Reflections on Opera Conference 2016

By Rebecca Ann S. Kirk, Manager of Education Programs

I was nominated by our General and Artistic Director, Esther Nelson, to apply for the Career Advance initiative to attend Opera Conference 2016. OPERA America selected my application to be one of 10 emerging arts leaders in its inaugural cohort. The initiative was created to meet the needs of the field by providing more levels of career support for opera professionals. (OPERA America already has a highly regarded Leadership Intensive program.)  As the Manager of Education Programs, until now, my professional development has centered around best practices in arts education and community engagement, but not specifically in opera. I welcomed the opportunity to connect with colleagues in the field and learn the best practices in opera that were being implemented successfully in different communities throughout North America.

After a whirlwind of new faces, long days, and lots of opera, punctuated by French pastries and café au lait, I have had a chance to reflect on my experience in Montréal at Opera Conference 2016 and would like to share a few insights. My insights ended up to be more broadly reaching than my personal career development, yet I found that these take-aways were also highly supportive of the work I do, and in ways I hadn’t experienced before working within an arts organization. I returned to Boston inspired to continue to offer my best work to the community. Here is what I learned:

Community Engagement is essential. There was a general trend throughout the conference discussing various ways to truly, deeply engage our communities in a meaningful and lasting way. Opera has always been a highly social, community centralized art form. And opera professionals are realizing that in this manner, we must return to our roots if we are to remain vital to the community, which also means innovating, listening, and responding to our community in ways that draw them to us. As a side note, having dedicated my career to community engagement and arts education and often feeling like my work was viewed as “extra,” and “cute,” at Opera Conference I felt like the devout chorister singing “amen!” in response to this sermon. 

The theme for the conference this year was Global Strategies, Local Actions, and each company and individual was encouraged to ask themselves the question: “How  are we relevant to our community and how do we add value?” I was inspired by innovations of companies who are deeply engaging their local community. Here are a few highlights:

• Houston Grand Opera’s chamber opera commission, O Columbia, about the Columbia space shuttle disaster, created through an in-depth partnership with NASA.
• Opera Vancouver’s commission of, Stick Boy, with libretto by a spoken word artist’s biographical work on bullying. After it’s success on the mainstage, the opera was then adapted into a touring production to schools with accompanying supportive materials. Opera Vancouver also created a new production of The Magic Flute through their ongoing partnership with the First Nation communities in British Columbia, retelling the classic opera through native traditions, art, language and culture.
• Opera Memphis’s community initiative, 30 Days of Opera, where they bring opera all over Memphis with pop-up performances every day for 30 days.
• Manitoba Opera’s engagement relating to their season by partnering with local agencies to engage the community in difficult, yet critical social dialogue around topics including intellectual disability in conjunction with Of Mice and Men, and adult male suicide in conjunction with  Werther.

The field of opera is grappling with issues of cultural diversity and ways to create inclusivity. Like almost every other industry, opera too faces challenges on how to adapt and broaden this centuries-old Western European art form for the 21^st Century in our increasingly global community. Fortunately, the art form itself is flexible and has historically embraced many different traditions; and the arts naturally lend themselves to a continual process of reimagining and story-telling. The leaders in the field, however, are mulling over how to best make these necessary changes in meaningful ways. Issues of diversity include not only what may first come to mind: racial differences, but also people of different genders, generations, socioeconomic values, nationalities, and abilities. Issues of diversity touch every aspect of the industry including personnel, artists, donor cultivation, grants, marketing, audience services, education, and community engagement—basically any area that interfaces with people, which in opera, is just about everything! Although naturally there are different opinions on this matter, it was a topic that colored many of the sessions either directly or indirectly, and one that the field is currently thinking critically about.

Retreat is great for building relationships. Although not a conscious goal, I found that the opportunity to spend time and get to know colleagues from within my company with whom I don’t work directly very often was invaluable. (And even some that I do!) There is something about being with people you know but in a different location or context that helps facilitate relationship building—even (especially!) in instances where we sharing a meal and not talking about opera. These strengthened relationships have positively lead into my day-to-day work life.

