Don Giovanni isn’t just an opera character, nor is he just a legendary lover. He’s a force to be reckoned with. This powerful opera, long an audience favorite among Mozart’s works, centers on the overwhelming personality, charisma and… (ahem).. skills of an aristocratic cad who must eventually atone for his almost superhuman passions. The piece … Read more
One-on-one music is a peculiar, if not uncommon, dynamic in classical music: we are more likely to make music in packs. So when pianist Robert Thies announced this concert and its intimate premise, it was clear that he’d hit upon something very special. ‘The Intimate Side of Brahms’ is a concert made mostly of works … Read more
Although ‘El Canguro’ is literally translated as ‘the kangaroo’, the title of this new opera refers to a pregnant young woman, and the story tells of a corrupt adoption system that used the creation of life as an economic game. The topic is best explained with the librettist’s own words: My first exposure to the … Read more
We love to see innovation in fundraising, especially for performing organizations. Kudos to the ever-inventive Celestial Opera for hosting a Bookfair event at the Barnes & Noble in Glendale this weekend. The Bookfair takes place Saturday, May 16, letting the public know about their performances and their organization, and to raise money for the next … Read more
It only happened Sunday night, but the press is already in a tizzy. Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman took a quiet stand before his Disney Hall performance, announcing that his debut in that space may also be his last performance there: he is boycotting US performances due to his frustration with our country’s military actions overseas. … Read more
The basic training of every singer should, of course, include myriad types of practical and theoretical emphases. One important area which is often neglected, however, is the art of one-upsmanship. The following rules, extracted from one of the foremost sources of vocal wisdom on the Internet (see below), will guide you as you develop the … Read more
