Vancouver Opera Blog

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2014-09-26T13:28:00.004-07:00

Attempting to redirect you to the new home of the VO blog!

Come and visit us at:

http://www.vancouveropera.ca/blog/

A Word About the Viennese Fortepiano

2014-02-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

by Craig Tomlinson, Harpsichord and Fortepiano maker

Mozart did not specify if the recitatives in Don Giovanni were to be accompanied with a harpsichord or with a fortepiano. Both instruments were appropriate and both instruments were available to Mozart. His own undated fortepiano had been purchased from the Viennese builder, Anton Walter early in 1780 and was used extensively in his compositions over the next decade until his death in 1791.

Young Mozart at the piano

Anton Walter’s fortepianos were on the cutting edge of Viennese piano technology. Their single escapement actions incorporated the newly designed back-check, designed to eliminate multiple hammer strikes when a key was struck by an over-zealous player. They had a slightly larger range than many keyboard instruments of the day: a whopping 63 notes, from FF to g3. Mozart’s piano had a hand lever used to raise the damper rail to sustain the notes played. Only after Mozart’s death were pianos fitted with knee levers and later with pedals for raising the dampers off of the strings.

In this production of Don Giovanni a fortepiano based on two of Walter’s instruments is being used. Built in West Vancouver in 2004, it has a typical Viennese reverse keyboard with black ebony naturals and white bone accidentals. This is a carryover from the French harpsichord tradition. All of the woods used in the construction are traditional including the soundboard that was cut from spruce logs purchased in the Bavarian town of Mittenwald. As well, European beech and Swiss pear are used extensively. The outer case is veneered in walnut.

Viennese piano actions are quick and snappy. The sound is clear and very delicate with a relatively short sustain. The force needed to depress a key lever on a Viennese fortepiano is only about a quarter of what it is on a modern piano and the dip of the key is only about half as much. Thus, playing the Viennese fortepiano involves none of the athleticism exercised by modern piano virtuosos but, like harpsichord, it requires an exquisite sensitivity of touch.

Fortepiano slideshow:

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20 Questions with Katherine Whyte

2014-02-07T13:41:00.000-08:00

Get to know one of our Donna Anna singers, Katherine Whyte, as we ask her 20 questions!

Guilty musical pleasure?
I'm not sure it's guilty but I love anything Jazz, especially vocal Jazz

Where do you love to sing?
Anywhere! I do enjoy singing in NYC because I get to be at home and work.

What is your idea of earthly happiness?
Wow! This is a deep question. Doing what I am created to do well and thereby impacting poeple.

To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
Ha, ha ha... Where should I start. I'm very sensitive and I probably let that one go a lot because I'm a musician and a woman :)

Who are your favourite heroes/heroines of fiction?
I really like Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities and Jean Valjean from Les Miserables. These two characters were both normal, flawed individuals who made a difference with their second chances.

Who are your favourite characters in history?
I like Ann Frank, a woman who stood up when it was needed. I think someone like Mother Teresa's life makes me uncomfortable in a good way.

Who are your favourite heroes/heroines in real life?
I was so impacted by the life of Nelson Mandela. I think he still counts as real life. My sister as well. She's amazing.

Who is your favourite author?
I was really impacted by Marilynne Robinson and Madeleine L'Engel.

Your favourite musician?
I'm not sure I have a favourite, the list of those I admire is really long. Lets start with Regina Resnik. That woman's singing was flawless!

Your favourite composer?

I think I'm going to have to say Mozart.

What quality do you most admire in a person?
Confidence in who they are. Without being cocky.

Your favourite virtue?

I think love, people who show a love that doesn't match their circumstances, who love even if they aren't loved in return.

Your favourite occupation?

Well singing for sure but I do have my days where I wish I could be a professional tennis player. This is my other obsession :)

What did you want to be as a child?
I really wanted to be a ballet dancer. My parents took us to the Nutcracker every Christmas.

Your most marked characteristic?
I'm pretty outgoing. People say that I could make anyone/anything talk, including a fire-hydrant.

What do you most value in your friends?
Depth, being able to share beyond the surface connections.

For what would you like to be remembered?
I would like to be remembered as one who loved people. That is true success.

What natural gift would you most like to possess?
I would love to be able to draw and paint. I feel like looking at nature and taking a picture just doesn't do a good enough job.

What is your motto?
I'm here for a reason and how I live my life makes a difference.

What non-opera song do you rock?
"Just the way you look tonight."

Project Opera

2014-02-05T13:42:00.004-08:00

Colleen Maybin, Education and
Community Engagement Manager

Project Opera is a program for elementary students in Grades 4 to 7 based in Metro Vancouver schools and hosted by Vancouver Opera (VO). Students work with VO Teaching Artists and professionals from the opera community to write, stage, and perform their own original work. Sponsored by Odlum Brown Limited.

This week sees Project Opera starting a new session at Douglas Road Elementary in Burnaby BC. We are working with two classes – Mr. Hutton’s Grade 6/7 class (Division 1) and Mr. Milloy’s Grade 4/5 class (Division 3). Our first workshop focused on building a definition of opera based on what the students know right now before we begin. Between the two classes only a couple of students had seen an opera before. Most of them only knew opera based on TV and even then it was mainly the music that they recognized. So we brainstormed some ideas and watched a performance of Largo Al Factotum from The Barber of Sevilleand then added more ideas to our mind map. It was great to watch them watch the video – both classes were riveted by the performance of Figaro and clapped when it was done. This is a good sign!!

Then the fun began! In both classes we played a game to come up with definitions of seven vocabulary words related to opera. Working at table groups, the students tried to figure out the meaning of the words through clues given to the whole class. There were some very creative guesses that were grounded in what they already knew about music in general. “Recitative” and “libretto” turned out to the most challenging with “Super” leading to the most creative – we brainstormed many variations on “great”, “fantastic”, “wonderful” before the hint that it was a noun led them to actor.

The final part of the workshop involved theatre games. It was clear that the students already have a great sense of trust when working with each other as they all leapt into acting out their “secret” while trying to find someone else in class with the same “secret”. It is going to be a fun experience working with both of these classes and we can’t wait to see them again next week.

