My Voice Class Term Paper

Photo courtesy of Soprano Central. http://sopranos.freeservers.com/cgi-bin/i/kiri.20.jpg

The Dame from New Zealand

A Journey Through the Music of Kiri Te Kanawa

The Dame from New Zealand

Kiri Te Kanawa started her career as a mezzo-soprano, then became a soprano later on down the road. When she became a soprano she played the lead character in many operas. She was also involved with musicals, folk songs, and Christmas Carols. This paper will introduce Kiri Te Kanawa’s career, and reveal some of the CDs she has brought out.

Kiri Te Kanawa was born in Gisborne, New Zealand She was the daughter of Tom and Nell Te Kanawa (Fingleton 15). The Te Kanawa’s were so poor that they did not have the time or the resources to take care of her, so they put her up for adoption. After she was adopted by her new parents, she was named Kiri to go with her surname. Te Kanawa’s new mother’s name was Nell. One of the things Nell noticed about Kiri was that whenever she played the piano, Kiri would sing to the music. Nell then realized that Kiri had talent in her singing voice, and wanted to enroll her in St. Mary’s College where Sister Mary Leo taught. She was the headmistress of this school. The lessons Kiri Te Kanawa received from Sister Mary Leo led to Te Kanawa’s first performance at this college. It was Johann Straus’ Casanova, where she sang in the Nun’s Chorus, and this was one of the CDs she was on. This was the time during her career when she started to be looked on as a mezzo-soprano. Sister Mary Leo recognized this. While Kiri Te Kanawa was considered a mezzo-soprano, she played the lead character of Carmen in Bizet’s Carmen. She also sang in other operas during her mezzo-soprano days, such as: Idomeneo, and Parsifal. The second turning point in Kiri Te Kanawa’s career was the time when she played the character of Countess Almaviva in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro (Sims 1328). This role required the voice of a soprano. This was the time in Te Kanawa’s career when she acquired the status of a soprano. After this, she was able to play the lead character in many other operas. One of them was Verdi’s La Traviata where she played the lead character of Violetta. One time in Johann Straus’ Die Fledermaus, she appeared as one of Prince Orlofsky’s guests and sang Sempre Libera as a solo from La Traviata (Fingleton 25). However, the role that Te Kanawa was most famous for was playing Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Another famous role that Te Kanawa played was Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello (Verdi). She expresses her passionate voice in this opera. One of the most famous parts that Kiri Te Kanawa was recognized for was The Willow Song, which was liked a lot by pianist David Harper, who also accompanied Te Kanawa with Sister Mary Leo.

The first solo recital for Kiri Te Kanawa was the Gala recital in her home of New Zealand at the Royal Opera house (Heather). During this recital she sang songs from poems in different languages. One of the songs was Daphne, which told the story of Apollo and Daphne. As a result of this concert, she started to become very popular in other opera houses all over the world.
Kiri Te Kanawa sang in many other forms besides opera. One of them was musicals, and she played the head character in them, such as in My Fair Lady, West Side Story, and The Sound of Music (Fingleton 25). These musicals are on CD too. Another thing Te Kanawa sang besides opera were folk songs. Chants D’ Auvergne is an example of this, and one of the songs was Quand z'eyro petitoune, which is French for When I was a Little Girl (Lobos). In addition, Kiri Te Kanawa also sang Christmas songs, and one of the CDs was Christmas With Kiri (Davis). Some of the Carols this CD contains is Winter Wonderland, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, White Christmas, and many others. Another example of Christmas CDs was Our Christmas Songs for You where she teamed up with Roberto Alagna and Thomas Hampson (Tunick). This CD does have some songs with all three of these singers singing, and some as Kiri Te Kanawa solos such as I’ll be Home For Christmas, Silent Night, and others.

There are many other sopranos that have taken their singing beyond opera, but I believe Kiri Te Kanawa has the best voice for this trend. The beauty of her voice can be enjoyed in opera, musicals, and folk songs. It can also be loved in Christmas carols. I find Maria Callas to be my favorite singer when it comes to opera, but I find Kiri Te Kanawa to be my favorite for the things she sang other than opera.

Works Cited

Fingleton David, Kiri Te Kanawa, A Bibliography. New York: Library of Congress Cataloging, 1983.
Kiri Te Kanawa Royal Gala Concert at the Royal Opera House, Convent Garden. Videocassette. Dir. David Heather. Kultur International Films LTD, 1980.
Otello. DVD-ROM. Dir. Georg Solti. Royal Opera House Convent Garden: Convent Garden Pioneer, 2001.
Wikipedia, Kiri Te Kanawa. 29 Aug 2004. 25 Sep 2004.
Soprano Central, Kiri Te Kanawa. N/A. 23 Sep 2004.
Lobos, Villa. Chants D’ Auvergne. London, CD ROM. Kingsway Hall, London, 1982
Tunick, Jonathan. Our Christmas Songs For You. EMI, CD-ROM. London; 1996
Davis, Carl. Christmas With Kiri. London, CD-ROM. CTS Studios, Wembley; 1985
Sims, Michael. Kiri Te Kanawa, International Dictionary of Opera. Volume 2. Detroit, MI, St. James Press 1993.

