#operatic bas

[esbisimp]

Mana

The song that sealed the deal for me. When I saw #SB19 perform this on the Wish Bus, I was FLOORED.

While I was anticipating the lyricism and heavenly harmonies I have come to expect from the group, it was the song’s sonic cornucopia that first captured my attention. That hard, angry intro by Ken followed by Pablo’s gritty vocals had me glued to my seat.

It may just be aural hallucinations , but the song reminds me of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. The beat changes, the theatrical flourishes, the almost operatic runs, the rap lines and, of course, the maniacal laughter mixed into the track evoke pieces from a dark musical, or a rock opera.

I saw a reaction video on YT where the reactor stopped the song mid-track to comment about how the song is fun even if it’s repetitive and doesn’t have much chord progression. The point where he resumed listening was when the beat suddenly dropped and Ken bellowed in his menacing underworld voice, “Aswang ba kaya kinatatakutan…” , only to be later contrasted by Stell’s long, piercing high note. Oh, how delicious it was to see the reactor practically throw his hands up in surrender as he backtracked on his comment.

That there has already been much discourse on the song’s lyrics is a testament to its artistic value. It is a song that uses a mythical creature from Philippine folklore to convey that one may soar high but still keep one’s feet firmly on the ground. At the same time, it’s a clapback to the non-believers and naysayers who doubted the group’s talent and tenacity.

It may only be me, but another thing that made a deep impression is the fact that this has no music video. If there’s any song that could inspire a myriad of ideas for an MV, it’s this. I guess SB19 was concerned that adding visuals to the already insane production of the song might cause the viewers sensory overload.

Yes, this unhinged, masterful composition is from a PPop “boy group”. You heard that right. A BOY GROUP. Search it on YT and thank me later.

[lboogie1906]

Mark Steven Doss (July 2, 1957) is a Grammy Award-winning bass-baritone, specializing in opera, concert, and recital. He has performed major roles with many international opera companies, including Milan’s La Scala, Vienna State Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, Brussels’ La Monnaie, Canadian Opera Company, and Oper Frankfurt.

He was born in Cleveland and attended East Technical High School, participated in varsity sports, took drama and chorus, and performed in a school production of Godspell. He enrolled in the Seminary at Saint Joseph’s College. He continued to take music courses and performed in recitals and musical theatre productions. He left the seminary and became a student at the college, graduating with a BA in music and sociology. He entered the master’s program at Indiana University’s School of Music. His first operatic performance was in the role of Khan Konchak in the Indiana University Musical Theatre’s production of Borodin’s Prince Igor. He performed a total of six roles at Indiana University.

He made his debut at Milan’s La Scala in the role of Escamillo in Carmen. He has been a regular performer at La Scala, most recently in the role of Amonasro in the opera’s production Aida. He performed the roles of Mephistopheles in Gounod’s Faust with Opera Tampa, Amonasro in Verdi’s Aida at La Scala and in Tel Aviv, Jochanaan in Strauss’ Salome with the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, and Premysl in Janáček’s Šárka with La Fenice in Venice.

He is married to Dawn Rivard and he has two sons.

He is the recipient of Planet Africa’s 2011 Entertainment Award. He received a Grammy Award for his performance on the Deutsche Grammophon recording of Handel’s Semele. He won First Prize in the International Verdi Competition, as well as being a Metropolitan Opera Finalist Winner. He received The National Institute for Music Theatre’s George London Opera Prize.

He held the position of Associate Professor of Voice at Michigan State University. He continues to give occasional vocal master classes and to work with apprentice artists. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[straight-up-metal]

After Forever - After Forever

With their 25th anniversary coming up, I though ”why not take that as a sign to review my favourite album.” Dutch symphonic metal band After Forever released six full length albums before their split in 2009, the self titled one being the last. With a line-up consisting of Floor Jansen on vocals, Sander Gommans on guitars and grunts, Bas Maas on guitars and vocals, Joost van den Broek on keyboard, Luuk van Gerven on bass and finally André Borgman on drums, this just might be the strongest album they released. 

The album opens with an incredibly strong track, Discord. The song starts off with a very nice sort of groove, heavy but still melodic. Gommans and Jansen work in sync with each other, taking turns with an almost vicious vocal delivery. They make for good contrasts with each other, considering their drastically different voices. Lyrically, it’s a pretty angry song, possibly a relationship gone awry. Around the halfway mark, the song softens momentarily, before a choir led by Jansen comes in. It’s a very good song with a catchy chorus. Definitely one of the stronger songs on the album and a very solid opener.

Transitory is the third song on the album. It opens very differently from most songs on the album. A quick, straight forward keyboard opening. It’s both fun and different. The vocals pick up the viciousness that we can see in a lot of the songs on this album, with Gommans stepping up to the mic first. Jansen stays on theme with the delivery, but moves onto a more operatic technique. What I like about the chorus on this song is that not only is it very catchy, but you can also clearly hear the layers of Jansen’s vocals blending beautifully. About halfway through there is this really fun part with more keyboard, van den Broek’s skills really show in this song. I really enjoy that it’s a pretty fast paced song, with drums driving it forward especially in the chorus. This is one of those songs that can possibly be a little bit harder to digest and understand because of its multitude of different components. But after sitting down and having a proper listen to it, I think most people who enjoy music in all forms would find at least one part of this song that they enjoy. 

