Today’s ST Life! has an interview with early music relic diva Emma Kirkby. Did you know that her parents actually met in Singapore? She recently had to cancel quite a few concerts due to a broken foot, so let’s hope that she’ll be in her best shape this coming Saturday.Check out the interview here.
Emma Kirkby sings Handel at the Esplanade Concert Hall this Saturday. To mark the occasion, lets hear Emma Kirkby sing some Handel:
The supremely virtuosic aria from Messiah, But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Sm4NTugPAc
This is not really Handel but its one of my favourite clips on YouTube: Mozart’s Laudate Dominum. I love the effortless clarity of her voice:
There is something about Lyric Strauss (as opposed to Scary-Ass Strauss) that seems so light yet intoxicating at the same time. As the story gets started, miles and miles of banal through-composed dialogue seem interesting for a while but gets dull past the first 10 minutes. But just when you are about to doze off on the sofa, an almost imperceptible switch occurs in the music, piling up the romance bit by bit so that before you realised it, you are swept away by an immense wave of lush vocal and orchestral beauty. In these passages, the character’s inner lives are so vividly drawn out that they become fully human and thus sympathetic figures, their emotions portrayed by an enveloping harmony of sound. That their troubles stem from largely believable situations makes them all the more relatable, but of course there’s always a bit of gender-bending high-jinx to lend a lighter side to the otherwise serious plot.
Such is my experience with Strauss’s lyric repertoire, my third having seen and heard Rosenkavalier and Ariadne (as well as their scary sisters Salome and Elektra). Of all the Arabella DVDs available, I’m sure its not difficult to guess why I chose this one. All I can say is that Renee doesn’t disappoint: the full, creamy beauty of her voice fits Arabella’s music perfectly, and there is a wonderful elegance and radiance in her stage presentation.
Of course, its not a Strauss lyric opera without some kind of transgender confusion, but its refreshing to see a light lyric soprano wear the pants for a change. As Zdenka, Julia Kleiter’s voice has a warm, atractive glow that makes even the highest passages sound human. As Mandryka, handsome Morten Frank Larsen’s voice unfortunately falls in the loud and louder category of singing with hardly any nuance. Its an attractive voice though and I suppose its better to err on the side of giving to much.
This production is one of those that uses chic modern sets and costumes but is otherwise respectful to the plot, which means that Renee and co get to show off their couture without having to strip or enact some kind of sexually deviant behavior onstage. The overtly close miking for the singers can get a little annoying but as shot in HD and Surround Sound, the DVD mastering is of top-notch quality. For a first time experience, its definitely one worth getting.
April seems to be a good time for the conscientious singer for some reason. Whether you are a singer by hobby or by profession, here are 3 courses that may be of interest you:
Alexander Technique for Better Living
Presented by Grace Ng Studios LLP
Instructor: Mr. Lee Hwa Boon
Date: 19 April 2009
Time: 3-5pm
Venue: 39B Keong Saik Road, 2 Left Feet Studio
Rates: $98 per participant
Contact: Grace Ng at grace.ngstudios@gmail.com
The Alexander Technique is a practical method of self-help, which teaches us to become aware of how we use our minds and bodies in activity. By choosing the way we react to stress and by letting go of habits of tension, we can rediscover our natural balance and ease of movement.
As you learn to practice the Technique on your own, results include improved posture, prevention and alleviation of many ailments, a more positive response to stress, and greater adeptness in any activity.
In this introductory course, you learn Body Mapping, the principles of the Alexander Technique and its application in daily activities, such as sitting, standing, and walking.
Alexander Technique is taught in conservatories worldwide as better posture and alignment results in better vocal production. Check out this article for more information about one singer’s experience with Alexander Technique http://alexandertechnique.com/singers
(Minimum 6 participants to start. Maximum of 8 participants)
Mr. Lee Hwa Boon
Lee Hwa Boon trained as an Alexander Technique Teacher in UK from 1999 to 2002 and has been teaching in Singapore since coming back in 2002. He is now a teaching member of the London’s Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique.
He has lectured on Alexander Technique in Feb 2003 at library@Orchard and at Asia Pacific Voice Symposium 2007; conducted workshops in Aug 2006 at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and conducted masterclasses in Feb 2008 and 2009 at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory, National University of Singapore.
