Sounds of Learning

Welcome Students and Teachers to Opera Online! Only two more episodes of our summer webisodes. This week we will look at three of the most popular magical operas, Mozart 's The Magic Flute , Gaetano Donizetti 's Elixir of Love , and Engelbert Humperdinck 's Hansel and Gretel . Video Clips of the Week! Mozart's magical comedy The Magic Flute tells the story of Tamino, a handsome prince who must face several trials to win the hand and heart of his princess. In the first video clip we are introduced to Papageno, a bird catcher who helps Tamino on his trecherous journey. Gaetano Donizetti's Elixir of Love follows Nemorino, a simple peasant who is convinced that a love potion will win him the heart of the landowner's beautiful daughter, Adina. The second video clip is the most famous tenor aria from the opera, "Una furtiva lagrima". Played by Rolando Villazon , Nemorino sings about spying a "furtive tear" from Adina, which is proof that...

Welcome Students and Teachers to Opera Online!! Continuing with our top 10 most popular operas, this week we will take a look at Giacomo Puccini's top two operas, Tosca and La Boheme . Video Clips of the Week!! While he was still alive and composing, Puccini was known for creating some of the most beautiful melodies in opera. It's no wonder that two of his operas still make the top 10 list today! Our first video clip is from Puccini's beautifully tragic opera Tosca . The opera follows a beautiful opera singer, Floria Tosca, who is forced by a corrupt chief of police to chose between her boyfriend's life or her honor. If you saw the Opera Company of Philadelphia production of Tosca this spring, you may recognize the popular aria in this video clip. The clip features tenor Placido Domingo as Cavaradossi, Tosca's love. The aria, "E lucevan Le stelle" (The stars shone brightly) takes place moments before Cavaradossi is scheduled to be executed. He...

Welcome Students and Teachers to Opera Online! Continuing with our summer webisode The ABC's of Opera over the next few weeks we will be taking a look at the Top 10 Most performed operas in the United States. Kicking off the list are two of the most popular comedic operas: The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini and The Marriage of Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart . Video Clips of the Week! Although The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro were written by two different composers in two very different time periods, the stories are actually taken from a trilogy of plays with mostly the same characters (It's like two different directors making movies out of the books Twilight and Eclipse, and having the Eclipse movie released first). The first part of the story is The Barber of Seville . The Barber of Seville The story of The Barber of Seville follows a crafty barber, Figaro, and his former master Count Almaviva. Looking to find a woman who will fall in love with...

Welcome Students and Teachers to Opera Online!! This week we will take a look at the two lowest voice types. For the women we have the impressive contralto voice and for the men we have the basso-profundo! Video Clips of the Week!! Our first video clip is of one of the most famous singers from Philadelphia; contralto Marian Anderson . Although she did not perform on the opera stage, Marian Anderson loved operatic arias and would sing several of them in her concerts and recitals. This recording of her singing " Plasir d'amour " by Jean Paul Martini shows off the depth of the contralto voice. Our second video clip is of one of the most popular basso profundo roles in opera; Sarastro from Mozart's opera The Magic Flute . In this clip basso profundo Kurt Moll plays the High Priest of the Sun, Sarastro. In the aria "In deisen heil'gen hallen" Sarastro confronts and comforts the conflicted Tamina, who has been ordered by her mother to kill Sarast...

Welcome Students and Teachers to Opera Online! Continuing with our "ABC's of Opera" summer webisodes we'll venture into the rare voice types in opera. This week we'll take a look at one of the rarest male voice types- the countertenor. Videos of the Week! The countertenor is the highest male voice type in opera. Listening to recordings of countertenors can be a bit confusing because they are often mistaken for women. This is because the comfortable singing range for a countertenor lies within what would normally be considered a soprano or mezzo-soprano range. The countertenor voice is normally heard in very early opera or more contemporary works. Our first clip is from a modernized production of an old opera favorite. Countertenor Christophe Dumaux plays Tolomeo in Handel 's Julius Ceasar . Tolomeo, the reigning Pharoah of Eygpt, has just had the Emperor Pompey murdered and has taken Pompey's wife, Cornelia, captive. Upon first seeing Cornelia he falls i...

