Metropolitan Opera Guild news, November 2009
The fifth annual Opera News Awards are the cover story of the November 2009 issue of Opera News. Other feature articles in the new issue include an introduction to Janacek’s From the House of the Dead, just in time for the Met’s production on November 12; a profile of New York City Opera’s George Steel; and a tribute to the incomparable Hildegard Behrens. This month’s offerings from the Metropolitan Opera Guild include lectures on From the House of the Dead; “Puccini the Popular”; French, German and English opera style; and “French Connections”.
Opera News Awards 2009
Honored for their distinguished achievement in and contribution to opera, this year’s Opera News Award recipients are Martina Arroyo, Joyce DiDonato, Gerald Finley, Philip Glass and Shirley Verrett. Each of these singular artists receives a tribute in the new issue of Opera News, written by one of its editors: Brian Kellow (Arroyo), Oussama Zahr (DiDonato), Louise T. Guinther (Finley), Adam Wasserman (Glass), and F. Paul Driscoll (Verrett). The awards ceremony, a popular gala event, will take place at New York’s Gotham Hall on Thursday, November 19. A starry line-up of performers – Stephanie Blythe, Danielle de Niese, Audra McDonald, Paul Simon and Deborah Voigt – will present the awards, and Thomas Hampson and Susan Graham return by popular demand as co-hosts. Tickets ranging in price from $450 – $850 are available from the Met Guild at 212-769-7009 or at www.metguild.org.
Also in November’s Opera News …
In “Entitlement Issues”, Matthew Gurewitsch brings readers up to date on opera titles and the inventive ways they have been integrated into production designs. Back in New York, after losing a year to much-needed renovations in its home theater, New York City Opera is up and running again, to the great relief of its fans. Adam Wasserman asks the company’s general manager and artistic director, George Steel, what lies ahead for “the people’s opera”, whose fall season opens this month.
From the House of the Dead, Leos Janacek’s final opera, premieres at the Met in November, and for the occasion Gregory Sandow contributes an exploration (“Chained”) of this searing Dostoyovsky-based work. In “The Lady Killer”, Russell Platt reports on Minnesota Opera’s brand-new production of Dominick Argento’s brilliant 1985 opera Casanova’s Homecoming. And William R. Braun, in “Reverberations”, examines how one master can influence another. He explains, for instance, why when we listen to Verdi we might also hear shades of Donizetti.
Also in this month’s Opera News is a remembrance of the late soprano Hildegard Behrens, who died unexpectedly in August. Features editor Brian Kellow pays tribute to “The Incomparable Hildegard”, a beloved figure at the Met and elsewhere in the world of opera.
Reviews of summer opera festivals at home and abroad appear in the November issue. Santa Fe’s world premiere of The Letter, Bard’s revival of Les Huguenots, Pesaro’s Zelmira (an early Rossini rarity), and Seattle’s Wadsworth-directed “Ring” are scrutinized, among other productions. Autumn is an important time for the release of opera and recital recordings: Renée Fleming’s Verismo and vintage Wagner performances from Dresden led by the late Karl Böhm are auditioned. Among the videos reviewed are a film of La bohème with Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón, Robert Carsen’s production of Monteverdi’s Incoronazione di Poppea from Glyndebourne, and a vintage 1959 L’elisir d’amore with the incomporable Ferruccio Tagliavini and Alda Noni, released by VAI.
Lectures and Community Programs
Last year the Metropolitan Opera Guild’s new Opera Learning Center opened on the sixth floor of the Samuel B. & David Rose Building on the Lincoln Center campus. Since then, this versatile space has become the home of lectures, interviews, and panel discussions, professional development for teachers, workshops and seminars, and other meetings and events hosted by the Guild. November marks the start of three new lecture series: “Opera Outlooks: New Productions at the Met” explores Janacek’s From the House of the Dead (a Met premiere) and Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann, among other new Met offerings; the four-part “Puccini the Popular” examines the works of opera’s favorite composer; and in the three-part “National Treasures”, critic Martin Bernheimer presents different national styles of singing. “The French Connection” continues, taking a careful look this month at operas by Debussy and Bizet. The Guild begins a series of offerings for young singers, introducing them to the off-stage aspects of a career in opera: back stage etiquette, dealing with the press, what to expect at auditions, and so forth. There are 14 lectures in November.
