Operamania 101: Battle of the Drama Queens

In 1975, Queen released what was probably the most seminal record of their career, A Night At The Opera. When Bohemian Rhapsody was released, it was considered to be a surprise hit due to the fact that the song's structure was so disjointed.

The magnum opus can be broken out into 6 distinct styles:
Introduction (0:00-0:48)
Ballad (0:48-2:36)
Guitar solo (2:36-3:03)
Opera (3:03-4:07)
Hard rock (4:07-4:55)
Outro (4:55-5:55)

Now hearing the song as a whole, one might try to pish posh that there's any (psuedo) opera in Bohemian Rhapsody. But au contraire, there is a certain operatic logic given the multi-tracked voices, full choral treatment and aria-like solos in the midsection of the song.

Besides the glam rock, hard rock, prog rock influences and the fact that Freddy Mercury often sang all the way up into the upper reaches of the musical scale with his tenor voice, one could even argue that Queen's music with its epic sound definitely has operatic overtones to it. Hello, Show Must Go On and We Are The Champions?



Even their 1986 ballad, Who Wants To Live Forever, is wrought with emotions that can be found in any tragic opera. So much so that soprano Sarah Brightman decided to cover the song in 1997.

With 26 million albums sold, Sarah Brightman who possesses a 3 octave range, is the world's biggest selling soprano of all time.

She is credited for paving the way for other operatic crossover artists such as Il Divo, Josh Groban, Charlotte Church, Russell Watson and Andrea Bocelli, with whom she sang a duet with for Time to Say Goodbye (con te partiro). That song went on to sell over 5 million copies worldwide. Brightman also put forth an album of operatic arias, called Classics that included a solo version of Time to Say Goodbye.

But like Freddy Mercury, Sarah Brightman also succeeded in dabbling in different genres of music. She mixed her classical vocal stylings with electronic dance music, middle eastern music and gothic music.

Besides performing with all the usual suspects of classical tenors and countertenors, Brightman had duets with Kiss' Paul Stanley and Anne Murray, of all random people. Oh, and she not only sings in English but also in Spanish, French, Latin, German, Italian, Russian, Hindi and Mandarin, as the world witnessed in the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

As a fan of both Mercury and Brightman, I can't decide which one is the bigger diva. Both artists are revered for their vocal prowess, on stage glamour and theatrical showmanship. Both artists learned how to maximize the use of many different forms of music to reach a broad audience and endeared themselves to their millions of fans.

Mercury once said the reason why their concert was so large scale was that "We're the Cecil b. Demille of rock and roll, always wanting to do things bigger and better."

Just swap out rock and roll for classical/opera in Brightman's case and I think it's fair to say that that sentiment would apply to both superstar's stratospheric career.



~ Ling Chan, Assistant to Managing Director

On the Road with Jack PIne

Jack Pine is coming to a town near you! Here is Michael McKinnon's Vancouver Opera in Schools (VOIS) adventures as he hits the road with the rest of the Jack Pine crew:

Week One:

The new Jack Pine tour has gotten off to a great start after a happy reunion and re-rehearsal process that was a blast from the get-go. Everyone seems stoked to be back and the show has been tweaked and polished to be better than ever. We have a new pianist, the extremely talented Tina Chang, and she is bringing fresh energy to the team. It is grand.

After one show in the city, we were off and roaming the north, and will be until October 6th or so. Our lunch stop in Cache Creek yielded quality photo ops with a local character and an epic scale burger at Herbies.



The first day's drive took us all the way to Williams Lake and a very welcome highway-side Super 8. Our first show was the following day in Redstone, a winding 150 kms along the bonny Chilcotin, Hwy 20. It was a very different vibe from our regular Lower Mainland appearances.


Redstone Reservation


Chilcotin, Hwy 20

Our return trip was marked by a stop at the Happy Eater restaurant, which if ever you find yourself in Alexis Creek, Cariboo K, is well worth checking out. A friendly family spot with an astounding collection of wild woodland creatures stuffed and surrounding you on all sides to get you either salivating or thoroughly creeped out before your meal.



Marvel at the moose that guards the dessert selection! (and well he should- watch this space for updates on the availability of good pie in some of the more pastoral patches of our province, from our stage manager Rebecca Craster).

The next afternoon brought us to Prince George, where we stayed at the famous Esther's hotel for a tropical time-out. Sweet! I love palm trees. Mmmm, hot-tubs. Water slides. Wading pools. So relaxing. So much chlorine. Lots of fun.

First show up here was Sacred Heart Elementary. It was a very good run. We have hit our stride and the following show at Glenview was very special because one of their Grade 5 students, 10-year old Justin Woolfrey, has been named one of the Honorary Chairpersons for the Vancouver Opera Golden Anniversary Season Gala. His co-chairs are the Founding Artistic Director Dr. Irving Guttman, CM and Canadian opera legend Judith Forst, OBC, so the kid is in great company. We also had members of our esteemed Opera Guild in attendance and the whole of Glenview school was very prepared and engaged in the themes of the work beforehand, so the atmosphere was one of great excitement, which gave us performers a real boost.

Principal Kathy Hilder was a great and gracious hostess, kind enough to invite us all over for a family dinner on Saturday night. The meal and the company was delightful. It was such a blessing to be brought into someone's home that way. A big thank you again Kathy and Steven, from us all. The BBQ chicken was some of the finest I have ever eaten.

Our day off took us back to Sacred Heart, who were kind enough to allow us the use of a hall and piano to run excerpts from La Boheme for practice and pleasure. Because that's just what we do with our weekends. It was great.

More to come very soon, because we are off to Haida Gwaii.

~ Michael McKinnon (The Botanist/White Pine)

Vancouver Opera Receives Largest Special-Event Sponsorship in its History

Vancouver Opera is proud to recognize the support of Scotiabank Group for the Scotiabank Golden Anniversary Concert & Gala on November 6, 2009, celebrating 50 years of touching lives with music, drama and spectacle.

Scotiabank Group is the title sponsor for this very special celebration with a generous Diamond Level contribution of $100,000. This is the largest special-event sponsorship in the history of Vancouver Opera.

“We are extremely grateful to Scotiabank Group for its generosity on this very special occasion,” said VO’s General Director James W. Wright. “We are thrilled to have them on board as we toast VO’s illustrious past and shining future. Through its support of this special fundraising celebration, Scotiabank Group shows that it recognizes the value of all that Vancouver Opera has brought to the community over five decades: exciting mainstage productions, popular education and touring programs that have reached more than 1.6 million children, and innovative community-engagement events that directly connect this marvelous art form to people’s lives. This sponsorship also showcases Scotiabank Group’s commitment to our community and province, for which we are all very grateful.”

Vancouver Opera invites all to celebrate this milestone season with a sublime evening of sumptuous dining, gracious company and magnificent performances.

The Scotiabank Group Golden Anniversary Concert & Gala celebration takes place on Friday, November 6, 2009.

The Concert begins at 7:00pm at the Orpheum Theatre; the Gala begins at 8:30pm at the historic Commodore Ballroom.

Tickets to the Scotiabank Group Golden Anniversary Concert are $19 - $75 and are available at www.vancouveropera.ca or through the VO Ticket Centre at 604-683-0222.

Gala Package tickets include both the Concert and Gala portions of the evening as well as a private pre-Concert Reception. The Gala Package is $650 (includes $300 tax receipt) and is available exclusively through the VO Ticket Centre at 604-683-0222.

*Artists and program are subject to change

Volunteer Opportunities with Community Connections!

Now celebrating its 25th Anniversary, award winning Vancouver Moving Theatre is recognized throughout Vancouver for its innovative arts based community development projects tailored with and for its Downtown Eastside home community.

VMT is looking for the following volunteers who have experience in the following areas:

Singing
Instructors needed for opera and music theatre workshops. In the last 8 years there have been 8 music theatre productions produced in this community – all very high quality, including among others Condemned: The Opera, produced by the Carnegie Community Centre with support from Vancouver Opera. On Oct 28 and 30 the Heart of the City Festival is mounting a music theatre showcase of 30 songs.

Lighting
Professional lighting designers to conduct lighting design workshops with the community.

Project development
Volunteers needed for teaching how to write grants and obtain publicity. The Vancouver Foundation in partnership with the community has a Neighbourhood Small Arts Grants project which are providing up to $1000 for local residents and emerging artists to take on projects.

