May 7, 2007: Master Class Concert in Devon

2007-05-07 Masterclass Concert, New Devon Opera
Jose Cura, Igor Bogaert, Paul Featherstone,.Rebecca Ivey, Christian Schleicher, Anja Rossau, Carthaig Quill, Laura Hudson, Benjamin Bevan, Amar Muchala, Sarah Estil, Tyrone Piper, Suzanne Manuell, Lorna Collins, Diana Vivian, Debra Morley
Susanna Stranders, piano



Part 1
01. Igor Bogaert: Prolog, from PAGLIACCI (Leoncavallo)
02. Amar Muchala: Una furtiva lagrima, from L'ELISIR D'AMORE (Donizetti)
03. Lorna Collins: Voi lo sapete, from CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA (Mascagni)
04. Sarah Estill: La mamma morta, from ANDREA CHENIER (Giordano)
05. Paul Featherstone: Ch'ella mi creda, from LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST (Puccini)
06. Rebecca Ivey: Quando m'en vo', from LA BOHEME (Puccini)
07. Carthaig Quill: Dei miei bollenti spiriti, from LA TRAVIATA (Verdi)
08. Anja Rossau: A fors' e lui, from LA TRAVIATA (Verdi) + Jose Cura

Part 2
09. Diana Vivian: Vissi d'arte, from TOSCA (Puccini)
10. Suzanne Manuell: Un bel di vedremo, from MADAMA BUTTERFLY (Puccini)
11. Tyrone Piper: E la solita storia del pastore, from L'ARLESIANA (Cilea)
12. Laura Hudson: Sola, perduta, abbandonata, from MANON LESCAUT (Puccini)
13. Christian Schleicher: Dein ist mein ganzes Herz, from LAND OF SMILES (Lehar)
14. Debra Morley: The Owl and the Pussycat (Seiber)
15. Benjamin Bevan (and Jose Cura): Son io, mio Carlo, from DON CARLO (Verdi)


Third came May 7th, concert with the 15 master class students in Devon. Glorious singing and some signs that some still need more to really be great in concert and opera. The German tenor singing operetta was surely needing more years of learning the craft if he is going to the opera, but surely he was communicating and maybe it will be in operetta musicals his work will be. There was a great difference between singers that were truly in the skin of their characters, and then there were those still not finding out how to act, what to do with my arms...

And then there was Benjamin Bevan, not only the most beautiful baritone voice, but surely a great singer/actor as Roderigo di Posa. WOW, what a fantastic death scene, this was really the whole scene Roderigo/Don Carlo from Son io, mio Carlo to Per me giunto il di supremo/O Carlo, ascolta, and we even got Jose Cura as Don Carlo. WOW, it was the perfect end of this concert.

The program was beautifully put. With the Dutch baritone doing the prolog from Pagliacci beginning the concert, and as end of act 1 with Danish soprano singing the whole Violetta scene at the end of La Traviata act 1. And the program ended, most operatically, with someone's death. GREAT.

OD Travel + Photos

Blog post: May 2007: Masterclass Concert in Devon (2007-05-07)

May 6, 2007: Jose Cura Master Class in Devon

2007-05-06 Masterclass with Jose Cura, New Devon Opera

Second came May 6th, Master class in Devon, Jose-Cura-wise. I told every-one about the great fare I got on the National Express bus to Devon and back (It cost me 2 GBP all-together). But after my long travel with bus London-Devon-London, I can say I would have been better off with the train, shorter ride and I am sure more comfortable. So cheap is not everything...

As usual it took me a long time to find the hotel, a max 10 minutes walk took me 50 minutes. And that was hot when walking with a suit-case (luckily with wheels) and a backsack. As I have a tendency of getting head-aches I got one or two in Devon. Then the event of the evening, Master Class with Jose Cura. 15 gifted singers and Jose Cura. Not the usual master class, this was just a highlight class filled with photo-slides from the real master classes. We got a lot of Jose Cura talking about how the singers had developed. And some singing and tutoring from Jose. When they was on the right track he stopped them, to tell us we will get the rest as the concert tomorrow.

Students: Igor Bogaert, Paul Featherstone,.Rebecca Ivey, Christian Schleicher, Anja Rossau, Carthaig Quill, Laura Hudson, Benjamin Bevan, Amar Muchala, Sarah Estil, Tyrone Piper, Suzanne Manuell, Lorna Collins, Diana Vivian, Debra Morley
Susanna Stranders, piano

OD Travel

Blog post: May 2007: Masterclass in Devon (2007-05-06)