Opera Blog

2010-01-17T16:44:00.003-07:00

Rossini’s Trip to NowhereMy wife's parents, enthusiastic world travelers and lifelong opera fans, found themselves in Milan in 1985 with some extra time on their hands. Anxious to see the famed La Scala Opera House, they bought tickets on the street (my father-in-law is the maven when it comes to that) for a Rossini opera they'd never seen. Performed in Italian minus Supertitles and with no

2009-03-24T20:12:00.002-06:00

Met Opera HD Broadcasts in Review—2008–09 Season The Metropolitan Opera’s third season of distributing live Saturday matinée broadcasts via satellite has proved to be its most successful so far, both from the number of theaters carrying the performances and the quantity of tickets sold. General Manager Peter Gelb’s vision to bring top-quality operatic productions to the masses has seen the

2008-03-14T10:44:00.002-06:00

Blogging vs. Writing The music magazine to which I contribute classical music and opera articles and reviews every month recently launched its newly revised Web site. It’s now possible to go online and read every story in our March 2008 issue. Archived stories from back issues will begin to appear over time, but at least it’s an opportunity—from this point

2007-11-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

Operablogger Marks Return After One-Year Hiatus Last November I grabbed my blog-toys and headed for home, metaphorically speaking. Personal and professional obstacles prevented me from devoting the sort of intellectual effort I felt this blog needed to remain a viable part of the opera commentary community, and so I quit cold turkey—even to the point of no longer reading the posts of my

2006-11-10T16:04:00.000-07:00

OperaBlogger Takes a BowTo all my fellow opera lovers worldwide, including those who read this blog with regularity...Regrettably I must take a hiatus from composing these essays. Other life events have intruded. I hope to be blogging again early in '07 - and, if not, it probably means something sad.All the best to Dr B, Campbell Vertesi, Maury D'Annatto, and especially La Cieca, for giving me

2006-09-29T16:47:00.000-06:00

The Digital Divide and OperaOver the past several weeks the opera-blogging world has been abuzz with the announcement by newly appointed general manager Peter Gelb that New York’s Metropolitan Opera will increase its music distribution far beyond Saturday afternoon radio broadcasts, a staple of the airwaves since 1931. For most of those years these broadcasts were sponsored by Texaco, which

2006-09-27T16:35:00.000-06:00

Great Performances on PBS—Mozart’s 250thEarlier this week the U.S. not-for-profit television network PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) aired broadcast TV’s first classical music concert of the season. The series is called “Great Performances,” which shows up several times annually and features well known musicians doing what they do best—singing, dancing or playing an instrument. In between

2006-09-15T12:55:00.000-06:00

Database Diving RE: The MetOnce again, some research that I’ve been doing for an essay on one subject has led me astray—and directly into another. While perusing the Metropolitan Opera’s newly designed Web site, I stumbled across some fascinating data that has prompted me to shift gears—thus the basis of today’s blog. I’ll return to my original topic—technical observations on the newest form of

2006-08-23T11:01:00.000-06:00

Biblical OperasOperatic subjects fall into a few broad categories. These would include the following:Greek or Roman mythology—literally hundreds of different gods and goddesses from which to chooseHistorical royalty—kings and queens of England, Egypt, Persia, Spain, Scotland and Portugal, plus elsewhere throughout the world from ancient times to modernOther historical men and women—whether in

2006-07-31T12:49:00.000-06:00

“I Pagliacci” = Perfect Opera?I read quite a few books over the course of a year, almost none of them short stories. I know that it takes a special writer to craft a compelling story within a confined number of pages, and many authors enjoy wide acclaim along these lines. But if a story is one that I'm truly enjoying, I’d prefer to see it longer rather than shorter—which flies in the face of

2006-07-19T10:40:00.000-06:00

VisitorsAs a quick intermezzo before posting my promised essay on “I Pagliacci,” I thought I’d share some of my thoughts regarding blog visitors. Some weeks ago I added SiteMeter to this page, hoping to find out if anyone was reading this stuff. Much to my surprise I’m actually getting a fair amount of traffic, although most of it appears to be of the, “Oh, crap, that’s not what I’m looking for”

2006-06-30T16:20:00.000-06:00

Owning the 19th-Century Opera Supply ChainBecause of a recent DVD acquisition I’d made a few weeks ago, it was my intention to discuss the opera “I Pagliacci” in my next essay. But while doing some research I ran across interesting material on a peripheral issue, so I decided to set this subject aside for a few days.Anyone familiar with current business practices knows the inventory concept of “