Since 2004, Vancouver Moving Theatre has co-produced the high impact annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival. Working with over 25 community partners, and thousands of DTES involved artists and residents. The Heart of the City Festival is recognized throughout Vancouver as an important DTES flagship event that promotes the marginalized and diverse cultures and people in the historic heart of our city.

If interested, please contact Terry Hunter at vancouvermovingtheatre@shaw.ca for more information.

Tuesday Trivia: Season Warmup #1

Time to get warmed up for the Golden Anniversary Season. Let's take our shows this season, Norma, Nixon in China, Marriage of Figaro, and Madama Butterfly one at at time in reverse order and throw ourselves a little pop quiz, shall we?

First up: Butterfly -- True or False?

1. This opera was originally written as 2 acts. After a disastrous response, Puccini rewrote it as 3 acts, and it received great success.
2. Madama Butterfly premiered in February 1904 in Milan.
3. The aria “un bel di” is all about the wedding day.
4. Cio-Cio San kills herself after killing her child.
5. B.F. Pinkerton does not return to Japan for 5 years.
6. Cio-Cio San never sees Pinkerton again.
7. The inscription “Who cannot live with honour must die with honour” is on the blade of the knife from Cio-Cio San’s father.
8. Goro, the matchmaker makes a 999 year deal for the marriage and the house to B.F. Pinkerton
9. The “Humming Chorus” is performed by the sailors as they go about their routine duties.
10. Madama Butterfly is the most-performed opera in the USA.

Post your answers in the comments section. First one with the most right wins.

Vancouver Opera Celebrates 50 Years of Spectacular Music with Golden Anniversary Concert & Gala

On November 6, 2009, Vancouver Opera will salute 50 years of touching lives with music, drama and spectacle, at a very special celebration: The Golden Anniversary Concert & Gala.

Toasting VO’s illustrious past and looking ahead to its shining future, the glamorous evening will celebrate this milestone anniversary with magnificent performances at the Golden Anniversary Concert at the Orpheum Theatre, followed by a Gala Dinner at the historic Commodore Ballroom.

The Golden Anniversary Concert will feature performances from international and Canadian opera stars, including Tracy Dahl, Brett Polegato, Yalun Zhang, Kimberly Barber, Kathleen Brett, Benjamin Butterfield, Alain Coulombe and Sally Dibblee, with the VO Orchestra and Chorus, all under the baton of VO’s music director, Maestro Jonathan Darlington.

The program will include favourites from Puccini, Mozart, Verdi, Bizet, Richard Strauss and Korngold, as well as two very special treats: a sneak-peek at Lillian Alling, a brand-new opera by John Estacio and John Murrell commissioned by VO that will round out the Golden Anniversary celebrations with its world premiere in October 2010; and the ensemble performance of a selection from Johann Strauss’s beloved and highly entertaining Die Fledermaus. The scene is a party at the home of Prince Orlofsky, where the only rule is that each does according to his or her own taste: “chacun à son goût!”. With surprise guests and, of course, virtuosic singing, this delightful performance will reflect the merriment of the Golden Anniversary celebrations.

Attendees will also view a display of masterful, highly decorative cakes - celebrating VO’s Golden Anniversary - from some of the city’s most talented cake artists, including Queen of Tarts, sweet e’s, and Cake Tease. Gala Package ticket holders will be treated to an exclusive pre-Concert Cocktail Reception.

Following the Concert, Gala package ticket holders will continue the celebration at the historic Commodore Ballroom with a sumptuous dinner catered by the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver.

Stars from the opera world will dine alongside attendees, and Associate Conductor and VO Chorus Director Leslie Dala will lead soprano Heather Pawsey and mezzo-soprano Barbara Towell in cabaret-style musical entertainment. Some of the biggest stars in the opera world will make presentations in person and by video link. The evening’s entertainment will include a cross-cultural collaboration of the Japanese and First Nations performance groups Sawagi and Tiqilap.

The Golden Anniversary Concert & Gala celebration takes place on Friday, November 6, 2009. The Concert begins at 7:00pm at the Orpheum Theatre; the Gala begins at 8:30pm at the historic Commodore Ballroom.

Tickets to the Golden Anniversary Concert are $19 - $75 and are available at www.vancouveropera.ca or through the VO Ticket Centre at 604-683-0222.

Gala Package tickets include both the Concert and Gala portions of the evening as well as a private pre-Concert Reception and valet parking. The Gala Package is $650 (includes $300 tax receipt) and is available exclusively through the VO Ticket Centre at 604-683-0222.

*Artists and program are subject to change

BOV: Swarovski Meets Opera

This week Bizarre Opera Video takes you behind the scenes of Der Freishutz (Von Weber) designed and directed by Robert Wilson, costumes by Viktor and Rolf in collaboration with Swarovski.

Closed June 1 at Festspielhaus in Baden Baden.



I've not been able to find any pictures of the actual production....ominous.

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Cycling About

A couple of summers ago I had a discussion with my cousin Andrea about Wagner and The Ring. She was visiting from Freiburg, Germany, and has a graduate degree in Middle/Early German literature. It was interesting to hear that she was somewhat unimpressed by Wagner’s interpretations of the pre-existing literary works. However, I could do little to defend Wagner’s work along that line. Being more of a music type rather than a German literature type, I decided I could better serve Wagner’s reputation by getting to know his music better. To that end, I, along with Theresa Tsang, trekked down to Seattle for Seattle Opera’s Ring Cycle. Being First-Time-Ring-Goers (FTRGs) we decided that the way to do it was to see one Ring Opera at a time and that we should do so in chronological order. The benefit to this strategy is that, not only do you get to know the story from the beginning, but Das Rheingold, the first of the cycle, is also the shortest at 2 ½ hours straight through with no intermission. Very good training considering that the next installment runs closer to 5 hours. At this rate, assuming we go to Seattle every 2 years for a Ring Opera, we will complete the cycle in 2015.

Walking around the lobby was very interesting, and our favourite moment was finding the Ring merchandise. Both of us were wishing we knew a true Wagner fan, so that we could purchase one of the Wagner action figures, complete with helmet, for a fabulous Christmas gift. The other item of note was the number of audience members dressed in Ring attire, I suppose something like a Star Trek convention. As FTRGs we arrived dressed in our usual opera garb.

The opera itself was wonderful; the music is beautiful, descriptive and at times sublime. The orchestra is very large and played brilliantly. As with the singers, (and technical personnel including stage management!), pacing oneself must play a huge role in preparing for not only one show, but the entire cycle. The cast was very solid, and one of our favourite performers, Greer Grimsley as Wotan, was outstanding as usual.

Both Theresa and I agreed that we really liked the set in second and fourth scenes, the trees and landscape were beautiful. The technical components required for the production were remarkable. I can’t imagine having to sing and then do a somersault in the air as the Rhine Maidens had to throughout their scene, although flying through the air looked like lots of fun!

After the performance, we went backstage to say hello to Greer. We were greeted with a big hug, then introduced to his lovely wife Luretta (Waltraute in Die Walküre and First Norn in Götterdämmerung) and Stephanie Blythe. We had a delightful visit but didn’t stay long, as Das Rheingold is just the warm-up performance to the remaining 14 hours and 55 minutes of the cycle.

The next day we headed back to Vancouver discussing the intricacies and difficulties of the show on the way; but not without stopping at a shoe store or two for the never ending search for that perfect pair of affordable and comfortable heels!

~ Adrianne Wurz, Company Manager

Music! Words! Opera! 09...Another Successful Year

Vancouver Opera’s exciting opera development program for elementary students –
MUSIC!WORDS!OPERA! – was a big hit again this summer!

Under the outstanding leadership of gifted facilitators Ann Busay and Roxie Giles, 18 teachers from around the province gathered in Vancouver from August 26-28 to learn the intricacies of developing original student-written operas.

With the focus of the program being that all of the performance material should be created by the students, it’s essential that teachers involved in the process – very often not Music or Drama specialists – understand how to develop both the process and product to match the intellectual, physical and emotional capabilities and skill levels of their students.

Topics/processes included:
- selecting source material: original ideas or adaptations of existing stories
- writing librettos: maintaining plot-lines but reducing words
- composing melodies: what works for children’s voices, spoken vs. sung text, etc.
- using appropriate instrumentation (recorders, ukuleles, Orff instruments, etc.)
- designing costumes / make-up / sets
- integrating the process into as many other curricular areas as possible

Typically, the building of an original opera will occupy students and teachers for most of a school year and can often involve entire school populations, not just the students in one class or one grade level.

