When I was age 13 and 14, I made quilts. I was taught by a woman from the mountains of Maryland at the Catoctin Folk Crafts Center in the national park where we lived and for which my father worked. (I was also taught to spin wool into yarn and make candles. More importantly I… Continue Reading
Tuesday November 5, 2024 3:22 pm
FANFAIRE celebrates CLASSICAL MUSIC!
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Category Archives: opera
THE MOZART EFFECT
I have been at a loss lately as to what I might write about. Writing is not a daily activity for me since I wear a lot of hats, so I normally wait for that Eureka moment. Last night, on stage at the Pacific Symphony performance of the Mozart Requiem in Costa Mesa, I had… Continue Reading
The “Light Bulb” Moment
Bear with me. I am a little jetlagged. I just returned to my hotel after visiting the Prado museum in Madrid. I am here this week to sing the role of Mary in the quasi-oratorio L’enfance du Christ (infancy of Christ) by Hector Berlioz. In years past I would make, at the very least, ten… Continue Reading
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The High Notes of Patriotism
Driving four days across the western United States affords one little writing time but much thinking time. July fourth came and went during that drive. Now that I am settled in one place I can put fingers to the keyboard. I have some musings, albeit two weeks late. Four years ago on one of my… Continue Reading
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My Mother’s Voice
Since Mother’s Day I have been reflecting on my singing career and motherhood. Prior to Sunday my memories where more of my late mother, who herself was born with a gorgeous operatic voice. I knew she sang some as an alto in church choir and the Mendelssohn Society in Philly. I remember sitting in church… Continue Reading
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Blood and Other Hazards of Opera
by SUSANNE MENTZER The other evening as I got out of my car here at my temporary quarters, I got a lot of weird looks from passersby. I just could not figure out what was so intriguing (“Take a picture it lasts longer!”). It had been a long day and my dog Charlie met me… Continue Reading
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Define ‘Charity,’ Define ‘Humanity’
On his April 27 broadcast of “Real Time” on HBO, while challenging whether the Mormon Church is a charity, Bill Maher told viewers that donating to the arts also does not qualify as charitable giving. He brought up the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and how people who give to it get tax… Continue Reading
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Extending Our Senses
As one who deals in a primal form of expression — classical singing — my gut response is one of anti-technology, since the sheer wonder of classical singing is in creating a sound that will be heard in very large spaces without any technological enhancement. But as I watched Neil Harbisson I soon thought about… Continue Reading
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With a Vision and a Little Elbow Grease
There are many ways we artists can become advocates, whether it be for the arts or other causes. It is imperative to be more than just an advocate for one’s self. This essay is primarily addressed to young classical artists who are starting their adventures. However, even if you are not an artist, please read… Continue Reading
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EINSTEIN ON THE BEACH
“Einstein”, the 1976 groundbreaking work of the imagination by Wilson and Glass is opera as we don’t know it – liberated from traditional narrative, libretto, and conventionally structured music. … Continue Reading
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