#operaofthemonth

By: Opera Teen’s own: Kayla Fuentes

Kayla is an Opera Education Associate at Opera America and has worked with the Opera Teens National Council for the past four months. She’s the best!

Here is another fantastic Opera of the Month write-up by Kayla for January:

Hello, Opera Teens!

It’s time to ring in the “opera new year” with the January Opera of the Month.  This month we will be focusing on LA Opera’s production of “Die Entführung aus dem Serail” or “Abduction from the Seraglio”, opening January 28th and showing through February 19th. “Abduction” is an opera Singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Mozart with libretto by Christoph Bretzner. This work first premiered at the Vienna Burgtheater on July 16, 1782 with Mozart as the conductor.  Here are some fun ways to check out what LA Opera is doing as well as what you can find on your own!

1.     Not sure if you would like to see the show? Check out LA Opera’s trailer that is sure to win you over.

2.     If you are into articles, then make sure to check out these good reads:

a.    “The Abduction from the Seraglio: Mozart’s Ambitious Declaration of Independence” will show you Mozart's artistic development in process of writing his opera.

b.    This well-rounded article will take you through Mozart’s journey to his “freedom” and why this show will leave you rooting for Mozart!

3.     Need a reason to see “Abduction from the Seraglio”? Here are 4 great reasons!

4.     NPR Music has a broadcast with information on Mozart, reenactments, and a synopsis of each act.  If you like to listen more than to read, check out their podcasts!

Do your own research! Get out there and find information on this new opera or any other operas you're interested in and then share that information with family and friends!

After you read about the show or go to see the production, write a blog on our Opera Teens tumblr Blog. It can be short, long, your favorite picture, your favorite song, just get out there and write a blog to share your insight!

Don't forget to support your local opera houses, whether you're an individual or in a council!

Happy Opera-ing!!

By Opera Teen’s own: Kayla Fuentes

Kayla has been working with the Opera Teens National Council for the past four months and has been instrumental in taking our group to the next level! She has introduced us to opera professionals, such as Dr. Kristen Gunn, and has helped us plan our year with operas of the month and more. 

Kayla was introduced to opera when she was 15 and fell in love with it. She is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music with an MM in Vocal Performance. She has much experience working with youth from around the nation, and we look forward to her continued leadership and success!

Below is Kayla’s December Opera of the Month write-up:

Hello, Opera Teens!

The Holidays are here and what better way to celebrate what the season is about then to delve into the December Opera of the Month, “Amahl And The Night Visitor”! This one-act opera is by Gian Carlo Menotti and is best known as the opera to represent the Christmas season. This opera was originally commissioned by NBC and was the first opera composed for television in America.  It was aired live on December 24, 1951, and every Christmas after that, until the original recording was lost. Take the season to learn a bit more about this historic work, and why it is so important.

1.     Check out this link to see a youtube video of the original performance aired in 1951, it also has Gian Carlo Menotti giving an introduction to the show!

2.     If you are into articles and broadcasts, then make sure to check out these good ones:

Music Sales Classical has a long bio written for Gian Carlo Menotti, so get to know more of the composer here.

More interested in a podcast? NPR’s Robert Siegel tells the history behind “Amahl” and its importance today. You can find the 17-minute broadcast here.

Want to read a synopsis before you start watching? Check out this          summary that includes context, characters, clips and much more.   

3.     Do your own research! Get out there and find information on this new opera or any other operas you're interested in and then share that information with family and friends and most of all, the Opera Teen Blog!

Don't forget to support your local opera houses, whether you're an individual or in a council!

Happy Opera-ing!!

From Opera America’s Kayla Fuentes

Hello Opera Teens!

The Holidays are fast approaching, so we have chosen Atlanta Opera's production of "Silent Night" to showcase for the November Opera of the Month! "Silent Night", a recent production by Kevin Puts, has taken the stage all around the world since it's premier in 2011. In 2012 the opera won the Pulitzer Prize for Music! Atlanta Opera is thrilled to be showcasing this amazing modern opera on their stage. They have worked together with Opera America to offer you and your council, some learning tools about this new opera!

1. If you enjoy listening to radio broadcasts, check out this broadcast with Thomas Zvulun speaking about "Silent Night"

2.If you are into articles, then make sure to check out these good reads:

My Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote an article on "Silent Night, a modern Classic"

In this article from Broadway World, Kevin Puts the composer, talks about his Pulitzer Prize the opera opening at Atlanta Opera!

This article from GPB news poses a serious question: "Is World Peace Possible?"

3. This is my favorite article! We at Opera America love to see teens advocating for opera and helping out with their local opera houses, and that just what happened in Atlanta for this production. A group of teens from a local high school were asked to help create posters for the promotion of "Silent Night". Check out the Story HERE!

4. Do your own research! Get out there and find information on this new opera or any other operas you're interested in and then share that information with family and friends!

Don't forget to support your local opera houses, whether you're an individual or in a council!

