Sounds of Learning

Welcome to Opera-Online! Welcome students and teachers to Opera Online. This week on our voyage through the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s production of Tea: A Mirror of Soul, we will look at tea sage Lu Yu and some of the tea traditions that inspired this opera. YouTube Clip of the Week The tea ceremony is an important aspect of Japanese and Chinese culture. It is a consistent element in the opera Tea: A Mirror of Soul and therefore I thought I would share the experience with you… Japanese tea Ceremony Web Site of the Week Lu Yu (733-804) is sometimes known as the Patron Saint of Tea or the Sage of Tea and is the founding father of tea art. He is worshipped by many for his monumental book Cha Jing (The Classics of Tea a.k.a. The Book of Tea) the first complete work on cultivating, making and drinking tea. This historical figure is also an important, unseen character in Tea: A Mirror of Soul. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lu_Yu The Japanese House or Shofuso , sits in a beautiful...

Welcome to Opera-Online! Welcome students and teachers to Opera Online. This week we will continue our voyage through the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s production of Tea: A Mirror of Soul . We will continue to look at the world acclaimed cast and a scene from the opera written by Tan Dun . YouTube Clip of the Week I thought that today we should take another glimpse at the music in the opera Tea: A Mirror of Soul . We will look at the scene of Lan’s death from the world première at Suntory Hall, Japan. Tan Dun: Tea: A Mirror of Soul, Death of Lan Web Site of the Week Soprano Kelly Kaduce plays the role of Princess Lan in Tan Dun’s Tea: A Mirror of Soul ; the same role she sang in the opera’s U.S. premiere at Santa Fe Opera in 2007. Kaduce made her OCP debut as Caroline Gaines for the East Coast premiere of Richard Danielpou and Toni Morrison’s Margaret Garner . To find out more about Ms.Kaduce, visit her web site where you will find information about her life, recent recordings, and...

Welcome to Opera-Online! Welcome students and teachers to Opera Online. This week we will continue on our voyage through the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s production of Tea: A Mirror of Soul . We will begin to look at the world acclaimed cast and the imaginative and creative music of Tan Dun . YouTube Clip of the Week Tea composer Tan Dun is known for his use of unusual instruments. Mr. Tan likes to use “organic” or natural instruments and has written full orchestral pieces that celebrate percussion instruments that use water, paper and more. Below, are links to Tan Dun’s Water and Paper Concerti , both of which are truly fascinating compositions. Tan Dun: Paper Concerto Tan Dun: Water Concerto Web Site of the Week Baritone Haijing Fu created the role of Seikyo at the 2002 world premiere of Tea: A Mirror of Soul and is returning to Philadelphia to repeat this role. Tenor Roger Honeywell sings the role of the Prince. Mr. Honeywell is no stranger to the Opera Company of Philadel...

Welcome to Opera-Online! Welcome students and teachers to Opera Online. This week we will begin our voyage through the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s production of Tea: A Mirror of Soul . An east cost premiere by Tan Dun! YouTube Clip of the Week To get you familiar with the composers’ unique musical style we will look at the opening Prelude of the opera Tea: A Mirror of Soul . One of the highlights of the opera is the composer’s use of “organic” or natural instruments. He uses water, paper, and stone as an important part of the music. In this scene, watch as three onstage percussionists use water as an instrument! Tan Dun: Tea (Tokyo 2002) prelude Web Site of the Week You may be surprised to recognize some of Tan Dun compositions from soundtracks to films such as Hero and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon . To find out more about this renowned composer, visit his web site where you will find information on his life and music to date. Opera on the Air On January 9th at 1pm WRTI radio...

Welcome to Opera-Online! Welcome students and teachers to our Holiday Edition of Opera Online - this week focusing on New Years! YouTube Clip of the Week To celebrate the New Year, we’ll hear famous American soprano Kathleen Battle sing “Voices of Spring” or “ Frühlingsstimmen ” by the “Waltz King” Johann Strauss, Jr. with conductor Herbert von Karajan and the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra at the 1987’s New Year Concert. Web Site of the Week To find out more about this renowned American soprano, visit her web site where you will find more information about her life, recent recordings, and upcoming performances. Opera on the Air There’s lots going on over the next week or so on both TV and radio. On January 1st at 11am WRTI radio will broadcast “New Year’s From Vienna 2010” with conductor Georges Pretre and host Julie Andrews ! This is the Vienna Philharmonic's annual concert of music celebrating the New Year, with works by the Strauss family and their contemporaries. If you...

