tombé you stay; chassé away
If you're on West Coast time make sure to tune in at 11am to catch SFB as they take morning class and rehearse all the pieces set to be unveiled at the new works festival in the spring. Enjoy!
was bluten muss
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| Christine Goerke (© Cory Weaver) |
3 performances of Elektra remain. GO SEE IT.
And for the best auditory experience I suggest getting a $10 standing ticket and going up to the top of the balcony. The voices of this wonderful cast will overwhelm you.
@HeldenMommy Dearest
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| Elektra rehearsal (via @MatthewShilvock) |
Just two days remain until Christine Goerke brings her Elektra to San Francisco. It's been 20 years since this twisted full-out final sprint of an opera about the House of Atreus was last staged here. Georke is not to be missed so go get your tickets!!
(...and here's a preview from the great Hildegard Behrens)
#ImpeachTrump
Pictured: La Divina's initial reaction when asked to comment on Trump's recent remarks concerning, well.. anything.
to be or not to beats by dre
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| Edward Nelson (© Cory Weaver) |
..in which Diplo fulfills his secret desire to finally sing the role of the ever-conflicted Danish prince.
june tunes
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| Véronique Gens - Visions |
I'm just going to quickly take a break from utter silence and recommend this new recital disc of French arias from the stellar soprano Véronique Gens. I'm really only familiar with her contributions to René Jacobs' revelatory Mozart projects, and am now realizing she's got quite the catalog of recorded material to her name, of which this new c.d. is a welcome addition. It's a collection of scenes from lesser-known operas in which women experience religious epiphanies, here treated by Gens with the appropriate severity, yet cushioned by her absolutely sumptuous phrasing and one-of-a-kind instrument. Here's a particularly ravishing excerpt from Massenet's La Vierge:
till next time
april reading
“Quiet. My body melted heavily into the chair; I heard a cart go up the street. The room grew suddenly big with meaning. Something was about to happen, was happening: each object in the room seemed perfect of its kind, its kind being just its one self. The moment split into Eternity and I went with it: I had neither skin nor bones, but flowed into the world, sacred along with everything else, and was lost.”Maria McCann, As Meat Loves Salt (Flamingo, 2001)
glitter and be gay
If you're not already busy on Tuesday night I highly recommend buying a very reasonable $25 ticket to this special event happening at Davies. In light of the pathetic "repealing" of HB2 and it's replacement with yet more transphobic legislation, the symphony's original boycott of North Carolina seems all the more resonant as a moment of real political engagement. This replacement concert they have programed is shaping up to be quite a first for the organization. From the symphony website:
Sounds like a time! See you there!Join Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony for Symphony Pride, a special concert celebrating the Bay Area’s spirit of inclusion and diversity with a focus on the voices of the LGBTQ community.This festive occasion will feature works by LGBTQ musical mavericks that MTT has championed throughout his career, including Lou Harrison, Henry Cowell, Meredith Monk, and John Cage.Six-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald (Porgy and Bess, Ragtime, Carousel) joins MTT as co-host and performs selections by Bernstein, Sondheim, Kander and Ebb and more. McDonald also narrates Aaron Copland’s iconic Lincoln Portrait, a hopeful work he wrote to capture “the magnificent spirit of our country.” This is sure to be an exciting, one-time event that you will not want to miss!Join us in reaffirming San Francisco’s commitment to equality for all.The majority of ticket proceeds from Symphony Pride will support social service organizations that provide services to the LGBTQ community in the Bay Area, including Larkin Street Youth Services, Transgender Law Center, National Center for Lesbian Rights, The SF LGBT Center, and The Trevor Project.
serious fomo
Kicking myself that this somehow slipped under my radar. By the sound of Josh Kosman's glowing review, this is a young artist who you definitely want to keep tabs on. I've heard quite a few versions of "Che farò.." from Orfeo on record, but none quite like this:
alive and well
I just wanted to highlight two companies that just floored it with their 17/18 season announcements. The first is Opera Philadelphia who recently presented the world premiere of Missy Mazzoli's Breaking the Waves based on the von Trier film of the same name; an overwhelmingly successful event that received practically unanimous gushing reviews. Next season they will mount 3(!) world premieres, a double-bill local premiere of Monteverdi / Lembit Beecher, and Benjamin's Written on Skin, all sandwiched in between Magic Flute and Carmen. That's.. kind of amazing.
