Album review

from The Edge 11/25/21 Telegraph/Intelligencer

Religious directory

By RAGAN CLARK

Associated Press

“30,” Adele (Columbia Records)

Coming out of a divorce, one might expect Adele to write an album of heartbreak ballads. But, to expect anything short of the full spectrum of emotions from “30” would do the Grammy winner a disservice.

As one of the greatest voices of our time, it is no surprise that some of Adele’s shining moments on the album are on tracks bare enough that the strength of her vocals stand on their own. What is maybe more surprising is the delightfulness of the songs that are a departure from her normal style.

Adele’s opener is unlike any she’s written before. “Strangers By Nature” whisks the listener into a black-and-white Audrey Hepburn-era film — whimsical and at times ominous. The album is given theatrical bookends with closer “Love Is a Game” mimicking some of these dramatic tones. It is a triumphant conclusion with harmonies in the chorus which give a nod to ‘60s groups like the Supremes.

In between, there are songs about heartbreak and also love songs — to her son, to new loves (or, at least, those she’d like trying to love) and to herself.

Adele stretches herself on “30,” dipping into genres and tones that show her ability to deviate from more somber chart toppers like “Hello” and “Someone Like You.” There’s the bubble gum pop “Cry Your Heart Out,” dance anthem “Oh My God” and the Western-tinged “Can I Get It” — a song that is so divergent from typical Adele that it calls to mind Beyoncé’s “Daddy Lessons.” In “My Little Love” and “All Night Parking,” Adele brings R&B to the record.

While there are jubilant moments on the album, Adele’s diary style songwriting ensures that pain is also present on the 12-track “30.” “My Little Love” is a movingly personal track which includes voice recordings of Adele comforting her young son and even crying as she describes her loneliness.

The pain is also tangible on “To Be Loved.” Its sparse production serves Adele beautifully. There is nothing to smooth out the emotion as her voice teeters on cracking.

The second half of the LP is much quieter than the first, filled with ballads more typical of the British singer. “Woman Like Me” shows her quiet confidence — she alludes to feelings of guilt and uncertainty in “My Little Love” and “I Drink Wine,” but in this song, she reasserts her own self-worth.

“Complacency is the worst trait to have, are you crazy?” she croons, “You ain’t ever had, ain’t ever had a woman like me.”

If “30” is in fact a snapshot of the person Adele is at this moment in time, it is clear that the six years since “25” have led to growth and a more realized version of herself. There are traces of her younger self, but a renewed self-awareness.

“All I do is bleed into someone else,” she sings on “To Be Loved.” “I’ll be the one to catch myself this time.”

Kids programs, and soprano Amy Prince. OE will be ‘home for the holidays’ with this fantastic lineup of the area’s finest.”

The 12 Days of Opera Edwardsville features performers from Edwardsville, Lebanon, Bunker Hill, Belleville, Glen Carbon and St. Louis, including OE artistic advisor and Grammy winning soprano, Brewer, sopranos Azzarra, Kanakis, Kelsheimer, Prince, and student spotlight Holliday, tenor Schapman, baritone Lassetter, and Welch, pianist.

“When the global pandemic forced us to cancel our live and in-person program for 2020, Opera Edwardsville went digital by presenting a filmed version of our Opera for Kids, ‘The Three Little Pigs,’ and a replacement series of online performances in place of our signature December concert, which became The 12 Days of Opera Edwardsville,” Hopkins explained.

“Through the recommendation of Edwardsville designer Jim Harper, a great friend of OE, we connected with Chis Ryan, who runs the St. Louis production company, Once Films. With a film and audio team, we captured the spirit of the season on film, to share with audiences from the safety of their homes. To our amazement, these videos reached over 40,000 views across YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.”

People also signed up for OE’s mailing list simply to receive a daily holiday performance delivered directly to their inboxes (otherwise full of Zoom invites and Amazon orders at the time!), Hopkins noted.

Likewise, due to the pandemic, a live broadcast of Opera Edwardsville at Dunham Hall is a special addition to the concert experience. Not only is Opera Edwardsville the first local organization to be invited to the SIUE Arts and Issues stage, but the concert will be the first that Arts & Issues broadcasts live, starting at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, at , which has not recorded a live broadcast of an event until it will do so Dec. 18.will be broadcast live from Dunham Hall, on the SIUE campus, in a special broadcast online at www.operaedwardsville.org/home/december2021 .

“OE is driven to share the joy of music, and we were astounded by the reach and accessibility of this free online series,” he said. “While effects of the pandemic remain, we are pleased to continue our partnership with Once Films and to have received support for this program to continue as part of our 2021 series. I hope everyone will enjoy.”

To enjoy the free performances shared as part of The 12 Days of Opera Edwardsville, sign up for OE’s mailing list at https:// www.operaedwardsville.org/contact/mailing-list and follow OE at Facebook at Opera Edwardsville.

Opera Edwardsville at Dunham Hall’s operatic highlights include music by Gounod, Saint-Saens, and Strauss, alongside festive favorites sopranos Mathilda Edge and Liv Redpath, contralto Lauren Decker, tenor Jonathan Johnson, baritones Evan Bravos and student spotlight Miles Wadlington, harpist Caroline Robinson, and Welch, pianist.

“The music is going to be epic,” Hopkins said. “We’re going to the operatic Olympics with some of opera’s most impressive secretions, given the talent joining us. High notes, fast notes, low notes, slow notes… we’ve got it all.

“And when I think of the holidays, there is nothing more beautiful than the harp, so I’ve pulled a number of selections from opera that include our soloists and the harp, which will be performed by harpist Caroline Robinson, who has been featured on a number of OE programs.”

Opera Edwardsville’s concerts and education programs would not be possible without the generous support of the 2021 OE business sponsors and individual donors. OE’s 2021 Season is presented by the city of Edwardsville, Lewis Rice, Stifel, and the Rotary Club of Edwardsville.

“Since the pandemic, and through my work at both Opera Edwardsville and Haymarket Opera Company, I’ve produced three major opera films (Handel’s ‘Acis and Galatea,’ October 2020, Handels’ ‘Apollo e Dafne,’ March 2021, Handel’s ‘Orlando,’ September 2021), a virtual gala, an opera for kids, and 2020’s online series of holiday favorites,” Hopkins recalled.

“I think this is an incredibly exciting way to connect people with opera, and hope to see OE continue its digital presence,” he said. “Of course, while accessibility increases, ticket revenue decreases (or doesn’t exist at all). With that in mind, I hope people enjoy our free online series and consider donating in support of OE’s efforts to share the sounds of the season with the entire community.”

Additional sponsorship comes from 222 Artisan Bakery, Bank of Madison County, Friends of The Wildey Theatre, SIUE Meridian Society and the SIYAO Vocal Competition.

“Special thanks to the Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau, the SIUE Arts and Issues Series, and the many individual donors who made our 2021 season possible.” Hopkins said.

“There’s no place like Opera Edwarsdville for the holidays. I hope everyone enjoys our performances, whether tuning in online through our free digital series ‘The 12 Days of Opera Edwardsville,’ or attending our debut with SIUE Arts and Issues when we welcome some of the nation’s most exciting talent in live performance.”

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