San Diego Opera Podcast

In past seasons tenor, Stephen Costello has appeared on the San Diego Opera stage in the serious roles of Faust and Romeo in Gounod's two masterworks. Opening January 26, he takes on comedy in the role of Tonio in The Daughter of the Regiment for the first time. In this interview Nicolas Reveles, the Geisel Director of Education & Outreach, talks to Costello about his career and how he's approaching this challenging comic character.

From Thomas Becket to Sergeant Sulpice, from Amonasro to the High Priest of Dagon, we have a parade of exciting lower voices coming to you this season. Watch and listen as Nicolas Reveles, The Geisel Director of Education & Outreach for San Diego Opera, reveals it all to you!

Taking a break from our series on voice-types for the 2013 Season, Dr. Nicolas Reveles, The Geisel Director of Education & Outreach for San Diego Opera, reflects on the meaning of opera, what it is about this art form that attracts us, why we go to the opera and what is the essence of it, what makes it 'tick'. You're invited to come along on a meditative journey about the artform that transforms us!

Tenors are considered by many audience members as the 'glories' of opera. What they do seems beautiful, athletic, stunning and unreasonable, all at once. Well, we have some wonderful tenor roles this upcoming season: Tonio in The Daughter of the Regiment, Samson in Samson and Delilah, and Radames in Aida. Tune in as Nicolas Reveles, the Geisel Director of Education and Outreach opens up the world of the operatic tenor in this week's installment.

There are two major mezzo-soprano roles in this upcoming opera season: Delilah in Saint-Saens' Samson and Delilah and the Princess Amneris in Verdi's Aida. Both roles are major dramatic commitments for the mezzo that demand lyricism and declamatory singing. Let Nicolas Reveles, our Director of Education and Outreach, give you a quick review of these two roles!

Starting today, a new series of podcasts about the various voice-types that you'll hear in the 2013 Season. Let's start with the sopranos; we have three stunning roles for soprano this season in Marie from The Daughter of the Regiment, the corifea or 'chorister' from Murder in the Cathedral and Aida in the Verdi opera of the same name. Let Nicolas Reveles, Director of Education and Outreach, introduce you to the lovely music written for soprano by composers Donizetti, Pizzetti and Verdi in this exciting podcast!

As we look forward to the presentation of Cruzar la cara de la luna, the first mariachi opera, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at mariachi style and its history. This is an easy, brief introduction to the style that you may think you know (but probably really don't!) Watch and listen to Nicolas Reveles, the Geisel Director of Education and Outreach, as he unfolds the style and history of mariachi for you.

The orchestra is a major element in the presentation of an opera, and is foremost in the establishment of setting, time, emotion, psychological state...creating the 'sonic environment' for the telling of a powerful story. Watch and listen as Nicolas Reveles, Director of Education and Outreach for San Diego Opera, shares some important orchestral moments from the upcoming 2013 Season!

Every opera has a chorus. Well, not quite every opera: Cruzar la cara de la luna doesn't have an 'official' chorus, although the band (in this case the Mariachi Vargas) joins in enthusiastically with some of the singers in the opera! But Daughter of the Regiment, Murder in the Cathedral, Samson and Delilah and Aida definitely DO have choruses, and great ones at that! Join Dr. Nicolas Reveles as he shares some of that wonderful music with you!

Last week, arias: the solo 'songs' for singers in an opera. Today, duets: compositions or pieces for two singers in an opera. There are some stunning examples of duets this coming season, and Dr. Nicolas Reveles, the Geisel Director of Education and Outreach for San Diego Opera, gives you some examples for your listening (and educational!) pleasure.