Stream Saint-Saens’s biblical epic with Elina Garanca and Roberto Alagna in the title roles from the MetOpera stage on June 24, 2020
Roberto Alagna and Elina Garanca in Saint-Saëns’s “Samson et Dalila.” Photo: Ken Howard / Met Opera
Darko Tresnjak’s production of sensual French Grand Opera by Camille Saint-Saens on the biblical story of Samson et Davila can be streamed from anywhere on June 24, 2020 from 7.30 pm. The stream is available for 23 hours.
The explosive duo of tenor Roberto Alagna, Samson and soprano Elina Garanca, Dalila, and the rest of the powerful cast in this brave production make for an exciting opera night. Tellingly, it opened the 2018-2019 season of MetOpera on a very high note.
Darko Tresnjak, a 2014 Tony Award Winner for best direction of a musical, debuts at the Met Opera with a monumental staging that brings us to ancient Gaza of 12th century BC from the Old Testament’s Book of Judges. Sensual music, an electrifying performance, and vivid stage design promise a memorable experience for every opera fan.
Fifth Annual New York Virtual Opera Fest Continues June-July-August
Presented by the New York Opera Alliance, with support from OPERA America, the 2020 New York Opera Fest has become the 2020 New YorkVirtualOpera Fest due to the social distancing restrictions put into place by the state government. To help companies navigate the realities of the COVID-19 crisis and also encourage responsible social isolation, NYOA has constructed a comprehensive online center at NYoperafest.com where opera fans can visit for an updated list of virtual events hosted by local, New York City-based opera companies. NYOA will continue to update and share the opera community’s activities throughout its website, social media, and e-blast communication platforms. Leading the vanguard of the local opera community, NYOA continues to monitor the fluid situation around COVID-19 by providing helpful resources for financial aid which may be found at http://OPERAamerica.org/covid19. NYOA is also hosting weekly virtual meetings for NYOA members to discuss, monitor, and provide solutions for the changing landscape for opera in New York.
HERE Arts Center in New York City hosts “HERE@HOME”: a Facebook Watch Party to stream a full-length production every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. EST. Shows are from the HERE Vault collected over the past 25 years. Following the online premiere, these full-length videos will be available for viewing on Facebook until HERE reopens. FREE. Watch: https://www.facebook.com/hereartscenter.
THU 6.25 @ 12:00 p.m.
Beth Morrison Projects features an “Opera of the Week” released every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. EST on the company’s website and broadcasts for one week. FREE. Watch: https://www.bethmorrisonprojects.org
THU 6.25 @ 6:30 p.m.
City Lyric Opera’s Summer Series of events continues with CLO Retro #ThrowbackThursdays discussing and showcasing past performances on June 25th and August 6th 6:30 p.m. For more information and to tune in visit CityLyricOpera.org. FREE.
THU 6.25 @ 7:00 p.m.
Every Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. EST, No Dominion Theatre Company hosts a Virtual Story Slam! On its Facebook page. Co-hosted by Art House Productions, this new virtual Story Slam series celebrates the power of live storytelling, resilience of the arts and human connection during tough times. Free. Suggested donation: $5. Watch: Zoom via https://www.facebook.com/NoDominionTheatre/.
FRI 6.26
HERE Arts Center in New York City hosts “#stillHERE Friday Artist Livestream Schedule: June 26: Nia O. Witherspoon. FREE. Watch: https://www.facebook.com/hereartscenter.
WED 7.01 @ 7:00 p.m.
HERE Arts Center in New York City hosts “HERE@HOME”: a Facebook Watch Party to stream a full-length production every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. EST. Shows are from the HERE Vault collected over the past 25 years. Following the online premiere, these full-length videos will be available for viewing on Facebook until HERE reopens. FREE. Watch: https://www.facebook.com/hereartscenter.
WED 7.08 @ 7:00 p.m.
HERE Arts Center in New York City hosts “HERE@HOME”: a Facebook Watch Party to stream a full-length production every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. EST. Shows are from the HERE Vault collected over the past 25 years. Following the online premiere, these full-length videos will be available for viewing on Facebook until HERE reopens. FREE. Watch: https://www.facebook.com/hereartscenter.
THU 7.09 @ 6:30 p.m.
City Lyric Opera’s Summer Series of events continues with a live Falling Flat Happy Hour July 9th 6:30 p.m. featuring live performances and stories of live mishaps on stage. For more information and to tune in visit CityLyricOpera.org. FREE.
WED 7.15 @ 7:00 p.m.
HERE Arts Center in New York City hosts “HERE@HOME”: a Facebook Watch Party to stream a full-length production every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. EST. Shows are from the HERE Vault collected over the past 25 years. Following the online premiere, these full-length videos will be available for viewing on Facebook until HERE reopens. FREE. Watch: https://www.facebook.com/hereartscenter.
WED 7.22 @ 7:00 p.m.
HERE Arts Center in New York City hosts “HERE@HOME”: a Facebook Watch Party to stream a full-length production every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. EST. Shows are from the HERE Vault collected over the past 25 years. Following the online premiere, these full-length videos will be available for viewing on Facebook until HERE reopens. FREE. Watch: https://www.facebook.com/hereartscenter.
