A collection of Verdi arias:
Alessandra Marc ~ Pace pace mio dio – FORZA DEL DESTINO
Bruno Prevedi – MACBETH ~ O figli o figli miei!
Anna Moffo – SIMON BOCCANEGRA – aria
Anselmo Colzani – Il Trovatore ~ Il balen del suo sorriso
Elizabeth Connell – La luce langue – MACBETH – Met bcast 1
Richard Tucker – LOMBARDI – aria
Miami City Ballet‘s Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez introduces Claudia Schreier’s PLACES, created at the time of the pandemic. The piece premiered digitally on November 19th, 2020.
Watch and listen here.
CHOREOGRAPHY Claudia Schreier
MUSIC Jorge Mejia
CINEMATOGRAPHY Alexander Iziliaev
LIGHTING DESIGN John Hall and Alexander Iziliaev
COSTUME DESIGN Eleanor Wolfe
BALLET MASTER Joan Latham
DANCERS Nathalia Arja, Emily Bromberg, Renan Cerdeiro, Satoki Habuchi, Kleber Rebello, Damian Zamorano
MUSICIANS Jorge Mejia, Piano; Daniel Andai, Violin I; Sheena Gutierrez, Violin II; Modesto Marcano, Viola; Shea Kole, Cello; Antonio Escobedo, Double Bass
French soprano Sabine Devieilhe sings Olympia’s showpiece “Les Oiseaux dans la Charmille” from Offenbach’s CONTES D’HOFFMANN. Watch and listen here.
In January 2019, Mlle. Devieilhe gave a recital at Weill Hall here in New York City that was simply delightful.
Miro Magloire’s New Chamber Ballet have released NOCTURNE, a filmed ballet choreographed by Miro to the first and second movements of Johannes Brahms’ violin sonata No 1, opus 78. The dancers are Anabel Alpert, Megan Foley, Amber Neff, and Rachele Perla, and the score is performed by Doori Na (violin) and Sean Kennard (piano). Costumes are by Sarah Thea, assisted by Lauren Carmen. NOCTURNE was shot at Please Space, Brooklyn.
The film was directed by Emily Kikta and shot by Peter Walker; Emily and Peter, members of New York City Ballet, have together formed KW Creative. As dancers, they have a unique gift for capturing dance on film. After watching the ballet, be sure to watch the interview with Emily and Peter further down the link:
Watch NOCTURNE here.
Anyone who has ever attended a New Chamber Ballet performance knows that Miro always takes you as close to dance as you can possibly get; but with NOCTURNE, KW Creative will make you feel like you are dancing yourself. The brilliant camera work brings you right into the action, much as the film ‘Backstage at the Kirov’ makes you feel like a fifth cygnet. And, as music and dance are equally essential to New Chamber Ballet‘s artistic credo, I can enthusiastically heap praise on the excellent rendering of the Brahms score by Doori Na and Sean Kennard.
The eerily atmospheric setting of Please Space after dark lends an air of mystery to NOCTURNE. The ballet evokes a feeling of urban Wilis carrying on with their nightly rituals. And, as with GISELLE, the coming dawn signals the end of their mystic rites. Amber Neff (above), who had opened NOCTURNE emerging hesitantly to dance in the sacred space, returns to her safe haven. The ballet has a timeless feeling; one could imagine these sylphs gathering to dance each night at moonrise for ages to come.
Still photos by Miro.
Miro Magloire’s New Chamber Ballet have released NOCTURNE, a filmed ballet choreographed by Miro to the first and second movements of Johannes Brahms’ violin sonata No 1, opus 78. The dancers are Anabel Alpert, Megan Foley, Amber Neff, and Rachele Perla, and the score is performed by Doori Na (violin) and Sean Kennard (piano). Costumes are by Sarah Thea, assisted by Lauren Carmen. NOCTURNE was shot at Please Space, Brooklyn.
