As MG, the Ginger, Chad Newsome and I head to the SF Symphony Masquerade Ball tonight, I can't say I'm sorry to see this year end.
There were some good things about it though, and many of them had to do with this blog. So for all of the people whom I've met as a result of it and the people who've stumbled across it from more than 60 countries and 47 states, a big thank you and warmest wishes for 2010. A special warm thanks to Patrick, Axel, Charlise, Immanuel, SF Mike, Josh Kosman and Brian for linking this blog to yours and/or helping draw attention to it. As a friend of mine wrote to me, may next year be filled with the best music you've ever heard.
J. Marcher
December 31, 2009
December 18, 2009
Better to be thought a fool...
than to write about something in your blog which you don't really understand and remove all doubt.
David Byrne used to be a talking head. Now he's talking out of his ass.
PS- in the comments section, responding to a comment by SFMike, I elaborate on why I think Byrne is full of shit.
David Byrne used to be a talking head. Now he's talking out of his ass.
PS- in the comments section, responding to a comment by SFMike, I elaborate on why I think Byrne is full of shit.
December 15, 2009
Dear Central Intelligence Agency,
I don't know where Osama bin Laden is. Really- I don't. You know you folks would probably have a better chance of finding him if you'd get back to work and quit wasting time online. That is unless you think he's been attending operas in San Francisco, but I've never seen him. I used to often see a man who looked a lot like Verdi, but not for a few seasons now. I hope this helps.And shouldn't the CIA's ISP address be hidden or something? Happy Holidays.
The best of 2009
This past year I saw over 70 different performances, most of which I wrote about, though some were so uninspiring they didn't even merit the time it would have taken to criticize them. However, a number of them were so terrific for one reason or another that I'll probably never forget them.
Listed below, in chronological order, are ten performances I attended this year that in my mind were the best:
LA Opera's Das Rheingold: Director Achim Freyer's first installment of Wagner's Ring cycle was nothing less than a revelation and it was easily the best opera I saw this year. In fact, it's probably one of the five best opera productions I've ever seen. This is opera for the 21st Century: bold, innovative and unafraid of risk, while keeping true to the spirit of Wagner's intentions. While Die Walkure and Siegfried didn't thrill me as much (probably because Rheingold is my favorite opera above all others), LAO's Ring is not to be missed. When they do the entire cycle this summer, the naysayers will surely have their comeuppance.
Anne-Sophie Mutter performing Gubaidulina's Violin Concerto No. 2: What can you say, one of the world's premier violinist's performing a challenging contemporary work dedicated to her. It was enthralling. The Ravel in the second half didn't quite measure up, but really, what could have?
Martha Argerich and Ligeti's Requiem at San Francisco Symphony: Thrilling in every sense of the word. Ligeti's Requiem had both the orchestra and the SFS chorus performing at their absolute peak in a haunting work that heard live is an unforgettable experience. Argerich actually showed up for once, and gave the audience a bravura performance of the Ravel concerto that was loaded with emotion and skill, meriting perhaps the longest ovation I've ever heard in that hall. You should have been there.
Leila Josefowicz and Esa-Pekka Salonen at LA Phil: Josefowicz is the most fascinating violinist on Earth. There is nothing she can't play to perfection and she constantly challenges herself. This concert, part of Salonen's swan song as he departed the LA Phil after one of the most influential and successful tenures ever in the history of American orchestras, was a primer on what classical music is and where it's going. Salonen's Violin Concerto, dedicated to Josefowicz, Ligeti's Clocks and Beethoven's 5th Symphony were flawlessly performed with gusto and meaning. Two artists that should not be missed when they hit your town.
Urban Opera's Dido and Aeneas: The little company that could, and did. This new company rising out of the ashes of San Francisco Lyric Opera, took everyone by surprise this summer by giving us something different, unique, and indigenous to the City. We can only hope for more from Chip Grant and the incredible team he put together for what was one of the most delightful surprises of the year. Come on, Urban Opera- do it again!
August: Osage County: Three hours of the most theatrical dysfunctional family values since Who's Afraid of Virgina Wolff? By turns uproariously funny and frightening. Estelle Parsons can come to a party at my house anytime- hopefully in character, because I love that kind of drama though I always feel bad the next morning. Tracy Letts' play lived up to the Tony hype and then some.