The fourth track, Energize Me, is a much softer song than all the others on the album. Jansen opens up very softly, accompanied by only the slightest touch of some piano. Once again, you can hear the layers and harmonies in this song, which lift it to a new level. The song is what some would call radio friendly. Clean vocals, not too heavy, strong bridge, catchy chorus, and not too long, perfect to play on the radio. What I enjoy is that the song really softens before you get the chorus, so it really leaves you anticipating what’s to come. After the guitar solo there is this incredible part where Jansen really gets to open up and let her voice out. You can feel the power of her voice through any speaker. This is a great song to start with if you are unfamiliar with After Forever. 

Track number five, Equally Destructive, is somewhat of a force to be reckoned with. It’s very straight forward in the way that it opens up with some chugging and then goes straight into this beautiful melody made up by Gommans and Maas’ guitars working in sync with each other. Jansen gives a strong vocal delivery, as expected. This is a very easily digestible After Forever song, perfect if you’re just venturing into the world of symphonic metal. This song definitely takes the price for best guitar solo one the album. It’s this melodic, beautiful sound that just does not compare to anything else. A theme throughout the whole song is that it’s very guitar driven, and for good reason, because they are on a different level on this song. 

Withering Time, the sixth song, is a little bit different than the previous ones. It is much more vocal focused and Jansen delivers a more operatic sound. The rhythm is fun, something a little different. Gommans brings some grit and grime into the song that’s missing without him considering Jansen’s operatic approach. Around the halfway mark, the song quiets down and goes acoustic. It’s a stark difference from the rest of the song. Jansen takes on a very soft sound. Right when you think the song is going to stay this calm for a while, you get tossed straight back into the heavier sound, Gommans entering with a gnarly scream, accompanied by Borgman’s fast paced drumming. Over all it’s a very strong song, both on the album and on its own. 

De-Energized is the album’s seventh song, and also possibly one of the album’s heaviest songs. This is the point where that aggressive viciousness from earlier gets picked back up. Both with the vocal sound, but also the lyrics. Gommans and Jansen both deliver an incredibly strong performance with this song. It is pretty straight forward metal, but then you have these fun keyboard parts coming in making the song something a little different. There is this amazing operatic part coming in maybe two thirds through the song. It just gives the song a little bit more depth, makes it more interesting. Then right after that you have this beautiful guitar melody coming in, softening everything back up before you get the operatics again. Gommans might just be giving us his best vocal performance on this song, really snarly and mean sounding. 

The eighth track, Cry with a Smile, is a much softer song, almost like a ballad. It opens with an epic and melodic sound, almost orchestral. But then you get the sharp contrast of Jansen’s soft vocals accompanied by only a piano. For the second verse, Jansen goes up an octave and the piano is replaced with an acoustic guitar. The chorus likens itself to the beginning of the song, with a heavy but very melodic sound and Jansen almost belting out the words to the song. It’s a very symphonic song, a strong After Forever performance. With soft verses and a heavy chorus, the song has all the parts one could ask for. 

The tenth song, Who I Am, features metal royalty. From Düsseldorf, Germany, the metal queen Doro Pesch delivers an incredible performance together with Jansen. This song has an almost ghostly aura over it. Pesch comes out strong from the get go, almost duelling Jansen. Who I Am has an incredibly strong chorus, driven forward by Pesch, who is accompanied by Jansen’s soft operatic sound. Considering this was the first time these two recorded anything together, they work each other like they’ve never done anything else in their lives. There is an undeniable chemistry here that makes the song even stronger. Instead of a classic guitar solo around the halfway point, there is this very interesting part which I think is played on a sitar. It contributes to the spooky aura I mentioned earlier. This part is quickly contrasted by a heavy drum performance from Borgman. Pesch’s classic metal sound works undeniably well with Jansen’s high and light sound. 

I am rounding off here with the album’s eleventh track, Dreamflight, my personal favourite. The song opens very softly, I would describe the sound as high, light, and maybe even aloof. But as soon as the acoustic guitar comes in, accompanied by Jansen, the song takes a turn for the better. For the first time on the album, guitarist Bas Maas steps up to the mic and gives us this beautiful, raspy sound. Right as he comes in, the song also gets heavier. The acoustic guitar is still there playing its little melody, but it gets almost drowned out by the drums and electric guitars that come in. Maas’ part ends with what almost sounds like a scream, an incredible performance. That is when the song gets properly heavy, Jansen comes back with a vengeance, backed up by the whole band. A strong performance from both the drums and keyboards on this song. The tempo is very up and down, which is one of the reasons the whopping eleven minutes of this song don’t feel very long. If Jansen came back with a vengeance, then Gommans delivered a proper counterattack. Gritty growls contrasting the operatic approach Jansen has taken on. After the first chorus, the song slows back down, letting the bass shine through properly. Something I know some of us appreciate a little extra. It builds back up with this beautiful solo, but then comes back down with some acoustics before Jansen gets to go at it alone. Her vocals are both soft and incredibly powerful at the same time, keeping you on your toes. The ending note of this part might just be the highest one she hits on the whole album. The anticipation builds back up with the orchestra, a cello taking the lead. Then we get thrown right back into the mean that is Gommans’ vocals on this song. To counter that, we get a guitar harmony before we get down and dirty again. Then as we race towards the end of the song, we get some fast paced drums, a choir led by Jansen, and almost squealing keys. The last bridge and chorus are a little different than the previous ones, and they are really worth the wait. 