THU 7.23 @ 6:30 p.m.
City Lyric Opera’s Summer Series of events continues with a Holding Space virtual salon conversation for the opera community to have honest and vulnerable COVID-related dialogue about, by, and for the field’s members on June 11th and July 23rd 6:30 p.m. For more information and to tune in visit CityLyricOpera.org. FREE.
HERE Arts Center in New York City hosts “HERE@HOME”: a Facebook Watch Party to stream a full-length production every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. EST. Shows are from the HERE Vault collected over the past 25 years. Following the online premiere, these full-length videos will be available for viewing on Facebook until HERE reopens. FREE. Watch: https://www.facebook.com/hereartscenter.
THU 8.06 @ 6:30 p.m.
City Lyric Opera’s Summer Series of events continues with CLO Retro #ThrowbackThursdays discussing and showcasing past performances on June 25th and August 6th 6:30 p.m. For more information and to tune in visit CityLyricOpera.org. FREE.
ONGOING (Dates Not Specified)
American Opera Projects American Opera Project is broadcasting past productions including Three Way, Harriet Tubman, and As One, with more to be released soon. They may be watched exclusively on AOP’s website. FREE. Watch: AOPopera.org.
The Indie Opera Podcast
To stay up to date with what the movers and shakers of the opera scene, listen to Indie Opera Podcast. Their insightful, in-depth shows have changed to a streamed video platform for the opera community. It’s a great way to stay up to date with developments given the unusual times that the industry is facing. Tune in to hear the experts discuss what our beloved art form is doing to weather COVID-19. FREE. Watch: http://indieopera.com.
The little OPERA theatre of NY
The little OPERA theatre of NY has launched a company YouTube channel featuring highlights from last season’s New York premiere of Benjamin Britten’s OWEN WINGRAVE. They will be adding new content to this channel on a rolling basis starting in June. In collaboration with New Vintage Baroque, little OPERA is creating a series of short streaming opera videos featuring excerpts from Mozart’s The Shepherd King.
Music of the Americas
Music of the Americas presents two new online series to bring its performances into homes across the world: En Casa (At Home), featuring original performances from musicians from around the Americas who frequently perform with the society, and Recuerdos (Memories), weekly releases of memorable past performances at the Americas Society, some for the first time. FREE. Watch: as-coa.org/music.
New Camerata Opera (ongoing)
NCO is hosting a handful of online events including: #theivesproject – an acclaimed series short film adaptations of Charles Ives songs, the release of CamerataWorks’ upcoming opera film, “Julie” on June 4th at 7:00 p.m. EST, and the popular handwashing aria series #20secondariachallenge, in which arias are sung to ensure one washes their hands sufficiently. Watch streamable content, here: https://www.facebook.com/newcamerataopera/ and “Julie” premiere here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCda0kpVTKpZjci4fRP1hnYg?view_as=subscriber.
Regina Opera
Regina Opera, which is celebrating its 50th season of great opera in Brooklyn, has curated a collection of its best performance videos to help ease the strain of these difficult times. It includes a complete performance of La Traviata; excerpts from Aida, Don Giovanni; Il Trovatore, and Hansel and Gretel; and the complete February 2, 2020 Winter Concert, featuring operatic and popular favorites as well as the world premiere of a quartet by 14-year-old composer Julian Raheb. FREE. Watch: www.ReginaOpera.org/onlineperformances.htm.
Rhymes with Opera (July-August 2020)
Join Rhymes with Opera online for a FREE series of contemporary chamber operas, community-building events, exciting new works, artist interviews, and some rockin’ parties.Upcoming schedule includes July (date TBA) Release Party of recording Rumpelstiltskin; and August (dates TBA) Soap Operas provides a platform for RWO artists to perform arrangements of your favorite songs. For more info and reservations for all RWO events, visit RhymeswithOpera.org.
Untitled Theater Company #61: A Theater of Ideas The Untitled Theater Company is making videos of past performances and workshops available on its website for free viewing. FREE.Watch: http://www.untitledtheater.com
Victor Herbert Renaissance Project
Despite having to cancel their entire season, VHRP continues to connect with its fans by broadcasting past performances on its social media platforms regularly. FREE. Watch: https://www.facebook.com/vhrplive/.
The Next Festival of Emerging Artists 2020 Goes Online with Free Events Open to All, June 9 – July 2
Participants Include: Ashley Bathgate, Derek Bermel, Fred Child, Anthony Davis, Rob Deemer, Vijay Iyer, Wang Jie, JACK Quartet, Aaron Jay Kernis, Anne Leilehua Lanzilotti, Jessica Meyer, Joshua Roman, S. Ama Wray
Festival faculty & guest artists Wang Jie, Lisa Bielawa, S. Ama Wray, Vijay Iyer, James Dargan, Ashley Baccus-Clark
Adapting to address the needs of a greater community of artists, The Next Festival of Emerging Artists 2020 is a four-week series of workshops, mini-courses, and collaborative projects taking place online June 9 – July 2, with most of the festival events, featuring over 20 guest artists and speakers, accessible online and open to the public. This year’s festival’s student participants – young musicians, composers, and choreographers – have had their tuition waived.
