Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College presents Regina Carter's Southern Comfort Saturday, April 16, 2016

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College continues its 2015-16 season on Saturday, April 16, 2016 at 8pm with Regina Carter's Southern Comfort.  Violin virtuoso and MacArthur fellow Regina Carter pays a tender tribute to her paternal grandfather, an Alabama coal miner, in an inspirational concert drawing from Appalachian fiddle tunes, church hymns, and the joyous Southern folk music that infused her childhood.

Released in March, 2014 by Sony Music Masterworks, Southern Comfort explores the folk music of the American South.  The album thematically connects Carter's earlier albums I'll Be Seeing You: A Sentimental Journey (2006), which features her mother's favorite early jazz standards, and Reverse Thread (2010), which celebrates the tradition of African music re-imagined for violin, accordion, bass, drums, and kora.

With Southern Comfort, Carter interprets her won roots through a modern lens. She sought out distant relatives and books about the era in which her grandfather lived. From there, she went to the Library of Congress and the renowned collections of folklorists such as Alan Lomax and John Work III, digging deep into their collected field recordings from Appalachia.

"When I would hear some of these field recordings, if I heard something that touched me I put it on the list," said Carter. "I had maybe 50 tunes that I felt strongly about, and I finally forced myself to work more on those to stop myself from collecting more." The 11 tracks on Southern Comfort include Carter's interpretations of Cajun fiddle music, early gospel, and coal miner's work songs, in addition to some more contemporary tunes.

"In the Appalachians there were Scottish and Irish descendants, slaves, and Native Americans. It was a cultural hodgepodge, and the music resulting from it is intoxicating. This disc was to pay homage to my family," said Carter, "but it turned out to be so much more."

The musicians on this recording bring a different mixture of backgrounds to the project, including guitarists Adam Rogers and Marvin Sewell, bassists Chris Lightcap and Jesse Murphy, accordionist Will Holshouser and drummer Alvester Garnett, who also provided arrangements. Stefon Harris, Xavier Davis and Nate Smith also contributed arrangements, about which Carter expressed, "Each arranger brings out something musically that's unique to them which speaks to me."

Said Chuck Mitchell, Senior Vice President of SONY Masterworks, "We're tremendously pleased to have the incomparable Regina Carter with us at Masterworks. Her musical odyssey has been charted through a series of unforgettable recordings over the years, and Southern Comfort is the latest and perhaps the most eloquent expression of her deep and profoundly enlightening musical humanity."

Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at BrooklynCenter.org or by calling the box office at 718-951-4500 (Tue-Sat, 1pm-6pm).

MasterVoices honored by the Martina Arroyo Foundation at 11th Annual Gala

MasterVoices, formerly The Collegiate Chorale, was honored at the Martina Arroyo Foundation's11th Annual Gala. MasterVoices was recognized along with American couture designer Joanna Mastroianni and The Michel Maurel award-winner Ernst Rieser. Brian Kellow and Terrance McKnight hosted the gala, with performances by the young artists of Prelude to Performance, Jennifer Rowley, Michele Angelini and Cecilia Violetta López (both featured in the October issue of Opera News), as well as other special guests.

The Martina Arroyo Foundation's 11th Annual Gala was held on Monday, November 16, 2015 at 6:30 pm at the JW Marriott Essex House, 160 Central Park South, New York, NY. The event was attended by more than 215 honored guests and raised nearly $300,000.

The Gala Dinner Program featured a Live Auction, and musical selections, including:

  • Michele Angelini: "Ah! Mes Amis" from La Fille du Régiment by Gaetano Donizetti
  • Jennifer Rowley: "Pace, pace mio Dio!" from La Forza del Destino
  • Brandie Sutton/Hyona Kim: Flower Duet from Madama Butterfly by Puccini (PTP 2015 summer production)
  • Karolina Pilou/Claire Coolen/Jacopo Buora: Lesson Scene and Trio from La Fille du Régiment by Gaetano Donizetti (PTP 2015 summer production)
  • Cecilia Violetta López: "Czàrdàs" from Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss 

Gala Chair: Cecilia Teng

Gala Benefit Committee:  Joan Ades, Martina Arroyo, Page Ashley, John and Maggie Banks, Nancy and James Barton, Beth Chang, Lois Conway, Beatrice M. Disman, Donna and Richard Esteves, Ruth Finley, Peter F. Felfe, The Gerda Lissner Foundation, Inc., Beth Holland, Martin Jeiven, Kenneth F. Koen, Barbara and Paul Krieger, Andrew Martin-Weber, Richard J. Miller, Ernst Rieser, Leonard Rubin, Cecilia and Tian Lih Teng, Elizabeth Tunick, Frederick Wertheim and Angelo Chan;

2015 Gala Committee:  Martina Arroyo, Helen Chang, Erica Linden-Fineberg, Elizabeth Frayer, Claudie Harari, Shawn Milnes, Stephanie Reiss, Ernst Rieser, Edward Sadovnik, Michael Snider, Cecilia Teng; 

HonoraryGala Chairs: Donna & Richard Esteves, Andrew Martin-Weber;

Honorary Benefit Committee: Harolyn Blackwell, Stephanie Blythe, Tyne Daly, Paquito D'Rivera, Brenda Feliciano, Susan Graham, Marilyn Horne, Richard Leech, Audra McDonald, Jessye Norman, Eric Owens, Jennifer J. Raab, Ben Vereen, Frederica von Stade, Rufus Wainwright, Darren Walker;  

2015 Gala Producer:  Midge Woolsey.

The mission of the Martina Arroyo Foundation is to counsel young singers in the interpretation of complete roles for public performances. The Foundation guides each singer in the preparation of an entire operatic role through a formal educational process that includes the background of the drama, the historical perspective, the psychological motivation of each character, and language proficiency.

American soprano Martina Arroyo has received numerous awards and accolades for her long-standing pre-eminence at the world's foremost opera houses and concert halls, including a 2013 Kennedy Center Honors and a 2010 Opera Honors Award from the National Endowment for the Arts. She continues to make an invaluable contribution to the art form through her teaching and her commitment to young artist development through the Martina Arroyo Foundation. Born in 1937 and raised in Harlem, Arroyo went on to conquer the opera world, from the Metropolitan Opera to the Vienna State Opera, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires to La Scala in Milan, Paris Opera to the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, and the great concert halls from Salzburg and Berlin to her hometown of New York. She has had the honor of three opening night performances at the Met, two of them in consecutive seasons. Few in her generation have been so fearless or so successful across the repertory, from Mozart, Verdi, Puccini and Strauss to Barber, Bolcom, Schoenberg, and Stockhausen. The New York Times once heralded her voice as "among the most glorious in the world." Her extensive recorded legacy reflects her inspired collaborations with conductors Leonard Bernstein, Karl Böhm, Rafael Kubelík, Zubin Mehta, Thomas Schippers, Colin Davis, and James Levine. Arroyo studied to be a teacher and graduated from Hunter College at the age of 19. In 1958, she auditioned for and won the Metropolitan Opera's Auditions of the Air, which gave her a chance to study both music and acting at the Met's Kathryn Long School. She made her Carnegie Hall debut in 1958 in the American premiere of Ildebrando Pizzetti's Murder in the Cathedral, and in 1965 stepped in as a last-minute replacement for an ailing Birgit Nilsson in Aïda at the Met, a career-changing moment. Over the years and in nearly 200 performances at the Met, Arroyo performed all the major Verdi roles that would be the core of her repertory, in addition to Mozart's Donna Anna, Puccini's Cio-Cio-San and Liù, Mascagni's Santuzza, Ponchielli's Gioconda, and Wagner's Elsa. Her 1968 London debut came in a concert version of Meyerbeer's epic Les Huguenots, followed the same year by her Covent Garden debut in Aïda. Her debuts at Paris Opera, La Scala and the Teatro Colón followed in close succession. In 2003, Arroyo established her own non-profit cultural organization. Now celebrating its tenth anniversary season, the Martina Arroyo Foundation provides new generations of emerging young artists with the tools to pursue careers in opera, by means of two intensive programs of study, coaching, and performance that focus on immersive preparation of complete operatic roles.

