Opera is first and foremost about Singing! Whether you are already passionate about opera or a newcomer to this great art, you won't want to miss six weeks of incredible beauty, passion and excitement as we explore and celebrate the lives and legends of the greatest Singers the world has ever known.
In the first, class we'll trace the evolution of operatic singing from the first Superstars, the castrati, in the early 18th century, through the rise of the Prima Donna and the emergence of the Tenor voice in the mid 19th century. We'll listen to the voices of the great stars of the earliest recording era including: Enrico Caruso, Alessandro Bonci, Luisa Tettrazini, Nelli Melba & many others.
In the next two classes we'll focus on recordings and video archives from what has been called the "Golden Era of Singing", highlighting vocal artists like Claudia Muzio, Beniamino Gigli, Rosa Ponselle, & Giacomo Lauri-Volpi, and then move on to the great operatic stars, Maria Callas, Franco Corelli, Giuseppe di Stefano, Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monico and others, who captured headlines and dominated the operatic stage in the 50's & 60's.
In the fourth class, we'll revel in the wondrous voices that so many of us grew up with : Joan Sutherland, Marilyn Horne, Leontyne Price, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, Montserrat Caballe, Shirley Verrett, Jon Vickers and others. And finally, we'll devote the last two classes to today's great stars including: Renee Fleming, Rolando Villazon, Juan Diego Florez, Cecilia Bartoli, Deborah Voigt, Karita Mattila, Anna Netrebko and others. We'll also preview emerging singers who may become tomorrow's legends.
By the end of the course we will have viewed & listened to many historic performances by great operatic stars past and present, and you will choose for yourself the most expressive & definitive interpreters of great operatic roles like Tosca, Otello, Rodolfo, Mimi, Lucia, Violetta, Andrea Chenier, Lohengrin, Aida, Butterfly, Radames and others. You'll have more insight into "What makes a voice great?" and "How is a legend created?"; and, hopefully, in the process, you'll discover that perfect voice that speaks to your spirit and soul.
After the curtain falls on our final class, we'll take our annual class trip to San Francisco Opera to attend a Saturday evening performance, November 5, of the greatest bel canto opera ever written, Bellini's Norma. And, perhaps that evening, we'll experience a legendary performance and a transcendent voice. But, without a doubt, we'll have another exquisite evening at the Opera. Bravo!
Tuition for the 6 week course is $90. Tickets to Norma are $40 each for orchestra seats, the performance is optional and the ticket price is not included in the tuition price. Tickets are limited so register early to insure a seat. For information on the performance go to http://sfopera.com/operaspotlight.asp?operaseasonid=235 Call Santa Rosa Junior College (707-524-1547) for a pre-registration form and ticket order form.