Welcome Students and Teachers to Opera Online! Continuing with our series "The ABC's of Opera", this week we will be focusing on the voice type of the dramatic voice. Video Clips of the Week! The dramatic voice can be recognized by its' dark and powerful quality. Dramatic voice types often thought of as the stereotypical voice of an opera singer. These singers have enough volume to cut through a full orchestra. Our first video demonstrates the power behind dramatic voices. Featuring dramatic mezzo-sopranos, contraltos, and sopranos the "Ride of the Valkyries" from Richard Wagner's opera Die Walküre is one of the most famous opera pieces in the world. The Valkyries , daughters of the god Wotan, are in charge of bringing hereos killed in battle to Valhalla , the land of the Gods. The clip comes from the Bayreuth Festival in Germany. The second video is from the 2006 production of George Bizet's Carmen at Covent Garden in London. Dramatic tenor Jon...

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 ...

Welcome Students and Teachers to Opera Online! For our second week of The ABC's of Opera we will be focusing on the fach, or voice type, of the lyric voice. Video Clip of the Week! The lyric voice is classified by a light or bright quality to the voice. Although the lyric voice may have a large range, they have a smaller range than a coloratura voice. The first video clip is of one of the most famous lyric tenors Luciano Pavarotti . In this 1981 production of Rigoletto Pavarotti sings the famous aria " La donna e mobile ". The Duke (Pavarotti) sings about how fickle women are. The second video clip is of lyric soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa singing the classic Puccini aria "Si, mi chiamano Mimi" from La Boheme . In the aria Mimi (Kanawa) introduces herself to the poet Rodolfo who has fallen in love with her at first sight. The story of La Boheme was modernized in the 1990's to become the plot of the hit musical RENT . Luciano Pavarotti "La donna e mobi...

Welcome Students and Teachers to Opera Online! This week we are starting our summer webisode series The ABC's of Opera . Ever wonder what the difference is between a coloratura soprano and a lyric soprano? What is a countertenor? What are the most popular opera in America? This summer we will answer your questions and introduce you to the great singers of opera! This week we will focus on the coloratura. Video Clips of the Week! The term coloratura actually has two different meanings. Coloratura can describe a type of music or a voice type. Opera singers and opera experts sometimes describe music as having "coloratura passages". In this case coloratura means a fast passage or piece with many vocal runs. In our first video tenor Juan Diego Florez and bass-baritone Mark S. Doss demonstrates vocal coloratura in the duet "Se inclinassi a prender moglie" from Gioachino Rossini's The Italian Girl in Algiers . In this comic duet King Mustafa (Doss) is trying to c...

Welcome Students and Teachers to Opera Online! This week we are concluding our look at the Opera Company of Philadelphia's production of Hans Werner Henze's Phaedra. For those of you who were able to see the production we would love to have your feedback! Tell us what you think and post your reviews here! Did you like the opera? Why or why not? Which was your favorite character and why? Did you like the costumes and sets? Who was your favorite singer? Which singer had the best and most impressive singing voice? Please include your first name and school in your post. Video Clip of the Week!! This week's video clips feature other works by Hans Werner Henze. If you enjoyed Phaedra be sure to check out these operas too! The first clip is from Henze's comic opera Der Junge Lord . This German opera tells the tale of a mysterious English nobleman who comes to visit a small town in Germany and ends up tricking the village into believing a dressed up trained ape is his son. The...

Welcome Students and Teachers to Opera Online! This week we will look at the Opera Company of Philadelphia's production of Hans Werner Henze's Phaedra. For our last webisode before the highly anticipated dress rehearsal, we will take a look at the performers and their careers. Video Clips of the Week! Our first video clip is of our Phaedra, mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford. A graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program , Ms. Mumford is no stranger to the Academy of music stage. She debuted at The Opera Company of Philadelphia in the 2009 production of The Rape of Lucretia . This clip is from production of Claudio Monteverdi 's L'incoronazione di Poppea at the Glyndebourne Festival in 2008. In the aria "Disprezzata regina", Ottavia (Mumford) bemoans her husband's infidelity. Our second clip is of tenor William Burden who will be playing Hippolyt. Mr. Burden has appeared at major opera houses throughout the United States in...