Brian Kellow is the author of Pauline Kael: A Life in the Dark, which was a 2011 New York Times Notable Book of the Year and also appeared on the Best of the Year lists of Entertainment Weekly, The New Yorker and the Chicago Tribune. He is also the author of Ethel Merman: A Life, The Bennetts: An Acting Family, and the coauthor of Can't Help Singing: The Life of Eileen Farrell. He is the features editor of Opera News. Kellow lives in New York City.

Terrance McKnight is the WQXR weekday evening host. He also hosts the Saturday evening program, All Ears with Terrance McKnight, a show about musical discovery, which was honored with an ASCAP Deems Taylor Radio Broadcast Award in 2010. McKnight's musical experiences - from glee club soloist and accomplished pianist, to professor at Morehouse College, and finally as producer and host of several music programs for public radio - have consistently juxtaposed the European Classical tradition alongside American classic traditions - jazz, gospel, African American spirituals and other musical genres. McKnight was first heard in New York in 2008 when he joined the staff of WNYC. He moved to WQXR in October 2009. Previously he worked at Georgia Public Broadcasting, where he was creator, producer and host of Studio GPB, a program that introduced a wide array of musical artists through interviews, live studios sessions and commercial recordings.

Joanna Mastroianni launched her signature collection with a clear vision of modern, fashion forward women. She has consistently created collections that reflect her innate sense for sophistication, elegance, and timeless beauty. While still a student at F.I.T, Mastroianni's vision and passion for beautiful   fashion raised the attention of Henry Bendel, giving her a first order. Bergdorf Goodman featured in their windows, her premier collection under her signature label. Her black matte jersey illusion dress, from her very first collection, made it into two movies; worn by Michelle Pheiffer in Tequila Sunrise and by Melanie Griffith in Bonfire of the Vanities.  Mastroianni's works in the tradition of Haute couture, each garment is engineered and constructed carefully using the finest of fabrics. Her original embroideries and imaginative accessories are modern and bold, creating versatile, wearable and luxurious collections that make women look and feel glamorous and feminine. Her inspirations are unpredictable, often starting with a minute detail that she develops and expands into a full-fledged collection that is shown on the runway. Passion is apparent in every detail she creates and in every project she is involved in. Joanna Mastroiani's audience is global, dressing some of Hollywood's elite: Eva Longoria, Christina Ricci, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Panda LaKshmi, Carol Alt. From the Academy, Tony, and Grammy awards, to dressing Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis for Sex and the City.

MasterVoices is continuing The Collegiate Chorale's preeminent reputation for its performances of the traditional choral repertoire, rarely heard operas in concert, unusual music theatre pieces and commissioned works.  The chorus has worked with the great luminaries of the music world, singing under conductors such as James Levine, Alan Gilbert, Zubin Mehta and Riccardo Muti.  MasterVoices has performed in recent seasons with renowned vocal artists, including Stephanie Blythe, Victoria Clark, Bryn Terfel, Thomas Hampson and Deborah Voigt.  Highlights of recent seasons have included Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele, David Lang's battle hymns, Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) with Eric Idle and the U.S. premiere of Kurt Weill's The Road of Promise.  MasterVoices is committed to fostering the talents of the next generation of artists and audiences through its Side-by-Side mentoring program, student masterclasses, Faith Geier Artist Initiative and most recently with the launch of Bridges, its outreach program creating new works in collaboration with communities throughout New York City. 

The company's 2015-2016 Season included: 

The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty

By Arthur Sullivan and W.S. Gilbert

Featuring Deborah Voigt, Phillip Boykin, Douglas Hodge, Hunter Parrish, Julia Udine, David Garrison, Betsy Wolfe, Montego Glover and Zachary James

Directed and Conducted by Ted Sperling with Orchestra of St. Luke's

Choreography and Associate Direction by Gustavo Zajac

Scenic Design by David Korins

Lighting Design by Frances Aronson

Sound Design by Scott Lehrer

Costume Consulting by Tracy Christensen

October 15-16, 2015 at 8pm at New York City Center

 

The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing

An Evening Exploring the Creation of a New American Opera by Justine F. Chen and David Simpatico

Presented by the American Lyric Theater

October 17, 2015 at 7pm at Merkin Concert Hall

 

And continues with:

 

Mahler's Symphony No. 2

Conducted by Zubin Mehta, presented by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

November 5, 2015 at Carnegie Hall

 

Dido and Aeneas

By Henry Purcell and Nahum Tate

With a World Premiere companion work by Michael John LaChiusa

Featuring Kelli O'Hara and Victoria Clark

Conducted by Ted Sperling with Orchestra of St. Luke's

April 28, 2016 at 7pm at New York City Center

April 29, 2016 at 8pm at New York City Center

 

Mahler's Symphony No. 2

Conducted by Joshua Gersen, presented by the New York Youth Symphony

May 29, 2016 at Carnegie Hall

 

"Bridges"

The 2015-2016 season will conclude in June with a program featuring a World Premiere work composed by Marisa Michelson developed for the launch of MasterVoices' new community outreach program, "Bridges". The location and date of this program will be announced at a future date.


Major funding for MasterVoices' 2015-16 season has been generously provided by The Geier Foundation, the Howard Gilman Foundation, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

For more information, visit mastervoices.org.

Music: A Week in the Life of New York City

Creativity Is Risky: Free Speech in a Charlie Hebdo World is an interactive and multimedia magazine published at sallyodowd.com. It is a tribute to the French satirical magazine attacked by terrorists in January and a celebration of the universal human right to free expression. Please support writers and artists by commenting or sharing.

Introducing a group of young musicians at Carnegie Hall last week, Danny Glover made it clear that performer and listener alike were there to call for peace.

“Music tears down the walls of misunderstanding,” he said on the eve of the General Debate of the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, which took place between September 28 and October 6.

