Posts Tagged ‘opera’
Instant Audience: Just Add Casual Attire?
I have a confession to make: lately, every time I see an article or a blog post about finding ways to attract new (and presumably younger) audience members to classical music performances, I groan. Actually, I’m starting to wonder if they’re all the same piece, or at least written by the same author. Inevitably, they […]
Bizet’s Habanera With An Industrial Twist
You’ve heard the Habanera from Carmen before, right? I bet you haven’t heard it like this. If you think you’re a jaded opera fan, or not an opera fan at all, I dare you to watch the following video by the French band Zic Zazou without laughing and enjoying the music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=96I_UrTOZF0 Apologies to the […]
What’s the difference between an amateur and a professional?
A paycheck. Okay, that may not work as a joke, but it’s food for thought for all of us who love creating art of any kind. Some may think I’m oversimplifying in making such a statement, & perhaps I am, but please allow me to explain. The arts are in crisis these days. Over the […]
09/15/12 – Faust – 1:00pm
San Francisco Opera Faust by Charles François Gounod Libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré Approximate Running Time: 3 hour, 30 minutes with 2 intermissions In French Gounod’s Faust remains the most famous operatic treatment of Goethe’s play. Orchestral excerpts from the work include the ballet scene from the fifth act, the Nubian dances, Cleopatra variations, […]
“Der fliegende Holländer”
In 1641, before the Dutch East India Company had set up a refreshment station at the southern tip of Africa—at the point that the cold currents of the Atlantic Ocean and the warm current of the Indian Ocean converge—a captain called van der Decken ran into a deadly storm at the Cape of Good Hope […]
2 great movies and a new meaning for the term “soap opera”
While all of us on the WBJC staff love movies, we’re often annoyed by the way in which classical music is portrayed on the silver screen these days. If it’s used at all, it’s generally depicted as something stuffy rich people enjoy, or it’s the background music to a serial killer’s gruesome exploits. This wasn’t […]
Sounds of Summer
There are certain pop songs or classical pieces that will always make me think of summer. One is Prince’s “Raspberry Beret”, which I heard on my way to work this morning & thought – perfect! Not only do the song’s flippant lyrics & upbeat tempo seem appropriate for warm weather & sunny skies, the album […]
Can flash mobs save classical music?
Classical music fans are constantly searching for ways to introduce this wonderful art form to others. Those of us who make a living by writing, performing, teaching, or *ahem* playing the stuff on the radio tend to feel an extra sense of urgency – not only would we like to attract new fans, we want […]
They Say You Never Forget Your First Time…
But, it seems I have. I honestly can’t recall the first time I heard classical music, at least not in the sense of being able to pinpoint a specific moment. I do, however, have a pretty good idea of who introduced me to classical music – actually, to opera. He has long ears, buck teeth, […]
Une Voyageuse Fabuleux
The Charles Theater is presenting The Metropolitan Opera’s live HD broadcast of Massenet’s Manon tomorrow & I’ll be on hand to greet audience members, hand out “swag”, & enjoy the show. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday, right? It gets better. Sara Stewart, a wonderful, talented woman who’s a member of […]
