Opera Discovery Concert Part 1/2: Why does the Soprano Have to Die?

Join us for this two-part series presented by award-winning opera professional and educator Natalie Mann, who holds a Doctor of Music from Indiana University.
Opera has many traditions - and one of the most famous is how the female heroine meets a tragic fate. The stereotype is so commonplace that it became a sports analogy when sportswriter Dan Cook penned in 1976, “The opera ain’t over until the fat lady sings.” In this lecture, we will observe how composers use soprano voices as tragic heroines, looking at the compositional and storytelling aspects of the operas. Natalie Mann will present a fresh perspective on how listeners can evaluate operas. In addition to the lecture, she will also be performing selected arias live with pianist Bruce Mangum.