2006-06-27T15:08:00.000-06:00

Doctor, Composer & Critic All in OneThere’s a line from “Annie Hall,” one of Woody Allen’s most popular movies, which goes something like this: “Those who can’t do—teach; those who can’t teach—teach gym.” The same might be said about music critics, altered a bit to read, “…those who can’t compose, criticize those who do.”Scratch a music critic, certainly one who’s being paid to write

2006-06-02T07:59:00.000-06:00

A Tale of Three Orientalists—Opera Composers Darwish, Hosni & LavryFour or five years ago I devoured an entire series of books by A.T. Olmstead, former professor of Oriental studies at the University of Chicago. Prior to his death in 1945 he published some very scholarly tomes—“History of Assyria,” “History of Babylonia” and “History of the Persian Empire” among them. His archaeological efforts

2006-06-01T08:43:00.000-06:00

It’s Hard Out There for an Opera SingerTwo events this past holiday weekend (as a note to my non-U.S. readers, it was Memorial Day last Monday) here in the Denver area provided an interesting contrast between amateur and professional participants.For runners it was the Bolder Boulder, an annual 10K road race that attracts more than 40,000 participants to the home of the University of Colorado, 30

2006-05-25T15:39:00.000-06:00

The Language(s) of OperaLooking at opera strictly from a linguistic perspective, the world’s classics generally fall into three major categories: Italian, French and German. Some works in the standard repertoire have been composed to English libretti—predominantly 20th-century pieces by Britten, Barber, Menotti, et.al.—plus a smattering in other languages, such as Czech (Dvořak) and Russian (

2006-05-09T15:57:00.000-06:00

Donizetti’s Lesser Known Operas—An OverviewDepending upon which source you care to believe, Gaetano Donizetti composed between 65 and 70 operas. One reason for this confusion involves the revision of existing operas versus the creation of new ones. For example, the “Don Gregorio” that he wrote for Teatro Nuovo (Naples) in June 1826, is generally considered to be a revision of “L’Ajo Nell’

2006-04-25T16:56:00.000-06:00

Remembering Sholom SecundaIn honor of April 25, known among Jews as Yom Ha-Shoah and throughout the Western world as Holocaust Remembrance Day, I shall depart from my usual operatic commentary with an essay in memory of composer Sholom Secunda, whom I had the pleasure of meeting in the late 1960s upon the occasion of the world premiere of his cantata, “Yizkor.”Sholom Secunda (1894–1974) emigrated

2006-04-21T13:25:00.000-06:00

A Prince among Opera Composers—Michele CarafaBack on January 15, somewhere around here on this blog, an article by my colleague Stephen Agus—president of the Meyerbeer Fan Club— motivated me to begin discussing the works of forgotten 19th century Italian opera composers. My analysis unearthed 88 composers worthy of further examination, so I started the laborious research process with a brief

2006-04-11T10:28:00.000-06:00

Rethinking Catalani’s “La Wally”In an earlier post on this site I made the offhand remark that the soprano aria, “Ebben? ne andrò lontano,” was the only worthwhile bit from an otherwise rightfully forgotten opera. This song is quite famous, performed often by sopranos in recital and a big hit from a foreign film (“Diva”) that enjoys a cult-like following, while also providing the movie’s major

2006-04-10T13:31:00.000-06:00

New Reader?Many thanks to Charles Ralph for the kindly blurb at the end of this week's "Opera Pronto" newsletter. If you're a new reader of this blog, please note that comments may be left by first clicking on the time stamp at the conclusion of each post, and then clicking on the "Post a Comment" highlight.Charles generously calls me insightful, although having tried for the past five-plus

2006-03-16T10:37:00.000-07:00

Remember That Name—Jordan ShanahanBack in the early 1990s, Heathcliff Slocumb was a young, highly touted relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. But other than his colorful moniker and a couple of seasons of minimally modest results, his three seasons with the Cubs was utterly forgettable. In fact, the only reason we even recall his name today was because, every time Slocumb was spotted getting

2006-03-06T16:53:00.000-07:00

The Force of Musical ObsessionA few months ago I posted a column here regarding the Yahoo! classical music chat room I visit with some regularity—regrettably not as often these days now that I have a day job. One of the perks we enjoy is playing music for the other visitors in the room. While there are no set play lists—and the variety of classical pieces one hears is impressive—Saturday nights

2006-03-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

Reviewing “Norma”A little more than a year ago, Opera Colorado GM Peter Russell revealed that the 2005-2006 season would include Bellini’s Druidic masterpiece, a first hereabouts. There were several compelling reasons that brought “Norma” to the Queen City of the Plains. First, the new opera house (then under construction) presented the sort of venue that made sharing productions with other

