Sounds of Learning

Welcome to Opera Online! This week we'll look at one of the most imporant operas of the bel canto (or beautiful singing) school, Gaetano Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor . Based on Sir Walter Scott's historical novel The Bride of Lammermoor , the opera tells the story of a doomed love between a young couple from rival families, which makes it a bit like Romeo and Juliet or West Side Story . Lucy is forced to marry Lord Arturo despite that she is in love with Edgardo. When Edgardo finds out about the marriage, Edgardo curses her. Lucia goes mad, kills Arturo, and dies. Hearing of his beloved's death, Edgardo visits Lucia's grave and kills himself. Here we'll see Lucia's famous mad scene. it's a long excerpt, so it will be the only itme this week. It features the gorgeous Anna Moffo , who was born in Wayne, PA. In the early 1970's she made a film version of the opera. We'll see her mad scene from that film. LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR with Anna Moffo Oper...

Welcome to Opera Online! Last week we looked at music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart . This week, the opera timeline progresses with excertps from Beethoven's only opera, one of Rossini's comic masterpieces, and the dawn of the Germanic romatic age. Beethoven's Fidelio Ludwig van Beethoven had long wanted to write an opera, and despite a few tries at it, didn't complete his first and only opera, Fidelio , until 1805. The opera was based on a French text by Jean-Nicolas Bouilly which had been used an opera by another composer. It is supposedly based on a true story of a woman disguised herself as a man to rescue her husband from death in a political prison during the French Revolution. The themes of freedom and the common man resonated with Beethoven. The Age of Enlightenment was an era culminating with the French Revolution (1789) in which people started to rethink the roles of the aristocracy and of class. It expanded people's thinking about equality and power. ...

Welcome to Opera Online! Last week we looked at music by Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart . We'll devote this week to the four of the Austrian master Mozart's most popular operas, Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte (So are they all), and Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute). Le nozze di Figaro Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro, 1786) is thought by many scholars and critics to be one of the funniest and most perfect operas ever written. The opera is based on a 1784 play by Pierre Beaumarchais , La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro . The play was scandalous at the time because it made fun of the upper class. Some say that the play mirrored the thoughts of the lower classes and helped plant the seeds of resentment that saw the lower classes overthrow the aristocracy during the French Revolution . The text that Mozart used was written by the Italian poet and playwright Lorenzo da Ponte . Da Ponte is an ...

Welcome to Opera Online! Last week we looked at music for Independence Day. This week we'll resume our operatic timeline and look a one piece by Antonio Salieri and two early pieces by Mozart. We'll also hear some very, very high notes in a soprano aria, and some very, very low notes in a bass aria. Youtube Clip of the Week Italian composer Antonio Salieri is mainly known today as one of Mozart's rivals. Legend has it that he even helped cause Mozart's early death at the age of 35. Actually, Salieri was a one of the most famous and respected composers of his day. In fact he was commissioned to write the opera Europa Riconosciuta (Europa Revealed) for the grand opening the new La Scala opera house in Milan, Italy in 1778. The opera was performed at La Scala in 2004 to celebrate the reopening of La Scala as it had been closed for almost three years because of renovations. The opera hadn't been performed in so long that the whole score had to be reprinted based ...

Welcome to Opera Online! This week, a very different Opera Online, in honor of Independence Day. This week we'll hear several opera singers in traditional American songs and in patriot music, too. Youtube Clip of the Week First baritone Eric Green, who sang in our recent production of Turandot , sings the National Anthem in Virginia. Leontyne Price, from Laurel, Mississippi, was one of the most important opera singers of the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Here she came out of retirement at the age of 74 to sing God Bless America. Philadelphia native, Marian Anderson, had one of the most striking voices ever recorded. The famous conductor Arturo Toscanini said that a voice like her's only comes around once in a lifetime. Here she sings the spiritual Deep River. Next, legendary American mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne sings Aaron Copland's arrangement of the folk song Simple Gifts. Baritone Thomas Hampson appeared on ABC's Good Morning America program and championed American song. H...

