Tonic Jukebox History
WEEK 34 - Opera through the ages 2
This week we continue our two week tour of opera through the ages.
Monday November 2
Late 19th century
Aleksandr Borodin (1833–1887) was born in St. Petersburg. He was a doctor and chemist by profession and made many contributions to organic chemistry. Music was a spare time occupation. Consequently he spent 17 years working on a single opera, Prince Igor, which was first performed in 1890, three years after his death.
Polovtsian Dances
This is probably the best known part of Prince Igor and often played as a concert piece on its own.
Performance
Tuesday November 3
Early 20th century
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) has always been one of my favourites. La Bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot are the best known of his work and are regularly performed.
Today I offer you something from Il trittico. Less well known but really worth your attention.
Il trittico is the title of a collection of three one-act operas, Il tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicchi. The first performance was in New York on 14 December 1918. Today's choice is from Suor Angelica.
Senza mamma (without a mother)
Sister Angelica (Suor Angelica) was packed off to a convent 7 years previously when she gave birth to an illegitimate son. In this scene she is being visited by her aunt. Instead of the hoped for reconciliation and a chance to see her son, she is told that he has died. This performance by Ermonela Jaho was one of the greatest I have ever seen on stage. By the end of the opera (no spoilers here) I was not just crying but my body was racked with emotion.
Performance
Wednesday November 4
Mid 20th century
George Gershwin (1898-1937) was an American composer and pianist who wrote both popular and classical music. Although not strictly mid 20th century, his opera Porgy and Bess was first performed in 1935, thus placing it in the middle third of the century.
The celebrated conductor Lorin Maazel here conducts a suite of music from Porgy and Bess. From the RAI logo on the top of the screen I deduce this is an Italian TV production, possibly in a Governmental setting. There are 2 parts, so 2 links.
PART 1
PART 2
Thursday November 5
Late 20th century
There's no avoiding it. I have to include at least one modern opera. I chose this as I performed these extracts with Mary King at the previously mentioned concert at the London Coliseum (Jukebox Oct 27). I hope you find these two short extracts interesting.
John Adams (born 15 February 1947) is an American composer and conductor of classical music and opera, with strong roots in minimalism.
Nixon in China is Adams' first opera which premiered in 1987. It was inspired by U.S. President Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to China.
The opera opens at Peking Airport where contingents of the Chinese military await the arrival of the American president. The military chorus sings the Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention.
Soldiers of Heaven
The People are the heroes now
Words of both extracts here
Friday November 6
21st century
I managed to find an opera written this century that most of you will enjoy.
Bryan Kesselman (born 1959) is a highly talented musician who has worked as a singer, composer, musical director and teacher. (written by Philip .. and quite true). He wanted to write something similarly complimentary about me, but we decided against that. Instead you can read here if you wish.
Bryan and Philip’s opera, The Time Traveller, premiered at the Buxton International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in 2012. It was enthusiastically received.
The Time Traveller
complete (27 minutes)
highlights (5 minutes)
Weekend November 7/8
Grand Finale
As we come to the end of our two week journey through opera history there has been one obvious omission.
I felt we needed to end on a ‘high’ and no composer could better provide that than Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901).
In his early operas, Verdi demonstrated a sympathy with the Risorgimento movement which sought the unification of Italy. He also participated briefly as an elected politician. The chorus Va, pensiero from his early opera Nabucco (1842), and similar choruses in later operas, were much in the spirit of the unification movement.
Va, pensiero recollects the period of Babylonian captivity for the Jewish people after the loss of the First Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE.
This clip of the Royal Opera Chorus in rehearsal might bring back memories of Tonic rehearsals as we worked on this piece quite a lot. I suggest you watch the first 5 minutes.
In rehearsal
And here are the Royal Opera Chorus on stage. I saw this live and it was particularly moving. The Royal Opera Chorus at their wonderful best and a great way to end our two week tour of my favourite art form, opera. So go full screen and turn up the volume.