18th April 2009 (Saturday)
1.30pm - 5.00pm
Health Promotion Board, Auditorium Level 7
Registration Fee $8
Greetings from Alexandra Hospital!
Following our successful workshop last year for: The Sound Voice: A Workshop for Singers, Singing Teachers & Teachers on the 26 & 27 May 2008,
we are pleased to inform you that we are organising yet another exciting public forum that you will not want to miss!
In conjunction with the World Voice Day, this forum brings you different perspectives on how to take care of the voice from various experts ranging from an ENT surgeon, TCM Physician, Speech Therapist, Singer, Performer, Psychiatrist and Music Therapist. It will be an open exchange and an afternoon filled with learning.
If you would like to join us, please register online at www.alexhosp.com.sg (under Public Events) as soon as you can.
Come join us! We look forward to seeing you there!
Date: Saturday, April 4, 2009
Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm
Location: artyfakt - space for intercultural arts
Street:28, Petain Road , Little India
Phone: 96452567
Email:info@art-y-fakt.de
We will go through the basic German sounds within the alphabet, and their correct pronunciation within their context following High German diction as used on stage for actors and classical singers.
special topics:
open and closed vowels
aspirated consonants
Umlaute
Diphtongs
s-sounds
st/sp sounds
This 2 hour session is merely an introduction. Participants are welcome to bring problematic passages from their song repertoire. If interest is high, more specific workshops can follow up.
4th April, 10am-12
min 6, max 30 participants
fee: $15
email me asap to secure a place
Dr Thomas Manhart has studied voice and vocal teaching in Vienna and Passau. He is native speaker German and had years of diction training at the acting academy Max-Reinhard-Seminar, Vienna. He holds a teachers degree for German Language and Literature, and specializes in his vocal performances besides baroque music also on German 20th century song. As lecturer for German Phonetic, he is engaged for the vocal department of NAFA.
So like, here are the soloists for the 2 upcoming SSO concerts in April and May. Since we have lost to chance to hear Liang Ning’s Octavian live, at least we’ll still get to hear her again next monthin Haydn’s Nelson Mass. But unlike her last appearance here, its highly unlikely that she’ll attempt to bake a cake while singing coloratura this time.
In Anxious Times
ELGAR - Enigma Variations, Op. 36
HAYDN - Mass in D minor ‘Nelson Mass’
Sat, 11 Apr 09
7.30pm, Esplanade Concert Hall
Lan Shui conductor
Klara Ek soprano
Liang Ning mezzo-soprano
Bo Kristian Jensen tenor
Andrew Greenan bass
Singapore Symphony Chorus
Singapore Bible College Chorale
Hallelujah Chorus
The Philharmonic Chamber Choir
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BERLIOZ - La damnation de Faust, Op. 24
Sat, 02 May 09
7.30pm, Esplanade Concert Hall
Lim Yau conductor
Annely Peebo mezzo-soprano (Marguerite)
Sune Hjerrild tenor (Faust)
Alexander Vassiliev bass (Méphistophélès)
Julian Tovey bass-baritone (Brander)
Singapore Symphony Chorus
Singapore Bible College Chorale
Hallelujah Chorus
Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir
The Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Tickets are available at SISTIC.
Friday’s ST Life! carrie the exciting news of a new professional opera company in Singapore. Manning the wheels of this new operation is Mr Leow Siak Fah, founder, former chairman and erm… lead tenorof the SL. His accomplices partners this time round are composer John Sharpley and playwright Robert Yeo. The company seeks to perform new Asian works, contemporary and baroque operas, stuff that the SLO generally shies away from (digressing a little, isn’t it ironic that performing old stuff from the 17th century can be considered radical these days?).
So many questions that beg to be asked isn’t it? Will we see a new prima donna emerge or will it just mean more work for our local stars? Will there be a market for contemporary and Asian operas? Does this signify a return to the stage for Mr Leow?
Their first opera production is scheduled for Feb next year. Its an original opera by Sharpley and Yeo, “a love story set in the tumultuous period when Singapore seperated from Malaysia in the 60s”(quote from ST). Its good to know that we will soon have an ill-fated heroine that sings coloratura to call our own.