Welcome to Opera Online! Last week we looked at three excerpts from the dawn of opera. This week, we'll travel down the operatic time line a bit further to see three excerpts from one of the greatest early operas ever written: Gluck 's Orfeo ed Euridice . Youtube Clip of the Week We'll start off with a clip from Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice . During the mid 20th Century, this opera was performed quite frequently for famous mezzo-sopranos like Rise Stevens , Kathleen Ferrier , Grace Bumbry , Marilyn Horne , and Janet Baker . While less frequently performed today, Orfeo has had a resurgence in the past few years and will be performed by the Opera Company of Philadelphia in June, 2010. Orfeo is a legend from Greek mythology. It is the story of a man who goes to the underworld and pleads to the gods to bring his dead wife back to life. The gods are so moved by Orfeo's song that they agree, but on one condition! I won't tell you what that is, so you'll have to ...

Welcome to Opera Online! After looking at the vocal chords in action and soprano Simone Kermes having a ball singing Vivaldi last week, this week we'll visit three of the earliest operas that were written within 40 years of each other. And we'll take a look at what's on the radio this weekend, too. Youtube Clip of the Week The first opera ever performed is generally regarded to be Jacopo Peri's Dafne , an opera based on Greek legend. The opera was premiered in 1597 but no written music survives for us to know what it sounded like. But there are several surviving operas from around the same period. We'll look at one from Italy, one from England, and one from France. The earliest surviving operas that are still performed today are those of Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi . His opera L'incoronazione di Poppea (The Coronation of Poppea) was premiered in 1642 and is the story of a Roman noblewoman, Poppea , who manages to wrap the Emperor Nero around her fin...

Welcome to Opera Online! The Opera Company season officially ends this weekend as the last production of the season, Britten's The Rape of Lucretia closes. Over the summer as we wait for the new season to start, we'll be looking at a lot of different things, including a little bit of information on vocal technique, how the voice works, the bel-canto style, and a walk through opera's time line. We'll see some clips from comic and serious operas, legendary singers and some you may not know, and even singers in Broadway and popular music, too. Also, during the summer we'll let you know what opera will be aired on the radio each Saturday afternoon on WRTI, 90.1 FM. If you have suggestions of things you'd like to see, please let me know and I'll find a few clips as well. Youtube Clip of the Week Have you ever wondered what your vocal chords look like? Have you ever seen them as they produce sound? Here's a clip that was filmed during a stroboscopy (pronou...

What did you think of Lucretia? Sounds of Learning TM Britten's The Rape of Lucretia Wednesday, June 3, 2009 at 6:15 p.m. Students in the Opera Company of Philadelphia's Sounds of Learning TM program saw the final dress rehearsal of Britten's dramatic The Rape of Lucretia on Wednesday, June 3rd. 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 performer and why? What was your favorite part of the opera and why? Did the opera meet your expectations? 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 EMAIL LIST! Email education@operaphila.org and we'll deliver free opera right into your inbox once a week. Each week there will be a youtube "Clip of the Week...

Welcome to Opera-Online! After a break for a few weeks, we're back with Opera-Online! We begin our look at Benjamin Britten's fascinating The Rape of Lucretia . You may be going through the items in the student guide with your teacher. If not, this source has opportunities for you to do your own preparation for the opera with plenty of online content, including the complete student guide, and almost 100 online links within the Lucretia portion of the Sounds of Learning web pages. Youtube Clip of the Week Our first clip contains some of the most famous music in the opera. It's Tarquinius's ride over the Tiber on his way to Lucretia's home. He's racing on his way there. As the Male Chorus comments regarding Tarquinius, "Now who rides? Who’s ridden? Tarquinius, the stallion? Or the beast, Tarquinius?" When the clip opens, listen for the cricket theme that is repeated by the harp before the Male Chorus begins to sing. While the Male Chorus sings Lucretia...