In addition, I was able to have face-to-face conversations with my colleagues across the country. Relationship-building is essential in any industry, and especially in the highly-collaborative field of opera. By putting faces to names, sharing handshakes and hugs, and geeking-out in discussions on opera pedagogy for K-12 students, I returned to my desk feeling more supported in the work I do each day knowing I am part of a network.

We gathered because we are passionate about opera. Hundreds of opera professionals took time out of their busy lives to convene with colleagues in the beautiful city of Montréal for four days to talk about opera and how to make it better. As a group we are highly dedicated, passionate people who have devoted our careers to the arts because we believe in their importance to our communities and for the world. Despite the challenging conversations, differing opinions, and unique perspectives, it was re-centering to conclude the week as a patron of the arts.

On the final evening of the conference, our hosts, Opéra de Montréal, opened their world premiere Les Feluettes. I was utterly drawn in and completely captivated by this brand-new work of art. The music, story, and production were, in my humble opinion, flawlessly supportive of each other creating a riveting and deeply moving experience in the theater, an exemplar of what all opera strives to be, and a viscerally satisfying reminder of why all of us at Opera Conference and all of our colleagues back home do the work we do.

Why do Singers Wish Each Other Toi, Toi, Toi?

Elaine Alvarez in BLO's 2015 production of Kátya Kabanová.
Photo by Eric Antoniou.

Opera lovers may be familiar with the phrase, toi, toi, toi, uttered among singers before the house lights fade and the conductor lifts the baton. Pronounced TOY (rather than TO-WAH like the French word for you), the mystique of this tradition of well-wishing is woven tightly into the superstitious history of the performing arts and the multicultural mélange of opera. So, what does toi, toi, toi mean, and where did it come from?

Working in the theater is one of the most superstitious professions, said to be second only to horse racing. This is undoubtedly in part because there is a long history of backstage crews being made up of sailors on leave, navy or otherwise. Sailors brought with them their own traditions and superstitions that, when brought into the theater, stuck. For example, to whistle on deck of a ship is considered bad luck, and so it is also bad luck to whistle onstage or backstage in a theater. Among the many things it is unlucky to do in a theater, one of the worst is to wish a performer good luck.

Toi, toi, toi is an onomatopoetic imitation of the sound of spitting, done to ward of a hex or evil spirits. It is always uttered three times, and sometimes accompanied by pantomimed spitting over someone’s shoulder while in an embrace. It comes from Yiddish, Hebrew, and Old German traditions where saliva was believed to have demon-banishing powers. Some even say it is a shortened version of the German word teufel, meaning “devil,” thus uttering his name to ward him off. It is a common good luck sentiment to wish someone in Germany regardless of the context. How this became specifically associated with opera remains a mystery, but in the superstitious theater, warding off evil spirits can only be helpful!

Alternatively, you may have heard opera singers wish each other in bocca al lupo, Italian for “in the mouth of the wolf.” The traditional reply is crepi il lupo, or simply crepi, meaning “may the wolf die.” It is an Italian idiomatic expression that refers to any challenging scenario, likening it to being caught between the jaws of a wild beast. Perhaps this is similar to the circus trick of putting one’s head in the mouth of a lion or even a biblical reference to Daniel in the lion’s den. Although it is also unclear how this saying became associated with opera, it is clear that Italian theater and music traditions have had a tremendous influence on the art form.

The most common and well-known (at least in America!) expression of good luck in the theater is “break a leg.” There are many anecdotes and theories as to how this tradition began, yet the sentiment remains the same. Similarly, at the ballet, and later extended to all dance forms, dancers wish each other merde in French. Again, there are many theories about how this tradition began, but this one is my favorite: Since wealthy patrons used to arrive by horse-drawn carriage, the more horse droppings out in front of the theater, the more paying spectators were inside!

