Podcasts about dark sisters

Send us a textDoug & Ben discuss Nico Muhly's DARK SISTERS and W.A. Mozart's DON GIOVANNI with Kiana Lily, Metropolitan Opera District Winner.

 In honor of this year's summer learning theme, Dig In, we're digging into some authors we already know with the Books and Bites Bingo prompt, read another book by an author you love. Carrie's PickNorthanger Abbey by Jane Austen, a coming of age story that satirizes Gothic novels. Seventeen year-old Catherine Morland visits Bath with family friends, where she indulges in her love of reading Gothic novels. When her new friends, Henry and Eleanor Tilney, invite her to their home in a former abbey, Catherine's overactive imagination almost gets the better of her.Pairing: Bath Buns, a sweet enriched yeast dough bun that was reportedly a favorite of Austen's. Michael's PickGone to See the River Man by Kristopher Triana. This splatterpunk novel follows Lori, a superfan of the notorious serial killer, Edmund Cox. She corresponds with him regularly and even goes as far as to visit him in prison. During one visit, he gives her a task to prove her devotion that she of course eagerly accepts.Pairing: Mississippi Delta Infusion, a refreshing cocktail inspired by the birthplace of the Delta Blues.Jacqueline's PickClockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. When orphan Tessa Gray's aunt dies, Tessa travels across the ocean to reunite with her brother, Nathanial, her only living relative. Upon her arrival, the Mysterious Dark sisters kidnap Tessa, who work for the Magister. During her captivity, Tessa learns that she has the power to transform into other people. The Magister wants to marry Tessa and use her ability. The Dark Sisters threaten to hurt her and her brother if she fails to comply with their demands to change into other people.Pairing: Angel Food Cake, a light, airy dessert that goes great with fresh berries.

Richard is currently editing a macabre feature film called The Dark Sisters. His feature film King Judith is available in wide release through Indie Rights Movies. My previous feature, A Ship of Human Skin, is available in wide release through Gravitas Ventures. His films have been shown at Alchemy Moving Image, Anthology Film Archives, Arizona Underground, AVIFF Cannes, Bare Bones, Berlin Revolution, Black Maria, Blow-Up (Chicago Art House), Dallas VideoFest, KERA (PBS), Proyector International, SENE, ShockFest, SXSW, and many other festivals. Check out his work on Vimeo and his website. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/experimentalfilmpodcast/support

This week we have Andreas Hager on the podcast! Andreas is a stage director who is currently mounting a new production of Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters in Northwest Arkansas with Opera Fayetteville. Andreas and I had a wonderful chat about the beauty of Northwest Arkansas, the flood at Houston Grand Opera, and forcing opera singers … Continue reading Episode #122: Doing the Work with Andreas Hager →