This year’s workshop took a slightly different tack from those of the past in that all of the workshop attendees worked on the same opera. Using the children’s book “Thank You, Mr. Falker” a story about a young girl very excited about going to school but finding out very quickly that dyslexia would cause her many difficulties and heartaches, each of the groups took on a different ‘act’ of the story and wrote a libretto and score to reflect the plot line. In the end, we had a mini-opera in 5 acts that was very evocative in its telling of the story, with terrific librettos and score. Jim Wright, our General Director, wrote a note to the VO staff in which he said: “…it was a very entertaining and moving 30 minute performance” and verbally commented on how powerfully the story had been interpreted.

And, of course, being true to the operatic tradition, all of this was wrapped up with a Friday afternoon “cast party” to celebrate the successes of everyone involved!

~ Michael Grice, Director of Education

What To See This Fall

The Fall is always an invigorating time as summer festivals and concert series draw to a close and regular seasons start with new and exciting programming. Here is a list of performances with some past and present VO Artists this season. I’m going to try and see many but know I won’t get to all of them. I hope to see you there at some!

October 2 & 4, 8pm
Of Time and Place: Turning Point Ensemble performs at Ryerson United Church. www.turningpointensemble.ca

October 2
EVEolution: Heather Pawsey performs at Birch Theatre, Capilano University.
www.heatherpawsey.com

October 16, 8pm
Wen Wei Dance: Unbound. Performance at The Kay Meek Centre.
www.kaymeekcentre.com

October 17, 7:30 pm, & 18, 2:30 pm
John Arsenault and Ed Moran perform in Vancouver Island Opera’s Madama Butterfly, at Civic Center in Qualicum Beach. The tickets can be purchased by credit card by calling 250-248-4271. Advance tickets are $32 and at the door (if available) $35. For more info, call 250-586-6095.

November 3
Trio Verlaine performs at The Cellar Restaurant & Jazz Club with Music on Main’s A Month of Tuesdays Concert Series.
www.musiconmain.ca

November 14 & 16, 8pm
Kathleen Brett & Benjamin Butterfield perform Mozart with the VSO.
www.vancouversymphony.ca

November 20 & 21, 8pm
Celena Shafer performs Richard Strauss’ Brentano Lieder with the VSO. www.vancouversymphony.ca

November 26, 2pm
Kinza Tyrrell performs with the VSO. Program includes Shostakovich, Mussorgsky, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky.
www.vancouversymphony.ca

~ Adrianne Wurz, Company Manager

Jack is Back!

After a fantastic world premiere in February, a BC school tour in spring, and performances at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre in April, Jack Pine is back!

To kick start the season, Jack Pine will tour to Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands). Returning are Rebecca Craster, Hiather Darnel-Kadonaga, Adam Fisher, Michael MacKinnon, Rose-Ellen Nichols, Kinza Tyrrell and Ami Gladstone, and we welcome Tina Chang as our pianist for this year’s tour.

~ Michael Grice, Director of Education

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Pssst. Our Annual Report just hit the street. Read it here online.

Vancouver Opera Announces Honorary Chairs for Golden Anniversary Concert & Gala

Vancouver Opera announced today the appointment of three Honorary Chairs for an important event in its Golden Anniversary Season. Joining Founding Artistic Director Dr. Irving Guttman, CM and Canadian opera legend Judith Forst, OBC will be 10-year-old Justin Woolfrey, a Grade 5 student at Glenview Elementary School in Prince George.

Reflecting the past, present and future of VO, these Honorary Chairs will oversee the milestone Golden Anniversary Concert and Gala, a celebration of 50 years of opera in Vancouver, featuring international soloists and the VO Orchestra and Chorus in concert at the Orpheum Theatre, under the baton of Jonathan Darlington.



International stage director Dr. Irving Guttman, CM was the artistic founder of Vancouver Opera and indeed of professional opera in British Columbia and western Canada. Dr. Guttman mounted productions for VO that featured some of the greatest singers of our time, such as Plácido Domingo, Dame Joan Sutherland, James Morris and Marilyn Horne. His production of Norma, in 1963, starring Ms. Sutherland and Ms. Horne in their role débuts, is the stuff of legend. The conductor of that production, Richard Bonynge, returns to VO in November to conduct this season’s mainstage opening production of Norma, starring Hasmik Papian.

Having directed the very first VO performance in 1960, Dr. Guttman will be on hand to celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the company he helped create.

Internationally acclaimed singer and Port Moody resident Judith Forst, OBC, graduated from Vancouver Opera’s Young Singer training program and went on to become one of the world’s greatest coloratura mezzo-sopranos. Ms. Forst most recently appeared on the VO stage as Herodias in Salome. In 2010, she will create the role of Irene in the world premiere of VO’s commissioned opera Lillian Alling, by John Estacio and John Murrell.

Ten year old Justin Woolfrey is in Grade Five at Glenview Elementary School in Prince George. Having attended a recent Vancouver Opera In Schools performance of Jack Pine, a new opera by Veda Hille on an environmental theme, he appreciates the importance of arts education and is excited and proud to be an Honorary Chair for the Golden Anniversary Season.

“Children need a chance to learn about all kinds of things, especially the things they have not heard of – and to enjoy the good things that learning can bring,” comments Justin. “You never know what is inside a person until they have an opportunity and this is an opportunity for me to share who I am with others and encourage other kids to always give it your best shot, no matter what.”

The Golden Anniversary Concert and Gala takes place on Friday, November 6, 2009 at 7:00pm. beginning with a concert at the Orpheum Theatre. Concert tickets are available online at www.vancouveropera.ca or from the VO Ticket Centre at 604-683-0222. Gala Packages, which include the Concert as well as an exclusive Reception and Gala Dinner at the historic Commodore Ballroom, are available through the VO Ticket Centre.

Operamania 101: To Desire Greatness

Art and opera go together like chocolate and peanut butter. Or haven't you seen the 1998 movie, Great Expectations?

Based on Charles Dickens' story and starring Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow, the movie tells of artist Finnegan Bell and his rise in the art world through a mysterious benefactor. On his journey to New York, the art capital of the world, Finn tries desperately to further himself up along the social ladder in the vain hopes to finally capture the girl of his dreams; the girl who was always beyond his reach.

At an event celebrating what is to be his first gallery showing, Finn arrives at the soiree where a female opera singer is singing the crowd an aria. The song is I Saw No Shadow of Another Parting (which also happens to be the closing lines of Dickens' book)



Although performed in the movie by another singer, on the Great Expectations soundtrack, soprano Dame Kiri te Kanawa does the honours of singing the aria.

Dame Kiri te Kanawa was considered one of the world's best sopranos during the 70s-80s. In 1981, 600 million people around the world heard her sing Handel's Let the Bright Seraphim at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. The following year, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Royalty's love for the grand dame did not end there. In 1986, te Kanawa sang Happy Birthday and God Save the Queen in recognition of Queen Elizabeth II's upcoming birthday.

Dame Kiri te Kanawa's sung version of I Saw No Shadow of Another Parting was the perfect complement to go along with the stunningly beautiful instrumental version by Patrick Doyle.

Great Expectations was a sumptuous movie to look at, from the lush greenery of Miss Dinsmore's Paradiso Perduto in Florida to the dazzling backdrop of Estella's New York City. But throughout it all, it was the music that moved the viewer. And at the prelude to one of the most pivotal and romantic scenes ever in a movie, it was the use of opera that captured the moment best.

~ Ling Chan, Assistant to Managing Director

Camp Fire Stories With Our Father

Last Friday, VO had their annual staff retreat at the beautiful Van Dusen Gardens. We're celebrating 50 years so the retreat focus was on our Golden Anniversary: Past, Present & Future.

Special guest speakers included Rosemary Cunningham, Leo Sauve and the father of opera in Western Canada, Irving Guttman, C.M.

Irving Guttman's prolific operatic career has spanned five decades. In 1960, Guttman was appointed Artistic Director of Vancouver Opera, where he began his efforts to populize the operatic art form in Western Canada. He later served as Artistic Director of Edmonton and Winnipeg Opera.

He is also an internationally acclaimed stage director with leading opera companies throughout the world, having worked with some of the greatest opera luminaries of our time: Luciano Pavarotti, Beverly Sills, Joan Sutherland and Placido Domingo. Irving also played an active hand in engaging the early careers of Judith Forst, Maureen Forrester, Heather Thomson, John Fanning, Tracey Dahl, Richard Margison, Ben Heppner and countless others.

