Cange’s Corner Articles

The late, great Johnny Cash utilized a unique trumpet fanfare as the musical introduction to his 1963 single, "Ring of Fire".  The use of mariachi brass throughout, set this song apart--at least as far as country music was concerned--and resulted in a blaze of glory (pardon the pun) as the…

One of the more delightful aspects of coming to Dallas the past few years has been carving out the time to visit some old friends from college (undergraduate school) who have settled in the area for their livelihood.  My best friend in college, and among the first persons I had…

As I attended a performance of Rigoletto on April 2, 2011 (one day after opening night of Boris Godunov) with my girlfriend Tracy, I must admit that I was thrilled to have been approached by several audience members who had already seen Boris at either our final dress rehearsal, or…

One of the negative effects of participating so actively in the operatic forum is that of occasionally becoming musically ‘land-locked’.  After day-in and day-out of rehearsal, where the centerpiece is musical, sometimes the last thing we want to do in our free time is take in more music.  Oft times,…

I sit in the auditorium, on this Monday night, of the spectacular new Winspear Opera House that is now home to a rejuvenated Dallas Opera.  Although the company itself, like so many arts organizations these days, is struggling mightily in the budget arena, it has not stopped them from mounting…

So how does one experience a literal 48 hour Wednesday, and completely lose a Tuesday from their life? It's easy; just head "down-under" and come back really fast!! You see, I spent a magnificent, long weekend in Montgomery, Alabama (read previous post) working with some wonderfully talented and dedicated young…

As some of you know, in addition to my operatic performance career, I have spent the last four years establishing (by invitation) a small but growing vocal institute in Montgomery, Alabama; a city with which I have had a decades-long association.  As the Artistic Director of the Vann Vocal Institute…

As the city of Chicago sustains the crippling "Blizzard of 2011" (replete with thunder and lightning) on this February 1st, and I watch with delight from my large bank of living room windows in this truly Windy City tonight; my mind is wandering back to the sunny mid 70 degree…

For the faithful readers of my blog (and I DO thank you), and for the occasional visitors to it; I thought it might be fun to post a short missive on what really goes on in the wings of the stage and, in fact, on-stage or just behind the set…

When I was first starting off in the opera business, I remember being impressed when I heard that a fellow singer had just flown in from London, Paris, San Francisco, or New York.  So romantic it seemed; and I wondered if I would ever get the chance to be the…

The last three and a half weeks here at New York's Metropolitan Opera have been interesting, to say the least.  We have been busy staging Puccini's La Fanciulla del West, or technically speaking, "remounting" the production that was set forth some 20 years ago by sometimes "controversial" opera director Giancarlo…

On October 23 2010, the first of my two contracts with the Metropolitan Opera for this season came to an end.  The second contract is scheduled to begin on November 11 (the day after my birthday).  So when the curtain comes down for the last time in the run of…