Opera SLO -
2011 and 2010 Columns
Note: While many Opera Slo columns contain announcements of specific events that
occurred in the past, those same columns also include video clips and discussions
of outstanding operatic performances -
December, 2011 Opera San Luis Obispo Expands Its Outreach
Opera San Luis Obispo has announced a major expansion of its educational mission. Beginning this spring, OperaSLO will collaborate with Cal Poly's Student Opera Theater in a production of opera scenes and Puccini's Suor Angelica. OperaSLO Artistic Director Brian Asher Alhadeff, Artistic Advisor Jacalyn Kreitzer and Executive Director Sharon Dobson have proposed that the joint production become an annual event, giving young artists opportunities to perform with a professional opera company. Dobson noted that "providing educational opportunities for young people is one of our primary goals, as provided in our mission statement."
November, 2011 OperaSLO To Go
Dear Readers, allow me to introduce you to a vibrant group of musical artists sponsored by Opera San Luis Obispo — OperaSLO To Go. These young people sing short programs of opera "favorites" and American musical theater in coffee houses, restaurants, retirement homes, schools, and wineries in San Luis Obispo County.
October, 2011 OperaSLO'S New Season Launches in October
Today in the United States, George Frederic Handel is known primarily for his oratorios, especially Messiah, but in his own time he was famous as a composer of Italian operas. Many of these have been revived and are attracting new audiences due to stylish productions capturing some of the Baroque splendor and to the sheer beauty of the music and singing style. The early 18th century is sometimes referred to as the "first great age of bel canto," to distinguish it from the second great surge of Italian opera from about 100 years later. Rodelinda is generally regarded as one of Handel's finest essays in this style.
September, 2011 Opera SLO'S New Season
The "yeomen of the guard" are presented in Gilbert's story as the guards of the Tower
of London. The plot revolves around Colonel Fairfax, falsely accused of sorcery and
imprisoned in the Tower under threat of death. Several romantic relationships, each
involving mismatched lovers, conclude without the conventional last-
August, 2011 Introducing OperaSLO's New Artistic Director
In addition to an active performing career as a conductor, Brian has given guest lectures and served on the faculty of several colleges and universities, both nationally and abroad. He brings an exciting new flare of energy to OperaSLO.
An energetic man who seems always to be in motion, he found time to speak with me for this column. I began by asking him what sparked his interest in OperaSLO. He immediately cited the rich artistic life in San Luis Obispo county.
July, 2011 July Lights Up With "Broadway by the Sea"t
Swing dancers Brian Holliday and Katelyn Holliday chime in together with "Anything You Can Do" from Annie Get Your Gun! They learned swing dancing, which is enjoying a revival, at the Cal Poly Swing Club. The brother and sister team have traveled all over the west coast to dance, and have now begun to teach as well. They love the dances, the local swing dance community, big band music and "any excuse to dress up in vintage clothing."
In the course of two weeks the children will learn correct vocal techniques, drama and stage movement, ear training and musicianship, part singing, and choral techniques and use of props, costumes, and makeup. The preparation is quite complete.
June, 2011 Going to Camp?
Girl Scouts Camp, sports camp, church camp, opera camp . . . Opera Camp??!! Yes,
OperaSLO holds a summer camp for kids ages 8-
May, 2011 Opera in May
Die Walkure, the second opera in Wagner's tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen, introduces popular culture's most familiar operatic image, the large woman with spear and horned helmet. This is Brünnhilde, the chief Valkyrie, who with her eight sisters form a guard of warrior women whose duty is to bring fallen heroes to Valhalla, the home of the gods. This opera also includes the most familiar musical number in The Ring, the famous "Ride of the Valkyries," often performed as a brilliant orchestral piece and often parodied as a vocal number.
April, 2011 Opera in April
Richard Strauss' Capriccio is as lofty in tone as Ory is funny. The plot is essentially a debate about opera and the relative importance of music and poetry. The three principal characters—the Countess, the poet Olivier, and musician Flamand—are caught up in a debate, which is in intertwined with a love story. Poet and musician are both in love with the Countess and each seeks to win her favor with his art. Strauss' vocal style recalls the sweeping melodies of the Four Last Songs.
March, 2011 Opera San Luis Obispo Presents The Barber of Seville, April 1 & 3
Break into a strain of “Figaro! Figaro! Figaro” and listeners will immediately recognize a refrain from The Barber of Seville. This opera features familiar music and comedic antics, beloved by many and even parodied in at least five different cartoons including Bugs Bunny in the Rabbit of Seville, Tom & Jerry, Woody Woodpecker, Droopy Dog, and the dog Spike from the Tom & Jerry cartoons.