A unique contemporary music festival founded in 2013 by composer, conductor, and bassist Peter Askim, The Next Festival of Emerging Artists normally takes place over two weeks in May and June at Music Mountain in Connecticut as well as at National Sawdust and NYU Center for Ballet and the Arts in New York City, with 35 young musicians, composers, and choreographers taking part in lessons and chamber music coaching, rehearsals, masterclasses, and talks – culminating in performances and recordings of new works. In addition to offering a wide slate of talks and workshops, this year’s festivalwill culminate in performances by the festival musicians of new works created by remote collaboration.
Open to the Public (through Eventbrite registration via www.next-fest.org and Facebook Events.) Most of these events will be recorded and archived within 48 hours for viewing through the Next Festival website and YouTube channel.
Love, idealism, and ruse in a thrilling drama by Giacomo Puccini
Bring the Metropolitan Opera’s magnificent experience to your home by streaming the historic December 1978 performance with Luciano Pavarotti; watch from anywhere on Thursday, June 4, 2020
Sonya Yoncheva as Tosca and Željko Lučić as Scarpia / Photo: Ken Howard / Metropolitan Opera
MetOpera offers the archival recording of Puccini’s masterpiece with the star-studded cast delivering a passionate tale. This memorable performance features riveting soprano Shirley Merrett in the title role, tenor Luciano Pavarotti as her lover Cavaradossi, and baritone Cornell MacNeil as Scarpia. The opera was recorded on December 19, 1978.
From its premiere in the early 1900s, Puccini’s Tosca has triumphantly entered the repertoire of every opera house. Eagerly anticipated by the fans, the opera is a highlight of the MetOpera season.
The most recent production of Puccini’s Tosca by Sir David McVicar at the Met Opera, which has staged in the 2017-2018 season, offered a grand theatrical experience for the opera fans. The set and costume design for this production was done by John Macfarlane, who as a painter added to the depth of the characters through the rich design of the decorations and the period costumes. McVicar’s production which a review by AP describes as “similar to Zeffirelli’s”. It replaced a spare modern staging of Tosca by Luc Bondy which was not warmly received by the Met opera buffs.
360° View of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City in the time of social distancing
Sistine Chapel, Vatican / photo by Patrick Landy (FSU Guy)
One of the most popular sites of the Musei Vaticani complex, the Sistine Chapel stuns its visitors with Michelangelo’s frescoes and stories of the sacred rituals, such as Papal Conclave of the Cardinals conducted within its walls from 1492. Completely restored in the years from 1979 to 1999 to its original vibrant colors, the Chapel was visited daily by more than 20,00 people. Pope John Paul II said about the chapel that “The truth of our faith speaks to us here from all sides”.
As humanity stays at home in the face of the global coronavirus pandemic, it is particularly uplifting to revisit albeit virtually the historic places that withstood prior global disasters like plague epidemics and the wars. The Musei Vaticani offers a virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel with closeups of frescoes and an unobstructed view of the room without any distraction by the guards or the unavoidable neck craning to see the ceiling.
The Sistine Chapel in the Vatican was built in 1477-1480 by Pope Sixtus IV for whom the chapel is named. In fact, the old Cappella Magna that stood on that site from the mid-14th century was restored by the best artists of that time like Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and Cosimo Rosselli. From that time until this day the Chapel is used for special ceremonies of the close circle of the Pope and as a place where the Papal Conclave of Cardinals meets to elect a new Pope.
Interestingly, the dimensions of the Chapel are the same as the Temple of Solomon according to the description in the Old Testament, the Book of Ezekiel. The Temple of Solomon was the first temple built by the Hebrews in 832 BCE under King Solomon. It was destructed by Nebuchadnezzar IIafter the Siege of Jerusalem of 587 BCE.
Michelangelo spent from 1508 through 1512 on painting the ceiling of the Chapel on the commission by Pope Julius II. Because at the time Michelangelo was preoccupied with sculptures and was reluctant to commit to such an enormous undertaking, Pope Julius granted him full freedom in selecting the scenes and figures to paint thus convincing him to take on the project. The resulting frescoes are considered to be the triumph of the artistic expression in Western civilization. The ceiling is populated with more than 300 figures starting from Christ’s ancestors including Adam and Eve, the scenes from the Garden of Eden and the Great Flood all the way to Christ’s followers, prophets, and sibyls.
Michelangelo’s mastery brings us the “faces of our time: anxiety masked by domesticity, women at work at household duties, men staring out blankly at an opaque fate” in the words of A.Gopnik in The New Yorker review of the exhibit of the photographs of the frescoes at the Oculus in New York City.
Do your best imagining yourself walking through the grand doors of the Chapel by taking the virtual tour. And while it’s definitely not the same as being surrounded by the great art at the place for which it was created, you can still connect with history and art. Their meaning may even become more apparent and better understood.
