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Michel Plasson
Michel Plasson (born 2 October 1933, Paris, France) is a French conductor. Plasson was a student of Lazare Lévy at the Conservatoire de Paris. In 1962, he was a prize-winner at the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors. He studied briefly in the United States, including time with Charles Münch. He became the music director of the city of Metz for 3 years. In 1968, Plasson became principal conductor of the Orchestre et Chœurs du Capitole de Toulouse. His recordings with the orchestra include orchestral works, and operettas of Jacques Offenbach, including ''Orphée aux enfers'', '' La Vie parisienne'', ''La Périchole'' and ''La belle Hélène'', and Bizet's ''Carmen''. Plasson resigned as principal conductor in 2003 and now has the title of "Honorary Conductor", or conductor emeritus. From 1994 to 2001, he was principal conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic. Guest appearances include Grand Théâtre de Genève, De Nederlandse Opera (Amsterdam) and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance, such as an orchestral or choral concert. It has been defined as "the art of directing the simultaneous performance of several players or singers by the use of gesture." The primary duties of the conductor are to interpret the score in a way which reflects the specific indications in that score, set the tempo, ensure correct entries by ensemble members, and "shape" the phrasing where appropriate. Conductors communicate with their musicians primarily through hand gestures, usually with the aid of a baton, and may use other gestures or signals such as eye contact. A conductor usually supplements their direction with verbal instructions to their musicians in rehearsal. The conductor typically stands on a raised podium with a large music stand for the full score, which contains the musical notation for all the instruments or voices. Since the mid-19th century, most conductors have not played an instrument when conducting, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emmanuel Plasson
Emmanuel Plasson (born 1965) is a French conductor. Life Son of the conductor Michel Plasson, Emmanuel Plasson began piano music studies at the , before studying violin with his mother, Mercedes Plasson. He was awarded a gold medal in 1981. In 1984, he studied violin in David Takeno's class at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama of London, from which he graduated in 1986. In 1988, he premiered the concerto n°2 for violin and string orchestra by Aubert Lemeland on Radio France, a concerto which he recorded with the Ensemble instrumental de Grenoble.Presentation leaflet of the CD: *''Concerto pour violon et orchestre à cordes n°2'', Op.128; *''Élégie à la mémoire de Samuel Barber'', Op.125; *''Concerto pour alto et orchestre à cordes'', Op.139; *''Symphonie n°5 pour orchestre à cordes'', Op.124; Emmanuel Plasson, violin, François Jeandet, viola, Ensemble instrumental de Grenoble, dir. Marc Tardue, label Quantum, 1989-1990. Then, from the 1990s, Plasson continued ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barbara Hendricks
Barbara Hendricks (born November 20, 1948) is an American operatic soprano and concert singer. Hendricks has lived in Europe since 1977, and in Switzerland in Basel since 1985. She is a citizen of Sweden following her marriage to a Swedish citizen. Early life and education Hendricks was born in Stephens, Arkansas. Growing up, she sang and took voice lessons and was often asked to sing solos. She graduated from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with a bachelor's degree in mathematics and chemistry at the age of 20. She attended the Aspen Music Festival and School and then attended Juilliard School of Music in New York, where she studied with mezzo-soprano Jennie Tourel and participated in master classes led by soprano Maria Callas. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in music. Musical career In 1974, Hendricks made her professional operatic debut in Europe at the Glyndebourne Festival and in America at the San Francisco Opera. During her career, she has appeared at major o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Les Pêcheurs De Perles