February, 2013 That's Amore: Opera San Luis Obispo's First Salon Recital of the Season
Rigoletto is generally regarded as a work inaugurating a new phase in Verdi's career, one in which his mastery as a musical dramatist is fully achieved. The story, based on a play by Victor Hugo, Le roi s'amuse, is about a court jester, Rigoletto, ironically a hunchback and a man embittered by life; he hates the Duke he serves, who is a complete libertine and leads a life of debauchery, and the courtiers, whom he regularly insults. But this physically and emotionally deformed man has another quite different side: he is a father who passionately loves his only child, his daughter Gilda, and seeks to protect her from the Duke.
January, 2013 Nutcracker a Successful Collaboration
The Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo joined forces with the Opera San Luis Obispo Orchestra and the Morro High School Chorus, directed by Colleen Wall, to perform Tchaikovsky's beloved ballet The Nutcracker on Saturday, December 8, and Sunday, December 9. The house was very nearly sold out on Saturday and completely sold out for Sunday afternoon. It was by all measures a highly successful venture.
December, 2012 Maestro Alhadeff Assumes Role of General Director of OperaSLO
Dr. Brian Asher Alhadeff, Artistic Director of Opera San Luis Obispo, now also wears the hat of General Director of the company. I had a chance to speak with him while he was taking a short break in rehearsing with the dancers for this year's production of the Nutcracker Ballet.i
November, 2012 November News From Opera SLO
The Met Live in HD series continues in November with a new opera by the young British
composer Thomas Ades (pronounced ADD-
October, 2012 The MET Live in HD
L'Elisir d'Amore is generally regarded as Donizetti's most popular opera. It belongs to the second great age of bel canto, dominated by the practice of Rossini and passed on to Bellini, Donizetti and subsequent Italian composers, not least of them Verdi. In this style the voice was the dominant force, and opportunities for "beautiful singing" (bel canto) were the basis of the libretto and score.
September, 2012 The MET Live in HD — Jacalyn Kreitzer in Recital
Kreitzer has sung locally with the San Luis Obispo Symphony and Festival Mosaic,
and with many major opera companies and orchestras, from the Los Angeles Philharmonic
to the Prague National Symphony, and from the Metropolitan Opera to Paris Chatelet
Opera, with conductors such as Jeffrey Tate, Simon Rattle, James Levine, Zubin Mehta,
Lorin Maazel, Michael Tilson-
August, 2012 Broadway by the Sea
Glorious singing, stunning views, beautiful gardens, wine tasting, painters at work, and a silent auction. It's Broadway by the Sea, presented by Opera San Luis Obispo each summer. Don't miss this feast of the arts, held at the elegant Chapman estate in Shell Beach, Saturday, August 18. The grounds will open at 1:00pm. A grand concert follows at 2:00pm.
July, 2012 Opera Camp -
Each summer Opera San Luis Obispo holds an opera camp for kids 8-
June, 2012 Gilbert and Sullivan Come to Salon Series
The continuing popularity of Gilbert and Sullivan is remarkable given how far removed our present day American society is from the one satirized in these operettas. Maestro Alhadeff attributes this in part to the United States' historical connections to Britain and our shared language. Interestingly, he finds connections between Gilbert and Sullivan and contemporary comedy. "The humor of G&S is a recognizable early link in English comedy to successes like Benny Hill, Monty Python, Wallace and Gromit, and The Office to name a few."
May, 2012 Jacalyn Kreitzer in May 6 Salon
Jacalyn Kreitzer, who lives in Los Osos, began her professional career when she stepped in for ailing soprano Felicity Lott to sing the orchestral transcription of Schoenberg's difficult String Quartet No. 2 in F# minor, with Simon Rattle and the Los Angeles Philharmonic to critical acclaim. She was then engaged with the Metropolitan Opera for four years, and recorded Die Walkure with the Met under the direction of James Levine.
April, 2012 Opera San Luis Obispo Announces 2012 Salon Series
OperaSLO's 26th anniversary season continues with a salon series featuring world-
March, 2012 "Co-
OperaSLO Artistic Advisor Kreitzer created and directs the Cal Poly Student Opera
Theater. She explains that the newly established "Co-
February, 2012 Opera Company to Launch New Series
Kleeman and Gulley wowed the audience as guest soloists at the Cuesta Master Chorale's
December concert of great opera choruses. Both are rising young artists, each with
numerous awards to their credit, and growing experience. Kleeman has recently returned
from a national tour of the Broadway show Spring Awakening. Gulley has just finished
his second season as tenor apprentice at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City. He was a
winner of the Metropolitan Opera's National Council District and Regional Competitions,
and was a national semi-
January, 2012 Opera San Luis Obispo presents Falling in Love with Opera
Falling in Love with Opera is a video course on Bel canto (beautiful song) opera.
It encompasses the operas of three great Italian opera composers -