Watch this exclusive Behind-the-Scenes video featuring Il Trovatore Stage Director José María Condemi as he discusses the amazing cast and passionate story of Seattle Opera's upcoming Verdi production.
To watch more videos or learn more about Seattle Opera's upcoming production of Il Trovatore, visit the Seattle Opera website.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
BRAVO! Club Presents: Wait Wait...It's Opera!
Seattle Opera Education Artistic Administrator Jonathan Dean and radio talent Steven Reeder presented an evening of irreverent humor as BRAVO! Club turned opera on its head! Inspired by the NPR Game show "Wait Wait...don't tell me!", the quiz night featured questions about the productions to come in 2010. Play along and test your opera knowledge – or sit back and learn a thing or two!
To learn more about Seattle Opera's BRAVO! Club, visit the Seattle Opera website.
To learn more about Seattle Opera's BRAVO! Club, visit the Seattle Opera website.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Amelia: The Libretto Process
Amelia librettist Gardner McFall compiled a video (originally initiated and posted on YouTube by University of Washington Press, the publisher) describing her process in writing this work. As the opera is based on McFall's life experiences, the video includes Gardner's thoughts as well as personal photos and letters that all contributed to the story.
Watch the video to catch a glimpse into the life of Gardner McFall and into the story of Amelia. Thank you for sharing this with us all, Gardner!
Watch the video to catch a glimpse into the life of Gardner McFall and into the story of Amelia. Thank you for sharing this with us all, Gardner!
Monday, December 21, 2009
A Tribute to Perry Lorenzo
Perry Lorenzo was Seattle Opera's Director of Education for almost 20 years. He passed away on December 19 after fighting lung cancer valiantly for seven months.
In his letter to the community, Speight Jenkins said, "...when we did something well, [Perry's] ability to grasp the essence of why it was good always amazed and moved me."
Perry Lorenzo's affection for our art form moved countless people throughout his life. Please feel free to share any memories you have of Perry in the comments of this blog post.
In Memoriam: Perry Lorenzo
Dear Friends of Seattle Opera,
I want to take this opportunity to memorialize Perry Lorenzo. Seattle Opera's Director of Education for almost 20 years, he passed away on December 19. He had fought lung cancer valiantly for seven months. At only 51 he had accomplished more than many do in a lifetime.
His love of opera started so far as I know with his first performance of Götterdämmerung in 1975, which happened to be the first presented by Seattle Opera. He attended every single Ring performance this company gave until he became ill. From 1982 to 1992 he taught at Kennedy High School in Burien and, as a teacher in the humanities, managed to involve countless students in opera. I first met Perry when I was called to judge a competition of the students in his senior class. In groups of two or three they were asked to design an opera; the thoroughness of their grasp of the operas they chose testified to his remarkable inspirational and teaching abilities. I lured him to Seattle Opera in 1992 as director of a fledgling Education Department, and he quickly revolutionized what we were doing.
He knew that students cannot be expected to appreciate our art form without education, and he made sure that every one of the teachers of the 700 students who come to each of our dress rehearsals was prepared to introduce their classes to the opera they were going to see. Ever since Perry came to Seattle Opera, the students are among our most perceptive audiences.
Perry brought talented young people to work in education and began to share the lecturing with them. We developed one of the largest arts education programs in Seattle, giving around fifty lectures per opera.
Perry was eager to begin a Young Artists program and from its inception in 1998, he has been both an involved director of the program and an avid supporter of each of the artists chosen. He oversaw the program's development in length and scope. The tours over the whole state in the fall, the 70-minute program for kindergarten through the sixth grade, and the fully staged opera in the spring have all been equally important to him. He encouraged Seattle Opera to engage Peter Kazaras as artistic director of the program and Brian Garman as music director, but continued to take an active part in choosing repertory and the singers themselves.
