 unique performances each day? In churches around the city core by and large, many with rather historic and Gothic interiors perfect for chamber music. Here is a link to this seasons schedule to give readers an idea of how Chamberfest moves. It really is something to be in the core of Ottawa while Chamberfest is in play: lineups which curl around city blocks, with mad dashes by hundreds of festival goers from one performance to the next. Dedicated and seasoned chamber music aficionados buy the inexpensive all inclusive two week pass, sort out their preferred 30 or so performances long in advance and plan strategies to get to the front of the line to each performance. COMMANDOpera will be most curious to see the reaction to the Sunday Keyboard Contemplations at the Beechwood Cemetery with famed Hungarian pianist, Mr. Adam Gyorgy.

The entire event commences tomorrow evening with none other than a recital by Miss Frederica von Stade who is on her farewell tour. The program for the evening can be found here. A most interesting performance involves the new vocal work; Constantinople by composer Christos Hatzis. The Gryphon Trio headlines this performance with Miss Patricia O’Callaghan and Miss Maryem Tollar handling the vocals.

Trailer for Constantinople with the Gryphon Trio 2010.

COMMANDOpera was quite impressed to hear Chamberfest would be mounting The Complete Beethoven Piano Sonata’s. ALL 32 of them to be performed by Mr. Stewart Goodyear. This in itself is a stunning achievement for any artist, however incredible kudos’ are in order to Chamberfest for undertaking such an extraordinarily difficult program. An interest point for knowing European readers is the inclusion of septuagenarian musicologist, Mr. Harry Halbreich who could be somewhat understood by North American readers as Andrew Porter with all the edge and opinion such years magnify. COMMANDOpera has no doubt these daily morning ‘Musical Musings’ will be rather entertaining to hear. One would be remiss not to mention the performance titled: “Take the Dogsled” which will feature Inuit throat singing. At 10:30 every evening there are late LATE performances which serve alcohol (not found in church venues) where one will find Mr. Borys on many evenings enjoying performances which imbue a rather edgier tone given the hour.

COMMANDOpera will be in attendance for the prima in full regalia (with the proviso something other than bed and breakfast accommodations which abound in the region, can be suitably managed). Further, this venue has opened negotiations for an exclusive interview with this singularly phenomenal artist. Here is the press release from Glimmerglass verbatim:

“Medea, Cherubini’s rarely performed opera, will be presented in Italian as a co-production with Ireland’s Wexford Festival Opera. The role of Medea, the scorned wife who will stop at nothing for revenge, will be sung by Alexandra Deshorties in her role and company debut. A graduate of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, Deshorties made her Met debut as the High Priestess in Aida and has since appeared as Elettra in Idomeneo, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte and First Lady in The Magic Flute. Jason Collins, seen last summer in Seattle Opera’s Ring Cycle, will sing the tenor role of Jason. Collins last performed at Glimmerglass in 2002 as The Chevalier in Dialogues of the Carmelites. Wendy Bryn Harmer, also a graduate of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, will sing the role of Glauce. The role of King Creon will be sung by David Pittsinger, last seen at Glimmerglass in 2005 as The Traveller and The Elderly Fop in Death in Venice. Pittsinger has most recently performed at the Met as The Animal Trainer/Acrobat in Alban Berg’s Lulu and The Speaker in Julie Taymor’s production of The Magic Flute. Other engagements include performances as Emile de Becque in South Pacific at Lincoln Center Theater. He also appeared as Enobarbus in a Carnegie Hall concert performance of Antony and Cleopatra with New York City Opera. Englishman Michael Barker-Caven, known for his work in London’s West End and the Royal Opera House, will direct and Italy native Daniele Rustioni will conduct, both in their U.S. debuts. They will be joined by Joe Vanek, who will design sets and costumes. Robert Wierzel will design lighting.”