Last month MN Opera remounted a wildly whimsical rendition of Mozart’s timeless comedy The Magic Flute, a production by Komische Oper Berlin and the British theater group 1927. The stage flurried with stylized animation, synchronized to the nimble motions of cast members Julien Behr, Christie Conover, Andrew Wilkowske, and Jeni Houser, and many others.

To celebrate The Magic Flute as November’s Opera of the Month, check out these materials for The Magic Flute-related lesson plans to help teachers incorporate opera learning into their curricula.

Happy holidays everyone! And here’s a trailer from Komische Oper Berlin’s original production, with its wonderfully imaginative stage animation…

This past summer, the other Opera Teens and I listened in on a lecture about Carmen, our previous opera of the month. At one point during his speech, the speaker mentioned and explained the “ABCs of Opera”, a term that, prior to that instance, I had never heard before. He went on to explain that it is a mnemonic for three of opera’s most famous (and, therefore most essential) works; A—Aida, B—La bohème, and C—Carmen. It got me thinking: does the mnemonic continue all the way to the letter Z? (I mean, Die Zauberflöte would surely take that place.) But, more importantly, I wondered what makes these operas so notable.

            I have yet to find any real evidence that the ABCs continue beyond Carmen. However, I have been able to find information concerning the second matter. As it turns out, I am not the first to try to explain why the ABCs of Opera are what they are. Numerous people— interested bloggers, journalists, etc. — have sought the answer through singers, producers, and directors. La boheme’s notoriety is often attributed to Giacomo Puccini’s ability to utilize awesome music to portray different facets of life. “[He] once said that his success came from putting ‘great sorrows in little souls’….Boheme is a drama of everyday events and common people. The characters are familiar, maybe even routine. 1”Although the work has been scrutinized by critics since its first showing for being too simplistic, the fact that the ordinary person can relate to the characters contributes to the opera’s popularity. Many people can relate to the money issues the group in the Latin Quarter faces, as well the recurring break- ups and feelings of longing. Moreover, most can relate to the feeling of having a loved one snatched away by death. Puccini’s artful weaving of the human condition with a musical setting is what, among other factors, has made this opera a standard. (It is the Metropolitan Opera’s most played work.)

            La bohème is popular among opera fans but is loved by vocalists, as well. Young singers and seasoned professionals alike love (and attempt) the many daunting pieces. I, myself, love many arias from this opera, because of the composition of its pieces like “Si, mi chiamano mimi” or “Che gelida manina” which allows those who do not understand Italian completely to instead ‘get’ the feeling each character is expressing. The arias are simple, not overly complicated; they flourish when great emotion or emphasis is needed, and settle back down during superfluous speech. It is the emotion aroused that is remembered, not the text. Pieces—even La bohème’s “simple” pieces—are memorable because they achieve the balance between emotion and technicalities as well as tell the story of ordinary people. 

Carmen is a timeless opera and, like other timeless works, is a standard piece of repertoire and consequently has been subjected to numerous interpretations. Likewise, the eponymous title role has had its fair share of singers attempting to portray, in their own way, the character– some good, some bad, some excellent; some a sweet victim, some raunchy. Each Carmen has her own merit. Still, here are a few of the more noteworthy Carmens performing the famous aria “L’amour est un oiseaux rebelle”, or the Habanera aria: 

1. Elīna Garanča, Latvian mezzo-soprano, in concert and at the Metropolitan Opera. I love Elina Garanca as Carmen, because her voice is very deep and rich. Moreover, she just owns the stage, and her acting is just so natural. She embodies the Carmen that we all know. 

2. Nana Mouskouri, who is not an opera singer, does her take of the ‘Habanera’- I like Nana Mouskouri in general, so I may be a little biased. However, she does a really good job of portraying a sultrier Carmen. (Also, her diction is pretty good.)

3. Julia Migenes-Johnson in the film Carmen. In this clip Julia interprets Carmen in the usual way; that is, she portrayed the character as flirty and with a commanding presence. Still, I enjoy how light and beautiful this Carmen is. These qualities of voice add a little innocence.

Popular for more than 200 years!

Even if you think you don’t know the opera Carmen, you will probably recognize some of the music. It’s the type that gets stuck in your head for days. And it’s recently been covered by people like Beyonce, who did a “Hip Hopera” version of the entire opera in 2001, and Stromae, a French pop singer who just did a cool adaptation of “Habanera” that updates the song to the Twitter Age. The adaptation by Stromae is especially interesting because it makes some of the timeless themes of the opera feel really modern. The first line of Bizet’s version translates to “Love is a rebellious bird that nobody can tame.” Stromae says “Love is like Twitter” and uses the image of the bird from Twitter to talk about how fickle social media can be.

Check out the trailer for Carmen the Hip Hopera, the Music Video by Stromae, and the YouTube of Maria Callas (a famous opera singer) singing the “Habanera” in the 60s.

Beyonce! (Trailer for Carmen the Hip Hopera)

Stromae! (Music Video for “Carmen”)

Maria Callas! (“Habanera” from Carmen by Bizet)!