A chronological list of upcoming Metropolitan Opera Guild events follows. Visit these web sites for additional information about the Metropolitan Opera Guild’s activities and publications:
http://operanews.com http://metguild.org http://operaed.org
Metropolitan Opera Guild events in November:
Monday, November 2, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Mounting Madness: From the House of the Dead Takes the Stage
Metropolitan Opera House
Part of “Opera Outlooks: New Productions at the Met” series
The starkness of a Siberian prison is the setting of this, Janácek’s final opera. Select performers and production personnel join forces to discuss the opera’s Metropolitan Opera premiere.
This event will be held in the orchestra section of the Metropolitan Opera House; open seating. An event ticket is required, however, tickets for the evening’s performance are NOT required in order to attend the production interview. Met Patrons receive two complimentary tickets to Opera Outlooks events held in the Metropolitan Opera House. Please call 212-870-4502 to reserve. Price: $20.00
Guild Member Price: $10.00
Met Subscribers pay $15 per ticket to “Opera Outlooks” events held in the Metropolitan Opera House. Please call 212-769-7028 to purchase tickets with your subscriber number.
Tuesday, November 3, 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM
“Living La Vie Bohème” Puccini the Popular (part 1 of 4)
presented by Fred Plotkin
More than a century has passed since the world premiere of Puccini’s iconic opera, and yet its heartbreaking story and lush melodies keep audiences coming back for more. Fred Plotkin explains why.
Purchase all four Puccini the Popular sessions and save!
This session is also offered on Saturday morning, October 31, from 11:00am-12:15pm!
This event – like others in this schedule unless otherwise indicated – will be held in the Metropolitan Opera Guild Opera Learning Center on the 6th floor of the Samuel B. & David Rose building at Lincoln Center.
Thursday, November 5, 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM
“The English Invasion” National Treasures I
presented by Martin Bernheimer
Many countries and regions have not only their own musical style but also their own style of vocalism. Martin Bernheimer surveys opera’s national schools of singing, illustrating the particular colorations and phrasings that indicate a singer’s origins. Purchase all three National Treasures sessions and save!
Price: $16.00
Sunday, November 8, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Puccini’s Men – A Master Class
presented by Ira Siff
Part of the “Masterly Singing” series
Puccini is noted for his ability to write unforgettable female characters, but his male characters are equally exciting. Director, teacher, and “diva” extraordinaire Ira Siff works with singers to explore some of opera’s most memorable men.
These workshops and master classes probe areas of performance and preparation vital to the development of young performers, while showcasing opera’s most valuable assets: the directors, coaches, conductors, and singers of our stage.
Purchase this session as part of the Fall Master Class package and save!
Price: $20.00
Monday, November 9, 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM
“The Conquests of Carmen” The French Connection (part 3 of 4)
Presented by Jeffrey Langford
Bizet’s Carmen ushered in a new era of realism to the operatic scene. Though not an immediate success, this work became a mainstay of the standard repertoire and an audience and singer favorite. Rediscover what is still revolutionary in this well known masterpiece.
Purchase ALL four “French Connection” sessions and save!
Price: $16.00
Tuesday, November 10, 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM
“For the Love of Tosca” Puccini the Popular (part 2 of 4)
Presented by James O’Leary
Unforgettable melodies, red-hot action, roles that showcase the entire range of the singer’s art: Tosca is an irresistible masterpiece, and its lush score always yields surprises. Discover what makes Tosca so powerful through this accessible introduction to an enduring classic. Purchase ALL four “Puccini the Popular” sessions and save!
This session is also offered on Saturday morning, November 7, from 11:00am-12:15pm.
Thursday, November 12, 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM
“The German Way” National Treasures I (part 3 of 3)
Presented by Martin Bernheimer
Many countries and regions have not only their own musical style, but also their own style of vocalism. Martin Bernheimer surveys opera’s national schools of singing, illustrating the particular colorations and phrasings that indicate a singer’s origins.