Music is a unifying force, an art form that everyone understands regardless of language or country, said Glover, noting that more than 100 musicians from more than 70 countries were part of the International Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, created by the New York-based Turken Foundation. Even though many of them did not speak each other’s language, they would make perfect harmony under the guidance of conductor Jose Luis Gomez.

“We have many armed conflicts around the world…people are fleeing their homes and dying,” Glover said. “But the more contact with life, the more compassion for life around us.”

Echoing the thoughts of Pope Francis who had just completed his first visit to the U.S., Glover asked the audience to remember other people’s pain. “With young musicians from Iran to Israel to Russia, the philharmonic shows that peace can overcome.”

The musicians, aged 18 to 26, played a program by composers Shostakovich (Festive Overture), Mendelssohn (Violen Concerto) and Faruk Kanca (Turken Foundation Symphonic Suite of Voices of the World).

Much of the Suite of Voices contained suspenseful, heart-racing sounds serving as a metaphor for our perilous times. Notes echoed shrieking, feet sneaking around so as to hide, running, and clapping — so as to say, “Hurry Up!”

It was a strong message to the world’s leaders to act swiftly.

Music: An Emotional Sherpa, A Point of View

While foreign dignitaries grappled with world problems at the UN, business executives met on the other side of town for Advertising Week to discuss issues affecting their industry. Several themes echoed those being discussed at the city’s other humanitarian gatherings.

“Music is an emotional sherpa,” said Pandora CMO Simon Fleming-Wood during an hour-long session at the Times Center entitled. “Millennials listen to it four hours a day, and it is the most talked-about topic among them.”

He added: "Music provides a connective power not only to each other but to humanity.”

Spotify CMO Seth Farbman shared the stage with Fleming-Wood in a lively and candid exchange on their respective business models and growth plans for connecting the world via music. “Music is how you badge yourself,” said Spotify CMO Seth Farbman. “It gives you a voice and point of view.”

The World’s Most Important Campaign

A Friday afternoon session entitled, The World’s Most Important Campaign, served as Advertising Week’s grand finale and certainly came full circle.

Daniel Thomas, director of communications for the UN General Assembly; Jason Hall, CEO of of ad agency Mekanism; and other ad executives discussed a 15-year global campaign launching in January to support The 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. The campaign seeks to engage volunteers and organizations around the world to meet goals such as ending injustice and poverty, and providing universal access to clean water by 2030.

Offical Love Song To The Earth Lyric Video directed by Jerry Cope and Casey Culver produced by Jerry Cope & Toby Gad, Nature Cinematography by Louie Schwartzberg Featuring Vocal Performances by Paul McCartney, Jon Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow, Fergie, Colbie Caillat, Natasha Bedingfield, Sean Paul, Leona Lewis, Johnny Rzeznik, Krewella,

The campaign features music as a battle cry for good. Love Song to the Earth, featuring Sir Paul McCartney, Jon Bon Jovi and UN Ambassador Angelique Kidjo “reminds us to take care of the things we love,” according to the UN website.

Co-writer Natasha Bedingfield said: “Many people turn a blind eye arguing that everything is ok environmentally. The song reminds us that having ownership of our world means taking care of it. With this song we wanted to talk about the environment in a way that would help people feel empowered to do something rather than be paralyzed by fear.”

Out of Brooklyn: Love Song to Free Expression

Likewise, an American-British-French team has come together around words, art and music to support Article 19 of the U.N. General Assembly’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states:

“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

Our support for this right is manifested in the e-magazine Creativity Is Risky: Free Speech in a Charlie Hebdo World as a tribute to the 11 French journalists murdered in January by two Al Qaeda terrorists for their political cartoons. The interactive and multimedia work also celebrates the fundamental right through the healing power of music.

Accompanying the magazine is a video featuring “Here With You” by Brooklyn resident and singer-songwriter Chaz Langley.

We hope you will enjoy and share it to support our Free Speech Movement.

As Glover said in closing the Carnegie Hall performance, “Leave this evening with our minds and hearts on global peace.”

Note: By Sally O'Dowd; originally published on sallyodowd.com

 

MasterVoices presents The Pirates of Penzance at New York City Center, Oct 15-16, 2015

  • The Pirates of Penzance (or The Slave of Duty)
  • By Arthur Sullivan and W.S. Gilbert
  • Featuring Deborah Voigt, Hunter Parrish, Phillip Boykin, Douglas Hodge, Julia Udine, Montego Glover, and Betsy Wolfe
  • Conducted and Directed by Ted Sperling with Orchestra of St. Luke's
  • October 15-16, 2015 at 8pm at New York City Center

***

MasterVoices kicks off the 2015-2016 season with The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Dutyon October 15-16, 2015 at 8pm at New York City Center, 131 W. 55th Street, New York City. Following the success of our 2012 Mikado at Carnegie Hall, MasterVoices' semi-staged presentation of The Pirates of Penzance will feature a cast of stars from the Broadway and opera worlds, along with Orchestra of St. Luke's performing Arthur Sullivan's original orchestrations under the direction of Artistic Director Ted Sperling. Single tickets are $30-$130 and are available at NYCityCenter.org.For more information visit: www.mastervoices.org/#citycenterseries.

The concert will feature Metropolitan Opera star Deborah Voigt, Hunter Parrish ("Weeds"; Godspell), Phillip Boykin (Tony Award Nominee, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess), Douglas Hodge (Tony Award Winner, La Cages aux Folles;Showtime's "Penny Dreadful"), Julia Udine (ThePhantom of the Opera), Montego Glover (Tony Award Nominee, Memphis), and Betsy Wolfe (The Last Five Years). Choreography/Associate Direction by Gustavo Zajac, Set by David Korins, Lighting by Frances Aronson, and Sound by Scott Lehrer.

For tickets, visit NYCityCenter.org; and for more information, visit mastervoices.org. For a limited time, become a MasterVoices Member for 20% off tickets for The Pirates of Penzance and Dido and Aeneas at New York City Center. Visit http://www.mastervoices.org/city-center-series/ for more information.

MasterVoices' Gala, including pre-concert cocktails and dinner and a performance of The Pirates of Penzance is Thursday, October 15, 2015 at 5pm at Le Parker Meridien; concert at 8pm at New York City Center. For more information, call 646-202-9623.

 

Roger Rees

The Pirates of Penzance performances will be dedicated in loving memory to MasterVoices' Artistic Associate Roger Rees. Roger was a longtime colleague and friend, a relationship that began with his role as Narrator of Weber's Oberon under Maestro Bass at Carnegie Hall in 2002. That first project grew into a collaboration that explored the interplay of words and music in projects directed by Mr. Rees including "An Evening of Kurt Weill" with Bebe Neuwirth, Scott Joplin's Treemonisha, Bernstein and Lerner's A White House Cantata and Weill's The Firebrand of Florence among others. Mr. Rees was ever ready to lend his talents as auctioneer, actor and author whenever called upon. He was a Renaissance man with a heart of gold and will be sorely missed. We were privileged to know him and are honored to remember him with this dedication.

