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Showing posts from October, 2013

San Diego Opera Podcast - The Music of the Season: Don Quixote

Jules Massenet was a master of scene setting. Just as a scenic designer is responsible for coming up with a theatrical set that matches the location, mood and era of the drama, a composer must do much the same thing, using musical elements as his building blocks. Watch Nicolas Reveles, the Geisel Director of Education and Outreach describe how this French master 'paints' the story of Don Quixote through his brilliant music.

San Diego Opera Podcast - The Music of the Season: A Masked Ball

Gershwin's f am ou s Tin Pan Alley tune, "I've Got R hy th m" came to mind during the production of this podcast, because Verdi's A Masked Ball (Un ballo in maschera) is ALL about rhythm and ho w rhythmic ch o ices help to hone in on the pe r sonalities an d em o tio n s of t he characters in this w onderful opera. Jo i n Nicolas Reveles, t he Geisel Direc t or of E ducation and Out r each for an unusual look at one of the m asterpieces o f the great Giuseppe Verdi, who tur n s 200 this week! Inspired by the real-life assassination of King Gustav III, A Masked Ball is powerful, threatening, da ngerous and romantic. Although the close relationship between Sweden’s King Gustav III and Amelia, wife of his best friend, Count Anckarström, has never crossed the line, jealous y and politics cause Anckarström to join a band of conspirators and ulti ma tely to mu r der the King in front of his wife at a masked ball. As he dies, Gustav reveals the truth, and in o