Welcome to Opera-Online! Welcome students and teachers to our Holiday Edition of Opera Online! My name is Aedin Larkin. I am the Community Programs intern with the Opera Company of Philadelphia and I will be taking over the blog entries for the time being. I hope to bring you lots of new and exciting information with updates on the upcoming productions for the 2010 season; but first…. With the holiday season approaching, I wanted to look at some Christmas and Chanukah music to keep us all in good spirits! You Tube Clip of the Week Chanukah is celebrated from December 11th-19th this season. This Jewish tradition has been celebrated for centuries. In our first clip of the week we will see a performance of Chanukah, O Chanukah sung by Marie Betcher. Handel’s Messiah is an extremely popular oratorio that is performed very frequently during the holiday season. Therefore I’m showing you one of the great soprano solos “Rejoice greatly, o daughter of Zion”. There are two versions; the tradit...

Welcome to Opera Online! This is the last week for us to look at Giacomo Puccini's tragic Madama Butterfly . Many of you attended the final dress rehearsal of the opera on Wednesday, October 7th. We hope you had a great time! Let us know what you thought of the opera by posting your review here . Good or bad, we'll publish your review as long as you include your first name, school, and grade level. Our Clip of the Week looks at a Broadway play that was inspired by Madama Butterfly : Miss Saigon . The musical is set during the Vietnam War. Chris, an American soldier stationed in Vietnam, falls in love with Kim, a young Vietnamese woman. He returns to America andKim gives birth to thier son. Back in America, Chris marries Ellen. In this sequence, Kim sings of her love for Chris while Ellen sings of her concern over Chris' disturbing dreams. How does this scene remind you of Madame Butterfly ? Website of the Week Now that you know everything there is to know about Ma...

Madama Butterfly - Student Reviews Sounds of Learning Puccini's Madama Butterfly Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. Students in the Opera Company of Philadelphia's Sounds of Learning program saw the final dress rehearsal of Puccini's tragic Madama Butterfly , on Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at the Academy of Music. Madama Butterfly teaches great lessons about love, faith, honor, and respect. Jun Kaneko's production vividly brought the opera to life it's geometric patterns and string use of color and projections. 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 here if you want to learn more about these operas, the singers in the production, an...

Welcome to Opera Online! This is the last week for us to look at Giacomo Puccini's tragic Madama Butterfly . Many of you will be attending the final dress rehearsal of the opera on Wednesday, October 7th at 2 PM. We hope you enjoy the experience! Our Clip of the Week features the final moments of the opera. Butterfly has lost everything - her mother and relatives, her husband, her child, and even her honor. She has only one option left for her: hari-kari. In this scene Butterfly urges her son, Trouble, to forgive her for abandoning him. She helps restore her honor by doing this dramatic act. For the complete text to the scene, see page 34 of the Sounds of Learning guide. Don't forget to invite your friends to sign up to receive these alerts by emailing their name, school, and age to us at outreach@operaphila.org. Again, if you have suggestions of things you'd like to see, please let me know and I'll find a few clips as well. Enjoy!

What Are Your Thoughts? Pinkerton and Sharpless present two completely different characters. Pinkerton thinks of himself more and Sharpless is compassionate. Both are Americans living in Japan. What does it mean to be an American? Which one of these men show those American qualities more? Why do you think Sharpless didn't do more to prevent the marriage or to make Butterfly realize from the start that the marriage was only temporary? Log your thoughts below by clicking on the "Post a Comment" link below. You don't need to register and can click the Anonymous button, but please include your first name and the school you attend. Thanks!

