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Our motto: "Critical thinking in the cheap seats." Unbiased, honest classical music and opera opinions, occasional obituaries and classical news reporting, since 2007. All written content © 2019 by Paul J. Pelkonen. For more about Superconductor, visit this link. For advertising rates, click this link. Follow us on Facebook.
Showing posts with label Julie Boulianne. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Julie Boulianne. Show all posts

Monday, October 22, 2012

The Superconductor Interview: Misplaced Childhood

Julie Boulianne sings L'enfant et les sortilèges.
by Paul J. Pelkonen
The destroyer: Julie Boulianne sings the Child in Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges
at Boston's Symphony Hall. Photo © 2012 IMG Artists.
It's not easy being a brat.

That's certainly the case for Canadian mezzo-soprano Julie Boulianne , who sings the title role in the Boston Symphony Orchestra's two performances of Maurice Ravel's opera L'enfant et les sortiléges ("The Child and the Enchantments") at Symphony Hall this week. The concert marks Ms. Boullaine's debut at Symphony Hall.

"It's a little tough," she admits in a telephone interview with Superconductor, speaking of the title role in this opera, an obnoxious brat who destroys his possession and his surroundings only to have them come to life and take umbrage at his behavior. "He's all over the place. "He's so mean to everybody."

"It's really written like a child would sing it," she says. "The comments (in the score) are 'child-like' and vocally you feel as if you are a child too. I bring something different to the voice and the musical phrasing--I try to keep it as a younger child would sing it without taking away the beauty of the music."

Monday, March 29, 2010

Opera Review: Songs from the Big Chair

L'Etoile at City Opera.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Jean-Poaul Fouchécourt as King Ouf, out for a stroll in L'Etoile
Photo © 2010 New York City Opera
Emmanuel Chabrier's charming opéra bouffe returned to the stage of the David Koch Theater to open the New York City Opera's spring season. If this sunny staging is any indication, the beleaguered company is back on its feet and headed in the right direction.

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Critical Thinking in the Cheap Seats