Jonas Kaufmann “Sehnsucht” new CD

I’ve spent the entire morning on opera (not that unusual when I have the time). There are so many posts I want to make and am just going to push ahead.  At any rate, Jonas Kaufmann, the incredible German tenor who can sing it all,  has a great new CD coming up.  Sehnsucht (Longing). It features the German repertoire ( Wagner et. al at their most lyrical) for which he is destined,  while he still excels in Italian and French repertoire. From the CD is this  You Tube clip In fernem Land from the finale to Lohengrin, one of Wagner’s most brilliant works, beautiful, lyrical and impressive theater.  The other You Tube  post is Kaufmann in the short role of the Italian Tenor in Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier opposite Renee Fleming as the Marschallin.  He is brought in  to amuse the Marschallin  in the Italian fashion amidst the chaos of her morning chores.  Enjoy Both!!  Sehnsucht should be available in the next couple of weeks on Amazon.

Rialto Cinemas MET in HD Tickets on Sale 8/26

There will be a frenzy of ticket buying when the box office opens on 8/26 for the 4th year of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2009-10 Season Live  in High Definition at the Rialto Cinemas  in Santa Rosa.  Here’s what to expect:

If you were a season subscriber last year, full series subscription tickets go on sale on line from Wednesday 8/26 to 9/1 exclusively for you.

If you have purchased tickets to the Met in HD in the past, full series subscription tickets go on sale on line 9/2

Full series subscription tickets go on sale to the general public on line 9/11

Single tickets go on sale to the general public on line 9/25.

If you can’t order on line, you will need to contact the Rialto or go there during less busy times to purchase your tickets.

For the 2009-10 Season’s offerings and my recommendations, scroll down on this page to:

2009/10 Met Live in HD Series Announced.

To order tickets on line and for more information go to :

http://www.rialtocinemas.com/index.php?location=lakeside&film=2009_met

Saturday Morning performances are live from the Met; the opera is repeated on Wednesday, matinee and evening. The season opens on October 10 with Puccini’s Tosca

New Renee Fleming CD: “Verismo”

Renee Fleming’s new CD , VERISMO,   is scheduled for relase on 9/15.  It will be a great acquisition and adjunct to that topic (Verismo ) which is the subject of  my Fall Class at SRJC.   Verismo refers to the last “school” of Italian Opera whose members composed operas about the everyday plight of the lower class. It was “true to life” so to speak. The CD features aria from many of Puccini’s operas,  which Fleming has no inclination to sing on stage.  She has some interesting comments on that fact in the accompanying trailer here.  In addition to Puccini,   Fleming sings arias from some neglected works by other composers of the Verismo school who are rarely heard.  Whether she can sing the entire opera or not,  the snippets on the trailer are certainly gorgeous and enticing. I’m buying!!

Register Now for Puccini & Turandot at SRJC

Registration is now open for my Fall Class at Santa Rosa Junior College: Puccini & Turandot: The Demise and Renaissance of Italian Opera.

The class will be held in Newman Auditorium from October 1 thru November 12 (6 Thursdays from 7-9 p.m. PLEASE NOTE: NO CLASS on 10/29). For a complete description of the Fall Class,  please visit 2009 Courses on this website.

You can register by phone by calling SRJC at 707-527-4372 or online by clicking here.

Once you register, you will receive confirmation from the college and the following:

1. A ticket order form for the San Francisco Opera production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello on December 2. Please return that form to me with a check (payable to Will Kent) for $45/ticket
2. A reservation form for seats on a deluxe bus to the opera. You should return that form as described to Ellen Eppler.
3. A form to order parking passes for the class in advance. Please return that form to the college.

I’m very excited about this class…it has been fascinating & delightful preparing it,  and I have some wonderful surprises in store. The class sells out quickly, so register early and order tickets soon, since seats are limited.

I look forward to seeing you in October.  If you have questions, email me or call me at my office 707-824-4531.

…Will

Ruth Ann Swenson Up Close in Santa Rosa

Ruth Ann Swenson will be singing before a small group in a private home to benefit a great cause: Sonoma Land Trust. Swenson just gets better as she matures and the always beautiful voice now has a richer more interesting sound to my ears. Tickets are pricey but the intimate setting promises an evening to remember.  See announcement and hear Ms. Swenson in a special You Tube performance below: Qui la voce,  Vincenzo Bellini: I Puritani

Internationally acclaimed soprano Ruth Ann Swenson will sing a benefit for Sonoma Land Trust at the home of Donald and Maureen Green in Santa Rosa on Sunday, September 20, at 3 pm. The afternoon will include wine and hors d?oeuvres before the concert followed by a post-performance reception with Ruth Ann Swenson. This will be a rare opportunity to experience the breathtaking vocal beauty of one of the world?s leading sopranos.

