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| Author |
Message |
| 9 new of 221 responses total. |
krj
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response 213 of 221:
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Sep 28 14:56 UTC 2002 |
Upcoming opera events in the Ann Arbor area:
Michigan Opera Theater's production of Verdi's IL TROVATORE
runs October 12-20 in Detroit, so now is the time to look into tickets
if one is interested. This is a major Verdi opera which we
have never seen, so I'm looking forward to it. Leslie tells me
the critical consensus is that the music is glorious but the
drama is a bit of a mess. I haven't got the rest of the fall
MOT schedule handy.
Ann Arbor Symphony offers Bizet's CARMEN in a concert presentation
(no sets or staging) at the Michigan Theater; Saturday November 9.
CARMEN is possibly the most popular opera; one of my opera guidebooks
writes that if you don't like CARMEN, maybe you should give up on
opera completely and move on to something else. :)
I haven't got the dates, but the University of Michigan School of Music
fall production is Janacek's THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN.
And, TV ads report that Andrea Bocelli is singing at The Palace of
Auburn Hills, that acoustic wonder. :)
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krj
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response 214 of 221:
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Sep 29 17:07 UTC 2002 |
Toledo Opera has Verdi's LA TRAVIATA coming up the weekend of
October 5, and MOT's second fall opera in Detroit is DON PASQUALE.
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gelinas
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response 215 of 221:
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Oct 7 03:27 UTC 2002 |
How bad *are* the acoustics in the Palace? I've seen nought but the circus
there.
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albaugh
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response 216 of 221:
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Oct 28 20:16 UTC 2002 |
I saw the most amazing thing (to me) on cable TV Sunday morning: On something
calling itself the ARTS channel, there was an item (each item lasting a few
minutes and having a musical piece accompanied by "something" visual) which
in the credits just said "animation" that I can best describe as "claymation".
This one happened to be from Rigoletto (Act I, "The affectionate (?) Duke,
abduction of Gilda"). The characters seemed to be singing in English. Call
me a "hillbilly" :-) but I wouldn't mind actually possessing (or renting)
video tapes of such a rendering - the entertainment value was high, and I can
appreciate the music.
Thoughts?
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dbratman
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response 217 of 221:
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Oct 29 00:02 UTC 2002 |
There was a Claymation Christmas special some years ago that I remember
fondly. I liked their "We Three Kings" with the camels singing the
chorus.
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coyote
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response 218 of 221:
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Nov 2 21:36 UTC 2002 |
re 216:
there's an entire video of little opera snippets set to animation (I think
it's mostly computer animation) call "Opera Imaginaire" or something like
that. some of the animation has nothing to do with the music (a la fantasia)
and some of it is a little scene from the story. it might be distributed by
miramax, but I don't remember.
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krj
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response 219 of 221:
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Nov 12 02:04 UTC 2002 |
I've been trying to come up with something to say about the Michigan
Opera Theater production of Verdi's IL TROVATORE without much success.
Singing in the production was mostly good; acting was just fair.
Dramatically this opera is a bit of a mess, probably because
the librettest died midway through, if I remember correctly.
TROVATORE is one of those improbable opera plots which everyone
sneers at: two brothers separated at birth on opposite sides of
a civil war, in love with the same woman. It's interesting that
TROVATORE is lumped in with two of Verdi's strongest dramas,
RIGOLETTO and LA TRAVIATA, all three premiering in a brief
period in the early 1840s.
What makes TROVATORE worthwhile is the music, which is oriented towards
choruses and ensemble pieces, which I love. It's always great to
catch up with one of the mid or late-period Verdi operas which I
have not seen.
Before the show, the director of the company came out to make a pitch
for Proposal K, which was (in part) a plan to get the Detroit suburbs
to kick in some millage money for the Detroit cultural institutions.
"Arts, Parks and Kids" it was called. I didn't hear if it passed.
-----
Coming up this weekend: Janacek's THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN, presented
by UM School of Music. I think it's at Power Center, but I'm not sure.
Sung in Czech with projected English titles.
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coyote
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response 220 of 221:
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Nov 12 17:32 UTC 2002 |
(yes, it's at the power center)
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krj
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response 221 of 221:
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Mar 6 04:16 UTC 2004 |
UM School of Music's spring opera offering is DON GIOVANNI.
Mozart's setting of the tale of Don Juan is one of the best and
most popular operas, and it will be performed in the cozy confines
of Lydia Mendelsohn Theater: it's almost guaranteed to sell out.
Four performances, March 25-28. Call the League Ticket Office at
734-764-2538 or peek at http:///www.uprod.music.umich.edu
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