Description
This winter we will take time to look back and pay tribute to the wonderful opera career of Beverly Sills. We will also prepare for the Metropolitan Opera’s two HD presentations—Aida and Fidelio. The Sills tribute will begin with an overview of her singing career. Beginning as a child star on radio’s Major Bowes’ Amateur Hour, we follow her operatic triumphs with the New York City Opera, The Opera Company of Boston, and New York’s Metropolitan Opera. We conclude with her farewell performance in 1980. Each of the following evenings we will focus on one of her opera performances: Manon—for lyric coloratura; Roberto Devereux—for dramatic coloratura: La fille du Régiment (The Daughter of the Regiment)—for comic coloratura. The class also includes the two MET opera HD presentations. First, Verdi’s opera, Aida. In this, the most famous of Grand Operas, Verdi synthesizes the grandeur of the French style with the warmth of Italian vocal beauty. And secondly, Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio. This opera is a deep heartfelt plea for freedom with powerful music that only Beethoven could write. We will use audio and video to celebrate Beverly Sills and prep for the MET HD screenings.
David Collins has been lecturing on opera in the greater Boston area for over 25 years. He had been Opera Boston’s resident lecturer for 8 years. He has given opera courses at MIT, Regis College, The Boston Center for Adult Education and The Cambridge Center for Adult Education as well as lecturing at Northeastern University. Dave is currently a trustee of The Boston Wagner Association. Dave received his Bachelor degree from Boston University’s School of Music, his Master’s from Lesley University and did post grad work at the New England Conservatory and the University of Connecticut – Hart School of Music.
PLEASE NOTE: This class begins on 1/21 and will meet on 1/28, 2/11, 2/25, 3/11 and 3/18.