2006-02-24T16:11:00.000-07:00

“Norma”—Part OneOne of the selling points of the city-wide bond issue that was sold to Denver voters a few years ago, was the argument that a world-class opera house would attract world-class productions. Add to that the hiring of Peter Russell—formerly an upper-level functionary with the Met in New York City—as general manager of Opera Colorado. A new venue and new blood in the front office was

2006-02-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

Fresh Thoughts on “The Ellie”The other night (Wednesday, Feb 22) my wife and I made our first visit to The Ellie Caulkins Opera House here in Denver. As was mentioned a few months earlier in this blog, the facility is part of a multi-theatre environment known as the Denver Performing Arts Complex, somewhat similar in concept to—but much smaller than—Lincoln Center in New York City. The opera

2006-02-08T16:57:00.000-07:00

Mountain Music Magic—“Baby Doe” ReturnsPeople who know my taste in opera are aware that I generally eschew anything post-1920—especially in English. Not that I’m a snob or anything (well, perhaps a bit of one), but the tuneful harmonies and dramatic excesses of bel canto, romantic and verismo opera strike me as much more listenable than anything from their modern counterparts…and don’t even get

2006-01-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

One Down, 87 to Go?When agreeing to take on a task, even a self-assigned one, it’s often wise to consider all the angles before beginning it. For example, after deciding to hike the Appalachian Trail from Point A to Point B, it’s probably a good idea to make sure that you've packed the proper gear—sturdy hiking boots, rainwear, a canteen, etc.Similarly when one wishes to look into the lives and

2006-01-16T17:08:00.000-07:00

Local (Denver) KudosI could not let another day go by without providing some serious “shout-outs” to local Denver people and institutions that help make the opera experience a better one for those of us fortunate enough to live in the Rocky Mountain West.On one hand I get jealous reading other opera-based blogs, since so many of them are New York City-centric. The opportunity to run out any given

2006-01-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Eighty-eight Italian Opera ComposersThe essay by my friend Stephen Agus (“Hegemony of the Mundane”—see post below) has prompted me to do a little research. I thought I’d begin by sharing the early fruits of that labor before jumping into a more in-depth analysis that will logically take two distinct paths. The gist of the discussion involves reviving operas that have not been performed in

2006-01-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

Posting CommentsIf I were smarter or more computer-savvy, or both, I'd be able to figure out my minor dilemma. For anyone who cares to post a comment on this blog, simply click on the timestamp at the end of a particular entry, which will then bring forth the "comment" feature. Sorry for whatever inconvenience this extra step entails.

2006-01-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

“Hegemony of the Mundane”Much of today’s post is derived from an essay written by Stephen Agus, founder of the Meyerbeer Fan Club, of which I am a proud member. This material is reprinted here with the permission of the author. Mr. Agus’ words are offset by quotes—and the title above is his as well.The gist of his essay reflects on the fact that the operas of Meyerbeer and, by extension, those of

2006-01-04T16:51:00.000-07:00

Eighty million???Opera vs. BroadwayA story in my local daily newspaper on January 3, 2006, (the "Denver Post") reported that “Phantom of the Opera” was poised to pass “Cats” as the most performed musical ever on Broadway, with something close to 7500 performances. What shocked me more was learning from the same article that “Phantom” has played before an estimated 80 million people worldwide.Don

2005-12-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

OPERAMEMEStolen from Dr. Barbara Baker, who cordially ripped it off from two other opera-type bloggers:Name or Nom de Blogge: I thought about making up some fabulously exotic name under which to write this blog, but everything sounded so phony. Besides, no who knows me personally probably reads this thing, anyway. Paul Siegel is my name—there are two of us in town and we’re always getting phone

2005-12-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

Tag, I’m ItOne of the fun things touring the Blogosphere, notably among sites that are members of the Opera Ring, is a game whereby one is asked to provide replies to “4…something, something…you’ve…something. Recently “victimized” by a fellow, anonymous Ring-er, here are my answers to …4 Jobs You’ve Had in Your Life Movie theatre usher House painter Marketing director Book

2005-12-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

Judging the Judges in Opera CompetitionsThis is part two of my commentary on vocal competitions for young opera singers. Part one can be found immediately below this post.Once the singing is finished it’s time for the judges to decide who has won, and who gets thrown back into the pot for another try next year.As I mentioned earlier, my experience with this has been as an audience member only,