In addition to all that he did on opera, he had a strong belief in ecumenism. He moderated many panels on this subject with representatives of all faiths. He lectured frequently on opera at Seattle University but also on the need for a feeling of brotherhood between faiths.
These are the facts but they fail to capture the irrepressible excitement about opera that Perry conveyed. He was an intent and critical observer of our art form. He said frequently to me that I didn't pay him to tell me anything but the truth, and sometimes his truth was tough. But when we did something well, his ability to grasp the essence of why it was good always amazed and moved me. His love for opera, in particular for this company, knew no bounds. Offered many other positions, he turned them all down without a second thought. Seattle Opera was what he believed in, and he was determined always to make it better, more productive and more an active part of the life of Seattle.
Perry was proud of being an intellectual and the most devout Catholic whom I have ever met. But even more important to me he was a unique individual, one who touched the lives of many, often lifted their spirits, and enlightened all with whom he came in contact to the value of great art.
A funeral service will take place at St. James Cathedral on December 30 at 2:00 p.m. Seattle Opera will hold a celebration of Perry Lorenzo's life on January 9, 2010, at 3:00 p.m. in the auditorium of Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in Seattle. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be directed to Seattle Opera's Perry Lorenzo Fund for In-School Education, or to St. James Cathedral.
Ever,
I want to take this opportunity to memorialize Perry Lorenzo. Seattle Opera's Director of Education for almost 20 years, he passed away on December 19. He had fought lung cancer valiantly for seven months. At only 51 he had accomplished more than many do in a lifetime.
His love of opera started so far as I know with his first performance of Götterdämmerung in 1975, which happened to be the first presented by Seattle Opera. He attended every single Ring performance this company gave until he became ill. From 1982 to 1992 he taught at Kennedy High School in Burien and, as a teacher in the humanities, managed to involve countless students in opera. I first met Perry when I was called to judge a competition of the students in his senior class. In groups of two or three they were asked to design an opera; the thoroughness of their grasp of the operas they chose testified to his remarkable inspirational and teaching abilities. I lured him to Seattle Opera in 1992 as director of a fledgling Education Department, and he quickly revolutionized what we were doing.
He knew that students cannot be expected to appreciate our art form without education, and he made sure that every one of the teachers of the 700 students who come to each of our dress rehearsals was prepared to introduce their classes to the opera they were going to see. Ever since Perry came to Seattle Opera, the students are among our most perceptive audiences.
Perry brought talented young people to work in education and began to share the lecturing with them. We developed one of the largest arts education programs in Seattle, giving around fifty lectures per opera.
Perry was eager to begin a Young Artists program and from its inception in 1998, he has been both an involved director of the program and an avid supporter of each of the artists chosen. He oversaw the program's development in length and scope. The tours over the whole state in the fall, the 70-minute program for kindergarten through the sixth grade, and the fully staged opera in the spring have all been equally important to him. He encouraged Seattle Opera to engage Peter Kazaras as artistic director of the program and Brian Garman as music director, but continued to take an active part in choosing repertory and the singers themselves.
In addition to all that he did on opera, he had a strong belief in ecumenism. He moderated many panels on this subject with representatives of all faiths. He lectured frequently on opera at Seattle University but also on the need for a feeling of brotherhood between faiths.
These are the facts but they fail to capture the irrepressible excitement about opera that Perry conveyed. He was an intent and critical observer of our art form. He said frequently to me that I didn't pay him to tell me anything but the truth, and sometimes his truth was tough. But when we did something well, his ability to grasp the essence of why it was good always amazed and moved me. His love for opera, in particular for this company, knew no bounds. Offered many other positions, he turned them all down without a second thought. Seattle Opera was what he believed in, and he was determined always to make it better, more productive and more an active part of the life of Seattle.
Perry was proud of being an intellectual and the most devout Catholic whom I have ever met. But even more important to me he was a unique individual, one who touched the lives of many, often lifted their spirits, and enlightened all with whom he came in contact to the value of great art.