All this is to advise that COMMANDOpera will be around for another complete season of covering Opera globally, in a manner no other venue is capable. Those in the know recognise this was not necessarily a given, however this writer finds his health significantly restored from the chaos of three months ago. During that period, one gave a great deal of consideration to the necessity of time required to maintain such a venture as COMMANDOpera. Yet the weight of speaking intelligently as a serious informational venue on the art form of Opera for readers who are tired of gossip driven sites was the most inescapable point, the elephant in the room. Three decades ago, this writer was obliged to undertake a journalism course, and true to form managed to corner an iconic news anchor for an interview. He was rather amused by it all and granted 10 minutes. When asked why he continued, he fixed a stare and replied; ” Because every day that I can muster the energy to get out there and do it, the public has a right to know the real story” (this was long before journalists felt a personal right to imbue their unwanted  and biased leanings into the news). And so COMMANDOpera remains.   

To further enlighten perspectives, COMMANDOpera has determined to occasionally undertake an essay on societies implosions as they occur globally, eventually finding their way down the corridor of history. Although such writing is fraught with concern, we are living in a most extraordinary and dangerous age. These articles will contain relevant historical references so that readers may appreciate the currents of today more cogently. Rest confidently however; COMMANDOpera will remain steadfastly dedicated to the service of Opera for your reading pleasure.

CRITICAL UPDATE:

COMMANDOpera can now inform readers the production of Anna Bolena at the Mariinsky in St. Petersburg has been quietly dropped from the schedule at both the theatre’s and Miss Netrebko’s calendar. This is a breath taking development. The artist is now scheduled to debut the role at the Weiner Staatsoper on April 2 2011 with an top rank cast which includes Mr. Ildebrando D’Arcangelo as Henry Vlll, and Miss Elina Garanca as Seymour. COMMANDOpera wonders the wisdom of risking such a debut in front of an audience (though Miss Netrebko is much adored in Vienna) perhaps less friendly then the Mariinsky. Withdrawal from this production will not be an option without extremely deleterious consequences to the artists reputation. The tourneé of this work opening the new season at The Metropolitan will be far and away more challenging. The Metropolitan audience who applaud even banal performances wildly, cannot be counted on to do so this time. There are effete knives out for Miss Netrebko in certain quarters of the city to make certain she will NOT be favourably compared to Miss Callas. COMMANDOpera objects strenuously to this irrational behaviour, given Miss Netrebko has yet to essay the role and should be judged on the merits of her performance that evening.

The Top 14:

The Metropolitan
The Royal Opera House
Teatro alla Scala
Teatro dell’Opera di Roma
Opera National de Paris
Gran Teatre del Liceu
Deutsche Oper Berlin
Weiner Staatsoper
Bayerische Staatsoper
Lyric Opera of Chicago
San Francisco Opera
Teatro La Fenice
Teatro Colon
Sydney Opera

COMMANDOpera in consultation, spent a great deal of time researching the histories and current situations of Mariinsky, Teatro Real, De Nederlandse, Canadian Opera Company, and Houston Grand Opera. Although these theatres were extraordinary on a number of fronts, it was most critical the new theatre meet a great number of criteria, partly including the number and quality of current performances, the status of artists whom each house regularly engage, and what the new house has done regarding the commissioning of new works. Managements were also taken into consideration, as well as the general reputation these companies own within the industry. To have made it to the short list is indicative of the importance and prominence each of these theatres respectively possess. Two of these select theatres were exceedingly close to ascendancy, yet the Bayerische Staatsoper simply dominated in most categories to such a degree, the decision ultimately was clear. COMMANDOpera was quite impressed with the crisp professionalism when dealing directly with the theatre this past month. The German habit of precisness and clarity in all matters did not once override the extremely pleasant manner of individuals employed within this theatre: the mark of a prestigious theatre who knows they are so.   

