slay me with VOICE!

I had so much fun with the opera last night that I watched it again today!
And guess what?
Maria Zouves signed off at the end with puns!
She said, "We're glad you joined us this evening for "Death, By Aria". Truly this kind of program is to die for, and it just slays me!"
She was even part of the Bento box, enthusiastically washing her hands to Puccini's "Quando m’en vo"!

Of course, she had only used a 20-second snippet there.
The full version of the song from "La Bohème" was up next, with Evelyn Saavedra and Jessica Ann Best playing beautifully off each other, both in voice and in dress!
Also, as we were given a peek into the artist's abodes, I love the saying on the soprano's wall:
"dream until your dream comes true".
Very nice!

Speaking of backgrounds, does Liz Lang have access to a castle?
I mean... WOW!!!
Not only is her voice lovely, but she dances very well and truly turns her pieces into theatrical numbers.
I know not everyone has that opportunity, especially during these times, but I must say it's refreshing to see.
It was good to have the subtitles, too, for "Meine Lippen" - thanks!

Not that subtitles are essential, but because the song was about her dancing mother, I liked them.
Kathleen Buccleugh didn't use them, but she had a prelude about her song, "Chacun le sait", being from a maiden cheering on soldiers.
I very much liked that she put a bit of sass in her moves!
Nice chapel in the background, too.
The stained glass picks up the color in her dress!

Since I'm on the topic of dresses, Natalie Rumer had a very lovely one.
The fabric looked to be perhaps of a brocade nature - such beautiful, velvety, blues!
As a former seamstress, I appreciate touchable textures and this one, worn for "Nimmermehr wird mein Herze sich grämen", certainly looked like fabric that would have caught my eye and my fingertips.
It also added to a well-composed background for her video.

There's a lot to be said for care in background composition.
I love the diverse nature of this video for the familiar piece from "Il barbiere di Siviglia"!
Howard Watkins' space was richly, but darkly toned, whereas William Desbiens had but a white canvas, allowing him to paint the scene with his vibrant movements.
Plus, the camera work and editing added an element of fun!

However, all of that finagling is best as the exception, not the rule, when making a video of a music performance.
Lawrence Barasa Kiharangwa, with Nathalie Fortin as accompanist, kept the background to a minimum, allowing the tones and melody to shine for "Salut! Demeure chaste et pure" in a classic recital setting.
I have really enjoyed the variety in this incarnation of the Savannah Voice Festival!

I've loved the antics of the lounge singer, too, and his burgundy velvet jacket and sketchy mustache!
That Giani Canto, what a cut-up!
This time, he considered cooking a real Italian meal -
then he considered the pile of dishes to be washed -
how about a frozen pizza instead?
But he catnapped and burnt it!
Hooray for delivery!
Hahahaha! Hahaha!

The Stay-At-Home svf-8 had two incredible surprises for this episode: world premieres!
The first of these was from a new Michael Ching opera, titled "The Royal Feast".
Cloe SanAntonio, a mezzo-soprano, was gifted with performing one of the songs, "Live And Let Live" - and we were gifted with being the first to ever hear it.
What a delight and a special treat for those in the audience!

The other world premiere was originally slated for airing in the spring.
Written to encourage his pupils, "Letter To A Young Artist" emphasizes the importance of holding fast to their dreams.
(Where did I see that earlier?)
Composed by Jonathan Walker-VanKuren, the tenor and teacher, with the aid of Patrick Vu in its creation and on piano, I encourage listening to the hope-filled lyrics.

This piece, though, this one truly spoke to me.
Kurt Weill's "Lonely House", performed with perfect emotional nuances by Zachary Sebek, sums up life as a single person during a time of pandemic.
The words, of being "lonely, in a lonely house, in a lonely town", are perfect for such a situation.
Bravissimo - and, nice tie!
Now to look forward to words from Sherrill Milnes tonight!
(smile!)