Costumes!

2014-01-31T10:22:00.001-08:00

Angela
VO's Information Analysis
& Marketing Communications Co-op

The other day, I wandered down to the costume department and found a treasure trove of costumes and accessories and fabrics, all cared for and managed by Parvin Mirhady, VO's Head of Costumes & Costume Consultant.

In the time leading up to the opening of Don Giovanni, it’s an understatement to say our costume department is going to be extremely busy.

Rented costumes are here, organized and ready for alterations. Fabrics are ready, hats are out, for the most part, basic planning is complete.

A neatly organized costume department

What goes into the process of building a costume? For one, there is a world of difference between costume creation and regular clothing production. Costumes have more layers than regular clothing, a factor that complicates everything from the pattern-making process to the eventual cutting and sewing stages. Costumes must also meet the requirements of fitting the style of production and be easy to alter for future productions.

Parvin discussing design with newbie, Paul

Cutters and sewers need an average of 2-3 years training to begin to master the craft, and often work on a tight deadline to create and alter pieces. Most who work on opera costumes love opera, often turning down movie industry offers to participate in an opera production.

Ideally, costumes for the stage are meant to reflect, not exaggerate. A good costume adds to the overall impact of performances and the set design without distracting audiences.

Sandra Piques Eddy in the 'Carmen' dress,
with Joshua Hopkins in VO's 2012 Barber of Seville

One of the most elaborate costumes created recently is the flamenco dress for The Barber of Seville, built over 2 months with layers upon layers of ruffles entirely composed of small circles pieced together (for texture). Each layer has 50 circles; the entire dress is composed of hundreds and hundreds of circles all carefully stitched together!

For the upcoming production, Parvin is in the process of creating two dresses and a cape for the Donna Anna character. She has already laid out the fabrics and trim needed and has a basic pattern in mind. Estimated time of completion with two people working on one dress is a minimum of two weeks, not including Parvin's design process.

Most completed costumes are stored in the shop, some are rented out to other theatre and opera companies. But no, costumes are never rented out for Halloween costumes (that was my burning question), as they are far too valuable.

Three angles of one Donna Anna costume

Other than that, makeup, hair and other accessories are usually assembled at the end of the costume-creation process. Most of our beautiful hats are made in house, and kept and re-purposed for other productions.

Our costume shop is pretty awesome. Can’t wait to see the works-in-progress onstage!

*The above information is all courtesy of Parvin, who very patiently answered all of my questions and also gave me time take photos.

Come and visit VO Lotteries!

2014-01-24T12:54:00.000-08:00

One of the Grand Prizes of Vancouver Opera’s 2014 Audi Raffle will be on display at Oakridge Centre, located at Cambie and 41^st Ave in Vancouver, during mall hours from January 27th to Feb 2nd!

Enter for a chance to win the vehicle on
display, a 2014 Audi A4 Technik worth almost $60,000!

Tickets will be sold for $40 each from a booth set up near The Bay and The Apple Store.

The early bird draw happens January 31^st for 4 prizes each worth $1,000. The Grand Prize Draw will take place February 28^th for an Audi or $50,000 cash. Hurry! Tickets are limited and time is short.

For more information, click here or call: 604-682-2871 ext. 4836

Notes from VO Work Experience

2014-01-23T10:58:00.002-08:00

Vancouver Opera’s Work Experience program gives Grade 12 students in Metro Vancouver the opportunity to observe the two weeks of rehearsals leading up to the opening night of a production.

Students meet a wide variety of professionals involved in bringing the opera to the stage and interview them about their career. The program is self directed so students are able to meet those professional who work in area of interest to them.

It is a very diverse list including singers, marketing staff and hair and makeup.

Students are encouraged to reflect on the process and build connections to their experiences at school and their career goals. Shari Mountain’s Tumblr is her response to her work experience during the production of Albert Herring in November 2013. Check it out here!

- Colleen Maybin, Education and Community Engagement Manager

Don Giovanni is coming soon!

2014-01-22T12:55:00.001-08:00

I've never seen an opera before.

Who am I? My name is Angela. I'm a co-op student here on a four-month term with the mouthful of a title "INFORMATION ANALYSIS & MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS COOP ASSISTANT" . I'll be posting blogs periodically in the weeks coming up where I'll explore behind-the-scenes of the new Don Giovanni production.

I can't wait! This is the perfect first opera to see because the story is familiar enough it won't be overwhelming just trying to keep up with the plot.

In brief, the story: the titular character Don Giovanni is the root of all trouble, and continues to do exactly as pleases him, until he finally reaps what he sowed. A few complicated love affairs and a healthy dose of vengeance mixed with bitter jealousy add flavor to the plot.

The character Don Giovanni is based on the older legend of Don Juan, a story that shows up over and over again in forms ranging from Byron's poem to the more recent 2013 Joseph Gordon-Levitt film.

The original opera premiered 1787 with a score by Mozart and libretto (opera text) by Lorenzo Da Ponte and remains very popular, with 30+ performances taking place worldwide this year alone!

Part of my excitement stems from pure curiosity. I'm looking forwards to seeing (and hearing) how this particular version of the legend breathes life into the characters.

Photo Courtesy The Banff Centre

Judging solely from the poster and some cool production photos, the coming weeks will be an interesting ride. I don't quite know what to expect but I certainly can't wait to find out!

Amatori dell'Opera's annual tea at The Four Seasons Hotel

2013-12-13T14:47:00.007-08:00

Our annual Amatori dell'Opera tea was held at The Four Seasons Hotel on December 11th and you can see by the images that a fun time was had by all!

The Vancouver Opera Foundation Bursary Awards were announced at the tea and we congratulate this year's recipients!