VO staffers sat rapt around Irving, camp-fire style, learning about the early days of Vancouver Opera; not to mention what the (very limited) Vancouver art scene looked like in the 60s.

When the folks back home in Montreal found out Irving was taking the job as VO's Artistic Director, they responded with, "There's nothing out there, there's no real culture, and I don't know how you can do it."

Irving reminisced about how Theatre Under the Stars provided a wonderful training ground for all the local talent who was then handpicked to form the opera chorus.

Vancouver Opera's first production was Carmen. Surprisingly or should I say shockingly, VO opened the premier show with only $35 in the bank. Luckily, the run was sold out, so everything panned out beautifully.

We listened as he spoke about all the past volunteers who laboured tirelessly to help put Vancouver on the map in the international opera community.

That morning, what we learned about Irving was that he dreams big and enjoys risk. He embraces opportunity and dives into challenge. And that his kick butt ability to hear the voice is unparalled. Even today, he is frequently approached by opera companies for lending his ear to casting singers.

Irving embodies all the qualities you'd want for a leader, a visionary and a founding father of an opera company. Had it not been for Irving, Western Canada's opera scene would've looked very different than how it is today.

A big thanks from all of your "children"!



~ Ling Chan, Assistant to Managing Director

Vancouver Opera Achieves 9th Surplus in 10 Years

Vancouver, BC ~ In a continuing demonstration of fiscal stability and success, Vancouver Opera has posted its ninth operating surplus in ten years. Audited financial statements presented yesterday at the company’s Annual General Meeting reported an operating surplus of $54 for the year ended on June 30, 2009, on a budget of $9.1 million.

Earned and contributed revenue streams increased, and new box-office records were set with the success of the season’s production of Carmen.

Board chair Alex Besharat said, “Vancouver Opera has maintained financial stability through significant growth over the past ten years, and more recently, during a period of emerging economic challenge. The solidity of the company is a testament to the artistic and administrative leadership of General Director James Wright; to the investment by all levels of government; and to the support of the community.”

Continued Besharat, “Last season, more than 42,000 people attended our mainstage productions, and more than 50,000 young people from around the province were involved in the innovative school touring program. These enthusiastic audiences demonstrate the vitality and impact of opera, and indeed of all the arts.”

VO’s General Director James W. Wright said, ”Vancouver Opera continues to be a dynamic organization that stands more and more prominently on the national and international stage. The coming seasons will bring outstanding new productions and co-productions, a Canadian premiere, and the world premiere of a commissioned opera. VO is a company to watch!” Added Wright, “This season has been one of financial success, unprecedented creative activity, and continued artistic growth and expansion. I am grateful to our loyal subscribers for their commitment, to our audiences for their interest, and to the community for its support in these challenging economic times. I am also grateful to the Board of Directors for their leadership and continued support. Vancouver Opera continues to be one of the leading arts organizations in Canada, due in large part to the Board’s extraordinary efforts.”

Vancouver Opera celebrates its Golden Anniversary Season in 2009-2010. The season will include the Canadian premiere of John Adams’s Nixon in China, expanded community programming, and the continuing fully-booked school tour of Jack Pine, a new commissioned opera for young people by Canadian singer-songwriter Veda Hille. The season is supported by a multi-season sponsorship from Goldcorp, Inc. – the first in VO’s fifty year history.


New Board Members
Five esteemed community leaders were elected to the VO Board at the Annual General Meeting on September 21, 2009:

Doris Bradstreet Daughney is returning to the Board this year, having previously served as a Director from 1999 to 2008 and as Chair from 2001 to 2004. She has served on the Executive and Special Events Committees, among others. Ms. Daughney also serves on the Boards of RONA Inc. and Echelon Home Products Inc.and has served as Board Chair and CEO of BC PavCo, director of Savon Financial Inc. and National Life Assurance Co. Ltd, and Board Chair of the VSE and Arts Umbrella.

Stephanie Chung is a concert pianist performing for a variety of fundraising events and concerts and is currently the conductor for the Zion Women’s Choir in Vancouver. She and her family are involved with the Korean arts community and the Vancouver consular community. Ms. Chung was the Asian Director for the Casalmaggiore International Music Festival in Italy, Director of the Pacific Rim Conservatory of Music and Arts in White Rock, and a Director of the Vancouver International Song Institute at UBC.

Martin MacLachlan is Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs and Corporate Secretary of Canaccord Capital Inc. Before joining Canaccord in 2004, he was a partner with Swinton & Company and Miller Thomson LLP. Mr. MacLachlan sits on several legal committees. His volunteer and community service includes the BC Liberal Party, the Liberal Party of Canada, and as a director and honourary director of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society.

David Scott is returning to the Board this year, having previously served as a director from 2003 to 2005 and Trustee and Treasurer of the Vancouver Opera Foundation from 2003 to 2007. Mr. Scott was the President and CEO of General Dynamics Canada until his retirement in 2002, following which he served in an advisory capacity. He is currently CEO of Pacific Safety Products, in Ontario, and a Director of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industry.

Susan Van der Flier has been an enthusiastic supporter of both Vancouver Opera and its fundraising events for many years. She is a partner in her law firm specializing in family law and is the Canadian Bar Association Appointee to assist with the Steering Committee of the Centenary Committee for the Court of Appeal. Ms. Van der Flier serves on the BC Cancer Agency Vancouver Education and Foundation Committees and the Applause / Encore Musical Theatre Committee.


Vancouver Opera Board of Directors, 2009-2010


Alex R. Besharat – Chair
Bev Park – Vice Chair
Yuri Fulmer – Treasurer
Lis Welch – Secretary
Bruce M. Wright – Immediate Past Chair

Directors
Eve Aymong
Doris Bradstreet Daughney
Stephanie Chung
Heather Clarke
Parviz Cordwell
Steven G. Dean
Henning Freybe
J. Michael Gallagher
Arlene Gladstone
Douglas M. Hume
Yoshiko Karasawa
Linda Kaser
Julia Levy
Martin L. MacLachlan
John McLernon
Sarah McNeill
Rona Radler
David Scott
Manjy Sidoo
Susan Van der Flier
Inna Vlassev O’Brian
Elisabeth Dawson – President, Vancouver Opera Guild
Yulanda Faris – Chair, Vancouver Opera Foundation

Distinguished Honourary Members:
Martha Lou Henley
Kenneth W. Mahon
Dr. D. B. Rix, CM, OBC

With A Flick of the Baton

Can't get enough of our amazingly talented music director, Maestro Jonathan Darlington? Well, then you're in luck.

Ever popular with Vancouver opera-goers, the internationally renowned and globe-trotting maestro also plays double duty as General Music Director and conductor of the Duisburger Philharmoniker in Germany.

The British conductor, who currently resides in Paris, has been doing a wonderful job leading the orchestra since 2002.

Keep up to date on all that's happening with the Maestro and Duisburger Philharmoniker on their blog.

Jonathan Darlington | Quick Words from Christoph Müller-Girod on Vimeo.

You can also stalk, erm I mean, follow Maestro Darlington on his Twitter.

We can't wait to welcome Jonathan Darlington back on November 6th, where he will lead international soloists, the VO Chorus and the VO Orchestra in a once-in-a-lifetime Golden Anniversary Gala Concert.

Jonathan will next return to VO's podium in the spring when he will be conducting The Marriage of Figaro and Madama Butterfly!

~ Ling Chan, Assistant to Managing Director

Tuesday Trivia: We're All Mad Here

Am I crazy or what – match the character’s mad scene to the opera in which it famously appears.

1. “Una Macchia e qui tuttora (Yet here’s a spot)”– sung by the Queen in Act 4
2. Amina, who is technically not really insane, just has a bad habit of singing in her sleep
3. Imogene, who sees visions of her dead husband and her son in Act 2 “Col sorriso d’nnocenza…”
4. Elvira, feeling deserted, loses her reason in Act 1 “Oh, vieni al tempio, fedele Arturo…”
5. In the title role, she sees ghosts, is forced into a loveless marriage, and is accused of killing her bridegroom.
6. The title character is suspected of killing his apprentice, which pushes his unstable mind off the edge
7. The title character loses her mind in Act 2, but miraculously restores herself in Act 3 in this Donizetti opera
8. This title character, a soldier, is embroiled in a love triangle, and loses his mind. Thankfully a magician restores his sanity in this Handel opera.
9. Paul is in a constant state of hallucinations and imaginings since the death of his wife, which affects his current relationship severely in this Korngold opera
10. Our favourite insane family – apparently affected by the full moon, their story includes incest, lust, decapitation, necrophilia. Name the opera

a) I puritani
b) Peter Grimes
c) La sonnambula
d) Salome
e) Linda di Chamounix
f) Il pirata
g) Orlando
h) Macbeth
i) Die tote Stadt
j) Lucia di Lammermoor

BOV: Underwater Opera

You Who Will Emerge From The Flood as explained at Times Online



[with thanks to Cincinnati Opera for the twitter tip]

Want to see more of our favorite videos? Join us on Youtube!