Munich’s operatic history began with the courtly splendor of the young Italian “dramma per musica”, that new, initially exclusive, yet later – in Venice – universally popular form of musical theatre. Elector Ferdinand Maria installed a theatre in the Hercules Hall of the Residence, where the first Italian opera performances were staged for the members of the court society. Concurrently, following a his father Maximilian I’s plan, he also built the first free-standing opera house in Germany by taking the old grain storehouse, the so-called “Haberkasten” (“Oat Bin”), on Salvatorplatz, and reconstructing it as a baroque theatre. The courtly period operas were generally based on mythology and used allegorical figures to pay homage to the ruler and his court.  Often the technical apparatus with its flying machines, sea battles and triumphal marches vied for primacy with the music.

During the reign of Elector Max II Emanuel, between 1679 and 1726, Italian opera continued its own triumphal march in Munich. His successor, Maximilian III Joseph, then commissioned François Cuvilliés to construct the “teatro nuovo presso la residenza”, the Residence Theatre – to this day the Cuvilliés-Theater is a household name for opera lovers all over the world. The “dramma per musica” had meanwhile become the “opera seria” with the featuring the cult of the aria, the bel canto style, the prima donnas and the castrati. Gradually folk operas and musical entertainments emerged from the middle class. Mythological subjects and homages to rulers began yielding to more life-like subject matter drawn from everyday life. New decisive impulses came from such sources as the French revolutionary “opéra comique” and the “singspiel” from Vienna and Leipzig.

The “opera buffa”, a combination of a vast array of different style elements, determined the style of La finta giardinera, the opera 19-year old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was commissioned to write for Munich. Six years later, on commission from Elector Karl Theodor, he composed his first “opera seria”. The world première of this work Idomeneo – re di Creta on January 29, 1781 in the Residence Theatre marked a major breakthrough for the 25-year old composer.

The artistic and political trends in the first quarter of the 19th century were determined by Max IV Joseph, who ruled from 1799 on as Elector, then, following the elevation of Bavaria to the status of kingdom, from 1806 to 1825 as King Max I. In 1802, the old “Haberkasten” on Salvatorplatz was torn down. The “Hof-National-Schaubühne” (“Court-National Theatrical Stage”) moved into the Cuvilliés Theatre becoming the “Churfürstliches Hoftheater” (“Electoral Court Theatre”). One of the last decisive acts of Bavaria’s King Max was the laying of the cornerstone for the Royal Court and National Theatre on Marstallplatz in 1811. This house, built to plans by Carl von Fischer, burned down on January 14, 1823, but thanks to the willingness of the Munich citizenry to make sacrifices, it was restored under the direction of architect Leo von Klenze and was able to reopen its doors only two years later.

With the accession of King Ludwig I, who continued his father’s tradition from 1825 to 1848, and the revival of the new National Theatre, another new epoch in Munich’s operatic history began. Measures undertaken by the king included the closing of the “Volkstheater” at the Isartor and the final dissolution of the Italian opera. This opened the way for local forces as well as for a number of new trends emanating from all over Europe.

During the Third Reich, Munich was slated to get another opera house. With Clemens Krauss, who served in the joint capacity of general manager and general music director, Munich was able to develop even further despite oppression and war. Clemens Krauss supplied highlights both in his career and in the history of the National Theatre with the world premières of three works by his friend Richard Strauss, three fantastic anachronisms which nevertheless became artistic reality: Friedenstag in 1938, Verklungene Feste in 1941, and Capriccio in 1942. During an Allied bombardment in the night of October 3 / 4, the National Theatre was turned into an eerie ruin. Further damage and destruction as well as the proclamation of “total war” silenced the State Opera for a while.

The arduous tasks of restoring the theatre to life were assumed by General Manager Georg Hartmann and his General Music Director Georg Solti. After they had successfully introduced works by Paul Hindemith and Heinrich Sutermeister, and Werner Egk had established himself in 1948 with his Faust ballet Abraxas, Hartmann and Solti put on the first post-war Munich Opera Festival in 1950, creating on a firm foundation to pass on to their successors.