- Carmen Murphy, Senior Manager, Major Gifts and Planned Giving

Bruce Munro Wright
and Rachel Peake

Brian McMaster Opera Bursary Fund
The Brian McMaster Opera Bursary Fund is used for bursaries to Canadian individuals studying or improving their opera skills, whether as performing artists or as participants in productions.
Conor Moore, Projection & Lighting Design

Rachel Peake, Director

Joe Boxer Memorial Fund
The Joe Boxer Memorial Fund is used for bursaries to BC opera singing students in a resident artist program

Frédérik Robert, Tenor
Frédérik Robert receives a hug from
Martha Lou Henley as
Eva Tavares looks on

Kurt Sickert Scholarship Memorial Fund
The Kurt Sickert Scholarship Memorial Fund is used for bursaries to performing artists, with preference given to Canadians training in Canada or improving their skills.

Melanie Krueger, Soprano

Toni Cavelti Trust Fund
The Toni Cavelti Trust Fund is used for bursaries to aspiring BC opera singing students.

Eva Tavares, Soprano

Barbara Eves-Sharp Scholarship Fund
Frédérik Robert,
pianist Tina Chang,
Melanie Krueger
and Eva Tavares

The Barbara Sharp Scholarship Fund is used for scholarships to singers in the VOIS program.

Erica Iris Huang, Mezzo-Soprano

For more information about Amatori dell'Opera, please contact Carmen Murphy, Senior Manager, Major Gifts and Planned Giving, or visit us online.

Barber of Barkerville in The Pique

2013-11-26T14:58:00.000-08:00

Cathryn Atkinson from The Pique recently interviewed Melissa Tsang about the Vancouver Opera In Schools tour. See her article here: Retooled Rossini relocates Barber of Seville to Barkerville.

Julia Rooney, who plays Rosie in The Barber of Barkerville, also answered some of Cathryn's questions about VOIS and touring.

How has the tour gone so far? What has the experience been like in terms of touring around B.C. compared to staying in the same theatre in a big city?
JR: The tour has been going quite well. It seems that with each show at a different school, the VOIS team gets more efficient with the set-handling and better equipped to react to the various children audiences.

I think what strikes me the most about the experience of touring this show is the importance of flexibility in order to accommodate variables that are more prevalent with a school tour than a normal production. Every performance space is completely new when we arrive, the size and ages of the audience varies drastically, and each school has children with differing levels of experience watching live theatre. These factors combined with unloading and assembling the set prior to each show make VOIS a unique experience for a performer.

I assume a lot of the adults and kids don't have a lot of experience with opera. How do they respond to the big sound? To the story and performance?
JR: I feel like the response to the big sound is very positive for the most part. There's usually a bit of an adjustment period for the kids during the first 10 minutes of the show. I think some of that is shock and awe at the volume we produce without using microphones. Once they get a feel for what we sound like and the dramatic style of the play, there are hundreds of captivated faces fixated on us.

What has been a favourite memory of this tour so far?
JR: I'm from Calgary, so for me getting to tour to various parts of BC was a wonderful bonus. Touring also allowed the company to spend time doing activities we wouldn't normally do together such as cooking meals, visiting hot springs, going to a dairy farm, hiking, and my personal favourite, canoeing. These unique experiences brought us closer together as a company and fostered a more comfortable dynamic in performance.

Albert Herring Production Insights

2013-11-26T13:34:00.001-08:00

Welcome to Vancouver Opera’s production of Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring! This is sure to be an opera experience you won’t soon forget.

This production marks a series of firsts for Vancouver Opera. This is our first production of Albert Herring (although it isn’t our first Britten piece; we presented Peter Grimes in our 1994-95 season). This production is our first co-production with Pacific Opera Victoria: the set, costumes and props were built at their shops. And, finally, this production brings two designers to the VO stage for the first time: Patrick Clark and Michael Walton. Patrick Clark designed the set, props and costumes; Michael Walton designed the lighting. Both have worked extensively in theatre across the country, including multiple seasons with the Stratford Festival, and are now making their first forays into designing for opera.

Albert Herring, “the greatest comic opera of the century” (according to Russian pianist Sviatoslav Richter) has been produced by hundreds of different companies in all corners of the world since it premiered in 1947 at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, conducted by the composer himself.

One of the first things you will notice in the design of this production is the dominating presence of the colour green. Patrick Clark highlights the comedic nature of the piece and the themes of spring, young love and renewal with beautiful and varied shades of green throughout the set. The green is countered and accentuated by the use of pink in many of the costumes, most notably in the costumes for Lady Billows, but keep an eye out for the use of pink and green in many of the other costumes, too. The set is also adorned with 750 pink-hued flowers.

Like many of Britten’s works, this opera explores society’s reactions to an odd or outcast individual. Michael Walton’s lighting design does a wonderful job supporting this. In the first two acts, this theme is approached from a humorous and lighthearted perspective, conveyed by the light’s bright and warm texture. But, take note of the change in colour and temperature when Albert goes missing and subsequently returns from his night on the town.

All co-productions bring with them a certain set of challenges. The most obvious of these is that the set has to be built to fit theatres of varying sizes and shapes. The proscenium opening of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre is much taller and wider than that of The Royal Theatre in Victoria. For this reason, the portals which make up much of the set were built so that their height and width could be expanded as necessary.

The Director for this show, Glynis Leyshon is exceptionally skilled at creating beautiful images or "stage pictures" that will stay with you long after you leave the theatre. Note how many of the scene changes are performed a vista, which is a Latin term meaning ‘in sight’. The movement of the set pieces and performers becomes part of the action and choreography, which keeps the audience engaged through the entire performance.

The most engaging and important element of any opera is, of course, the music. Albert Herring is a musically complex and compelling work with a myriad of musical quotations within the score and a lighthearted and genuinely funny text. It has been my sincere pleasure playing a role in bringing it to the stage.

Dan Paterson is Vancouver Opera’s Technical Director.

Photos by David Cooper - courtesy Pacific Opera Victoria

Opera in Richmond!

2013-11-26T13:22:00.001-08:00

VO will again be participating in Minoru Chapel's popular opera series! Catch members of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program on Wednesday, December 4. Concerts are at 2:00pm and 7:00pm at Minoru Chapel, 6540 Gilbert Road. Admission is $20 for adults, $18 for students and seniors (plus GST).