Running with Community Connections

This summer, VO's Special Events Coordinator, Caroline Hay, generously donated a whole whack of time to the Community Connections program.

Here's what she got up to:

"To say that track was a big part of my life growing up is an understatement. For fifteen years it was my LIFE! I was so happy to return to the track world as a coach through VO’s Community Connections Volunteer Program.



In early August, I travelled to Sherbrooke QC as a coach for the BC Team for the 33rd Annual Legion Canadian Youth Track and Field Championship. This week long camp, organized by the Canadian Legion in partnership with Athletics Canada, included a National Championships for 15-17 year olds, training sessions and coaching clinics.



While it rained the ENTIRE time leading up to the competition (being from Raincity, we had an edge), the sun came out just in time for the 2-day championship. The BC Team was a force to be reckoned with (obviously) bringing home 42 medals (21 gold, 14 silver and 7 bronze) and setting 2 new championship records!!



It was awesome to be immersed once again in track & field 24/7."

Thanks Caroline! We're glad that you went from throwing the hammer and discus to now throwing our events!

~ Ling Chan, Assistant to Managing Director

Photos by Erin Bell

Lending a Paw

Vancouver Opera went to the dogs this past Sunday with BCSPCA's Paw for a Cause walk at Jericho Beach.

The weather was just perfect for a walk: sunny and hot. Thousands came out to revel in this puppy heaven and help to raise funds for BCSPCA. All around us were pooches of all sizes: from Paris Hilton's purse sized chihuahua dogs to Digby the biggest dog in the world dogs.

While waiting for the 2.5 km walk to begin, one could be entertained by the agility demonstrations, or partake in the face painting and spray tattoos for both humans and dogs (!) or take a wander in the big marquee tent where there were displays from local animal rescue and welfare groups.

There were people of all ages participating in the walk. Lots of families too. Some of the VO staff even brought their kidlets and their own pets out for the event.



Here's a clip I found of Butch who filmed the walk and the events of the day. If you look closely, you can see the Vancouver Opera family in the background.

Look for us in our black VO t-shirts! (and the red wagon!)

I'll give you a hint of where you can see us:

*as Butch is introducing himself
*at the 5 to 6 minute mark (listen closely for our General Director's boisterous laugh)
*from the 9 minute to the end mark



Can you think of a better way to spend a Sunday than in the company of lots of four legged furry faced friends?

Thanks to everyone who came out in support of the walk!

~ Ling Chan, Assistant to Managing Director

Tuesday Trivia: Make 'em Laugh

Laugh and the world laughs with you – clowns, jesters, jokers, fools, buffoons in opera. Match the role to the opera.


1. The Duke’s jester – the tile role in a Verdi opera
2. The title role in a Leoncavallo opera
3. Rosina’s guardian in The Barber of Seville
4. The medicine man in L’Elisir d’amore
5. The Bey of Algiers in The Itallian Girl in Algiers
6. The state councilor in La boheme
7. The sergeant in La Fillle du Regiment
8. He appears in Act 1 of Tosca, bringing food to Cavaradossi
9. The title character of a comic opera by Jokov Gotovac
10. The other opera that (3) appears in

a) Dulcamara
b) Pagiiaccio
c) Sacristan
d) Ero the Joker
e) Sulpice
f) Bartolo
g) The Marriage of Figaro
h) Rigoletto
i) Alcindoro
j) Mustafa

First one with the most right answers wins...post in comments section.

Gerrit Theule! Drop me a line at lchan@vancouveropera.ca. You are the winner of last week's Tuesday Trivia "Q It Up" Congrats!

BOV: Dogs Singing Opera: The Finale: Louie

Vancouver Opera formed a "pack" to support the BCSPCA Paws For a Cause on Sept 13th. Thank you to everyone who joined our team or pledged as part of our Community Connections Program and helped us donate 10,000 hours to local charities in celebration of our Golden Anniversary.

Enjoy this week's video!

OK, Last one, but I think the best one of our "dogs singing opera" series.



Listen (or skip to) the end, where I swear the dog matches pitch!

One last time for a prize for anyone who can tell us what the music is...

Want to see more of our favorite videos? Join us on Youtube!

Everyone's A Critic: Transported by Seattle Ring Part Quartre

Having already been through 10 hours of this musical journey, I was eager to see how this epic would conclude. While I knew about the imminent demise of Valhalla, I knew precious little about what else would occur in this performance. As I arrived in downtown quite early for the final installment, I thought a ticket to Jonathan Dean’s preview might be in order. Realizing that I will have augmented the first and last installments with the preview and added to the middle two installments with the Q&A, I headed into the lecture hall.

The beginning of the lecture focused on the cycle of life, and Jonathan used compelling images to bring this concept home. While some resembled the life cycle diagrams from our middle-school science books, others showed dragons creating a ring with the tip of their tail in their mouths. He explained how this installment would be bringing to an end the tale that we had been watching but that we will see how cycles repeat themselves within characters. He noted how many of the orchestra passages would be like leitmotif soup. (I planned to sit back and enjoy them as opposed to straining it out to discern each sword, spear, Vahalla, etc.) One aspect that I really appreciated about this preview was his preparation for the physical set. In this installment we go indoors. What I appreciated knowing was that the first two interior sets are conceived to be the same room but spun around 180 degrees. I must say that knowing that made watching the action all the more interesting. I also appreciated that Jonathan questioned whether or not it needed to be a true “potion” that Siegfried consumed to forget about Brünnhilde or if it could have simply been mead (something this dysfunctional family might be consuming regularly to deal with one another) or water. He is, after all, Wotan’s grandson. The thought is that Wagner couldn’t allow his hero to be less than perfect, but it added a great dimension to my interpretation of this opera - especially given the whole discussion on life cycles.

With that, I ordered my drinks for the intermissions - champagne to celebrate and then Red Bull to prepare me for the drive home. (I couldn’t believe that McCaw Hall ran out of chilled double espresso shots with cream - on a production of the Ring nonetheless.) I then read the synopsis for Götterdämmerung. This time I decided to read only the prologue and act I. Acts II and III would unfold before my eyes. Ready for the adventure, I entered the theater. When the lights dimmed, there was thunderous applause for the orchestra and maestro Spano - both were well deserved. We started with the Norns in a chilling scene (there was snow) that took place before the rock wall in which their mother Erda had emerged previously. Lauretta Bybee did a lovely job as the First Norn, but again it was Stephanie Blythe that owned the scene as the second of the three sisters reading the future. She continued to own my focus in her scene as Waltraute (one of the Walküres at Brünnhilde’s rock.

When we move into Gunther’s castle we get to hear Hagen, magnificently sung by Daniel Sumegi and see how his father, Alberich, is informing him of what must be done. This part was so beautifully staged that one could believe either that Alberich was physically present or was purely spiritual. Kudos! Once day has arrived, we meet the other two half siblings Gunther and Gutrune. This opening scene was one of Gorden Hawkins’ strongest for the evening yet it was when his character, Gunther, was at its weakest - amazing. He also really made me feel for him when Brünnhilde arrived in his court and raised questions among his subjects. Speaking of subjects, the chorus was AMAZING! Realizing we had not seen this many people on stage at any point previous, it was so exciting to hear them and see them staged not as odd clumps of people but as true individuals that comprised a whole. In the midst of all of this vocal power and activity, Janice Baird really captured my heart when she swore on Hagen’s spear that it was Siegfried that won her as his wife not Gunther - an act maid all the more plausible and compelling with the attention to detail in the form of blood on Brünnhilde’s hand from squeezing the blade so passionately.

In act III, we see the Rhine Daughters swimming about in a well-directed bit of frolic. It was nice to see even more of their personalities than was possible with them up on the rigging. The scene with Siegfried goes as expected and truly propels the story along. This time flew by for me. When it comes time for Hagen to plunge his spear into Siegfried’s back, again I was pleased that the designers realized such an action would be accompanied by blood. In such a natural setting, one comes to expect “realistic”. The director also deserves mention for conceiving a method of moving a portly body that is effective, expedient, works for the cast charged with carrying the corpse and is not awkward for the audience to watch. Too often that is not the case.