Feb next year? Isn’t it like a month after SLO’s Jan production of La Boheme? The claws are out now!
Meanwhile, their inaugural concert Songs of Love, Despair and Hope is slated for 8 to 9 April this year. Program features works by Purcell, Handel, Floyd (the gorgeous Susannah), excerpts from Fences and, to get the tickets moving, Les Miz and Phantom.
OK, snarking aside, I’m glad that we now have a 2nd opera company; just means more operas for us! I would love to work with folks from OperaViva to provide more content to Singapore’s opera lovers. Check out their page on SISTIC for details.
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Meanwhile, a friend of Prof. Zhao Yunhong, the Olympia who ah… stunned our senses in Hoffmann, wrote in to Lianhe Zaobao’s forum, offering an (unsolicited) outsider’s observation on the arts scene in Singapore (thanks CX for the tip). Basically her points can be summarised as follows:
1) Nobody cares about opera singers in the press: although Zaobao published a feature on Hoffmann, the international cast of stars were barely mentioned, despite their stellar accomplishments and stardom back in their home countries.
2) She plays an important supporting role, but nobody gives a damn.
3) There are plenty of commercials in the papers, but hardly any coverage, reviews and audience feedback about the performances.
4) Singapore is so much better off than China in terms of economic development, but it is a real shame if Singapore’s cultural development does not catch up with our economic progress.
Mad Scene reports, you decide. All I can say is that you know where to find interviews of singers in upcoming productions (just that it ain’t in Chinese, or in print media).
I am soooooo happy to announce that come 1st May, our beloved Rebecca Chellappah will evolve to the exalted title of Prima Donna. It may not be August yet, but please join me in waving our little red and white flags in support for Rebecca as she takes on her first leading role. Best of luck Becky, make us proud!
Here’s the official press release:
Further to our conversation this morning, I can give you the following details in the hope that it will make an interesting feature and publicise Preston Opera’s forthcoming production -
Preston Operawas formed over thirty years ago to promote the enjoyment and appreciation of Opera in central Lancashire. Over the years the company has staged productions of many major operas and has given many thousands of people the opportunity to see and be part of this most powerful of art forms. The company currently has around 100 active members, ranging from teenagers to those who would rather not say!
Like most amateur companies, Preston Opera has been through difficult times, but it is on the march, endeavouring to bring opera to the people of Preston in new and exciting ways. In view of this, for our next production we are leaving our traditional venue of the Charter Theatre. Instead we will be performing Saint-Saëns’ ‘Samson and Delilah’ in St John’s Minster. This is a particularly appropriate setting for this opera, not just because of its Biblical setting, but because the work was originally conceived as an oratorio. In addition, the acoustic conditions of the Minster are beautifully suited to Saint-Saëns’ delicious melodies and harmonies. We promise to bring the house down!
We are particularly excited to welcome to this production a new young mezzo-soprano, Rebecca Chellappah, to sing the role of Delilah. Rebecca comes from Singapore, and holders a MA in Music, with Distinction, from the Royal Northern College of Music. When Rebecca returned to Singapore she was at first unable to get a work permit to come back to England to sing the role for us, but we were delighted when she told us that the work permit had been granted. She flew back from Singapore in January to audition for the part and sang beautifully, even though she was jet-lagged and cold! This is a great opportunity for the Preston public to see a rising star in the world of opera.
The role of Samson will be played by Bruce McLaren, Barrie Wright will play the High Priest, Keith Cawdron the Aged Hebrew and David Palmer will play Abimelech.
Preston Opera will perform a semi-staged production of ‘Samson and Delilah’ with Preston Opera Orchestra on 1st and 2nd May at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £12, £11 for concessions, £6 for students. They can be obtained from the Preston Tourist Information Office, through the Preston Opera website www.prestonopera.org.uk, by telephone to 07977 893452 or by email to christina.finley@hotmail.com. The production is conducted by Chris Gill and produced by Geoff Horton.
More information can be found on the Preston Opera website:
Its judgement time for SLO’s Tales of Hoffmann as reviews keep pouring in. After reading The Mad Scene’s review, here’s a couple from our newspapers. First-up, the review from Business Times:
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Excellent production, pity about the singing
ENJOY this while it lasts because you won’t see anything else like it for a while. The intelligent - and, in parts, ably sung - performance of Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann by the Singapore Lyric Opera will be the last opera here for months.