Sounds of Learning TM Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges and Puccini's Gianni Schicchi Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at 6:15 p.m. Students in the Opera Company of Philadelphia's Sounds of Learning TM program saw the final dress rehearsal of Ravel's enchanting L'enfant et les sortilèges and Puccini's wickedly comic, Gianni Schicchi, on Wednesday, April 22nd. The operas are both comedic and teach great lessons about morality and love. The production for L'enfant is whimsical and filled with monumental projections, while Gianni Schicchi, could have stepped out of a 1920s art-deco painting. 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 projections, costumes and sets? Your review should be at least 50 words or more. Please include your first name, school and grade in your post. Click he...

Welcome to Opera-Online! Many of you may have this week off for Spring Break. If so, I hope you are having a great time! Youtube Clip of the Week In this scene from Gianni Schicchi, the relatives all try to bribe Schicchi into rewriting Buoso Donati's will to benefit themselves. Notice here how clearly defined each character is. Each one has their own immediately identifiable personality distinct from everyone else. Web Site of the Week This week we'll look at the website for one of the places that the Opera Company performs: the Academy of Music. Many students will be coming to see Gianni Schicchi and L'enfant et les sortileges in about a week and a half. You can find out more infinformation about the Academy here . Nation-Wide High School Arts Competition Each year US Representative Allyson Schwartz from our 13th district champions a nation-wide high school arts competition sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Artistic Discovery Contest i...

Welcome to Opera-Online! Welcome to Opera Online! This week we continue our look at Puccini's comedic gem, Gianni Schicchi. Youtube Clip of the Week We'll see the opening scene of the opera as the money-grubbing relatives "mourn" the loss of the rich relative, Buoso Donati. Donati was one of the richest men of his time. His relatives can't wait to see the will to find out what they will inherit from the rich man. Imagine their disappointment when they find his will and discover that they are getting nothing! Web Site of the Week Our web site of the week may seem a bit macabre, but it's directly inline with the themes of Gianni Schicchi . This site was recommended to me by one of the Sounds of Learning teachers, so I wanted to share it with you. The plot of Schicchi centers on Buoso Donati's will. Have you ever thought of what it takes to write a will. Well, review this site and learn how to make your own will. Nation-Wide High School Arts Competition Ea...

Welcome to Opera-Online! Welcome to Opera Online! This week we focus on Puccini's comedic gem, Gianni Schicchi. Youtube Clip of the Week We start our look at Schicchi with the opera's hit tune, one of the most popular opera arias ever written, "O mio babbino caro." In the aria, Lauretta begs her babbino , or daddy, to let her marry her boyfriend, Rinuccio. If he doesn't she will fling herself into the Arno River. Before we hear the aria, review its text on page 30 of the student guide. If you don't have a guide handy, you can download it onto your computer by clicking on the image above. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of performances of this aria on youtube, featuring legendary singers like Maria Callas, Renata Tebaldi, and Leontyne Price , up and coming singers in conservatories, 9 year old girls, and more. We'll actually look at three different performances of this aria: two by legendary singers who were known for their acting ability, and...

Welcome to Opera-Online! Welcome to Opera Online! This week we're still looking at Ravel's enchanted L'enfant et les sortilèges . Youtube Clip of the Week Have you ever been intimidated by word problems in your math class? Well, the Child in L'enfant et les sortilèges is definitely intimidated by them! In this clip, Mr. Arithmetic comes to life and starts shouting silly word problems that don't make any sense. It's a bit like a mini-nightmare for the Child. You can follow along with the text on page 20 of the workbook where you'll find the costume design for Arithmetic in the our production. This video comes from a performance at the Glyndebourne Festival in England and was filmed in 1987. How many years ago was that? This production uses animations, just like the Opera Company's production will. Web Site of the Week Our Web Site of the Week visit's the Maurice Ravel official homepage. While he died in 1937, this web site is run by Ravel enth...

