Los Angeles Opera announced their 2013/2014 season today. As far as I’m concerned, the most noteworthy things: Not a big increase in number of productions and performances versus the 2012/2013 season, but the mix is a bit more diverse — including three performances of Glass’s Einstein on the Beach. Tenor Brandon Jovanovich returns to L.A. … Continue reading
Last May, the Los Angeles Philharmonic presented Don Giovanni with a vocally and visually strong baritone leading a solid cast in a thoroughly avant-garde production. Beginning tonight, Los Angeles Opera presents the same opera, with another hunky baritone leading a another solid cast, this time in an unapologetically traditional production. Judging by Wednesday’s final dress … Continue reading
Here are some pictures from me and others from last night’s season opening performance of Verdi’s I Due Foscari (The Two Foscari) at Los Angeles Opera starring Plácido Domingo. Continue reading
Wednesday’s Los Angeles Opera press conference centered around celebrating Plácido Domingo. Board members and politicians were on hand to offer their praises, stories, and tokens of appreciation to the organization’s General Director and probably the world’s most famous living opera singer. The reason for this latest round of adulation? Three things: Continue reading
The fact that the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC) is excellent should not be news. They’ve had many opportunities to impress when performing with the likes of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, most recently as part of the massive choir for Mahler’s Eighth Symphony. That said, they don’t usually get a chance to show off on … Continue reading
Quick — imagine an opera, any opera, in your head. I’ll wait. . . . I’m guessing that you probably came up with large-bodied singers standing in one place belting out big arias in a foreign language (probably Italian, German, or French) over the strains of a big orchestra; lots of murder, suicide, rape, and … Continue reading
Yuja Wang is the real deal. If there was any doubt that might have crept in as to whether or not she was a “serious” pianist and/or musician based on a spate of recent cancellations and a critic’s unfortunate comments about her attire at the Hollywood Bowl, let them be put to rest after this … Continue reading
All is Yar 