Ruth Ann Swenson has won critical acclaim for her performances in the world?s major opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Opera National de Paris, Royal Opera Covent Garden and Berlin State Opera, as well as in many other international opera houses and concert halls. She is praised as an artist with an instrument of uncommon warmth and beauty matched by dazzling technical abilities.

Ms. Swenson?s signature roles include Gilda in Rigoletto, the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor, Juliette in Romeo et Juliette, Adina in L’Elisir d’Amore, Elvira in I Puritani, Violetta in La Traviata, Mimi in La Boheme, and Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare.

In San Francisco, she has appeared in many major roles including Gilda, Juliette, Adina, Lucia, Violetta, Cleopatra, Ophelie in Hamlet, and the title roles of Manon and Semele. Her most recent appearances here have been as the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro and as Ginevra in Handel?s Ariodante, at which time she received the San Francisco Opera Medal in honor of her 25th season with the company.

Proceeds from the benefit will support the Sonoma Land Trust?s Land Protection Fund which provides the resources to purchase key conservation properties. Tickets are $250 each and seating is limited. For ticket information, please contact Beverly Scottland at beverly@sonomalandtrust.org or (707) 526-6930, ext. 108.

San Francisco Perfromances 2009-10

I just received the catalog for the upcoming season of music presented by San Francisco Performances (mostly) at the Herbst Theater. There are four opera singers scheduled for recitals:  Thomas Hampson, baritone, Joyce DiDonato, mezzo-soprano, Nathan Gunn, baritone and Alice Coote, mezzo soprano.  All four are excellent artists, but I think if you can catch only one, Ms. DiDonato gets my nod.  She is on a trajectory to major stardom and to hear her in the intimate space of the Herbst Theater should be very gratifying.  Incidentally,  Ms. DiDonato literally  just broke her leg at Covent Garden, London during a performance of The Barber of Seville.  She finished the performance in a lot of pain,  and is continuing on in a wheel chair, I hear.  That’s a trooper!.

I am most excited, however, about a musical event schedule for the spring. . On Saturday, April 24 at 10 a.m. Alex Ross, music critic for the New Yorker and author of the  book  The Rest is Noise will be joined by Ethan Iverson, jazz pianist,  to present a unique explortation of 20th Century music.  Ross’s book was a revelation and  instrumental in my choice of topics for this Fall’s class: Puccini & Turandot, The Demise and Renaissannce of Italian Opera.  Ross  analyses why classical music strayed from the mainstream in the 20th cenury,  leaving opera audiences high and dry for new works  that could garner the kind of public appeal that Puccini and Richard Strauss, to a lesser degree, achieved.  Turandot is the last great opera in the grand tradition,  and in my class we’ll consider what the modern composers offered and how they influenced Puccini and other Versimo/Romantic composers of the late 19th/early 20th centuries.

You can access San Francisco Performances on line at http://www.Performances.org   for ticket purchase and more information

Final Scene Thais with Fleming & Hampson MET in HD

There were many memorable moments from the Met in HD this past season. This has to be close to the top of the list.

The Final Scene of Massenet’s Thais with Renee Fleming and Thomas Hampson:

Reflections on Teaching Opera at Sonoma State

In May I finished my first session teaching my Passion for Opera series at Sonoma State Univerity (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute). I had the pleasure of sharing opera with 200+ opera lovers and new comers (all wonderful and attentive students) who seemed to revel in the great established stars of opera today as well as  a number of  up and coming singers.

Over an 8 week period, I introduced about 50 singers in all voice categories to my students.  Among those singers who particularly made an impact were the great Polish contralto, Ewa Podles; the up and coming tenor, Charles Castronovo; tenor, Jose Cura, dramatic soprano, Maria Guleghina and mezzo, Elena Garanca.

While opera companies struggle to get younger audiences into opera houses, I have taught over 2000 students in the past decade whose average age is around 55.  I rarely attend opera in any venue in the Bay Area now where I don’t meet a number of my students who thank me for introducing them to what has become their passion.

It’s particularly important to marketers to capture people in their 20s who may make a habit of attending opera for another 40 years. I suspect, however, for every hundred 20 year olds enticed to opera for the first time, 90% or more never return.