Doors open 30min before showtime. Seating is limited! Tickets are available at the door, or in advance at 604-276-4300, Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm (credit card only)

What will you hear? Highlights from Don Carlo, Cosi fan tutte, Norma, Don Giovanni... as well as some contemporary Christmas favourites!

Tosca Production Insights

2013-10-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

Production Insights
By Dan Paterson

Welcome to Vancouver Opera’s production of Tosca. It has been my pleasure to play a part in bringing this production of Puccini’s beloved opera to the stage at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

Tosca is one of the best-loved pieces in the established operatic repertoire, and one of the most often produced. The different versions of the production are too many and varied to list here. This particular production originated at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City in 2009. There are few things in this world more expensive to produce than opera, so (as is the case with most productions) this set was built to be rented and used again by as many producing companies as possible. Vancouver Opera is the first Canadian company to stage this particular production.

This is a very traditional production and as such does not use a lot of modern technical devices (such as video projections) to advance the plot and action. In fact, many of the technical elements that we use in this production were available and utilized when Toscapremiered at the Teatro Costanzi in 1900. For example, you may notice that the floor (we call it the "show deck") in this production is a raked stage: the height of the main playing area increases from downstage to upstage. This particular stage has a 5 degree rake: the downstage edge of the show deck is 6” high and increases by 1 inch for every foot you travel upstage, for a total increase of 16”. This means that every surface that we put on the raked stage – desks, chairs, tables, staircases – needs to be “counter-raked”. Thus, we need to build the legs of all these items at different lengths so that the surfaces remain level (which keeps wine glasses and pens from rolling into the orchestra pit!).

One of the largest technical elements we use today that was not available back in 1900 is the full array of theatrical lighting. While the incandescent lamp was available to the original production at Teatro Costanzi, the world of lighting for the stage has expanded and evolved exponentially since then. We now have available to us programmable, moving lights that change colours and patterns all at the press of a button. Our Lighting Designer on this show, Gerald King, is a true master of the craft and creates a world that moves from joyous and naturalistic to cold and sinister as the villainous Scarpia comes to dominate the action of the opera. Take note in Act III of the transition and slow progression from the dead of night to dawn’s early light. Just as Puccini used Wagnerian leitmotifs (short musical statements) to identify characters, keep an eye out for how Gerald uses the lights and changes in the tone and texture of the lights to indicate the different characters that appear throughout the story as it unfolds.

In the end, all the technical aspects utilized in the production are here to support the show. At the heart of this and all operas is the music. Tosca contains some of the most beloved, memorable and moving music you will ever hear, so sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

Dan Paterson is Vancouver Opera’s Technical Director.

Musical Notes on Tosca

2013-10-21T17:01:00.001-07:00

Musical Notes
By Jonathan Darlington

Puccini epitomized the neurotic ‘fin de siècle’ artist. His scores are bursting with indications of articulation and rubato and as with all neuroses, they are sometimes quite contradictory – dragging and animated or getting slower and speeding up at the same time for instance. Very often he tells you to slow down but never tells you where to pick up speed again, rather like Schumann. He wasn’t alone in these neuroses, in fact most composers at the turn of the 20th century – and pretty much ever since – began filling their scores with innumerable indications. Paradoxically I always find that the more indications one reads the more scope there is for misinterpretation!

Puccini starts all of his operas without a true prelude or overture. Right from the start the atmosphere is set, the décor painted and the action already begun. Tosca is no exception to this rule. The first few bars depict Scarpia, the motivating force of the opera, with 3 major chords – B-flat, A-flat and E, massively orchestrated tutta forza. The effect is electrifying, brutal and frightening, like the character. The interval between B-flat and E – the 1st and the 3rd chord – is known as a tritone (3 whole tones) or the Diabolus in musica (“the devil in music”). In medieval times the interval was banned because of its dissonance and hence the likelihood of the devil leaping out from his dark hiding place. When used intelligently the interval still has a deeply disturbing effect on us and certainly did when Puccini wrote his masterpiece.

This motive keeps turning up like a bad penny and a good deal of the opera revolves around it, mirroring Scarpia’s all encompassing stamp on proceedings – even after death. The three keys have a habit of appearing in important moments and are very cleverly crafted, despite the fact that Puccini was in no way an ‘intellectual’ composer. One of my favorite examples is in the first act duet between Tosca and Cavaradossi. He says Mia gelosa (“my jealous one”) and she touchingly acknowledges her fatal character flaw. It is Tosca’s Achilles heel and Scarpia uses to manipulate her into betraying her lover. I love the way that Puccini, with a glorious sleight of hand, slips into E Major (the last of the three chords). He introduces a blissfully swinging melody for the lovers surrounded by a starry, optimistic, featherlight pizzicato accompaniment while telling us subliminally that it’s all going to end in utter disaster. I really want to think that he did it on purpose!

There’s a lovely thing which Puccini apparently said about himself and which I feel sums up so much of what we experience when we see and hear one of his music dramas. He said that what he did was to place ‘great sorrows in little souls’. Those little souls in Toscaare dominated by the overwhelming power of the church and the state. As a master orchestrator, Puccini marries both of them at a simple stroke in the sound of off-stage bells. The occasion is the famous Te Deum scene at the end of the first act in the church of Sant’Andrea della Valle. The effect, as Scarpia (the embodiment of state repression) and the full orchestra and chorus build towards an enormous climax over the incessant tolling of the bells - and punctuated incidentally by an offstage cannon - is overpowering and sends a shudder down the spine however many times one hears it. Sheer genius!

Jonathan Darlington is Vancouver Opera's Music Director and conductor of this production of Tosca.

Tosca Program Notes

2013-10-21T16:52:00.003-07:00

Tosca Program Notes

by Jeff O'Kelly

Puccini’s first acquaintance with Victorien Sardou’s play La Tosca came in 1889 when he attended two French performances, with the great Sarah Bernhardt in one of her signature roles. He immediately saw that the play could be made into an effective opera but nine years were to pass before he finally started work on it. The path from play to libretto and finally to Puccini’s work was a tortured one including two false starts and some financial wrangling. But fate sometimes knows best: in the intervening nine years Puccini produced his first two masterpieces (Manon Lescaut and La bohème), developed his mature harmonic language, and honed his sense of dramatic pacing. The last was to prove particularly important in Tosca.

