Category Archives: opera

Once you land, there’s no turning back

Posted on January 30, 2016 by jyourist

Last night JB and I went to the World Premier of My Lai, a monodrama for tenor, string quartet, and Vietnamese instruments, composed by Jonathan Berger. The Kronos Quartet, Rinde Eckert (tenor), and Van-Anh Vanessa Vo (traditional Vietnamese musician) performed … Continue reading →

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“Hell’s vengeance boils in my heart” for Mozart’s 259th

Posted on January 27, 2015 by jyourist

In honor of Mozart’s 259th birthday, a little “Der Holle Rache,” the Queen of the Night’s second aria from The Magic Flute, an incredibly difficult aria to sing needing a range of two octaves. In this aria the Queen of the … Continue reading →

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RIP to the Italian Diva Magda Olivero 1910-2014

Posted on September 9, 2014 by jyourist

Driving home from work today, listening to NPR, I heard the announcement of the death of Magda Olivero, an Italian opera singer who was 104 years old. Her style embraced a mega vibrato combined with a powerful breath control which allowed “Olivero … Continue reading →

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The right aria

Posted on November 13, 2013 by jyourist

The school day today was filled with issues that ushered in bunches of low morale. A union meeting after school revealed new and some unresolved problems. I was not in a good mood. On the drive home from school, there was … Continue reading →

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“All is finished”

Posted on October 10, 2013 by jyourist

Violetta, a prostitute, after having fallen in love with Alfredo and given up her “work,” is pressured by Alfredo’s father to break up her relationship because Alfredo’s sister cannot make a good marriage because of Violetta’s reputation. She reluctantly does … Continue reading →

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Complicated cultural pastiche

Posted on April 14, 2013 by jyourist

Equally as problematic or complex was my visit to the African collection at The Seattle Museum of Art yesterday (see 4/13/13 post). On a large wall next to shaman figures, Yoruban twin statuettes, and across the hall from plentiful African … Continue reading →

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Porgy and Bess

Posted on June 23, 2011 by jyourist

This fresh production of Porgy and Bess at Court Theater moves beyond the stereotypes of its original production almost 80 years ago. The set is very simple, the cast small, the orchestra only 6 people and several of the musicians … Continue reading →

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Death and the Powers

Posted on April 9, 2011 by jyourist

Last night we saw Death and The Powers: A Robots’ Opera,  a new opera composed by Tod Machover and developed by the MIT Media Lab, along with the vision of The American Repertoire Theater and Chicago Opera Theater. The main … Continue reading →

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A Night at the Opera by William Matthews

Posted on March 10, 2011 by jyourist

“The tenor’s too fat,” the beautiful young woman complains, “and the soprano dowdy and old.” But what if Othello’s not black, if Rigoletto’s hump lists, if airy Gilda and her entourage of flesh outweigh the cello section? In fairy tales, … Continue reading →

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Five for Halloween

Posted on October 29, 2010 by jyourist

Twilight Zone was one of the most creative and clever television shows ever produced. Rod Serling was a genius. Its theme song has become part of our every day parlance. (My favorite shows were “In the Eye of the Beholder” … Continue reading →

Posted in acting, music, opera, television | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments