ArtCetera with John Sayers: Recent Episodes
John Sayers
Former heldentenor John Sayers discusses his time on the opera stage and other interests of the arts world. From opera to jazz and ballet to abstract art, John has an opinion and he is not afraid to share it. During his career, he sang with many well-known singers, stage directors and conductors. After retiring from singing, he wrote and edited the EastSider, an arts and entertainment newspaper in south Florida. He also created The Opera Minute for NPR on the Treasure Coast. He has published one book and is working hard on his second, which shall be full of wonder and surprises.
I talk about my experience with a poor Micaela and a cancelled flight. Oops! Also, my experience with John Crosby of the Santa Fe Opera and conflicts of interest with my home theater. My long , ongoing discussion with Beverly Sills when she tried to bring me back to the New York City Opera.
We've heard the men; here are the women. Soprano/Mezzo duets, even where one is playing a young man. Rosenkavalier, Le Nozze di Figaro, Rossini's Zalmira and the famous flower duet from Lakme. What more could you ask for. Enjoy!
Ah, yes, duets for two men. Tenor and baritone and a duet for two tenors. Enjoy La Forza del Destino, The Pearl Fishers, The Rakes Progress and a duet for two tenors from a Rossini opera, but I'm not going to tell you which one.
The beauty and high musicianship of operatic ensembles. Today we hear from Carmen, Rigoletto and Il Barbiere di Seviglia. Enjoy!
The deep and sonorous voice of the Bass in all its glory. Franz Josef Selig, Ivan Petrov, Boris Stokolov, Cesare Siepe, Alexander Pirogov sing arias from Zauberfloette, La Sonambula, Nabucco, Eugene Onegin and Modest Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina. Good Listening!
As promised, after the tenor and the baritone comes the soprano. Here are three of the most beautiful soprano arias from Carmen, Zauberfloette and Tristan und Isolde.
Like the tenor arias of last week, here are the three arias I have selected this week as beautiful baritone arias. Eri tu; Vien, Leonora; O du mein holder Abendstern
A lot of arias seem hard to the listener. They generate many bravos to award a hard job well done. But, how hard are these arias to sing? Let's find out.
Three operas you may have heard of but have never seen on stage. Tiefland by D'Albert, Krutnava by Suchon and Ivan the Terrible by Georges Bizet.
The history of the double bass and my experience learning how to play it. I was taught by a master: Ditty Gerber.
Abstract art and abstract modern classical music. You either love it or you hate it.
But, the choice is yours.
Amazingly, so many of the flashmobs that occur are classical in nature. ArtCetera looks at some of the more popular.
In case you haven't noticed, The Angry Tenor is now ArtCetera.
Evaluating the status of climate change in early 2021 leaves a picture that is not very pretty. A glance at how we are doing.
According to Greta Thunberg, we must stop fossil fuel subsidies right now. The Biden Administration may help as it is ready to approve construction of a massive wind farm south of Martha's Vineyard.
Thanks to the French, many operas have a ballet scene and woe be to the composer who messes this up. Just ask Wagner. But others were just fine. That's where we are. Ballet music from the opera stage. Good listening!
Natural gas and other "bridge" fuels can still kill you with their emissions into the atmosphere. They're not as bad as coal, but they still emit bad stuff into the air. We need solar and wind power now more than ever. It's time to stop fighting climate change and either help or go bury your head in the sand. It's the only planet we have. Protect it!
While we must recognize the celebration of Cinco de Mayo, we must also remember the passing of Christa Ludwig just a week ago on April, 24. She was one of the great ones and we take a moment to remember her.
The melting of the ice caps caused by climate change is causing the earth to shift its axis.
I've done tenors and baritones. sopranos and mezzos, countertenors and now basses. It's a low point, so to speak. Georgio Tadeo, Kurt Moll and Ezio Flagello are some of my favorite basses.
Tune in to see if they are also your favorites.
Good Listening!
Today was earth day and there is still so much to be done. One effort after Earth Day 2021 will be a global push for climate literacy, so the leaders of tomorrow can prepare solutions today. Vote for political candidates who will advocate for climate-related legislation and policy improvements.
Earth is the only planet we have. We must all do the work to keep it.
Two poems about climate change as well a report that says the top 5 percent in wealth cause 37 percent of global-wide pollution.
Sopranos who would like to sing mezzo roles. Featured are Callas, Moffo, Schwarzkopf, Leonard, and more.
The cherry blossoms in Japan are earlier than they have ever been for 1200 years. The rain forests are reaching their tipping point. How serious is it and what can we do about it?
Tenors and baritones singing the other's arias. Featuring the artistry of three tenors, Enrico Caruso, Franco Corelli, Mario del Monaco and three baritones, Cesare Siepi, Joseph Shore and Leonard Warren.
With major damage to the climate occurring in rain forests, the Biden Administration is working on a three trillion dollar climate package that some members of his own party think is not enough!
Enough. No music. No frills. Just hard, cold facts about a small part of pollution, especially plastic pollution and its effect on the oceans and landfills of the world.
I have a German book called The Greatest Singers of the 20th Century. Randomly opening the book, I picked four singers to profile. I did not pick the real famous like Caruso, nor did I pick myself (I was not in the book), but four singers you are really going to enjoy.
The Tenor talks about positive things you can do to reduce the damage caused by climate change.
Enjoy a little pub music, some choral music and a brief history of St. Paddy Day and of Irish music.
Polar Bears are a threatened species. Help to save the bears by adopting a "pet" bear - the small fuzzy stuffed toy kind - with funds going to save the bears and other artic concerns that affect us all. Save the planet, there isn't another one.
