Nice start to the weekend...

Saturday October 20th @ 4:30pm
the real Opera House
the Canadian Opera Company's
"Don Carlos" by Verdi

I'm home sick and missing this. Good times.
Here are some reviews...
Globe & Mail, NOW, the Sun, and the Star.

"Adrianne!" I cry. :(

-----------------------------

Friday October 19th @ 8pm
Roy Thomson Hall
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa****

Last night my Dad & I attended Dame Kiri's 8th recital in Toronto, and probably her last, given this is her farewell concert tour. She looked very beautiful, and sang a recital that came out mostly sweetness and light, given the un-raised lid of the piano, the sparkly mermaid dress in the first half, and, you know, that she's that kind of soprano, I guess. Personally I would have liked a little more power in all the Strauss pieces. For a retiring singer, I thought she sounded exquisite in her top notes, with only tiny hiccups in two ascending passages. Her final encore, O mio babbino caro, seemed to be the crowd favourite of course, but mine was the Heggie: Final Monologue* from "Masterclass".

The concert was sold out; great for DKTK & RTH, but tragic for those of us into listening to the singer and not to other people turning pages loudly, coughing, and my favourite... the elderly lady behind me who exclaimed "Oh my! She didn't even come out and say hello or introduce herself!" after DKTK began the concert. Lady... you know who she is!!!

My Dad seemed to enjoy the concert, and I think we had one of our nicest times together. We didn't stick around for the CD signing, instead heading for York to visit my sister and her new apartment and... her new puppy! :)

*Since this ain't the most popular blog on the 'net... I'm going to risk posting this and hope I don't get sued or something! "Masterclass" is a play by Terrence McNally, and American composer Jake Heggie set this piece to music. DKTK's friend Frederica von Stade introduced this to her, and it was originally written for Joyce DiDonato and premiered last May.
FINAL MONOLOGUE
If I have seemed harsh,
It is because I have been harsh with myself.
I'm not good with words,
But I have tried to reach you.
To communicate something of what I feel
About what we do as artists as musicians
And as human beings.
The sun will not fall down from the sky
If there are no more Traviatas.
The world can and will go on without us
But I have to think that we have made
This world a better place.
That we have left it richer, wiser
Than had we not chosen the way of art.
The older I get, the less I know,
But I am certain that what we do matters.
If I didn't believe that.
You must know what you want to do in life,
You must decide
For we cannot do everything.
Do not think singing is an easy career.
It is a lifetime's work; it does not stop here.
Whether I continue singing doesn't matter.
Besides, it's all there in the recordings.
What matters is that you use
Whatever you have learned wisely,
Think of the expression of the words,
Of good diction,
And of your own deep feelings.
The only thanks I ask is that you sing
Properly and honestly.
If you do this, I will feel repaid.
Well, that's that.