| Tom & Katy Pargeter
and the growing Choral Group VIVACE performed Fauré's requiem and Vivaldi's Gloria, two super works
in The Parochial Church of San Miguel de Salinas on
Thursday 17th April 2008 - most glorious concerts are
planned for the future. |
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| Opera San Miguel presents Women in Opera at La Casa de Cultura
San Miguel de Salinas - February 2008 - Pictured Katy Pargeter with Councillor for Culture Miguel Peréz Sanchez and guests, Tom Pargeter with Abraham Rodriguez Lopez Culture Secretary, Manuel Pérez Mañogil and his wife and mother, lastly the talented
Accompanist Jean Hancock. |
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The San Miguel Opera
Ensemble - the workshop at The Casa de Cultura |
Star Tenor Stephen
George with surprise
guests Jackie & Russell Harris |
| 28 February - The grand performance at the end of the opera workshop week
was an extravaganza of Opera.
A full audience at The Casa de Cultura enjoyed an
evening on the Theme 'Women in Opera', which included a
varied selection of exerts from Carmen, Turendot and Cavalleria Rusticana.
We extend our congratulations and thanks to Tom & Katy Pargeter and the talented ensemble for bringing Opera to San Miguel de Salinas.
We are currently preparing an album of photographs taken during the evening.
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Opera Fans from
Northampton, Jackie & Russell Harris, planned to take a
leisurely trip to San Miguel de Salinas to support the
San Miguel Opera and most particularly surprise their
friend Stephen George... little did they realise that
the Grand Performance would be moved forward a day.
With a little help from this website re directions and
information about local accommodation at
Pensión La Oficina,
they raced from Alicante Airport in their hire car and
arrived with minutes to spare for the performance. As
the final curtain went down they completed their
surprise for Stephen. |
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Musical
Directors of Opera San Miguel, Tom & Katy Pargeter, make a significant
contribution to music from the foreign community in San
Miguel de Salinas - Music is in the soul of the
pueblo and this is displayed by the musical excellence of ensembles such
as these. We are now pleased to publish this from the
group about their exciting programme for February 2008:
After the success of last year's
Viva Verdi,
the response to this year's Opera Workshop has been even
greater. 36 singers will this year take to the stage in
the Casa de Cultura. During the last week of February,
they will learn and perform fully costumed extracts from
some of the best known and dramatic of the Grand Operas.
24 singers from UK will join 12 from the Costa Blanca
area for the week's workshop. San Miguel de Salinas and
the work of Opera San Miguel has firmly
placed the pueblo on the map in the UK musical world.
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Gina Cigna, the acclaimed 1930s opera singer who performed Turandot without rival: born Paris, 6 March 1900 - died Milan, 26 June 2001. |
Last
Year the week of Opera 19-23 February 2007 celebrated the work of Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) |
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This year, Opera San Miguel moves to the characterisation of Women in Opera
(hence our images) - Are they victims, heroines or villains?
In Turandot, Puccini's powerful music tells the tale of the ice cold Chinese Princess whose heart melts as she learns to love her Prince. What woman wouldn't on hearing the famous aria "Nessun Dorma".
Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni presents a total contrast in musical style, but none the less dramatic. Set on Easter Sunday in rural Sicily, we learn of love, jealousy and infidelity, and the tragic consequences that result - but can we apportion blame - and to whom? Included in the extract is the glorious Easter Hymn.
| The acclaimed diva Maria Callas, born in New York December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977 |
The costume of Rusticana
Siciliana |
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| There will also be solos, duets and ensemble numbers from Mozart's Cosi fan Tutti, Verdi's operas Rigoletto and Aida, and the beautiful duet from Bizet's The Pearl Fishers. All these varied items reflect different aspects of the feminine influence in the various opera plots. |
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The climax of the programme will be an extract from Carmen. Set in and around Seville, Bizet's score offers the extremes of emotion, ending with Carmen's death at the hands of her discarded lover Don José.
What was Carmen? Was she villain or victim? Come along during the week, and make up your own mind! Anyone who is interested in watching the work in progress will be welcome to come to the Casa de Cultura anytime during the week. Morning sessions are 10.00-1.00 and afternoon sessions 3.00-6.15.
The workshop runs from the afternoon of Sunday 24th February until the performance on Friday 29th February at 8.00. If you can't make it to any of the workshop sessions, the final performance will be well worth watching, if last year's was anything to go by.
The French opera singer Emma Calvé (1858–1942) became internationally famous for her performances in the title role of Georges Bizet's Carmen. She was a dramatic soprano noted for her acting ability.
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Opera San Miguel presenta Las Damas de la Opera
Casa de Cultura - San Miguel de Salinas - Febrero 2008
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| Tras el éxito de ‘Viva Verdi’ en el año 2007, el espectáculo que montaremos en Febrero 2008 será aun mejor, con la participación de 36 cantantes en la Casa de Cultura de San Miguel de Salinas.
Durante la última semana de Febrero, ellos aprenderán y representarán escenas de las más conocidas obras de ópera. 24 cantantes de Gran Bretaña se reunirán con 12 de la Costa Blanca durante la semana del taller.
El año pasado, el tema del taller fueron las obras de Verdi. Este año examinamos la caracterización de las mujeres en la ópera , como víctimas, heroínas o malvadas.
En Turandot, la musica de Puccini nos cuenta la historia de una princesa fría y dura de la China antigua, que aprende a amar a su príncipe (¡como todas las mujeres, cada vez que escuchamos la famosa ária (¡ ´Nessun Dorma´!)
Cavalleria Rusticana de Mascagni supone un contraste absoluto de música, pero la obra no es menos dramática. La historia ocurre el Domingo de Resurrección, en el campo siciliano. Vemos el amor, los celos, la infidelidad y las consecuencias trágicas que resultan de tanta emoción. ¿Pero es la mujer quién tiene la culpa? En esta escena, también escucharemos el famoso ´Himno de Pascua´.
Entre las demás árias, escucharemos solos, duetos y conjuntos de Cosi fan Tutti (Mozart), Rigoletto y Aida (Verdi), y Los Pescadores de Perlas (Bizet). Cada pieza musical ilustra un aspecto distinto de la mujer en la opera.
El gran finale de la tarde son unas escenas de Carmen. Una ópera que trata sobre el amor, el odio, los celos, la venganza, la obsesión erótica, el deseo y la locura. Gracias a su fascinante mezcla de exotismo y realidad, la historia sigue siendo hoy en día tan asombrosa como siempre lo ha sido. Una historia de amor con un final trágico, que se mantiene como uno de los finales más dramáticos de la historia con la muerte de Don José.
¿Y la propia Carmen, era una malvada o una víctima?
Si viene a vernos a finales de febrero, usted mismo podrá responder. Todos son bienvenidos a la Casa de la Cultura durante los ensayos, entre las 10.00-1.00 de la mañana o bien entre las 3.00-6.15 de la tarde, del 24 al 29 de febrero. La representación será el viernes 29 de febrero. |
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