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Scaling Everest: Why Verdi’s Otello is Such a Difficult Sing
By COC StaffPosted in 18/19[READ MORE]
When Verdi’s Otello premiered in 1887 it was the composer’s first new opera in 16 years.Critics and audiences who might’ve expected the composer to pick up exactly where he left off a decade and a half earlier were in for a strange surprise: Verdi’s opera forged a new musical language in response to Shakespeare’s psychologically complex, multi-layered text, bringing with it unique challenges for the singers tackling the piece.
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In Case You Missed It: Jessye Norman In Conversation With Alexander Neef
By COC StaffPosted in Jessye Norman
In the week leading up to the Glenn Gould Prize gala, honouring opera superstar Jessye Norman, COC General Director Alexander Neef sat down for an extended interview with the opera legend as part of TIFF’s In Conversation With… series.The five-time Grammy Award-winner, humanitarian, and civil rights activist looks back over her illustrious career, shares some professional advice (“Use your diaphragm!”), and reasserts the importance of the arts to building stronger, more resilient communities.
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