# Regional Opera



## hutchscott (May 13, 2011)

Hi. I'm pretty good about keeping up with the Met, and I try to read "Opera News". What I would like to do is learn more about regional opera, my region being the Pacific Northwest centered around Seattle.

So through this thread we can self-identify our own corner of the world and develop ways to learn more about the local (regional) talent.

I guess I'll start with the Seattle Opera web-site and go from there. What are your strategies?

Thanks.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Well I try to attend when I can the three annual productions of my local opera company and I travel regionally to three other small companies in my state, about once a year to each. I usually consult their web sites for dates and content. Quality varies. I'd say that 50% of the productions are decent (nothing extraordinary, just decent) and the other 50% look rather amateurish.

After Met in HD my motivation to support the local companies has been decreasing. Opera on DVD and blu-ray is also taking a toll in my willingness to patronize the local productions.


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## hutchscott (May 13, 2011)

Well, I should reveal that I've never been to a Seattle Opera production, yet, but hold them in high regard. As an opera neophyte it seems like it would be a good way for me to learn about opera.

Alma, you strike me as someone who has been around the opera block enough to know what you like. You didn't reveal where you live....do you live near good regional opera, or no?

I know by watching the various DVDs that, even in Italy, some opera seems amaturish.

The Seattle Opera web-site includes cast lists, where I can go google someone's name in hopes of getting more information. The person may not have a wikipedia page but sometimes they have a personal website with more information.


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## Meaghan (Jul 31, 2010)

I've been to two productions at the Seattle Opera and one at the Portland Opera, and that's all the live opera I've seen. I loved all three. But I'm a relative opera newbie, and so perhaps less critical than seasoned opera-goers.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

There isn't a regional opera company near me but then England so no bigger than your average US state so you could say that ROH is a 'local' company. I'm sure people like Alma & Meaghan travel further to see their 'local' companies than I do to get to Covent Garden.

The Welsh National Opera is based in Cardiff but usually tours UK including Birmingham which is quite near me. They are very good and I go to one or two if it's an opera I like.

Both ROH site & WNO site are useful and sometimes give information on young artists which you can't get elsewhere.

Glyndebourne tour the country but the websites of local theatres you're directed to aren't always that good.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

We only have one opera company, not surprising in a country of 4.6 million people, most of whom are more interested in sport than opera, and they only do 2 productions a year. 

I try to attend both productions - after all, if people like me don't go, who IS going to support these artistic endeavours, and if the local companies close down, where are the young singers going to learn their craft and do their apprenticeships?

But to do NZ Opera credit, although the singers are rarely top-notch , the company usually puts its heart and soul into the production and we have some good theatrical experiences. However there will never be anything that doesn't attract a critical mass of audience members, as it's hard enough even to get the locals to come to Cav and Pag.

I envy you in the States - Seattle opera, for example, seems to do some great productions (Annie's famous Don Quichotte, for example, with John Relyea), and this for a population of some 600,000.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

hutchscott said:


> Well, I should reveal that I've never been to a Seattle Opera production, yet, but hold them in high regard. As an opera neophyte it seems like it would be a good way for me to learn about opera.
> 
> Alma, you strike me as someone who has been around the opera block enough to know what you like. You didn't reveal where you live....do you live near good regional opera, or no?


Seattle Opera has a very good reputation.
I live in a small metropolitan area in the Southeastern United States, and no, my local opera company is not that good.


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## FragendeFrau (May 30, 2011)

I have to admit that my reawakened interest in opera has caused guilty feelings about not having attended any of the local stuff. My problem is a little different in that I first loved opera in London and Munich. It's hard for me to get enthusiastic about the idea of local opera. I did check their website and the first one up is Carmen: uh, no. Just no. I have heard good things about some of their productions, and there are also sometimes productions at the universities and colleges in the area (a recent Turn of the Screw was said to be excellent) but again, perhaps unfairly, I am comparing them to DVDs and to live performances in London and Munich. (Kinda like the fact that I learned to ski in the Alps--was I going to ski in North Carolina? uh no thanks)

I do feel some guilt and will probably attempt to see something local this year. Just not Carmen!


