October is French Opera Month on the Sunday Opera Matinee, which airs at 2 P.M. Sundays throughout the year. We will celebrate the great body of 19th Century Romantic French opera during our broadcasts next month. Apart from Carmen, the French repertoire is underrepresented in the repertories of many of the world’s great opera companies outside France. […]
Opera
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Auber Overtures Volume Four – The Hits Keep Coming
Like the other three volumes, this Daniel-François-Esprit Auber release delights. Kudos to Dario Salvi for some innovative programming. Volume Four features three opera overtures, plus an unusual orchestral work. Most of these receive their world premiere recordings here. Fra Diavolo is Auber’s best-known (and most recorded) work. Dario Salvi’s interpretation of the overture compares favorably against […]
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Classical Interviews – Miriam Gordon-Stewart
Australian soprano and Victory Hall Opera’s Artistic Director, Miriam Gordon-Stewart, spoke with WTJU about La Traviata, Unsung, and some upcoming projects. For more on Miriam Gordon-Stewart, visit: miriamgordon.com For more on Victory Hall Opera, visit: victoryhallopera.org These interviews air as part of WTJU’s Classical Sunrise, weekday mornings from 7-9am. VHO and Unsung La Traviata Chamber […]
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Classical Interviews – Christina DeMarea
Christina DeMarea is the General Director for Charlottesville Opera. She spoke with WTJU about the history of Charlottesville Opera, how COVID has impacted the organization, and how they select which works they’ll perform. These interviews air as part of WTJU’s Classical Sunrise, weekday mornings from 7-9am. For more on Charlottesville Opera, visit: CharlottesvilleOpera.org History of […]
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Classical Interviews – Miriam Gordon-Stewart
Miriam Gordon-Stewart is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director for Victory Hall Opera. In our interview she talks about VHO’s mission, its exploration of deaf opera as well as her childhood, and her career. For more on Miriam Gordon-Stewart, visit: VictoryHallOpera.org or MiriamGordon.com These interviews aired as part of Classical Sunrise, weekday mornings from 7-9am. Deaf […]
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Second volume of Auber opera overtures distinct improvement
Volume two of Daniel-François-Esprit Auber overtures builds on the strengths of the first. As before, maestro Dario Salvi and the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice present several world premiere recordings — including a violin concerto. While I enjoyed the performances of the ensemble in volume one, I had some complaints about the quality of the […]
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Opera and the Arts in the Age of Novel Coronavirus
The world is suffering through a terrible pandemic, the most catastrophic in a century. Apart from the impact the virus has had on public health, the effect on the arts, particularly the performing arts, has been devastating. Museums and performing venues have closed, performances have been canceled, and the very survival of arts organizations has […]
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Boffo performances of Wolf-Ferrari “Il segreto di Susanna”
Spoiler alert: “Il segreto di Susanna” è che fuma sigarette.* Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari perfectly captured the spirit of opera buffa with “The Secret of Susanna.” As the genre dictates, the cast consists of only three roles (one non-singing). The action is quick, farcical, the story concise. Wolf-Ferrari’s work follows the consequences of Suzanna hiding a secret […]
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Letter from Salzburg 4: Ariodante
How can a baroque opera from 1734 be squared with 21st Century sensibilities? That was the challenge for director Christof Loy in staging Handel’s Ariodante. Fortunately, he had available the formidable resources of the Salzburg Festival and the estimable mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, who not only remains one of the world’s great singers but also now […]