Welcome Students and Teachers to Opera Online! This week we'll take a look at the myth of Phaedra and see how it inspired other composers and playwrights in preparation for the premiere of Hans Werner Henze's Phaedra. Video Clip of the Week!! The myth of Phaedra has inspired many great artists, musicians, and playwrights. The three most famous interpretations of the Phaedra myth are the plays by Euripedes, Seneca, and Racine. Although each playwright has a different interpretation of the story the main ideas of the plot remain. Phaedra is the wife of Theseus, the king of Athens and a great Greek hero. Phaedra has fallen in love with Hippolytus, her stepson. She knows that her feelings are immoral but too strong to contain, so she confronts Hippolytus. Hippolytus rejects her. Phaedra falls into despair and commits suicide, leaving a note for her husband saying that Hippolytus raped her. Theseus becomes infuriated with his stepson and asks the God of the Sea, Poseidon, to avenge...

Welcome Students and Teachers to Opera Online! This week begins our look at the upcoming U.S. premiere of Hans Werner Henze's Phaedra . We'll see a preview of the opera and take a look at Henze other works. Video Clip of the Week! This week we will take a look at an interview with tenor John Mark Ainsley. Ainsley played Hippolyt in the the 2010 production of Phaedra in London. In the video clip he discusses the music, the story, and the strange circumstances surrounding the creation of Phaedra. Website of the week! Although he is turning 83 years old in July, Hans Werner Henze is still writing operas to this day! Check out this link to learn more about the composer and his other works. Join us for A Taste of Opera! On Sunday, May 22, 2011 from 2:00-3:00pm the Opera Company of Philadelphia is hosting a round table discussion on Hans Werner Henze's Phaedra. Joining us will be members from the cast and the artistic and production teams. The discussion will be moderated by t...

Welcome Students and Teachers to Opera Online! This week we will be wrapping up our discussion on Tosca. There are two more chances to see Tosca , Friday, May 6th at 8 PM and Sunday, May 8th at 2:30 PM. A reminder for teachers, please send in your surveys for Tosca . Students please send us your thoughts on Tosca, whether you loved it or hated it. Your review should be at least 50 words or more. I nclude your first name, school and grade in your post. Don't forget to support your opinion! Video Clips of the Week! Liked Tosca ? This week's video clips feature other great Puccini operas. The first clip is from La Fanciulla del West which translates to "The Golden Girl of the West". The Opera takes place in California during the 1850's gold rush. A mysterious stranger, Johnson, shows up at the miner's camp and falls in love with the local bar owner, Minnie. The sheriff Rance, who is in love with Minnie himself, is suspicious of the newcomer and discovers that J...

Students in the Opera Company of Philadelphia's Sounds of Learning program saw the final dress rehearsal of Puccini's Tosca on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at the Academy of Music. 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? Why or why not? Which was your favorite character and why? Did you like the costumes and sets? Who was your favorite singer? Which singer had the best and most im pressive singing voice? Your review should be at least 50 words or more. Please include your first name, school and grade in your post. Don't forget to support your opinion! Click here if you want to learn more about these operas, the singers in the production, and more! Messag e from the Production Staff: We want to thank all participating schools for their wonderful behavior during the dress rehearsal! You were the best Co-Producers the Opera Company of Philadelphia has ever seen! A...