' (''The Pearl Fishers'') is an opera in three acts by the French composer Georges Bizet, to a libretto by Eugène Cormon and Michel Carré. It was premiered on 30 September 1863 at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris, and was given 18 performances in its initial run. Set in ancient times on the island of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), the opera tells the story of how two men's vow of eternal friendship is threatened by their love for the same woman, whose own dilemma is the conflict between secular love and her sacred oath as a priestess. The friendship duet "", generally known as "The Pearl Fishers Duet", is one of the best-known in Western opera. At the time of the premiere, Bizet (born on 25 October 1838) was not yet 25 years old: he had yet to establish himself in the Parisian musical world. The commission to write ' arose from his standing as a former winner of the prestigious Prix de Rome. Despite a good reception by the public, press reactions to the work were generally hostile and dismiss ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Inva Mula
Inva Mula (born 27 June 1963) is an Albanian opera lyric soprano. She began her soprano career at a very early age. Her father (Avni Mula) and mother () were also opera singers. She is also known for providing the voice of the diva Plavalaguna in the film ''The Fifth Element''. Life and career Mula was born in Tirana, Albania, to Avni Mula and Nina Mula. Avni was an Kosovo Albanian man from Gjakova while Nina was a Russian woman from Izhevsk. In 1987 she won the Cantante d'Albania competition in Tirana and in 1988 the George Enescu Competition in Bucharest. In 1992 she won the Butterfly competition in Barcelona. She received an award at Plácido Domingo's first Operalia International Opera Competition in Paris, 1993. A CD of the event was released. She later performed in various concerts at the Opéra Bastille in Paris, and in Brussels for Europalia Mexico, in Munich, and in Oslo. In 1996 she performed Luigi Cherubini's opera ''Médée'' (which was taped for TV) at Compiègne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thomas Hampson (baritone)
Thomas Walter Hampson (born June 28, 1955) is an American lyric baritone, a classical singer who has appeared world-wide in major opera houses and concert halls and made over 170 musical recordings. Hampson's operatic repertoire spans a range of more than 80 roles, including the title roles in Mozart's ''Don Giovanni'', Rossini's ''Guillaume Tell'' and ''Il barbiere di Siviglia'', Thomas' ''Hamlet'', and Tchaikovsky's ''Eugene Onegin''. The center of his Verdi repertoire remains Posa in ''Don Carlo'', Germont in ''La traviata'', the title roles in ''Macbeth'' and ''Simon Boccanegra'', and more recently also Amfortas in Wagner's ''Parsifal'' and Scarpia in Puccini's ''Tosca''. As a recitalist Hampson has won worldwide recognition for his thoughtfully researched and creatively constructed programs that explore the rich repertoire of song in a wide range of styles, languages, and periods. He is one of the most important interpreters of German Romantic song – especially known fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roberto Alagna
Roberto Alagna (; born 7 June 1963) is a French operatic tenor. He obtained French citizenship in 1981, while also retaining his previous Italian citizenship. Early years Alagna was born in Clichy-sous-Bois, outside the city of Paris, in 1963 to a family of Sicilian immigrants. As a teenager, the young Alagna began busking and singing pop in Parisian cabarets, mostly for tips. Influenced primarily by the films of Mario Lanza and learning from recordings of many historic tenors, he then switched to opera, but remained largely self-taught. He was discovered by Gabriel Dussurget, the co-founder of the Aix-en-Provence Festival. Career After winning the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition, an initiative backed by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, that started in Modena in 1988, Alagna made his professional debut as Alfredo Germont in '' La traviata'' with the Glyndebourne touring company. This led to many engagements throughout the smaller cit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Angela Gheorghiu
Angela Gheorghiu (; ; born 7 September 1965) is a Romanian soprano, especially known for her performances in the operas of Puccini and Verdi, widely recognised by critics and opera lovers as one of the greatest sopranos of all time. Embarking her career in 1990, she made her Royal Opera House and Vienna State Opera debuts in 1992, followed by New York's Metropolitan Opera debut in 1993. She was catapulted to international stardom after starring as Violetta in Verdi's ''La traviata'' at Covent Garden in 1994. Her signature roles include Mimì in ''La bohème'', Magda in '' La rondine'', the title roles in ''Tosca'' and ''Adriana Lecouvreur''. She had performed frequently with French tenor Roberto Alagna, whom she first met in 1992 and married in 1996, in concerts and opera productions until their eventual divorce in 2013. Her voice is described as "...the most instantly recognizable and interesting soprano voice of our time. A liquid instrument of great lyrical beauty with gleami ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
