We have arrived at the ninth season of SkyOpera. Welcome to all faithful friends and especially to our newcomers!
From Cornelius Rossi: “Let me start by introducing the changes we have made for this season. Up to now, in each month, we had a lecture on the first Thursday (more or less) and, on every third Thursday of the season, presented a whole opera streamed from a DVD, which was combined with a themed dinner. These so-called ‘Night at the Opera’ events remain the backbone of our program. But except for two, the lectures will be replaced by live performances. This means that in addition to the nine ‘Night at the Opera’ events, we will have six live recitals, one live opera, and only 2 lectures.
Please go to the Opera Page above for a PDF of the full season schedule for Skyline.
The reason for this change is that I have been induced to put some time into my old research program that has been going successfully at the University of Washington since my retirement. My younger colleagues need an old wise guy to write some papers about the progress that our work has made. I find that I am getting fun out of thinking about science again. I can only do that if I cut out preparing lectures for SkyOpera. But you all will benefit from this change because instead of listening to me talking you will be hearing young singers performing. Your part in this deal is to help me raise the money for paying the fees of these highly deserving and talented young people.
I will continue to introduce the ‘Nights at the Opera’ in the usual way and will kick off the season by giving a lecture about ‘Great Voices; Great Performances’, a title that announces the theme for our whole season. I have selected the nine full performances based on the great singers and performances they feature. They also happen to be great operas. I have based my introductory talk on two dozen video clips that illustrate the different operatic voice types as represented by some of the most famous opera singers of the past and present. We will cap off the evening after dinner with a movie about one of the most famous of all opera singers, Maria Callas.
In case you did not catch them, I am pasting in here the text of the two Weekly Updates that introduced this season-opener program.
Cornelius Rosse: Great Voices; Great Performances. Reflecting the theme of our new season, this introductory lecture will illustrate by multiple video clips the principal operatic voice types through performances by renowned singers of the past and present. After dinner we will honor the most remarkable of these singers on the 40th anniversary of her passing with the screening of a film: Callas Forever. Directed by Franco Zeffirelli, the film is about her friends’ attempt to resurrect Callas’ career during her declining years in Paris through the magic of technology.
Cornelius Rosse: Great Voices; Great Performances. After a brief review of the new season’s schedule, the lecture will present renowned singers of the past and present on multiple video clips to illustrate the theme of the 2017/18 season, announced in the lecture’s title. The after-dinner movie, Callas Forever, tells the story of her friends’ attempt to resurrect Callas’ career during her declining years in Paris through the magic of technology. Directed in 2002 by her friend Franco Zeffirelli, the film stars Fanny Ardant as Callas and Jeremy Irons as her solicitous impresario friend. A lot of great music!
In case you would like an electronic copy of the schedule, I attach one.
I look forward to seeing you all comfortably seated before we ring up the curtain.