As we move into the final act, everything from the week seems to be swelling and ratcheting up the energies. The artists are pulling out all the stops. As we navigate the the final struggle for the ring and the body count continues to grow, Brünnhilde sets us onto the musical and visual journey that this whole week has been leading toward. As we see floodwaters surge and flames rise to fill the stage, it is the music that fuels all of this activity so magnificently. As the orchestra swells this roller coaster up one hill and down another, we see the residents of Valhalla make their first appearance of the evening. In these few seconds we see how alike Wotan and Alberich truly are. I can see why fans say the whole cycle is worth traversing for these last couple of minutes. As an audience member who was truly willing to put myself in the company’s hands, I find the ending to all of this activity to be the most satisfying. We returned to the first exterior scene from Das Rheingold, the one that so moved me the first night, and there emerging out of the decaying fallen log are saplings growing and continuing the cycle of life.

I have now completed my first Ring cycle. I did it because I thought that it was something that I should do - both professionally and as someone who appreciates the form. However, as I walked out and prepared for the drive home, I hoped that this Ring would not be my last. I am thrilled that this naturalistic production was my first. I saw some incredible performances, and the setting allowed me to really focus on the story that Wagner was telling. Now, I am curious to see how this tale can be transferred to a variety of more avant garde settings. It is probably one of the best reminders for me as an opera professional why those new to the form want to see their first Butterfly or Carmen as they think it is “supposed to be” - even if they don’t know what that is. Whether or not I experience another Ring in the next 12 months (many people asked if I would be going to LA for next year’s fix) remains to be seen. It’s not likely. For now, I am content. Being in Seattle this week was a wonderful reminder of how extraordinary it can be to immerse one’s self in an arts festival of any type. For me, this week brought back memories of spending weeks at Santa Fe Opera, dancing in a week’s worth of master classes with an incredible visiting artist like Takako Asakawa and doing a progressive gallery hops all centered on common themes. I have benefitted personally and enjoyed the communal experience as well. In closing, I just want to say thanks to the solicitors and funders who came forward to make possible the realization of this vision so it could exist for me to experience.

~ Jeff Sodowsky, Chief Development Officer

"Everybody's a Critic" is a series where we invite VO fans to review shows outside the Vancouver/Victoria area.

Everyone's A Critic: Transported by Seattle Ring Part Trois

With installment three, Siegfried, we would chip away 50% of the remaining 9 hours in the cycle. How would this go down? I was eager to find out.

Once again, there were no monitors with backstage cameras before the production. This must be the intent. Being the astute Ring-goer, I now pre-ordered my drinks for intermission and set out on consuming the picnic dinner I brought with me. As we entered the theatre, I greeted my seat mates (it feels like we go waaaay back) and read the synopsis to discover what journey we were in store for now that 17 years has elapsed since the conclusion of Die Walküre.

Tonight’s performance began in yet a different way. The curtain rose in silence and we saw Mime working away at his anvil. After a few moments, the music joined in to became a part of the story. A real highlight of this opening scene was the rhythmic tapping of the hammer on the anvil adding to the instrumentation for the opera. Dennis Petersen delivered an extraordinary performance as Mime. Greer makes his appearance as the Wanderer (Wotan in disguise) and the electricity factor on stage escalates. We also get to meet Siegfried as well as see and hear Stig Andersen’s interpretation. It is great to see that he recognizes teenage men are often active and move around a lot. This is also the first time in the cycle where we are revisiting a set from a previous installment but slightly changed - either to give a sense of time having passed (like in the case of a major fallen log that is starting to decay and further the life cycle) or to provide the aura that the stage for current events is indeed “informed” by a previous locale and the events that took place there to get this current cycle in motion. Brilliant! Finally, we begin to experience some of the myriad of special effects that occur in this installment. When Siegfried successfully joins the pieces of his father’s sword into an unbeatable instrument, we are witness to the power as Siegfried makes one swift move to split both the anvil and he log on which it rests in two. Wow!

In the next scene, we meet Fafner (the surviving giant) who has taken the form of a dragon. I can only imagine the challenges this effect presents to companies producing the opera. I knew what to expect as much of the online technical videos dealt with the dragon and how it operated. I found the character successful in that it gave the tenor something to battle, but it was a little more puppet-like and friendly-looking than I had anticipated. It was also frustrating when the mouth, which opened and closed, had no relationship to the words that were supposedly emanating from it. I would have liked to see this go further. Still, Seattle is (and should be) proud of its dragon. One of the real musical highlights for me from this evening was the horn solo. It was some of the best playing I have ever heard.

We next move to yet another impressive geological formation. Here Wotan again greets Erda, who emerges from within a rock wall in impressive fashion. Thankfully we get to hear more from Maria Streijffert than we did in the first evening. Plus, this time she is free to move about, which shows us that every action from this artist is deliberate and her portrayal of Erda transports us in its plausibility. From there, Wotan encounters Siegfried in what was one of the most moving musical scenes of the evening and a high point of the cycle. The tragedy that is Wotan’s character paired with the impressive musical talents of these two singers made for a scene that reached in, grabbed my heart and squeezed it. Greer never ceases to amaze me.

Finally, we get to Brünnhilde’s mountain, which is engulfed in flame - another very impressive special effect. We go through what dramaturgically has to be one of the most challenging scenes in opera as bride and groom meet and become acquainted with one another both as “species” and as spouses. While I found myself wrestling with the family linage and the relationship of this couple, it is in this scene that Janice Baird and Stig Andersen’s characters came to life and their singing truly captured my attention.

After the curtain, it was off to the lecture hall for another interesting bit of insight into the production as fueled by the questions of true Wagner fans fielded by Speight Jenkins. It was here that I learned about the Wagner tuba and some of the instruments the composer created specifically for this work. It was here that I started to understand how Wagner had created this work for a captive audience at his arts festival. And it was here that I discovered some additional parallels between the Ring and Star Wars as far as the order in which it was written. I didn’t know that the Ring was written Götterdämmerung (the fourth opera) first, Seigfried (the third opera) second, Das Rheingold (the first opera) third and finally Die Walküre (the second opera). I was also shocked to learn that this was Dennis Petersen’s first time to sing Mime in Seigfried. He had sung the role several times in productions of Das Rheingold, but had not been given the role throughout the whole cycle prior to this production. Kudos for this casting. He was magnificent. Overall, it was an action-packed evening that moved and impressed technically, but it was perhaps my least favorite story of the cycle.

~ Jeff Sodowsky, Chief Development Officer

"Everybody's a Critic" is a series where we invite VO fans to review shows outside the Vancouver/Victoria area.

Everybody's A Critic: Transported by Seattle Ring Part Deux

Photo by Chris Bennion, Seattle Opera

What I knew about Wagner growing up, I learned from Bugs Bunny. Those iconic images (the busty woman in breastplate and helmet brandishing a spear) accompanied by some of the most recognizable music ever all come from Die Walküre - the second installment of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen. After an amazing first night, what would the second night have for me?

My technical thrill upon arriving at the theatre was using one of the kiosks in the lobby where attendees could email video clips from the production to friends, post them on their Facebook accounts or write an online review for a scene. That was fun but was offset by the fact that the monitors showing backstage footage with the countdown clocks were not running. Bummer. I took the moment to read the synopsis for that night’s installment. (I decided to only read these for one opera at a time, so I am still in the dark about how the journey progresses until that evening’s performance.) After enjoying my drink, and pre-ordering for the first intermission, I went on the quest to find some of the Vancouverites that I knew were in attendance. No luck there, but it was fascinating to hear audience members discussing their understanding of orchestra unions and the dining rituals surrounding the ring. Who knew that brining one’s sack of sandwiches could be so important?! Finally I glanced at the board displaying the evening’s running times (Act I 60 minutes, 27 minute intermission, Act II 85 minutes, 27 minute intermission, Act III 70 minutes) before taking my seat.