Sea grass is a very important part of the ecology of planet Earth. Without sea grasses, much of the life in the ocean will disappear. And, along with it, much of life on Earth which is dependent on the sea for its lively hood and even its existence. Save the sea grass. Protect the ocean and protect planet Earth. There is no Planet B.
While facing surmounting odds, many black opera singers, from the USA as well as other countries, have carved out careers, not only for themselves, but also for future generations.
The Tenor is angry at climate change and those who would do nothing so help save our planet for future generations.
I sang a lot in Munich, Germany. Here are some of the roles I sang, including a live performance of an aria from La Fanciulla del West and some other interesting things. Hope you enjoy.
Death is inevitable on the opera stage, some more dramatic than others. Opera’s most gripping last gasps: stabbings, suicides, consumption and asphyxiation or, maybe just a high Bb. Scenes from Aida, Lulu and La Boheme.
Three romantic duets, from Romeo et Juliette, Lohengrin and La Boheme, for Valentine's Day. Enjoy!!
As managing editor of the Eastsider, an arts and entertainment newspaper in the 1990s, I wrote many articles, reviews and opinion pieces. I took the best of these and created my book: Dateline Opera, Music, Theater. This program consists of three reviews from that book. A review of Three Penny Opera, Paul Robeson, a new musical, and the film Hilary and Jackie, about Jackie du Pre and her sister Hilary and the cellist's brilliant concert career ending early due to Multiple Sclerosis. A brilliant must see movie.
Tatiana Troyanos was a mezzosoprano of German and Greek parentage. After a difficult upbringing where she lived in State-run children's homes, she overcame her origins and became one of the Met's, and the world's, top mezzosopranos. Part of her early life was lived in the neighborhood torn down 25 years later to build Lincoln Center.
My life on the stage before and after opera. Songs from Carousel and Fiddler On the Roof. Enjoy!
Hopefully there is not too much snow where you are. I'll be back next week Monday, Jan. 11 at 7 pm with new episodes of the Angry Tenor. Ciao!
I will be off the air with a regular Angry Tenor until the middle of January. Here's a little bit of holiday music as my way of wishing you a happy holidays no matter which holiday you celebrate!
During every opera performance the chance of something going wrong is always there,, and if it can, it often will. Sometimes minor, sometimes catastrophic. Here are some of the things that happened to me. Disappearing knives, sword fights, guns, oh the guns, that don't go off and the backup fails also. And finally, the case of the missing shoes. Enjoy!
Taking a look at best singers at the turn of the century and now. A rare listen to the worst singer? in the world all time. And some interesting and not-so-interesting things about opera. Enjoy!
Top of my head includes some strange things I was asked to do as an opera singer. I also spend some moments reflecting on how I got to doing this podcast and my work with NPR on the Treasure Coast.
While the German and French Christmas Markets are closed this year due to the corona virus, I reminisce about some of the good times and, especially, the Gluehwein stands.
Last week I took a look at French Cabaret. This episode,I do the same for German Kabarett with some interesting old Kabaret music, including, "When you have a mother-in-law."
I also take a look at some of my favorite German opera houses, including a harrowing trip into East Berlin for a successful/not successful audition at the Deutches Staats Oper. Enjoy!
November 19 is Beaujolais Nouveau Day in France and around the world. A votre sante. Cabarets in Paris have been around for decades, but the only original remaining in Paris, if not the world, is the au Lapin Agile (The Nimble Rabbit). Moulin Rouge is also there. It may be classier, but is it all show and no substance? Enjoy!
Tosca has many stories, including the bouncing Tosca, the wayward firing squad and my own story of the tickling Tosca. My encounter with Tiefland, a popular opera in Germany by Eugene D"Albert, but not in USA. And, how do you fight a duel without a sword? Find out as I relate my experience in a production of Carmen.
The Covid pandemic is affecting all performing arts causing shutdowns, postponements and outright closures. Opera, Broadway, symphonies both in the big cities and regional are being forced to shut their doors. Will they ever open again? The Angry Tenor takes a look at the scene and what you can expect.
Politics has affected the arts since the beginning of musical understanding. Both Verdi and Mozart had run-ins with censors and politicians. Verdi's Masked Ball being a prime example. But the NEA in this country, part of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society has been attacked repeatedly by republican politicians who, I guess, could not understand, nor appreciate, music, art, theater and opera enough to want to help struggling artists and arts organizations . The Met's Klinghoffer, banning travel by Paul Robeson, and the fight against reading programs for the blind are prime examples of what they would de-fund. Trump may be the worst, trying to ban all funding for the NEA over the past three years. This makes me angry!
My first opera in Germany was MacDuff in Verdi's Macbeth which I had to learn in four days. Also, a profile of my voice teacher and Toscanni's favorite contralto, Sonia Essin. Enjoy!
After auditioning for Tito Capobianco in London, he casts me in the San Diego Verdi Festival's production of Nabucco. Trip to Mexico with Ezio Flagello and a look at the American baritone, Thomas Tipton.
My trip to London to audition for Tito Capobianco and almost sing Tosca at the English National Opera. But first, a unique experience with The Mikado. Enjoy!
News of the week. Bacchus in Ariadne as audition piece for Wiesbaden, then Scotland and ending up in Munich .Cavalleria Rusticana at the Eutin Music Festival.
Opera companies in Germany are already dealing with the COVID 19 pandemic by offering live opera at at the drive in movies. Also, a visit to Wiesbaden and the Eutiner Summer Music Festival honoring Carl Maria von Weber. That makes this angry tenor happy.
Placido Domingo's denial of harrassment charges. My encounters with Domingo. My encounters with Wolfgang Wagner and the three leading heldentenors at Bayreuth.