Anne-Carolyn Bird, a gifted actress with a voice to match, was enchanting as Susanna, a role that’s perhaps the most fleshed-out character in the opera, and one she inhabited fully.
Even while struggling with an uncooperative veil, she kept her composure.
She sings. She acts. She handles uncooperative clothing. 🙂
Oh … and she blogs too.
I’m up for review this year at UCSC. This means I have a lot of lookin’ up to do. I have to submit reviews I can find (stupid me; I forgot that the Merc doesn’t keep things up for free after one week!), I submit some programs (needless to say, not ALL of them), and I list anything I deem important enough to list.
As I was going through my little folder (why, oh why, don’t I save more programs?!) I ran across the two programs from the Merola Grand Finale concerts I played. The first was in 1996. Listed there, among other singers? Anna Netrebko. Gee, not only did I hear her live, I was on stage with her. Go figure! (That was the year the former resident of OSJ—and now no longer performing—Mel Ulrich was there as well.) My 1998 program shows that I also was there for Rolando Villazon. How ’bout that?
I think I may have played one other year, but if I did I must not have saved a program. Ah well. Typical me. (I love to clear things out, often only to regret it later.) Or maybe it’s just that I’m remembering the other two times I was blessed to play with the Big Guys: I did a Pavarotti arena concert, and I played the last week of Butterfly in 1997. Ah, memories! Very, very faded memories.)
In my quest—which was a failure—to find more reviews in which I was mentioned, I did run across this:
Rossini’s “William Tell” Overture began the program aptly enough, as the opening cello serenade — superbly led by assistant principal Cheryl Flippen — promised more cello delights to come. There were also excellent solo turns by flutist Maria Tamburrino and the English horn player, a bearded young man whom the orchestra’s chronically error-ridden program identified as Patricia Emerson Mitchell.
Heh. I guess I can safely say Mr. Kosman has mentioned me, eh? I just can’t say why. (RTWT) And no, I hadn’t grown a beard back in 2001. I suspect the player was Jason Sudduth, as he was our second oboist then, and I’ll bet I was playing opera.
Putting together this packet of stuff is difficult for me. But it’s got to be done. And soon.
Marsha Burkett requested I post the following information here. I can’t tell you anything that isn’t here; I haven’t a clue what it costs. But here you go, just a cut & paste of what she sent me (because I am lazy and my ear aches and I need to rest!):
Performers of *Oboes, English Horns, and Bassoons” are invited to perform at the evening recital on April 14th – during the “PAT MCFARLAND & FRIENDS” English Horn Master Class 2008 (details below).
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LOCATION: Carlisle, Pennsylvania, USA
DATES: April 14, 15, 16, 2008April 14th = *ALL DOUBLE REED EVENT* formal evening recital open to the public featuring performances by master teachers & guest artists
April 15th & 16th = master class sessions (RSVP)
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MASTER TEACHERS & GUEST ARTISTS:Pat McFarland – Solo English Horn of the Atlanta Symphony
Louis Rosenblatt – former Solo English Horn of the Philadelphia Orchestra
Elizabeth Masoudnia – current Solo English Horn of the Philadelphia Orchestra
Merrill Greenberg – Solo English Horn of the Israel Philharmonic
Tim Clinch – Assistant Professor of Oboe Performance at Ball State University
Jan Eberle – Associate Professor of Oboe at Michigan State University
John Symer – Master Repairman
Chris Weait – Bassoon
Renate Rosenblatt – Pianio
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*ALL DOUBLE REED EVENT* – plan to join in the FUN of the evening recital by participating in the Grande Finale piece: Chris Weait’s arrangement of Handel’s “THE MUSICK FOR THE ROYAL FIREWORKS” which was performed at our 2007 IDRS conference! LOTS OF BASSOONS NEEDED ALONG WITH HIGHER DOUBLE REED VOICING. Contact Marsha to receive your music in advance.
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CONTACT: Marsha Burkett, EHMC Program Coordinator / marshaburkett@embarqmail.com or FAX 717.249.0098 / www.mcfarlanddoublereed.com
From a “Predator Opera” (not sure what this is, but whatever):
Predator: I must killllllllll yooooooou. Kill you. Kill you. To saaaave yoooouuu.
Veronica: You must not. You cannot. We are destined to beeeee toooogeeeetheeeerrr.
Predator: Killllll yooooouuu. Killllll yooooouuu.
Veronica: Praaay nottt kiiiilll meeee. Love meeee. Looooove meee.
Predator: Maaybee I kiiilll yooou just a little bittttt…
Veronica: But whyyyyy? But whyyyyy?
(RTWT)
Heh … someone who commented at the opera writer’s blog linked to a Futurama opera episode. Sounds more like a musical, but it’s pretty funny.
One should not play for the people who sit in the front row–they are usually ‘dead-heads,’ but play for those up in the gallery that pay ten pfennigs for their tickets; they should not only hear, but they should see.
Franz Liszt (quoted in Carl Lachmund, Living with Liszt)
(Stolen from Terry Teachout, here)