Tracklist After Forever:

Discord

Evoke

Transitory

Energize Me

Equally Destructive 

Withering Time

De-Energized

Cry with a Smile

Envision

Who I Am

Dreamflight

Empty Memories

After Forever are:

Floor Jansen - Vocals

Sander Gommans - Guitars, grunts, screams

Bas Maas - Guitars, vocals

André Borgman - Drums

Luuk van Gerven - Bass

Joost van den Broek - Keyboards

Produced by: 

Gordon Groothedde

[musicarenagh]

Beyond the Chaos: Monique Angele on Finding Bliss Through Music Dreaming by Monique Angele is a single that people should check out right away. She still has this unbelievable ability to convey the feeling of idling and daydreaming, which many of her illustrations depict. In this brand new piano-infused pop tune, Monique calls on everyone to take a break from their daily woes and escape into a calm daydream. Her ethereal voice complements those soft piano notes in such harmony. It’s charming, and rather mesmerizing – at least as much as this beautiful, operatic lullaby that plays to put you into a state of calmness. You can hear the classical influence within Monique, but at the same time, there is something almost almost naked within her music. Right from the pensive beginning with the piano, ‘Dreaming’ just envelops you in this warm, dreamy aura that builds into a grand orchestral piece. The music production is also very good, especially the harmonized vocals and the other elements such as the electric guitar and punchy beat. Monique recalled using her time in Australian as the basis for the carefree, sunny themes of the songs about the pleasure of the present. She said: ”This theme was supposed to be about daydreaming and just being so happy even when everything around is heavy and complicated. ” Does that sound more conversational and friendly?I attempted to bring up the musical and lyrical content more casually while still emphasizing the uniqueness of Monique’s skillset. Please just let me know if you would like me to adjust or lengthen the human-voiced take any more. Listen to Dreaming below  https://open.spotify.com/track/52r6tMS3trBNED1K1RIbU3?si=7dab6bfaf7dd42ba Follow Monique Angele on Facebook Twitter Spotify Soundcloud Bandcamp Youtube Instagram Where do you find inspiration? I find inspiration in my own personal life experiences or other people’s experiences. Nature is also a big influence, whenever I’m on a hike or somewhere in nature I always get inspired to write. Seeing a live show, listening to music, and travelling are also big inspirations. What was the role of music in the early years of your life? Music was very important in the early years of my life. My family was always big supporters of music and got me into piano lessons as a kid. Are you from a musical or artistic family? Yes, I come from a musical and artistic family. Several family members have played musical instruments and my younger brother continues to write, perform and record his own original music. Several family members are also artists and writers. My older brother is also in the film industry. Who inspired you to be a part of the music industry? I think various musicians, bands and artists inspired me to pursue music. I started learning the piano as a kid and from there that’s when my musical education progressed. I started taking singing lessons years later. I’m classically trained in piano and singing. I’ve always been inspired by listening to musicians in any genre. Once I decided I wanted to study other genres like musical theatre, pop, rock, jazz, that’s when I realised I wanted to pursue writing my own music, recording and performing my original material. I would say that the main artist/band that inspired me to pursue my own original music was Queen. [caption id="attachment_55583" align="alignnone" width="1322"] I would say that the main artist/band that inspired me to pursue my own original music was Queen.[/caption] How did you learn to sing/write/to play? I started taking singing lessons when I was in university and from there I learned various styles of singing: opera, pop, rock, jazz, etc. I learned how to play piano when I was a kid and I’ve played ever since. I started to write my own songs when I was in University. What was the first concert that you ever went to and who did you see perform? I honestly can’t remember haha. But I’m pretty sure it would have been a classical music concert of some sort.

How could you describe your music? I would describe my music as operatic piano pop. It has pop and classical elements similar to Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Queen, Muse. It has melodic soaring vocals and a classical piano vibe. Describe your creative process. I usually write songs when I'm feeling some kind of emotion or need to release my feelings somehow. So I started to write about falling into a blissful state of mind when you feel overwhelmed. Whatever your blissful state of mind is, just go there and forget about your worries. What is your main inspiration? I would say my main inspiration is my life experiences, other people’s life experiences, world events and nature. What musician do you admire most and why? Freddie Mercury from Queen as he was an amazing performer and I love the music so much. Did your style evolve since the beginning of your career? Yes I think my style has evolved. I think I’ve learned how to create music without thinking too much and just letting things flow more organically. I would say my more current music is a bit more on the progressive pop side than my earlier works. Who do you see as your main competitor? I’ll be honest, I don’t feel like I compete with anyone and I don’t really see anyone as my main competitor. I just create things and hope it brings some kind of joy to people and makes people feel something. What are your interests outside of music?  Being in nature - Exercise - hiking, running, swimming, dancing - Spending time with family and friends - Socializing and meeting new people - Seeing live shows or any art form - Traveling If it wasn't a music career, what would you be doing? A wildlife carer, environmental scientist or a conservation scientist. I just want to save the planet and wildlife. What is the biggest problem you have encountered in the journey of music? I have had some pretty crazy experiences where it really affected my physical and mental health in a negative way, however I'm a lot stronger for it now. I just keep going and follow my dreams. If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be? I’m not sure at the moment. https://open.spotify.com/artist/3jF2b7GszIw7QBtx4icjMu Why did you choose this as the title of this project? The inspiration behind my new single comes from daydreaming. The song is about going into a dreamlike blissful state of mind where there are no stresses at all. In a world where you are trying to find yourself and know what to do can be overwhelming. It's about following your dreams and heart and being where you want to be to make you happy. What are your plans for the coming months? I’ll be performing, writing and getting ready to record new music. I plan to release new music again in the not too distant future. Do you have any artistic collaboration plans I do have some plans in the works. What message would you like to give to your fans? Thank you so much for your amazing support for my music. I can’t thank you enough for all the love!