Rudolf Hartmann served as general manager for fifteen years from 1952 to 1967, working side-by-side with general music directors Rudolf Kempe, Ferenc Fricsay and Joseph Keilberth. Two significant events occurred during the Hartmann era: the return to the restored Cuvilliés Theatre with Le nozze di Figaro in 1958 and the reopening of the National Theatre on November 21, 1963. With the aid of the “Friends of the National Theatre” it rose in old classicistic glory like a phoenix from the ashes in accordance the plans of Gerhard Graubner and Karl Fischer.

Photo Credits: Mr. Wilfried Hösl courtesy of the Bayerische Staatsoper.

The 2010 2011 season which was announced in April, will feature six new productions; Rusalka, Fidelio (Calixto Bieto), L’enfant et les sortiléges/Der Zwerg, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Saint Francois d’Assise, and Mitridate, re di Ponto. The castings for these productions will be most interesting in some of these productions. Debuts for the 2010 2011 season? Forty of them, including; Miss Angela Denoke, Mr. Christopher Maltman, Miss Anna Netrebko, Miss Nina Stemme, Miss Anja Harteros, Mr. Ben Heppner, Miss Adrienne Pieczonka, Mr. Kirill Petrenko and Mr. Fabio Luisi. This list does not include the other top rank artists who will be appearing, the list which begins here. COMMANDOpera would advise readers globally to review the season in its entirety to fully appreciate the extent and diversity offered to audiences by the Bayerische Staatsoper.

COMMANDOpera would like to thank the many indivduals from diverse area’s within the realm of Opera in North America and Europe who have taken time to speak, email, and debate on this topic. A further thanks is in order to the houses who have kindly opened their doors in the past few months to assist this venue, in particular the Bayerische Staatsoper for the use of archival historical material.

Mr. Richard Kiphart, Lyric Opera’s Board President and CEO has directed that a  search committee be established immediately under the direction of  Mr. Kenneth Pigott, executive vice president of  Lyric’s Board and chairman of  Lyric’s production sponsorship committee.

The Lyric Opera is one of the extremely few gold plated houses in the Opera world and COMMANDOpera will be following this selection process rather closely. Anyone who is anyone will be quietly slipping their C.V. under the door of Mr. Pigott. Without question, one may surmise there will be much jostling within those famed halls to bring in an American to run the theatre.

COMMANDOpera sends hearty felicitations to Mr. Mason for a relaxed retirement, and a supportive arm to Mr. Pigott for the onerous task he must now undertake.

COMMANDOpera conveys best regards to Canadians abroad, particularly those within the armed services overseas.

This article is for my ex who remains the Queen of this heart.

Photo Credit: Miss Jeanette Handler courtesy of Deutsche Grammahpon.

The opera is set in Renaissance Italy and concerns intrigues centering around the Medici family. Giuliano de’ Medici loves the sickly yet gentle Simonetta Cattanei (even as he carries on a liason with her best freind Fioretta), who tries to warn him of the conspiracy against his family. But she is killed by Montesecco, a murderer hired by Pope Sixtus V. Young Giuliano is killed by the conspirators, but Lorenzo de’ Medici escapes with the help of the poet Poliziano. He then wins the support of the people, who lynch the conspirators. The cast for this recording is as follows:

Giuliano de’ Medici: Mr. Placido Domingo
Lorenzo de’ Medici: Mr. Carlos Alvarez
Simonetta Cattanei: Miss Daniela Dessi
Fioretta de’ Gori: Miss Renata Lamanda
Giambattista da Montesecco: Mr. Eric Owens
Francesco Pazzi: Mr. Vitalij Kowaljow
L’Arcivescovo Salviati: Mr. Arutjun Kotchinian
Il Poliziano: Mr. Fabiano Capitanucci
La madre di Simonetta: Miss Debora Beronesi