Over on the West Coast the LA Phil will present 23 commissions, 22(!!) world premieres, and 6 U.S. premieres. As Lisa Hirsch points out, over a third of the season's composers are living, and an even larger component were 20th Century composers. As with the Mozart and Bizet above, the LA audiences will still be treated to the bread and butter symphonies that make up the standard rep, but they'll often be paired with new works that precede them in a typical evening's program, encouraging the grumpy Beethoven worshipers to stay for the whole show. It's a real testament to Salonen, Dudamel, and the entire organization's commitment to presenting classical music not as a museum, but as a living, breathing, relevant medium. The fact that this can happen in the current political climate when the NEA is on the chopping block is also heartening. Perhaps other companies will take a hint:
Over on the West Coast the LA Phil will present 23 commissions, 22(!!) world premieres, and 6 U.S. premieres. As Lisa Hirsch points out, over a third of the season's composers are living, and an even larger component were 20th Century composers. As with the Mozart and Bizet above, the LA audiences will still be treated to the bread and butter symphonies that make up the standard rep, but they'll often be paired with new works that precede them in a typical evening's program, encouraging the grumpy Beethoven worshipers to stay for the whole show. It's a real testament to Salonen, Dudamel, and the entire organization's commitment to presenting classical music not as a museum, but as a living, breathing, relevant medium. The fact that this can happen in the current political climate when the NEA is on the chopping block is also heartening. Perhaps other companies will take a hint:
february listening
- Caccini: La liberazione di Ruggiero dall'isola di Alcina; Elena Biscuola, Mauro Borgioni, Gabriella Martellacci, et al. Elena Sartori & Allabastrina La Pifarescha (Glossa, 2017)
- Dvořák: Rusalka; Gabriela Beňačková, Wiesław Ochman, Richard Novák, et al. Václav Neumann & Czech Philharmonic (Supraphon, 1984)
- Bellini: I Puritani (Live); Joan Sutherland, Alfredo Kraus, Nicolai Ghiuselev, et al. Richard Bonynge & San Francisco Opera Orchestra (IDIS, 1966)
- Dirty Projectors: Dirty Projectors (Domino, 2017)
- Sonya Yoncheva: Handel; Sonya Yoncheva, Karine Deshayes. Alessandro de Marchi & Academia Montis Regalis (Sony, 2017)
americans in paris
If you missed last week's rare opportunity to see ballet on television then you can catch part 2 of New York City Ballet's "Great Performances" special on PBS this Friday, the 24th. While part 1 showcased the company's faster tempos and footwork, giving Sara Mearns plenty of time to shine in the Walpurgisnacht ballet, part 2 will feature their signature Symphony in C. The possibility of seeing Teresa Reichlen on t.v. is more than enough for me to put that on my calendar.
45?
Nope.
We cannot "he who must not be named" our president. If there is anything we can learn from Harry Potter, it is that not saying "Voldemort" aloud only perpetuates fear and gives him more power. The idiot on the left is President Trump, and vocalizing that, while utterly embarrassing, is much better for our collective mental health than the alternative.
butts in seats
Whelp. The Met announced their 17/18 season this morning, and perhaps the biggest surprise is that none of these really come as a surprise. A few highlights:
La forza del destino: very clear now that the Bieito Forza would've added some oomph to this ~ok~ season
*(jk: J.K. has dropped out of Tosca)
- Norma: solid opening night; with Radvanovsky, DiDonato & Calleja I would definitely attend if possible
- Cendrillon: new production, harmless fun
- Exterminating Angel: Adès' newest work with awesome-looking cast; for my money this is the event of the season
- Ermonela Jaho: nice to see the Albanian soprano returning to the Met but sadly in the awful current Butterfly production, creepy doll and all
- Parsifal: truly a world-class cast in Vogt, Mattei, Pape, and wait for it... Evelyn Herlitzius in her Met debut
- Nozze: whoa, this actually looks fun!? Yoncheva, Sierra, Kwiecien, Abdrazakov, count me in!