One of my Voluntary Oral Presentations

Thomas Daly

Music 109

11/3/03

Introduction

The presentation I am going to give is on Puccini’s opera Turandot. Puccini lived from 1858 to 1924. Turandot was his last opera. I will be talking about how Turandot was a unique opera, and a little about the story behind it.

Transition: Lets start with how Turandot was a unique opera.

Body

I. Turandot was a unique opera because two composers wrote it.

A. Puccini was able to get through writing acts one and two, but after he finished the first scene of act III, he died.

B. Turandot originally ended without the answer to The Unknown Prince’s riddle being answered.

C. A conductor by the name of Toscanini couldn’t accept this, so he hires an Italian composer named Franco Alfano to finish Turandot.

D. Alfano used his own style for scene two of act III, but the results were having Turandot end with The Unknown Princes riddle being answered.

E. Toscanini accepted this, and this is how Turandot was a unique opera.

Transition: Now lets look at the story behind Turandot.

II. In Turandot, Princess Turandot passes a law that in order for a prince to earn her love, he had to solve three riddles.

A. If he was successful, that was the prize.

B. However, if he failed, the executioner men beheaded him.

C. At the opening of this opera, this was a test that no prince has survived.

D. The piece I am going to play is Turandot’s entrance aria, which is known as in questa reggia.

E. In this aria, she is singing about what happened in the palace a thousand years ago.

F. Ladies and gentlemen, here is in questa reggia. (Show slide, play piece.)

Conclusion

Even though Puccini is no longer alive, his music lives on. His music and operas continue to thrill audiences all around the world. No matter what he died of, this is something that can never be taken away. Thank you.

Bibliography

Works Cited

Giacomo Puccini. “Turandot”
EMI Classics. CD-ROM. Tullio Serafin
Tullio Serafin: 1958
Liceu Barcelona. N/A
<> 3 Nov 2003
Berger William. The NPR Curious Listener’s Guide to Opera, 2002, New York, New York, The Berkeley Publishing Group, 2002.
Maehder, Jurgen, “Alfano Franco”, The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, Volume One. New York, NY, Macmillan Press, 1992
Budden, Julian, “Turandot”, The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, Volume Four. New York, NY, Macmillan Press, 1992

My First Oral Presentation about Opera

Thomas Daly
Oral Communication 101
9/4/02

Introduction

I. Like a play, opera is a form of drama.
A. However, the drama is not always spoken.
B. Often it is told through music.
C. Italian opera has the drama in the music.
D. Compared to German and French opera, Italian opera is compassionate and emotional through music.
E. Lucia di Lammermoor is an example of drama told through music. (Gaetano Donizetti)
F. The two scenes that I will discuss are the Fountain and The Mad Scenes.

(Transition: Lets start with what I like about The Fountain Scene.)

Body

I. The thing that I like about The Fountain Scene is that there are two female voice ranges. (Gaetano Donizetti)
A. They are soprano and mezzo-soprano.
B. A mezzo-soprano is a female voice that falls between soprano and
contralto.
C. A soprano is a high female voice and a contralto is a low female voice.
D. When Lucia's voice goes high in this scene, she is happy.
E. On the other hand, when Alisa's voice goes high, she is trying to make a point to Lucia.

(Transition: Now that I told you what I like about this scene, lets talk about it.)

II. In The Fountain Scene, Lucia is waiting for Edgardo.

A. Alisa (Lucia's companion) tries to look out for Lucia=s best interests by trying to talk her out of loving Edgardo.
B. Despite Alisa's efforts, it does not make Lucia change her mind.
C. When Edgardo arrives, he tells Lucia that he has business to attend to in France.
D. Before Edgardo Leaves, him and Lucia exchange rings, and Edgardo promises Lucia that he will write to her.

III. Inside Lammermoor castle, Normanno and Enrico come up with an idea to forge a letter from Edgardo, saying that he has his mind on another woman.

A. They figure that this will trick Lucia into marrying Arturo.
B. Lucia is convinced by the forged letter and goes ahead and marries Arturo.
C. Lucia later realizes that she has been tricked with the forged letter, goes mad, and kills Arturo.
D. This starts the part of Lucia di Lammermoor known as The Mad Scene. (Gaetano Donizetti)

(Transition: So lets look at what I like about The Mad Scene.)

IV. The thing that I like about The Mad Scene is that it features a solo soprano voice.

A. When the soprano's voice goes high, she is letting out a burst of anger.
B. When it drops, she is calming herself.

(Transition: Now that I described what I like about this scene, lets look at it.)

V. In The Mad Scene, Lucia enters the anteroom with the dagger she used to kill Arturo in her hand.

A. She drops the dagger, then relives her relationship with Edgardo, and pretends to be married to him right in front of the residents of Lammermoor.
B. After Lucia relives all these memories, she thinks she is heaven, and dies.

