Mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená (above), violist Amihai Grosz, and pianist Sir Simon Rattle perform Johannes Brahms’ Zwei Gesänge für eine Altstimme, Viola, und Klavier for Arte TV’s Hope@Home series, in April, 2020.
Watch and listen here.
Blog
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Lisette Oropesa @ La Scala ~ 2020
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Teatro alla Scala to abandon their planned opening night performance of a new production of LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR with Lisette Oropesa in the title-role, the theatre instead honored their traditional opening date – December 7th, the Feast of Saint Ambrose – with a televised gala featuring a number of prominent singers performing arias pre-filmed on the Scala stage, without an audience.
Lisette, wearing an Armani gown, sang Lucia’s Act I aria. Watch and listen here.
The Cuban-American soprano is currently in Barcelona for performances of Verdi’s LA TRAVIATA.
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Sara Leland Has Passed Away
Above: former New York City Ballet principal dancer Sara Leland has passed away.
In the Autumn of 1974, I had moved into TJ’s dorm room at Sarah Lawrence College, pretending to be a student; he and I were making frequent trips into Manhattan for the opera. We’d spent the Summer on Cape Cod, performing with a small ballet company. I had never liked ballet until I got caught up in it by dancing in COPPELIA. Now that we were living within range of Lincoln Center, TJ began taking me to see The New York City Ballet.
It was a heady time at NYCB, with Kay Mazzo, Patricia McBride, Karin von Aroldingen, and Violette Verdy as reigning ballerinas. And on our third visit to the House of Mr. B that season, Suzanne Farrell returned to the Company after five years in exile following her falling out with Balanchine…yes, we were there that night.
Whilst these lovely ladies were giving one spectacular performance after another, both TJ and I had a special affection for Sara Leland, a truly unique ballerina. I first saw Sara in the Valse Mélanconique of TCHAIKOVSKY SUITE #3; a few days later, she danced the third movement of SYMPHONY IN C in Farrell’s return performance.
In May of 1975, I saw my first JEWELS, and it was RUBIES that most dazzled me, with Ms. Leland and Marnee Morris, another favorite, in the leading roles. Robert Weiss stepped in on very short notice for Edward Villella that night. Read about it here.
We went on to see Sara Leland in Balanchine’s UNION JACK (above, with Helgi Tomasson), SYMPHONY IN THREE MOVEMENTS, and VIENNA WALTZES, and in Robbins’ DANCES AT A GATHERING (in Apricot), SCHERZO FANTASTIQUE, GOLDBERG VARIATIONS, AN EVENING’S WALTZES, and THE CONCERT.
Both TJ and I were especially fascinated whenever Sara danced with Bart Cook. They had a kind of offbeat sexiness, and they somehow could be both edgy and poetic at the same time:
Another of Sara’s frequent partners, John Clifford, posted a film of SYMPHONY IN C, third movement; watch it here.
Sara Leland’s romantic side shines thru in this lovely photo of her with William Weslow in Balanchine’s LA VALSE.
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Evgeny Kissin ~ Beethoven Piano Concerto #1
Evgeny Kissin (above) plays Beethoven’s Piano Concerto #1 in a 2007 performance with the Verbier Festival Orchestra conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen.
Watch and listen here.
I first fell in love with this concerto when Helgi Tomasson set his ballet PRISM to it for the New York City Ballet in 2000.
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Richard Strauss ~ ‘Epheu’
Soprano Julia Smith sings a Richard Strauss rarity, ‘Epheu’, with Jonathan Fisher at the piano, at the Elizabeth Harwood Prize Competition at The Royal Northern College of Music in March 2020.
Watch and listen here.
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HYMN TO THE SUN
The Hymn to the Sun from Pietro Mascagni’s opera IRIS, performed in 1996 at the Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome by the orchestra and chorus of the Teatro San Carlo, Naples. The conductor is Paolo Carignani.
Watch and listen here.
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NY Philharmonic Cellists ~ Bach @ Home
Above: NY Philharmonic cellist Eric Bartlett
Cellists of The New York Philharmonic play Bach’s Suite No. 1 for Unaccompanied Cello in G-major from their homes during the pandemic.
Watch and listen here.
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Viva Verdi!
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
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Claudia Schreier’s PLACES
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 LathamDANCERS 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
Oberon's Glade 