The film was directed by Emily Kikta and shot by Peter Walker; Emily and Peter, members of New York City Ballet, have together formed KW Creative. As dancers, they have a unique gift for capturing dance on film. After watching the ballet, be sure to watch the interview with Emily and Peter further down the link:
Watch NOCTURNE here.
Anyone who has ever attended a New Chamber Ballet performance knows that Miro always takes you as close to dance as you can possibly get; but with NOCTURNE, KW Creative will make you feel like you are dancing yourself. The brilliant camera work brings you right into the action, much as the film ‘Backstage at the Kirov’ makes you feel like a fifth cygnet. And, as music and dance are equally essential to New Chamber Ballet‘s artistic credo, I can enthusiastically heap praise on the excellent rendering of the Brahms score by Doori Na and Sean Kennard.
The eerily atmospheric setting of Please Space after dark lends an air of mystery to NOCTURNE. The ballet evokes a feeling of urban Wilis carrying on with their nightly rituals. And, as with GISELLE, the coming dawn signals the end of their mystic rites. Amber Neff (above), who had opened NOCTURNE emerging hesitantly to dance in the sacred space, returns to her safe haven. The ballet has a timeless feeling; one could imagine these sylphs gathering to dance each night at moonrise for ages to come.
Still photos by Miro.
I was very sorry to read this morning of the passing of the great scenic designer Ming Cho Lee. A native of Shanghai, he died on October 23rd, 2020, at the age of 90.
He designed award-winning sets for dozens of operas and plays, including eight productions for the Metropolitan Opera. Among his Met credits were his classic BORIS GODUNOV (1974); the Sutherland/Pavarotti PURITANI (1976), a controversial but often striking LOHENGRIN (1976), and the 1985 KHOVANSCHINA with it’s stunning final tableau.
Ming Cho Lee also designed thirty productions for Joseph Papp at The Public Theatre. A wonderful article about his life and work, with images of his designs, may be found here.
During the years that I worked in the opera room at Tower Records, Ming Cho Lee was a frequent (and favorite) customer. Upon coming into the room, he would bow to me – and I to him – and then he would spend an hour or more browsing the shelves. We hardly ever spoke, but he would sometimes hold up a disc and I would shake my head, “yes” or “no”. He would stack up his selections on the counter, one by one, and when the piles got teeteringly high, he would do a sort-thru. I would then help him carry his purchases to the cashier. I always stood by until he left, so that we could bow to one another – “…until next time!” he would say quietly. I will always remember his twinkling eyes and wry smile.
One winter day, a couple of years after Tower closed, I took the train to New Haven to meet friends for lunch. Coming out of Union Station, I saw Ming Cho Lee, all bundled up, hailing a cab (he had taught at Yale for several years). I greeted him, and after a moment he remembered me. Surprisingly, as we had always been bowing acquaintances, he extended his hand and shook mine cordially.
Ming Cho Lee was such a calm, dignified gentleman; it was an honor and pleasure for me to have known him in this rather formal capacity.
Ekaterina Semenchuk sings Princess Eboli’s “O don fatale!” at a 2018 Callas tribute concert in Paris. Pop-star lighting, but a super-charged performance.
Watch and listen here.
Above: Hans Beirer and Renata Tebaldi taking a curtain call after a performance of Verdi’s OTELLO from the Deutsche Oper, Berlin, televised in black-and-white in 1962.
Watch and listen here.
Renata Tebaldi, Hans Beirer, and William Dooley have the principal roles, and Giuseppe Patané conducts.
Above: Hans Beirer and Renata Tebaldi taking a curtain call after a performance of Verdi’s OTELLO from the Deutsche Oper, Berlin, televised in black-and-white in 1962.
Watch and listen here.
Renata Tebaldi, Hans Beirer, and William Dooley have the principal roles, and Giuseppe Patané conducts.
Nina Stemme sings Brunnhilde’s Battle Cry from Act II of DIE WALKURE. Thomas Mayer is Wotan and Kent Nagano conducts.
Watch and listen to this concert excerpt here.
Oberon's Glade 