The 2015-2016 Season continues with:

  • The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing

An Evening Exploring the Creation of a New American Opera by Justine F. Chen and David Simpatico

Presented by the American Lyric Theater

October 17, 2015 at 7pm at Merkin Concert Hall 

  • Mahler's Symphony No. 2

Conducted by Zubin Mehta, presented by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

November 5, 2015 at Carnegie Hall

  • Dido and Aeneas

By Henry Purcell and Nahum Tate

With a World Premiere companion work by Michael John LaChiusa

Featuring Kelli O'Hara and Victoria Clark

Conducted by Ted Sperling with Orchestra of St. Luke's

April 28, 2016 at 7pm at New York City Center

April 29, 2016 at 8pm at New York City Center

  • Mahler's Symphony No. 2

Conducted by Joshua Gersen, presented by the New York Youth Symphony

May 29, 2016 at Carnegie Hall

  • Bridges

The 2015-2016 season will conclude in June with a program featuring a World Premiere work composed by Marisa Michelson developed for the launch of MasterVoices' new community outreach program, "Bridges". The location and date of this program will be announced at a future date.

YPHIL - International Philharmonic Orchestra presents the fourth of Seven Epic Concerts Gathering for Youth Empowerment

YPHIL - International Philharmonic Orchestra brings together 100 young talented musicians from 74 countries to represent their countries through music in Seven Epic Concerts. The fourth concert in this series, Gathering for Youth Empowerment, will be performed at New York University's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts on September 17, 2015 at 7:30pm, featuring Faruk Kanca, Alexander Markov, and James V Remington. Tickets are $24 and are available by phone at NYU Box Office, 212.998.4941, online at http://nyuskirball.org/calendar/yphil or at the NYU Box Office, 566 LaGuardia Place New York, NY 10012. 

YPHIL - International Philharmonic Orchestra brings 100 musicians from 74 different countries to perform during New York's United Nations General Assembly, aiming to celebrate the power of youth. 100 magnificent performers, picked from more than 900 musicians from all over the world, will meet for the first time, collaborating and practicing day and night, to captivate audiences with their enormous energy. Building on the widespread influence of music, the innovative program empowers youth to work together and exercise creativity.

The exhilarating piece entitled Ethnic Dance, which includes sound of traditional musical instruments from across the world, will premiere for the first time at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts concert by world-renowned composer and conductor, maestro Faruk Kanca. This energizing performance will also include excerpts from the critically-acclaimed Rock Concerto by Markov and Remington, performed by Markov himself on the unique gold electric violin. 

PROGRAM: 
Act I: Faruk Kanca's "Ethnic Dance," including the following numbers:

  • "Longa"
  • "La Paloma"
  • "Can Can"
  • "Swing That Gavotta"
  • "Zeibak"
  • "Horon"

Act II: FROM BAROQUE TO ROCK

Antonio Vivaldi's "Summer" from The Four Seasons and Paganini's 24th Caprice, with soloist Alexander Markov. Selections from the "Rock Concerto" by Alexander Markov and James V. Remington as well as new compositions by Markov.

The six other concerts in September include: 

September 10, 2015 at 7:30pm: Play For Peace Concert

Peter Norton Symphony Space

Tickets: www.symphonyspace.org/event/8987/Music/ypo-young-soloists-concert 

September 14, 2015 at 3pm:United Hearts Concert

Herald Square - Dedicated to the memory of the victims and heroes of 9/11

September 16, 2015 at 3pm:Hear My Nations' Voice Concert in Times Square

September 20, 2015 at 3pm:Concert For Nations' Friendship at Bowling Green Park, Wall Street

September 25, 2015 at 7pm: Community Fellowship Program at the New York Public Library at Fifth Avenue

September 27, 2015 at 8mp:Concert for Global Peace on Isaac Stern Auditorium/Ronald O. Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall. The evening is hosted by Danny Glover, and will feature Jose Luis Gomez, Conductor, and Alexander Markov, Violin.

Tickets: www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2015/9/27/0800/PM/YPHIL-International-Philharmonic-Orchestra

For more information, visit www.yphil.org

OPERA SARATOGA ANNOUNCES ITS 2016 SUMMER FESTIVAL PROGRAM

Lawrence Edelson, Artistic and General Director of Opera Saratoga, announces the program for the 2016 Summer Festival, which will run from May 28th through July 17, 2016. The season will feature three new productions, along with a diverse slate of recitals, concerts and master classes at multiple locations in Saratoga Springs, New York.

"I was thrilled to see the response to the diversity of Opera Saratoga's programming this past summer, as well as the expanded scope of our Festival," Edelson said. "Once again, I have worked to put together a season that reflects the incredible power of opera to tell vivid and compelling stories through music in very different ways. The season will open with Mozart's masterpiece, Le nozze di Figaro, which has not been produced by the company in 20 years. Building on both our commitment to presenting contemporary American work as well as operas in which dance plays a significant role, I'm thrilled to announce the American premiere of The Witches of Venice - a brilliant, but little known opera-ballet by Philip Glass. Finally, I am very excited to introduce our audiences to the music of Daniel Catán with our new production of Il Postino. Based on the beloved Academy Award wining film of the same name, Il Postino will be the first Spanish opera we have ever presented. To compliment the three operas, we will once again present an extensive series of events including a Mozart Liederabend, a concert of Spanish opera and song; and a Broadway Celebration featuring the Opera Saratoga Orchestra and members of our nationally acclaimed Young Artist Program."

The complete season schedule, including the full calendar and details for all concerts and special events, will be announced in October.  Subscriptions will go on sale October 31st, 2015, including special packages for out of town guests. Single tickets will go on sale February 1st, 2016.

LE NOZZE DI FIGARO (The Marriage of Figaro)

Composer - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Librettist - Lorenzo Da Ponte

A cornerstone of the operatic repertoire and one of the most frequently performed operas around the globe, Le nozze di Figaro returns to Opera Saratoga for the first time in twenty years. Beaumarchais' play, upon which the opera is based, serves as the sequel to Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville). In an already volatile political climate, the play created a stir by pitting witty servants against their masters. The opera adaptation was originally banned in Vienna because of the licentiousness of the play, but Mozart's librettist Da Ponte managed to get official approval, after which the opera was written and became a tremendous success. It was the first collaboration between Mozart and Da Ponte, the partnership, which later brought us Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte.

 

Le nozze di Figaro continues the plot of The Barber of Seville several years later. The Count has married Rosina and made her the Countess, but their marriage has gone sour because of his philandering. Figaro has quit barbering and is now the Count's major-domo. He is engaged to Susanna, who is Countess Rosina's maid - and the Count's intended conquest. Bartolo is back to seek revenge on Figaro for taking Rosina away from him, with the help of the conniving music-master, Basilio. Adding to the fun are an amorous teenager, a scheming old maid, a drunken gardener and his daughter. Much happens over the course a single "day of madness" in this beloved masterpiece.

From the first tremors of the overture, Mozart's score is brilliantly meshed with Da Ponte's libretto to become the true engine of the drama that unfolds. In the words of the great composer Johannes Brahms, "In my opinion, each number in Figaro is a miracle; it is totally beyond me how anyone could create anything so perfect; nothing like it was ever done again, not even by Beethoven."

