Home : Blogs

Blogs

the next chapter

Submitted by dramma per musica on Wed, 06/12/2013 - 09:09
Hi ,everybody! I’ve decided it’s time to start blogging again. What distinguished this reboot from all previous reboots is that instead of concentrating mainly on opera-related topics, I want to branch out and discuss movies, video games, books, hiking, travel, popular culture – in other words, the things that also interest me in addition to opera. I guess I really see this forum now as a way of keeping in touch and letting you know what’s on my mind. I have no idea if this new approach will work, but I’m still going to give it a shot. I hope those of you coming here for the first time find something you like, and that the loyal readers who’ve been with me since I launched dramma per musica back in 2008 will stick around for a while. Either way, here’s to the next chapter.

More adventures in music librarian-ing: Salome edition

Submitted by PDX OPERAbeat on Mon, 06/03/2013 - 09:03

 

This is my last week in the office until July. I'm off contract for three weeks, then return for three weeks in July to work exclusively on the gala, then off for three more weeks, returning in August for the 13-14 season. Being away from the library for the summer, as most librarians are, presents an interesting set of challenges. It's like preparing to go on a vacation except the vacation is many weeks long and nobody can call you if something goes wrong. (Technically they can call me -- I'm not going anywhere -- but because I am off contract we try to avoid that.)

 

My main goals for this period between the close of Falstaff and my final day in the office have been 1) to get all the rentals for the gala set up, so that the music arrives while I'm back in July; and 2) to clean and correct all the Salome parts in order to get them to the orchestra before I leave.

 

Salome horn 4

Salome horn IV. Yikes.

 

Yes. Salome. Salome, which begins rehearsing in OCTOBER. What can I say? It's a really hard piece of music. I can't give it to the orchestra with the normal lead time, which is 3 weeks before the first rehearsal. It's extremely, extremely difficult music, and they haven't played it since 1990. I imagine many of our people haven't played it at all.

 

Filed under:

40 years of Portland Opera: Reflections on retirement

Submitted by PDX OPERAbeat on Tue, 05/28/2013 - 14:36

 

The season is over! Forgive my absence last week; to be honest, I was just plain old worn out. It seems every year we forget that just after the season closes, we could all use a few days to catch our collective breath. I often say we claw our way to closing night, because by the end of the season we're all very tired. With the seemingly constant Falstaff hijinks, 'tired' was kind of an understatement this year. Sorry to see the season go (no opera until the fall?!), but also happy to have a normal schedule for awhile.

 

And hey, three-day weekends! Those are great. Watching movies! Being home for dinner! Sometimes it truly is the little things.

 

As the season closed, we said farewell to a few beloved, long-time opera folks. Our principal accompanist, Tom Webb, leaves us to move about as far away as possible -- Australia! -- to be with his partner. Rae Minten, who has been a much beloved face in our costume shop -- and also, incidentally, our awesome yoga teacher! -- leaves to pursue a new career in the healing arts. Long-time violinist Dolly Clarizio retires this season, having been a member of the orchestra since 1966. 1966!!!! Finally, one of our choristers, Martin Tobias, has just retired after 40 years singing with us.

 

Marty has written us a synopsis of his time here, which I find profoundly fascinating, having only been with the company for 8 seasons. It seems kind of trivial to say, but things have changed a lot in 40 years! I'm particularly struck by the number of remarkably cool/weird productions we've done over the past four decades. Menotti directed here! Who knew?! And I am so sad I wasn't here for Love for Three Oranges, which is so totally up my alley.

 

 

40 YEARS OF PORTLAND OPERA

as seen by retiring chorister Martin Tobias