On the surface of this cast list COMMANDOpera could only note some rather top tier names. With caveats. Mr. Domingo is a rather senior artist, as is Miss Dessi. Yet this is a studio recording, and thus much can be done if there exists a bad take here and there. Take for example the final recording of Miss Sutherland as Elvira in Ernani circa 1998. At 72, Miss Sutherland gives a brilliant, thought provoking introspection of the role, and a fine farewell recording from the studio. Mr. Domingo handles the role of Giuliano with excellence, yet there is something missing from the characterisation. It simply is not enough to sing well when one owns an established reputation for dramatic, heroic roles. The fire was gone. This was initially noticed with the words ‘Rimani ancor’, from the first Act where the two lovers first encounter each other. At this moment Giuliano is desperately trying to dissuade Simonetta from leaving his presence. Those two words should have been inflamed with ardour like no other. However there was nothing. One can only imagine the sultry emotion from either Mr. Michael Fabiano or Mr. Javier Camarena which would have been attached to these few, yet priceless words. Miss Dessi was simply out of her depth throughout the recording. Was it the demands of Verismo style? COMMANDOpera simply cannot gainsay what the difficulty is here. The vocal instrument of Miss Dessi has long owned a distinctive ‘wobble’ which in earlier years was perhaps more easily camouflaged with stunning florid artistry. As the years have moved forward with tonal issues beginning to be in evidence with a pronounced reedy quality, factor in this wobble, and it is game over. Even a studio recording could not cover to a correct degree, the unhappy signature of Miss Dessi’s voice. There are moments which are more kind than others, but you will simply have to buy this set to find out where they are.  Mr. Alvarez as Lorenzo was most redeeming. The declamation of ‘quest’invida ed ingrata razza umana’  from the air ‘Da lunga pezza’ (which concludes the work) were spat out with a vigor one associated more with Verdi’s Macbeth. The air itself finishes once more with a Verdian tone, this time reminiscent of Nabucco introspectiveness. The Fioretta of Miss Lamanda is one the characters which lives throughout the work. Miss Lamanda handles the numerous twists to her character with great care, coaxing out of her instrument every technique she can. There are moments one hopes for more from this artist, yet with the critical air ‘Che iddio ti benedicta’, she handles every turn with gripping emotion like no other. The Montesecco of Mr. Owens was ruthless: one could not help but hate him whenever he sang. He is that incredible! The wildest applause however must be reserved for Maestro Veronesi. The atmospheric qualities brought to the symphonic parts of the score were singularly delicious. When there existed a melodic line required to underline the most delicate vocals, it was like a diamond tennis bracelet: even, perfect, and understated elegant. If the score demanded values which resided more with Beethoven in their strictness, it was as if one was near a volcano trembling to eruption. Conducting a Verismo work requires a sensibility which one almost has to have lived in Hamburg Germany today to really appreciate. One does not acquire the correct thinking on Verismo style by conducting Bel Canto or Baroque works on a routine basis. Therein lies the radiant success of Maestro Veronesi. The conductor’s full time interest lies with Verismo and not with other, well understood styles. In this, COMMANDOpera credits the Maestro for single handedly bringing such excellent works as I Medici to the fore so these rarities may enjoy a rightful place within today’s operatic pantheon of works.

Determine what prescisley is unique about your instrument. Is it an ability to colour? A specific technical feat? Agility? There can be no question the vocal instrument is of significant stature, otherwise you would not find yourself where you are today. But what can you do which is so personally yours that will draw audiences towards you? Once this single point is resolved, utilize it within everything you touch at some point in a work: it must critically become a signature.

As an example COMMANDOpera will use an air which is not operatic written by one Mr. Vernon Duke. Mr. Duke AKA Vladimir Dukelsky, Russian composer and friend of Prokofiev, wrote ballet scores for Balanchine and Diaghilev’s Ballet de Monte Carlo. In the United States, his music was commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony. The work is titled ‘April In Paris’ and five versions by different artists are given, so that one may appreciate more clearly how to identify an air as ‘belonging’ to an artist.

Miss Fitzgerald.

