Vincent (opera)

Vincent is an opera in three acts by Einojuhani Rautavaara first performed in 1990. The libretto was by the composer, and consists of scenes from the life of the artist Vincent van Gogh, told in retrospect.

The opera

Vincent, the composer’s fourth full-length opera, was first performed at the Helsinki Opera House on 17 May 1990. The idea of the piece emerged when Jorma Hynninen, showing a photo of himself to Rautavaara, asked the composer who he looked like. The answer was Van Gogh; Hynninen created the title role, and recorded it the same year. Told in flashback, the opera revolves around Vincent’s relationships with the prostitute Maria, his fellow painter Paul Gauguin and his brother Theo. The orchestral preludes are named after three of Van Gogh’s paintings. The score covers both serialism and tonal writing, with colourful orchestration. Rautavaara used some material from the opera in his 6th symphony Vincentiana.

Roles

Synopsis

After an orchestral prelude (Starry Night), the first act opens in the mental hospital of Saint-Rémy, amidst the sounds of the other inmates, along with Doctor Rey, his secretary, the hospital priest and chief guard. Vincent hears voices and his mind is cast back to his childhood. When called to supper Vincent offers twelve other patients his flesh and blood, but they flee, terrified. Vincent recalls his art and his friendship with his brother Theo. Next Vincent has visions of a mining accident in the village of Borinage, followed by other incidents from his childhood, and then Maria Hoornik. After recalling a meeting where Vincent, as a lay preacher, gives a political and religious sermon, and its aftermath, he promises sun and light for those in darkness. The act closes with an extended duet for Theo and Gaby reflecting on spirit and inspiration.

Opera (web browser)

Opera is a web browser developed by Opera Software. The latest version is available for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux operating systems, and uses the Blink layout engine. An earlier version using the Presto layout engine is still available, and additionally runs on FreeBSD systems.

Opera siblings – Opera Mobile, Opera Mini and Opera Coast – work on devices running Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Symbian, Maemo, Bada, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile operating systems, while Opera Mini runs on Java ME-capable devices.

According to Opera Software, the browser had more than 350 million users worldwide in the 4th quarter 2014. Total Opera mobile users reached 291 million in June 2015. Opera has been noted for originating many features later adopted by other web browsers. A prominent example is Speed Dial.

History

Opera began in 1994 as a research project at Telenor, the largest Norwegian telecommunications company. In 1995, it branched out into a separate company named Opera Software ASA. Opera was first released publicly with version 2.0 in 1996, which only ran on Microsoft Windows. In an attempt to capitalize on the emerging market for Internet-connected handheld devices, a project to port Opera to mobile device platforms was started in 1998. Opera 4.0, released in 2000, included a new cross-platform core that facilitated creation of editions of Opera for multiple operating systems and platforms.

Opera (magazine)

Opera is a monthly British magazine devoted to covering all things related to opera. It contains reviews and articles about current opera productions internationally, as well as articles on opera recordings, opera singers, opera companies, opera directors, and opera books. The magazine also contains major features and analysis on individual operas and people associated with opera.

The magazine employs a network of international correspondents around the world who write for the magazine. Contributors to the magazine, past and present, include William Ashbrook, Martin Bernheimer, Julian Budden, Rodolfo Celletti, Alan Blyth, Elizabeth Forbes, and J.B. Steane among many others.

Opera is printed in A5 size, with colour photos, and consists of around 130 pages. Page numbering is consecutive for a complete year (e.g. September 2009 goes from p1033-1168). All issues since August 2006 are available online to current subscribers (through Exact Editions).

Based in London, the magazine was founded in 1950 by George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood. It was launched at the house of Richard Buckle, under the imprint 'Ballet Publications Ltd'.

Opera (film)

Opera, also known as Terror at the Opera, is a 1987 Italian giallo horror film written and directed by Dario Argento and starring Cristina Marsillach, Urbano Barberini and Ian Charleson. The film's score was composed by Brian Eno and Claudio Simonetti. The film was released in the United States under the title Terror at the Opera. The film was one of Argento's most commercially successful films, seeing 1,363,912 ticket sales in his native country of Italy. This is the second Dario Argento's horror film to have THX audio certified and picture quality.

Plot

The film centers around young, insecure opera singer Betty (Cristina Marsillach). After the lead in Verdi's Macbeth is injured in a car accident, Betty is reluctantly thrust into the role in the opera. During her first performance, a murder takes place in one of the opera boxes. Mysterious murders continue throughout the film as Betty is stalked and those around her meet their unfortunate end. The killer binds and places tape under Betty's eyelids with needles attached so she is unable to blink, and therefore forced to watch as the murders take place. Meanwhile, Betty continues to have frightening dreams involving a masked person and her mother. During the final performance of the opera the killer is revealed, and Betty must confront her past in a terrifying climax.

Vincent (disambiguation)

Vincent is a Latin-derived given name.

Vincent may also refer to:

Places

United States

Elsewhere

Entertainment

In the military

List of EastEnders characters (2015)

The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 2015, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the show's executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins. January saw the arrival of the year's first baby, Matthew Mitchell-Cotton, son of Ronnie Mitchell and Charlie Cotton. The following month saw the show celebrate its 30th anniversary with a live week, which oversaw the live arrivals of Vincent Hubbard, and the second baby born in 2015, Pearl Fox-Hubbard, Vincent's daughter with Kim Fox. In March, Claudette Hubbard arrived as Donna Yates' foster mother and an acquaintance of Les Coker, whilst Denise van Outen joined in April as Karin Smart. May saw the arrivals of Mick and Linda Carter's son Ollie Carter, the year's third baby, and Kush Kazemi's mother, Carmel. Paul Coker, the grandson of Les and Pam Coker, was introduced in June, as was Jade Green, the long-lost daughter of Shabnam Masood and Dean Wicks. After Kathy Beale's surprise return during the 30th anniversary in February, her husband Gavin Sullivan made his debut in August. September saw the arrivals of Louie, the baby son of Lauren Branning and Peter Beale. In October, Elaine Peacock's toyboy lover Jason Adams was introduced, as well as first transgender character to be played by a transgender actor, Kyle Slater. December saw the birth of the year's fifth baby, Stacey Slater's son, Arthur Fowler.

Vincent (1982 film)

Vincent is a 1982 stop-motion short horror film written, designed and directed by Tim Burton, and produced by Rick Heinrichs. It is the second Disney horror film, the first being The Watcher in the Woods. At approximately six minutes in length, there is currently no individual release of the film except for a few bootleg releases. It can be found on the 2008 Special Edition and Collector's Edition DVDs of The Nightmare Before Christmas as a bonus feature and on the Cinema16 DVD American Short Films.

The film is narrated by actor Vincent Price, a lifelong idol and inspiration for Burton. From this relationship, Price would go on to appear in Burton's Edward Scissorhands. Vincent Price later said that the film was "the most gratifying thing that ever happened. It was immortality — better than a star on Hollywood Boulevard".

Plot

Vincent is the poetry story of a 7-year-old boy, Vincent Malloy, who pretends to be like the actor Vincent Price (who narrates the film). He does experiments on his dog Abercrombie in order to create a horrible ravenous Zombie dog. He is obsessed with the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and it is his detachment from reality when reading them that leads to his delusions that he is in fact a tortured artist, deprived of the woman he loves, mirroring certain parts of Poe's "The Raven". The film ends with Vincent feeling terrified of being tortured by the going-ons of his make-believe world, quoting "The Raven" as he falls to the floor in frailty, believing himself to be dead.