Chinese bass Peixin Chen makes his Opera Saratoga debut as Figaro, and soprano Chelsea Basler - an alumna of Opera Saratoga's Young Artist Program previously seen as Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore - returns as Susanna, his bride to be.  The production also features the company debuts of soprano Katherine Whyte as the Countess and baritone Keith Phares as the Count. Andrew Bisantz makes his conducting debut with the company, along with director David Paul who helms this new production. 

The production will run from June 24 to July 15, 2016.

 

THE WITCHES OF VENICE - AMERICAN PREMIERE

Composer - Philip Glass; Librettist - Beni Montresor

The second production of the season will be the American premiere of Philip Glass' The Witches of Venice - an opera-ballet originally written for Teatro alla Scala in Milan that premiered in 1995. This whimsical opera that incorporates dance throughout was composed in collaboration with illustrator and stage designer Beni Montresor, who adapted the libretto from his children's book of the same name.

Based in the historical Venice of Carnival, The Witches of Veniceis a whimsical tale about a boy grown from a plant in the King's garden, who is looking for a little girl like him. He soon finds himself escaping captors, wandering dark hallways, fleeing monsters, and ultimately finding a friend. It is a heartfelt story, with underlying themes of self-acceptance and finding one's place in the world.   The Witches of Venice is one of Glass' most creative scores - a family-friendly opera featuring inventive songs, exhilarating dances, fantastical music portraying monsters and fairies, and savvy scoring that carries the story along.   Opera Saratoga is thrilled to introduce American audiences to an important and little known work by one of America's most important composers, and to continue its commitment to presenting contemporary American work as well as operas in which dance plays an integral role.  

Internationally renowned director and choreographer Karole Armitage, who made her debut with Opera Saratoga this past summer creating the company's critically acclaimed production of Dido and Aeneas, returns to direct and choreograph this American premiere production. Viswa Subbaraman, Artistic Director of Skylight Music Theater and former Artistic Director of the innovative contemporary opera company Opera Vista in Houston will conduct. Principal roles will be sung by members of Opera Saratoga's Young Artist Program, the second oldest mentorship program for emerging professional singers in the country. Applications for the program, directed by Laurie Rogers, are being accepted through September 12, 2015. Auditions will be held in Houston, Cincinnati and New York City in November. Last season, Opera Saratoga received over 1,000 applications for the program.

As with last season's production of Dido and Aeneas, members of the New York City based Armitage Gone! Dance Company will also be featured prominently in the production. In addition The Witches of Venice provides important opportunities for collaborations with other organizations in the region.  Opera Saratoga will collaborate with TheCapital District Youth Chorale, upstate New York's premiere children's chorus under the direction of Diane Warner, as well The School of the Arts at The National Museum of Dance under the direction of Raul Martinez, to provide opportunities for local children to perform alongside professional artists in the opera, which includes a children's chorus and extensive use of both child and adult dancers.

The Witches of Venice will run from July 1 to July 17, 2016.

 

IL POSTINO

Composer - Daniel Catán; Libretto by the composer, based on the novel by Antonio Skármeta, and the film by Michael Radford

Based on the Academy Award-winning 1994 Italian film that became a surprise hit with audiences around the world, and also on the 1985 novel Ardiente Paciencia by Antonio Skármeta, Il Postino tells the story of a shy young postman in a tiny Italian fishing village, who discovers the courage to pursue his dreams through his daily deliveries to his only customer, the esteemed Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.  The role of Neruda was originally written for Plàcido Domingo, who sang the role at the opera's premiere in 2010 at Los Angeles Opera - just months before composer Daniel Catán's tragic death at the age of 62.

Catán is known for a neo-romantic style that has been compared variously to Puccini, Ravel and Debussy, with lush orchestrations and lyrical melodic lines. Tonal and accessible, his work has proven immensely popular with audiences.

Il Postino will be the first Spanish opera performed in Opera Saratoga's history. The cast will feature the company debuts of four international singers: tenor Daniel Montenegro will sing the title role of Mario Ruoppolo - the postman - a role he recently sang in Paris at the Théâtre du Châtelet; tenor Richard Troxell sings the role of Pablo Neruda; and soprano Sandra López sings the role of Matilde Neruda, the poet's third wife. James Lowe also makes his company debut conducting the production, which will be directed by Opera Saratoga's Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson.

 

The production will run from July 5 to July 16, 2016.

*********************************************************************************

Le nozze di Figaro

Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Libretto by Lorenzo DaPonte

Directed by David Paul, Conducted by Andrew Bisantz

Featuring Katherine Whyte, Chelsea Basler, Keith Phares and Peixin Chen

June 24 - July 15, 2016

The Witches of Venice - American Premiere

Music by Philip Glass, Libretto by Beni Montresor

Directed and Choreographed by Karole Armitage, Conducted by Viswa Subbaraman

Featuring members of Armitage Gone! Dance, and the Capital District Youth Chorale

July 1 - July 17, 2016

Il Postino

Music by Daniel Catán

Libretto by the composer, based on the novel by Antonio Skármeta,

and the film by Michael Radford

Directed by Lawrence Edelson, Conducted by James Lowe

Featuring Sandra López, Daniel Montenegro and Richard Troxell

July 6 - July 16, 2016

Plus Seven Weeks of Recitals, Concerts and Master Classes

from May 28th - July 17th, 2016

**********************************************************************************

For more information, visit www.operasaratoga.org.

SATELLITE COLLECTIVE presents Seven World Premiere Interdisciplinary Works at BAM FISHER

Satellite Collective presents cutting edge, interdisciplinary works at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Fishman Space, 321 Ashland Place, Brooklyn, NY, from September 3-5, 2015 at 8pm.

Tickets are $25-$35 ($10 students) and are available at http://www.bam.org/satellitecollective, by phone at 718-636-4100, or in person at the BAM box office. Tickets will be on sale beginning July 25, 2015.

In its second season at BAM, Satellite Collective seeks to secure its role as a leading voice of interdisciplinary art in New York City. Created specifically for the Fishman Space, Satellite Collective's September performances will employ the collaborative visions of 29 artists from across the nation. The evening will premiere post-classical music by four composers, ballet and modern dance works by three choreographers, a new animated set, two new short films, and a spoken work. By turns jubilant, mournful, violent, and tender, this diverse assemblage of artists and art forms will draw audiences through a spectrum of vibrant emotion.  Damian Smith, former principal of San Francisco Ballet, is artistic advisor for the program.