San Francisco Opera's Il Trovatore : For my money, Trovatore is 2nd rate Verdi, but when it's done like this there is nothing to complain about. Sondra Radvanovsky gave a star turn in a production that was perfect at every turn, bringing this tired warhorse to life in a way I thought couldn't be done. The rest of the all-star cast and the superb sets by Charles Edwards made the conservative era of SFO under Gockley more than palatable. If this is what the future looks like for SFO, so be it.
Paulina Rubio at the Fox Theater: Paulina in a great venue, up close and very personal touring in support of Gran City Pop- one of the year's most delighful records. Pure pop bliss.
San Francisco Opera's La Fille du Regiment: Diana Damrau and Juan Diego Florez made me realize I actually do like Donizetti, at least when he's done like this. The pair combined to deliver an evening of vocal beauty and comedic timing in one of the most perfect bel canto evenings I've ever experienced. It left me wanting more, more, more.
La Damnation de Faust at the Met: Robert Lepage's production is a thrilling spectacle. He and Freyer are taking opera in an entirely new direction. The singing on the night I went didn't quite measure up to the production values at hand, but if this is the future, I want to be seated up front. Give kudos to Peter Gelb and the Met for putting on an audacious and thrilling Faust. Lepage's upcoming Ring cycle, like LAO's, is not to be missed based on the sheer brilliance of invention and imagination on display here.
Other performances that gave these a run for their money:
SFO's Porgy and Bess
KISS's Alive 35
Nadja Michael in SFO's Salome
Nino Machaidze in LAO's Elixir of Love
Fela!
With appreciation to Deborah Voigt, a very gracious and talented singer:
LA Opera's Das Rheingold: Director Achim Freyer's first installment of Wagner's Ring cycle was nothing less than a revelation and it was easily the best opera I saw this year. In fact, it's probably one of the five best opera productions I've ever seen. This is opera for the 21st Century: bold, innovative and unafraid of risk, while keeping true to the spirit of Wagner's intentions. While Die Walkure and Siegfried didn't thrill me as much (probably because Rheingold is my favorite opera above all others), LAO's Ring is not to be missed. When they do the entire cycle this summer, the naysayers will surely have their comeuppance.
Anne-Sophie Mutter performing Gubaidulina's Violin Concerto No. 2: What can you say, one of the world's premier violinist's performing a challenging contemporary work dedicated to her. It was enthralling. The Ravel in the second half didn't quite measure up, but really, what could have?
Martha Argerich and Ligeti's Requiem at San Francisco Symphony: Thrilling in every sense of the word. Ligeti's Requiem had both the orchestra and the SFS chorus performing at their absolute peak in a haunting work that heard live is an unforgettable experience. Argerich actually showed up for once, and gave the audience a bravura performance of the Ravel concerto that was loaded with emotion and skill, meriting perhaps the longest ovation I've ever heard in that hall. You should have been there.
Leila Josefowicz and Esa-Pekka Salonen at LA Phil: Josefowicz is the most fascinating violinist on Earth. There is nothing she can't play to perfection and she constantly challenges herself. This concert, part of Salonen's swan song as he departed the LA Phil after one of the most influential and successful tenures ever in the history of American orchestras, was a primer on what classical music is and where it's going. Salonen's Violin Concerto, dedicated to Josefowicz, Ligeti's Clocks and Beethoven's 5th Symphony were flawlessly performed with gusto and meaning. Two artists that should not be missed when they hit your town.
Urban Opera's Dido and Aeneas: The little company that could, and did. This new company rising out of the ashes of San Francisco Lyric Opera, took everyone by surprise this summer by giving us something different, unique, and indigenous to the City. We can only hope for more from Chip Grant and the incredible team he put together for what was one of the most delightful surprises of the year. Come on, Urban Opera- do it again!
August: Osage County: Three hours of the most theatrical dysfunctional family values since Who's Afraid of Virgina Wolff? By turns uproariously funny and frightening. Estelle Parsons can come to a party at my house anytime- hopefully in character, because I love that kind of drama though I always feel bad the next morning. Tracy Letts' play lived up to the Tony hype and then some.