So next time you are in the Theatre District and happen to run into a performer before a show begins, tell opera singers, “Toi, toi, toi!” or “In bocca al lupo.” Exclaim “Merde!” to a dancer, and when in doubt, “Break a leg!” will always work. Above all, honor the long-standing and often strange tradition in theater by avoiding the words “good luck” before the curtain opens; if not you may risk unintentionally wishing the opposite!

Want to read more? Check out these online articles!

• Houston Culture Map
• NPR: Trade Lingo
• Forward
• Seattle Opera Blog

- Rebecca Ann S. Kirk, Manager of Education Programs

Happy Birthday, Benjamin Britten!

Edward Benjamin Britten

An Homage to the Composer
by BLO Music Director, David Angus

Some of my most treasured memories are, as a boy chorister, singing with Benjamin Britten conducting. I sang regularly in Chapel 6 times a week, with Sir David Willcocks, but, every now and then, we would supply a boy’s choir for major orchestral concerts. These included trips to work with Britten at his Aldeburgh Festival, often with dress rehearsal concerts in beautiful venues such as King’s College, Cambridge, or Ely Cathedral. I remember, even at that early age, being completely mesmerized by works such as his Sinfonia da Requiem and his Spring Symphony, pieces I would have the opportunity to perform many times since. The Sinfonia da Requiem is one of the deepest and most moving works I have ever heard – written in memory of his parents – and it was a performance of this work by Koussevitsky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra which led to the commission for Britten’s groundbreaking Peter Grimes.

Britten was a typically reserved Englishman, but when he made music, one sensed that he burned passionately inside. He was kind and gentle, his rehearsal manner very respectful toward everyone, and he insisted on getting precisely what he wanted musically—something I have always tried to emulate. I also remember that he was an expert pianist and even a virtuoso whistler, which greatly impressed us as young choristers. (My only regret was that my voice broke during rehearsals for the War Requiem, so I wasn’t able to participate in the performances; instead, I was bundled straight off to secondary school!)

At that young age, I didn’t fully realize how fortunate I was to be a part of such exciting projects, with top orchestras and soloists, and with Britten himself conducting. Through those experiences, and through years of exploring his remarkable music, I became a lifelong Britten devotee.

It is a great coincidence that Britten’s Centenary coincides exactly with the Bicentenaries of both Wagner and Verdi, because Britten’s music has the same powers of dramatic and passionate expression that move audiences so deeply. Performing his music as a young boy was such an inspiring privilege, and now, many years later, it remains that way still.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BEN!

Opera & Hockey: Parallel Worlds?

As we head into game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final (GO BRUINS!) we asked our Twitter followers to tell us what it's like being an opera lover and a sports fanatic: 

@abbottjones says: " Both get my heart rate up. I cheer at both: "Bravo" or "War Eagle" or "Go Sox!" Both make life more exciting. #operafan #sportsfan. "

@baritoneirvin says: " Some might argue that opera IS a sport. I know I feel that way after some shows. :-) " 

Baritone Matthew Worth (@worthmatthew), recently seen as Guglielmo in BLO's production of Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte, reflected on what it's like to be an opera singer and a (sometimes) athlete:

I was yelling at the opposing team's player with my soft palette raised high, producing a supported, vibrating {o} vowel.  I wasn't alone--my brother and I were seated behind one of the hoops for an important pair of free throws and our whole section was yelling in chorus to distract the player from the task at hand.  My brother wasn't fully committed to tripping up the guy at the line, though.  He couldn't stop laughing at my foreign sound and me, the opera singer with a sports problem.

There was a time when I was playing sports more often than I was performing on the stage.  These days, it's certainly reversed--I only occasionally play pickup basketball, flag football or a round of golf whereas my livelihood is made as an opera singer.  Every day, however, I'm able to draw similarities between the two mediums.  Both athletes and singers are entertainers, required to be focused in every moment on the stage.  We visualize success before it happens, having prepared countless hours on our own in practice rooms and on empty courts.  