The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still. Discover the riveting first book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Infernal Devices Trilogy, prequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series. In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series. The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them.... Editorial Reviews Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still. When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos. Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own. Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all. I tried to access the sample of this book on the Amazon site, but it wouldn't load on my computer. I don't know if others would find it there if they tried, so I gave up and bought the book on Audible, intending to write an entire review. I got the audio book because the ebook was $10.99 and I could get it on audible, with our monthly account for one $13 token. Since I have much more time to listen than I do to sit down and read a book, I knew I was more likely to finish it this way. I might point out that the paperback book is listed for less than $8 which doesn't make sense to me, unless you are trying to encourage people to buy physical books. So here is the first chapter, which is actually a prolog. I know. Don't get me started. I'll talk about that later. (Read the prolog) The prolog doesn't prepare us for the story or answer any questions for us. In fact it leaves us with a number of questions that we will later cause us to exclaim, or sigh, and say, Oh, that who that is, That's what Will meant, or So, this was an important point. In the prolog we don't meet Tessa. The first chapter introduces us to her and introduces her to the Dark Sisters. I won't give anything away that the books own blurb didn't when I say that living with the dark sisters was a negative experience. Tessa displays her intelligence and her drive when she escapes from these two evil women and falls in with the Shadowhunters. As I was working on this review my editor-alter-ego tried to take over and looked for as many things wrong as I could find. I don't care who you are, things can be found that are wrong with any book--so much of right and wrong in literature is based on personal likes and dislikes. So, before any of my potentially negative comments can be taken wrong, I want to go over the things that I really liked about this book. Cassandra Claire is an excellent story teller. She well deserves the many New York Times best sellers she has earned. I was immediately in the story with Tessa on the docks in England feeling out of place and anxious. I listened to an audio version, which has its benefits and its drawbacks. On the plus side, the narrator was talented and helped to bring the story to life. For the most part, she held my attention. There were occasions where I was so into the story that I wonder if I missed some salient points, which I will come to later. When I'm listening, I can't always rewind and see if I heard correctly or if I missed something, not like you can flip back to a paragraph and reread, when you have a book in your hands. I liked the characters, though in the beginning I was a bit confused about who was who as the many characters of the Shadowhunters seemed to all come at once. I'm still not sure who all of them were. The main characters were pretty clearly rounded out, even if they didn't act they way I would have wanted them to. I never really got to like Will. I'm not sure if we were supposed to feel sorry for him or admire his independent aloofness. By the end of the book I had him rating more as a jerk than as a hero. The plot was solid with numerous satisfying twists which I didn't see coming. I did see one of them which allowed Tessa to make a mistake. Of course, the mistake propelled the conflict forward and with it, a major action scene. Sometimes it seems like our otherwise intelligent and competent characters have to make dumb choices for the sake of the plot. We are warned in the synopsis that this is the first book of a trilogy. As such, many questions are left unanswered. Tessa has a full character arc in coming to grips with who she is and what her magical abilities might be, but much of the balance of the story is still up in the air. One aspect of both of the blurbs that I read states, "Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still." It makes it appear that this is the theme of the book. If it is, I am left unconvinced. I think the story makes the point that trust in, or dedication to, someone you love can be dangerous, but love is not what causes the danger. I thought Tessa was a little passive. She starts out showing some real gumption as she defies the Dark Sisters and fights for her freedom. Leaving that prison she's reluctant to join in with the Shadow Hunters for fear that they are going to use her like the sisters tried to, and then she is suddenly doing exactly what the Hunters ask her to do without any of her former resistance. She pretty much goes with the flow until the end of the story when she finally pulls up her socks and takes charge. I could accept more of her passivity if she had some internal dialog or conflict explaining why she was going along with the hunters. If you find vampires alluring, you may be disappointed as those who appeared in the Clockwork Angel seemed weak and unusually fragile.   My other major concern with the plot was what the clockwork angel had to do with anything. It was on a necklace that Tessa wore. I think she got it from her parents and had some emotional attachment. At times the small device came to life and fluttered its wings. How it did that, or what brought on the action was never clear to me. I would think that the name sake of the entire book would have received some resolution. I don't know if I'll go on to listen to the rest of the books in the series and trilogy, but I recommend this book to any lover of YA Steampunk as this book brings that mythological period of time to life with all its clockwork attackers, foggy London streets, and sword slashing, magic casting, battles.    

Guest producer Matthan Black is joined by creative consultant Oliver Camacho on our annual Hallowe'en show! Listen, if you dare, to the scariest music in the opera repertoire... Then, be brave and join Matthan and Oliver 'Inside the Huddle' when they interview horror film composer Ross Crean... Plus, 'Monday Evening Quarterback' takes you into the terrifying world of Nico Muhly's opera "Dark Sisters" at Third Eye Ensemble... And, you get all your opera head(less)lines in 'The Two Minute Drill'... Whatever you do, don't look behind you... #operaballs

