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ENCOURAGING OTHERS
MARIA NOCKIN talks to
Stephen Costello and Ailyn Perez,
the young couple singing Gounod's 'Romeo and Juliet'
this month at San Diego Opera
When you see Romeo and Juliet as a play, the dramatic moments go by very fast. The opera emphasizes and prolongs them. -- Ailyn Perez
On a beautiful sunny day punctuated by a few clouds blowing in from the nearby Pacific Ocean, I came to San Diego Opera's eighteenth floor harbour-view office to interview the young couple that will be singing Romeo and Juliet for the company this month. Over the past year, Stephen Costello and Ailyn Perez have become two of the most popular young singers appearing at major opera houses around the world. Stephen arrived first, so I started by asking him about his background...
Copyright © 7 March 2010 Maria Nockin,
Arizona USA
Charles Gounod's Roméo et Juliette was first performed in Paris in 1867, and also received London and New York performances during the same year. The French libretto, by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, follows the story of Shakespeare's tragedy. From the first night, the opera was immediately popular and successful, and it received nearly four hundred performances during its first twenty years. San Diego Opera will perform the opera on Saturday 13, Tuesday 16, Friday 19 and Sunday 21 March 2010. The company's 2010 season finishes with Verdi's La traviata (17, 20, 23 and 25 April). Further information from www.sdopera.com or +1 619 533 7000. |
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