There are less-obvious parallels to be drawn as well.  If I were to break down singing into very basic principles, it would go something like this: Intake of breath, onset of support, onset of sound, release of sound, release of support.  Every major athletic motion has an equivalent. In taking a free throw, I breathe while bending my knees, then extend through the shot while exhaling into the follow through.  My golf swing (when it's working) begins with a breath in the backswing, exhaling through contact into follow through.  I've never been a hockey player, but I'd bet dollars to donuts that every player on the ice in this Bruins/Blackhawks series has a similar progression in their wrister across the ice or slap shot. 

Make way for the Bruins!

Click here to read about our friendly wager with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. 
It's been a blast battling it out on Twitter with @LyricOpera. Follow us @BostLyricOpera to join in the fun and help us win our Re-Tweet Challenge!

Show Us Your Pride

Have you ever heard the old joke, “I went to the fights and a hockey game broke out”? Even if you have, you’ve never heard, “I went to the Stanley Cup finals and an opera broke out.” BLO wants to do something about that, and so we are challenging the Lyric Opera of Chicago to a friendly bet.

Think about it: Opera has all the spectacle and drama of a sporting event. Three acts.  Triple overtime. Need we say more?

In some ways, opera has it over sports. At a hockey game, you can hear music and singing only at the beginning (unless it’s a win at the Garden and then you get Dirty Water at the end).  

And this year is the first time in decades that two teams from the original six NHL teams are facing off in the season finale. We’ve got the traditions and history too. BLO and Lyric Opera of Chicago have almost a century of opera drama under their collective belt.

Boston and Chicago take pride in their world-class cultural organizations and in their championship franchises. We’ve got great museums, orchestras and opera companies. We’ve got major league soccer, basketball, football and baseball teams.

But it’s been almost 30 years since the Patriots and the Bears met in Super Bowl XX. And in spite of Theo Epstein’s move from our city to yours, it doesn’t look like the Red Sox and the Cubs will face each other in this year’s World Series. So the time is now.

BLO and Lyric Opera of Chicago are two teams at the top of their game.  

How about it Lyric, are you ready to take to the ice? 

Follow @BostLyricOpera and show us your @NHLBruins pride! Re-tweet for a chance to win dinner at a local restaurant + 2 tix to #MagicFlute. Can we beat @LyricOpera's RTs?? #OperaBruins #CHIvsBOS

Who, What, Where, When (a little background on COSI)

Premieres: 

January 26th Burgtheater Vienna

UK:   May 9, 1811 His Majesty’s Theater, London
US:   March 1922 Metropolitan Opera , New York

The premiere (conducted by the composer)  featured the librettist’s (Lorenzo da Ponte - frequent collaborator with  Mozart  - FIGARO and DON GIOVANNI) current mistress (as a cleric forbidden to marry, da Ponte had several), Adriana Ferraresi del Bene (whom da Ponte very ungallantly called “his misfortune”)  as Fiordiligi . The Don Alfonso was Mozart’s first Dr Bartolo and Commendatore, the Despina his first Cherubino and Guglielmo his first Figaro. It was a fair success.

The original libretto was called by Da  Ponte (recalling Moliere or Marivaux) “LA SCUOLA DEGLI AMANTI ( “The School for Lovers”); Mozart gave it its title of COSI FAN TUTTE (the words which had appeared  in the Act 1 trio from FIGARO). Its sources are varied. Legend has it that the plot idea  was given to Da Ponte by the Emperor, Joseph II  who had read of a similarly scandalous  situation in a newspaper article. But the theme of lovers testing fidelity by the use of a disguise and often incorporating a wager of some sort went back to Greek mythology, Ovid’s METAMORPHOSES, Shakespeare (CYMBELINE), Boccaccio and more importantly for Da Ponte Ariosto’s brilliant 1532 epic poem ORLANDO FURIOSO (incidentally the source for many of Handel’s most well-known pieces). Many of the names in the opera come from Ariosto. There is evidence that Da Ponte had first offered his libretto to Salieri who set a little bit of it before deciding that the text was “unworthy of musical invention.”