The first version of the libretto was by Luigi Illica, but the version Puccini set was a reworking by Illica in collaboration with Giuseppe Giacosa (the two had previously collaborated on the libretto for La bohème and contributed to that for Manon Lescaut), with one significant contribution, Cavaradossi’s third act aria “E lucevan le stelle”, by Puccini himself. Scenes of rapid, often violent action alternate with slower set-pieces that afford opportunities for character development. The scene for the Sacristan and Cavaradossi provides some humour (which Puccini could never quite banish from his operas), while the dawn scene and Shepherd Boy’s song at the beginning of the third act gave Puccini the chance for the kind of the gorgeous tone-painting at which he excelled. The libretto also contains some of opera’s most memorable lines: “Tosca - you make me forget God”; “And before him, all of Rome trembled”; “Scarpia, we will meet again before God”; and Tosca’s first exit line in Act I, “But paint her eyes black” (which has occasionally and regrettably been translated as “But give her black eyes”).

The three main characters are as clearly defined as any in the operatic repertoire. Cavaradossi and Tosca wholly engage our sympathies, even to the point of condoning murder. Lovable as they are, Scarpia is equally detestable and fearsome. With the exception of Iago, few other characters in opera are such nasty pieces of work, and it is precisely Iago to whom Scarpia compares himself in Act I (“To make a jealous lover into a raving madman, Iago had a handkerchief. I have a fan.”).

Puccini’s musical genius shows at the very beginning of the opera with Scarpia’s sinister motif: where one might expect the use of minor or diminished chords, Puccini uses three major chords, but the bassline (B-flat, A-flat, E) spells out the interval of a descending tritone, also known as the “devil in music”. This motif recurs in many guises throughout the opera, an ever-present reminder of Scarpia’s sadistic authority. The opera progresses from one piece of perfect musical characterization to the next without faltering. Particularly powerful are the Te Deum in Act I, during which Scarpia reveals his unpleasant plans for Cavaradossi and Tosca, and the torture scene in Act II. After the claustrophobic second act, the opening of the third act gives us a welcome change to catch our breath before proceeding speedily to the tragic denouement. All of Puccini’s operas contain scenes of orchestral tone-painting evocative of a specific locale. Before writing the dawn music of Act III, the composer spent a morning on the walls of the Castel Sant’Angelo, carefully notating the pitches, rhythms and relative distances of the dawn church bells.

Perhaps the greatest master stroke of Tosca develops so logically out of the plot that we may never consciously realize what makes it so effective. The story contravenes one of the most basic tenets of the western European tradition of story-telling: once the bad guy is dead, everything is supposed to get better. This dramatic blow has a power which is almost Shakespearean (and is indeed reminiscent of the end of King Lear where Cordelia’s death cannot be prevented even though Edmund is in captivity and his villainy fully revealed). Even knowing the story in advance, this plot development can still evoke pathos. For the first audiences of Sardou’s play it must have been shocking and seemed unjust.

Since the opera’s 1900 premiere it has been much criticized, including most famously Joseph Kerman’s dismissive phrase “a shabby little shocker” (Opera as Drama, 1956). But all such criticisms either ignore or cannot account for the profound sympathies it arouses in audiences, and however cogent individual critical arguments may be, isn't this precisely what operas should do - engage our emotions in an immediate, visceral way? If so, then Tosca delivers an emotional wallop that leaves us breathless.

Jeff O’Kelly was a member of the VO Chorus for seventeen seasons and now lives in Lillooet, BC, where he is a regular broadcaster on Radio Lillooet, writes about music and is an enthusiastic birder.

Our Costume Shop is Awesome

2013-10-21T12:09:00.001-07:00

When the rented Act 2 dress for soprano Michelle Capalbo, who stars as Tosca in VO’s upcoming production (sharing the role with soprano Tamara Mancini) , proved to be inadequate, Parvin Mirhady, VO’s Head of Costumes and Costume Consultant, sprang into action. She created a design that fit the scheme of the production, and after drawing a pattern, she cut some gorgeous cloth that she had purchased earlier this year in Iran. She then handed the pieces to sewer Xiao Ping Liu, and presto! Within 24 hours a gown is emerging. Ms. Capalbo is evidently thrilled with the result. She told Parvin that wearing it, she will sing better!

Meet the Barber of Barkerville Artistic Team

2013-10-17T17:45:00.002-07:00

Kinza Tyrrell
Music Director

Kinza Tyrrell's first 'hands on' musical moment was when she started private piano lessons at the age of four at her local music conservatory where she learned to play by ear.

At eight, she switched to reading notes off a page, a skill that was difficult at first. Kinza studied piano and theory in private lessons and enjoyed the music programs at school.

Elementary school choir and band is where she first learned how to make music in harmony with others. In high school, she added jazz choir, marching band, and jazz band to that list.

In her teenage years, Kinza attended summer music programs like the Banff Centre in order to keep her musical training limber, so her piano chops wouldn't dry up in the hot summer sun. She still continues to enjoy making music with others and has the privilege of doing it as her full time job!

Ann Hodges
Stage Director

Ann Hodges’ career as a director began in Grade 7 when she volunteered to direct her classmates in the annual school drama festival.

Without knowing it, she also began her career as a librettist at the same time, as she re-wrote the words to famous songs and inserted them into the plays.

She was fortunate to attend a school with an excellent drama program, and studied drama all through high school. Ann also took piano and singing lessons, and sometimes played piano for her school musicals.

She soon realized that being a theatre director was what she wanted to do. After graduating from high school, Ann went to university and then the National Theatre School to study directing. Eventually all her music training came in handy when she began to direct and write operas. Now she has the best job in the world: writing and directing plays and operas all across Canada.

