‘2Boys’@MetOpera: Internet Tragedy Unfinished IMHO
By Leslie Kandell
NEW YORK -- "He can do anything with computers" is a line lyrically set in Nico Muhly's Two Boys, which says everything about his opera's core premise: On the Internet, you can invent and masquerade as anyone you want. You could even be murdered.
Champion Spirit Stands Up to Epic Bach, Beethoven
By Stuart Isacoff
NEW YORK - In the hands of pianist András Schiff, who performs the towering variations by Bach and Beethoven on Nov. 5 at Carnegie Hall, emotion arises naturally through recognition of the music’s innate character.
Video-Enhanced ‘Dutchman’ Headed For Winston-Salem
By Elaine Strauss (NJ) & John Lambert (NC)
In this Wagner bicentennial year, there are performances of his operas even by companies that would not normally consider producing them. Consider The Flying Dutchman co-produced by the Princeton Festival and Piedmont Opera.
LA Phil, Salonen Zap Tradition for Disney Hall Tenth
By Richard S. Ginell
LOS ANGELES -- Reaching into the past for something audacious, outrageous, and able to right some old wrongs, the Los Angeles Philharmonic commemorated the 10th anniversary of Walt Disney Concert Hall with Frank Zappa's ‘200 Motels.' A rock concert vibe prevailed.
Michigan Opera Reprises ‘Holländer’ As Wagner Tribute
By George Loomis
DETROIT - Like some other mid-size opera companies, Michigan Opera Theatre observed the Wagner bicentennial with Der fliegende Holländer, starring American bass-baritone Kristopher Irmiter in the title role, with Swedish soprano Elisabet Strid in her U.S. debut, as Senta.
Coburn, Brownlee Win the Day for Seattle’s ‘Régiment’
By James Bash
SEATTLE -- Celebrating the opening of the Seattle Opera's 50th season with a shower of vocal brilliance in Donizetti's La fille du régiment, soprano Sarah Coburn and tenor Lawrence Brownlee returned to the company that gave them a start as young artists.
Nelsons Impressive In Debut as BSO’s Director-Designate
By Marvin J. Ward
BOSTON - Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons was greeted with a standing ovation at his first concert since being named the next Boston Symphony Orchestra music director, effective in 2014-15. He signaled the new era with Wagner, Mozart and Brahms.
San Antonio SOLI Taps Delights of Moravec’s ‘Collage’
By Mike Greenberg
SAN ANTONIO -- American composer Paul Moravec, asked to write a short work for the SOLI Chamber Ensemble's 20th anniversary, responded with a sort of Dagwood canapé, a mere four minutes in duration but stacked sky-high with a fridgeful of ideas.
KY Opera Twins Generate Pleasure But Not Electricity
By Paul Hyde
LOUISVILLE -- Diaghilev exclaims "Astonish me!" in Danse Russe, part of a double bill by Paul Moravec and Terry Teachout at Kentucky Opera. The other half is the premiere of "The King's Man," about Ben Franklin and his Tory-sympathizing son.
Variety Will Mark Premieres Across U.S. and Canada
By Gregory Sullivan Isaacs
Concert and opera presenters have scheduled a lively mix of premieres for the new season, from composers with fresh sensibilities in a remarkable range of styles. In six regional reports, we preview musical highlights from around the U.S. and Canada.
‘Einstein on Beach,’ At LA Opera, Worthy of Legend
By Richard S. Ginell
It was, at long last, the Los Angeles premiere of an iconic opera, the convention-shattering Einstein on the Beach – and as such, had more than local significance going for it. The creators, now in their 70s, have reunited for what may be the final time.
In Star-Spangled Fizzle, Premiere Treads on ‘george’
Rebecca J. Ritzel
For his world premiere of george WASHINGTON, Roger Reynolds orchestrates a multimedia tribute to the first president with three actors, three screens of video, the National Symphony Orchestra and a complementary electronic score. But it proves to be an odd mix.
Pianist Goodyear Storms Beethoven Sonatas in a Day
By Elaine Strauss
The typical piano virtuoso, seeking to perform Beethoven's 32 sonatas, stakes out a swath of six concerts. That's not the way Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear operates. As Elaine Strauss reports, Goodyear performs the 32 sonatas, all of them, in a one-day offering called a "Sonatathon."
LA Phil Salutes Disney Hall Tenth In Off-Beat Style
By Richard S. Ginell
To celebrate a decade in their iconic home, the Los Angeles Philharmonic's swank gala benefit honored the concert hall's namesake Walt Disney and its architect Frank Gehry with video art, celebrity appearances and a little help from John Cage.
Women in Opera: Ever Torn, Lusty And Constrained
By Susan Brodie
Two new operas about women, opening the seasons in New York and San Francisco, prompted some thoughts about how females have been portrayed in operas over the last four centuries. What a Pandora's box!
K.C. Lyric Opera Captures Bellini’s Bel Canto Romeo
By Paul Horsley
Featuring Nicole Cabell and local hero Joyce DiDonato as the star-crossed lovers, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City has mounted an auspicious production of The Capulets and the Montagues. A modern setting throws us into the midst of guns and strife.
Disney Hall at 10: Early Hype Proves Augury of Success
By Richard S. Ginell
There was never an opening of a new concert hall quite like that of Walt Disney Concert Hall on Oct. 23, 2003. The hype was overwhelming, even suffocating. Amazingly, a good portion of these euphoric predictions have come true.
Starry Met ‘Onegin’ Vies With LGBT’s Torch in the Plaza
By Susan Elliott
Opening night at the Metropolitan Opera is a glittery affair, with gala goers of both sexes dressed camera-ready at every turn. A few celebs came down the red carpet Monday night … but most of the extra-musical attention was centered on the LGBT protesters out on the plaza.
Deft ‘Claiborne’ Displays Validity Of Modern Opera
By Robert P. Commanday
Along comes Dolores Claiborne in its premiere at the San Francisco Opera, reassuring us that new opera is really possible. A composer today can write music for the orchestra that gives another level of meaning to what's being sung and is at once engaging. That composer is Tobias Picker.
