Monthly Archives: August 2011
Au Fond Du Temple Saint
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 25th August 2011George Bizet’s first opera Les pêcheurs de perles was first performed in 1863. It is best known for its tenor-baritone duet “Au fond du temple saint” which appears in the first act. Almost as well known is the tenor aria “Je crois encore entendre” which I’ll get around to in a later post. Enrico Caruso and Mario Ancona set…
› Read the full entry
All Five
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 23rd August 2011The Lubbock Symphony Orchestra will open its season next month with a program unique in my experience. The brilliant young pianist Adam Golka will perform all five Beethoven piano concertos. Numbers 2, 3, and 4 will be played on Friday September 23. Numbers 1 and 5 will follow the next evening. The orchestra will be conducted by Golka’s older brother Tomasz…
› Read the full entry
The Opera Gestapo
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 18th August 2011One doesn’t usually associate the Metropolitan Opera with thought control or antagonism to free speech. After all, who pays much attention to what goes on in an opera house save for a few semi-demented diehards like me. For the past 15 years an opera fan, Brad Wilbur, has run a website devoted to puzzles and…
› Read the full entry
Parigi, O Cara
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 2nd August 2011Parigi, O Cara is a beautiful duet that occurs in the last act of Verdi’s La Traviata when Violetta and Alfredo are reunited after a long separation. Parigi, o cara noi lasceremo, la vita uniti trascorreremo. de’ corsi affanni compenso avrai, la tua salute rifiorira’. Sospiro e luce tu mi sarai, tutto il futuro ne…
› Read the full entry