In performance
Monday November 2
Late 19th century
Aleksandr Borodin (1833–1887) was born in St. Petersburg. He was a doctor and chemist by profession and made many contributions to organic chemistry. Music was a spare time occupation. Consequently he spent 17 years working on a single opera, Prince Igor, which was first performed in 1890, three years after his death.
Polovtsian Dances
This is probably the best known part of Prince Igor and often played as a concert piece on its own.
Performance
Tuesday November 3
Early 20th century
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) has always been one of my favourites. La Bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot are the best known of his work and are regularly performed.
Today I offer you something from Il trittico. Less well known but really worth your attention.
Il trittico is the title of a collection of three one-act operas, Il tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicchi. The first performance was in New York on 14 December 1918. Today's choice is from Suor Angelica.
Senza mamma (without a mother)
Sister Angelica (Suor Angelica) was packed off to a convent 7 years previously when she gave birth to an illegitimate son. In this scene she is being visited by her aunt. Instead of the hoped for reconciliation and a chance to see her son, she is told that he has died. This performance by Ermonela Jaho was one of the greatest I have ever seen on stage. By the end of the opera (no spoilers here) I was not just crying but my body was racked with emotion.
Performance
Wednesday November 4
Mid 20th century
George Gershwin (1898-1937) was an American composer and pianist who wrote both popular and classical music. Although not strictly mid 20th century, his opera Porgy and Bess was first performed in 1935, thus placing it in the middle third of the century.
The celebrated conductor Lorin Maazel here conducts a suite of music from Porgy and Bess. From the RAI logo on the top of the screen I deduce this is an Italian TV production, possibly in a Governmental setting. There are 2 parts, so 2 links.
PART 1
PART 2
Thursday November 5
Late 20th century
There's no avoiding it. I have to include at least one modern opera. I chose this as I performed these extracts with Mary King at the previously mentioned concert at the London Coliseum (Jukebox Oct 27). I hope you find these two short extracts interesting.
John Adams (born 15 February 1947) is an American composer and conductor of classical music and opera, with strong roots in minimalism.
Nixon in China is Adams' first opera which premiered in 1987. It was inspired by U.S. President Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to China.
The opera opens at Peking Airport where contingents of the Chinese military await the arrival of the American president. The military chorus sings the Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention.
Soldiers of Heaven
The People are the heroes now
Words of both extracts here
Friday November 6
21st century
I managed to find an opera written this century that most of you will enjoy.
Bryan Kesselman (born 1959) is a highly talented musician who has worked as a singer, composer, musical director and teacher. (written by Philip .. and quite true). He wanted to write something similarly complimentary about me, but we decided against that. Instead you can read here if you wish.
Bryan and Philip’s opera, The Time Traveller, premiered at the Buxton International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in 2012. It was enthusiastically received.
The Time Traveller
complete (27 minutes)
highlights (5 minutes)
Weekend November 7/8
Grand Finale
As we come to the end of our two week journey through opera history there has been one obvious omission.
I felt we needed to end on a ‘high’ and no composer could better provide that than Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901).
In his early operas, Verdi demonstrated a sympathy with the Risorgimento movement which sought the unification of Italy. He also participated briefly as an elected politician. The chorus Va, pensiero from his early opera Nabucco (1842), and similar choruses in later operas, were much in the spirit of the unification movement.
Va, pensiero recollects the period of Babylonian captivity for the Jewish people after the loss of the First Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE.
This clip of the Royal Opera Chorus in rehearsal might bring back memories of Tonic rehearsals as we worked on this piece quite a lot. I suggest you watch the first 5 minutes.
In rehearsal
And here are the Royal Opera Chorus on stage. I saw this live and it was particularly moving. The Royal Opera Chorus at their wonderful best and a great way to end our two week tour of my favourite art form, opera. So go full screen and turn up the volume.
In performance