Christine Reimer

Set & Costume Designer

Christine Reimer traveled a lot with her family when she was young and through her travels, saw many famous and influential arts works and architecture.

She has always had a love of crafts, colours and making things. Her experience traveling and her passion for creating art led her to study Arts History and Fiber Arts at university.

Christine loves her job as a costume and set designer for theatre and opera because she gets to keep learning about different time periods, cultures, architecture and clothing from all around the world.

Giaochino Rossini
Composer

Giaochino Rossini was born in 1792 in Italy. Both of his parents were musicians and put him into lessons very early.

He made his first public performance at six years old playing the triangle in his father’s band. Throughout his teens he studied harpsichord, piano and the cello.

He wrote his first opera at the age of eighteen and spent his twenties touring Italy and composing music. Rossini’s music was very popular and he had a very successful career which allowed him to semi-retire at the age of 32!

After many years of touring and writing music he retired to Paris, France where he lived to be 76 years old. For more about Rossini, visit the Education page of the Vancouver Opera website.

The Barber of Barkerville Touring Ensemble

Rosie
Julia Rooney, Soprano

Julia Rooney was drawn to music at an early age and asked for a piano for her fifth birthday. She took piano lessons for two years before joining a children's choir and school seasonal choir, and taking singing lessons. At the age of ten, Julia performed in her first musical, Oklahoma.

She enjoyed performing in local musical festivals in voice and musical theatre until she was 17 and continued to play piano.

During high school, Julia joined the school choir and jazz singers group as well as a community chamber choir and attended the UBC summer music camp. When she began to study music at university, she performed her first opera and decided to make that her focus.

Al Maviva
Lucas van Lierop, Tenor

Lucas van Lierop started playing violin at age three, while living in Holland. Upon immigrating to Canada at age seven, he immediately joined the Vancouver Bach Children's Chorus, which he sang with for ten years.

When he was a teenager, Lucas started taking private voice lessons and performing in many community and professional productions. When it came time to go to university, Lucas decided that he would continue singing, and studied classical voice at McGill University in Montreal.

Figaro
Alan Macdonald, Baritone

Alan Macdonald started singing at the age of seven in Halifax, Nova Scotia when his best friend Ben made him audition for the All City Boys' Choir. Ben quit after the first month of rehearsals, but Alan was hooked and music has been a part of his life since then.

In school Alan also played violin and saxophone, but when it came to going to university he knew he wanted to be a singer. Singing has taken Alan all the way to South Africa and from the Atlantic Ocean to Vancouver, BC on the Pacific Ocean where he lives and sings today.

Bart De Ville
Jordan Collalto, Bass-Baritone

Jordan Collalto got his start in music at age nine playing recorder in music classes at school in Canmore, Alberta. He began playing trombone the following year and kept playing in a variety of jazz bands, concert bands, and orchestras from grade six until he graduated high school.

Jordan toured with different bands and the Calgary Youth Orchestra to New Zealand, America, and to many places across Canada from Halifax to Victoria. Jordan began singing in his last year of high school and decided to pursue that instead of going to university for trombone, like several of his friends.
He began singing with the Calgary Opera Chorus which eventually led to him auditioning to the University of British Columbia to study opera full time. He graduated last spring.

Pianist
Angus Kellett

Angus Kellett began taking piano lessons at his elementary school in Red Rock, BC, when he was five years old. In grades six and seven he played trombone and saxophone in the school band (which consisted of exactly four students - it was a small school).

Angus took private piano lessons throughout high school, during which time he performed in a number of music festivals and completed several Royal Conservatory exams. He later studied piano and opera in university on the way to becoming a professional musician.

Stage Manager
Melania Radelicki

Melania Radelicki has been involved in musical activities since her first piano lessons at age five, through elementary and high school choirs, Orff ensemble, and playing violin in recitals and competitions, at music camps, and in string and symphony orchestras.

Growing up, Melania also kept busy organizing book clubs, lemonade stands, bake sales, walk-a-thons, and eventually summer camps. One of Melania’s favourite activities in high school was the annual production of a Broadway musical, trying her hand at everything from ushering, publicity, and box office, to stage crew, and even orchestra direction.

While pursuing a music and commerce degree at the University of British Columbia, Melania took a theatre class and finally stumbled on stage management, which has allowed her to combine her skills in effectively managing both people and things, with her passion for the performing arts.

Community Performances of The Barber of Barkerville!

2013-10-17T17:31:00.000-07:00

Bring your friends and family to one or all of these public VOIS performances!

Sunday, October 27, 2013, 3pm

Presented by Peninsula Productions

White Rock Elementary School, White Rock, BC

Click here for information and tickets

Friday, November 8, 2013, 7pm

Presented by Quest University Canada, Squamish, BC

Multi-Purpose Room, University Services Building, Quest University Canada

Admission to this event is free of charge.
Click here for information and tickets

Sunday, November 17, 2013, 2pm

Fundraising Performance Presented by the Vancouver Opera Guild

Vancouver Academy of Music, Vancouver, BC

For information and tickets:

604.874.4042 (Pat), 604.738.2034 (Lore), 604.408.7627 (John)

email John or email Lore

Find out more about the Guild

Tosca: Behind the scenes

2013-10-17T17:25:00.001-07:00

Today I bumped into Assistant Stage Manager, Belle Chung, in the kitchen. She's busy preparing "wine" for the afternoon staging rehearsal of Tosca. Today they're experimenting with two bags of cranberry tea mixed with vitamin water. Vitamin water is preferred by Gordon Hawkins, who's onstage for the act and prefers something with electrolytes. The challenge? The darkest vitamin water is just not dark enough to look like wine! Hopefully all the singers agree with the taste, and the colour works out. Otherwise, we'll have to try other options. You can look forward to spying this prop onstage in Act 2 at Scarpia's house.

Are you now wanting to try this props experiment at home? Send us photos or videos of your best "wine" concoctions and we'll post it on the blog!

Melissa Tsang
Education Associate

Visit the Vancouver Opera Education blog!