A funeral service will take place at St. James Cathedral on December 30 at 2:00 p.m. Seattle Opera will hold a celebration of Perry Lorenzo's life on January 9, 2010, at 3:00 p.m. in the auditorium of Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in Seattle. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be directed to Seattle Opera's Perry Lorenzo Fund for In-School Education, or to St. James Cathedral.
Ever,
Speight Jenkins
General Director
General Director
Behind-The-Scenes: Seattle Opera Chorus
In this new and exciting behind-the-scenes video, meet some of the choristers who will bring the rousing choruses of Verdi’s Trovatore to life. Take a peek into a chorus rehearsal, learn about the singers’ experience with Seattle Opera, and hear why Chorusmaster Beth Kirchoff loves working on Il Trovatore.
To watch more videos or learn more about Seattle Opera's upcoming production of Il Trovatore, visit the Seattle Opera website.
To watch more videos or learn more about Seattle Opera's upcoming production of Il Trovatore, visit the Seattle Opera website.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Peter Kazaras on the Met Quiz
Tune in to the Met's broadcast of Offenbach's Contes d'Hoffmann on Saturday and catch Peter Kazaras on the Met Quiz during intermission. Kazaras is the artistic director of our Young Artists Program, frequently directs mainstage productions here (most recently, Le nozze di Figaro and soon, Falstaff), and also has a long history of performing on Seattle Opera's stage.
Kazaras has been an annual guest on the Met's quiz since 2005. This week's quiz will be moderated by tenor Roberto Alagna, and the panel includes Kazaras, Ben Cameron, and Suzanne Martinucci. The broadcast of Hoffmann begins at 10:00 a.m. (1:00 p.m. EST) on Saturday on KING-FM, 98.1.
Have a question for the Quiz? Send it to: metquiz@metquiz.org.
Photo © Bill Mohn.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
In Memoriam: Vjekoslav Sutej
A few weeks ago, the opera world lost a great conductor. Maestro Vjekoslav Sutej, known by many as Gigi, passed away on December 2, 2009, of complications from leukemia. He was 58.
Sutej was a familiar face at Seattle Opera. He made his company debut leading Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas in 1998, and conducted several productions thereafter, most recently Tosca in 2008.
General Director Speight Jenkins praised Sutej for his love of the art, his constant willingness to go the extra mile to create an exquisite performance. Jenkins also spoke highly of Sutej’s rapport with the singers and musicians with whom he worked. “I found in Gigi both a great artist and a man totally committed to art at the highest level, yet one who never demanded more from any singer or musician than he or she could give. It was a combination that made him one of the most revered and indeed loved maestri.”
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Gordon Hawkins and Lisa Daltirus on Il Trovatore
To get you in the Trovatore mindset, listen to Gordon Hawkins talk about the "high-octane" role of Count di Luna and Lisa Daltirus speak about why she loves Verdi heroines like Leonora.
Photo © Michal Daniel photo
Monday, December 14, 2009
The First Day of Rehearsal - One of the Busiest Days of the Year
Today is the first day of rehearsal for our next production to take the stage, Verdi's Il Trovatore. On the blog to tell us about the hustle-bustle that ensues is Assistant Stage Manager Ginger Castleberry.
____________________________
One of the busiest days for the Seattle Opera Stage Managers is the first day of rehearsal. The cast of Trovatore includes a lot of familiar faces but also a few singers we haven’t met. The Artist Aide buffet, a casual event hosted by our volunteer drivers, provides an opportunity for informal introductions over lunch before we begin the official rehearsal day.
Before the singers arrive, we attend Prop and Costume Viewings with the director and the production staff who walk through each detail of the show. This session gives the director a chance to ask questions or share ideas. On Trovatore I’m the Assistant Stage Manager in charge of costumes. Every veil, hanky and piece of jewelry is tracked through the opera, so we make sure to keep it all straight. I’m also looking to find out how things work – Can a performer take his jacket off, or is it built to stay on? Is that veil attached to the wig? Can she kneel in that skirt? We also keep track of how long each singer is offstage to change costumes – if they need to make a costume change in two minutes instead of twenty, the costume shop can rig all sorts of tricks to make getting in and out of the costume faster. In Trovatore, the Men’s Chorus alone changes costumes four times!
