"Unexpected Song" Blogs about Vesselina Kasarova

VK and Bela

My new blog buddy Bela had a front-row seat to a VK concert last night in São Paulo, and I am a teensy bit envious. Bela is a music student in Brazil, who shares her experiences as a student and as an opera fan in a blog called Unexpected Song. 

Bela manages to get behind the scenes frequently, and her enthusiasm just spills off the screen. I almost feel like I am there with her when I read her posts. I highly recommend her blog and I suggest starting with today's post:

Vesselina Kasarova, the sweetest opera singer ever!

Wagner: Wesendonck for Wednesday – More Nina Stemme

Last month, I posted Nina Stemme singing the Wesendonck Lieder in their original guise, with piano, from (I believe) a studio recording. Here is a live performance from the 2012 Salzburg Festival. Mariss Jansons conducts the Vienna Philharmonic (sounding lush as always, even in their reduced chamber configuration.) Is Nina's voice getting darker and richer? She sounds almost contralto-ish to me.  (Upon re-listening, I think it just takes her the first song to warm up.)

Wagner: Wesendonck Lieder, op. 91 

Nina Stemme, Wiener Philharmoniker, Mariss Jansons

Masetto in Madrid – Another Gratuitous David Bižić Post

BLG Artist Management posted this on their Facebook page today (roughly translated): 

Called to the rescue, David Bižić reprises the role of Masetto in D. Tcherniakov's staging of  Don Giovanni at the Teatro Real de Madrid ... Starting tomorrow, April 3 to April 24.

This would explain his new cover photo at Facebook:

It must be interesting to finish playing the Don and go right back to Masetto. It's not actually clear whom he is replacing, as he is already listed by Teatro Real in the role. 

But what's really important is this means... the controversial production from Aix-en-Provence has been revived in Madrid. Canadian baritone Russell Braun and American bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen appear as Don Giovanni and Leporello respectively, and Christine Schäfer leads the women as Donna Anna.

Fingers crossed for a broadcast! 

The Accessible Thomas Hampson – Classical Music is a Right

If you don't already think Thomas Hampson is a cool guy, watch this video with Sarah Willis of the Berlin Philharmonic. This 38 minute interview covers a lot of ground as it flies by. He talks about digital media in performance, for entertainment and for education. 

Mr. Hampson talks also about YouTube and digital downloads, both authorized and not. Though not in these words, he suggests that YT can be the "entry drug" to classical music. Sarah asks him about his Twitter and Facebook presence, which he uses to share both professional and personal thoughts. Mr. Hampson sees himself as a "doorway" to the music, not wanting to reach the audience so much as to be accessible to the audience.

April Arkiv Music Archival Review

Originally published by Music Web International, April 2007:

John CAGE (1912-1992) 

4’33" (five performances)
4’33" (orchestral transcription by Leopold Stokowski)* 

 Evgeny Kissin (piano)
* New York Philharmonic Orchestra/José Serebrier
rec. London in June 1997, Moscow in February 1998, Tokyo in September 1998, Berlin in May 2000, Vienna in June 2000 and *New York in June 2001
Picture format NTSC 4:3; Sound Format 0; Region Code 0; Disc Format DVD 9; subtitles in American, French, German, Russian and Esperanto 

 SONY CLASSICAL DVD  4334 3343-3 [33’00]