VI. Now that I have described part of this opera, I would like to play you a piece from The Mad Scene.

A. Ladies and Gentlemen, here is part of The Mad Scene from Lucia di Lammermoor. (Play piece)

Conclusion

(Transition: So after hearing a sample from Lucia di Lammermoor, I hope you can understand how beautiful Italian opera can be.)

I. The two scenes that I discussed were The Fountain and the Mad Scenes.
A. However, there is a great deal more in this opera than what I have discussed.
B. You might either want to purchase it on CD, on video, or look on the internet to find out more about it.
C. Thank you, and enjoy the beauty of Italian Opera. (Offer handouts)


Bibliography

Works Cited

The Metropolitan Opera. "Lucia di Lammermoor." 1 Jul 2002.
2 Aug 2002
Baltimore Opera. "Lucia di Lammermoor." N/A
1 Sep 2002
Kennedy, X.J., and Gioia Dana. (1999) Literature. An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. New York, NY: Longman, 1998
Kerman Joseph, Tomlinson Gary. (2000) Listen.
Boston, MA: Bedford St. Martins, 2000
Lucia di Lammermoor. Dir.Richard Bonynge. Hollywood CA:
Bel Canto Paramount Home Video, 1982.
"Ashbrook, William." Lucia di Lammermoor, The New Grove Dictionary of Opera,
Volume Three. New York, NY, Mcmillian Press 1992.
Donizetti, Gaetano. ALucia di Lammermoor.@
EMI Classics. CD-ROM. Stadtische Oper,
Berlin: Semder Freies Berlin; 1995.

Manon Lescaut Critique

Manon Lescaut Critique

Manon Lescaut was a very enjoyable opera from start to finish. This critique will show what I thought about it.

What I didn't like

I found nothing to not like about this opera. After listening to it on CD for over five years, watching it on video got me to fully understand the story behind it.

What I did like

The major thing that I liked about this opera was that it featured the soprano Kiri Te Kanawa. This was the first time I ever saw her sing in an opera, and enjoy her passionate voice. I saw Kiri Te Kanawa on other occasions, but this one was nothing compared to those occasions. This made me look forward to seeing her in other operas in the future.

Another thing that I liked about this opera was that it got me to hear parts of the opera that I have not heard on my CD yet. As soon as I get a chance, I will listen to these parts either whilie I am on my computer, or in my car.

Special Aspects

The only special aspect was that this opera featured another singer that I heard about named Placido Domingo. I found this to be a real pleasure to hear from a famous tenor as well as a famous soprano. I am hoping to hear or see something featuring things like this again.

The Story Behind Manon Lescaut

The Story Behind Manon Lescaut

Manon Lescaut was Puccini's first huge success. This essay will describe the story behind this opera.

Act I

The first act takes place in a village. Des Grieux reads poetry to an audience of people hoping to impress a woman to fall in love with him. This does not work for him. However, a coach arrives carring Manon and Lescaut. Des Grieux introduces himself and askes Manon her name. She replies telling him that her name is Manon Lescaut. Her brother calls her to the inn, and Manon tells Des Grieux that she will see him again at night. When Manon sees Des Grieux, she tells him that when she leaves, she will be forced to join a convent, which is a life that she does not want. Des Grieux offers to take her away from this life. After their conversation, a student suggests that Manon run off to Paris with him. That's exactly what she does. When her father comes looking for Manon, Lescaut tells him that she ran off with a student to Paris. After hearing about this, they both start after them.

Act II

The second act takes place in a luxurious room in Paris, where Manon is living a life of luxury. She has left Des Grieux, and wants to rejoin him. When Des Grieux arrives, he is upset about Manon leaving him for this life, and he refuses to reunite with Manon. Manon then pleads very hard to get Des Grieux to reunite with her. Des Grieux eventually gives in and they are both reunited. After this happens, Lescaut arrives to warn Manon that her father sent soldiers out to arrest her for running away from joining the convent. Manon tries to gather her treasures together, but Des Grieux and Lescaut try to convince Manon that she must leave now. After Manon gathers her jewels, she goes for the door, but it is too late. She gets arrested.

Act III

The third act takes place outside a harbor where Manon is being held prisoner. She is to be banished to America. Des Grieux arrives to attempt to break Manon out of her holding cell to be with her. The attempt fails because the guards arrive to escort the women from the prison to the ship that will take them to America. Des Grieux tries to comfort Manon, but is overpowered by the guards. He offers his services as a cabin boy on the ship just to be with Manon. The captain agrees to his terms, and Des Grieux goes to America with all the women incuding Manon.

Act IV

The fourth act takes place in a desert outside of New Orleans. Manon is dying from heat exhaustion , but Des Grieux is still able to move along. Des Grieux offers to find water and shelter for the both of them, but Manon wants to be with him no matter what. Manon eventually gives in and lets Des Grieux look around for shelter or water. While Des Grieux is out looking, Manon thinks he left her, but Des Grieux returns to tell Manon that there is no water or shelter in sight. As a result Manon dies from heat exhaustion in Des Grieux's arms and the opera ends.

