What a novel way to promote locally produced opera productions! This Korean company actually sets up no less than a full orchestra in the middle of a busy train station! The final chorus of tenors is quite interesting too.
As for some real impromptu operatic singing, Opera Holland Park's (a UK-based company despite its name) supermarket surprise concert features a leading man and lady and a little more. How cool is that?!
Ever wondered if there is an instrument that fits your unique personality? Take this quiz to find out. I followed the directions and answered all the questions on the top left, and to my surprise it led me straight to 'opera singer'!
This year's edition of the Singapore Lyric Opera's popular Opera in the Park takes place at 6pm on 9 June, featuring Melvin Tan, Cherylene Liew, Anna Koor and a thus far unconfirmed baritone soloist, as well as the SLO Orchestra conducted by Joshua Kangming Tan.
PROGRAMME
Rossini’s
Barber
of
Seville
-‐ Overture
(SLO
Orchestra)
-‐ Largo
al
factotum
(solo:
baritone)
-‐ Una
voce
poco
fa
(solo:
mezzo
soprano)
Dvorak’s
Rusalka
-‐ Song
to
the
Moon
(solo:
soprano)
Puccini’s
Gianni
Schicchi
-‐ O
Mio
Babbino
Caro
(solo:
soprano)
Saint
-‐Saëns’
Samson and Delilah
-‐ Bacchanale
(SLO
Orchestra)
-‐ Mon
coeur
s’ouvre
a
ta
voix
(solo:
mezzo
soprano)
Puccini’s
Manon
Lescaut
-‐
Donna
non
Vidi
Mai
(solo:
tenor)
-‐ Tu,
tu,
amore
(duet:
soprano and tenor)
-‐ Act
3:
Intermezzo
( Orchestra)
-‐ Sola,
perduta,
abbandonata
(soprano)
E
Morricone’s
Nella
Fantasia
*The
programme
and
artistes
are
subject
to
change
Here's a quick description from their press release:
=============================
Celebrating
its
fifth
year,
Singapore
Lyric
Opera’s
annual
Opera
in
the
Park
returns
to
the
Singapore
Botanic
Gardens
on
Saturday,
9
June
2012
at
6
pm
at
the
Shaw
Foundation
Symphony
Stage.
Opera
in
the
Park
has
seen
people
from
all
walks
of
life
come
forward
to
embrace
what
opera
has
to
offer.
Setting
Opera
in
the
Park
at
the
Singapore
Botanic
Gardens
has
made
the
art
form
more
accessible
to
the
general
public,
with
a
dynamic
audience
enjoying
classic
opera
songs
performed
in
an
informal
and
relaxed
atmosphere.
Said
Miss
Ng
Siew
Eng,
General
Manager
of
SLO,
“Opera
in
the
Park
started
in
2008
as
our
outreach
programme.
It
has
been
five
good
years
of
opera
music
in
the
park.
We
have
seen
the
number
of
audience
increasing
over
the
last
five
years.
When
we
first
started,
we
were
nervous
about
the
audience
that
will
come
and
also
if
anyone
would
come
at
all.
People
say
opera
is
boring
but
time
has
proven
that
people
love
opera
and
how
familiar
tunes
are.
We
are
heartened
to
know
that
opera
is
no
longer
seen
as
boring.
I
believe
our
audience
just
loves
the
music
and
all
those
singing.
I
believe
Opera
in
the
Park
has
a
place
in
the
social
and
arts
calendar
here.
We
have
been
very
fortunate
to
have
our
partners,
National
Parks
Board,
Singapore
Botanic
Gardens,
Singapore
Press
Holdings,
Totalisator
Board
and
Arts
Fund,
and
the
Lee
Foundation,
to
partner
with
us
to
bring
such
beautiful
music
to
the
people.
Opera
in
the
Park
has
also
become
our
platform
to
provide
opportunities
to
our
young
musicians
in
the
SLO
Orchestra,
conductors
like
Joshua
Tan
Kang
Ming
and
Darrell Ang,
singers
like
Melvin
Tan,
Reuben
Lai and
Cherylene
Liew
amongst
others,
to
captivate
audience
with
those
lovely
voices
and
melodies.
We
have
no
great
plans
to
mark
the
fifth
anniversary
Opera
in
the
Park
but
will
continue
to
make
it
a
household
name
in
the
performance
circle.”