Miss Day

Mr. Sinatra

Miss Vaughan

Miss Pons

The American Lyric Theatre is a brilliant place in the sun for American Opera which is setting the stamp on the new age of works from American artists. The introduction of their front page tells one all they need to know: ‘American Lyric Theater (ALT) was founded in 2005 to build a new body of operatic repertoire for new audiences by nurturing composers and librettists, developing sustainable artistic collaborations, and contributing new works to the national canon. While many opera companies actively commission and perform new works, ALT is the only company in the United States that also offers extensive, full time mentorship for emerging operatic writers. ALT’s model for developing new works has some important differences when compared with prevailing practices in the opera field.  While the traditional company model in the United States focuses on producing a season, ALT’s entire operations are structured to mentor artists, to develop new works, and to collaborate with larger producing companies to help usher those works into the repertoire’. COMMANDOpera is most impressed with the mission of the American Lyric Theatre, a model orginating from New York City which is unmatched globally.

The performances will be under the baton of British Conductor Timothy Redmond. Creating the major roles within the work Mr. Michael Kepler Meo is Charlie, Mr. Daniel Okulitch will portray Willi Wonka, Mr. David Trugden is Mike Teevee, Miss Jennifer Rivera is Veruca Salt, Mr. David Kravitz is Lord Salt, Miss Tracy Dahl is Violet Beauregard. The Opera Theatre of St Louis has been extraordinarily generous in offering COMMANDOpera exclusive behind the scenes photographs depicting the moments which lead up to the opening night. COMMMANDOpera will present these photo’s in black and white in the pictorial manner of LOOK magazine. ALL photo credits: Mr. Ken Howard.

Costume Designer Martin Pakledinaz with Craft Shop Manager Kate Strembicki.

A costume for the world premiere of the Golden Ticket.

Mr Daniel Okulitch with OTSL Artistic Director James Robinson.

Repetiteur Brian DeMaris with Conductor Timothy Redmond and Composer Peter Ash.

Conductor Timothy Redmond with Composer Peter Ash discuss a point within the score.

Here are two costume renderings exclusively released to COMMANDOpera by the Opera Theatre of St. Louis. There exists a rather magical quality to these renderings which clearly evoke Roald Dahl.

Willie Wonka

Oompa Loompa

The San Francisco Opera commences it’s summer season tonight with a run of Faust by Maestro Charles Gounod. The tourneé will star Mr. Stephen Secco as Faust, Miss Patricia Racette as Marguerite, and Mr. John Relyea as Mehistopheles, under the double cast batons of Messrs Maurizio Benini and Giuseppe Finzi. COMMANDOpera can assure opera goers in San Francisco this is an all star cast who will not disappoint in this original Lyric Opera mounting. COMMANDOpera has noticed Mr. Secco singing just about everywhere last season in Europe to great acclaim. Miss Racette is a sturdy and capable artist, while Mr. Relyea steals scenes on every stage he appears (particularly as Mephistopheles). It should make for an extremely interesting night of vocalising. If you are going to be in town between now and July 1, then this is a must do ticket. COMANDOpera will now release an extensive pictorial from the dress of two nights ago for the benefit of global readers who are unable to attend the event. All photographs are to the credit of Mr. Cory Weaver and arrive courtesy of the San Francisco Opera. 

Keep note of this pictorial if you plan to tune in for the December 05 th radio broadcast which will be streamed globally.

COMMANDOpera advises readers to do the same this summer: get out of the house, go for long walks and get to know your territory again: its a beautiful thing. Re ignite friends you have not seen for a while and do brunch. Determine to return to an earlier time cerebrally unfettered by daily irrationalities you can’t regulate: it’s summer…. revel in the season for all the tranquility it avails. Opera will be around waiting to be picked up when you return whole by the autumn, and COMMANDOpera will be there ready to take you around the globe with endless, in-depth, daily articles not found anywhere else within the new media.