Opera is a mature art form. It requires time, attention, and an open ear to understand.  I firmly believe that opera is best appreciated by mature individuals whose life experiences permit them at a certain age to pursue those things put aside by the distractions of youth. Opera teaches, touches and enriches the lives of those it enfolds. For most, it’s a bit addictive.

Cal Performances Operatic Line-up 2009-10

Cal Performances in Berkeley generally boasts a stellar line-up of operatic recitalists and their 2009-10 season is no exception:  Christine Brewer, soprano (9/22/09); Michael Schade, tenor (10/18/09); Nuccia Focile, soprano & David Lomeli, tenor (11/15/09); Renee Fleming, soprano (12/04/09); Ian Bostridge, tenor (3/21/10); Saimir Pirgu, tenor (4/11/10).  For more information go to : http://www.calperfs.berkeley.edu/presents/season/2008/

My pick as the most interesting singers to hear:

The latest tenor sensation: Saimir Pirgu scheduled for Traviata with Natalie Dessay in Santa Fe this summer and making his Met debut next season in  Gianni Schicchi ( Il Trittico) and La Traviata. See you tube below

Michael Schade, tenor.. A beautifully interesting voice.

David Lomeli, tenor…a rising tenor star and an Adler Fellow in SF this year.

“The Audition” Bravo!!

After watching the trailer for ” The Audition”  for a year or more preceding each offering by Metropolitan Opera in HD at the cinema, the documentary film finally arrived and more than lived up to its hype. Filmed during the 2007 Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition Finals, the film tracks a number of young opera singer hopefuls who have made it through numerous cuts only to face the final verdict and a chance to sing live on the Met Stage and move a step closer to stardom.

The six winners displayed outstanding talent and confirmed for me the dedication, passion and sacrifice it takes to be a great Opera star. It was fascinating to see the behind the scenes interviews not only with the contestants but also with the Met staff, who come across as nothing but supportive and caring.  Maestro Marco Armiliato, the conductor, must be a singer’s best friend.

One only hopes that the Met decides to make the Finals a live feature of their HD cinema presentations each year. Here are a few You Tube clips  including “The Audition” trailer (with the most talented tenor Ryan Smith, who sadly died of cancer this past year),  the personable 2007 winner, tenor Alek Shrader, singing Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore at San Francisco Opera, 2007 winner, tenor Michael Fabiano, in a concert version of Che gelida manina from La Boheme and one of the 2009 winners, soprano,Nadine Sierra, (age 20)singing a ravishing Se come voi piccina io fossi from Puccini’s early opera Le Villi.

Recommendations for San Francisco Opera 2009/10

San Francisco Opera is tightening its budget belt this year with one less opera.  However to compensate, the roster of great singers just keeps increasing and money well spent, I say.  Here’s my take on the season and what’s great and what’s not. Ratings: From One * (if you must miss something this would be a good bet) to Four **** (don’t even think of missing it). What’s your favorite in the lineup?

9/11 to 10/6:  Il Trovatore (Verdi).  What a great opera to open a season!! Only if you have the best cast, however,  and San Francisco is rivaling the Met with its Fall casting.  This opera (currently running) is one of the big hits of the Met’s season and two stars will follow the McVicar production from the Met back to San Francisco:  Superstar baritone, Dimitri Hvorostovsky, and controversial Verdi  soprano, Sondra Radvanovsky.  The latter possesses one beautiful voice that fits Verdi’s music like a glove, but she has some big shoes to fill in the role that Leontyne Price still owns (see video below)  Stephanie Blythe is luxury casting in the role of  Azucena,  which leaves only the tenor role in question. Marco Berti, will sing Manrico and while not an exciting performer, he can deliver the vocal goods. One only hopes the whole cast catches fire, which is what this opera demands.  ****

9/15-10/3  Il Trittico (Puccini) There’s no time to catch your breath with Trittico following Trovatore. Puccini’s 3 one act operas are especially rare  and more so when one soprano assumes all three leading roles in Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi.  The rare soprano who can carry it off these days is Patricia Racette, who will be repeating her feat in Trittico at the Met next season.  Racette is a great soprano and she is at the height of her career.  However, for about 15 minutes,  she will be upstaged by the appearance of the great contralto, Ewa Podles, who makes her belated San Francisco Opera debut as the Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica.  This is a must hear/see event for anyone who wants to witness the miracle of a voice. Oh,  and then there are appearances by up and coming tenors, Brandon Jovanovich and David Lomeli.  You’ll get one exciting operatic event for  your money  with this one. ****