2013-10-04T12:08:00.003-07:00

Whether you and your students are new to opera, or are serious opera fans, we encourage you to embrace opera as a vehicle to explore, inquire and learn collectively.
Opera is more than singing. Opera is a community; a diverse network of skilled individuals including writers, composer, singers, actors, dancers, musicians, designers, directors, arts managers, carpenters, lighting designers, sound technicians, props builders, sewers, accountants, fundraisers, administrators, music lovers, audience members and more - all of whom come together with a shared purpose of creatively exploring, inquiring and learning together.

We invite you and your students to become a member of our opera community. Add your voice to the community sharing your work with us, exploring the work being done at other schools and contacting us with your questions through our Education blog. Just click on the Education tab (top of the page) to read the latest news.

Melissa Tsang
Education Associate
vois@vancouveropera.ca

VO Announces the Young Patrons Circle

2013-09-26T11:32:00.004-07:00

Connect with the arts, philanthropy and each other.

YPC is a unique membership program for 19 - 45s who want to engage with Vancouver’s arts and culture scene in a meaningful way.

Experience insider events and exclusive networking opportunities while encouraging philanthropy in our city.

Part of your membership fee is a philanthropic contribution towards VO that supports productions, education and community programming.

Individual Membership: $300
Includes:
► 1 ticket to the November 1, 2013 performance of Tosca with access to the private YPC pre-show reception
► 1 ticket to the March 7, 2014 performance of Don Giovanni with access to the private YPC pre-show reception
► 1 invitation to a complimentary YPC event
► Partial tax receipt
Available through a one-time payment or monthly instalments for one year

Individual Host Membership + Guest Privileges: $500
A flexible membership that allows you to bring a non-YPC guest to events
Includes:
► 2 tickets to the November 1, 2013 performance of Tosca with access to the private YPC pre-show reception
► 2 tickets to the March 7, 2014 performance of Don Giovanni with access to the private YPC pre-show reception
► 2 invitations to a complimentary YPC event
► Partial tax receipt
Available through a one-time payment or monthly instalments for one year

Dual Membership: $500
YPC membership for two
Includes:
► 2 tickets to the November 1, 2013 performance of Tosca with access to the private YPC pre-show reception
► 2 tickets to the March 7, 2014 performance of Don Giovanni with access to the private YPC pre-show reception
► 2 invitations to a complimentary YPC event
► Partial tax receipt
Available through a one-time payment or monthly instalments for one year

Benefits:
• YPC Friday night pre-show receptions and performances on November 1, 2013 and March 7, 2014 include opera ticket, a complimentary drink, light refreshments and pre-show talk with a member from VO`s Artistic team
• Designated seating for YPC is in the Orchestra section for Friday night performances
• YPC membership includes recognition in the house program for the 2013/14 Season
• YPC membership includes invitation to complimentary YPC thank-you event during membership cycle
• YPC membership includes Premium Concierge Service from VO`s Development Manager, Annual Giving
Additional benefits, recognition and tax receipt available for memberships $750 +

Terms:
• Complimentary opera tickets included in membership are benefits, therefore do not qualify for refunds if you cannot attend designated YPC events and performances
• By signing up for the individual membership instalment plan you are committing to twelve monthly payments charged to your valid credit card on the 15th of every month
• By signing up for the dual membership instalment plan you are committing to twelve monthly payments charged to your valid credit card on the 15th of every month. Dual membership instalment payments can also be split between two valid credit cards for monthly payments
• Vancouver Opera requires membership enrollment 48 hours prior to a YPC event

Questions? Contact Amanda Burrows, Development Manager, Annual Giving at 604.682.2871 ext. 4857 or by email.
Register for the YPC online

Dear Mr. Guttman

2013-09-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

Vancouver Opera's Artistic Director Emeritus, Dr. Irving Guttman, CM, OBC, recently received this very nice letter from a patron.

Here's what it says:

To Mr Irving Guttman

Sir,

Some forty years ago, you produced for Vancouver Opera Puccini's Tosca. The cast was Nancy Tatum Cornell MacNeill and a very young Placido Domingo. Marie Collier sadly committed suicide in London, and Nancy Tatum replaced her.

The pairing of Collier and Domingo would have been a gift from heaven but it was not to be. However you had Placido Domingo, who brought the house to its feet, after his Act One aria. One knew at the time he was destined for greatness.

This Tosca was superb with its sets, lighting, costumes, and singing, and forty years on, remains still fresh in my mind.

Toscas I have seen since your production have only brought back to my mind this Vancouver Opera performance, and a name never to be forgotten: Mr. Irving Guttman.

These few lines are well overdue as a tribute to your accomplished talent. A very sincere thank-you for all you accomplished with Vancouver Opera and for a Tosca that still stands the test of time.

In closing, I sincerely hope life is being kind.

Placido Domingo and Nancy Tatum Cornell MacNeill
Tosca, 1968

Irving Guttman at work in the very early days of Vancouver Opera.
Photo by Barry Glass.

Come and visit VO Lotteries!

2013-08-30T16:37:00.000-07:00

VO Lotteries is on the road! We'll be at different locations over the next couple of weeks selling tickets for our BMW draw. Buy a ticket and you'll be entered to win your choice of a 2014 BMW 128i Cabriolet, a 2014 BMW 328i xDrive Sedan Sport Line, or $50,000 cash!

Your ticket also enters you in our Early Bird Draw on September 30 for 4 cash prizes of $1000 each. Only 5700 tickets are available, so your odds of winning are pretty good!

We'll be at Semiahmoo Shopping Centre from September 3 - 8, Brentwood Town Centre from September 9 - 15, then Metropolis at Metrotown from September 16 - 20. Come down, buy a ticket and say hello!

Click here to find out more about our BMW Lottery, or call 604-682-2871 x.4836.

VO + IATSE

2013-08-15T12:08:00.003-07:00

Members of IATSE, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees were at the O'Brian Centre this week.

IATSE is the union that provides VO with theatrical labour for the stage, rigging, sound, lights, properties, wardrobe, wigs, makeup, lighting and video. In other words, our productions simply could not happen without the hard work of the IATSE crew!

