|
OPERA STUDIES PROGRAM 2007-2008
VBMA's LEONHARDT AUDITORIUM
Sundays – 1:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
TO ENROLL CALL THE MUSEUM AT (772) 231-0707
FALL 2007
November 4, 2007 Norma by Vincenzo Bellini (click)  Presenter: Wayne Kleinstiver
Norma will feature two legendary performers – soprano Montserrat Caballe as Norma and tenor Jon Vickers as Pollione. Caballe considered this live performance on July 20, 1974 at the Theater Antique d’Orange (Turin, Italy) her greatest ever. Later, after a private viewing of this performance in Paris, Maria Callas (who revived this opera 20 years earlier) called Montserrat in Barcelona to congratulate her on "the greatness of her service to the music and the character." Shortly thereafter, Montserrat received a package in the mail from Callas – in it was the pair of earrings that Callas had worn in all of her performances of Norma dating from 1955. In her last-ever press conference, when Callas was asked if she had any real successors, she replied unequivocally, "Only Montserrat Caballe."
December 16, 2007 Critics' Roundtable: Controversial Singers  Presenter: Dr. James A. Drake
Why are some singers adored by the public but derided by critics? The Fall 2007 edition of the Roundtable addresses that question by engaging our panelists in a spirited discussion about such controversial singers as Andrea Bocelli, Maria Callas and Mario Lanza, among others. Critics' Roundtable Panelists are Wayne Kleinstiver, Roman Ortega-Cowan, Tania Ortega-Cowan and Tommy Steyer.
WINTER 2008
February 3, 2008
The Miserly Knight by S. Rachmaninoff (click)
Gianni Schicchi by G. Puccini (click)
Presenter: Wayne Kleinstiver
The Miserly Knight is based on Pushkin’s "little tragedy" which features a magnificent performance from the Russian bass-baritone, Sergei Leiferkus, in the title role. The Miserly Knight was written for the great Russian bass, Chaliapin, who never sang the role. Some speculate that it may have been too difficult for him.Gianni Schicchi, a double bill of two one-act operas, features Alessandro Corbelli in the title role which he performed at The Met last season and received wild ovations. These operas are recordings of the July 11, 2004 performances at Glyndebourne Opera which received "five-star" reviews. Greed, one of the Seven Deadly Sins from Dante’s Inferno, provides the material for both of these operas making them a natural for a double billing.
March 2, 2008
Critics' Roundtable: The "Golden Age" Debate
Presenter: Dr. James A. Drake
When was the so-called "Golden Age" of singing? For the Spring 2008 edition of the Roundtable, our panelists will address that perennial question by comparing recordings of the same selections by the great singers of today and yesterday. Critics' Roundtable Panelists are Wayne Kleinstiver, Roman Ortega-Cowan, Tania Ortega-Cowan and Tommy Steyer.
SPRING/SUMMER 2008
May 18, 2008
Orfeo ed Eurydice, by Christoph W. Gluck (click)
Presenter: Wayne Kleinstiver
Orfeo ed Eurydice, first performed in 1762, is one of the most important operas ever written in that its structure laid the foundation for most modern operas to follow. This opera played at The Met as recently as last season. More than 65 operas are based on the Orfeo and Eurydice story which includes Monteverdi’s Orfeo written in 1607, considered by many to be the first opera. This presentation will be a live recording of the September 20, 1993 performance at the Sydney Opera House featuring tenor David Hobson as Orfeo and Amanda Thane as Eurydice. This is truly a magnificent performance – great melodies, great staging, and fabulous singing.
June 22, 2008
Critics' Roundtable: Head and Heart in Singing
Presenter: Dr. James A. Drake
Where do the head and the heart intersect in great singing? By featuring and discussing recordings of the same arias by different singers, our panel of critics will attempt to discern why some artists seem to appeal directly to their listeners' emotions, while others garner a more "cerebral" appreciation from audiences and critics. Critics' Roundtable Panelists are Wayne Kleinstiver, Roman Ortega-Cowan, Tania Ortega-Cowan and Tommy Steyer. |