One more thing. By the end of the summer Crew Mantle will finally be recalibrated to a physique far more sculpted than the previous muscle heavy version of old (more out of dietary changes than anything else with a measure of narcissim thrown in). A proper photographic essay will be taken in full mask, and released on this venue to motivate other over 40 types as to just what can be done when obliged. Here is an image of what one may expect: 

“From all my reading about Mandela there were three that spoke to me and on which I felt I could hang music. Obviously people may select different ones, because Mandela’s life was so full and diverse, but these were the three for me. The first was when the 17-year-old Mandela goes into the bush and undergoes the trials and tribulations of an arduous initiation. He commits himself to the pain of circumcision only to be welcomed back into the community with the grim words of the regent that the flower of the Xhosa nation will come to nothing because they will never reach their potential. They will only ever do menial work for white people and will not be teachers, leaders and scholars. This made a huge impression on the young initiate and he wrote a long passage about it in his book A Long Walk to Freedom. He realised his destiny was in his own hands and he would have to put his rural past behind him. So he sets out to engage with industrial South Africa.” For Act I, Qunu Oratorio, the Cape Town composer and cellist Alan Stephenson has written an oratorio scored for orchestra and massed choir, making use of the traditional music of the Xhosa from the 1920s and 1930s. Mandela’s second defining moment, as seen by Williams, was the eradication of Sophiatown. “This marked a change in Mandela’s mood. He had already joined the ANC in the 1940s, but it was during the forced move-out of Sophiatown that he started to float the idea of an armed struggle. Although this was criticised by the leadership, he realised that he had to take up the struggle.” Act II, Sophiatown Playlist, marks a change of style and tempo. It features popular songs from the 1950s arranged by Mike Campbell, professor of jazz at UCT. The lively music sets the scene for the action in the Jig Club, the dance hall that is to be closed down by the authorities. “The third defining moment, which forms the final act, Amandla! comes after the Sharpeville massacre, when Mandela sees that the path for peaceful protest is no longer appropriate. He burns his pass, takes up the armed struggle, forms Umkhonto we Sizwe and persuades the ANC executive to go underground. The music will be woven by Roelof Temmingh on themes of revolution, incarceration and freedom.”

The vocal artists will naturally be of South African origin and are likely not known externally beyond the borders of Africa proper: Nelson Mandela 1 – Thabang Piri, Nelson Mandela 2 – Aubrey Lodewyk, Nelson Mandela 3 -  Ntobeko Rwanqa, Shebeen Queen & Famous Singer – Gloria Bosman, Winnie Mandela Act 3 -  Philisa Sibeko, Chief Act 1 -  Xolela Sixaba, Praise-singer Act 1 -  Given Nkosi, Mother Act – 1 Tina Mene, Young Girl Act 2 – Nosiseko Mbundu, Judge Act 3 -  Brad Liebl TBC, Journalist Act 2 – Lindile Kula Senior, Boxer Act 2 – Paul Madibeng, Walter Sisulu Act 2 – Nkosana Sitimela, Father Huddleston Act 2; Male Lawyer Act 3; F W De Klerk Act 3 – Pieter Tredoux, Joe Slovo Act 3 + Prosecutor Act 3 -  Chris Woolnough, Nelson as child – TBC.

Photo Credit: Mr. William Struhs, courtesy of the Spoleto Festival USA.

The internationally esteemed Maestro Emmanuel Villaume has resigned his post as Music Director for Opera and Orchestra of the Spoleto Festival USA which is based in Charleston South Carolina. The resignation was announced to the full board at 3 P.M. yesterday, and was made public shortly thereafter. COMMANDOpera regards the Maestro as one of the finest conductors on the globe today, and his departure will be keenly felt by Spoleto USA. COMMANDOpera has spoken directly with the theatre and was given to understand the resignation was nothing short of surprising to most at the administration, although it was disclosed Spoleto USA General Director Nigel Redden had advance warning. Maestro Villaume has been with the festival since 2001: a lengthy and inspired tenure by any measure. This venue understands the festival is determined to maintain the Maestro’s services on a less formal basis. COMMANDOpera has reached out to Maestro Villaume’s London team and will update this article accordingly. Beyond this, COMMANDOpera has been directly in contact with the great Maestro in an attempt to secure an interview.

