Met Opera to Continue Broadcasting
The Metropolitan Opera has received sufficient funding from the Annenberg and Stabile Foundations to allow it to broadcast the 2004-2005 season, according to a March 6 announcement. The company is hoping to amass $150 million in donations over the next five years, which would be sufficient to continue broadcasting its performances on the radio. www.metopera.org
Joseph Volpe Announces His Retirement
Metropolitan Opera General Manager Joseph Volpe has announced that he will retire in August of 2006, by which time he hopes to have completed negotiating union contracts for the company’s orchestra, chorus and stage hands. He has been with the company for approximately 40 years.
In a recent press conference, Volpe said that he has been preparing to step down for quite some time because of the heavy daytime workload combined with the necessity of attending performances at least four times a week. He suggested that the job should be given to a young person but he did not suggest anyone in particular.
New Opera Includes Older Singers
American Opera Projects will present the world premiere of “Welfare,” an opera with lyrics by David R. Slavitt and music by Lenny Pickett (the music director of Saturday Night Live), May 27 through June 12. This piece is based on the 1974 Frederick Wiseman documentary, which exposed problems with public assistance in New York City. To portray the opera’s 18 characters realistically, some of the singers chosen are older than the artists usually seen on most opera stages. As is so often the case, these experienced artists have fine talents but, because of age, they have had difficulties finding work as performers.
Pickett’s music runs the gamut from traditional opera to jazz, Gospel and blues. A nine-piece band—led by the composer who is a saxophonist—will provide the accompaniment.
http://www.operaprojects.org/index.html
Pierce With Fork When Done!
Inadequately rehearsed performances often have unexpected problems. A small opera company was performing “Tosca.” At the point in Act II where the title character is supposed to pick up a knife from the table and stab the villain, Scarpia, she could not find her weapon. It had fallen to the floor earlier.
When Scarpia began his last sung line: “Ed ora, Tosca, finalmente mia,” she knew she had to do something. She killed him with a fork.
Opera Company Says It’s ‘Tacet’ for Virtual Orchestra
Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians has reached an agreement with The Opera Company of Brooklyn concerning the use of a “virtual orchestra.” The union has promised to help the small company obtain sufficient funds to pay live players, and the company has agreed that it will no longer use the computerized substitute.
Realtime Music Solutions, maker of the “virtual orchestra,” says its product is designed to be used together with live musicians in situations where seating a full orchestra is not possible. Local 802 counters that the sole purpose of the machine is to cut costs by replacing live players.
A similar scenario is being played out in London’s West End because a production of Les Miserables, which is moving to a smaller theater, also wants to use a computerized orchestra.
www.operabrooklyn.org,
www.local802afm.org,
www.rms.biz
Biting the Hand That Feeds You
The Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Naples, Fla., is a beautiful, newly refurbished hall. It draws a large audience that includes winter visitors to the state, many of whom contribute to its musical institutions.
On Feb. 11, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Daniele Gatti, performed Beethoven’s “Eroica” Symphony, among other pieces, and was rewarded with a standing ovation.
After the applause subsided, Maestro Gatti began to harangue the audience, alleging that people had applauded between the movements of the symphony and complaining about the theater’s acoustics. Many of the audience later made their dismay known to the presenter and to the press.
The conductor is not expected to return to Naples any time soon.
Wichita Opera Gets Tourism Grant
Americans will travel to hear great music. Since Wichita Grand Opera knows that, it applied for and received a $34,000 grant from the Travel and Tourism Development Division of the Kansas Department of Commerce to help with the marketing of its 2004-2005 season.
Artistic Director Margaret Ann Pent founded Wichita Grand, Kansas’ first professional opera company, in November of 2000. Since then, the company has been performing to packed houses and has had the honor of presenting both Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo.
Sing, Don’t Smoke!
Another company that applied for and got money not usually given to the arts is the Michigan Opera Theater. The Jackson County Community Foundation gave the company a health education grant so that members of its Young Artist’s Program can travel to elementary schools and present a piece called The Night Harry Quit Smoking. Although the work is humorous and entertaining, it makes a point of showing the deleterious effects of smoking on the human body.
Of course, the Michigan company also brings programs to the schools that concentrate on the beauties of classical music, but by doing the antismoking piece it has proved that opera can be used to teach a variety of subjects. www.motopera.org
Public Radio’s Classical Music Initiative
Minnesota Public Radio has issued a request for proposals that outline ways of revitalizing classical music programming on American radio. The National Endowment for the Arts has given the station $500,000 to search for new methods of disseminating its music. The money will be used to research program strategies that can be used on radio and related technologies to attract new audiences. Proposals should be no more than three pages in length and must follow the guidelines specified at: www.mpr.org/cmi
