Mostly, however, my job has been made
far easier by the fact that opera is experiencing
a renaissance throughout the world, and this
classic art form is becoming truly exciting
in so many new and different ways. The owners
of the Rialto
Cinema took a chance by bringing the Live
Performances from the Met to us. As a result
most of you now have experienced opera at
its greatest. I cannot thank them enough.
The Rialto does this not for the money (any
money is in popcorn) but to bring art to the
community.
San
Francisco Opera is working hard and each year
getting more great voices and better productions
to give us every reason to trek to the city
for a glorious evening of Opera. This next
season promises many excitements for us all
to look forward to.
When I began teaching (as you can read
on this website at About
Will Kent) my objective was to bring people
back to opera. Attendance was dropping precipitously.
Classical music was no longer commercially
recorded, and the great voices were aging
without any indication that a new generation
of singers would replenish opera houses with
excitement and beauty. Fortunately all of
that has changed in a decade, and I see nothing
now but a great and creative future for Opera.
And the great voices are back which I will
celebrate in this 10th Anniversary class (See
2008 Courses.)
My opera plans for the future include
continuing to teach at SRJC and beginning
in 2009 to offer a class at Sonoma
State's Lifelong Learning Series and at
Oakmont.
I love teaching and sharing opera, and I thank
all of you for making it possible!
Met
in HD at the Rialto Cinema 2008-09
Having just returned from the Saturday
Live Broadcast at the Rialto Cinema of the
joyous La Fille du Regiment with a triumphant
cast, my only disappointment is that I have
to wait until August to re-subscribe to one
of the greatest events in the history of Opera!
For the 3rd year the Met will be broadcasting
their Saturday Matinee Performances in New
York to cinemas around the world. And during
the coming season there will be eleven transmissions
instead of nine.
The Saturday Morning live broadcasts (starting
time 10-10:30 a.m in Santa Rosa) will continue
as well as several encore performances, the
day of the week yet to be determined. The
line up is exceptional offering a wide variety
of repertoire with the world's greatest opera
stars. Here's a brief look:
September
22: The Opening Night Gala
Renee Fleming performs one act each of three
of her signature roles. Verdi's La Traviata
(Act II), Massenet's Manon (Act III), and
the final scene from Richard Strauss's Capriccio.
Tenor Ramón Vargas and baritones Thomas
Hampson and Dwayne Croft co-star. Met Music
Director James Levine and Marco Armiliato
conduct.
October
11: Strauss: Salome
Soprano Karita Mattila reprises her acclaimed
interpretation of the title character with
baritone Juha Uusitalo as Jochanaan. Mikko
Franck conducts.
November
8: John Adams' Dr. Atomic
Penny Woolcock directs the Metropolitan Opera
premiere of John Adams's Doctor Atomic, starring
Gerald Finley as Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer
and Sasha Cooke as his wife, Kitty, with Eric
Owen and Richard Paul Fink. Alan Gilbert conducts.
NEW PRODUCTION.
November
22: Berlioz: La Damnation de Faust
Robert Lepage directs Berlioz's La Damnation
de Faust, starring Marcello Giordani in the
title role, with Susan Graham as Marguerite
and John Relyea as Méphistophélès.
James Levine conducts. NEW PRODUCTION.
December
20: Massenet: Thais
Renée Fleming stars in the title role
of Massenet's Thaïs, with Thomas
Hampson as the monk Athanaël in John
Cox's production, which originated at Lyric
Opera of Chicago. Jesús López-Cobos
conducts. NEW PRODUCTION.
January
10: Puccini: La Rondine
Nicolas Joël directs Puccini's La
Rondine, starring Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto
Alagna in a production originally mounted
by the Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse,
and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Marco Armiliato conducts. NEW PRODUCTION.
January
24: Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice
Stephanie Blythe and Danielle de Niese star
in Mark Morris's production of Gluck's Orfeo
ed Euridice. James Levine conducts.
February
7: Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor
Dynamic opera duo Anna Netrebko and Rolando
Villazón star in Mary Zimmerman's acclaimed
production of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor.
Marco Armiliato conducts.
March
7: Puccini: Madama Butterfly
Cristina Gallardo-Domâs sings the title
role of Puccini's Madama Butterfly in Anthony
Minghella's stunning production. Marcello
Giordani stars as Pinkerton. Patrick Summers
conducts.