[clouds-of-wings]

Drinking spiced cherry wine from the discounter and actually reading the lyrics of Beloved Antichrist for once - Part 1

I’ve known BA since 2018. I understood some of the story from listening and know in broad strokes what the opera is about, but with the vocals being as operatic as they are, I didn’t understand THAT much. I tried to read the lyrics on a lyrics site once but found them incomprehensible. Now I have the limited edition release which comes with a little book that explains the plot, introduces the characters and gives little summaries to each of the tracks.

The story NATURALLY begins in Berlin, the navel of the world!

Seth, the Antichrist, is a bona fide anime protagonist. Highly intelligent outsider, lost both his parents early in life. Hair colour isn’t described. His second name is, I shit you not, Thanos. If BA ever becomes famous, beware the memes!

Johanna, his antagonist, is ALSO highly gifted and lives in Vatican State where she leads a radical Catholic sisterhood. I’m only on page one and already convinced that Christofer missed his true calling with this - this doesn’t need a stage production, this needs an anime adaptation, pronto! Now who’s gonna pitch this to him, I feel like he’d at least consider it.

Okay I did know about Helena living with her and Johanna’s mother, but I did not know that Sophia is an occultist.

Why do they make someone called Apollonius evil. Although it’s probably a compliment? Still. He is indeed a famous figure from antiquity. Though if I remember correctly, he was seen as an “alternate Jesus” back in the day (gonna look this up later), so maybe it fits that he’d join with the Antichrist.

Johanna has two nun sidekicks, I love this. I never really tried to tell the voices apart when listening to BA. It’s kinda cool how many female characters there are here, considering that the book the opera is based on apparently has zero.

They can’t tell LIE and LAY apart, MINUS 1000 POINTS. LEARN ENGLISH. I say that to Therion a lot, in my head. LEARN ENGLISH, PLEASE!

They explain the scientific background of the solar storm that brings down civilization, that’s nice. And comment that much of the “third world” just went back to their traditional ways of living, while the rich countries are in the biggest trouble, which I think is accurate. Vandana Shiva said so as well. If the global economy collapsed, she said, the rural poor in India would immediately be better off.

Oooh this is all only a setup so they can have a steampunk aesthetic in the future. Naturally. But I have so many questions. How much easily accessible coal and oil is still available to be mined in Europe after 2046? Rebuilding industrialism would be a lot harder the second time without easy access to this. Also why would Christianity be revived? I feel like an event like a civilization ending solar storm and mass death would create a massive spiritual crisis, like the Black Death and the earthquake in Lisbon back in the day. But maybe it would be a crisis of secular thinking, which might strengthen Christianity again. And what role does European Islam play by 2046? Ugh I’m overthinking this. It’s all for the steampunk aesthetic after all.

[oneweekoneband]

Lorde, “Sober II (Melodrama)”

Like almost any other production (choir concerts, dance shows, musicals, TV shows), Melodrama is front-loaded and tapers off towards the end. The first half has the most substance while those songs or moves or, to put it in general terms, ideas are modified (i.e. change the key signature, substitute fouettes with alsicones, re-conjugate future tense to present tense) and regurgitated later on as fillers/transitions. It doesn’t mean the program turns into an utter shitshow after intermission (there are exceptions to the rule; the most blatant and recent example that comes to mind is 13 Reasons Why and/or Riverdale), but the experience can start to feel repetitive, lackadaisical.

Don’t get me wrong, “Sober II (Melodrama)” isn’t a “bad” song. The defining theatrics of the album are still there, and in accordance with its self-explanatory title, the song is a sequel to “Sober,” not another rehashing of a night spent wasted. Violins, the choice weapon of operatic drama, deliver the first swooping blow and raise the stakes until the sound collapses, with the piano as Lorde’s only comfort. She tries to bring her vision into focus, put a timeline together of the night before (“You asked if I was feeling it, I’m psycho high”) with little success. Her mind is groggy, near comatose — “Lights are on, and they’ve gone home/ But who am I?” — and she’s not exactly out of her stupor when she starts “cleaning up the champagne glasses,” throwing away the last word as if she’s dozing off.

Where, then, does the next line come from? Is “we told you this was melodrama” a cautionary tale from her friends before “Sober”ing it up? Are these Lorde’s words to shrug off her now-gone lover, the subject in “you wanted something we could offer”? Better yet, what if this is her should’ve-known-better moment before tossing the inevitable collateral damage to the side and going into the fray for the sake of going into the fray: “Our only wish is melodrama.” Disillusionment (“Wonder why we bother”) is the only thing clear enough to be certain in the “kissed and killed each other,” Romeo & Juliet-approved spectacle (“gun fights” included, if Bas Luhrman is reading). From there, the issue isn’t with who is speaking/listening, but rather about love, mainly, is it even worth it? Even if it’s just smoke-and-mirrors “lime lights” and “holy ship divine nights”?