9/23 to 10/23  Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio) Mozart. A bit of comic relief will be called for by the time the season’s 3rd offering opens, and Mozart’s German romp will provide it.  The cast provides the beautiful  singing by the wonderfully elegant  tenor,  Matthew Polenzani.  Constanze will be sung by the remarkable and underappreciated soprano,  Mary Dunleavy.  It’s perhaps not Mozart’s best, but it certainly is beautifully cast  and deserving of your presence. ***

10/13 – 10/31  La Fille du Regiment (Donizetti) Juan Diego Florez,  Diana Damrau.  Gran Dio, DON’T  MISS IT!!!! ****

10/18-11/01  Salome (Strauss) Nadja Michael, soprano, makes her San Francisco Opera debut as the Judean Princess.  Grim and grizzley fare submerged  in the astounding music of a young Strauss looking to make his mark. ***

11/8 – 12/2  Otello (Verdi)  The great news is that you have a chance to hear Verdi’s masterpiece. The fact  is  though that  no one today can sing Otello even approaching the greatness of a Domingo, Vickers or del Monico.  Tenor, Johan Botha is the foremost interpreter of the role at the moment,  and it will be interesting to hear his take  not only on Verdi but also Shakespeare.   Svelta Vassileva is the innocent Desdemona. Maestro Nicola Luisotti,  San Francisco Opera’s new Music Director conducts the ultimate Italian Opera. *** (****  if  Domingo flies in at the last moment to sing the Moor).

6/5-7/1  Faust (Gounod) Faust used to be the most popular opera around the turn of the last century. It opened the then new Metropolitan Opera when Gounod was still a household name. In recent times, however, Gounod’s other masterpiece, Romeo et Juliette seems to have replaced Faust in the popular repertoire, thanks to the number of young artists who can sing and make you believe that they are barely pubescent.  Patricia Racette returns as Marguerite and the wonderful bass, John Reylea is Mephistopheles. Tenor, Stephano Secco is Faust. ***

6/9-7/2  La Fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West) Puccini.  The Puccini rarity is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its world debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1910. Maestro, Nicola Luisotti, whose family knew Puccini and who carries on the great Italian operatic tradition with keen insight, will conduct.  It is a strange work, not only because of its subject matter (the gold rush in California) but also because  Puccini was pressuring himself to compose with a more “modern” bent. While he succeeds to some extent,  he fails because he ignores that  his basic Italian musical instincts were correct (hence Puccini rules today in opera and Debussy is a rarely acquired operatic taste).  The cast is excellent:  Soprano, Deborah Voigt as Minnie ( one wishes that she would focus a bit less on her figure and more on her voice and acting these days),  Salvatore Licitra (will he show up and deliver? ) as Dick Johnson and Roberto Frontali as Jack Rance. A must see if you plan to take my SRJC Fall Class ****

6/10-6/30. Die Walkure (Wagner). This is the 2nd installment of the 4 opera Ring Cycle scheduled to be performed in its entirety a few seasons hence. The most accessible of the ring operas for Wagner newcomers, it boasts a great cast of Wagnerians including, soprano Nina Stemme as Brunnhilde, tenor, Christopher Ventris as Siegmund and Bass Baritone, Mark Delavan as Wotan.  Budgetary woes have taken some oomph out of this Mary Zimmerman production, which is originating at Washington National Opera, so its survival not only depends on its completion in San Francisco but also in Washington. ***

Leontyne Price Boston, 1982 as Leonora, Il Trovatore. D’amor sull’ali rosee

2009/10 Met Live in HD Series Announced

The astoundingly popular Met in HD at the Cinema series will continue for 2009/10 with some exciting productions and sublime singers.  Call the Rialto and voice your support for this series in these tough economic times.  Here’s the lineup with the dates ( Saturday live matinee dates, repeat performances will follow usually on Wednesdays), a few critical comments and recommendations rated from * (okay to miss it)  to **** stars, (don’t dare miss it):

October 10:  Tosca (Puccini).  Star soprano, Karita Mattila (Salome last year)  brings her Tosca to the Met for the first time with tenor Marcelo Alvarez as Cavaradossi,  conducted by James Levine. Although Mattila shines less in the Italian repertoire, who else can sing Tosca today?  It will be good to catch Alvarez, a tenor held in high esteem by many.   ***

October 24:  Aida (Verdi). With visions of Leontyne Price‘s Aida still alive, why bother producing this grand opera unless you have a stellar cast?  Even the Met can’t come up with that miracle.  Only Dolora Zajick as Amneris rises to the occassion. With Violetta Urmana as Aida  and Johan Botha as Radames.**

