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Recommendations / BBC Radio 3 The Story of the Little Book
« Last post by David K on May 28, 2023, 02:09:50 pm »
Hello - this programme mentioned some of the people referred to on out course:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001lzfw

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001lzfw

The Story of the Little Book

In this final episode of Emma's reflections on the nature of the libretto and the history of librettists she brings things into the modern age where breaks in convention have provided exciting new possibiltites for today's creators of opera. In the age of cinema, rolling news, TV, and things digital, a whole new range of possibilties have been opened up regarding how a story might be told when drama and music come together. The programme features the work of librettists WH Auden and Chester Kallman, Meredith Oakes, Martin Crimp, April de Angelis, Alice Goodman, Stephen Sondheim, David Pountney and Randolph Stow ; with the music of Igor Stravinsky, Mark Anthony Turnage, Michael Tippett, Thomas Ades, George Benjamin, Jonathon Dove, John Adams, Stephen Sondheim, Peter Maxwell Davis, and Kamala Sankaram

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Recommendations / Innocence by Saariaho
« Last post by Tamsin Treverton Jones on April 18, 2023, 04:57:29 am »
So just to recap - I went to the Opera House last night.  Awesome experience.  I could afford it because I've signed up to something called the Engender Programme - which is a forum for female, trans and non binary opera makers based in Covent Garden which offered £30 seats - and they were the best seats in the house!
Saariaho is Finnish, she's in her 70s, she's an renowned contemporary composer and has received numerous awards https://saariaho.org/
This opera has had a very long gestation period - it was apparently first discussed between Saariaho and the dramaturg Alexsi Barriere in 2013 which is when the novelist Sofi Okansen was invited to write her first libretto.
The story is of a family celebrating a wedding. A waitress at the wedding realises that the family involved are the parents of the boy who shot and killed ten students in a mass shooting ten years earlier - one of whom was her daughter Marketa.  The plot, the characters, the whole production was completely jaw dropping - a full orchestra, a large chorus as well as numerous protagonists - I can't even imagine how much it cost!
Rather than me try to explain everything here's a link to the production including a video clip.  https://saariaho.org/works/innocence/
ENJOY!
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Recommendations / Royal Opéra House last night
« Last post by Tamsin Treverton Jones on April 18, 2023, 02:31:32 am »
I found myself at Covent Garden last night watching a performance of Innocence, a newish opera by the Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho. It was an amazing experience - and I’m’still processing but I’m planning to write a little review - watch this space ! X
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Recommendations / Re: Opera and Theatre
« Last post by David K on April 09, 2023, 06:40:35 am »
Thanks for setting up Michael and for the updates, both
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Recommendations / Re: Opera and Theatre
« Last post by Tamsin Treverton Jones on April 05, 2023, 06:49:55 am »
Thanks!
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Recommendations / Re: Opera and Theatre
« Last post by michaelkelly4001 on April 04, 2023, 03:47:11 am »
Similar story with Britten... you can find ALL of his librettos in this book for around £6 second-hand online  :D



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Recommendations / Re: Opera and Theatre
« Last post by michaelkelly4001 on April 04, 2023, 03:45:08 am »
For those struggling to find the Klinghoffer Libretto (like I did), there's actually a book called 'History is our mother' which has Klinghoffer, Nixon in China and one other from the composer/librettist duo.

Avalailable for £13 on https://www.amazon.co.uk/History-Our-Mother-Nyrb-Classics/dp/1681370646
or even cheaper second hand
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Recommendations / TV and Films
« Last post by michaelkelly4001 on April 03, 2023, 10:21:58 am »
TV and Films
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Recommendations / Books
« Last post by michaelkelly4001 on April 03, 2023, 10:21:02 am »
Books
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Recommendations / Opera and Theatre
« Last post by michaelkelly4001 on April 03, 2023, 10:13:59 am »
From Tamsin:

I hope you are all home safe and sound and not too exhausted after your week!

Tamsin asked me to forward this on to you all:

I wondered if you might be able to send the group some information that I have discovered and which I think everyone will find interesting. 

On Wednesday, we looked at an opera written by John Adams and Alice Goodman (the rarely performed Death of Klinghoffer, 1991).  I have since discovered that another rarely seen opera by the same team is currently playing at the Opera Paris Bastille and that it’s possible to watch it online via their subscription service this Friday night. 
They offer a week’s free trial, so subscribing today means you can watch it for free on Friday and then cancel the subscription immediately afterwards. Anyway. Here’s the link if you feel you can send it on.

https://play.operadeparis.fr/en/p/nixon-in-china
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