Those answers are for another day (@ “Perfect Places”), but more immediately, Melodrama isn’t without its flaws. There’s a reason why Lorde didn’t sing over a skittering trap beat before: It doesn’t work. The variation comes off as desperation, throwing seemingly random elements into the mix to see what sticks. Against the more-classical backdrop, it sounds disjunct, a Jack Antonoff spin-off of “Mask Off” broken up by garbled “WO-oah”s. At its best though (aka when the beats take a backseat), the song becomes cinematic, the soundtrack that comes on when the smoke blows from Lorde’s gun after delivering the coup de grace. “We told you this was melodrama”; you had your warning. Now, it’s too late.

[blackkudos]

Adolphus Hailstork

Adolphus Hailstork (born Adolphus Cunningham Hailstork III, April 17, 1941) is an American composer and educator. He grew up in Albany, New York, where he studied violin, piano, organ, and voice.

Hailstork was born in Rochester, New York, and obtained a BA from Howard University studying with Mark Fax, master's degree from the Manhattan School of Music studying with Vittorio Giannini and David Diamond, and a doctorate in music composition from Michigan State University in 1971, studying with H. Owen Reed. He also studied at The American Institute at Fontainebleau with Nadia Boulanger.

He has served as professor at Youngstown State University in Ohio, as well as professor of music and Composer-in-Residence at Virginia's Norfolk State University. He is currently a professor of music and Composer-in-Residence at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

Hailstork is of African American ancestry and his works blend musical ideas from both the African American and European traditions.

Hailstork's awards include a Fulbright fellowship (1987). In 1992 he was named a Cultural Laureate of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Old Dominion University maintains the Adolphus Hailstork Collection, in the special collections area of the F. Ludwig Diehn Composers Room, in the Diehn Fine and Performing Arts Center. In 1999, he was awarded the Brock Commission from the American Choral Directors Association. Hailstork is published by Theodore Presser Company and Carl Fischer Music.

Selected works

Works for Solo Instruments

2 Scherzos for solo piano

Bassoon Set for solo bassoon

Eight Variations On “Shalom Chaverim” for solo piano

Five Friends for solo piano

Flute Set for solo flute

Four Preludes for solo harp

Ignis Fatuus (Mysterious Fires) for solo piano

Piano Sonata No. 2 for solo piano

Piano Sonata No. 3 for solo piano

The Surprising Thing Is for solo violin

Theme and Variations on "Draw the Sacred Circle Closer" for solo Cello

Three Smiles for Tracy for solo clarinet

Trio Sonata for solo piano

Two Studies on Chant Melodies" for solo organ

Variations for solo trumpet

Works for Chamber Ensemble

American Fanfare for 3Tpt. 4Hn. 3Tbn. Tu. 3Perc. Timp.

American Landscape for string duet

Armegeddon for organ and two percussion

As Falling Leaves

Baroque Suite for violin and piano

The Blue Bag for clarinet and piano

Consort Piece for septet

Divertimento for violin and viola

Evensong for violin and cello

Fanfare on Amazing Grace for brass quintet, timpani, and organ

Fantasy Piece for viola and piano

Guest Suite for four hands on one piano

I Am Only One for SATB choir

John Henry's Big (Man vs. Machine) for trombone and piano

Little Diversions for Lord Byron's Court for two violins or string duet

Sanctum for clarinet and piano or viola and piano

A Simple Caprice for clarinet and piano

Sonata for trumpet and piano

Sonata for two pianos

Springtime for Elephants for two tubas

String Quartet No. 1

String Quartet No. 2 - Variations on "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"

Three Meditations for viola and organ

Two by Two for horn and trombone

Variations on a Guyanese Folk Song for violin and piano

Ventriloquist Acts of God for soprano and piano

Violin Concerto for violin and piano

Who is Sylvia? For Coloratura Soprano, Violin, and Piano

Works for Chorus and Orchestra

Break Forth for Chorus and Orchestra

Crispus Attucks - American Patriot for mezzo, tenor, bass-bariton, large chorus, and orchestra

Done Made My Vow for narrator, soloists, mixed chorus, and orchestra

EarthRise (A Song of Healing) for two choirs and orchestra

Four Spirituals for two sopranos, mixed chorus and orchestra

The Gift of the Magi A “Choral Ballet” for dancers, chamber orchestra and children's chorus

I will lift up mine eyes, cantata for tenor, choir, and orchestra

Serenade “To Hearts Which Near Each Other Move” for SATB choir and orchestra

Songs of Innocence for three soloists, chorus and orchestra

Within Our Gates for solo soprano, solo tenor, SATB chorus and string orchestra

Works for Wind Ensemble

American Guernica

Works for Orchestra

An American Port of Call

Baroque Suite for String Orchestra (with optional Harpsichord)

Church Street Serenade for String Orchestra

Essay for Strings

Fanfare on Amazing Grace for Orchestra

Hercules"

Intrada

Lachrymosa: 1919

Sonata for Trumpet (or Clarinet) and String Orchestra

Symphony No. 3

Three Spirituals

Two Romances for Viola and Chamber Orchestra

Violin Concerto

Operas

Joshua’s Boots an Opera in one Act

Paul Laurence Dunbar: Common Ground An Operatic Theaterpiece

Rise for Freedom: The John P. Parker Story

[lifejustgotawkward]

Martina Arrroyo (b. 2/2/1936) is a distinguished soprano who is a pioneer in the American opera community as an African-American woman of Puerto Rican descent. Born and raised in Harlem, Arroyo attended Hunter College High School and received a BA in Romance Languages from Hunter College in 1956. As an undergraduate student, she participated in an opera workshop for fun, but was told that she had great potential. Arroyo decided to begin operatic training while simultaneously pursuing jobs as a teacher of English and Italian at Bronx high schools, as well as a social worker at Manhattan's East End Welfare Center.