Welcome to Opera Online! We continue our look at Giacomo Puccini's tragic Madama Butterfly , the first opera in our Sounds of Learning program for the 2009-2010 Season. In our Clip of the Week , we'll skip to the last act of the opera to hear a gorgeous trio and Pinkerton's remorseful aria, Addio fiorito asil. These clips are taken from a film interpretation starring the famous tenor Plá cido Domingo as Lt. Pinkerton with German mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig as Suzuki and American baritone Robert Kerns as Sharpless. In the opera at this point, Pinkerton has returned to Japan and has brought his new American wife Kate. They stop by Butterfly's home with the consul, Sharpless. After seeing the how Butterfly has decorated the home for his return, he finally realizes how real Butterfly thought the marriage was. He is filled with remorse and runs out of the home. For the complete text to the scene, see page 32 of the Sounds of Learning guide. Just so you know, the v...

Welcome to Opera Online! We continue our look at Giacomo Puccini's tragic Madama Butterfly , the first opera in our Sounds of Learning program for the 2009-2010 Season. In our Clip of the Week , we'll take a look at Cio-Cio San's aria, Un bel dì, one of the most famous arias ever written. We'll compare two videos. The first is from the theatrical film version of the opera that we've already seen excerpts from with Chinese soprano Ying Huang as Cio-Cio San (Madama Butterfly). The second is a television performance by the legendary soprano Renata Tebaldi who was well known for her performances as the geisha. In the opera at this point, Pinkerton returned to America three years ago, but has promised to come back to Butterfly. She dreams of the day that her husband will return to her. Butterfly clings to this belief with all her life. She tells her maid Suzuki what will happen on the day her husband returns - from seeing the smoke from his ship and the cannon s...

Welcome to Opera Online! We continue our look at Giacomo Puccini's tragic Madama Butterfly , the first opera in our Sounds of Learning program for the 2009-2010 Season. In our Clip of the Week , we'll see another excerpt from a theatrical film version of the opera that we saw last week. Chinese soprano Ying Huang as Cio-Cio San (Madama Butterfly) and tenor Richard Troxell as Lieutenant Pinkerton. Butterfly's uncle, a Buddhist monk, interrupts Butterfly's wedding to Pinkerton and tells her family that she has converted to Christianity. Her family scorns and rejects her. Pinkerton orders the family to leave. Pinkerton is the only family Butterfly has now. In this scene Butterfly and Pinkerton have just been married. They are alone and declare their love for each other. Before you watch this clip, you'll want to read pages 16-19 in the Sounds of Learning student guide. Our Website of the week is that of internationally renowned ceramic artist Jun Kaneko . If you...

Welcome to Opera Online! This week we start our look at Giacomo Puccini's tragic Madama Butterfly , the first opera in our Sounds of Learning program for the 2009-2010 Season. In our Clip of the Week , we'll see an excerpt from a theatrical film version of the opera which stars Chinese soprano Ying Huang as Cio-Cio San (Madama Butterfly) and tenor Richard Troxell (who happens to live in New Jersey) as Lieutenant Pinkerton. The mariage broker Goro enters to tell Pinkerton and his friend Sharpless that Madame Butterfly has arrived for her wedding to Pinkerton. The two have never met and they fall in love instantly. There are several other moments from the first act shown in this clip that are well worth viewing. Before you watch this clip, you'll want to read pages 16-19 in the Sounds of Learning student guide. Our Website of the week is that of Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho . Ermonela will sing the role of Cio-Cio San in our production of Madama Butterfly . Opera on th...

Welcome to Opera Online! We're back from a little summer break. This week we'll finish up the summer edition by seeing a few clips from a few Italian opera giants: Giuseppe Verdi , Giacomo Puccini , Pietro Mascagni , and Ruggero Leoncavallo . We'll start with Verdi's popular Aida . An Ethiopian princess is enslaved by her Egyptian conquerors and falls in love with the Egyptian general. In "O patria mia," she sings of her beloved homeland and fears that she will never see it again. Here American soprano Leontyne Price sings the role that made her famous. It's taken from her final operatic performance ever. Puccini's La Boheme is one of the most popular operas ever written. It's the story of two young lovers with a stormy relationship, but a love that will never die. This clip is actually a trailer for a movie version of the opera starring Russian soprano Anna Netrebko and Mexican tenor Rolando Villazon . This film will be screened at the Br...

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...