Goodbye and Thank You, Maureen Forrester
Famous for the quip “I can’t cancel, I’ve already spent the money,” contralto Maureen Forrester was at the top of her profession for three decades. A Montreal native, she made her New York debut in 1957 and sang concerts and recitals for many years before making her first foray into opera. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Erda in Wagner’s Das Rheingold in 1975.
Among her last appearances was her 1990 portrayal of the role of the Countess in Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades at Tanglewood. She also appeared as the Marquise in L’Opéra de Montreal’s 1994 production of Donizetti’s La fille du régiment, but by that time her voice was fading and it was becoming evident that she was suffering from dementia. She passed away peacefully surrounded by family on June 16 in Toronto.
www.nytimes.com/2010/06/18/arts/music/18forrester.html
www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/jun/22/maureen-forrester-obituary
What Will Come Next after Live in HD?,
Three-dimensional opera on the screen may not be as far off as you might think. The Royal Opera Covent Garden has already made a 15-minute 3-D demonstration of Francesca Zambello’s production of Carmen. Tenor Bryan Hymel, who sang Don José, says that it could involve a little more true-to-life acting. He admits that the cameras were distracting until he got used to them. Eventually, he made his gestures smaller, though, and the cameras were able to bring out intimate details that cannot be seen by audiences in the theater.
Zambello says the demonstration was amazing. She hopes that the new dimension in film will bring larger audiences to opera. Filmed with 3-D producer RealD, the performances can be seen in movie theaters this fall and may be televised later on.
online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704629804575324841142455962.html?
Resquiescat in Pace, Cesare Siepi
Cesare Siepi was born in Milan on February 10, 1923. He began singing with a Madrigal group and spent only a short time at the Milan Conservatory. In 1941, he made his opera debut as Sparafucile in Verdi’s Rigoletto at a small theater near Venice. It was wartime, and he eventually sought sanctuary in neutral Switzerland. Once the war was over, his career began in earnest. By 1950 he was in great demand, and Rudolf Bing brought him to the Met. Siepi sang Philip II in Verdi’s Don Carlo along with Jussi Björling and Fedora Barbieri on that gala opening night.
That same year, he debuted at Covent Garden, and for the next 30 years he appeared regularly at every major opera house around the world, singing major bass roles ranging from Mozart’s Don Giovanni to Musorgsky’s Boris Godunov to Gurnemanz in Wagner’s Parsifal. His final appearance took place on April 21, 1989, at Sassuolo near Modena, Italy. He passed away on July 5, 2010, in Atlanta, Georgia. He is survived by his wife, two children, and two grandchildren.
www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-cesare-siepi-20100706,0,7859813.story
Technology Influences Arts Participation
The National Education Association reports a new study of the influence of technology on participation in the arts by citizens of the United States. One of the study’s findings suggests that education would seem to be the best predictor of adult arts participation. Also, those who take part in the arts via Internet, radio, television, computer, or handheld devices are three times more likely to attend live performances than those who do not. However, older populations, the poor, and those living in rural areas are most likely to participate in the arts only via the media.
Twenty-one percent of the U.S. population, which amounts to about 47 million people, viewed music, theater, or dance online during the past year.
www.arts.gov/research/new-media-report/New-Media-Report.pdf
Boston Lyric Opera Names Music Director
Conductor David Angus has been named music director of the Boston Lyric Opera as of September 2010. His direction of the company’s April performances of Mozart’s Idomeneo were extremely well received and may have influenced those making the hiring choice.
According to artistic director Esther Nelson, Angus will be involved in the selection of repertoire and singers. Angus says he is “truly impressed by the teamwork, support, and shared artistic passion” that he saw at Boston Lyric. He adds that he believes the company has great potential.
www.blo.org/downloads/press_releases/BLO_Announces_New_Music_Director.pdf
ERRATA
In the Teacher Directory in the July 2010 issue, Catherine Christensen’s email address was printed incorrectly. Her correct address is CACVoice@gmail.com.