After its premiere and the revival in Vienna in 1794 and several subsequent  performances in opera houses in Germany, and in Prague and Amsterdam,  COSI seemed to drop out of favor. Beethoven considered it (particularly its libretto) “immoral and trivial” and totally unworthy of Mozart’s genius (He also deeply disapproved of GIOVANNI). It was drastically cut, mutilated, adapted, bowdlerized, changed wholesale- all in the interest of saving the piece from  its shockingly  indecent libretto and to salvage  Mozart’s “divine” music - or as one critic wrote “a mighty endeavor to save Mozart’s inspired score  which dragged behind it Da Ponte’s contemptible libretto like a convict’s iron  ball and chain.” Whole new librettos were introduced  - in Paris a new text  (by the librettists of FAUST ) based on Shakespeare’s LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST was attempted. As late as 1909 in Dresden the music was grafted onto an adaption from a play by Calderon

But from 1897 on a number of major conductors and productions tried to return to what Mozart and da Ponte had actually created. Richard Strauss in Munich, Gustav Mahler in Vienna , Thomas Beecham in London. Perhaps the most influential being the Fritz Busch - Carl Ebert 1934 staging at the newly opened Glyndebourne Festival (which led to the opera’s first recording) and now in many commentator’s or critic’s  view COSI emerged as Mozart’s supreme operatic achievement . The French composer Reynaldo Hahn wrote “I swear to you that GIOVANNI and FIGARO are the work of an amateur compared to COSI.”

 "This is Mozart’s most unreal opera - confined to a small space that might as well be Don Alfonso’s dreaming head. People behave in ways...that defy logic. Yet for the same reason COSI is Mozart’s most realistic opera, [it is also] his most mature, provocative and demanding. It is an astute study of human desires. The dreaming head may as well be a laboratory."

The US premiere of COSI took place at the Metropolitan Opera 132 years after the first performance at the Vienna Burgtheater. The conductor was Artur Bodansky, the design (which featured the novelty (at least at the Met) of a revolving stage was by Joseph Urban. It was a cautious success  - the New York Times called it “a notable event.” The cast was distinguished including Florence Easton as Fiordiligi, Lucrezia Bori as Despina, Giuseppi de Luca as Guglielmo and Adamo Didur as Alfonso. It had eleven performances in the course of the next three seasons. An important and highly successful revival occurred in the 1951-52 season directed by the noted American actor Alfred Lunt and starring Eleanor Steber, Blanche Thebom, Patrice Munsel and Richard Tucker with Fritz Stiedry conducting.  (A fascinating and quite compelling CD  recording remains as a testament to the theatrical vitality of this production) It was sung in an English translation by Ruth and Thomas Martin.

Pucciniana #7

Over the last couple of weeks we have brought you all manner of Pucciniana but focused mostly on popular hits. I thought today we'd take a minute to look at some of Puccini's lesser known operas and arias.  - Amanda Villegas, Marketing and Communications Manager at BLO

I think it is pretty safe to assume that La Boheme, Madama Butterfly, Tosca and possibly Turandot are the most well known Puccini operas. Have you heard of Il Tabarro? La fanciulla del West? Edgar? La Rondine? Manon Lescaut? All of them other operas by Puccini!

Many young singers are familiar with Il Trittico, the all encompassing title givent to a trio of Puccini operas made up of Gianni Schicchi, Il Tabarro, and Suor Angelica. Often Gianni Schicchi and Suor Angelica are performed in part or in whole in educational settings and small opera companies but rarely in major houses. I'm not sure why that is but so it is! Here is a youTube clip talking a bit about Gianni Schicchi.

The most beloved aria from Schicchi is of course "O mio babbino caro" ...

Operavore, an opera blogger for WQXR in NYC pulled together a great list of the Top 10 most underrated Puccini Arias. One of which is "Non piangere Liu" from Turandot sung here by the inimitable Franco Corelli (he is pretty easy on the eyes as well as the ears!)

Which lesser known Puccini operas and arias do you love? Which do you want to know more about? Answer in the comments below and you could win a Madama Butterfly T-Shirt!