Some of the ladies in Trovatore wear costumes that include long veils. I try to think about the costumes from each artist's perspective – what would it feel like to wear that? What could go wrong that we can help avoid? Not only is it easy to trip on a long veil, but we don’t want to find out that the fabric is too thick and they can’t see Maestro conducting!
After the Artist Aide Buffet and the Costume Viewing, we attend the Prop Viewing. There are many different weapons in Trovatore, and I’ll let the costume department know if the singers need somewhere in their costume to stash their weapons. We also keep track of any wearable props, like rings, or any props that need to fit inside a pocket.
And all that’s just the morning – after lunch we shuffle singers out to costume and wig fittings and start staging rehearsals for Act One. Looking at the schedule it’s a long first day, but we’re very excited to hit the ground running on Trovatore!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Searching for 10/11 Young Artists
At the end of this week, Young Artists Program staff members will have heard 184 singers (narrowed down from 600 applicants) hoping to gain a spot in the 2010/11 program. Today is day 2 in New York City; last week they held auditions in both Cincinnati and Seattle.
At the in-person auditions, the panel is looking for singers with the best voices, musicality, characterizations, diction, and so on. "Basically, we're looking for the whole package," Young Artists Program Manager Aren der Harcopian said. Though he admits that, being in the business of opera, sometimes the vocal quality can outweigh other factors—such as poor diction—which can be fixed through training. Because overall, he notes, this is a training program for young singers.
"It's a big puzzle," he said. "We need the singers for three shows [the fall tour, the winter children's opera, and the mainstage spring production], and the selected singers need to sing large roles in each." The 10/11 class will be announced in August.
Our current Young Artists return in January with the Opera Goes to School program, where they’ll work with local grade-schoolers to produce a children's opera, Siegfried and the Ring of Fire. And they’ll begin rehearsals for their spring production of Ariadne auf Naxos, which they present at Bellevue’s Meydenbauer Center in April.
At the in-person auditions, the panel is looking for singers with the best voices, musicality, characterizations, diction, and so on. "Basically, we're looking for the whole package," Young Artists Program Manager Aren der Harcopian said. Though he admits that, being in the business of opera, sometimes the vocal quality can outweigh other factors—such as poor diction—which can be fixed through training. Because overall, he notes, this is a training program for young singers.
"It's a big puzzle," he said. "We need the singers for three shows [the fall tour, the winter children's opera, and the mainstage spring production], and the selected singers need to sing large roles in each." The 10/11 class will be announced in August.
Our current Young Artists return in January with the Opera Goes to School program, where they’ll work with local grade-schoolers to produce a children's opera, Siegfried and the Ring of Fire. And they’ll begin rehearsals for their spring production of Ariadne auf Naxos, which they present at Bellevue’s Meydenbauer Center in April.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Opera Buff
Baritone Nathan Gunn was recently profiled in the Wall Street Journal’s “What’s Your Workout?” feature. The semi-monthly series looks at the workout routines of various “executives” around the country—how they stay in shape, what music motivates them, their favorite workout gear, etc. Gunn, who was last seen at Seattle Opera as Ríolobo in Florencia in the Amazon, talks about how he prepares for his (often shirtless) roles, his favorite post-performance meal, and how he maintains his workout routine while away from home. Check out the article here, and don’t miss Gunn’s return to Seattle Opera in the world premiere of Amelia this May.
