Tag Archives: russo

María de Buenos Aires

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Astor Piazzolla’a opera-tango María de Buenos Aires has been recorded, perhaps surprisingly, many times.  The latest version comes from the Orchestra Filarmonica della Calabria and conductor Filippo Arlia with Ce Suarez Pas as María.

It’s a strange piece full of the sort of weird imagery one associates with South American magical realism and then some.  The plot concerns a poor young girl in a very gritty Buenos Aires.  She becomes a singer then a prostitute,  Then she dies and her ghost wonders the city until she forced to give birth ti a daughter, also María, and so ending her role in the eternal cycle (“Forgotten are you among all women”) that will be carried on by her daughter.  Her journeys and her resurrection are directed in some strange way by a spoken word character El Duende (The Goblin).  Along the way she meets all kinds of strange people and others; a sparrow, a thief, a psychoanalyst, noodle kneaders, wizard bricklayers and much more.  It’s really creepy. Continue reading →

Running a little late here

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Back in January I saw Opera 5’s show Modern (Family) Opera at the Arts and Letters Club. I didn’t review it here because I was covering it for Opera Canada.  It seems that there was some breakdown in communication, probably the dodgy email connection at our temporary digs last winter, and it never made it to the mag and so wasn’t printed.  It’s a pity as it was a good show and so, belatedly, I’m sticking the review here, for the record, instead.

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Modern (Family) Opera

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Opera 5’s new show at the Arts and letters Club pairs Wolf-Ferrari’s 1909 comedy Il segreto di Susanna with a new work , Storybook, by Darren Russo inspired by Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience.  I can’t do a full review as I’m writing it up for Opera Canada but I think I can fairly say that the Wolf-Ferrari is hilarious and the Russo weird, rather wonderful and quite disturbing.  It’s a show well worth seeing and you can catch it tonight or tomorrow at 7.30pm.  Here are some production photos by Emily Ding.   Continue reading →

New shows from Opera 5 and Voicebox

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logoTwo new shows have been announced for late January/early February.  First up is Opera 5 with a double bill at the Arts and Letters Club from January 23rd through 25th at 7.30pm.  This show will  feature the world premier of Montreal-based composer Darren Russo’s Storybook partnered with Emanuel Wolf-Ferrari’s Il segreto di Susanna.  Singers involved include Emma Parkinson, Leigh-Ann Allen, Christopher Mayell, Geoffrey Sirett, Geoffrey Penar, and Rachel Krehm. This performance will mark the second new opera commission by the company and their second performance collaboration with Toronto Pop Up Orchestra, who will accompany the show. Evan Mitchell will conduct.  Aria Umezawa will direct the Russo with the Wolf-Ferrari in the hands of Grace Smith.  In typical Opera 5 fashion custom cocktails will be available for purchase before the show and during the intermission.  Tickets are available online ($25.00 Early Bird – available until Jan 10th, $30.00 Students, $35.00 GA) or on the door ($30.00 Students/$35.00 GA).

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