The evenings include:

  • "I Can Help You" - spoken word by Stelth Ulvang of The Lumineers
  • "SOLO" - a dance work by Devin Alberda of the New York City Ballet
  • "A Pair of Ideal Landscapes" - Dance + Film by Esme Boyce and Lora Robertson with score by Richie Greene including harp and soprano
  • "Water" - a new cello composition by David Moss with soundscape by Richie Greene
  • "Music for Dance" - earthy, dynamic music of the Satellite Ensemble
  • "Edie Leaves Twice" - a short film by Lora Robertson with score by Ellis Ludwig Leone of San Fermin, and libretto by Creative Director Kevin Draper
  • "Walled City" - Dance + Multimedia by Manuel Vignoulle (formerly of Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet), Kevin Draper, Brandon Stirling Baker and Nick Jaina
"These are people who know how to produce a show." - Siobhan Burke, The New York Times

For more information about Satellite Collective, visit:

***This event is presented by Satellite Collective. BAM house, ticketing and membership policies may not apply.

OPERA SARATOGA's 2015 Summer Festival Season

Opera Saratoga announces its 2015 Summer Festival season, which will run from July 2 - July 26, 2015 at multiple venues throughout Saratoga Springs, New York.  

The 2014/2015 season is the first programmatic year under the artistic and general direction of Lawrence Edelson and marks an expansion for the company in several ways: the first World Premiere presented by the company in nearly 30 years, three operas instead of two, and a longer festival season including performances at multiple venues in the region.  
 

"I am honored to have the opportunity to lead Opera Saratoga into its next chapter, and thrilled that my first season will provide opportunities for audiences to see three operas that show the breadth and depth of what is happening in opera today, with some of the foremost artists of our generation," said Lawrence Edelson. "The season includes three operas that couldn't be more different. La Cenerentola (Cinderella) is a bubbling comedy by Rossini that features virtuoso singing to impress the most passionate opera lovers, and is also an ideal introduction to opera for family audiences. Our presentation of Dido and Aeneas will be our first site-specific production, presented in partnership with the National Museum of Dance. Operas that prominently feature dance will be a part of our programming every season moving forward, and this particular production not only builds upon the region's connection to dance, but also takes advantage of the stunning natural beauty of Spa State Park, where we are located.  The world-premiere of The Long Walk marks a reaffirmed commitment to the inclusion of contemporary American opera as a regular part of our programming. The Company has produced 33 works by American composers in its history, 5 of which have been world premieres, but The Long Walk, by two of the most exciting writers in American opera today - composer Jeremy Howard Beck, and librettist Stephanie Fleischmann - will actually be the first world-premiere for the company in 27 years!
 
This year, we are initiating new partnerships with a wide variety of cultural organizations throughout the region, enabling us to offer exciting new performance programs that compliment the season's operas, which provide even more ways for audiences to connect with the company and our wonderful artists. By expanding the festival, and moving it into July, we are providing more opportunities not only for local audiences to enjoy our programs, but opportunities for audiences from around the country to enjoy the cultural riches that Saratoga Springs has to offer. With a train station in the heart of the city, and Albany airport less than 30 minutes away, we look forward to welcoming opera lovers from around the country to enjoy not only Opera Saratoga, but all of the restaurants, shops, cultural attractions, historic sites, and natural beauty that Saratoga Springs has to offer."  

In tandem with the expansion of the season, the Young Artist Program - the second oldest program of its kind in the country - is being expanded to provide greater professional development opportunities for emerging professionals. The program will consist of three tiers for singers, as well as opportunities for pianists, conductors and directors, under the direction of Laurie Rogers. Opera Saratoga has selected 28 gifted artists from over 1,000 applicants from across the country, who will be in residence in Saratoga Springs this summer. A complete list of Young Artists may be found at http://www.operasaratoga.org/2015-young-artists/


 

OPERA SARATOGA'S 2015 SUMMER FESTIVAL PROGRAMMING


 

LA CENERENTOLA (Cinderella)

Music by GioachinoRossini,

Libretto by Jacopo Ferretti,

Based on the Fairy Tale by Charles Perrault

Directed by Lawrence Edelson,

Conducted by Gary Thor Wedow

Featuring Sandra Piques Eddy, Andrew Owens, John Brancy, David Kravitz, and Ryan Kuster

 

Performances:

Thursday, July 2, 2015 at 7:30pm;

Saturday, July 11, Tuesday, July 14, and Saturday, July 18, 2015 at 2pm;

Sunday, July 26, 2015 at 7:30pm

 

Opera Saratoga opens the 2015 Summer Season with Rossini's beloved version of Cinderella. Based on Perrault's timeless fairytale, La Cenerentola features plenty of magical enchantment; the ridiculous, over-the-top situations and toe-tapping melodies that you expect from the master of comic Italian opera; and heartfelt emotion to bring together this story of forgiveness and true love.  The ultimate rags to riches tale; it's a Cinderella story...but not quite as you may know it! Opera Saratoga is proud to present the company debuts of five extraordinary singers in La Cenerentola: Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Sandra Piques Eddy sings the virtuoso title role along side tenor Andrew Owens as Prince Ramiro, baritone John Brancy as his valet Dandini, David Kravitz as her wicked step-father Don Magnifico, and Ryan Kuster as the mysterious philosopher Alidoro. Gary Thor Wedow also makes his company debut conducting this new production by Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson. 

DIDO AND AENEAS

Music by Henry Purcell,

Libretto by Nahum Tate

Directed and Choreographed by Karole Armitage,

Conducted by Nicole Paiement 

Featuring Jennifer Johnson Cano and ArmitageGone! Dance Company 

Presented in Partnership with the National Museum of Dance

All tickets include admission to the wonderful exhibits at The National Museum of Dance, beginning at 7pm.

Seating is general admission, with seating beginning at 7:45pm for the performance beginning at 8:15pm.

Performances:

Monday, July 6, 2015; Sunday, July 12, 2015; Sunday, July 19, 2015; Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Opera Saratoga is thrilled to present the first Baroque opera in the company's history in a truly unique production under the stars! One of the earliest English operas, Dido and Aeneas is one of Purcell's foremost theatrical works. This heartbreaking opera recounts the love of Dido, Queen of Carthage, for the Trojan hero, Aeneas, and her despair when he abandons her. The combination of exquisite vocal music and extensive use of dance has inspired many interpretations of the great score. Opera Saratoga has invited world-renown choreographer and director Karole Armitage to create a very special site-specific production for Saratoga Springs that embraces the natural beauty and history of The National Museum of Dance located in Spa State Park. The production will feature Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano in her company debut Jennifer Johnson Cano as Dido, along with the exquisite dancers of the ArmitageGone! Dance Company in what is sure to be one of the most talked about productions of the summer for dance and music lovers alike. 

WORLD PREMIERE

THE LONG WALK

Composed by Jeremy Howard Beck,

Libretto by Stephanie Fleischmann

Based on The Long Walk, A Story of War and the Life that Follows, by Brian Castner

Directed by David Schweizer,

Conducted by Steven Osgood

Featuring Daniel Belcher, Heather Johnson, Caroline Worra, David Blalock, Javier Abreu, Justin Hopkins, and Donita Volkwijn 

Commissioned by American Lyric Theater

Performances:

Friday, July 10, 2015 at 7:30pm;

Monday, July 13 and Friday, July 17, 2015 at 2pm; and

Saturday, July 25, 2015 at 7:30pm

The Long Walk is based on Brian Castner's critically acclaimed book of the same name. The opera is a deeply personal exploration of a soldier's return from Iraq where he served as an officer in an Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit and his battle with what he calls "the Crazy" as he tries to reintegrate into his family life upon returning from the war. Opera Saratoga is honored to present the world premiere of The Long Walk in partnership with American Lyric Theater. Internationally renowned theater and opera director David Schweizer makes his Opera Saratoga debut, with celebrated American conductor Steven Osgood on the podium. Grammy Award winning baritone Daniel Belcher returns to Opera Saratoga to create the role of Brian, alongside mezzo-soprano Heather Johnson, who makes her company debut as his wife Jessie. The cast also includes the company debuts of sopranos Caroline Worra and Donita Volkwijn, tenors David Blalock and Javier Abreu, and bass baritone Justin Hopkins.


