Friday, December 31, 2010

Celebrate New Year's Day with Simon Rattle Conducting "Pelleas et Melisande" on KWMU-3


Celebrate New Year's Day with St. Louis Public Radio as they carry the Met broadcast of Pelléas et Mélisande on their HD channel, KWMU-3 beginning at 12 noon. Approximate running time 3 hours, 55 minutes. Intermission times at approximately 1:08 p.m. and 2:15 p.m.

Simon Rattle makes his Met debut conducting Debussy’s impressionistic masterpiece, starring Stéphane Degout, Magdalena Kožená, and Gerald Finley.

Anthony Tommisini writes in the New York Times:
It took until he was 55, but Simon Rattle finally made his Metropolitan Opera debut on Friday night. Mr. Rattle, who has been a major conductor for 30 years and the artistic director of the Berlin Philharmonic since 2002, led the season premiere of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande, a revival of Jonathan Miller’s gothic 1995 production. At the end of this four-hour evening, some of the most ardent participants in the ovation for Mr. Rattle were the musicians in the orchestra pit, who stood and heartily applauded.

In perhaps the most impressive performance I have heard Mr. Rattle give, he drew lush and plangent yet clear-textured and purposeful playing from the great Met orchestra. He was blessed with what he described in an interview on “Charlie Rose” on Thursday night as a “dream cast”: the elegant French baritone Stéphane Degout as Pelléas, the alluring Czech mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozena (Mr. Rattle’s wife) as Mélisande, and the intelligent Canadian baritone Gerald Finley as Prince Golaud.
Click here to read the entire review.

Friday, December 17, 2010

KWMU-3 To Carry Met Broadcast of Don Carlo, Saturday, December 18, at 11:30 a.m.

Ferruccio Furlanetto as Philip II.

The Metropolitan Opera celebrates its 80th season of Saturday afternoon radio broadcasts -— the longest-running classical music series in American broadcast history -— with a 22-week season featuring many of the world’s greatest operatic artists, beginning Saturday, December 18. Broadcast live over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network, the season begins with Verdi’s grand epic Don Carlo.

St. Louis Public Radio will carry the Met broadcast of Don Carlo on their HD channel, KWMU-3 beginning at 11:30 a.m. Approximate running time 4 hours, 30 minutes. Intermission times at approximately 1:10 p.m. and 2:20 p.m.

The Met's production of Don Carlo will star Younghoon Lee in the title role with Marina Poplavskaya as Elisabeth de Valois, Anna Smirnova as Princess Eboli, Simon Keenlyside as Rodrigo, Ferruccio Furlanetto as Philip II, and Eric Halfvarson as the Grand Inquisitor. The conductor will be Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

Don Carlo was composed by Giuseppe Verdi, with the original French libretto by François Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle, based on the play by Friedrich Schiller. The Italian translation by Achille de Lauzières and Angelo Zanardini . The world premiere was given by the Paris Opera (Salle Le Peletier), on March 11, 1867 (French version). The U.S. premiere was given in New York by the Academy of Music on April 12, 1877 (five-act version, in Italian). The Metropolitan Opera premiere was given on December 23, 1920 (four-act version, in Italian.

From the Met's web site:
For Nicholas Hytner, Verdi’s Don Carlo is no mere operatic tragedy. A sprawling epic of powerful individuals clashing with each other and with destiny in 16th-century Spain, this “ferociously pessimistic drama” is about as dark and somber as Romantic opera gets. “But what makes it so attractive,” says Hytner, who made his Met debut directing the new production that opened November 22, “is that almost every individual in it fights, with every fiber of their being, against the opposition. Nobody gives in.” Tyrannical kings, despairing princes, and innocent young women are not in short supply in the world of opera, but few works of musical theater boast a dramatis personae of such depth, complexity, and passion as Don Carlo. “Not one of these characters is prepared to accept his or her own tragic destiny,” Hytner continues. “They fight. They scream. They holler. They deny what their inevitable end will be.”

KWMU-3 is a HD channel and online service dedicated to live classical music programming 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our hosts guide listeners into the heart of the classical repertoire, with carefully selected music that represent both classical favorites and lesser-known masterpieces, while ensuring that every hour of music is accessible and stimulating for novices and aficionados alike.