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

He, the opera house is still not finished here. I wrote about it before and recently I've seen that these freaks really want to make it all covered with green plants. They already did plant some on the roof. So far it looks weird. 

Musically there is something going on already though. Concert performances of full operas are performed at every beginning/closing of season, often with very good singers. 

I also wrote about Marriage of Figaro being staged in non-operatic theatre. I attended it two times. Second run (one was in may, another in june) was with piano instead of orchestra and with much inferior singers (I suppose the better ones didn't like the idea of opera with piano accompaniament and refused to take part in it) but I've noticed that there are couple of really gifted singers here, includig that poor girl that runs away and hides when she sees me - still students but surely we will have some interesting figures to fill crew of opera house when it's finished and starts working.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

Aramis said:


> I've noticed that there are couple of really gifted singers here, includig that poor girl that runs away and hides when she sees me . . .


I'm . . . not even sure where to begin . . .


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

We're right in the middle of the 2011 season of the regional opera company here in my city (Midwestern U.S., but not Chicago) and I have a season subscription. When I previously lived here in the '80s and early '90s, I had season subscriptions then as well, and it was a very good way for me to become familiar with most of the "mainstream" operas. As smaller regional U.S. companies go (this one only stages four productions each season), this is probably among the better ones. It's not unusual to have some Met stars, and even the occasional international star, in leading roles. The current artistic director also seems willing to include one non-traditional work among the season's offerings -- it was John Adams' "_A Flowering Tree_" a week ago -- so this company is still offering me a chance to broaden my knowledge of the many operas in existence.

Otherwise, I've sometimes traveled to different cities when a favorite singer has been performing with the opera company there . . . though in recent years, it's been pretty much limited to New York and Chicago, with one visit to Cleveland.


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

I've just recently moved from Omaha, whose opera company had 3 productions a year (though one was generally non-opera -- "A Night on Broadway" or some such, so really only two operas per season) and they were fine for what they were -- 3rd and 4th productions featuring singers you've never heard of and will never hear from again. Now I'm in Denver, and it looks like they still have 3 productions per season but of perhaps somewhat higher quality -- for example, Sandra Radvonovsky sang a Tosca there a couple years ago, so the quality of singers is at least a notch or two higher.

But I did make it to the Met for the first time back in March and now I'm probably ruined for anything less


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

rgz said:


> I've just recently moved from Omaha, whose opera company had 3 productions a year (though one was generally non-opera -- "A Night on Broadway" or some such, so really only two operas per season) and they were fine for what they were -- 3rd and 4th productions featuring singers you've never heard of and will never hear from again. Now I'm in Denver, and it looks like they still have 3 productions per season but of perhaps somewhat higher quality -- for example, Sandra Radvonovsky sang a Tosca there a couple years ago, so the quality of singers is at least a notch or two higher.
> 
> But I did make it to the Met for the first time back in March and now I'm probably ruined for anything less


I've been looking & there seems to be a good selection of both well known and adventurous productions.

One for Alma


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

sospiro said:


> I've been looking & there seems to be a good selection of both well known and adventurous productions.
> 
> One for Alma




Thanks for the link! I was only familiar with http://www.operacolorado.org/ -- had no idea about this festival! Gotta scramble now to find a time to go and scrounge up someone to go with!


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

rgz said:


> Thanks for the link! I was only familiar with http://www.operacolorado.org/ -- had no idea about this festival! Gotta scramble now to find a time to go and scrounge up someone to go with!


I'll go with you ...