My second step toward my opera journey

Thomas Daly

Music 121

3/26/02

The Beethoven Festival

The major thing that I liked about the concert, was that it helped me get over two straight days and nights worth of stress.

When I sat down in my seat, I noticed the size of the orchestra compared to the last concert I went to (UNLV Wind Orchestra Concert III), this orchestra was smaller, and there were over thirty singers in the chorus. During the first piece called Mass in C Major, op. 86, (Beethoven) I started to feel the excessive stress start to depart from me. This was due to the beauty of the orchestra music and the way the choristers sang. After the first part of the Mass entitled the Gloria, I felt that my stress level was reduced by about seventy percent.

The second part of the mass the Credo reduced my stress level even more. When it was over, I was almost at zero stress. The third part of the mass the Sanctus, made me take a few deep breaths, then all that stress was finally out of me. This made me realize why it’s called entertainment.

Another thing that I liked about the concert was that it had a touch of poetry. It was read prior to the piece called, Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage Op. 112.(Beethoven) This is something that I had never seen before this concert. After the narrator read the story, the chorus repeated it in Italian.

The thing that I didn’t like about the concert was that at the end of the Gloria, there was an elderly lady in the audience shouting bravo as a form of applause, and the conductor tried to tell her to be quiet. This held up the concert for about five minutes.

As far as special aspects, I noticed that the timpani player put his hands over the drums at times after he struck them. I figured that the purpose of this was to limit the duration of the tones so it would not unnecessarily interfere with any of the other players or singers. There were two pieces that had no choristers. The first one was Overture to the Creatures of Prometheus Op. 43.(Beethoven) The chorus was present during the piece, but there was no singing whatsoever. Another special aspect of the concert was that the entire chorus left the stage for the piece called Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor Op.37. (Beethoven) During this entire piece, I figured I would look at this concert as being two concerts for the price of one. Part orchestra and chorus, and part orchestra alone.

After the concert I figured that if I ever wanted to find a cure to excessive stress, I would go to an orchestra and chorus concert whether my music instructor assigns it or not. In addition, if these same singers and players have a Christmas concert, I would not hesitate to see it.

Works Cited

A Beethoven Festival Concert, perf, Mass in C Major, Op 86. dir, Dr. Douglas R. Peterson, Artemus Ham concert Hall. Las Vegas NV. 24 Mar. 2002.

A Beethoven Festival Concert, perf, Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus Op. 43. dir, Dr. Douglas R. Peterson, Artemus Ham concert Hall. Las Vegas NV. 24 Mar. 2002.

A Beethoven Festival Concert, perf, Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage Op. 112. dir, Dr. Douglas R. Peterson, Artemus Ham concert Hall. Las Vegas NV. 24 Mar. 2002.

A Beethoven Festival Concert, perf, Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor Op. 37. dir, Dr. Douglas R. Peterson, Artemus Ham concert Hall. Las Vegas NV. 24 Mar. 2002.

My First step toward starting my opera journey

Thomas Daly

Music 121

2/2/02

UNLV Wind Orchestra Concert III

The concert that I went to was the UNLV Wind Orchestra Concert number III. The only thing that I didn’t like about it was my worrisome attitude before the concert even started. What that means is I thought the outcome would not be to my liking being I was currently attached to modern music. Fortunately, it didn’t turn out the way I predicted. It was highly enjoyable from the start to the end, and it made me realize certain things.

The major things that I liked about the concert is that it made me look on music as being like two sides of a coin. One side good, and the other not as good. Ever since I was in fifth grade, I was drawn over to the not as good side. The thing that turned me to this side was having to listen to all that rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and other styles. As a result it got me addicted to it for over twenty years, and I thought that I would never turn back to the other side of music. Thanks to the concert, I was finally able to turn myself back to the good side of music which is made of classical music and easy listening. This concert made me realize that there is a classical music lover in every one of us, and it is up to only one person to get that out; that person is ourselves. The concert also tempted me into purchasing some classical music at the music store.

The next best thing that I liked about the concert was the piece titled Intermezzo from Guglielmo Ratcliff. (Pietro Mascagni) This was the most heartwarming experience I have ever had. I was overwhelmed in a positive manner by the piece. I found it to be one of the most beautiful pieces of music that I ever heard. This piece had a few beautiful touches of the harp too. When the piece ended I started to realize that classical music can have heartwarming qualities as well as modern music.

The piece titled Sinfonia Nobilissima gave me an answer to one of my questions. (Robert Jager) That question is, “Do pieces that start off with a real fast tempo, then calm down to a slow one exist?” It gave me an answer of yes, and I know that I will probably hear many other pieces like that in the future.

The last piece titled Symphony Number 2 Romantic Movement III, gave me an answer to another one of my questions. (Howard Hanson) “Do pieces that start off as loud, then move into a soft manner exist?” This question too gave me an answer of yes, and that there are probably a ton of other pieces like it out there.

As far as special aspects go, at the end of the concert one of the players from the woodwind section shook hands with the conductor. That’s the one I liked the best. A highly possible purpose of that was that particular woodwind player had a great deal of pleasure in working with him. The second aspect of this concert was that my instructor from my music appreciation class was one of the players in the horn section. I probably didn’t actually see him, but I found it to be a great pleasure to actually hear him play.

