Dear Readers,
I would like to thank you for your patience in these last few weeks. My updates have been sporadic, for which I apologize.
There are two main reasons for my absence: two of my best friends James Marks and Richard Block came to visit during the month of December, and I spent the week between New Year's Day and Christmas home, in New York.
I am back in The D [Detroit, MI] for round two of Michigan Opera Theatre Studio. It's going to be a very exciting spring season here. There are three fantastic operas on the spring horizon, and dozens of small performances around town, masterclasses (public and private), and even some intense language study planned. More on all of that soon!
Additionally, there are wonderful non-opera related things brewing, some of which I am not yet at liberty to share.
I am happy to say that the three performances of Mozart K. 258 Missa Brevis in "C," at the Assumption Grotto Church in Detroit, went very well. Sadly, I contracted a very severe sinus infection immediately following the last performance, and have been recovering this entire week.
The last bit of news to share:
I am planning to listen to a different opera ever day for the next month... maybe even till the end of February. Be prepared to get some unsolicited commentary on this experience. Also, if you have any suggestions of performances I should try to find, please do not hesitate to share that with me.
I have also fully recovered from my hand injury and will be working back up my bass playing, hopefully I'll drop a few brief videos from time to time.
PS
Today was Vanessa day. Vanessa is an american opera by Samuel Barber, composed between 1956-57. It is his Op.32 with libretto by his lover Menotti. I watched/listened to a rather poor quality recording available on YouTube from Monte Carlo 2001.
More soon,
Thanks for reading
Joe