*checks calendar* sorry going to see some German guy singing Cavaradossi


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## hutchscott (May 13, 2011)

Fear not, oh ye die hard fans! Just south of me is an even smaller local opera company...Tacoma Opera. One year they did "La Fille du Regiment". I thought you had to be a world class singer to do "Ah, mes amis". To their credit, there is a very good university in that area with a good music department.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

sospiro said:


> I've been looking & there seems to be a good selection of both well known and adventurous productions.
> 
> One for Alma


I'd love to go. Denver is a bit far for me.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

hutchscott said:


> Fear not, oh ye die hard fans! Just south of me is an even smaller local opera company...Tacoma Opera. One year they did "La Fille du Regiment". I thought you had to be a world class singer to do "Ah, mes amis". To their credit, there is a very good university in that area with a good music department.


 _Ah, mes amis _is easy. The killer is what follows next, _Pour mon âme. _The nine high Cs are in _Pour mon âme, _not in _Ah, mes amis _like many people think.


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## Meaghan (Jul 31, 2010)

Almaviva said:


> _Ah, mes amis _is easy.


Sing it for us!


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

rgz said:


> Thanks for the link! I was only familiar with http://www.operacolorado.org/ -- had no idea about this festival! Gotta scramble now to find a time to go and scrounge up someone to go with!


It's encouraging to see that a number of regional companies are staging performances of more than just the traditional war horses (wonderful as the war horses are).


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

I'm living in a major european city, with a major opera theather, and with easy access in 2-3 hours to most others big opera theaters in the continent, so I'm not following regional companies performances closely.

However, I've been a couple of times in the last fifteen years at Teatro Grattacielo in New York, a very small company that represent a verismo opera only once per year. I love verismo, with its many hidden jewels, and those guys are doing an incredible job.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Meaghan said:


> Sing it for us!


Anytime. But we gotta keep it private. I'm afraid of fame. It would disrupt my life. That's why I haven't launched my international singing career.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

Almaviva said:


> Anytime. But we gotta keep it private. I'm afraid of fame. It would disrupt my life. That's why I haven't launched my international singing career.


Are you sure about this choice? Think about it . . . this may finally be the way to win Anna! She *does* go for singers . . .


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

amfortas said:


> Are you sure about this choice? Think about it . . . this may finally be the way to win Anna! She *does* go for singers . . .


 Lately I've been thinking about Kristine rather than Anna. *She* went for a conductor (Andris Nelsons), so, my singing career wouldn't improve my chances with her. I was about to follow your reasoning and lunch my career - I was disgusted with the perspective of fame and wealth since I prefer my simple and humble lifestyle but thought that Anna was worth the sacrifice - when I fell in love with Kristine. So thankfully now I can keep my exquisite voice and perfect technique unknown to the world at large.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

Almaviva said:


> Lately I've been thinking about Kristine rather than Anna. *She* went for a conductor (Andris Nelsons), so, my singing career wouldn't improve my chances with her. I was about to follow your reasoning and lunch my career - I was disgusted with the perspective of fame and wealth since I prefer my simple and humble lifestyle but thought that Anna was worth the sacrifice - when I fell in love with Kristine. So thankfully now I can keep my exquisite voice and perfect technique unknown to the world at large.


Ah, but by that same reasoning, then, you should now be pursuing your new *conducting* career! Come on, no excuses--I want you practicing with that baton at least a good eight hours every day until you get it right! Surely Kristine is worth the sacrifice?


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

amfortas said:


> Ah, but by that same reasoning, then, you should now be pursuing your new *conducting* career! Come on, no excuses--I want you practicing with that baton at least a good eight hours every day until you get it right! Surely Kristine is worth the sacrifice?


I'm afraid that even just conducting, I'd sing along and people would notice my spectacular voice. Like I said, I want to avoid fame. Besides, it would be too humiliating for all current singers, since their careers would pale when compared to mine. Placidone, poor him, I want him to retire before he gets ashamed of his voice which is so inferior to mine. Jonas Kaufmann? Pfft... Flórez, Vargas, Pape, Terfel? Gone. Kaput. I can do all fachs.