March
21: Bellini: La Sonnambula
Natalie Dessay and Juan Diego Flórez
star in Mary Zimmerman's new production of
Bellini's La Sonnambula, conducted by Evelino
Pidò. NEW PRODUCTION.
May 9:
Rossini: La Cenerentola
Elina Garanca stars in Rossini's bel canto
Cinderella story, La Cenerentola. Lawrence
Brownlee stars as her Prince Charming, Don
Ramiro. Maurizio Benini conducts.
The Hit of the Season: My pick is Lucia
with Rolando Villazon returning after a
long sabbatical and partnering with Anna
Netrebko. A close 2nd: Dessay and
Florez in a sublime Sonnambula.
Subscribe to all 11 for about the cost
of a Box seat at the Met for one Opera...
and they don't allow popcorn at the Met!
Subscriptions to the Series begins at the
Rialto in August.
www.Rialtocinemas.com
New
CD Recommendations
Rarely do I come across three recordings
in a couple of months that stand beside the
all time greats. And even rarer is the fact
that they are all recital discs, one with
tenor, one with soprano and one with mezzo.
They are fine examples of great singers at
the height of their powers singing the repertoire
that is perfectly suited to their voice.
Natalie
Dessay: Italian Opera Arias, Virgin Classics.
Most of us who attend the Met performances
in HD at the Rialto were blown away by the
artistry of Natalie Dessay in La Fille
du Regiment. She is the real thing vocally,
but has a presence both on stage and in her
voice that commits her to the character and
music she interprets. This is a 2 Disc set
which includes a CD of airas and a DVD of
the Mad Scene from the Met's Lucia di Lammermoor.
It is a must have for all who will be hearing
Dessay in Lucia this summer in San
Francisco. The CD also features the first
recording of of an aria in a role she is about
to assume for the first time in Santa Fe in
2009: Violetta in La Traviata.
Jonas
Kaufmann: Romantic Arias, Decca.
I first saw Kaufmann in Chicago in 2001 as
Cassio in Otello. I took notice. Then
the DVD of Paisiello's Nina (which
I featured in the class last year) appeared
from Zurich with Cecilia Bartoli. It confirmed
that this is the tenor of the decade - a German
tenor with an Italianate sound who knows how
to act. He is the heir to all the dramatic
romantic tenor roles including the Italian
(Otello) German (Lohengrin)
and French (Don Jose, Carmen). Oddly,
he is also wonderful in the lighter bel canto
- he has it all. Decca has a trailer that
you can watch on You Tube for this ground
breaking CD. Listen for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GArkZ1_hWYk
Maria:
Cecilia Bartoli, Decca.
Leave it to Cecilia Bartoli not only to issue
a CD tribute to her latest obsession, the
great mezzo-soprano, Maria Malabran, but also
enclose it in a coffee table biography/pictorial
book about Malabran. The CD is issued in 2
editions: the CD alone and the CD with DVD
and book, the latter of which may be sold
out. Maria Malabran, like Bartoli, was in
her day (1825-38) the toast of the opera world.
Bellini composed for her, and she composed
her own music. Bartoli in brilliant form records
for the first time in history her own works
plus many bel canto gems.
Sadly, Malabran died in a horse back riding
accident at the tender age of 28 at the height
of her powers. Her life is the subject of
the DVD and the research Bartoli did in bringing
the vocal material back for the world to hear.
Buy the the complete set if at all possible.
It is worth every cent. Oh and by the way,
Bartoli sings as sublimely as ever. Great
preparation for her upcoming recital in Berkeley
next February!!!
Giuseppe
di Stefano (1921-2008)
One of the most exciting and unpredictable
tenors of the postwar era, Giuseppe di Stefano
died in March at the age of 86. DiStefano's
career paralleled that of Maria Callas with
whom he sang and recorded in the 50's and
early 60's.
DiStefano
captured the hearts of the opera world with
his golden voice and good looks but success
took a toll as he opted for the fast life
beyond opera. In 1973, long past their prime,
Callas and DiStefano reunited on a farewell
tour around the world that was not an artistic
success. Callas was dead three years later,
a recluse who found nothing to live for once
her career was over.