- Thaïs: Ailyn Perez as Christian Lacroix Thaïs? okayyyy; Gerald Finley will make a ravishing Athanaël
- Jonas Kaufmann* + Anna Netrebko: as far as I can tell their only appearance this year is the new McVicar Tosca but not with each other!???? UGHH
*(jk: J.K. has dropped out of Tosca)
greek angel
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| Angelo Greco & Natasha Sheehan |
Well that was quick! Angelo Greco, the La Scala import who has been with SF Ballet for less than a year, has just been promoted to principal. I've only seen him dance a handful of times and it's already abundantly obvious that he is an absolutely beautiful dancer who clearly makes the most of his time on stage. Congratulazioni!
'17 at a glance
Just a few weeks into this abominable excuse for an administration and who knows what the year will bring but it would be great if I could at least make it to the Bay Area events in this list:
- SF Symphony - Adams: The Gospel According to the Other Mary
- SF Opera Lab - Poulenc: La voix humaine (would very much like to see Antonacci and the new Wilsey Center space)
- SF Performances - Sarah Connolly recital
- Cal Performances / Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra - Rameau: Le temple de la Gloire
- Met - Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier (coincides w/ when I'll be there)
- SF Opera - Mozart: Don Giovanni (not my fav but awesome-looking cast w/ D'Arcangelo, Ana Maria Martinez, Stanislas de Barbeyrac)
- SF Symphony - Berlioz: Roméo et Juliette (Sasha Cooke)
- West Edge - Larsen: Frankenstein
- West Edge - Thomas: Hamlet
- West Edge - Martín y Soler: L'arbore di Diana
- SF Opera - Strauss: Elektra (Goerke, Blythe, Pieczonka, SOLD)
- Met - Bellini: Norma (La Rad)
- SF Opera - Massenet: Manon (again not my fav but good cast and interesting-looking prod)
- Met - Adès: The Exterminating Angel
- SF Opera - Puccini: Turandot (Nina Stemme)
- SF Opera - Adams: Girls of the Golden West (looking forward to this; supposedly set in Downieville which I've passed through a couple times; also just learned that after retiring from sf ballet, the blistering ballerina Lorena Feijoo will play Lola Montez)
(will update as 17/18 season announcements roll in)
mezzo-mania
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| Jamie Barton sings Mahler, Dvořák, & Sibelius |
Congrats to Jamie Barton who was just given this year's Beverly Sills Award! I've been listening to her excellent recital disc "All Who Wander" which showcases not only her smoldering instrument but also her obvious affinity for art songs. In interviews she comes across as an extremely well-spoken and humble young artist, but it's also nice to see that she can ham it up, as evidenced by this kooky clip of current rehearsals for the Met's upcoming Rusalka. I am very much looking forward to her Fricka in next year's SF Ring.
pas/parts 2016
On Thursday I had the distinct pleasure of seeing this for a second time at the War Memorial Opera House. It proved to be by far the most engaging act of the night's triple bill; the perfect vehicle for this company to kick some serious ass. The experimental music that accompanies the piece has really grown on me, and the dancers didn't waste any opportunity to capitalize on its sharp and dissonant textures through their mind-blowingly dynamic movements. Besides the miracles that are Joseph Walsh and Frances Chung, I have to say the centerpiece of the performance was really the FIERCE pairing of Maria Kochetkova and Francisco Mungamba. Also I know I'm late to the party but I have a growing suspicion that Sofiane Sylve might just be the best ballerina anywhere.
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