Let us be clear. Historically there is a precedent for offering translated titles. During the earliest days of Opera when the art form was clearly entertainment of the masses, works were translated in their entirety for the better enjoyment of understanding by local audiences. Italian opera’s were routinely translated to Hungarian, French, English, and others, as were French works, or Russian, or Spanish, or English. Thus, it would make obvious sense to translate the title alongside the entire work. The strangeness of singling out the title alone for translation is incomprehensible to the thinking mind.

Opera today is not an inexpensive night out. As a matter of fact it as a rather pricey night out all in, yet one which is catching favour more and more with younger audiences. Marketing Opera should never take away from that cachet, as it remains the strongest feature for many under 40′s who attend. A night out at the Opera is valued as expropriated glamour for those who choose to attend. Forget about hockey mom’s: they are not interested nor do they have the ready dollars or time. The same can be advised of their male counterparts. Intelligent marketing strategy is directed to go where the money is situated, and these are not a demographic any theatre can hope to inculcate (unless bargain prices are offered and even then rarely if ever). When a theatre determines to cheapen their product in such manner, they must understand the result in such a devaluation; emptier seats. The demographic who is prepared to be drawn in looks for the flavour and elegance of every aspect, and do not deserve to be robbed of the exotic title which heads their purchase. This demographic is a rather savvy species who should not be thought as average. How odd for theatres to sell the allure of Opera in the original language with surtitles, yet determinedly remove this allure where it counts most, substituting the banal. COMMANDOpera can assure every American theatre who purveys this myopic marketing strategy, they are globally alone.

At the end of the day any theatre will do what they feel is correct for their particular market, regardless as to how indigestible it is to COMMANDOpera. The point of this article is to establish a level of awareness to those who read in America as to the thinking of how your regional house may percieve your intellect.

COMMANDOpera arrives to vocal artists in the most unusual ways. To know Miss Latonia Moore comes from the Tenor Michael Fabiano who spoke of the artist as a soprano he would wish to sing with one day. Given such a recommendation, COMMANDOpera was obliged to look closely at Miss Moore who is currently appearing at the Staatsoper Hamburg starring in Aida. COMMANDOpera advises readers to head over to the page from the link and view the promotional video of Aida. One might soothingly venture to suggest, the good people of Hamburg at least enjoyed the pleasure of Miss Moore’s vocal instrument. The tonal purity found is of the most velvety, golden quality: there is no edge, while her technical artillery is second to none. Understand clearly, the vocal instrument of Miss Moore is international in calibre, and there can be no question this artist will be playing more often than not at the top tier theatres in the future. COMMANDOpera highly advises North American theatres to engage this artist early, so that she may look kindly on future engagements further down the road. Before COMMANDOpera continues, here is Miss Moore singing an air from Edgar by Giacomo Puccini. Be prepared to sigh a few times, such is the ethereal beauty of this woman’s voice in this air.

Miss Moore sings ‘Addio, mio dolce amor’. Seattle 2005.

Miss Moore who it appears is fortunate to also be a natural and graceful dramatic actress, owns an interesting repertoire of roles which is weighted clearly in Verdi. Aida, both Amelia’s, Gulnara, Elisabetta in 2012 (who knows where), Lucrezia, Elvira, Desdemona, and Leonora in 2012 (in Il Trovatore, and once again who knows where.. actually COMMANDOpera is aware but this information is not available for the public domain). There is some Puccini, yet only one Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia. COMMANDOpera certainly would advise further Donizetti such as the Tudor trilogy. Perhaps down the road we may see Alceste or Medea. This is an artist who is stylistically accurate for Baroque works in a manner only a very few are today. There is more to know about Miss Moore and to this end, COMMANDOpera has begun negotiations for a full on interview upon her return from Europe in the middle of June.

Miss Moore in an extract from L’Arlesiana. Carnegie Hall 2007.