Purchase ALL three National Treasures sessions and save!
Price: $16.00
Thursday, November 12, 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM
A Spark of God: Leoš Janácek and From the House of the Dead
Presented by Dr. Harlow Robinson
Part of “Opera Outlooks: New Productions at the Met” series
In his last opera, Janácek transformed the prison memoirs of Fyodor Dostoyevsky into a moving, deeply compassionate, and innovative work celebrating the resilience of the human spirit. Dr. Harlow Robinson explores the unusual dramatic and musical language of this overlooked masterpiece.
Price: $16.00
Saturday, November 14, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
“Three Expressive Colors in Turandot” Puccini the Popular (part 3 of 4)
Presented by Dr. W. Anthony Sheppard
Puccini was a visually oriented operatic composer and his final masterpiece is his most colorful and variegated work. Turandot features the composer’s love of lush Italianate lyricism, his adventurous attempts to echo this exotic and fantastic story, and his interest in modernist styles.
Purchase ALL four “Puccini the Popular” sessions and save!
Price: $16.00
Monday, November 16, 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM
“Pelléas et Mélisande: Impressions of Change” The French Connection (part 4 of 4)
Presented by Jeffrey Langford
Debussy’s struggle to establish his own style in the face of Wagner’s immense influence in France at the end of the 19th century led to the creation of his only complete opera. His impressionist masterpiece, Pelléas et Mélisande, established the French operatic idiom that would hold sway for the next century.
Purchase ALL four “French Connection” sessions and save!
Price: $16.00
Wednesday, November 18, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Hoffman’s Heroes: A Conversation with Cast and Crew – Production Interview
Metropolitan Opera House
Part of “Opera Outlooks: New Productions at the Met” series
Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann provides a vehicle for vocal virtuosos of all varieties: soprano, mezzo, tenor, and bass. Come hear members of this star-studded cast and crew in conversation.
This event will be held in the orchestra section of the Metropolitan Opera House; open seating. An event ticket is required; however, tickets for the evening’s performance are NOT required in order to attend the production interview.
Patrons receive two complimentary tickets to Opera Outlooks events held in the Metropolitan Opera House. Please call 212-870-4502 to reserve complimentary tickets.
Met Subscribers pay $15 per ticket to Opera Outlooks events held in the Metropolitan Opera House. Please call 212-769-7028 to purchase tickets with your subscriber number.
Price: $20.00; Subscriber price: $15.00; Member price: $10.00
Thursday, November 19, 6:00 PM
Fifth Annual Opera News Awards
Co-hosted by Susan Graham and Thomas Hampson
Gotham Hall, 1356 Broadway at 36th Street
Ticket Reservations at www.metguild.org
or from the Guild at 212-769-7009
$850 – Cocktail reception with awardees and priority seating for dinner and program
$450 – dinner and program
Saturday, November 21, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
“Portraits of Puccini” Puccini the Popular: Il Trittico (part 4 of 4)
Presented by Jane Marsh
Puccini’s great triptych brilliantly illustrates three contrasting tales: the drama and mystery of Il Tabarro, the mysticism and sorrow of Suor Angelica, and the boisterous comedy of Gianni Schicchi. Put together, these three one-acts are a tour-de-force that demonstrates Puccini’s mastery across a range of human emotions.
This session is also offered on Tuesday evening, November 24, from 6:00pm-7:15pm.
Purchase ALL four Puccini the Popular sessions and save!
Price: $16.00
Monday, November 23, 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM
The Singers’ Studio: Interview
Patricia Racette and Stephanie Blythe in conversation with F. Paul Driscoll
Two of opera’s most versatile—and most opinionated—singers share the stage with Opera News Editor in Chief F. Paul Driscoll to talk about their six roles in this season’s Il Trittico.
Hear what opera stars of the past, present, and future have to say about their work through this new series, produced in collaboration with Opera News and the Metropolitan Opera Guild’s Public Programs department.
Price: $20.00
Tuesday, November 24, 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM
Il Trittico: Portraits of Puccini
Presented by Jane Marsh
See Nov 21 for details
Price: $16.00
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