Once in the theatre, the experience was less magical. The house lights dimmed, but the orchestra pit was illuminated (understandably given the speed by which this composition begins). The curtain rose on a twisted forest and cottage. There we met the ill-fated twins, but it was Andrea Silvestrelli vocal appearance that got me to the edge of my seat. I had not realized it was him playing another character in this installment, but he grabbed my attention yet again. The stage really came to life for me with the return of Stephanie Blythe and Greer Grimsley. Their scene was particularly poignant and powerful. Greer’s scene in which he confides to Brünnhilde his shortsightedness in trying to evade Alberich’s curse was a real example of what an accomplished actor he is and how he can emote with his amazing instrument.

It was in this second sitting that I truly became cognizant of the orchestra as a character in its own right. What force the music possessed. As soon as I thought that having listened to the CDs highlighting musical motifs had been a waste, the music is captivating without it, there surfaced another Valhalla theme. OK. I am glad that I did the prep, but one could feel the electricity in the theatre every time the Ride of the Walküres emanated from the pit.

When we returned to the lobbies for our first break, I was glad to see that the monitors were again working. However, my bubble was burst as I discovered by watching the repetition in a hall way and make up room, this was not live but recorded. Later, shots made me think there might actually be a combination of live and video feeds from the other side of the curtain. After more searching, I still did not connect with those that I was looking for, but I did get engaged in some delightful conversations about the happenings backstage. Plus, I was able to watch the first round of sack lunches being devoured. There were, of course, dining strategies in place for the second intermission as well.

When we returned for Acts II and III, it continued to be Greer Grimsley and Stephanie Blythe that made this show electric for me. Janice Baird as Brünnhilde did get to me with her pleading to Wotan after the departure of her Walküre sisters. It was amazing to see the emergence of humanity from these “infallible” gods. Still, Wotan has to sing for periods that must seem like forever to the artist. WOW! Another wow factor has to be the incorporation of fire into the magnificent Act III set to ensure that only a hero worthy will be able reach and awaken the sleeping Brünnhilde.

As the curtain fell, my seat mates and I said goodbye until Friday. It is starting to feel a bit familiar. Then I decided to treat myself to the post show Q & A with Seattle General Director Speight Jenkins. It was fascinating to learn that 55% of Ring audiences are local and 45% are from outside of the region. It was also interesting to listen to “Ringnuts” speculate as to Wagner’s meaning for thus and such along with those people that questioned some of the singers voice types and made suggestion for how Seattle could play certain scenes in front of the curtain. It made me laugh and wonder if these are the same people that want to advise coaches at the Superbowl on how to improve the game or a player’s performance. It is nice to know that much of what the head of an opera company must endure is universal.

There was some interesting discussion about the incest element of this story. (There are twin siblings that fall in love and decide to marry.) And it was most interesting to hear Speight spout that he wasn’t trying to have a “traditional” Ring. (To him that means a couple of trees that don’t look like trees, a couple of rocks that don’t really look like rocks and singers that are as big as houses that don’t move - basically “park and bark”.) What he was after was a production that didn’t ignore nature (one of the first big musical themes in the opera) and allowed the singers to emote while performing the music, which is his number one priority. When he raised the money for this Ring, Speight committed to producing it four times. (The current cycle is the third.) The final one is slated for production 2013. Whether or not it will be filmed remains to be seen, but is was on the minds of many, including the head of Seattle Opera. It is a shame to think about this production being lost and becoming a part of the operatic lore, but such is the way of the performing arts. Snooze and you lose. I continue to count my blessings for seeing this production. Those thoughts were reinforced as Speight noted in response to a question that the scenes with Greer and Stephanie and Greer’s act III were he best they had ever been. That is the way with the performing arts. Recorded or not, there is no re-creating the exact circumstances that give way to a specific live performance. And as far as this one goes, when people talk about that night when the scenes in Die Walküre where Wotan and Fricka created electricity, I can say, “Yes, they did. I was there.”

~ Jeff Sodowsky, Chief Development Officer

"Everybody's a Critic" is a series where we invite VO fans to review shows outside the Vancouver/Victoria area.

What's the Word?

Vancouver Opera's next showcase event will be The Word on the Street on Sunday, September 27.


Now in its 15th year, Word on the Street is Western Vancouver's largest annual literary event.

The good folks at Word on the Street are looking for volunteers to help out as Membership & Survey Rovers.

Responsibilities:
 Gather memberships ($2) for the Society
 Survey attendees

For this position, outgoing volunteers will need to be comfortable approaching people and initiating conversation. Word on the Street is looking for minimum of 12 volunteers for 4-hour shifts each (or 6 people for all-day shifts)

If you're interested, please email: lchan@vancouveropera.ca

So come down to Library Square and volunteer with Vancouver Opera for a few hours and then take part in the day long festivities!

What's being offered at Word on the Street

*author readings
*poetry tents
*exhibits
*comedy and musical skits
*performances

And all-round literary mayhem. Find yourselves a book and put your nose into it.

Postcard from Banff Workshop

It’s chilly here – brisk but sunny. I’m dressed for Vancouver’s summer in shorts but luckily threw my fleece in the suitcase as I was racing out the door to the airport. Banff is so restorative. The rushing Bow River combined with creativity at every turn at The Banff Centre. Today there’s an energy in the dance studio of The Banff Centre. Singers warming up. Actors stretching. Composer John Estacio, librettist John Murrell, director Kelly Robinson and repetiteur Kinza Tyrrell have their heads together over the music that ends Act 1 of Lillian Alling as 12 singers, 5 actors and pianist Rhoda Dullea gather for the staging rehearsal.

The scene opens with Jimmy and Irene, parked in his truck on the side of the road:

JIMMY. They put her in jail? After all she’d been through?
IRENE. It was prison, not jail. Oakalla, near Vancouver.
JIMMY. For what?
IRENE. Vagrancy and an unlicensed firearm.

Irene looks past Jimmy – where a vast field at Oakalla Prison gradually appears: male and female prisoners at hard labour, harvesting, or cleaning up after harvest. Lillian is among them as armed guards patrol.

The opportunity to explore this large chorus scene with the opera program students is unique – wish you could hear all these glorious voices together!

PS. Did you know?
Any history of BC provincial detention centres must include Burnaby’s Oakalla Prison Farm, a full-service facility which opened on September 2, 1912. The first inmate was William Daley, sentenced on July 31, 1912 to serve a year of hard labour for stealing some fountain pens valued at over $10. By April 30, 1913, some 328 prisoners had passed through the jail’s doors. From 1919 until the abolition of the death penalty in 1959, 44 prisoners were executed by hanging on the Oakalla site….Thousands of prisoners passed through the doors of Oakalla – renamed Lower Mainland Regional Correctional Centre in 1970 – before it closed on June 30, 1991.
– from Vancouver Prisons by Stuart Derdeyn

~ Jennifer Lord, Special Projects Manager

Operamania 101: Life in Technicolour

Summer is over. And although it isn't officially autumn yet, it sure feels like it, with the overcast skies and the drizzly rain outside.

Colour. I need me an infusion of techni-colour!

Filmed in Glasgow, Scotland, Sony Bravia used the overture from the opera, La gazza ladra (the thieving magpie) for its 2006 high definition LCD "Colour Like No Other" tv campaigns.

In the commercial, 70,000 liters of paint explode like fireworks all around a drab and dreary grey building. The pyrotechnic displays were perfectly synchronized with the instantly recognizable overture by 19th century composer Gioacchino Rossini.

The commercial ends when the building and surrounding wasteland is completely bathed in brilliant splashes of all the colours of the rainbow.



As grey skies signal the end of summer and a chill threatens BC arts groups, I'd like to think this Sony commercial serves as a reminder that the arts are like the splashes of colour in our daily lives. Without arts and culture, our worlds would just be empty and dull.



So don on that rain slicker and them boots. Crank up the Rossini. We need to splash around in the magic of bright colours.

~ Ling Chan, Assistant to Managing Director

Volunteer Opportunities with Community Connections!

Looking for an interdisciplinary, multimedia arts event to volunteer at?

Well, you're in luck then! The good folks from the Powell Street Festival are looking for volunteers for their upcoming 2009 Spatial Poetics event on September 19.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Hospitality:

1) Six positions needed: Attending to and assisting the street musicians, as well as providing information to interested passer-bys, and maintaining security for performers. From 6pm to 8:30pm, Saturday, Sept. 19th.

2) Two positions needed: Receiving guests in the Japanese Language Hall Top floor and managing a table of Powell Street merchandise and promotional material. From 8pm-10pm, Saturday, Sept. 19th.

3) Two positions needed: Receiving guests at the Japanese Language Hall front doors, directing guests to the top floor, and maintaining security of the entrance. From 8pm-10:30pm, Saturday, Sept. 19th.