2005-12-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

Opera CompetitionsOver the past week I’ve had the pleasure of reading a number of blogs written by young opera singers, all of whom seem to spend their time either preparing for, participating in or recuperating from auditions. I discovered most of these blogs through a link known as RingSurf, of which I am now a proud member. You can gain access to these delightful sites by clicking on the “next

2005-12-06T15:15:00.000-07:00

Random Thoughts on TenorsWhen I was 13 years old, in the space of something like two weeks I went from being a boy soprano (actually more of a contralto) to a baritone—with plenty of voice-cracking along the way. That played havoc with my Bar Mitzvah lessons, where I was learning to “chant” the portion of the Saturday morning service that follows the weekly Torah reading. Thankfully my voice

2005-12-05T15:02:00.000-07:00

Denver’s New Opera HouseEarly in the last century, Denver’s Auditorium Theater was THE place to go in the city for professional musical entertainment. Eighty-plus years later, an entire performance complex has grown up around it. Known collectively as the DCPA (Denver Center for the Performing Arts), a glass-covered atrium links the old theater to a number of other venues in this

2005-12-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

Opera All Around Us?Long before Bob Seger “loaned” his hit song “Like a Rock” (for a pretty penny, I’m sure) to the folks at Chevrolet to help sell pickup trucks, opera tunes were heard in TV commercials to promote a variety of products. Part of the fun involves identifying what’s being played, which can be difficult when only a few bars of music might be used. I’m sure that one of the main

2005-10-06T16:21:00.000-06:00

New Feature Alert!If I did this correctly, I believe comments may now be left directly on the blog, rather than being e-mailed to me at my Yahoo address.

2005-10-05T09:09:00.000-06:00

It’s Time for Meyerbeer (Part I)My reawakening to opera started at the end of 1990, after having been away from it for well over a decade. Up to that point I’d listened to the occasional Met Texaco broadcast and watched a few public television productions, and I’m embarrassed to admit that I owned a grand total of ZERO complete operas on CD.Remarried to a woman who has been an opera fan nearly

2005-10-03T11:55:00.000-06:00

Random Thoughts on “Aida”The first opera I ever saw was “Aida.” It was 1969 and I was a high school senior, plus an active member of the school choir—an organization of 110 singers from one of suburban Cleveland’s BIG high schools. My graduating class was something like 1100 kids. Anyway, the operatic venue was Cleveland’s Public Auditorium, a barn-like building more suited to the Auto Show

2005-09-30T15:42:00.000-06:00

Classical Music Chat RoomsFor the past year or so I’ve been a semi-regular participant on Yahoo! Chat, notably in one of the two primary “Classical Music” rooms. Much longer ago, in my AOL pre-broadband days, the only experiences I had with chat involved sifting through the prepubescent nattering of local folks looking for sex, whether actual or virtual. Anyone on there for more sociable

2005-09-29T16:36:00.000-06:00

The Opera Rara TeamI just purchased two new opera recordings put out by Opera Rara, the UK-based label that has been promoting little-known or even unknown (to modern listeners) operas for thirty-five years. For those of you unfamiliar with them, it’s funded in part by the (Sir) Peter Moores Foundation and specializes in early nineteenth century operas. As they say on their Web site (

2005-09-27T08:45:00.000-06:00

Greetings: Just in case there have been any readers out there! I've been away from this blog for AGES, but it's time I started posting random thoughts about opera once again - at least on a weekly basis. I'll try, I promise. I've enjoyed reading a blog about opera by a Dr. Barbara Baker, and she's more or less inspired me to pick this thing up again.

2003-06-23T09:18:00.000-06:00

CONTACT INFO Your comments, questions and observations are welcome via e-mail. Please contact me at operablogger@yahoo.com.

2003-06-19T15:50:00.000-06:00

DISCUSSING OTELLO, VERDI’S BEST OPERA From the debut of Oberto, Conte di San Bonifacio in 1839 to that of Aida in 1871, Giuseppe Verdi had composed 24 operas. While far from the pace that Donizetti set during his lifetime, this represents an average of one premiere every sixteen months. In his post-Aida years, Verdi penned his Messa de Requiem (debuted 1874) and participated in revivals of

2003-06-18T13:41:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the Opera Blog -- hosted by Paul (Denver, Colo.). Over time I look forward to sharing with you my thoughts on Italian & French opera, including reviews of recorded performances from my extensive personal collection of CDs (at last count, nearly 190 unique works). Additionally, I will post details on upcoming opera events, gleaned from other Web sites and personal acquaintances from