I found this concert to be one of the best experiences of my life, and I am looking forward to the next concert that I will attend.

Works Cited

UNLV Wind Orchestra, perf, , Intermezzo from Guglielmo Ratcliff. dir, Teppi Suzuki, Artemus Ham concert Hall. Las Vegas NV. 31 Jan. 2002.

UNLV Wind Orchestra, perf, Sinfonia Nobilissima. dir, Teppi Suzuki, Artemus Ham concert Hall. Las Vegas NV. 31 Jan. 2002.

UNLV Wind Orchestra, perf, Symphony Number 2 Romantic Movement III. dir, Teppi Suzuki, Artemus Ham concert Hall. Las Vegas NV. 31 Jan. 2002.

Hansel and Gretel Opera

The Story of the Hansel and Gretel Opera

Photo courtesy of Meghan McCall Soprano http://www.meghanmccall.com/engagements.asp

Hansel and Gretel is a two act opera written by composer Engelbert Humperdinck. It follows the story of the classic fairy tale. There is also some uniqueness about it. This essay will describe the story in full.

Act I Scene I

The first act takes place at the home of Hansel and Gretel. The two are concerned about their mother being late. They have not finished their work, but Gretel talks Hansel into dancing with her instead. Gretel teaches Hansel all the moves, and then suddenly their mother (Gertrude) arrives and is angry at them for not finishing their work. Instead of feeling bad, they both start laughing, then as a form of punishment, Gertrude sends Hansel and Gretel to the woods to pick strawberries for her. Shortly after Hansel and Gretel leave for the woods, their father arrives home. Gertrude tells him about what Hansel and Gretel have done, and sent them to get some strawberries in the woods. The father warns Gertrude about the dangers that are in the woods at night. After Gertrude hears about this, they both go out and look for them before it’s too late.

Act I Scene II

The second act takes place in the woods. Hansel and Gretel picked the strawberries an s they were told to. They were hungry when they were sent, so they start feasting on the strawberries until they are all gone. They later realize that they are lost, and are then surrounded by night creatures. The two become scared. Later the sandman shows up, and puts the creatures to sleep with his magic. When all the creatures are asleep, Hansel and Gretel say their night prayers and go to sleep safely. While they are sleeping, fairies show up and start dancing around. A few of them start flying around, which is uniqueness about this opera. The fairies then put a cover over Hansel and Gretel to make them comfortable while they sleep.

Act II

Act II starts off in the woods. The first character that is seen is the dew fairy. The dew fairy uses magic to wake up Hansel and Gretel. After they awaken, they discover a gingerbread house. When they go over to eat pieces of it, they hear a voice in the background, and think it is the wind. As they are eating pieces of the house, the wicked witch approaches from behind them, not knowing it is her house. As they try to run, the witch puts a curse on them. If they try to fight the curse, it would only make it worse. The curse forces Hansel into a cage, and makes Gretel do whatever the witch says. The witch tells Gretel to get some raisins to make Hansel fat, so she can cook and eat him. She tries to do the same thing to Gretel. When it comes time for Gretel to go into the oven, she tells the witch that she does not know how to get in it. Gretel asks the witch to show her how, but little does the witch know that it is a trick. When the witch shows Gretel how to enter the oven, Gretel frees Hansel, and pushes the witch into the oven and close the door. After the oven explodes, the witch is destroyed, and a lot of children come out of nowhere. They tell Hansel and Gretel that they freed them from the witch’s gingerbread spell. They all then start dancing and singing. Afterward, Hansel and Gretel’s parents show up, and they are glad to see each other. After this, the opera ends.

Work Cited

Meghan McCall Soprano, N/A http://www.meghanmccall.com/engagements.asp 24 September 2007.

Hansel and Gretel critique

UNLV wrote:

Hansel and Gretel critique

 

A Critique of the Opera Hansel and Gretel

 

              I have been listening to this opera on CD for a long time.  Although it is sung in English, I still had a hard time understanding the story, until I saw it on video.  In this essay, I will talk about what I did not like about the opera, what I did like, and the special aspects. 

 

What I did not like about the opera

 

            I found nothing dislikable about this opera.  I believe that Hansel and Gretel will please opera fans all around the world.

 

What I did like about the opera

 

            This opera was highly likable from the very start to the end.  The major thing that I liked about watching Hansel and Gretel on video is that it got me to understand the story a lot better.  First of all, after Hansel and Gretel were almost finished dancing instead of working, their mother (Gertrude) was watching them.  This was something that can’t be noticed by just listening to it on CD.  The next thing I really liked was after Hansel and Gretel fell asleep in the woods, there were fairies dancing around the stage like ballet dancers.  This is also something you can’t notice by just audio alone.  I also liked the appearance of the dew fairy before act II.  I didn’t know about the dew fairy until seeing the video.   In the witch’s house scene, I was finally able to understand how the witch gets destroyed.  It was done be Gretel tricking her into showing her how to get into the oven.  Gretel then pushes the witch in and closes the door.  After the witch was destroyed, all the children under her spell were freed.  They even sang with beautiful voices.  As far as all the other characters go, I liked every one of their voices.