Only a couple of years after college graduation, Arroyo was busy studying for a master's degree in comparative literature at NYU, as well as taking classes at the Kathryn Long School for singing, English diction, drama, German and fencing. She got the call, however, to make her first major onstage appearance in a concert performance of Ildebrando Pizzetti's Murder in the Cathedral at Carnegie Hall in 1958. Following that, in February 1959 Arroyo took on the title role in Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride, accompanied by the Little Orchestra Society at Town Hall. On March 14 that year, she made her Metropolitan Opera debut as the Celestial Voice in Verdi's Don Carlo. This era marked the beginning of the Met opening its doors to African-American women singers, including Marian Anderson, Mattiwilda Dobbs, Leontyne Price, Grace Bumbry, Reri Grist and Shirley Verrett.

Martina Arroyo sang under contract at the Met from 1965 to 1978, and her presence has graced the stages at La Scala, Covent Garden, the Vienna State Opera, the Teatro Colón, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and many other esteemed venues. Although Arroyo retired from performance in 1991, she has spent the last three decades teaching at UCLA, Louisiana State University, University of Delaware, Indiana University, Wilberforce University and the International Sommerakademie-Mozarteum in Salzburg. She created the Martina Arroyo Foundation to support the careers of up-and-coming opera singers, and two of her accolades include an Opera Honors Award from the National Endowment for the Arts (2010) and a Kennedy Center Honor (2013).

Celebrate Martina Arroyo with these transcendent moments in opera:

"Qui Radamès verrà!... O patria mia" (Verdi's Aida) for a Metropolitan Opera audition broadcast on the radio (1958)

"Summertime," "My Man's Gone Now," "I Loves You Porgy" and "Oh Lawd, I'm on My Way" (Gershwin's Porgy and Bess) - part 1 and part 2 - performed alongside baritone Ingvar Wixell and tenor Sven-Erik Vikström; accompanied by the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Choir and Boys Choir with conductor Sixten Ehrling for Swedish National Television (c. mid-1960s)

"Libera me" (Verdi's Requiem) - part 1 and part 2 - accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra with conductor Leonard Bernstein (1970)

"Un bel dì vedremo" (Puccini's Madama Butterfly), live at the Met (1970)

"Teco io sto" (Verdi's Un ballo in maschera), duet with tenor Luciano Pavarotti live at the Met (1971)

Receiving the Kennedy Center Honor (2013)

[beetears]

Wow The Umbrella Academy series was so good. What an amazingly written story, so clever and witty and heartbreaking and awesome. Actors, characters, story, sets, cinematography, writing were fab and so impressive, I gasped and screeched and laughed and shed some tears and was left hungry for more. Give us season two please!

AND THE SOUNDTRACK SLAPPED ME INTO THE MOON (HA). LIKE THE SCENE DINER SCENE WITH FIVE AND ISTANBUL, I WAS SHOOK WITH THE BADASS VIBES. VANYA PLAYING THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA? I YELPED SO HARD I HIT AN OPERATIC HIGH NOTE. LUTHER AND ALLISON DANCING TO DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT? BEAUTIFUL, ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. TELEVISION EXCELLENCE. I love music lol.

Also damn, I used to like mcr a lot back in the day and I knew Gerard Way wrote comics now but like d a n g , This Was Amazing. I’ve been looking up the actual comics after watching it and oh my gosh, they look so good. I’ve just ordered the first issue. Also Gabriel Ba’s instagram is top notch superb.

So thanks for coming to my ted talk. I’m pretty much gonna be obsessed with TUAnow haha, I can feel it coming.

[nicolaeion]

Despre Sf. Porfirie Kavsokalivitul

Dați-mi voie să vă înfățișez un exemplu al faptului că necunoscute sunt căile Domnului. Să vă arăt că ale Lui căi nu sunt ca ale noastre, iar gândurile noastre nu sunt asemenea gândurilor Lui. Iar ce noi socotim ca binecuvântare nu este ca atare, și ce socotim ca necaz e de fapt binecuvântare. Vă rezum o întâmplare din viața sf. Porfirie Kavsokalivitul (1906-1991), pe care a povestit-o el însuși.

Într-o dimineață, părintele Porfirie, după obicei, a apucat calea bisericii de la Policlinica din Atena, unde slujea. Deoarece casa unde stătea era situată pe un teren accidentat și abrupt, în acea dimineață părintele a căzut și și-a rupt piciorul. 

La vreo 15 zile de la accident, privind părintele la piciorul fixat în ghips, i s-a descoperit că piciorul nu fusese fixat bine, încât oasele aveau să se sudeze strâmb. Așa că spune asistentei, aceasta spune profesorului care l-a operat șamd. Profesorul spune că n-are popa de unde să știe, ca el, profesor fiind, știe mai bine, că a văzut pe radiografie etc. etc. Părintele Porfirie a insistat spunând că i s-a fixat piciorul greșit, refuzând să mănânce până ce nu va fi verificat iarăși cu ajutorul radiografiei. În cele din urmă doctorul cedează, și vede pe radiografie ceea ce părintelui Porfirie îi fusese descoperit: că piciorul nu fusese bine fixat, și că începuse deja să se sudeze strâmb.