***In addition to the three operas being presented, an extensive series of concerts and community events will take place throughout the month of June and July.

These include: 

Season Preview Concert

Wednesday, June 17 at 1:30PM, Free

The Sembrich Museum in Bolton Landing

This concert will feature arias and scenes from the three operas in Opera Saratoga's 2015 Summer Season, performed by members of the company's Young Artist Program.

Stars of Tomorrow!

Saturday, June 6 at 8 PM, Free
Dee Sarno Theater, Saratoga Arts Center
320 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Opera Saratoga's Young Artist Program is the second oldest mentorship program for emerging professional singers in the country, also providing opportunities for gifted young conductors, pianists and directors. This season, we received over 1,000 applications for 24 spaces - making the selection process more competitive than getting into Harvard! The singers that we have selected represent some of the most gifted young artists in the country. Join us for this very special program where you will have a chance to get to know the incredible young artists who will be a part of our community this summer. We promise, one day you'll be able to say, "I heard them before they were stars!" 

A Master Class with Joan Dornemann

Sunday, June 14 at 2 PM, $20 in advance ($15 for subscribers) or $25 at the door.
Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall
Arthur Zankel Music Center, Skidmore College
815 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Joan Dornemann, Metropolitan Opera Assistant Conductor, is one of the most highly respected opera coaches in the world today. She has worked with such singers as Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, Sherrill Milnes, Kiri Te Kanawa, Montserrat Caballe, Deborah Voigt, Renée Fleming, and Leo Nucci. She has been associated with the Gran Liceo in Barcelona, the Spoleto Festival, New York City Opera, Opera National de Paris and the Kirov Opera. She received an Emmy Award for her contribution to the highly acclaimed first Live From the Met telecast of La Bohème and is the founder of the International Vocal Arts Institute. Joan will lead a special master class on the art of singing Rossini, featuring members of Opera Saratoga's Young Artist Program. This is a very special opportunity to see one of the world's leading authorities on bel canto mentor our emerging professional artists, leading up to the season opening of La Cenerentola.


Mr. Tambourine Man at Caffè Lena with soprano Caroline Worra

Friday June 19 and Saturday 20 at 8PM, $20 in advance ($15 for subscribers) or $25 at the door.
Caffè Lena
47 Phila Street, Saratoga Springs

Opera Saratoga makes a special appearance at the historic Caffè Lena to celebrate the poetry and lyrics of Bob Dylan in a concert featuring soprano Caroline Worra. Caroline has been hailed by Opera News as "one of the finest singing actresses around," and has sung over 75 different operatic roles including more than 20 World, American, and Regional Premieres.  At the center of this special concert is the Saratoga premiere of John Corigliano's Mr. Tambourine Man, a beautiful, haunting and powerful setting of some of Dylan's most famous song lyrics by the Academy Award winning composer of The Red Violin. 

If it aint Baroque...

Sunday, June 21 at 2 PM, Free
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald A. Riggi Theater
The National Museum of Dance
99 South Broadway, Saratoga Springs

In honor of Opera Saratoga's first production of a Baroque opera, members of the Young Artist Program will perform a program of arias and ensembles from a wide variety of Baroque operas, including works by Handel, Vivaldi, Scarlatti, Lully Rameau, and Purcell, including a special preview from our production of Dido and Aeneas.

Songs of Longing and Desire with mezzo soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano

Friday, June 26 at 8 PM, $20 in advance ($15 for subscribers) or $25 at the door
 Picotte Recital Hall at the Massry Center for the Arts, Albany

Jennifer Johnson Cano is one of the country's most exciting young mezzo sopranos. The New York Times extolled that "emotion suffused every moment of her eloquent, impassioned New York debut recital." Opera Saratoga is delighted to not only present Jennifer's role debut as Dido this season, but to also offer our audiences the opportunity to hear her in recital with Christopher Cano, who is not only her husband, but an extraordinary pianist with whom Jennifer collaborates often. Jennifer and Christopher have put together a special selection of songs of longing and desire, including works by Brahms, Dove, Barber, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. 

Of Arms and the Man I Sing

Sunday, July 12 at 2PM, Free
The New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center
61 Lake Avenue, Saratoga Springs

Opera Saratoga's world premiere production of The Long Walk builds upon a rich and important history of operas that explore the dynamics of war, and the emotional journeys our soldiers take in their efforts to protect our freedom. Join us for a special concert featuring members of the company's Young Artist Program, featuring excerpts from operas from Monteverdi's Il ritorno di Ulysses in Patria, to the 2012 Pulitzer Prize award winning American masterpiece Silent Night by Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell. 

A World War I Tribute with baritone John Brancy

Thursday, July 16 at 8 PM, $20 in advance ($15 for subscribers) or $25 at the door
The New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center
61 Lake Avenue, Saratoga Springs

Baritone John Brancy is a fast-rising star making his debut with Opera Saratoga this summer. This season, John is also making important recital debuts at The Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall, so we couldn't resist the opportunity to present him in recital and share a very special program with our community. John has put together a journey into the music of WWI - revealing the thoughts, emotions and psyche of the great composers during that tremulous time. The program will include a performance of George Butterworth's (who died in combat during the Battle of the Somme in 1916) famously beautiful settings of poetry from A.E. Housman's A Shropshire Lad, as well as songs by Gerald Finzi, Claude Debussy, Carl Orff, and Charles Ives. 

2016 Season Preview

Thursday, July 23 at 2 PM, Free
 Spa Little Theater

Are you curious what the Summer of 2016 will bring to Opera Saratoga? Join us for a season preview, featuring music from all three operas to be presented in 2016, sung by members of the Young Artist Program.
Subscriptions are currently on sale, providing a savings of up to 15% off single ticket prices, including special visitor subscription packages for out of town guests. Single tickets are also now on sale. Ticket information is available at www.operasaratoga.org

Special packages are available for out-of-town visitors that will provide an opportunity to see multiple operas over a few days while enjoying the many other things that the city has to offer, including the summer residency of New York City Ballet at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), and the opening of the Track Season, which coincides with the final weekend of the festival.

For more information, please visit:

www.operasaratoga.org

 

The Power of Super-Music: A brief history on superhero film soundtracks

Most films on superheroes owe part of their success to enticing soundtracks...