 

Special Aspects

 

            The only special aspect was that the production on the DVD was done on Christmas.  I discovered this by accident.  This raises an interesting question.  Can Hansel and Gretel be looked on as a Christmas opera?  If the answer to this question is yes, then it might be something that children would view during that time of year. 

 

              Even non-dedicated opera fans might find Hansel and Gretel to by a very enjoyable experience just like I have.

 

 

A Critique of Puccini’s Edgar

A Critique of Puccini’s Edgar

There is a saying of everyone loves Puccini. The reason is that the music in his operas is beautiful, and most of the stories are easy to understand provided they are watched on video. Edgar proves that this is true.

What I didn’t Like

There was obviously nothing I didn’t like about this opera. I believe that this was one of the best operas I ever saw on video.

What I did Like

I liked every piece of this opera. One of them was the soprano that played Fidelia. She had one of the most beautiful voices. I also liked the contralto that played Tigrana. A contralto is normally used to play the role of a villain. The way she played the role of Tigrana was awesome. I liked the way it made it look like she was laughing when Frank was contemplating about his involvement with her.

Another thing that I liked was the choir voices in the background. During the funeral scene, there were children’s voices in the background too. It may not have been as beautiful as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, but it was all very pleasant to listen to.

The best thing that I liked about this opera was that the story was easy to understand.

Special Aspects

A special aspect I was able to see was the way Tigrana smiled when she was getting enjoyment from people suffering. Another special aspect was the townspeople all singing together at times. One of them was when they were trying to make Tigrana leave the village for her evil ways. Another time was during the funeral scene.

Best Purchase Option

The best place to purchase this opera is at amazon.com. They offer used and new merchandise for a decent discount. People can purchase this opera wherever they want, but I believe that this is the best choice.

The story of Puccini's Edgar

The Story of Puccini’s Edgar

Photo courtesy of Forum Opera http://www.forumopera.com/critiques/puccini_edgar_domingo.html

Edgar is a story about a confrontation between good and evil. It involves the woman Edgar is in love with who is one of those two natures. The opera ends in a tragedy. This essay will describe the story in full.

Act I

The first act takes place in a village in front of the house of Edgar’s father. Edgar himself is torn between the love of Fidelia or Tigrana. Fidelia tries to talk Edgar into ending his relationship with Tigrana. However, Edgar is confused about which woman to love. The evil Tigrana then comes on stage.

Figure: Tigrana
Photo courtesy of DVD 4 Music http://www.dvd4music.com/onlineshop/details/pdl1014-1.html

She then starts singing her evil song. The townspeople’s music of good is heard by Tigrana, but it does not change her evil ways one bit. They tell Tigrana to stop singing her evil song, and she refuses to. Then there is a conflict between Edgar and Frank over Tigrana. Gualtiero steps in to stop the dagger fight, but he only postpones it for a few minutes. Frank is then wounded by Edgar’s dagger, and Frank fakes his death. Edgar then burns down his father’s house because he is under Tigrana’s evil spell.

Act II

The second act takes place outside the village. Edgar starts singing to himself about being in way over his head about his love for Tigrana. He no longer wants any part of her. Tigrana then shows up and tries to tempt Edgar into continuing his relationship with her. Edgar refuses no matter how hard the temptation is. Soldiers then start marching toward their position, and Frank is their leader. Frank tells Edgar that the blade of his dagger freed him from Tigrana’s evil spell. Edgar offers to go with him to fight by his side. Frank lets him, and Tigrana starts pleading not to go with him. Edgar refuses to listen to her no matter how much she pleaded.

Act III

The third act takes place outside Frank’s and Edgar’s castle. A funeral is held for Edgar. The townspeople believe that Edgar was killed in battle, but Edgar fakes his death. It is actually a trick to lure Tigrana to the castle and get her to tell the townspeople that Edgar was her lover. Frank and Edgar (disguised as a funeral attendee) tempt Tigrana with a necklace, and offer to give it to her if she admits being Edgar’s lover. Tigrana eventually comes clean, and when she does, Edgar reveals himself, and falls in love with Fidelia. The townspeople want to banish Tigrana, but she gets her last laugh by killing Fidelia. She is then arrested, and the opera ends.