Așa a rămas părintele Porfirie aproximativ 2 luni în spital. La capătul acestor două luni, doctorul i-a recomandat să poarte baston. Într-o zi, aflându-se în biserica unde slujea, părintele Porfirie o trimite pe sora dânsului să-i cumpere un baston. Nu apucă aceasta să plece, că vine o credincioasă întrebând de icoana sfântului Gherasim. Aceasta avea la ea un baston cumpărat de la Ierusalim, pe care sf. Gherasim, prin vis vestindu-i, i-a poruncit să-l aducă în acel loc. Desigur, totul s-a lămurit când femeia a aflat că părintele Porfirie era cel ce avea nevoie de baston, iar sfântul Gherasim, precum fac sfinții, i-a făcut un cadou. 

Vedem în această întâmplare reală modul în care lucrează Dumnezeu - paradoxal pentru mintea omenească. Părintele Porfirie cade și își rupe piciorul (nu putea Dumnezeu să-l fereasca?), dar apoi Dumnezeu îi descoperă că piciorul fusese pus strâmb. Ba chiar îi trimite și un baston prin sf. Gherasim, pe care sf. Porfirie avea să-l păstreze toată viața și care este făcător de minuni. Vedem iarăși și iarăși cum se adeverește duelul dintre Dumnezeu și satana, înfățișat în cartea lui Iov: Şi Domnul a zis către Satan: "Îl dau în puterea ta! Numai nu te atinge de viaţa lui" (Iov 2,6). Este vorba de birunța vrăjmașului prin propriile sale mijloace.

[lboogie1906]

Camilla Ella Williams (October 18, 1919 – January 29, 2012) was an operatic soprano who performed nationally and internationally. After studying with renowned teachers in New York City, she was the first African American to receive a regular contract with a major American opera company, the New York City Opera in the title role of Madama Butterfly. She had won honors in vocal competitions and the Marian Anderson Fellowship.

She became the first African American to sing a major role with the Vienna State Opera. She performed as a soloist with numerous European orchestras. She toured throughout the US as well as Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. She was the first African American appointed as a Professor of Voice at Indiana University. She became the first African-American instructor at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. She became a Professor Emerita of Voice at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music but continued to teach privately.

She trained at Virginia State College and received her BA in music education. She left her job as a teacher to study music in Philadelphia with a prestigious voice instructor, Marion Szekely Freschl.

She performed on the coast-to-coast RCA radio network. During her time at the New York City Opera, she performed Nedda in Pagliacci, Mimi in La bohème, Marguerite in Faust, Micaela in Carmen, and the title role in Aida.

She sang Bess in the landmark, the first complete recording of Porgy and Besa. As part of the civil rights March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, she sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the White House and she sang the anthem before 250,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial.

She was a soloist with the Royal Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic. She recorded Symphony #8 with Stokowski and the New York Philharmonic.

She taught voice at many places, including Brooklyn College, Bronx College, Queens College, Talent Unlimited, and Danville Museum of Fine Arts. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[opera-ghosts]

Charles Rousselière (17 January 1875 – 11 May 1950) was French operatic tenor who performed primarily at the Paris Opera, the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, and the Opéra-Comique. He sang in the world premieres of several operas, including the title role in Charpentier's Julien and Giorgio in Mascagni's Amica. Rousselière was born in Saint-Nazaire-d'Aude (village in Languedoc-Roussillon) and originally worked as a blacksmith before studying with Edmond Vergnet, Alfred Giraudet and Léon Achard at the Conservatoire de Paris. He was active in café-concert, and one of the stars of the Petit Ramponneau in Montmartre, run by Théophile Pathé, brother of Charles Pathé, through whom he recorded his first cylindres. He made his stage debut as Samson in Saint-Saëns's Samson and Delilah at the Paris Opera in 1900. He also appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in New York (where he debuted as Roméo in Roméo et Juliette in 1906) as well as in Berlin, Buenos Aires and Milan. At the 1913 Monte Carlo premiere, and the subsequent Opéra-Comique production in 1919 he sang Ulysse in Pénélope by Fauré, and in 1914 created the role of Lorenzo in Béatrice by Messager in Monte Carlo. Rousselière sang in Buenos Aires for the first time in 1907 at Teatro de la Opera in a revival of Verdi´s Don Carlo with Salomea Kruscenisky, Marie Claessens, Giuseppe De Luca and Adam Didur. He was first  BA Andreas in Theodora by Leroux (which he created in Montecarlo the same year), with Claessens and De Luca. In 1908, also at Teatro de la Opera, he sang Andreas again, Siegmund and Thesee in the B.A. première of Massenet´s Ariane. In 1910, at the Teatro Colón, he sang Licinio in a revival of Spontini La Vestale with Esther Mazzoleni, Alice Cucini, Francesco María Bonini and Giulio Cirino. He was that year the first Loge in Das Rheingold  with  Didur, De Luca and Lina Pasini Vitale. Also sang Siegmund with Pasini Vitale and Didur, Samson with Cucini and Canio with Ruffo. Returned 1914 and was the first Colón Parsifal (with Rakowska and Serafin conducting) and sang Siegfried and Samson. Rousselière always sang in Italian, except in Siegfried, where he sang in French and the rest of the cast in Italian. In Madrid, between 1910 and 1920, he sang Loge, Tristan, Siegmund, the two Siegfrieds and Parsifal. He made a number of recordings between 1903 and 1930.