San Francisco Opera's Il Trovatore : For my money, Trovatore is 2nd rate Verdi, but when it's done like this there is nothing to complain about. Sondra Radvanovsky gave a star turn in a production that was perfect at every turn, bringing this tired warhorse to life in a way I thought couldn't be done. The rest of the all-star cast and the superb sets by Charles Edwards made the conservative era of SFO under Gockley more than palatable. If this is what the future looks like for SFO, so be it.
Paulina Rubio at the Fox Theater: Paulina in a great venue, up close and very personal touring in support of Gran City Pop- one of the year's most delighful records. Pure pop bliss.
San Francisco Opera's La Fille du Regiment: Diana Damrau and Juan Diego Florez made me realize I actually do like Donizetti, at least when he's done like this. The pair combined to deliver an evening of vocal beauty and comedic timing in one of the most perfect bel canto evenings I've ever experienced. It left me wanting more, more, more.
La Damnation de Faust at the Met: Robert Lepage's production is a thrilling spectacle. He and Freyer are taking opera in an entirely new direction. The singing on the night I went didn't quite measure up to the production values at hand, but if this is the future, I want to be seated up front. Give kudos to Peter Gelb and the Met for putting on an audacious and thrilling Faust. Lepage's upcoming Ring cycle, like LAO's, is not to be missed based on the sheer brilliance of invention and imagination on display here.
Other performances that gave these a run for their money:
SFO's Porgy and Bess
KISS's Alive 35
Nadja Michael in SFO's Salome
Nino Machaidze in LAO's Elixir of Love
Fela!
With appreciation to Deborah Voigt, a very gracious and talented singer:
And finally, to KD- who would have guessed this moment would lead to so many others...
December 11, 2009
Ridi del ceedee, che t'avvelena il mente!
I just spent a substantial amount of time at Too Many Tristans having many a good laugh over Jason's Greatest Classical CD Covers EVER posts.
Go check it out- the perfect tonic for the holiday blues, bad weather or inescapable holiday-season music.
Go check it out- the perfect tonic for the holiday blues, bad weather or inescapable holiday-season music.
December 9, 2009
Brother, can you spare some Rheingold?
LA Opera's current financial woes drove it to seek an "emergency" $14,000,000 loan from LA County, which the supervisors approved 4 to 1, with only Mike Antonovich, the misinformed, anti-Wagnerite voting against. While the move is being supported in some quarters, others seem to be having a "tsk, tsk" response, questioning the wisdom and timing of LA Opera's Ring cycle, which has been in the works for years. I don't understand the negativity coming from the arts blogging community on this at all. LA Opera has come a very long way in a short amount of time and has eclipsed San Francisco Opera in its sense of adventure and daring, without having the endowment and revenue that comes from San Francisco's much longer history and tradition of being an "opera town."
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, quoted in the L.A. Times, got this exactly right when he said letting LAO go under isn't an option, “For all they have built up... this is almost no price for us to pay. We’ll make money on the interest rate, and we’ll save the opera. I’m not happy that we’re in this situation, but what’s our choice?"
As time goes on and the economy rebounds at some point, LAO will continue to develop its donor base as its prominent presence on the West Coast performing arts scene and as a national house become more widely acknowledged. Freyer's Ring and programming like the Recovered Voices series will continue to attract serious opera enthusiasts from out of town. Their consistently satisfying productions of the standard repertoire will continue to bring new Angelenos to the Dorothy Chandler. With companies closing down all over the place, opera lovers and anyone who appreciates the arts should applaud the LA Supervisors and support a company that is still taking risks.
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, quoted in the L.A. Times, got this exactly right when he said letting LAO go under isn't an option, “For all they have built up... this is almost no price for us to pay. We’ll make money on the interest rate, and we’ll save the opera. I’m not happy that we’re in this situation, but what’s our choice?"
As time goes on and the economy rebounds at some point, LAO will continue to develop its donor base as its prominent presence on the West Coast performing arts scene and as a national house become more widely acknowledged. Freyer's Ring and programming like the Recovered Voices series will continue to attract serious opera enthusiasts from out of town. Their consistently satisfying productions of the standard repertoire will continue to bring new Angelenos to the Dorothy Chandler. With companies closing down all over the place, opera lovers and anyone who appreciates the arts should applaud the LA Supervisors and support a company that is still taking risks.
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