Photo: Nathan Gunn in Florencia in the Amazon. © Rozarii Lynch photo
Speight on the Met Quiz
Speight Jenkins will join the panel of the Metropolitan Opera quiz during the Met broadcast of Puccini’s Trittico on Saturday, December 12. Jenkins, who has been a yearly participant in the quiz since 1971, is in New York City this week with members of the Young Artists Program staff conducting auditions for next season’s program.
You can tune in to the broadcast of Il Trittico starting at 9:30 a.m. (12:30 p.m. EST) on 98.1 KING FM. The trilogy of one-act operas—Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicchi—stars Patricia Racette in all three leading soprano roles, and also features Stephanie Blythe, who will next be seen in Seattle as Dame Quickly in Falstaff. Over 3,000 listeners submit quiz questions each season, and those whose questions are used in the quiz receive a one-year subscription to Opera News. Do you have a question to suggest? Email it to: metquiz@metopera.org.
Photo © Bill Mohn
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Falstaff Pre-Performance Preview
This 5-minute pre-performance preview lecture gives you a quick overview of Falstaff. This exciting audio podcast includes musical examples and commentary by Education staff members Jonathan Dean and Seneca Garber.Monday, December 7, 2009
Il Trovatore Pre-Performance Preview
This 6-minute pre-performance preview lecture gives you a quick overview of Il Trovatore. This exciting audio podcast includes musical examples and commentary by Education staff members Jonathan Dean and Seneca Garber.Seattle Opera Book Club - The Leopard
As you know this season at Seattle Opera is heavily focused on Verdi and three of his masterpieces, La traviata, Il trovatore, and Falstaff. Our Seattle University series is dedicated to exploring, in more detail, some of the major issues of his life and work; to further enrich this experience we're hosting our first ever book club on Tuesday, January 19 at 7:00pm.
We will be reading Giuseppe di Lampedusa's novel The Leopard. This was Lampedusa's only published book, but it fits in perfectly with our theme of Verdi this season. The story takes place in 1860's Sicily and the struggle of a unified Italy. This is the exact same moment that Verdi's great operas were unifying the people to think about Italy as a unified people, instead of a number of small city-states. This season we continually learn about Verdi and his ideals as a man of the people, Lampedusa's work gives us a sense of what it was like to be on the other side of this argument, what it is like to be of the nobility and feel the status quo slipping away.
Here is a review from The Economist: ...Lampedusa's deftness with words is so fine that, although nothing much appears to happen in the book ... to many readers The Leopard is the greatest Italian novel this century, perhaps the greatest ever, and uniquely relevant to modern Italy.
If you want to join us for our first book club you can pick up your copy of The Leopard at the Seattle Opera gift shop, Amusements, open this holiday season during Nutcracker performances, or you can call them at 206.774.4990.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Quiz on This Season's Operas
We had a lively time of it last night at "Wait, Wait...It's Opera!" Congratulations to our Final Round Quiz Champion, Marcin Stasiak. The quiz posted below doesn't include the audio questions or the lightning round, but should test the limits of your knowledge about La traviata, Il trovatore, Falstaff, Ariadne auf Naxos, Amelia, and Tristan und Isolde. If you're having trouble viewing the quiz through your browser window, click here.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Quiz on Last Season's Operas
To warm everyone up for tonight's "Wait, Wait...It's Opera!" game, here are a few questions from last year's quiz, about Aida, Elektra, Pearl Fishers, Bluebeard/Erwartung, and Marriage of Figaro.
A "Knight" to Remember
Il Trovatore conductor Yves Abel was recently named a chevalier of the Orde des Arts et des Lettres. The honor is given out twice a year by the French government to those who contribute greatly to French culture throughout the world. Abel, a Toronto native, is the co-founder, music director, and conductor of Opéra Français de New York, the only opera company in the U.S. devoted solely to French operas—from French Baroque works to contemporary pieces—with a bent toward rediscovering neglected works. (Stephen Wadsworth, who will direct Amelia in May, is also a chevalier. He was given the honor for his work on the plays of Molière and Marivaux.) Congratulations, Maestro!
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