Bye!
Alright… My Word Press account is fully up and running. I intend to keep my Tumblr account, to hear the updates of all the people I follow, and so you can all see prior blog posts in their format. (I’m not deleting the tumblr blog) I hope to see you all on Word Press!
Thank you for all your support!
Sincerely,
Opera Teen
A Fond Farewell
While the title of this post may be a little off putting, I just want everyone to know that I’m moving Opera Teen to Wordpress after a few months on Tumblr. While Tumblr is an effective social network, it wasn’t allowing me to do the type of blogging I really wanted to do. I’m currently constructing my Wordpress page and it should be a day or two before I am fully “moved in”. I’m still going to keep my Tumblr account, so I don’t lose touch with my very precious Tumblr followers,but all the new posts will be going to operateen.wordpress.com. Thank you guys for a great Tumblr run and I can’t wait to see you on Wordpress soon, where you can follow me with your email!
Thank you all!
Sincerely,
Opera Teen
During operarox’s last Livestream (That was awesome!), I brought up the up and coming singer Oksana Dyka. I saw Dyka at the Scala and I was thoroughly impressed. She had a beautiful voice and wonderful acting skills (I think, I was on the top tier of the house) . This is her performing Vissi D’Arte, from Tosca, the opera I saw her in. What do you think of this performance? Do you think this career will take off???
Two of my favorite singers. Am I in Heaven???
(via fuckyeahjoycedidonato)
Please Vote!
- La Boheme
- Carmen
- Tosca
- Madama Butterfly
- Aida
Part 2 of opening night at La Scala! Enjoy!!!
Opening night at La Scala!! Take a look!
Two exquisite divas, Anna Netrebko and Elina Garanca perform the achingly beautiful Flower Duet form Lakme by Delibes. Enjoy this beautiful music for a New Year!
La Traviata to Bring 2012
Sorry you’re only hearing this now. I’ve been cleaning my room. I organized all my shelves and wound up with an entire row of opera books and DVDs. That was fun!
Anyway, Traviata ended a little while ago. I really enjoyed this performance. When Calas played Violetta in the fifties, she was noted to be singing “unusually” and lacking “tonal beauty”. When asked about this, she said “Well I’m supposed to play a sick person, or course I sound sick!” (That’s not what she really said, I just paraphrased it)
In the beginning, Perez sounded ill. She sounded raspy and unpleasant. By Act III, she sounded “better” as in “less ill” which felt a little odd. To put it in short, she sounded prettier in Act III. She was a convincing Violetta and gave a particularly touching reading of Germont’s letter on her deathbed.
Beczala was a lyrical and articulate Alfredo, using all his good diction powers to deliver a strong but sensitive Parisian lover.
Keenlyside was a sensitive Germont, but he sounded harsh and convincing when he asked Violetta to separate from Alfredo. He also gave an authoritative “Di Sprezzo Degno” at the end of Act II.
Alright, this year in opera. It was a tumultuous year everywhere, and the stage is no exception. Here is a list of 5 memorable (I didn’t say you’d want to remember them) moments of opera in 2011:
5. New York City Opera dramatically Leaves Lincoln Center.
Money disputes and difficulties caused this New York mainstay to leave its Lincoln Center home. Plans are still up in the air about what this important company’s next steps will be in 2012.
4. Angela Gheorghiu Cancels Romeo et Juliette and Faust.
This is a bullet that further emphasizes my protest for this “diva”. She canceled an entire run of Romeo, which was relatively heavily publicized and then Faust, which was very heavily publicized. I have a feeling in my bones she won’t be singing too much a the Met anymore.
3. Don Giovanni at the Scala, that People Actually Like
It has been a while since there was a opening night of anything, anywhere, where criticisms didn’t run ramped. Robert Carsen’s “Scala” inspired Don Giovanni, received good reviews and was enjoyed by the public.
2.Dark Sisters
Nico Muhly’s new opera about ploygamy opened at Covent Garden this year. It’s been a while since there was an English language opera as influential as this since Menotti or Britten. I predict the New Year will bring much success to this opera and it’s composer, Nico Muhly.
1. The Enchanted Island
I consider this a positive thing of 2011, even though it hasn’t premiered yet. It’s isn’t often a new work, using the best of the best, comes to the Met and makes its home there, but we’re very lucky it did! The Enchanted Island is a wonderful, compelling, and funny opera that is perfect to ring in a New Year! Good luck to all performing in it tonight. You’re going to do great!
Happy New Year Opera Lovers!
I am not the garden variety teenager. I listen profusely to opera, I use words like "profusely" and I actually enjoy school. This blog will be all about opera and how it comes into play around the world, and then maybe some other stuff. In case you were wondering, I'm also on Twitter. Take a look. I'm @OperaTeen. Enjoy!