November 7: Turandot (Puccini). Dramatic soprano, Maria Guleghina assumes her first Turandot at the Met,  and it will be thrilling to hear her take on this voice shredder with Marcelo Giordani as Calaf.   Mandatory if you plan to take my Fall class at SRJC this year in which this opera will prove pivotal. In the Zefferelli production from the Met, this Turandot  is the 8th wonder of the world. ****

December 19: Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach). A stellar cast headed by Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon (don’t count on either). Netrebko and Villazon are both on shaky grounds vocally ( especially Villazon). It will be a miracle if he can pull it off (it’s a strenous role for a lyric tenor).  Netrebko seems to be more resilient,  and what she lacks vocally is easily filled by her stage presence. ****

January 9:  Der Rosenkavalier (Strauss). Renee Fleming, Susan Graham, Christine Schafer, Eric Cutler…it couldn’t get much better! A Fleming classic, not to be missed. ****

January 16:  Carmen (Bizet). A huge disappointment in that Roberta Alagna will be Don Jose in this telecast( isn’t January prime flu season?)  while Jonas Kaufmann sings many of the other performances.  Who is Kaufmann you ask? Take a look below.  Angela Gheorghiu steals a plum mezzo role for the first time at the Met. *** if Kaufmann ****

February 6:  Simon Boccanegra (Verdi). Placido Domingo assumes the great baritone role of  Boccangra..he just keeps going. Interesting supporting cast,  but it’s all about Domingo. ***

March 27:  Hamlet (Thomas). Natalie Dessay takes on  Ophelia, a role owned by Joan Sutherland. With a strong supporting cast,  this is the novelty of the year.****

May 1: Armida (Rossini) Renee Fleming turns the clock back a decade and a half to her earliest triumph at the Pesaro Rossini Festival as the sorceress Armida.  The lone female voice in the opera,  Rossini wrote the supporting roles for 7 tenors at the premier in Naples…7 tenors?? where can you find even one who can sing this daunting music? It’s a total delight!! ****

Listen Below:

“Aria Ready?” & “Intensive Rigoletto” are Spring Offerings

James Sokol is back to teach two great spring Opera courses at Santa Rosa Junior College!   For those of you who know James and have taken his courses in the past 6 years, he needs no introduction.  For those who don’t know him,  James is almost impossible to describe but try:  witty, erudite, opinionated, unpredictable and talented for  starters.  James  has even been known to resort to  slapstick to emphasize  his incredible Passion for Opera, which is totally  infectious.

His first offering, “Aria Ready?”, is one of the most popular classes in his opera series.  Students love listening to  and learning a beloved opera aria and then comparing how several different opera stars interpret and perform it.  I’ve added an example below so see what you think and vote for your favorite.

The second class takes an in depth look at Giuiseppe Verdi’s pivotal opera, Rigoletto. “Intensive Rigoletto” is intended for those who want to get inside the workings of an opera and the composer’s  mind.  Rigoletto never fails to move an audience,  and James will help you uncover the true magic in the work.

For more details and to register,  check out the SRJC catalog under “new courses” and register soon.   Hurry,  for classes start in early February:    https://busapp02.santarosa.edu/CommunityEducation/NewCourses.aspx

So which of these 4 tenors do you prefer singing “Nessun dorma” from Puccini’s Turandot?  Jose Carreras ( 1983),  Franco Corelli (Early 60′s), Mario del Monaco ( 60′s ), Luciano Pavarotti (1980).  Leave your comments & vote.

Sonoma State OLLI & Oakmont Spring Opera Classes

As some of you know, I’ll be teaching A Passion for Opera this spring both at Sonoma State University in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and at Oakmont. I look forward to these new venues and will return in the Fall for another New Exciting Opera Course at SRJC.

This Spring’s class will be A Passion for Opera: The World’s Greatest Singers,  and I’ll be posting a course description in the next few weeks on this website under 2009 Courses.  This is one of the most popular subjects I have ever taught, and I look forward to repeating it with many changes  including a number of new artists, expanded discussions and some of the original featured artists in new repertoire.  It has been a lot of fun to prepare,  and I hope you’ll find it greatly entertaining. It’s your chance to be an opera critic!!

The Dates for Sonoma State are 8 Mondays from 9:45 to 11:30 a.m., March 30-May 18;  for Oakmont: 6 Wednesdays from 3-5p.m.,  April 8-May 13.

Want a Preview??  This young soprano is giving Anna Netrebko big competition.  Fair statement?  What do you think?

Nino Machaidze O mio babbino caro Puccini Gianni Schicchi. La Scala, 2008.