Welcome to Opera-Online! Welcome students and teachers to Opera Online! This week we'll concentrate on Ravel's magical L'enfant et les sortilèges . Youtube Clip of the Week One of the most brilliant moments in the opera is when Fire bursts out of the fireplace to taunt the Child. This clip features famous French coloratura soprano Natalie Dessay singing the role of Fire. This production is more similar to the Opera Company's production. Here the singer represents the "spirit" of fire rather than actually looking like fire. Eventually the Child manages to quench the fire by smothering it in a blanket. Slowly and reluctantly the "fire" finally goes out. You'll see a black screen for about the first 20 seconds of this clip and there is no audio during the first 39 seconds. Web Site of the Week In 2004 a filmaker from Finland made a fascinating film of L'enfant et les sortilèges called The Bewitched Child . It played at several film festival...

Welcome to Opera-Online! Welcome students and teachers for this edition of Opera Online! This week we start looking at our next production, the comedic double bill of Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges and Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. The first thing I want to talk about this week is the pronunciation of both of these visually intimidating titles. Both the vowels in "L'en" and "fant" of L'enfant sounds a bit like the "aw" sound in the English word lawn, but without the "n" at the end, like "law faw ". " Et " sounds like ay, " les " sounds like "lay". The last syllable of sortilèges sounds sort of like the English word ledge, but replace the "d" with a soft g sound like in the word mirage: sore-tee-LEHZH. The title is pronounced: law-FAW ay lay sore-tee-LEHZH. Gianni Schicchi is much easier. Gianni sounds just like the name Johnny and Schicchi is just like combining the wo...

Welcome to Opera-Online! About 1900 people came to the final dress rehearsal of Turandot last Wednesday, over half of them through the Sounds of Learning program. Over 100 students from across the area have shared their thoughts on the opera on our Sounds of Learning blog. Teacher Patrizia Clerico from Bishop Shanahan High School used the Turandot and 3s lesson on the teacher CD-Rom. She challenged her students to find references to the number 3 during Turandot. This is their list of observations: 1. ministers 2. servants of the ministers 3. henchmen of the executioner 4. riddles 5. correct answers 6. repetitions of "hope", "blood", and "Turandot" by wise men when Calaf answers the riddles 7. 3 sets of 3 heads on stakes 8. times that Turandot walks up and down stairs while stating riddles 9. female suitors in each of the four groupings 10. chests of riches 11. sets of two people carrying the chests 12. dragon hands on set 13. times that the people say ...

Sounds of Learning TM Student Dress Rehearsal Giacomo Puccini's Turandot Wednesday, February 15, 2009 6:15 p.m. Students in the Opera Company of Philadelphia's Sounds of Learning TM program saw the final dress rehearsal of Puccini's brilliant fairytale opera, Turandot , on Wednesday, February 15th. The opera is filled with thrilling arias, dramatic scenes, and powerful choruses, including the famous aria Nessun Dorma . The ice princess Turandot requires all suitors to pass a test of three riddles. If they are unsuccessful, they forfeit their lives. 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? Which was your favorite character? Did you like the sets? Please include your first name, school and grade in your post. Click here if you want to learn more about Puccini, Turandot , singers in the production, China and more. JOIN OUR OPERA EMAIL LIST! Email education@operaph...

Welcome to Opera-Online! Just a few days left until the Sounds of Learning presentation of Puccini's Turandot . The cast has some incredibly important rehearsals over the next few days including the Sitzprobe (pronounced ZITS-probe), when the singers finally get to sing all the way through the score with the orchestra, and two orchestra dress rehearsals where the entire opera will be run from start to finish as if it were a performance. Youtube Clip of the Week We have two clips this week. First we'll feature a performance of Liù's final moments onstage. We'll see a performance of her back-to-back arias "Tanto amore segreto" and "Tu che di gel cei cinta" which can be found on page 29 and 30 of the student workbook. This is the last scene in the opera that Puccini completed before his untimely death from throat cancer. This performance is from Vienna and features Italian soprano Katia Ricciarelli as Liù with Eva Marton as Turandot and José Carreras ...