Works Cited

DVD 4 Music: Puccini DVD Edgar, 2002 http://www.dvd4music.com/onlineshop/details/pdl1014-1.html. 17 October 2007
Forum Opera: Critiques, N/A, http://www.forumopera.com/critiques/puccini_edgar_domingo.html. 17 October 2007

Special Posting: An opera concert from the past

Thomas Daly
Music 109
9/28/03

The Rigoletto Concert

This concert was an experience that I have never seen before. There were a couple of things I didn’t like about it. One if them was trying to insist that my mother not play at the casino before we went, but she still insisted on playing. I was afraid that this might cause her to fall asleep right in the middle of the concert. I shouldn’t have talked because before the concert I worked myself to death on my psychology notes. This really tired me out, and I had to take a shower to refresh myself. So I was the one that could have fallen asleep. Fortunately, during the concert, I was awake throughout the entire show. Another thing that didn’t appeal to me was that it was hard to see the subtitle screen at times. Despite that, most of my attention was on the characters, and the music. I also learned was how the subtitles are displayed during a live opera. These were two of the things that I liked about the concert. In the scene were Rigoletto goes to his house, the soprano that played Gilda had a beautiful voice. The trills that she sang were beautiful. In addition, she put in the music one of the main ingredients that I want in my music. The beauty of a soprano. My mother did not care for the mezzo-soprano that played Giovanna, but I did. I thought she had a beautiful voice too. Another thing that I liked about the concert, was that I was finally able to see the second act that I missed while watching it on video. This act was something that I have never seen before. It went back to the duke’s palace, and it used the same sets from the first scene of the first act. The best thing that I liked about this concert was that I learned why Rigoletto hires Sparafucile to kill the duke in the third act. It was so he can get even with him for kidnaping his daughter. The best special aspect that I liked was when the character that played the duke finished his aria, he took the cup that he was holding, and threw it across the stage. I got a little kick out of that.

This opera presented to me things that I have never seen in a live opera or on video, and I’m hoping to see live operas like this one in the future. Maybe the next one I go to see will have other new experiences awaiting me.

Cyrano de Bergerac Critique

Cyrano de Bergerac Critique

Photo courtesy of BBC Radio http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/musicmatters/pip/ne23b/, 7May2006

The opera I will be critiquing is Cyrano de Bergerac. I currently own this opera on CD, but not

on video. The reason I wanted to watch it is so I could understand the story better.

What I did not like

The thing that I did not like was very minor. At times when the camera focused off stage,

the orchestra could be seen. However, this did not affect my enjoying this opera.

What I liked
The first thing I liked about this opera was shortly after the overture was played, Cyrano

(The head character) made his entry on stage through the audience. This was something I have

never seen in an opera before. I am wondering if Cyrano de Bergerac I sever shown here at

UNLV they would have Cyrano enter via the audience.

Another thing that I liked about this opera was the beautiful voices of women singing at

the opening of act 5 when Roxanne enters the convent. I never had the chance to hear this part

on my CD, and when I do get a chance I am anxious to hear it for myself.

Special Aspects

The only special aspect I can think of was Cyrano coming on stage through the audience, and

singing as he approached the stage. Could this make Cyrano de Bergerac a unique opera, or is

this done in other operas as well? If this is done at the beginning of other operas, I am hoping to

see this again in the future.

Where Cyrano de Bergerac can be purchased

I believe the best place to purchase this opera is at amazon.com. The link to the website for this

specific opera is: http://amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/103-9907479-5264614?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=Cyrano+de+Bergerac

Work Cited

BBC Radio, Music Matters, 7 May 2006,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/musicmatters/pip/ne23b/. 11 October 2007

Double Critique

Okay, First off, I want to apologize for not posting along with my partners in writing, but I have been ill for the past couple weeks. I'm feeling better now and am going to make this easier on all of you, and me! For my first post, I'm just going to critique our first two operas, instead of critiquing and summarizing them all over again.

LE VILLI
This opera was actually the very first opera that I had ever seen. I initially thought that the story line was a little slow. I liked the love-story theme in the beginning,. Towards the middle and the end, as Anna became heart-broken, and bitterly vengeful, I could understand what she was going through, being a girl myself.

Also, being a former dancer, I closely watched the dance aspect of the production. Le Villi was almost like a ballet with singing. There was lots of group dancing. My favorite part of the dance ensembles was the dance of the Villis. Their dance conveyed their pain and anguish. Their dance also showed the energy and passion that it took to drive the man that caused Anna's heart-break, to his death.

All in all, I was surprised that the entire production was as good as it was. I was expecting something completely boring and absolutely nothing that I could relate to. Aside from the fact that it was a little slow going in the beginning, I would say that Le Villi was a pretty good show.

LA CENERENTOLA
When I was told that La Cenerentola was a Cinderella story, I got excited because I had been told the same story since I was little. When I actually watched La Cenerentola, I was a little disappointed. Yes, it was the basic Cinderella idea of two evil step-sisters and an un-caring, evil step-parent, a prince holding a ball to find a bride, and all of the eligible females in the vicinity were to attend the ball so the prince could choose his bride from the attendees.

The disappointment came from the simplicity of everything within the production. There was little dancing throughout the show, except for during the ball. The costuming was very plain. The singing grated my nerves.

I want it known that I am not saying that this is a horrible opera and that it should never be viewed or listened to again. All that I am saying is that I didn't like it. Plain and simple. Maybe it was because I was sick at the time that I watched it, or maybe not. Watch it for your self and pass your own judgment.