I think I'll have to woo Kristine some other way.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

Almaviva said:


> I'm afraid that even just conducting, I'd sing along and people would notice my spectacular voice. Like I said, I want to avoid fame. Besides, it would be too humiliating for all current singers, since their careers would pale when compared to mine. Placidone, poor him, I want him to retire before he gets ashamed of his voice which is so inferior to mine. Jonas Kaufmann? Pfft... Flórez, Vargas, Pape, Terfel? Gone. Kaput. I can do all fachs.
> 
> I think I'll have to woo Kristine some other way.


Perhaps impress her with your modesty?


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

amfortas said:


> Perhaps impress her with your modesty?


 That's an idea. Perhaps, when talking to her, I'll pretend that I'm just the second most interesting man in the world rather than what I really am [i.e., the most interesting one]. She'll surely be impressed with this much modesty. But I'm really afraid that she'll realize that I'm lying. When women see me, they can immediately tell that I'm number one so stating the contrary may sound fake. I gotta be careful. What do you think I should do?


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

Almaviva said:


> That's an idea. Perhaps, when talking to her, I'll pretend that I'm just the second most interesting man in the world rather than what I really am [i.e., the most interesting one]. She'll surely be impressed with this much modesty. But I'm really afraid that she'll realize that I'm lying. When women see me, they can immediately tell that I'm number one so stating the contrary may sound fake. I gotta be careful. What do you think I should do?


I can see your dilemma. Personally, I always think honesty is the best policy. Just be up front with her. Tell her, "Even though I'm the greatest person in all of recorded history, I hope you won't hold it against me. Please don't resent or feel intimidated by my immeasurable superiority over you. If you and I can just get past your feelings of woeful inadequacy in my presence, I know we can make this work."

Something like that. Women really appreciate it when a man is open and honest with them.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

amfortas said:


> I can see your dilemma. Personally, I always think honesty is the best policy. Just be up front with her. Tell her, "Even though I'm the greatest person in all of recorded history, I hope you won't hold it against me. Please don't resent or feel intimidated by my immeasurable superiority over you. If you and I can just get past your feelings of woeful inadequacy in my presence, I know we can make this work."
> 
> Something like that. Women really appreciate it when a man is open and honest with them.


In spite of your understandable mistake in thinking that I'm just the greatest person in all of recorded history [what, do you think that those apes who existed before recorded history were greater than me? I'm the greatest, period, in all of history, not just the recorded part], I'll still say that it's excellent advice, but too late. So much for Kristine Opolais. I'm back to my true love. See Day 16 of the 30-day challenge.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

Almaviva said:


> So much for Kristine Opolais. I'm back to my true love. See Day 16 of the 30-day challenge.


Somehow, I knew it was too torrid an affair to last. These intense, passionate flings have a way of burning themselves out. Thank goodness you still have Anna to come home to.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

amfortas said:


> I want you practicing with that baton at least a good eight hours every day until you get it right! Surely Kristine is worth the sacrifice?


Baton, I see. Is it what they're calling it these days? But eight hours a day? My baton may get sore.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

Almaviva said:


> I'm afraid that even just conducting, I'd sing along and people would notice my spectacular voice. Like I said, I want to avoid fame. Besides, it would be too humiliating for all current singers, since their careers would pale when compared to mine. Placidone, poor him, I want him to retire before he gets ashamed of his voice which is so inferior to mine. Jonas Kaufmann? Pfft... Flórez, Vargas, Pape, Terfel? Gone. Kaput. *I can do all fachs.*
> 
> I think I'll have to woo Kristine some other way.


Come on, Alma! Do a one-man Ring!


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

Almaviva said:


> Baton, I see. Is it what they're calling it these days? But eight hours a day? My baton may get sore.


But don't you want to know how to handle it, for when that time comes when you have to stand there and wave it around in front of people?


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Aksel said:


> Come on, Alma! Do a one-man Ring!


Pffttt... This is so last year! These days I don't engage in these easy, non-challenging vocal tasks any longer. I've been, instead, rehearsing for a one-man Licht.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

amfortas said:


> But don't you want to know how to handle it, for when that time comes when you have to stand there and wave it around in front of people?


 People? I thought I was supposed to wave it just in front of Kristine!


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