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Remember Sybil? I guess she made an impression on me because I was in thrall of a music therapy career at that time, fascinated by all manner of personality disorders. (Plus, my own very sheltered childhood included a Sally Field fixation.) There have been far too few hours in these recent days. The combination of

Remember the Volpone recording from last summer? Just for yucks, I revisited blog posts from that period and relived briefly that sickening roller coaster we rode last June. I see that I promised to chronicle the whole messy road to those recording sessions. I never followed through, and now I’m doubtful I will. In truth,

Wolf Trap’s 2008 season has had its official unveiling, so this summer’s opera schedule is now public! Start here. Links for details on individual shows: Verdi’s Un giorno di regno [The Barns – June 13, 15(m), 17] Handel’s Alcina [The Barns – July 11, 13(m), 15] Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos [The Barns – August 15,

I have always steered clear of reporting on (or any pretense of “reviewing”) performances that I’ve seen. And this one won’t be any different. But because I was at Carnegie’s Weill Hall last night for the New York Festival of Song’s Bastianello and Lucrezia, I can’t let the occasion pass without comment. If you don’t

Words to live by. Or at least I’ll try. Last week’s news that Canada’s Radio Two is making an all-too-common cutback in classical music reverberated around the blogosphere. I know that the right thing to do is to react with disbelief and indignation. But (and I probably shouldn’t admit this), that’s not working for me

I find myself in a curious predicament. I am unreasonably and somewhat pathologically addicted to a musical that I’ve seen 6 times in 10 days, traveling over 700 miles to do so. Now, perhaps you have been where I am. Maybe there was/is a performer, a show, a piece of music that you couldn’t get

Received recently via email – a collaborative effort from some notable (dare I say pre-eminent) colleagues, the following musings on how opera companies change their light bulbs. Unattributed, unless otherwise indicated :) If there are attributions that should be made, please notify me! (Gotta be ever-mindful of intellectual property, you know.) SOPRANO I do NOT

First, a peek at the outline I’ve been working on for the 5-week Inside Opera class I’ll be teaching here at Wolf Trap this spring. 400 years of opera in approximately 7.5 hours :) SESSION 1 – HOW IT ALL BEGANFrom Florence to London OPERA PEOPLE: Divas & Divos TOOLS: Recitative & Arias FACH: Mezzos

Still can’t tell you officially what’s on tap for this summer, but I can drop hints. And will, shamelessly, over these next few weeks. Let the guessing begin! Summer in February This week’s unseasonably warm snap jerked me out of my midwinter complacency. You know how for most of you, warm and sultry weather just