LA Opera Podcasts: Behind the Curtain

Latest Episodes:

James Conlon's Holiday Stars of Classical Music Dec 22, 2020

Show notes

Why have some "classical classics" become holiday tradition, and others have not? Join LA Opera's Music Director James Conlon as he encourages us to "have it all" by enjoying both the well-known stars of classical holiday music, as well as more obscure works in the cannon. Dive in with the Maestro to the traditional, seasonal works of Messiah, Bach Christmas Oratorio and The Nutcracker; and then explore two unsung stars: Liszt’s Christus and Berlioz’s L'Enfance du Christ.

History vs Opera: Tannhäuser Dec 15, 2020

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Dr. Muriel McClendon, Associate Professor for History at UCLA, and Jeremy Frank, LA Opera's Associate Chorus Master, continue their exploration into the historic fictions of opera, what they get right and wrong. More importantly they dig into what the opera reveals about the time in which it was created and how it relates to today. In this episode, Muriel and Jeremy are joined by Samuel B. Keeley, a postdoctoral researcher at Leibniz Institute for European History, to examine Wagner's opera "Tannhäuser" and the German history surrounding it.

James Conlon on Tannhäuser and the Wagnerian Universe Dec 08, 2020

Show notes

Listen to LA Opera's Music Director James Conlon discussing the deepest meanings and broadest themes of Wagner's "Tannhäuser" through an exploration of literature, the opera's plot, and Wagner's exquisite music. This presentation was recorded for LA Opera Connects' professional development for teachers series, Opera for Educators, on Saturday, October 10, 2020. For more information on Opera for Educators visit our website: https://www.LAOpera.org/OperaForEducators

Building a More Diverse Repertoire: A Panel with Music Nov 24, 2020

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Musicologist and pianist Dr. Tiffany Kuo is joined by her Colburn Conservatory of Music students to explore how learning, performing, and living a fuller and broader world of classical music - with an emphasis on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) composers - enhances our musical lives. In partnership with the Colburn Conservatory of Music, this discussion was recorded as a part of LA Opera Connects' Play-On salon: "Joseph Bologne and The Anonymous Lover" on Saturday, November 9, 2020. Musical excerpts have been edited for educational purposes. Colburn Conservatory of Music Students: Nicholas Arredondo Harrison Dearman Josh Elmore Gallia Kastner Alyssa Katahara Katie Liu Gerbrich Meijer Elizabeth Montero Justin Ochoa Max Opferkuch Ryan Turano Yu Kai Sun

James Conlon on The Anonymous Lover Nov 13, 2020

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LA Opera's Music Director, James Conlon, guides us through the musical moments of The Anonymous Lover (L'Amant Anonyme). This charming 1780 comic romance by pioneering Black composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges opens at LA Opera on Saturday, November 14, 2020 at 5pm (PT). The Anonymous Lover will be available to watch from Saturday, November 14, at 5pm (PT) through November 29 at 11:59pm (PT). Get your free ticket and more information here: https://www.laopera.org/performances/updated-2021-season/the-anonymous-lover/ This talk was recorded on Saturday, November 7, 2020 as a part of LA Opera Connects' Opera for Educators program.

History vs. Opera: The Anonymous Lover Nov 11, 2020

Show notes

In anticipation of LA Opera's production of The Anonymous Lover by Joseph Bologne, LA Opera is happy to present this conversation on History vs. Opera. This conversation was recorded on November 7, 2020, and features Muriel McClendon, Jennifer Palmer and Jeremy Frank. Muriel McClendon is Associate Professor of History at UCLA, where she teaches courses on medieval and early modern European History. Dr. McClendon is joined by Jennifer Palmer, a historian of early modern France and the Francophone world, teaching courses at the University of Georgia about Europe, the Atlantic world, women and gender, race, slavery and pirates. And they are joined by Jeremy Frank, Associate Chorus Master of LA Opera. Jeremy has worked on over 60 productions with the company and is also a part-time lecturer in opera and the vocal arts at USC. Please note: this conversation includes discussion of the historic slave trade between Europe and the Americas. The Anonymous Lover will be available to watch from Saturday, November 14, at 5pm through November 29 at 11:59pm (PT). Get your free ticket and more information here: https://www.laopera.org/performances/updated-2021-season/the-anonymous-lover/

Discover Joseph Bologne and The Anonymous Lover Oct 27, 2020

Show notes

Mysterious letters, secret admirers - The Anonymous Lover (L'Amant Anonyme)is a comedic delight but is rarely performed. So how did this charming opera, written by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges--a contemporary of Mozart and one of the first Black classical composers known to history, become neglected? Hear from director Bruce Lemon Jr., dramaturg Ariane Helou and bassoonist Andrew Brady about Bologne's fascinating life and learn what it takes to stage a multi-media, socially-distanced opera. The Anonymous Lover will be available to watch from Saturday, November 14, at 5pm through November 29 at 11:59pm (PST) - Get your free ticket and more information here: www.laopera.org/performances/upda…-anonymous-lover/

A Conversation with the Creators of Edge of a Dream: An Opera About Ada Lovelace Oct 13, 2020

Show notes

Some people have lives that simply cry out to be turned into books, movies, graphic novels, songs... maybe even operas. Ada Lovelace (1815-1852)—considered to be the "mother of computer science"—was one of them. This fall, Ada’s story will be told in operatic form in Edge of a Dream, a new work by composer Juhi Bansal and librettist Neil Aitken. It's LA Opera Connects’ newest Secondary In-School Opera, created to be rehearsed, assembled and performed online over a five-week period by students from ten local high schools. As if that weren't cool enough, Ada Lovelace Day is today, October 13th. It is an international celebration of the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and math (S.T.E.M.), and we're joining in by releasing this conversation on Edge of a Dream with the creators (Bansal and Aitken) and the director, Eli Villanueva. Looking for more Ada content? You can read an interview with Bansal and Aiken about the project here: https://www.laopera.org/discover/la-opera-content/edge-of-a-dream/

Il Trovatore in Context with James Conlon Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

Verdi bent the rules and broke a few in the convention-pushing Il Trovatore. LA Opera's Music Director James Conlon digs into this opera that he adores and helps to contextualize the work in its time and ours. This discussion was recorded on Saturday, September 19, 2020 as a part of LA Opera Connects’ professional development series for teachers: Opera for Educators.

Dr. Naomi André on "Surviving Opera: Verdi’s Azucena from Il Trovatore Sep 29, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast discussing Il Trovatore, Dr. Naomi André explores - through letters between Giuseppe Verdi and librettist Salvadore Cammarano - the qualities of Azucena that make her one of the most complex characters in Verdi’s operas. Dr. André is a professor in the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies, Women’s studies, and the Residential College at the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on opera and issues surrounding gender, voice, and race in the US, Europe, and South Africa. This discussion was recorded on Saturday, September 19, 2020 as a part of LA Opera Connects’ professional development series for teachers: Opera for Educators. (https://www.laopera.org/operaforeducators)

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