Lisheng Arianna Lee’s Post

When you meet an opera, singer, what is the first song that comes to mind? If you said “Phantom of the opera”, you are amongst the majority of people, but more than likely are not heavy into the genre. (And that’s okay!) If you are already an opera fan, chances are you said Mozart’s “Queen of the Night” from magic flute. Beyond the stereotype of an opera singer, and within this rather small and connected industry, there are many different types of vocalists. Some of us sing Donzinetti and Verdi, because they let sopranos shine with pretty fans runs like a pro coloratura. Others live for the bel canto sound of Bellini, Cilea and Rossini. I myself, am a big fan of Vivaldi and other Baroque composers, because it suits my voice. Then some live for blurring the lines between traditional classical and music theatre. We don’t all sing the same repertoire, but to some extent we recognize the standard that has been set by both opera and both mainstream. My advice is to stay true to your voice, while it’s most certainly necessary to explore until you find a solid niche. but if you know you have a passion for and a strength with a certain composer or specific repertoire, exploit that to its fullest extent. Explore your voice. Tap into your strengths. Your audience will love you for mastering what is best for you. And if you’re called to it, create your own music. Don’t be afraid to be both the singer and the composer.

SINGERS!!!! Vocal and musical style can be incredibly specific and nuanced! Think about all the sub-genres and even sub-sub-genres under rock, pop, jazz, blues, etc. What's the difference between Cool Jazz and Smooth Jazz? What about SynthPop and ElectroPop? Or Opera and Oratorio? Some differences are obvious, but many are very subtle. What does this mean to you as a singer? It means you get to TUNE UP your ears and also your imagination! How SPECIFIC can you get within your vocal style? Challenge yourself to find as many nuanced stylistic elements in a song and see if you can PRECISELY mimic the stylistic shades! You'll become a better musician and singer! And you'll finally be able to show your friends the difference between Viking Metal and War Metal!

Music Performance Evaluation Guide Directions: 1. Observe the opera in full: La

ARRANGEMENTS - Epp. 6-7 - Fly on golden wings! Giuseppe Verdi - Va’ Pensiero, for Cello Ensemble When it comes to repertoire for Cello Ensemble, nothing comes closer to the goal than operatic arrangements. But where to start from? As an Italian, that was a surprisingly easy choice: the Va Pensiero chorus from Giuseppe Verdi’s Nabucco!  This arrangement was created in tandem with my cello teacher, the Brazilian master Marcio Carneiro, and it is best suited for cello ensembles with at least eight members.  If you have ever played this opera in the pit, though, you know this specific piece has an issue: it is in F-sharp major, with 6 sharps as key signature. This may make it somehow unapproachable for ensembles without enough time to rehearse it. That’s why this arrangement comes in two versions: one in the original key (ASE 0005) and one in a more user-friendly G-major (ASE 0093). Each version contains: a full score, a full set of parts and an extra copy of the cello 1 & 2 parts in a slightly easier format, ideal for less advanced students.  I hope you will enjoy this as much as I have enjoyed creating it! DOWNLOAD: https://lnkd.in/dGeQ3gbT  MAILING LIST (free excerpt + discounts): https://bit.ly/3ujFa4j  Full catalogue: https://adobe.ly/3A574Eg

Today marks the birthday of Camille Saint-Saëns, born in 1835. Often referred to as the "French Mendelssohn," his prolific contributions to various musical genres are truly remarkable. In my earlier article, I explore his connection to Pope St. Pius X. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/dETspiRS.

Manifesting the subconscious through 10 million strokes of a quill pen... George Lloyd's magnum opus, the 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒖𝒎 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒔, stands as his most ambitious composition, scored for a large orchestra, soprano and tenor soloists and choir. Written meticulously with a fountain or quill pen, the nibs personally trimmed for optimal balance between firmness and softness, Lloyd's scores were remarkable achievements in the context of his war injuries, his need to earn a living, and the establishment rejection of his late-romantic style. With each page of the full score bearing approximately 2000 precise pen strokes, totalling half a million for this singular work, Lloyd music was not mere manipulation of notes. His music emanated from his subconscious mind, cultivated and channelled through the conventions of formal harmony and counterpoint. His dedication and independence extended to proofreading the orchestral parts himself. His compositions, spanning operas, choral works, symphonies, concertos, and more, were all orchestrated by his own hand, totalling well over 10 million pen strokes throughout his lifetime. This is one reason the forthcoming 'Signature Edition' of his manuscripts from Lyrita is a milestone in the roller coaster that is the George Lloyd story. These manuscripts, the originals of which are now all held in the British Library, are a testimony to an indomitable musical spirit. www.georgelloyd.com

The majority of today’s operatic repertoire is Italian. However many of its most popular or significant works are not available in a critical edition. Bärenreiter’s new series, Masterpieces of Italian Opera, emerged from the demand for such editions, for both performance and research purposes. Conceived in collaboration with the late Philip Gossett and co-edited by Andreas Giger and Francesco Izzo, Masterpieces of Italian Opera commences with a set of four operas; the series is planned to be continued. When the curtain rises on a performance of an Italian opera, few performers or listeners are aware that the work may have been revised by the composer, altered by censors, incorrectly reproduced by copyists, modified by singers and conductors, and further altered by publishers. Thus, performers and scholars often find it impossible to discern the composer’s original work from the subsequent revisions, modifications, and additions. On the basis of all relevant sources and the latest research, Masterpieces of Italian Opera restores the authoritative versions of some of the most significant works.

Music Performance Evaluation Guide Directions: 1. Observe the opera in full: La

Performing arts:In the 1600s Opera started to flourish in Italy. French opera was popular for adding the element of dancing to opera other than the already existing elements such as singing and music. In Italian, opera means works and in Latin it means the plural of labor. This means that there can be duet, trio, and group singing. It also utilizes various aspects of the spoken theater, like costume and backdrop. Greek were the first known theater artists especially people from Athens. Their theater plays included all the elements like acting, dialogues, singing, scene, dancing, chorus and music. #performingarts

Earlier this month Arts Council England put out a 115-page document (Ross from Friends - "front and back"!) analysing the state of opera in the UK's biggest nation. The headline-grabbing part of it is the section where the authors express criticism about how many of the most performed works between 2017 and 2023 are by Puccini, Verdi, Mozart or Bizet, i.e. older works from the classic canon. That means, they say ominously, that opera “may find it harder to make an argument for its continued evolution as a cultural practice”. In The Times I argue that not only the methodology is flawed here, but so is the agenda. No operagoers - the general public - were actually consulted for this report. And while it's convenient to blame an ageing or conservative audience for the reliance on core parts of the repertoire, it isn’t borne out by the evidence. Go on to TikTok (before they ban it), search for “opera” and it’s La traviata, Carmen and The Magic Flute that soundtrack the most-watched operatic memes. A clip from the Royal Opera House of The Magic Flute has more than two million likes. Accessibility is supposed to be a watchword of the Arts Council, so what’s wrong with regularly offering audiences the most accessible works? #opera #artsandculture #letscreate https://lnkd.in/dM9FqUAk