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Northern Ohio Opera League

OPERA INFO

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How To Tell If You are In A Famous Opera?

Nicole Soojung Callahan on May 20, 2015 in Music

You are a man who spends literally hours ranting about how the fairer sex cannot be trusted, yet you have never been faithful to anyone.

You are a woman and two possessive alpha males, both armed, are fighting over you. You’re surprised when this ends badly.

You employ a large retinue of servants far more worldly-wise than you whose only duties include dusting invisible furniture and giving you unsolicited romantic advice.

You find that you are never too busy to tell complete strangers about your all-consuming plans for revenge.

You discover that you have been flirting with your own brother and think, eh. I could do worse.

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10 Greatest Opera Singers of All Time

Opera has long been mistaken to be purely singing. Besides the orchestral music, acting, stage presence and interpretation of the music are what separates a diva from a group of singers. The voice in opera is usually split in to sopranos, mezzo-sopranos, tenors, baritones and basses. You might notice that sopranos and tenors make up 90% of the list. After all, it’s only over when the fat lady sings.

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What is Opera?

In its simplest definition, Opera is Voice! A musical instrument with power, and perfect pitch.

What is Opera and what are its origins?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Opera History.

Opera (English plural: operas; Italian plural: opere) is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text (called a libretto) and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance. The performance is typically given in an opera house, accompanied by an orchestra or smaller musical ensemble.

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The Fat Lady Sings!

The orchestra crescendos as a woman of ample proportions strides to the front of the stage, blonde braids trailing from under a horned helmet. Her gilded bosom heaves as she inhales, opens her lip-sticked maw and lets loose an earthshaking high note.

This is Brunhilde who inspired the proverb, “The opera ain’t over until the fat lady sings”.

But you can help make sure quality, classical, entertainment such as Opera stays healthy and doesn’t end in Northern Ohio by donating to NOOL, joining our Opera League to help prepare fun events or by attending our events. So as one Opera ends, please walk into our Lobby, and get ready for fun!!!

Wagner had long desired to have a special festival opera house, designed by himself, for the performance of the Ring. In 1871, he decided on a location in the Bavarian town of Bayreuth. In 1872, he moved to Bayreuth, and the foundation stone was laid. Wagner would spend the next two years attempting to raise capital for the construction, with scant success; King Ludwig finally rescued the project in 1874 by donating the needed funds. The Bayreuth Festspielhaus opened in 1876 with the first complete performance of the Ring, which took place from 13 August to 17 August.
The plot revolves around a magic ring that grants the power to rule the world, forged by the Nibelung dwarf Alberich from gold he stole from the Rhine maidens in the river Rhine. With the assistance of Loge, Wotan — the chief of the gods — steals the Ring from Alberich, but is forced to hand it over to the giants, Fafner and Fasolt. Wotan’s schemes to regain the Ring, spanning generations, drive much of the action in the story. His grandson, the mortal Siegfried, wins the ring — as Wotan intended — but is eventually betrayed and slain as a result of the intrigues of Alberich’s son Hagen. Finally, the Valkyrie Brünnhilde — Siegfried’s lover and Wotan’s estranged daughter — returns the ring to the Rhine maidens. In the process, the gods and their home, Valhalla, are destroyed.

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NoOhioOperaLeague@aol.com

Donors/Sponsors/People of Recognition

Mary Hamlin was NOOL’s President for 7 years before her passing in 2017. She also led the local chapter of Daughters of the British Empire, was a Board Member of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation and the personal British Garden caretaker for decades. She was a proper, gentle lady who helped NOOL in its early years with steadfast devotion to Opera. Such dedicated board members should always be remembered. She is pictured below with her husband Clive during NOOL’s Dancing With the Dinosaurs Benefit at the Cleveland History Museum.

Clive Hamlin & wife NOOL President Mary Hamlin.

John Ingold and Phyllis Donnelly Ingold. This couple have been worker bees in numerous organizations for decades including the Cleveland Opera League and Charter members of NOOL. In many instances they maintained address lists, created fliers and invitations as well as reserving venues, ordering meals and almost everything else needed to create benefits. John was more of the administrator, set up and tear down worker for Phyllis while Phyllis was the creative half of the partnership. No one ever donated so many silent auction items as John and Phyllis. Fussy how everything gets done their personal friendships helped fill many a venue.

John Ingold and NOOL Membership Chairlady Phyllis Donnely-Ingold.

Greg and Marcia Snavely Polyak. This couple were on the Cleveland Opera Board and Charter members of NOOL. Marcia is locally famous for her piano playing just about every benefit gig and party. Most often she donates her professional playing abilities helping each organization make a profit. She is known to have music put in front of her moments before playing it for the professional. This sight reading ability allows her to play just about any style of music making her a very busy pianist for so many groups they can’t all be listed. But being a professional musician continually since age six was only half of her story as she was also a Chemist for 40 years.

Greg is a worker bee having been the following: V.P., Secretary, NOOL Webmaster/creator as well as NOOL’s Facebook web page master, 2nd V.P., event Chair, Master of Ceremonies, usually hired the entertainment, helped with event set up and tear down and more. Together they always Donated Silent Auction items as well as buying many of other silent auction items at every single benefit. Greg is also on numerous other nonprofit boards doing similar work on each board be it an Orchestra, Arts, Ethnic, International Grant group or Wine Tasting Society. With 10 kids, 20 Grandkids with 2 more arriving in 2019 they are the Energizer Bunnies of Cleveland’s nonprofits.

Greg Polyak and Marcia Polyak

Important Donors/Sponsors: There are a number of ways to donate to NOOL. There is Cash, Silent Auction Items, Membership dues at different levels, Hosting a benefit in one’s home, and providing Prize money or by Paying stipends to entertainers. The list will never be perfect. It contains names of people who have donated over many years to those who have donated for shorter periods of time but in larger ways. So please excuse any failures, exclusions or other wrongs but feel free to contact me for additions or corrections. Additions to the list will continue making it a living expanding praise of thanks. To be continued.