La Cenerentola Story

La Cenerentola Story

La Cenerentola follows the story of the classic fairy Cinderella with some changes. The Story opens with Cinderella’s two sisters rather than the wicked stepmother contemplating about the ball. When Cinderella comes in, she is tormented by her two sisters and want no part of her at the ball. Her stepfather (Don Magnifico) takes the wicked stepmother’s place and treats Cinderella with cruelty, and does not allow her to attend the ball. Cinderella believes the only chance of getting noticed is to find a prince at the ball. Later on in place of the fairy godmother, Alidoro (The prince's tutor) steps in and gives Cinderella a beautiful dress and two diamond bracelets so her sisters and father won’t recognize her. At the ball, a prince sees Cinderella and wants to marry her. Instead of losing a glass slipper, she gives the prince one of her diamond bracelets. After the ball, Cinderella is back to her normal life with her sisters and father still on her case all the time. When the prince arrives at Cinderella’s house, he returns the bracelet to her and asks if she wants to marry him. Cinderella agrees to marry the prince. Once this marriage has taken place, her sisters and stepfather accept Cinderella for what she has become, and never torment her again.

La Cenerentola Critique

La Cenerentola Critique

La Cenerentola is Rossini's operatic version of the classic fairy tale Cinderella. The opera was likable in some areas, but it may disappoint all, but devoted opera fans.
The first thing I didn't like about it was being unable to get the subtitles to work. After wrestling with this feature several times, I gave up and watched it without them. This made the opera hard to understand, but I was lucky that I understood the Cinderella story when I was a kid. Another thing I didn't like was when the camera focused away from the stage, you could see the conductor's hand movements, which I found to be rather distracting. The next thing that was unlikable was the fairy godmother being replaced by character named Alidoro (The prince's tutor). The wicked stepmother was also removed and replaced by Don Magnifico (Cinderella's stepfather). Another thing that was replaced was the glass slipper, by Cinderella giving the prince one of her diamond bracelets. This was probably done to avoid plagiarism.
The first thing I liked about this opera was when it started, the characters looked like they came out of thin air. This was thanks to a translucent screen instead of a curtain. When the second act was about to start, the props rotated to a certain position to set the right scene. Along with this, there were chandeliers coming down from the ceiling to set the scene for the ball. This was something that I have never seen before, and hope to see in future operas. There were also parts where the sound a harpsichord was heard. Harpsichords were used mostly during the baroque era. This raises a question of them still being used today.
My overall impression of La Cenerentola was mediocre. It contained half likable and unlikable parts. If you are not a devoted opera fan, you shouldn't see it, but if you are, and really enjoy opera, it might be worth seeing after all.

Le Villi Opera

The Le Villi Opera

The first opera for our blog project was Puccini’s Le Villi. There were more things that I liked about it than I didn’t like.

Let’s start with what I didn’t like. The first thing I didn’t like was when the opera started; I forgot to activate the subtitles. It would be hard for my partner and I to understand the opera without subtitles when the opera is sang in Italian. Another thing I didn’t like about it wan instead of having the mad scene like in Giselle (the ballet form of the opera), there was narration that told about Anna’s death. I found this to be highly understandable, because the composer didn’t want the opera to look like it was plagiarized from Giselle.

Now here is what I liked about Le Villi. The first thing I liked was the opera had ballet style dancing at the beginning of acts I and II. The one I liked better was the dancing of the Willis. The background music was very beautiful. This opera was like an opera and a ballet in one. Another thing that I liked was how Anna’s appearance was changed from act I to II. In act I, her hair was in a bun. In act II, her hair was let down. At first, I thought it was the queen of the Willis, but then I noticed it was really Anna.

As far as special aspects go, there was narration, which was something that I never saw in an opera before. I can assume that there are other operas that have this special aspect as well. After seeing this opera, it tempted me to add it to my birthday list.

The story behind Le Villi

The Story of Le Villi

Le Villi is an opera that is similar to the classic ballet Giselle. In act I, Anna thinks that she is in love with Roberto, but little does Anna know that Roberto is in love with someone else. Before the end of act I, Roberto pretends to be married to Anna. Instead of there being a mad scene, there is narration that explains what happened between Anna and Roberto, and how Anna died. After the narration, groups of vampire like women (the Willis) take Anna away, and in act II Anna is the queen of the Willis. During act II when Roberto arrives, he is called by the Willis to pay the price for betraying Anna. Roberto shows no form of resistance and is willing to take his punishment of death. In the ballet Giselle, the wilis force the man who betrayed their woman to dance until he dies. In Le Villi, Anna gets her revenge by having the Willis dance around Roberto, using their magical powers until Roberto dies. After Roberto dies, Anna gets her revenge, and the opera ends.

My First Post

This blog will be about opera. I will start my group off with some one act operas so they can get the feel of what opera is like. After that, we will start viewing operas that are more than one act. We will be viewing the following operas.

One Act Operas

• Gianni Schici
• Suor Angelica
• Cavaleria Rusticana

Two Act Operas

• La Cenerentola
• L'italiana in Algeri
• La donna del lago
• La Fanciulla del West

Note: This list is only tenative and is subject to change