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess kick off their read of the Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare, starting with book one, Clockwork Angel. A prequel to the Mortal Instruments series, the Infernal Devices series follows Shadowhunters living in Victorian England. We meet Tessa Gray, a young American going to live with her brother when she is captured by a pair of women called the Dark Sisters. While in their care, she is forced to reveal the strange power that she has - the ability to shapeshift into different people - a power that she herself didn't know that she had. According to the Sisters, she is to be groomed as the bride of their leader, a mysterious figure known only as "the Magister." Tessa is rescued by two Shadowhunters, Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs, who take her to the Institute. There, Tessa begins the process of trying to discover what she is and to solve the mystery of what really happened to her brother. Both Denise and Jess are big fans of Cassandra Clare and, while they've both started this trilogy in the past, neither one of them has actually finished it. Jess admits that these books include yet another one of her fictional crushes, one Will Herondale. Other well-known characters from the Mortal Instruments make appearances as well, like the warlock Magnus Bane and the vampire Camille Belacort. Some things mentioned in the show: Adagio Teas - Do you enjoy a good cup of tea? How about blends dedicated to your favorite fandom! Jess wholeheartedly endorses Adagio for all your tea needs. HebelDesign - For custom made jewelry based off the Mortal Instruments, the Infernal Devices, and more. Be sure to join us next week as we discuss book two, Clockwork Prince! Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

The Opera Company of Philadelphia will host the local premieres of two exciting new American operas over the next several months: Nico Muhly and Stephen Karam's Dark Sisters and Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell's Silent Night. Both operas had their world premiere in November 2011. Podcast hosts Michael Bolton and Maren Montalbano talk with two Philadelphia favorites, soprano Jennifer Check (Almera in Dark Sisters) and baritone Troy Cook (Father Palmer in Silent Night) about these operas and their experience working with the amazingly gifted creators of these operas.

The Opera Company of Philadelphia will host the local premieres of two exciting new American operas over the next several months: Nico Muhly and Stephen Karam's Dark Sisters and Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell's Silent Night. Both operas had their world premiere in November 2011. Podcast hosts Michael Bolton and Maren Montalbano talk with two Philadelphia favorites, soprano Jennifer Check (Almera in Dark Sisters) and baritone Troy Cook (Father Palmer in Silent Night) about these operas and their experience working with the amazingly gifted creators of these operas.

DARK SISTERS director Rebecca Taichman, conductor Neal Goren and composer Nico Muhly discuss the challenges of staging a contemporary opera, how the score guides the staging process, creating characters in opera, and the use of hymns in the music.

DARK SISTERS director Rebecca Taichman, conductor Neal Goren, and composer Nico Muhly discuss the challenges of directing opera, the benefits of "tablework" and the workshop process in opera, the role of physical movement in DARK SISTERS, and the relationship between vocal writing and characterization in the opera.

A conversation between composer Nico Muhly and historian and author Ken Verdoia about the themes surrounding Nico Muhly and Stephen Karam's new opera DARK SISTERS, to be premiered by Gotham Chamber Opera and Music-Theatre Group in Novmeber, 2011. Part 1 of this three-part series begins with a discussion on the ramifications of the 1953 Short Creek raid, the FLDS and the definition of family, and plural marriage in the context of the American experience. For more information about DARK SISTERS, please visit http://www.darksistersopera.org

A conversation between composer Nico Muhly and historian and author Ken Verdoia about the themes surrounding Nico Muhly and Stephen Karam's new opera DARK SISTERS, to be premiered by Gotham Chamber Opera and Music-Theatre Group in November, 2011. Part 3 of this three-part series discusses polygamy, the plural marriage community, and the New England roots of LDS and FLDS. For more information about DARK SISTERS, please visit http://www.darksistersopera.org

Librettist Stephen Karam discusses his libretto for DARK SISTERS, the collaboration process with composer Nico Muhly, and the relationship between music and words in the opera. DARK SISTERS is a new opera by Nico Muhly and Stephen Karam, and is co-commissioned and co-produced by Gotham Chamber Opera, Music-Theatre Group and Opera Company of Philadelphia. For more information, please visit http://www.darksistersopera.org

A conversation between composer Nico Muhly and historian and author Ken Verdoia about the themes surrounding Nico Muhly and Stephen Karam's new opera DARK SISTERS, to be premiered by Gotham Chamber Opera and Music-Theatre Group in Novmeber, 2011. Part 2 of this three-part series explores the geography of early America in the time of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, the idea of "This Is The Place", and religious education within the LDS community. For more information about DARK SISTERS, please visit http://www.darksistersopera.org