This month, the Maryland Opera Studio (MOS) at the University of Maryland,
College Park, marked its spot in opera history with the world premiere of
Shadowboxer, a jazz-infused opera based on the life of iconic American
boxer Joe Louis.
Category: Performances
Shadowboxer’s Left Jab
Shadowboxer — The Rise and Fall of an American Hero
The Shadowboxer project, an opera about the life of heavyweight
boxing champion Joe Louis, began as an idea in director Leon Major’s mind
twenty years ago.
A “CNN Opera” — Shadowboxer at UMD
The University of Maryland Opera Studio premiered a new commission this
week: Shadowboxer, composed by Frank Proto, and based on the life of
boxing champion Joe Louis.
Shadowboxer — The Inner Life of Joe Louis
An opera about boxer Joe Louis might seem like a futile undertaking:
according to 1930s New York Times reporter Meyer Berger, “Joe
Louis avoids meeting people, hates conversation (even fight talk) and says less
than any man in sports…”
Christopher Maltman, Wigmore Hall, London
The abiding elegance and beauty of Christopher Maltman’s baritone,
complemented by the interpretative wisdom and experience of Graham Johnson, one
of the finest vocal accompanists of recent times, made this an evening of
assured musicianship and expressive poise.
Christoph PrÈgardien, London
‘Come sweet death … for I am weary of the world’: thus,
the opening lines of Bach’s aria, ‘Komm S¸fler Tod’, from the
Schemelli Liederbuch, led us into the realms of the afterlife, and
encapsulated the central sentiment of this evening of songs meditating on, and
calling for, release from toilsome human cares.
Mark Morris Dance Group: L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato
‘Each action will derive new grace
From order, measure, time and place;’ (Milton, Il
Penseroso)
Why Can’t a Girl Get a Head in Heidelberg?
Had John Carpenter come up with the “beheading” of John the Baptist, it might have not been too much different from the effect we endured in the new Salome produced by the Heidelberg City Theatre.
Ailish Tynan, Wigmore Hall
Thoughtfully devised by Iain Burnside, this recital juxtaposed ballad with
art song, pastoral with love lyric, dark with light, mournful with carefree. An
imaginative sequence of songs, woven together according to linking themes,
confirmed that Ireland truly is a ‘land of song’.
Partenope, NYCO
One of the City Opera’s happiest ventures over the years has been their Handel series.