New York City has often been the hub of fans’ favorite superhero stories. Some locations have acquired popularity also for being shown on the big screen. All boroughs have a touch of legend to them, from Forest Hills in Queens (where Peter Parker aka the Amazing Spider-Man was born and grew up in), to Manhattan’s Lower East Side (where Steve Rogers who is better known as Captain America was born), or even the Brooklyn Bridge (that is saved by the Fantastic Four). 

All these stories probably wouldn't be as heroic without the grand scenery of the Big Apple, but a very effective component that has made them stick to our minds - and very often is neglected - is the music score. Ever since the early forms of cine-comics in the 1970s, when the art of comic strips and movie-making came together giving birth to one of the most extraordinary forms of pop-culture, music enhanced majestically the universal themes embodied by superheroes, as underlined by film critics Massimo Privitera and Maurizio Giovanni Caschetto of Colonnesonore.net. 

The first example is with the New York composer John Williams, who composed some of the most recognizable film scores in cinematic history (Star Wars, E.T., Indiana Jones). When it comes to superheroes he created the soundtrack of the 1978 Superman, with some references to Strauss, Wagner and Mahler, transforming that score almost in an alternative U.S.A. hymn, evoking the spirit of patriotism interpreted by Christopher Reeve.

In the course of the 80s someone who managed to give a strong depiction of a darker and multifaceted hero is composer Danny Elfman, who put in music Tim Burton’s Batman through a symphonic orchestration, introducing the “Bat Theme”, to signal to audiences when the Bat-hero is about to arrive. His music somehow evokes the great themes by Bernard Hermann, who wrote several soundtracks for Alfred Hitchcock’s movies and have a noire 1940s twist to them, with a strong use of brass instruments.

In the year 2000 the era of Marvel takes over the silver screen and movie stereo sound. Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man is paced with a heroic major scale music, composed by Elfman that allows to bring out both the arachnid hero and the naïve Peter Parker. The use of electronic sounds and percussions give you the feeling that the notes are actually composing Spiderman’s cobweb.

The music changes in 2005 when the new Batman Trilogy is initially set to music by Hans Zimmer. The soundtrack of Batman Begins is very crepuscular and grim, adding a touch of Sturm Und Drang to comic strips. This becomes the new reference in the way of making superhero soundtracks: the hero no longer has a melody to identify him.

In the following years soundtracks become more hypertrophic, in order not to succumb to the loud special effects within the superhero action films. This is evident when Marvel starts producing movies independently in 2008, starting with Iron Man, entrusting the soundtrack to Ramin Djawadi (Pacific Rim, Game of Thrones, Person of Interest), who choses guitar-driven scores to evoke the hero’s metallic armor, with his “Driving With The Top Down” Theme.

The Incredible Hulk in 2008 has the Scottish composer Craig Armstrong (Romeo+Juliet, Moulin Rouge, Great Gatsby) use the electric cello and percussions to represent Hulk’s fury and his mighty stride. But the element of poetry is exemplified by how Armstrong manages to insert a vintage theme “Bruce Goes Home”, of the 1978 series by Kenneth Johnson, to connect the old with the new.

In 2010 Iron Man 2’s soundtrack by John Debney (The Scorpion King, The Passion of The Christ, Sin City) opts for an orchestral symphonic score; but the true revelation is Alan Silvestri (Back To The Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Forrest Gump), in 2011, who gives to Captain America a heroic leitmotiv of national pride with a warlike pace, a great use of horns and winds and triumphant brasses.

Kenneth Branagh, brings his habitual composer, Patrick Doyle (Henry V, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Cinderella), on board of the soundtrack for Thor in 2011, yet the outcome is lukewarm. The only moment where sound makes action truly emotional is at the very end with the theme “Thor Kills the Destroyer.”

In 2012 all the Avengers (Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Captain America, Hulk) are united in one movie and Alan Silvestri’s return is epic. The Avenger’s score is massively pompous and thematically connotative of the team of superheroes. 

The following year, the  Marvel sequels Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World are set in music by Brian Tyler (Fast & Furious, The Expendables), who is so good at translating muscularity into music that Marvel asks him to create the score of its 30 minute logo, where pages flip to the imposing drum roll.

The choice of handing to Henry Jackman (Kick-Ass, Wreck-It Ralph, Big Hero 6) the soundtrack 2014’s sequel Captain America: The Winter Soldier does not fulfill the expected expectations and his notes becomes a dull wallpaper to the action-drenched images. That same year Tyler Bates (300, Sucker-Punch, Killer Joe) conquers audiences with his incredibly bombastic, rambunctious and resonating score of Guardians of the Galaxy.

But  for the latest Marvel flick -  Avengers: Age of Ulton - there’s a comeback to Marvel’s darling composers Danny Elfman and Brian Tyler, who have proved to compose the catchiest and most enthralling sounds for superhero motion pictures.

This quick historical superhero soundtrack scan brings to light how the phenomenology of a film can utterly change our perception towards our beloved characters. Hence let’s stay tuned for the next heroic music scores.

Go uptown to the legendary Apollo for the first big concert of the year!

Romantic New Yorkers, of every persuasion, it’s time to really get 2015 started right!

Go uptown to the legendary Apollo for the first big concert of the year - a one night only special evening with R&B Soul maestro D’ Angelo on Saturday, February 7th at 8pm. 

Fresh on the heels of his critically acclaimed recent release, Black Messiah, D’Angelo will grace the Apollo stage for what is, as of right now, his first and only U.S. engagement since the release of the album.

The Apollo concert  will be just in advance of his recently announced international tour. 

Although this will be D’Angelo’s first time headlining the Apollo, he has a lot of history with the Theater and is an actually an Amateur Night alumni and won Amateur Night three times. In fact, he told a wonderful story in an interview about how he used his Amateur Night winnings to buy equipment he used to record his first album – his classic debut, Brown Sugar. So we are so happy to welcome him back home to the Apollo.

Tickets go on sale to the general public Wednesday, January 21st at 10am. 

About the Apollo Theater

The legendary Apollo Theater— the soul of American culture—plays a vital role in cultivating emerging talents and launching legends. Since its founding, the Apollo has served as a center of innovation, and a creative catalyst for Harlem, the city of New York, and the world. With music at its core, the Apollo’s programming extends to dance, theater, performance art, spoken word initiatives, and more.  Recent highlights have included James Brown: Get on the Good Foot, which will begin an international tour in 2015, the Africa Now! Festival, and Apollo Club Harlem. Since introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, the Apollo Theater has served as a testing ground for new artists working across a variety of art forms, and has ushered in the emergence of many new musical genres – including jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul, and hip hop. Among the countless legendary performers who launched their careers at the Apollo are Lauryn Hill, Machine Gun Kelly, Miri Ben Ari, D’Angelo, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, and Stevie Wonder; and the Apollo’s forward-looking artistic vision continues to build on this legacy.

The Apollo Theater is a not-for-profit organization and currently in the midst of fundraising for its 21st Century ApolloCampaign, created to extend the institution’s role in fostering artistic innovation and in building appreciation of American culture around the world.  For more information, visit www.apollotheater.org.