Good to know that Cathay Cineplex's presentation of Carmen 3D must have been reasonably successful enough for them to take-on a follow-up: "Madam" Butterfly 3D stars Zhang Liping and James Valenti in the leads. Zhang is probably one of the leading singers of the role today so this is something that even die-hard voice lovers can look forward to.
=================================
Calling all fans of Opera, Madam Butterfly 3D will be screening at The Cathay Cineplex from 18 Apr till 28 Apr. This is an exclusive showcase so you would not want to miss it.
Be mesmerized by the elegant and powerful Royal Opera House production, Madam Butterfly 3D. Beautifully filmed in Real D 3D and featuring a supremely talented cast performing this gripping drama to Puccini's haunting score. (Sung in Italian with English subtitles)
The SSO seldom gives out freebies so its great that this one is on offer: a free open rehearsal on Thursday 10 May, one day before the actual performance. Scroll down for details:
SSO: CARMINA BURANA
11 May 2012 (Friday), 7.30pm
Pre-Concert Talk: 6.30pm,
Library @ Esplanade Open Rehearsal: Thur 10 May, 6.30pm-10.15pm (Open to members of the public on a first-come-first-served basis)(Ed: emphasis by The Mad Scene)
Esplanade Concert Hall
Performers
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Lim Yau, conductor
Son Jihye, soprano
John Zuckerman, lyric tenor
Markus Eiche, baritone
Singapore Symphony Chorus
Hallelujah Chorus
The Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir
Programme
STRAVINSKY Apollon Musagète (30’)
ORFF Carmina burana (65’)
Carl Orff’s 1936 setting of 24 medieval poems from a 12th-century collection has become a popular staple of the choral repertoire, not least because of the extraordinary popularity of one movement, “O Fortuna”, used in films, television series and even beer advertisements.
On May 11, this glorious masterpiece will be performed by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, joined by soprano Son Jihye, lyric tenor John Zuckerman, baritone Markus Eiche, the Singapore Symphony Chorus, Hallelujah Chorus, The Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir.
Conductor Lim Yau will open the concert with Stravinsky’s neo-classical ballet in which the god Apollo is visited by three muses representing poetry, rhetoric and dance.
We don't really feature instrumentalists as often as we should, but this one looks like an interesting thing to check out. Yuri Bashmet is one of the top star volists in the world (really one of the few violists who has attained the star-status that is more often granted to their violinist colleagues...). Accompanying him is his very own Moscow Soloists chamber orchestra, an ensemble that he has founded. Check out their accompanying press release:
=========================================
LEGENDARY VIOLIST YURI BASHMET TO PERFORM IN SINGAPORE WITH CELEBRATED MOSCOW SOLOISTS
Eminent Russian conductor and violist Yuri Bashmet will return to Singapore for a one-night performance at the Esplanade Concert Hall on Friday, 25th May, together with his award winning-ensemble, the Moscow Soloists.
The charismatic maestro will perform classics from Mozart, Paganini, Rossini, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky. Audiences can expect an exquisite performance by Bashmet, who has been hailed as “the greatest viola player of the modern times” by The New York Times and “the world’s best living musician” by the British Times.
Bashmet has inspired many to write music for him, including famous Russian composers Alfred Schnittke and Sofia Gubaidulina. Other concertos composed for him include works by Poul Ruders, Alexander Tchaikovsky and Alexander Raskatov.
In 1992, he founded the Moscow Soloists, an ensemble he has performed with and directed on several world tours since inception. This celebrated chamber orchestra has been warmly received in Moscow, Amsterdam, Paris, Tokyo, New York, and the BBC Proms in London. As the only Russian Chamber Orchestra to have ever won a Grammy Award, the Moscow Soloists, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, will provide the perfect accompaniment to Bashmet’s showcase in Singapore.
The concert is part of a cultural exchange programme sponsored by Gazprom, the world’s largest gas company by asset base. The Asian tour includes performances in Beijing, Shanghai and Tokyo. Proceeds from the Singapore performance will be donated to the Singapore Repertory Theatre’s (SRT) Student Education Fund, which will be channelled to offering children from underprivileged families the opportunity to attend SRT’s theatre productions, exposing them to cultural arts experiences that they would otherwise not have the opportunity to enjoy.
Tickets are now available from Sistic and are priced at $50, $80, $110, $115 and $200
(VIP box).
Date: Friday, 25th May 2012
Time: 1930 to 2120 hrs
Venue: The Esplanade Concert Hall
Yuri Bashmet and the Moscow Soloists' concert is sponsored by global energy company, Gazprom, and for more information, please visit http://bashmetinsingapore.com.