Dr. von Lyric's "Curious and Amazing Cabinet of Musical Marvels and Miracles"

My friends at BLO are currently engaged in mounting a production of Madama Butterfly - that quintessential portrayal of Japanese culture by a Western artist - with all that that suggests in terms of condescension, buried racism, and sentimental glorification coupled with transcendent sympathy and deeply felt basic human understanding. Japonisme... Orientalism... cultural imperialism... subjects of uncommon complexity, sensitivity and ambiguity. And in that context, what are we to make of that other most famous European depiction of the superficial surfaces of Japanese life, The Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan? Some entries to ponder... - Dr. von Lyric

Groucho Marx on more familiar ground

and Helen Traubel

 a rare view of the D'Oyly Carte Savoyards in action (in 1926)

  

 I couldn't resist giving you this video of Sir Thomas Allen (who as you know will be joining BLO this season to direct Cosi Fan Tutte, and sing the role of Don Alfonso) and his "little list" - even though (as sung at the London Proms) it's pretty full of very English references (and still pretty funny)

 2 versions of "Three Little Maids"

from the 1999 Mike Leigh movie about Gilbert and Sullivan and the creation of THE MIKADO (if you haven't seen it...do!)

and from the recent London revival of the 1939 Broadway show THE HOT MIKADO

 

Pucciniana #4



Puccini



The Un bel di Variations

by John Conklin, BLO Artistic Advisor

Sometimes it is interesting to see MADAMA BUTTERFLY sung "naked" - without the white makeup, the piled up geisha hair, the enveloping kimono. Here are such performances by Renata Tebaldi, Leontyne Price, Eleanor Steber and Teresa Stratas.

 Renata Tebaldi

Leontyne Price

 Eleanor Steber

Teresa Stratas

Remember - Butterfly's "real" age in the opera is but one year older than this teenager

In this excerpt from Franco Zeffirelli's 2002 film Callas Forever, the captivating French actress Fanny Ardant plays ( a mostly fictionalized ) Maria Callas in the last year of her life. Alone (except for eavesdropping figure of her manager - Jeremy Irons) she listens - and sings along - to her own recording of Butterfly

Another place where we can see singers deeply involved in a role but out of a theatrical context (and away from the gaze of an audience) - "on their own" as it were - is in, often very revelatory, rehearsal footage. In this instance it is, of course, the BUTTERFLY Act 1 love duet, Vogliatemi bene,  rather than our Un bel di.

With Jonas Kaufmann and Angela Gheorghiu

Pucciniana #1

Leading up to the Opening Night of Madama Butterfly, we bring you Pucciniana: A look at the world Puccini created and lived in. This is Pucciniana #1 come back each day for more fun!

Above is a video of Puccini playing piano and below a photograph of a very young Puccini.



Young Giacomo Puccini



Dolce and Gabbana take on the Opera world!

Not new to the opera scene, Italian fashion moguls, Dolce & Gabbana have tossed their hat in the ring in a totally new way. Thanks to the duo the Metropolitan Opera's Met Titles will now feature Italian translations in addition to the current offerings of English, Spanish, and German.

According to OperaChic, an American blogger living in Milan, the fashion house presented a Maria Callas themed runway show in 2009. Read more on this pairing here!

In honor of Fashion Week currently happening in NYC: What designer would you like to see collaborate on an opera? Comment on this post and you could win a BLO 2012 Madama Butterfly T-Shirt. (These shirts are only available as online prizes!) 

Dr. von Lyric's “Curious and Amazing Cabinet of Musical Marvels and Miracles”

We start off with a quite extraordinary performance - a recording of a live concert. No it was not pre-recorded... the students indeed play from memory (and play very beautifully) while executing hypnotic choreographic patterns. The whole event somehow lets us HEAR the music in a totally revelatory way at the same time as we are seeing a liberating kind of "deconstruction" of the formal symphonic event we are so used to. The simplicity and informality of the dress, the bare feet, the intense concentration, even the sometimes endearingly quasi-awkward movement as the young players "dance" with their often bulky instruments all add to the undeniable appeal of this unique event. - Dr. Von Lyric

Introducing Dr. von Lyric and his "Curious and Amazing Cabinet of Musical Marvels and Miracles"

Dr. von Lyric will open his “Curious and Amazing Cabinet of Musical Marvels and Miracles” each Wednesday on our blog “In the Wings” so stay tuned!