Di Stefano retired and lived happily in
Kenya until several years ago when he was
attacked by thieves and suffered severe brain
damage. Like Callas, DiStefano's star was
short lived but he left a rich legacy of recordings
and a voice that few will ever match. Listen
to the final moments of La Boheme which
he recorded with Callas for evidence that
he did things his way. It will break your
heart.
And for a moment of vocal splendor from
DiSteano on YOU Tube:
La fleur que tu m'avais jetee'from Carmen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5U6_iknkHc
James
Sokol's Fall Opera Tour to Chicago
James Sokol, who teaches the Spring Course
of A Passion for Opera, has just announced
an "Arts and Architecture" tour
to Chicago during which the group will see
two significant and exciting productions at
Lyric Opera of Chicago. James has many other
activities planned, but Opera will be high
on the agenda. Tour dates: October 19 - 24,
2008.
- Manon,
Jules Massenet.
Performance: October 21, 2008.
Lyric will open its season with Manon
featuring soprano, Natalie Dessay and the
most exciting tenor on the horizon, Jonas
Kaufmann. The Dessay / Kaufmann pairing
is reason enough to go to Chicago. They
are two of the most exciting stars in opera
today and they will be featured prominently
in my Fall Course: The
Worlds Greatest Singers.
- Les
Pecheurs des Perles (The Pearl Fishers),
George Bizet.
Performance: October 22, 2008
Another Chicago hit will be this rarity
from Bizet featuring one of the brightest
rising sopranos in opera, Nicloe Cabell
along with tenor, Eric Cutler and baritone,
Nathan Gunn. This exotic opera promises
to be a highlight of the year especially
with this cast.
Ewa
Podles Cancels Ariodante
What a disappointment! The great Polish
contralto has withdrawn from this summer's
production at San Francisco Opera of Handel's
Ariodante due to illness. Podles is
a legend in the opera world, a singer of prodigious
talent and glorious voice, who has been relatively
overlooked by the Met and San Francisco Opera
while she thrilled opera lovers throughout
the world for the past 2 decades.
Some of the most memorable evenings I
have experienced were recitals by Podles in
San Francisco in the past decade. She was
to have made her debut at San Francisco Opera
this summer and will return to the Met this
upcoming season in La Gioconda after
an almost 25 year absence. Taking her place
with some impressive credentials will be Italian
contralto/mezzo Sonia Prina.
For a look and listen to what we will
miss and what we will discover see the links
below:
Ewa Podles: "Crude sorte!" Rossini:
L'Italiana in Algeri
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12YoqedTLeM
Sonia Prina: "Priva son d'ogni conforto"
Handel: Giulio Cesare
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM9ffiQGfTI
National
Endowment for the Arts Honors OPERA!
It's pretty astonishing that the NEA
has decided to honor Opera by giving direct
grants of $2.5 million. Dana Gioia, a Sonoma
County resident, poet and librettist, is chairman
of the NEA and an opera lover. Beginning this
year the NEA will establish the Opera Honors
Award and give its first four recipients prizes
of $25,000.
They are:
- James Levine, Music Director of the
Met
- The great American soprano, Leontyne
Price
- Composer Carlisle Floyd (Susannah)
- General director of the Santa Fe Opera,
Richard Gaddes
The rest of the grant money will go directly
to opera companies.
Dessay in
Lucia
Natalie Dessay sings the finale of the
mad scene from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor.
Don't miss her live and in her debut at San
Francisco Opera in Lucia this June.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYQrXw5YUEs
Handel's
Ariodante
Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Larmomre sings
the phenomenal Dopo notte atra e funesta from
Handel's great opera Ariodante 
presented
this June at San Francisco Opera starring
Susan Graham. Larmore appears as Fricka in
Wagner's Das Rhinegold also in June. Don't
miss either.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDY9jh5qxO4
Will She
Become a Star?
Iwona Sobotka, (she defininitely needs
a name change) winner of several important
international voice competitions sings Puccini's
sublime Chi'il bel sogno di Doretta from La
Rondine. Does she have what it takes to
rise to superstardom? It's a question we'll
explore in this Fall's Class: The
Worlds Greatest Singers.
See what you think:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vep0FyH_o38