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

Yup, that operatic Christmas Eve mood :(

[news24hrou]

O femeie de 30 de ani s-a operat ca să arăte ca Meghan Markle: ”Mulți zic că sunt nebună, dar nu-mi pasă!” Intervenția chirurgicală a durat șase ore Meghan Markle, soția prințului Harry, este în centrul atenției și este admirată de o mulțime de persoane. Ba mai mult, o femeie în vârstă de 30 de ani și-a dorit cu ardoare să arăte ca ea și nimic nu i-a stat în cale.  http://bit.ly/2Yfqct5

[nyfacurrent]

Take Off in 2017: January 18 #ArtistHotline

Chime in during #ArtistHotline, and our special Guest Chat, with your arts career questions and New Year’s resolutions!

Artists of all disciplines, join NYFA’s #ArtistHotline on Twitter on January 18, from 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM EST. Together with our partnering organizations and artists and arts professionals of all stripes, we’ll field questions on a range of professional development topics, from fundraising to marketing and more. 

As part of the all-day twitter chat, we’ll host a special Guest Chat: “Resolutions: Goal Setting, Productivity Hacks, and Planning Ahead” with multimedia artist Faith Holland, performance artist Joseph Keckler, and poet José Olivarez. The Guest Chat will take place from 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST. This all-artist panel will share best practices around setting goals and bringing them to fruition. What do you want to achieve in 2017, and how will you get there? #ArtistHotline and this Guest Chat will bring together an online community of artists with insights on creating and keepings resolutions.

We’ll cover how to create an effective Business of Art plan for 2017. Here are the kinds of questions that may come up during this hour:

Writers: How can you track submissions and the differing reading periods of various publications?

For artists overwhelmed by arts career-related emails: Are there tools and techniques that will save you time and ensure emails don’t slip through the cracks?

For artists interested in planning events: When should you book venues, and what factors should you consider before showtime?

Get answers to these questions and more during the “Resolutions: Goal Setting, Productivity Hacks, and Planning Ahead” Guest Chat. Here’s how you can participate throughout the day:

If you don’t already have one, create a free Twitter account now.

Follow the #ArtistHotline conversation live on Twitter here.

Tweet your questions using the hashtag #ArtistHotline and get responses from our industry experts, partnering organizations, and your fellow artists.

Guest Chat Bios

Faith Holland is an artist and curator whose practice focuses on gender and sexuality’s relationship to technology. She received her BA in Media Studies at Vassar College and her MFA in Photography, Video, and Related Media at the School of Visual Arts. Her work has been exhibited at Elga Wimmer (New York), Axiom Gallery (Boston), the Philips Collection (Washington, D.C.), DAM Gallery (Berlin), and File Festival (São Paulo). Her work has been written about in Artforum, The Sunday Times UK, Elephant, Art F City, Hyperallergic, The Creator’s Project, and Dazed Digital. She was a 2014 finalist for the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship in Digital/Electronic Arts. Her first solo show, Technophilia, was at Transfer Gallery in 2015. In 2016, she was an artist-in-residence at Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning and Harvestworks.

Find Faith tweeting @asugarhigh.

Joseph Keckler is a vocalist, writer, and artist whose work often combines autobiography, humor, and classical themes. Awards include: a Creative Capital Award in Performing Arts, a 2012 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship in Interdisciplinary Work, a Franklin Furnace Fund for Performance Art grant, and a Village Voice Award for "Best Downtown Performance Artist." He has participated in residencies at Yaddo, MacDowell, Times Square Arts, and University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design. Recent performance venues include: BAM, SXSW, Dixon Place, Miami Art Basel, and Centre Pompidou. His work has been featured on WNYC’s Soundcheck and BBC America. Last year he made his off-broadway debut at Lincoln Center in Dave Malloy's Preludes. Joseph occasionally writes about contemporary art for VICE and other publications. He is currently finishing an album and developing “Let Me Die,” a performance piece involving operatic death scenes. A collection of his writing is forthcoming from Turtle Point Press.

Find Joseph tweeting @josephkeckler.

José Olivarez is the son of Mexican immigrants, the co-author of the book of poems Home Court, and the co-host of the poetry podcast, The Poetry Gods. He is a graduate of Harvard University and Program Director at Urban Word NYC. A winner of a 2016 Poets House Emerging Poet Fellowship and a 2015 Bronx Recognizes Its Own award from the Bronx Council on the Arts, his work has been published in The BreakBeat Poets, Vinyl Poetry and Prose, The Chicago Tribune, & Brooklyn Magazine, among other places. He is from Calumet City, IL, and lives in the Bronx. 

Find José tweeting @_joseolivarez.

Inspired by the NYFA Source Hotline, #ArtistHotline is dedicated to creating an ongoing online conversation around the professional side of artistic practice. #ArtistHotline occurs on the third Wednesday of each month on Twitter. Our goal is to help artists discover the resources needed, online and off, to develop sustainable careers. This initiative is supported by the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation.

Images, from top: Justin Berry (Fellow in Digital/Electronic Arts ‘14); courtesy of Faith Holland; courtesy of Joseph Keckler (Fellow in Interdisciplinary Work ‘12), photo by Matthew Leifheit; courtesy of José Olivarez, photo by RJ Eldridge

[ek-gelir-imkani]

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