This visit was particularly happy, because Mike Phelan, President IATSE local 118, Margaret Underhill and Brian Buckingham, members of the IATSE negotiating committee were here to sign a new two year agreement for wages and working conditions.

Everyone at VO is very pleased that our relationship with IATSE will continue for years to come!


Mike Phelan, Margaret Underhill and Brian Buckingham with James Wright

For Immediate release!

2013-08-13T14:44:00.001-07:00


Shane Koyczan

VANCOUVER OPERA COMMISSIONS ANTI-BULLYING OPERA FROM AWARD-WINNING SPOKEN WORD POET SHANE KOYCZAN
World Premiere slated for Fall 2014
Vancouver, BC ~ Vancouver Opera has commissioned internationally-recognized Canadian spoken word poet and performer Shane Koyczan to create the libretto for a new opera whose theme – bullying – is a central issue in our community, in communities across the country and around the world.

Aimed at audiences of all ages, and drawing upon Mr. Koyczan's own experiences with bullying, both as a victim and as a perpetrator, the 80-minute opera will be based on Stickboy, Mr. Koyczan's acclaimed 2008 novel in verse.

Stickboy (working title) will have its world premiere in October 2014 at the Vancouver Playhouse. It

Jordan Nobles

will be an option for subscribers to Vancouver Opera's 2014-2015 season; tickets will also be available to the general public. After its premiere an adapted version will be developed for touring to schools and community venues in Metro Vancouver and beyond as part of the Vancouver Opera In Schools program.

"I first approached Shane about this project in December and was so pleased when he enthusiastically agreed to work with us," comments James Wright, General Director of Vancouver Opera. "Capturing the raw emotion and creativity of Stickboy will be an exciting challenge. I'm looking forward to the creative process and eager to see this work translated to the stage, with the emotional power that contemporary opera will bring to this moving story."

"I have been looking for a project to challenge me in the way this one has already from the outset," says Mr. Koyczan. "Vancouver Opera has shown a tremendous amount of faith in my ability and I plan to deliver a passionate and honest story. I am deeply honoured to collaborate with these talented artists."

This will be Vancouver Opera's second commission for Mr. Koyczan. At the initiative of Manjy and David Sidoo, Mr. Koyczan wrote and performed a poem at the company's gala fundraiser, Overture, in 2012.

Libretto and music workshops for Stickboy will begin in mid-September 2013. Follow @vancouveropera or Vancouver Opera on Facebook for the latest news and behind-the-scenes content on the creation of Stickboy. Leslie Dala, Vancouver Opera's Associate Conductor and Chorus Director will be the musical dramaturge; award-winning stage director Rachel Peake will be the stage dramaturge.

The music will be written by Vancouver-based composer Jordan Nobles. Known for creating music filled with an “unearthly beauty” (Mondomagazine) that makes listeners want to “close (their) eyes and transcend into a cloud of music” (Discorder Magazine), Jordan Nobles has emerged as one of Canada’s finest composers. Mr. Nobles first collaborated with Mr. Koyczan on "We Were Here", which premiered in 2009 at the Firehall Arts Centre, presented by the Cultch.

"Besides the awesome challenge of composing an opera, what really excites me about this project is working with Shane Koyczan again," comments Mr. Nobles. "When we did "We Were Here" I was amazed by the power of Shane's words to move audiences to laughter and tears in quick succession. That project was also ground-breaking for me because working with a spoken word artist of Shane's calibre allowed me to reach a vastly different audience - people who might never have considered attending a classical music concert but who were uplifted and inspired by the new sounds that underscored Shane's words. I think it really opened a lot of ears and a lot of minds."

Recently, Mr. Nobles's piece Simulacrum was nominated as ‘Classical Composition of the Year’ at the 2012 Western Canadian Music Awards. His piece Lux Antiqua has won the Sacra/Profana International Composition Competition and has been chosen from among numerous entries to be performed in Wrocław, Poland at the International Society for Contemporary Music’s 2014 World Music Days. He was named the 2009 Emerging Artist in music by the City of Vancouver’s Mayor’s Arts Award and is a member of the Canadian League of Composers and an Associate of the Canadian Music Centre.

Mr. Koyczan was catapulted into the international spotlight when he performed his poem We Are
Jordan Nobles signs the Stickboy commissioning contract
with VO General Director James Wright
More at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremonies. In 2013, Mr. Koyczan collaborated with animators and illustrators to create To This Day, an animated short about bullying that was released at the TED Conference. The video left attendees in tears and has since gone viral with more than 10 million views.

Vancouver Opera has a long history of exploring meaningful issues and themes through opera. For more than 40 years, Vancouver Opera In Schools (VOIS), Vancouver Opera's touring program, has introduced the power and beauty of opera to school children and their families across B.C. and beyond. More than 1,600,000 children have enjoyed specially adapted short operas in their school gymnasiums, auditoriums and community venues.

For the 2005-2006 school year, VO commissioned Naomi’s Road, a touching, instructive opera, set during World War II and based on the book by Joy Kogawa. Naomi's Road was remounted for touring this past season. In 2009, VOIS presented a new commissioned opera, Jack Pine, by renowned local musician Veda Hille, based on the environmentally-themed children's book of the same name by award-winning Salt Spring Island poet, Christopher Patton.

For more than a decade, VO has been a leader in community engagement, through public events in communities in Metro Vancouver. The company has produced public forums on topics ranging from the plight of women during wartime (Aida) to the place of faith in politics (Dialogues of the Carmelites) to the boundaries of comedy (Rigoletto). For the 2010 Canadian premiere of Nixon in China, an extensive series of events was produced, including events with Alexandre Trudeau, Margaret MacMillan and former U.S. Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte.

-30-

VO’s 2013-2014 Season is generously sponsored by Goldcorp

Commissioning support for Stickboy has already been garnered from:
Beech Foundation
The CKNW Orphans’ Fund
The Diamond Foundation
The Edith Lando Charitable Foundation
The Hamber Foundation
The McLean Foundation