Lest we forget.....

László Polgár

Many thanks to an interested guest on my blog for reminding me of the famous Hungarian bass, László Polgár who passed away last year at a fairly young age.

He sang at many of the large European houses and festivals and was a principal soloist at Zurich Opera for 16 years.

Here is a sample of his wonderful singing recorded in Budapest.

Beer + Opera = fun

It's no secret that Opera needs to find new audiences. Although many young people do attend, it still can be intimidating to take the plunge. One way of introducing opera to newbies is by making the experience more intimate and less formal. In London, a small company recently won rave reviews and an Olivier award for its production of Puccini's La Bohème in a pub.

Great music, good beer and a fun/casual environment can make Opera feel more accessible.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12728768

On this side of the Atlantic a small innovative company is putting on the same opera in English in a bar in Toronto. Come check it out!

June 2-5th

http://www.againstthegraintheatre.com/index/Home.html

Merci Montréal!

I've had the pleasure over the last 4 years to live/work/study/play in Montreal. What a great city to do all of the above. Thanks to all of the wonderful people that I've had the opportunity to get to know. Also a big thank you to all of the arts organizations that have supported me over the past few years (especially Opéra de Montréal)!
À bientôt!

Happy New Year!

I wish everyone all the best for 2011! I hope it is filled with good health, happiness, maybe a little wealth and good music!

George London was perhaps one of the greatest bass-baritones ever. His career was cut too short due to a paralyzed vocal chord. However he left a lasting mark on the operatic scene. His was the first Canadian/American to sing the title role of Boris Godunov at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow during the Cold War. This was perhaps his most famous role amongst an operatic repertoire that included Don Giovanni, Wotan(The Ring Cycle) and Amfortas (The Flying Dutchmen, Wagner).
Here is an excerpt taken from 1962.
What an amazing talent!
It's worth listening to the end...

His biography written by his wife is worth the read.

http://www.amazon.com/George-London-Demons-Great-Voices/dp/188090974X

Death of the diva(s)

This year has been marked by the passing of quite a few very famous opera singers including Canadian Maureen Forrester, Italian Bass-baritone Cesare Siepi (one of my favorites), English tenor Philip Langridge and most recently, the Australian, Dame Joan Sutherland and American Shirley Verrett.
These singers were all household names internationally and set the standard for excellent operatic singing during the 20th century (with many others).
Here are just two samples of their work:

Note the ease with which each of these singers sings...truly beautiful singing (bel canto).

For more about Shirley Verrett check out the NY Times article on her :
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/06/arts/music/06verrett.html

Thank you!

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Opera Hamilton for a memorable experience. Also a big bravo and thank you to the wonderful cast, director and conductor!

I hope to work with all of you very soon.