Cendrillion, Conte de FÈes in 4 Acts
Music composed by Jules Massenet (1842–1912). Libretto by Henri Cain after Perrault.
Month: March 2008
MASSENET: Cendrillon
Third Tristan Survives Tension at the Met
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/arts/music/24tris.html?_r=1&ref=music&oref=slogin
Opera ‘Thunderstorm’ fascinating, impressive
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=141cf6a0-1e2d-48a8-af9c-275b193a7510&k=85518
MASSENET: Werther
Werther: Drame lyrique en 4 actes et 5 tableaux
Music composed by Jules Massenet. Libretto by Edouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann based on Die Leiden des jungen Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Lalo’s Fiesque — University College Opera
UC Opera’s reputation for showcasing rare large-scale works has been boosted this year with the UK premiere of this 1846 opera by Edouard Lalo after a Schiller play.
Frankfurt’s Ship of Fools
As Anna Russell might say: “The three operas of Puccini’s ‘Il Trittico’ take place on a luxury cruise liner. . . . . On it.”
Heggie’s “Last Acts”
Let me say up front that I like Jake Heggie’s work. I feel he has a true gift for soaring and meaningful melody, a great ear for orchestral effects, a talent for picking good source material, and a knack for crafting affecting melodrama (in the best sense of that word) that can move an audience to tears.
Heggie faces family dilemma in new work
Do dysfunctional families outnumber the ones that move through life untroubled, or is it — to paraphrase Tolstoy — that every dysfunctional family is dysfunctional in its own way and thus of greater interest to writers and composers?