Lester Lynch Stars in "Here I Stand: A Tribute to Paul Robeson" at SLAM Friday, December 17

Lester Lynch as Porgy in an Lyric Opera of Chicago production.


The St. Louis Art Museum's "Art After 5" series will present Lester Lynch in "Here I Stand: A Tribute to Paul Robeson" in Grigg Gallery on Friday, December 17, at 7:00 p.m. Admission is free.

Rising operatic star Lester Lynch, who is recognized for a voice that it is commanding, rich and vocally, nuanced, presents an evening of song in honor of the legendary singer, activist, athlete, and actor Paul Robeson(1898–1976). Lynch will perform works by Schubert, Ravel, and Mussorgsky, as well as a selection of Negro spirituals.

Lester Lynch is known in St. Louis for his striking performances as Porgy in Porgy and Bess with Union Avenue Opera and as Sharpless in Madame Butterfly with the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Lynch is the recipient of many distinguished awards, including the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the George London Vocal Competition, and the Sullivan Awards. His work with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis earned him the prestigious Richard Gaddes Award.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Preview of UAO's "Amahl and the Night Visitors" Opening Tonight

Union Avenue Opera continues its annual holiday tradition in presenting Gian-Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, which opens this evening. Enjoy an audiovisual preview of the current revival below:



Amahl and the Night Visitors runs December 10 (8pm), 11 (5pm) and 12 (3pm). Tickets range $15-$47 and are available by contacting the Union Avenue Opera Box Office at 314.361.2881 or visiting http://www.unionavenueopera.org/ For more details on this production, view this previous post.

Join Dr. Glen Bauer in the UACC Chapel at 7:15pm on Friday, December 10, 2010 for a brief insight on the history behind Amahl and the Night Visitors. This lecture is presented free of charge. Non-ticket buyers welcome.

The opera was commissioned especially for television and was first performed by NBC Television Opera Theatre in 1951. It will be presented in its original English language at Union Avenue Opera, 733 North Union Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108 and has a run time of approximately 50 minutes.

Washington University Opera Scenes This Tuesday

This weekend, Washington University Opera Workshop presents scenes from Mozart's Don Giovanni, Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, Gounod's Faust and Britten's Albert Herring.

Tim Ocel, stage director
Christine Armistead, musical director
Sandra Geary, Piano

The scenes program takes place Tuesday, December 14th at 8pm in the Ballroom of the Washington University 560 Music Center (560 Trinity Ave; University City). Admission is Free.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Union Avenue Opera Presents Holiday Production 'Amahl and the Night Visitors' December 10, 11, & 12

Union Avenue Opera continues its annual holiday tradition next weekend with Gian-Carlo Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors. Journey back in time to the Middle East during the first century, and meet the young, crippled shepherd Amahl, and his widowed mother. Their lives are changed forever by a mysterious star in the night sky and the arrival of three kings seeking a wondrous child. What follows is an enduring tale of the power of faith and how ordinary kindness leads to miracles. Amahl and the Night Visitors is sure to captivate audiences of every generation.

The cast of Amahl and the Night Visitors will feature Ricky Johnson and John Schultz alternating the role of Amahl (Johnson on Thur/Sat; Schultz on Fri/Sun). Mezzo-soprano Holly Wrensch returns to sing the role of Amahl’s Mother. Most recently seen as Tchaplitsky in Pikovaya Dama, Tenor Clark Sturdevant sings King Kaspar. UAO veteran Baritone Robert Reed sings King Melchior. Making his UAO debut, Bass-Baritone Todd Payne sings King Balthazar. Tenor Philip Touchette will sing The Page. A chorus of local singers and dancers rounds out the cast.

Last season, UAO opened its doors to 569 school children to a complimentary Thursday matinee performance and will do so again this year on December 9th at 10am. Inquire with the company for ticket availability.

Amahl and the Night Visitors runs December 10 (8pm), 11 (5pm) and 12 (3pm). Tickets range $15-$47 and are available by contacting the Union Avenue Opera Box Office at 314.361.2881 or visiting http://www.unionavenueopera.org/ The opera was commissioned especially for television and was first performed by NBC Television Opera Theatre in 1951. It will be presented in its original English language at Union Avenue Opera, 733 North Union Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108 and has a run time of approximately 50 minutes.