OperaTalk ROMEO AND JULIET

Our newest program, OperaTalk! ROMEO AND JULIET, is now up and online for your viewing pleasure.

Cuts at Washington National Opera

The Washington Post is reporting a series of cuts at Washington National Opera, confirming the rumors we posted yesterday. You can read all about it here.

We really hate posting this type of news but do so to remind you how appreciative we are of your support. Thank you for your support.

And also, support your local opera Company this holiday season - many organizations offer gift certificates. I can think of no better gift than tickets to an opera. Well, maybe a nice bottle of whisky. But whisky goes nicely with opera as well...

We wish all our friends at WNO the very best.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Thankfully yes, better than ever.

The New York Times looks at the new acoustics at New York City Opera.

Notably absent - the sound enhancement system which had been in use for roughly 10 years. Now audiences get to hear opera the way it is meant to be heard - pure and natural.

Or is it?

We had a serious debate on Thanksgiving at the Aria Serious tower about what the future of opera will bring. Do generations brought up with their ipod earbuds permanently buried in their ears have the skill or patience to listen to the subtle sound of unamplified music? Will opera need to make some concessions in order to attract a new audience? Is amplified opera the future of the artform? Is it still opera then?

Podcast Monday

It's Monday! That means it is time for our weekly podcast. This week we look at Verdi's early years and the operas Oberto through Ernani, including our second opera of the 2010 season, Nabucco.

You can download the podcast here.

While You Were Out

Over the extended weekend:

- Lissner to stay at La Scala until 2015. This might seem like a long time, but as we're starting to work on our 2014 season, in opera time, it is right around the corner.

- Music + Science = Philip Glass has a new opera about Kepler.

- Two profiles on soprano Joyce DiDonato appeared. Number one and number two.

- Need some barihunk this morning? Many bare chested photos in this profile of Nathan Gunn.

- Is trouble looming for Washington National Opera? We hope not.

- This is a problem.

Happy Thanksgiving

A bit of business:


San Diego Opera Offices will be closed on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 at 2 pm until 8:30 am Monday, November 30, 2009.



Don't expect any posts, tweets or facebook updates during this time, as we'll be spending the holiday weekend the way the holiday weekend should be spent: sipping mimosas on the couch whilst watching a Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon.


Joking aside, the Aria Serious crew is hosting 18 beloved and not so beloved family and friends for Thanksgiving dinner complete with roasted turkey, deep fried turkey, vegetarian tofurky and vegan wild rice and lentil curry for those difficult second cousins who live on the commune and often forget to bathe.


Props to the NY Times Minimalist whose 101 simple recipes will save the day. And quite possibly my marriage.


Happy Thanksgiving!

Podcast Monday

I blame Nic for my fascination with Puccini's La Rondine, which has become one of my favorite operas of all time. See, it was Nic who caught me walking by his office one afternoon a few years back and made me sit as he played some of his favorite pieces from Puccini's lesser known work. And it was then I fell in love with this piece. So I was very happy to listen to this week's podcast which is about La Rondine and why it is so good.

You can download it here.

While You Were Out

Over the weekend:

- People keep on talking about our #Operahistory Twitter Project, most recently from across the pond with a mention in the UK Independent.

- Chase Charitable Giving is holding a competition to determine which not-for-profit organization will receive grant money. The contest is being held on Facebook. If you have a Facebook account, please consider voting for us. Thank you!

- Handel's Tamerlano opened up in Los Angeles this weekend, you can read all about it here.

- Swedish Soprano Elisabeth Soderstrom died Friday at the age of 82. Below is her "Song to the Moon" from Rusalka.

What Are You Listening To This Weekend?

Time to ask, what are you listening to this weekend?

Since this is the last Friday of National Opera Week we're going to listen to an opera that means a lot to us: Faust. You see, Faust was the first opera I saw here at San Diego Opera, way back when I was in high-school. The cast consisted of Ferruccio Furlanetto and Richard Leech and I remember sitting in the balcony thinking "wow, this is amazing. I wish I could do that."

But I can't.

But that's OK because now I get to work with the same people who changed my life so many years ago. And besides, when it's late at night and I'm the only one in the theatre who's to say I don't bleat a horrible sound from the edge of the stage to an imaginary audience of my choosing. Hey, there's nothing wrong with playing pretend.

After Faust we're going to spend all weekend playing The Magnetic Fields because we just bought tickets to see their Los Angeles concert in March. I know, March is a long time away, but when you've waited for years it seems like tomorrow. PS: for those that care, the password for pre-sale in Los Angeles is "realism"

Share your listening plans in the comment section below.

And please, make it a good one!

E=MCwhat!?

Our friends over Vancouver Opera reported the Listverse, the #1 list maker of top 10 lists in the known universe, has deemed Opera the #1 Greatest Achievement of the Human Mind beating out such discoveries/achievements as the work of William Shakespeare, Infinitesimal Calculus, Quantum Mechanics, Relativity Theory and Lady Gaga (OK, we made that last one up but we here at Aria Serious just can't seem to understand her).

But not just any opera made the list, no, Wagner's gesamtkunstwerk, his Ring Cycle, took the crown. What do you think about that?

You can read the full list here.