Sounds of Learning

Welcome students and teachers to Opera Online. This week we will continue to look at the Opera Company of Philadelphia's new production of Gluck's Orphée et Eurydice paying most attention to the "Trouser Role"!! Web Site of the Week In our opera, the role of the tragic Orpheus is sung by a mezzo-soprano. The composer originally intended the role sung by a castrato. This version of the score was revised by French composer Hector Berlioz for mezzo-soprano Pauline Viardot . Still, the use of the female voice for the male role reflects an occasionally used operatic convention known as the "trouser" role. For those of you who have downloaded the study guide you can read more about the trousers role on page 27. To find out more about it visit this website . YouTube Clip of the Week The Trouser role We will be looking at Orphée's arias in the coming week so I have three other examples of the famous trouser roles that are performed today. The role of Cherubin...

Welcome students and teachers to Opera Online. Beginning May 7th the Opera Company of Philadelphia presents their new production of Gluck's Orphée et Eurydice . Over the next few weeks we will look at the story behind Orphée et Eurydice , the cast, Gluck and the music. YouTube Clip of the Week The Overture and the chorus's opening piece Ah! dans ce bois tranquille et sombre (A quiet, secluded grove) sets the mood of the beginning of the opera where Orphée is morning the death of his beloved wife. In this version we have tenor, Richard Croft, playing the role of Orphée instead of a mezzo - soprano. Web Site of the Week Why not find out more about Orpheus and his back ground? Follow the link below to start you off on your discovery. The Legend of Orpheus Opera on the Air Charles Gounod's Faust "Wealth! Power! Youth! Love! Faust wants it all--and Mephistopheles lets him have it in return for his immortal soul. When you deal with the devil, everyone loses--as Faust soon...

Welcome students and teachers to Opera Online! This week, before we start talking about Gluck’s Orphee & Eurydice I thought we might take a minute to appreciate Operatic Mothers; after all, it was mother’s day last Sunday! Web Site of the Week On Operatic Mothers Who do you think are some of the nastiest and some of the nicest operatic mothers? YouTube Clip of the Week The Good Mother VS. the Bad Mother I have nominated Rosa Mamai from the opera L’Arlesiana , by composer Francesco Cilea as the Good mother. Esser madre E’un Inferno sung by Renata Tebaldi I have nominated Klytemnestra in Richard Strauss’ Elektra as the Bad mother. Ich habe keine gute nächte sung by Astrid Varnay. Opera on the Air Affectionately known as "Cav and Pag," Cavalleria rusticana (premiere 1890) and Pagliacci (premiere 1892) are two of the most popular examples of the "verismo style" in opera - focusing on ordinary people from working classes. "Cav and Pag" present the si...

Welcome to Opera-Online! Welcome students and teachers to Opera Online! Many of you attended the final dress rehearsal of La traviata on Wednesday, May 5th . We hope you all enjoyed the experience! If you saw La traviata as part of Sounds of Learning, don't forget to leave your student reviews here . Please leave your first name, school and grade in order to have your review published! YouTube Clip of the Week With the 2010-2011 season just around the corner , the Opera at the Academy Series features three highly theatrical operas in our grand scale home; Verdi's Otello , Gounod's Romeo & Juliet and Puccini's Tosca . If you're a teacher interested in bringing your students to the opera next season, click here to register for the 2010-2011 Sounds of Learning Season today! Our YouTube clip is the Brindisi from Otello featuring Carlos Alvarez and Stephen Costello who will be singing the title role in Romeo & Juliet next February! Web Site of the Week Cost...

Verdi's La traviata Wednesday, May 5, 2010 Academy of Music 2:00 p.m. Students in the Opera Company of Philadelphia's Sounds of Learning program saw the final dress rehearsal of Verdi's La traviata on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at the Academy of Music. La traviata is a monumental love story that has touched millions of people since its premiere in 1853 - even Julia Roberts' character in the film Pretty Woman ! Now that you've studied the opera and seen it, what were your impressions? Tell us what you think and post your reviews here! Did you like the opera and why? Which was your favorite character and why? Did you like the costumes and sets? Did you like that the opera was set in the 1920s? Who had the best and most impressive singing voice? Your review should be at least 50 words or more. Please include your first name, school and grade in your post. Click here if you want to learn more about these operas, the singers in the production, and more! JOIN OUR OPERA EMA...