Opera Online- Partriotic Salute!

Welcome Students and Teachers to Opera Online!! To honor our national day of independence, this week we will focus on the American vocal tradition. We will feature some of the greatest American opera singers performing American folk songs and patriotic tunes.

Video Clips of the Week!!
This week we travel back in time to hear some of the great American opera singers of the past. The first video is a recording of American baritone Robert Merrill singing "America, the

Beautiful" with the London Festival Orchestra in 1974. The second video is of one of the most famous American contraltos. Philadelphia native Marian Anderson sings the beautiful American folk song "Carry me Back to Old Virginny". Another famous singer with Philadelphia connections, Paul Robeson, sings the traditional "Shenandoah".

Continuing in a patriotic mode, legendary soprano Leontyne Price, in stunning form, sings the

unofficial Philadelphia Flyer's theme song, Irving Berlin's "God Bless America," at the age of 74. Then up-and-coming baritone Eric Greene, who has appeared in several Opera Company of Philadelphia productions, sings the National Anthem.

Finally, famous Pennsylvania-native Marilyn Horne sings the music of Stephen Foster, and his popular Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair in a performance from The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, with his side-kick Ed MacMahon.

Robert Merrill

Marian Anderson

Paul Robeson

Leontyne Price

Eric Greene

Marilyn Horne

Website of the week!
Check out the website American opera composer Nico Muhly! Muhly's first opera Two Boys recently premiered in London and his next opera Dark Sisters will be opening at the Opera Company of Philadelphia next summer.

Opera on the Air!
On Saturday, July 2nd at 12:30 PM radio station WRTI will be broadcasting the Lyric Opera of Chicago's production of Richard Wagner's Lohengrin. A young noblewoman, falsely accused of murdering her brother, dreams of being rescued--and miraculously, her knight in shining armor appears. He is Lohengrin, who pledges to marry her and save her homeland from invaders. But she must love him unconditionally, and never ask his name or origin. Tall order...especially with two forces of evil plotting against her. Conducted by Sir Andrew Davis the opera features tenor Johan Botha as Lohengrin, sopranos Emily Magee and Amber Wagner as Elsa, mezzo-soprano Michaela Schuster as Ortrud and baritone Greer Grimsley as Telramund.

Happy 4th of July!

Until Next Week!

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