Dr. Otto Nicolai Bonaventura von Lyric was born in Bratislava. His mother was a famous ornithologist and his father a distant descendant of Emile Zola. He attended the Richard Wagner kindergarten in Bremen for “overachieving youngsters under 3”, the Beethoven Hochschule in Marseilles and the Giuseppi Verdi University in Modena. He studied singing, musical criticism, and riot control before making his operatic debut in Parma as Hans Sachs at age 19. He’s sung at all of the minor opera companies in Europe and America in such roles as Mephistopheles, Wozzeck and Radames to mixed acclaim. He served for a short stint as the music critic of the Lincoln, Nebraska Times-Union. He lives in an elegant converted factory warehouse in Braintree, MA uneasily sharing the space with his aging Russian wolfhound Amadeus.

Dr. von Lyric, has since retired from the stage and the world of newspapers and devotes his time to collecting musical curiosities on video, a mixture of the charming, extravagant, off-kilter, and sometimes deeply serious. He has agreed to share his collection exclusively with Boston Lyric Opera online and says:

“I hope this will bring a constantly changing and ever amusing perspective on the rich diversity of musical expression that exists out there in cyberspace. I consider myself a kind of 21st century flaneur, in the mode of Baudelaire. But rather than roaming the streets of 19th century Paris looking for, and recording, the unusual and the curious, I wander down the streets and byways of the Internet, seeking out (and bringing back to you), the sights, sounds, and impressions that intrigue me and hopefully will do the same for you!” - Dr. von Lyric



Christian Lacroix teams up with the SF Opera

Our Scenic Designer for Clemency, Julia Noulin-Mérat comments on the collaboration between Christian Lacroix and the San Fransisco Opera: (read the SF Gate article HERE)

I remember fondly, when growing up in Paris, walking by Christian Lacroix’s boutique on the Champs Elysees; I was fascinated with his color palettes, fabrics, use of silhouettes – and his dramatic designs that were so interestingly inspired by costumes of the past. When I first read that his costumes were going to be used in the San Francisco Opera’s production of Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi in a co-production with Bayerische Staatsoper, I could not have been more thrilled!

The sneak peek released in the SF Gate article reveals a world rich in textures, a visual feast of vivid color palettes. This marks a grand return for the fashion couturier to the world of American opera after his costumes for Renée Fleming in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Thaïs .

Vincent Boussard’s production is such a sexy version of the Romeo and Juliet story and I cannot wait to see it!  - Julia Noulin-Mérat

FREE Opera! What more can an opera lover ask for?

With our FREE concert with the Landmarks Orchestra on the Esplanade just one week away, we are dusting off our picnic baskets and planning how to best make the most of a lovely evening of live music.

Around the World in 80 Minutes takes audience members on a sweeping operatic journey – for free! Making musical stops in France, Italy, Japan, the US, and even Sri Lanka, the program features excerpts from popular works by Puccini, Wagner, Mozart, and Bernstein, several of which are drawn from Boston Lyric Opera’s upcoming 2012/2013 Season. Featuring singers from BLO and led by Music Director David Angus. More information can be found here.

In the spirit of picnic planning we've rounded up a few links to help you decide just what to pack in that basket! [Just remember no alcohol this time :)]

From Sunset Magazine: Pack a Perfect Picnic
From The Huffington Post: How to Pack the Perfect Picnic
From Thriftfulness: How to Pack a Perfect Picnic
From Vegetarian Times: How to Pack the Perfect Picnic
From Taste of Home: Perfect Picnic Plan

Can you tell we want your picnic to be pitch perfect? Let us know your picnic favorites in the comments below! Opera Cake perhaps?