Welcome Teachers and Students to Opera Online !! This weeks webisode feature the singers who will be performing in Tosca . We'll take a look at the opera singers who will be portraying the roles of Tosca, Cavaradossi, and Scarpia. Video Clips of the Week!! In this video clip of the week we'll get a preview of the artists who will be playing Tosca, Cavaradossi, and Scarpia. All three opera singers will be making their debut at the Opera Company of Philadelphia. The first video clip is of soprano Adina Nitescu, who will be playing Tosca. Nitescu is best known not only for her moving protrayal of Tosca, but also for performances as Cio-Cio-San in Puccini's Madame Butterfly and Mannon in Puccini's Mannon Lescaut . This video clip is from Mannon Lescaut at Glyndebourne Festival in 1997. Nitescu plays Mannon, a young woman who has left the man that she loves for wealth and security. In the clip she entertains the guest of the household by singing a minuet. The second clip...

Welcome Teachers and Students to Opera Online!! This week we will take a look at the popularity of Tosca throughout the world. We will also take a virtual tour of Rome. Video Clip of the Week!! Tosca is one of Puccini's most famous operas. The music from Tosca has been used in films and has been covered by many non-opera singers. The first video clip features a section of the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace . The main villian is having a meeting with his accomplices in the middle of a modernized performance of Tosca . James Bond has stolen an ear piece and is listening in on the conversation. Try and figure out what song from Tosca is playing in the background. Why would the director of the movie choose that music to use in the background? The second clip is a cover of the tenor aria "E lucevan le stelle" by rocker Michael Bolton. Bolton is best known for his songs and soft rock cover. He is most famous for his cover of "When a Man Loves a Woman" and writi...

Welcome teachers and students to Opera Online! A special welcome to Kraig H., Darnell B., Samantha C., Naseer C., Kiayonah B., Shakera C., Essence J., Alexis M., James B., Brandon T., Janaya R., Carlos C., Lauren S., Gionna from Lankenau High School! This week we will take a look at Act III of Tosca and challenge your knowledge of the opera! Video Clips of the Week! The first video clip is a cartoon of Cavaradossi's aria "E lucevan le stelle" (Student Handbook pg 31). The cartoonist uses the angel of death to foreshadow Cavaradossi's impending execution. He also adds a flashback to Scarpia's murder from the previous act. The second clip is the finale of Act III from the first video production of Tosca in 1976 (Student Handbook, pg 32). The final video clip is Act III of the Lego production. Cartoon "E lucevanle stelle" (No subtitles) 1976 Production of Tosca, Plácido Domingo , Raina Kabaivanska , and Mario Ferrara (English Subtitles) Lego Synopsis o...

Welcome teachers and students to Opera Online! A special welcome to Kenya W, Shantelle S, Tony L, Chebria B, Tammi O, Glori C, Dominique T, Linnette B, Antonee M, and Kiana J from Lankenau High School! This week we will take a look at Act II of Tosca and see how Tosca relates to current world events. Video clips of the week!! The first clip comes from the 1992 real time production of Tosca (Student Handbook pg 25 to pg 28). This scene is actually filmed in on of the appartments of the Farnese Palace . Fun fact about the production: since the opera was filmed at the specific historical landmarks there was no place to put the orchestra without it being seen on camera! The opera singers were outfitted with tiny, radio transmitters plugged in their ears, which enabled them to hear the orchestra playing the accompaniments in the studio as the singers actually sang live in their respective locations. The second clip is Scarpia's murder scene from the 2001 production of Tosca (Studen...

Welcome students and teachers to Opera Online! This week we will take a look at Giacomo Puccini's Tosca presented by the Opera Company of Philadelphia . We will look at scenes from Act I, discuss the on going celebration of Italy's 150th anniversary of unification, and take a look at upcoming opera events. Video Clips of the Week: This week we will look at the love triangle between Floria Tosca, Mario Cavaradossi, and Baron Scarpia. The first clip is the Act I love duet between Tosca and Cavaradossi (student booklet pg 19, 1st column, Cav.-"But now you must let me work" to pg 20, 2nd column, Tos.- "She is so good! But let her eyes be black ones!"). Unknown to Tosca, she has interrupted a surprise meeting between Cavaradossi and the political prisoner Angelotti. Tosca interprets the whispering she hears as a meeting between Cavaradossi and an unknown lover. The scene begins with Cavaradossi asking Tosca to leave so he can return to his work. Tosca's jea...