Set Up:

4) Two positions needed: Unloading and set up of installation in the Japanese Language Hall top floor. From 10am-12pm, Saturday, Sept. 19th.

For more info or to sign up, please contact Naomi Horii at production@powellstreetfestival.com, or call 778.238.9600 and tell her Vancouver Opera sent you.

Kid Tested. Parent Approved.

Check out what Virgin radio host and writer Buzz Bishop has to say about music for children that won't suck for parents on his new website, DadCamp.

Alongside The Beatles, Jack Johnson, Barenaked Ladies and They Might Be Giants stand Plácido Domingo, José Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti.

"3 Tenors – In Concert: Yup, Opera. We put it on at first as a lullaby, now Zacharie loves to pretend he’s conducting the orchestra or singing along with Pavarotti to Nessun Dorma. It’s our daily before daycare ritual that he asks to do!"

Right on.

Tuesday Trivia: Q it Up

All of the answers contain a word starting with the letter Q. Match the right A to the corresponding Q.

1. Pamino’s mother in The Magic Flute
2. The Duke of Mantua’s opening aria in Rigoletto
3. Florence _______, American mezzo-soprano, b. 1944
4. Quartet or quintet? Bella figlia dell’amore - Act 3, Rigoletto
5. Aria for ensemble, Act 2, La Cenerentola
6. Thomas _________, German bass-baritone, b. 1959
7. Rodolfo’s aria in Luisa Miller, Act 2
8. Quartet or quintet: Riconosci in questo amplesso una madre Act 3, The Marriage of Figaro
9. Louis _______, Canadian baritone, b. 1925, d. 2000
10. Monserrat Caballe performed with this rock group in 1988

a) Quivar
b) Quilico
c) Questo e un nodo avvilupato
d) Quando le sere al placido
e) Queen of the Night
f) Quasthoff
g) Queen
h) Questa o quella
i) Quartet
j) Quintet


First one to post the most right answers wins! Quickly! Quickly!

Congrats to Julie Todd for answering correctly the "#!@?!!" trivia contest last week. Please contact lchan@vancouveropera.ca for your prize!

BOV: Opera Singing Dog - Bambi

Vancouver Opera has formed a "pack" to support the BCSPCA Paws For a Cause on Sept 13th. Join our team or pledge as part of our Community Connections Program and help us donate 10,000 hours to local charities in celebration of our Golden Anniversary.

Join the Vancouver Opera Pack and enjoy this week's video!

A little HMS Pinafore this week. You can bail on this video at about 1:25 unless you want to witness the growing darkness in this little puppies eyes as she is endlessly fawned over. Little "reedy" on top, by the way...



Want to see more of our favorite videos? Most even have people in them! Join us online at our YouTube Channel!

To Clap or Not To Clap: That Is The Question

In last month's Operagator we asked readers whether they prefer to wait until the music is over to applaud. Here's a very nice response:

Hello,

I always wait until the very end and beyond before I applaud. Why?
Because for me magic lies in the moment of silence when the last sound is heard and the applause begins. This moment is another world for me and I feel suspended by the music. Those who are too quick to applaud miss the ending and that magical moment when one takes a breath after a fine finish.

I truly wish people were not in such a rush and more willing to savour the music until the final note and a little beyond.

One very memorable concert was Mahler's Second Symphony with the Montreal Symphony and Maureen Forester. When Metha lowered his baton there was absolute silence for several long seconds--it was magic connection to the infinite, to the depth and soul of the music. Then the applause came up with a roar of approval and excitement. The same happens in opera, especially in Wagner, where people tend to wait at the end because they are in another world for a few seconds (or
longer) before they are jerked back into this world by the applause.

I think the Operagator is great, although I am not always very quick to read it as you can see.

~ Gabriele
Photo: Governor General Michaelle Jean by Michael Edwards (c)


What do you think? Wait and savor or let'er rip? Comment away....

We Heart Animals

Profile alert!

As Vancouver Opera will be participating in BCSPCA's Paw for the Cause walk on September 13, we thought it would be fabulous to feature one of our long time volunteers in our ambassador, special events and chaperone programs.

Please say hello to Irish setter Meadow and her proud human, Paddy.

How did Meadow come into Paddy's life?

"Meadow, a year old Irish Setter, came into our lives three months ago. She was born in France and brought to Vancouver with her past owner. We heard about Meadow through a rescue network. The owner needed to find a good home for Meadow due to changing personal circumstances.

The photos of Meadow were almost identical to the photo of my partner's old Golden Retriever who had died of cancer years before. We were put at the top of the list for interviews with the owner and could hardly contain our excitement.

When she arrived at our door, it was love at first sight. But the Retriever turned out to be an Irish Setter to our surprise. The owner left us with a bit of dogfood for the day and Meadow's French Passport. We had our dog!

Meadow's former owner has been over to visit her and is really pleased with how happy she is in her new home. Meadow takes daily walks at Pacific Spirit Park and is socially active with all the dogs we walk on a part-time basis to help busy owners. Meadow is a joyful puppy who loves people and dogs."

The Paws for a Cause walk is just 10 days away!

Come down and be a part of our team! You can either make a donation or come out with us on the walk September 13. Email us if you'd like to join in the fun at lchan@vancouveropera.ca

To sponsor Vancouver Opera, click here to go to our fundraising page. Online donations are secure and you'll receive an instant electronic tax receipt.

OH! And did I mention we'll have Vancouver Opera T-shirts to give away?

~ Ling Chan, Assistant to Managing Director

Operamania 101: Bring on Da Heavies

This week's Operamania brings to the ring two Hollywood heavyweights.

Introducing first...in the red corner, hailing from New York City, with a professional record of 2 Academy Awards, he is known for his method acting and long-time collobation with director Martin Scorsese, even taking a stab at comedy with Meet the Fockers, please welcome Robert "You talkin' to me?" De Niroooooo!

His opponent in the blue corner, also hailing from New York and is rated by many as the best pound for pound actor of the last 2 decades. Winner of one Oscar, 2 Golden Globes, one Emmy, 2 Tony awards and 3 Golden Raspberry awards, please welcome Al "Say hello to my little friend!" Pacinooooooo!

*Crowd roars*

These two actor continually go head to head for the bragging rights for the best actor of all time.

It's a surprise that in both actor's lengthy career, their movie paths only crossed 3 times. Pacino and De Niro first starred together as gangsters in the 1974 movie, The Godfather Part II. And it wasn't until 1995's Heat that they met again on screen. This time on opposite sides of the law. It would be more than another decade before teaming up again in 2008's Righteous Kill, in which both actors play cops.

But goes to show even when these powerhouse actors are not making a movie together, there can be something that can link them to each other. And that something is opera.





In the opening credits of De Niro's Raging Bull and the climax of Pacino's Godfather III, there plays an intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana, a one act opera by Pietro Mascagni. An intermezzo, for the uninitiated, is an interlude inserted between the acts of an opera.

When the Intermezzo Sinfonico is played during Cavalleria Rusticana, Tirridu has seduced and impregnated Santuzza in retaliation to hearing that his fiancee Lola just upped and married Alfio. Lola who is jealous of Santuzza begins an adulterous affair with Tirridu. Santuzza who has been excommunicated from church because of the whole being with child and not having a husband thing, tells Alfio of his wife's affair.

Yeah, if there's ever a point in this opera for a break, it would be now.



After the intermezzo, Alfio challenges Tirridu for a fight to the death.

Thank goodness there's no real life fight between De Niro and Pacino for acting chops. But let's say there was? Who would you wager your bankroll on?

~ Ling Chan, Assistant to Managing Director

Tuesday Trivia: #!@?!!

Four-letter words – All the answers to these posers are four letters long.

1. A 3 act opera by Alban Berg
2. A piece of music for solo voice and orchestral accompaniment
3. The matchmaker character in Madama Butterfly
4. ____ Sutherland, Vancouver Opera’s Norma of 1963
5. ____ Janacek, Czech composer
6. Punch and ____, a Harrison Birtwistle opera
7. Title role of a 4 act Verdi opera, she is an Ethiopian princess
8. The ____, a satirical opera by Dmitri Shostakovich
9. The seamstress character in La boheme
10. Birth month of Gian Carlo Menotti

First one to guess the most right in the comments section wins. Keep it clean people.

James! Come on down! You're the winner in "Doctor Doctor" trivia contest last week. Please contact lchan@vancouveropera.ca for your prize!