Instructor: Ifan Payne

Format: Hybrid (Zoom or In-Person)

Dates: 3/7, 3/14, 3/21 (Tuesdays)

Time: 3:15-5:15 pm

3 sessions: $60

The first recording of a human singing voice was made in France on April 9, 1860. By listening to recorded excerpts by legendary singers and orchestras from the earliest days of audio recording to the present day, students will examine the history of changing performing styles over the last century and a half. The course consists of an audio-visual presentation that will include, but not be limited to, comparing audio excerpts while following the vocal score of selected arias in the operas by Puccini, Wagner, Debussy, Dvořák, and Monteverdi to be presented during the 2023 Santa Fe Opera season.

Ifan Payne has written extensively over many decades in both the US and the UK on recordings, opera, and the performing arts. He particularly enjoys sharing historic recordings with students and analyzing and comparing differences between performances.

The above information is excerpted from the Spring 2023 RENESAN Catalog.