Tag Archives: Anna-Sophie Neher

Magic Flute revival

This is the third time in roughly a decade for the Canadian Opera Company to offer the Diane Paulus Magic Flute, with its meta-theatrical approach employing flamboyant visuals, from set and costume designer Myung Hee Cho. I hope I can … Continue reading

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2021 TSO Messiah

As Kevin Bazzana observes in his Toronto Symphony Orchestra program note, “there is no one definitive Messiah.” It’s an ironic turn of phrase considering the religious implications one might give that phrase. Indeed when I look at the bizarre mockeries … Continue reading

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#COCgingerbread: Joel Ivany softens a Grimm tale of cruelty

It’s called “Hansel and Gretel”, not “kill the witch”. And in the original the witch isn’t even the nastiest character. You may already know that the new Canadian Opera Company production of Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel modernizes the setting to … Continue reading

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Make-believe Hansel and Gretel

Oh to be a child again. I saw the opening night of the Canadian Opera Company’s new Hansel and Gretel tonight before a delighted sell-out crowd at the Four Seasons Centre. While there were children present both in the show … Continue reading

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Centre Stage 2018: a Night of Voices

There are several ways to watch the annual Centre Stage competition, when young singers vie for a series of awards while seeking places in the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio. You can watch & listen to the competitors, eight young … Continue reading

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A closer look at Hadrian

Today was the closing performance of Hadrian, the new opera by Rufus Wainwright and Daniel MacIvor, presented by the Canadian Opera Company at the Four Seasons Centre. After tonight’s display of healthy nearly-naked male bodies in a homosexual love story, … Continue reading

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