Fred Plotkin

Fred Plotkin appears in the following:

The Wow Factor

Friday, February 27, 2015

There is a certain kind of “how did she do that?!” wow that voice cultists discuss when they hear sopranos hit a high F. Here are some other examples.
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Comments [8]

Changes at Palm Beach Opera Bear Fruit

Monday, February 23, 2015

At a time in which there are so many stories of challenge for small opera companies, Palm Beach Opera appears to have successfully reinvented itself, writes Fred Plotkin.
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Comments [5]

New Season, New Hopes at the Metropolitan Opera

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Fred Plotkin reviews the 2015-16 season announcement from the Metropolitan Opera and finds a lot to like.
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Comments [37]

Mozart's Multicultural Opera Opens in Paris

Friday, February 13, 2015

Mozart's "Orientalist" opera "The Abduction from the Seraglio" recently opened in Paris. As Fred Plotkin writes, it avoided an agit-prop juxtaposition of cultural clash.
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Comments [5]

Channelling Memories: Opera in 1970s Paris and London

Monday, February 09, 2015

As opera capitals, Paris and London had their ups and downs in the 1970s, but at their best they offered cheap tickets and top talent, writes Fred Plotkin.
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Comments [6]

Promoting Access for All

Thursday, February 05, 2015

For a person with physical disabilities, getting to the opera can pose particular challenges. Blogger Fred Plotkin offers some tips for those who are less mobile.
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Comments [2]

The Russians Are Here: NYC's Passionate Concert-Goers

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Russian speakers from the former USSR are a very important part of New York’s audience for opera and classical music. Fred Plotkin considers the roots of their passion.
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Comments [10]

Seeking a New Way to Price Tickets at the Metropolitan Opera

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Reduced price tickets to live Met performances come in various forms. Blogger Fred Plotkin examines where the best deals are.
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Comments [24]

Shades of Black and White and Very Little Gray

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

The Merry Widow is about money and whether it can bring happiness and salvation, a theme that is all too relevant today, writes Fred Plotkin.
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Comments [5]

Listening Back, Listening Forward

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Sometimes we hear a singer and immediately think of future roles for which they'd be suited. Then memory of past singers comes into play. Blogger Fred Plotkin explains.
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Comments [4]

Requiem Aeterna

Friday, January 09, 2015

It is likely that Verdi was not religious and had a healthy skepticism for many institutions, including church and state, writes Fred Plotkin. But his Requiem makes a powerful impact.
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Comments [4]

An Opera Lover's Resolutions

Monday, January 05, 2015

Read a synopsis before attending an opera, arrive early and don't wear noisy bracelets on your arms. These are a few of Fred Plotkin's New Year's suggestions for operagoers.
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Comments [21]

Francis of Assisi, in Brooklyn and in Music

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

As a new exhibition of documents tied to St. Francis of Assisi comes to Brooklyn, blogger Fred Plotkin considers the ways in which he influenced classical music and opera.
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Comments [5]

The Second Annual Excellence in Opera ('Freddie') Awards

Friday, December 19, 2014

In 2014, blogger Fred Plotkin heard 76 opera performances by 28 companies. "I am happy to report that there is a lot of wonderful, innovative work being done everywhere," he reports.  
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Comments [11]

When Opera Singers Groove to the Motown Sound

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

A surprising number of opera singers take an interest in the music of 1960s Motown, Fred Plotkin writes. Which Motown song do you think could work in a recital repertoire?
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Comments [3]

Searching for Messiah, in Dublin and New York

Friday, December 12, 2014

New Yorkers is home to various annual Messiah performances but Dublin is where it all got started. Blogger Fred Plotkin visits the site of the premiere.
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Comments [2]

For Irish Opera, Funding Troubles and Signs of Revival

Monday, December 08, 2014

Surveying Ireland's opera scene, Fred Plotkin writes, "I have found many reasons to hope for an operatic revival and a couple of causes for concern."
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'Sleeping' with Classical Musicians: Around the World in 69 Clicks

Monday, December 01, 2014

Hotels must meet a few requirements for blogger Fred Plotkin, including a clean room and a comfortable bed. He recently discovered one hotel with dozens of classical radio stations.
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The Message of Jessye Norman

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

On November 21, soprano Jessye Norman was honored at the Metropolitan Opera Guild’s 80th luncheon in the grand ballroom of New York’s Waldorf-Astoria hotel.
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Comments [7]

Arias at 34,000 feet

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Flyers often take refuge in inflight entertainment to pass the time when sleeping proves impossible. But blogger Fred Plotkin finds the classical music offerings variable.
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Comments [2]