What stood out during last Friday’s performance was the production, imported from the Opera de Nice and helmed by its artistic director Paul Emile Fourny. It was nice to see a rotating stage used to add movement to the usual stand- and-deliver tableaux - the stage was used variously as a hollowed-out doll’s head in Spalanzani’s lab in Act 1 and as a gramophone in Antonia’s chamber in Act 2.
A nice comic touch, too, came from the chorus in Act 1, which, fitted with blind man sticks and black eyeshades, ironically extolled the doll Olympia’s beauty. The third act, involving cross-dressing and a cleverly put together pastoral scene for the bacarolle, was perhaps the stand-out.
The singing, unfortunately, impressed only in parts.
French import Luca Lombardo is a highly sought-after Hoffmann in European houses and he showed why, with an in-turn virile, vulnerable yet always affecting performance.. Almost alone among the cast he was able to consistently sing above the none-too-heavy orchestra, and every word could be heard distinctly.
His is a lyrical yet firm tenor voice reminiscent - in the sometimes reckless way he threw it about - of that of American Neil Shicoff, who has made the role his own in the past decade.
The two character tenors - Melvin Tan in the four small servant roles and Lemuel Dela Cruz as Nathanael and Spalanzani - were also impressive on the night.
The women, by and large, disappointed.
Olympia, Antonia and Giuletta are the three facets of Hoffmann’s love, Stella, and in some cases are performed by one extremely versatile, singer. The SLO chose three, but all seem afflicted by various problems.
Olympia was sung on Friday by Chinese soprano Zhao Yun Hong. She drew humour from her broken articulation as the mechanical doll who captures the infatuated Hoffmann’s heart, but she was wildly off pitch on numerous occasions. So too was Antonia, sung by SLO regular Nancy Yuen, though not as much as initially feared. Giuletta, local singer Anna Koor in her opera debut, could seldom be heard, though when her mezzo did make it through to the seventh row in the stalls it was pleasing and mellow with much ripeness in its depth.
Choo Hi Myung’s Nicklausse was the standout. Her articulation was the equal of the lead tenor she is secretly in love with, while in characterisation and tone she was not far behind.
Song Kee Chang’s gravelly baritone is perhaps not entirely suited to this lyrical bass role, or roles, of the four villains, which demands individual characterisation yet considerable presence, even when not in view. But in the lower registers his voice lacked projection and power.
The SLO Orchestra, led in its pit debut by Benjamin Pionnier, was truly excellent in its sparkling, responsive account of the score.
The next production here in January is likely to be that dreary warhorse, Puccini’s La Boheme - an unfortunate but for financial reasons enforced step backward after tiptoed advances in the past six months. After the extravagant Turandot in August and now a visually impressive Hoffmann, it is a pity the momentum could not be maintained.
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Here’s the review from the Straits Times, as written by the elder clansman of Singapore’s classical music reviewers Chang Tou Liang, re-published on his blog Pianomania:
http://pianofortephilia.blogspot.com
Huh, I didn’t even know he had a blog… Now I have more distracting things to do during office hours!
Truth be told, I found this to be a rather uneven production but an enjoyable time nonetheless. The opening acts were like warm-up sessions with many potentially big moments that failed to materialize, but the show was saved once the leads hit their stride in the remaining acts.On the bad side of things, aural balancing between singers and orchestra was a serious issue throughout the evening. The orchestra played with a full, muscular sound that while impressive, unfortunately covered the singers at many key moments, including many high notes from the night’s leading man. While the singers sounded great whenever they wondered upfront and centre, their voices were simply swallowed up once they move upstage. The famous Barcarolle, one of the highlights of this opera, unfortunately suffered this same fate where the orchestra refrain actually sounded louder than the muted voices of the two singers. (I have a really strange suspicion that electronic amplification was used on the orchestra, is anyone able to confirm or refute this?)
But whatever first night problems there were, the evening was saved by a smart(-ass) production and a mostly great cast of voices. Luca Lombardo is the very model of what a French lyric tenor should sound like: it’s not a big voice but possesses a full-bodied ‘manly’ tone, used stylishly by the singer in lovely legato lines. He succeeds in capturing Hoffmann’s heartbreak and sexual frustration both musically and dramatically.
