Sunday January 10th, 2010 Opera on Film

SilverCity has tapped an underutilized market in Thunder Bay - opera lovers! Sources tell me that the Met Operas screened at the local SilverCity Theatre are often sold-out affairs. So, if you have been one of the unfortunate ones that didn’t get into the screening, come and check out the library's collection of operas. We have some of the great composers – Puccini, Verdi, Donizetti, Offenbach, Bizet, Rossini and Mozart. Titles include La Boheme, La Traviata, Carmen, Don Giovanni, Marriage of Figaro, Barber of Seville as well as some ballets – Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. Operatic companies include Opera Australia, Washington National Opera, and the LA Opera. These are all dvd formats, but we have many of the operatic sound recordings in our CD collection as well. For those of you more internet savvy, the online Music Library to which the library subscribes called NAXOS, carries many opera sound tracks. This online resource is available off the library website 24/7. Watch for the release of their video opera library some time in 2010. To access the NAXOS library, go to www.tbpl.ca and click on Virtual Collection and then on the Sleeping Giant. You will need your library card and your PIN. If you forgot your PIN you can change it online.

New titles TBPL has in its dvd collection:

The Metropolitan Opera: Centennial Gala (1983). "Here are the greatest moments from the "ultimate in galas" a roof-rattling vocal display and the kind of cheering and free-flowing, heartfelt emotion on both sides of the footlights that opera evinces more than any other art form."

Madama Butterfly, by Giacomo Puccini. (Opera Australia) "An American lieutenant marries a beautiful young geisha, to the dismay of her family. Shortly after the wedding the lieutenant departs for Amerca, and his wife bears him a child, alone. Three years later she excitedly awaits his return, only to find to her shock and dispair, that he is returning with an American wife. With a heart-rending love story and a brilliant score, Madama Butterfly is one of the most beloved opera classics."

La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini. (Met Opera) "Set in Paris 1830, the story focuses on the love between the seamstress called Mimì and the poet Rodolfo. They almost immediately fall in love with each other, but Rodolfo later wants to leave Mimì because of her flirtatious behavior. However, Mimì also happens to be mortally ill, and Rodolfo also feels guilt, since their life together likely had worsened her health even further. They reunite for a brief moment at the end before Mimì dies."

If you are a ”Newbie” to the operatic world, here are some resources that can help you develop your appreciation for this art form.

Pocket Guide to Opera by Rupert Christiansen. “One of Faber's highly successful Pocket Guide series, this is an essential work of reference for all opera lovers, whether first-timers or hardened fans. Here is a handy, readable and easy-to-use opera guide, containing entries for over a hundred works, both familiar and unfamiliar. Features include snapshot plot summaries, straightforward pointers to help your appreciation of the music and production, recommended recordings on CD, video and DVD and a brief over-view of the history of opera.”

Who’s Who in Opera: a guide to opera characters by Joyce Bourne. “Containing over 2,500 operatic characters from Arabella to Wozzeck, this guide to opera provides both an invaluable source of reference and an absorbing read. A special feature is the articles written by well-known personalities from the world of opera including Janet Baker, Placido Domingo,and Jonathan Miller. Synopses for over 270 operas and operettas ; Information on each operatic role, including its creator and notable performances; Important arias and ensembles mentioned, with English translations; Illustrated with photographs of performances. A reference book for operaphiles and the answer to a prayer for those who attend operas without doing their homework properly.”

Let your library cultivate your musical mind!!

Barbara Philp, Head of Adult Services