OPENING NIGHT!!!!!!!

Well here we are! Look at this, the start of the new season already! It seems like just yesterday that I was watching Renee Fleming waltz in designer bling through three acts from three of her favorite operas!!!!!!!

Now I'm here listening to POWERHOUSE Karita Mattila dive into the role of Tosca. I am a great fan of this woman and I hope that she performs masterfully. Well, I'm sure she will.

I am more concerned, however, with the new production. Secretly, (well not anymore) I want it to not be a good production just so I can fight to have the Zefferelli production back. Oh, how purist of me. Apparently, as I've heard so far this production is veeeerrrryyy different from all past productions. The end of the second act especially. (were those "boo"s I've heard?? Hmmmmm...) I am so curious to see what it looks and feels like. A whole new feeling for Tosca, I'm intrigued.

This has, so far, been an interesting beginning to the season. Innovative to say the least.

More on this later, when we've had more time to discover this new Tosca.

Happy Listening!!! =)

Merry Puccinimas!!!! 150 Years of the Italian Master

(Title lovingly taken from the FaceBook event titled "Puccinimas" which I thought very clever.)

HAPPY 150th BIRTHDAY TO PUCCINI!!!!!
In honor of this GENIUS's birthday, I will present an assortment of my favorite moments in Puccini operas.
One of my favorite things about Puccini is that you can hear a simple chord progression or a rhythm and immediately say "Oh, that is so Puccini!" What would we do without his melodrama?

Che il bel sogno di Doretta from La Rondine
Donna non vidi mai from Manon Lescaut
Act 4 Duet from Manon Lescaut
Ch'ella Mi Creda from La Fanciulla del West
Un Bel Di from Madama Butterfly
The Humming Chorus from Madama Butterfly
Si Mi Chiamano Mimi from La Boheme
Che Gelida Manina from La Boheme
O Soave Fanciulla from La Boheme
Act 3 Marcello/Mimi Duet from La Boheme
Sono Andati from La Boheme (One of my favorite moments in the opera is when Mimi tells Rodolfo that she's not beautiful like the dawn, but like the sunset. *sob*)
Vissi D'arte from Tosca
Act I curtain of Tosca
Recondita Armonia from Tosca
E Lecevan Le Stelle from Tosca
O Mio Babbino Caro from Gianni Schicchi (Sorry, I couldn't resist!)
Nulla, Silenzio from Il Tabarro
Final Scene of Suor Angelica
In Questa Reggia from Turandot
Liu's Death from Turandot
Signore Ascolta from Turandot
Act I Finale of Turandot
Act II Ping, Pang, and Pong from Turandot
Nessun Dorma from Turandot (Pavarotti)
Nessun Dorma from Turandot (Lando Bartolini)
Final Scene of Turandot


I hate to wear this story out, but seeing the final scene of Turandot changed my life. Almost four years ago I sat down with my mom to watch The Turandot Project (yes I WILL tell this story every year) and almost had a heart attack when the big crashing "Nessun Dorma" theme came booming out of the stereo system. I never thought anything could sound like that! Sure, I'd heard "Nessun Dorma" but this was insane! It gave meaning to those foreign phrases.
Puccini changed my life. Puccini is life.


Happy Birthday Puccini!!!!! May another 150 years go by just as happily!



Happy Listening!!! =)

And Suddenly I've Found How Wonderful A Sound Can Be!!

Today we celebrate the birthday of one of the most beloved opera composers to ever live, Giacomo Puccini. He is the man whose music changed my life and I am forever indebted to him. He is also the man on my pin that I wear on my uniform blazer every day to school. My friends scrunch their faces to try and figure out who that is. “A dead guy, right?” They ask, knowing my love of history and…well…dead music people. “Yeah, a dead music guy.” They nod, “Who is he?” I don’t want to explain the whole Boheme/Rent connection for the billionth time so I just smile and say “Giacomo Puccini, which in Italian means ‘the man who changed my life.’” Suddenly they don’t seem so interested, but I don’t care because when I wear that blazer I know the whole world can see that me, a high school student, loves Puccini and loves opera. I don’t just love him for La Boheme; I love him because his aria “Nessun Dorma” made me catch the opera bug.
Puccini showed me that opera isn’t about snotty old people and fat Italian singers who break glasses with their high notes and wear breast plates, so now I’m here to show my peers that opera isn’t about any of that. Maybe if they see me with that pin they’ll see that young people can like opera also and they don’t have to be embarrassed about it. Well… that probably won’t happen, but I can try can’t I?
At one family dinner I was talking to my grandfather about “Turandot” and my aunt laughs and says “Don’t worry, dear, it’s just a phase!” I smiled at her and said “Oh, I’m not worried.” I wouldn’t say this is a phase, but a life-long passion that I’m desperate to share with others. Since my friends don’t seem interested, I made a blog instead. I think it’s been pretty successful so far. I’ve gotten the point across that I love opera, haven’t I?
So thank you, Puccini, for everything you have done for me and probably for so many other people. Oh yeah, and happy birthday! =)

Happy Listening!!! =)