Choo Hi-Myung as Nicklausse sounded like she was having a hard time coping with the music’s many abrupt switches between chest and head registers in her prologue aria. But she got better from Act 3 onwards and settled into her role. I was impressed with her passionate delivery of Nicklausse’s final aria in the epilogue.
As Olympia, I’m sorry to report that Zhao Yun Hong was a sore disappointment in what should have been the highlight of the show. But omg… flat intonation, sloppy coloratura and screechy high notes made the Doll Song a rather tedious affair to sit through. Thank goodness there was all that camp stage action to lighten up the flat musical delivery but seriously, wouldn’t you be let down if you attend a Hoffman production where the Doll Song was problematic and the Barcarolle couldn’t be heard?
So it was left to the company prima donna to save the show after the intermission. As Antonia, Nancy Yuen’s mellow singing has a lovely allure and she played the role of the dying Antonia beautifully. While some of the high notes and forte passages show a touch of strain, the voice bloomed into a beautiful, floating presence once the pressure is taken off. Its ironic that this lyric soprano could trill better than the evening’s coloratura.
Anna Koor as Giulietta was another asset in this production. Who knew that this singer best-known for her oratorio performances could vamp it up as a sexy courtesan so well? Her warm, luscious mezzo-soprano would be more suited to long legato lines than Offenbach’s conversational patter-style music, but with her spirited physical delivery that combines coquettish posturing with a touch of arrogance, Koor had a successful opera debut where voice and stage presence was balanced and shone in equal proportions.
As the 4 villains, Song Kee Chang is one happy camper, and I mean it in the most positive way. While he looked hilarious decked out in outfits and make-up inspired by Dracula (Liensdorf), The Joker (as Coppelius) and Cruella de Ville (as Dr Miracle), all the costumes in the world would have fallen flat if not for his comic vamping. Its hard to imagine that this was the same person who made his Singapore debut as the grim-faced Giorgio Germont last year. The voice is certainly more suited to Verdi’s legato lines than Offenbach’s pattering; but while he took some time to warm-up in the first 2 acts, his full-bodied baritone resonated naturally and was a pleasure to hear.
Of the supporting cast, William Lim as Luther, Schlemil and Crespel impressed me the most. Crisp, clear pronunciation, resonant vocal production and unwavering commitment to the drama, this is the probably the best performance I have seen from this veteran’s numerous stage appearances. I was really touched by the pathos that he emoted while playing Schlemil, father of the dying Antonia.
The production by Paul Emile Fourny was decidedly a success, pushing the envelope with regie business without going too far. Using sparse sets hidden by swarths of curtains and aided by a small rotating stage, it was a model of simplicity with effects put to good use. Though the prologue was rather dull, it soon brightened up once the stories start rolling. Olympia was envisioned as a late 80’s fashion model, a look that suited the stick-thin Zhao Yunhong perfectly: the robotic way in which she strutted and posed while wearing a huge pearl necklace, black body-suit and silver-mame dress was one of the funniest moments of the evening; and lord knows why in the Giulietta Act are the women dressed in tuxedos while the men are decked out in what are probably the most hideous wedding gowns ever designed.
So yeah, that’s what I thought of this production. It got off a slow start, but caught fire as the acts progressed. Quite a few technical and balancing problems that was saved by stellar performances of most cast members. Not quite as successful as last year’s Turandot (which after all was better material), but worth an evening’s trip to the Esplanade Theatre nonetheless.
Here are some production shots, courtesy of the Singapore Lyric Opera:
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The SLO has clarified that there were no mikes used either on the singers or the orchestra throughout the run. It might sound that way depending on where you’re sitting (like I was on the back-end stalls), but no electronic enhancements were used. Oops… sorry! 
YOU WANT MORE!!!!!!?????
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Check out Derek Lim’s interviews with Hoffmann conductor and divo on Timeout Magazine:
Conductor Benjamin Pionnier:
http://www.timeoutsingapore.com/music/feature/access-all-arias-mar-2009
Luca Lombardo:
http://www.timeoutsingapore.com/music/feature/dont-forget-the-lyric