L'Arlésienne (Bizet)
''L'Arlésienne'' is incidental music composed by Georges Bizet for Alphonse Daudet's drama of the same name, usually translated as ''The Girl from Arles''. It was first performed on 30 September 1872 at the Théâtre du Vaudeville in Paris. Macdonald, Hugh, The Bizet Catalog' Bizet's music consists of 27 numbers for chorus and small orchestra, ranging from pieces of background music (mélodrames) only a few measures long, to entr'actes. Macdonald, Hugh, The Bizet Catalog' The score achieves powerful dramatic ends with the most economic of means. Still, the work received poor reviews in the wake of the unsuccessful premiere and is not often performed now in its original form, although recordings are available. However, key pieces of the incidental music, most often heard in the form of two suites for orchestra, have become some of Bizet's most popular compositions. History Composition history In July 1872, Léon Carvalho, director of the Théâtre du Vaudeville in Paris, com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nicolas Rivenq
Nicolas Rivenq (born 1958) is a contemporary French baritone. Born in London, Rivenq studied music at the "École d'Art lyrique" of the Paris Opéra, as well as the Indiana University. He has participated in numerous productions of baroque music under the direction of William Christie, and with his ensemble, Les Arts florissants. He won the Viotti International Music Competition held at Vercelli (Italy) in 1990 by singing extracts from ''Le nozze di Figaro''. Selected discography * André Campra's ''Grands Motets'' (Virgin Classics, 2002) * Mozart's ''Idomeneo, re di Creta'', KV 366 (Harmonia Mundi, 2008) * Lully's '' Atys'', at FRA Musica / Harmonia Mundi (Blu-ray) * Mozart's ''Così fan tutte'' (Don Alfonso), BBC / Opus Arte (Blu-ray) * Bizet, ''Carmen'', Decca (1989) References External links Nicolas Rivenq France Musique * Nicolas Rivenq Who's who Nicolas Rivenq AllMusic Nicolas Rivenq AllMusic Nicolas Rivenq Operabase Nicolas Rivenq in Rameau's ''Les Sauvage ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rolando Villazón
Rolando Villazón Mauleón (born 22 February 1972) is a Mexican operatic tenor, stage director, author, radio and television personality and artistic director. He now lives in France, and in 2007 became a French citizen. Villazón has published several books, including the novels ''Malabares'' and ''Paladas de sombra contra la oscuridad'' which have been translated into French and German. He is a member of the 'Pataphysics#The Collège de 'Pataphysique, Collège de 'Pataphysique in Paris. Early life He was raised in Ciudad Satélite, Fuentes de Satélite, a suburban area of Greater Mexico City, Mexico. In an interview for Mexican television, Villazón told the story of how he was discovered as a tenor. He said that one day, as he was getting out of the shower in his apartment in Mexico City, somebody came knocking on his door; it was baritone Arturo Nieto, a friend of his neighbour, who had heard him singing while in the shower. He told Rolando he had an amazing voice and invited ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chansons
A (, , french: chanson française, link=no, ; ) is generally any lyric-driven French song, though it most often refers to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval and Renaissance music. The genre had origins in the monophonic songs of troubadours and trouvères, though the only polyphonic precedents were 16 works by Adam de la Halle and one by Jehan de Lescurel. Not until the '' ars nova'' composer Guillaume de Machaut did any composer write a significant number of polyphonic chansons. A broad term, the word "chanson" literally means "song" in French and can thus less commonly refers to a variety of (usually secular) French genres throughout history. This includes the songs of chansonnier, ''chanson de geste'' and Grand chant; court songs of the late Renaissance and early Baroque music periods, ''air de cour''; popular songs from the 17th to 19th century, ''bergerette'', ''brunette'', ''chanson pour boire'', ''pastourelle'', and vaudeville; art song of the roman ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
