Paid in Full

LA Opera announced today that the company has paid off the remainder of the money it borrowed to get it through a rough patch in 2009, in no small part due to expenses from producing its first (and brilliant) Ring Cycle.

I found this to be refreshingly good news. Congratulations to the company and their supporters. For all those people who complained so vociferously about the LA Board of Supervisors backing the loan and screaming it was a waste of money and priorities, I have just one question for you:

Don't you feel a bit silly now?

LA Opera's 2012-13 season: Bunt!

Marina Poplavskaya

If you ever played Little League baseball, surely you remember some parental troll in the bleachers yelling "A bunt's as good as a hit!" But everyone on the field knew that wasn't the truth- nothing feels better than a solid hit. LA Opera announced their next season today, and it's definitely a mixed bag, the programming equivalent of a bunt- good enough to keep the game going, maybe even score a run or two, but it seems like the safe way out- and disappointing in the long run. With the exception of the Verdi rarity I Due Foscari, the season is wall-to-wall warhorses. Well-cast warhorses for the most part, but there's something dispiriting about a season in which the most intriguing thing on it is an opera by Verdi. Don't get me wrong- the notion of Domingo, Marina Poplavskaya and Franceso Meli in a Verdi opera no one around these parts has seen in forever is tantalizing to be sure, but after that? Lots to see, but little to be truly excited about except for Sondra Radvanovsky as Tosca, which is somewhat undermined by having Domingo conduct.

On the plus side, none of these productions have previously been seen in LA, though I've seen a couple of them here in San Francisco, so let's begin with those.

Raimund Bauer's set design for Die Fliegende Hollander was one of those productions people either loved or loathed, and I loved every minute of it and would happily see it again. So this is a plus, though I also really liked the Julie Taymoor Dutchman I saw in LA a few years back and would have been pleased to see the original version make a return. As for the cast, Jay Hunter Morris as Erik is obviously a good thing, though Elisabete Matos as Senta is an unknown quantity, as is Tomas Tomasson, whom I saw in SFO's production of The Queen of Spades, but frankly I don't remember much about his performance.

The other SFO production is Butterfly- not the most recent, which was imported from Chicago I think, and a total disaster, but the Michael Yeargan production which was seen so many times in SF that it needed to be retired from sheer exhaustion. But it's a good one if you've never seen it. The cast is an embarrassment of riches and can I just say right now that it's something of a travesty to see a singer as fine as Eric Owens cast in the role of Sharpless? Mr. Owens, fire your management team- you should be headlining operas world-wide- not taking secondary roles in warhorses. The magnificent Brandon Jovanovich is Pinkerton (he's great in this role) and Oksana Dyka should make for an interesting Butterfly.

LAO's production of Don Giovanni in 2003 with Erwin Schrott (conducted by Nagano) was as good as it gets, so we'll have to see if Ildebrando D'Arecengelo in this production from Chicago can eclipse that. Having Soile Isokowski as Donna Elvira will certainly go a long way toward making that happen and it's nice to see the phenomenally talented Joshua Bloom return to the West Coast. Go on a night when Conlon is conducting.

I know nothing about the cast or production for La Ceneretola, but LAO has a good track record with Rossini these past few years and though it's too bad Nino Machaidze isn't on the schedule this season (what's up with that, by the way?), I'd say based on the recent past this is a safe bet since Conlon's on the podium. If any company can make a claim to doing right by Rossini in recent years, it's LAO.

So that brings us to Tosca. On the one hand it has Radvanovsky in it, along with the excellent Marco Berti as Cavaradossi. This alone is reason to be excited, but I sure wish Conlon was at the helm of this one. Still, Sondra is Sondra, and how can you miss this?

Overall, it's the cautious programming being seen almost everywhere, but at least in this case what's on the stage promises to be good. A step back for what has been an adventurous company in recent years, but not a mis-step. 

In praise of James Conlon

James Conlon. Photo from LA Opera

The other day Isabella and I were discussing the differences between LA Opera and San Francisco Opera and naturally we ended up talking about conductors. Though Placido Domingo gets the lion's share of attention as the company's General Director and the world's most famous living opera singer, LAO wouldn't be where it is today without Music Director James Conlon. A tireless and passionate advocate of the art, Conlon is the company's not-so-secret weapon.

I've missed the "Recovered Voices" programming LAO has had to set aside during the current economic climate. The programming, featuring works by composers suppressed by the Nazis, has put some great productions on the stage of the Dorothy Chandler and it's Conlon's baby. However, the current lack of funds for "Recovered Voices" isn't stopping Conlon from bringing these works to the public. Over the weekend of January 20-22, he will conduct "a program inspired by [the] Recovered Voices series" at the Colburn School, just down the street from LA's Music Center. One has to admire the man's passion for this worthy project.

It's a double-feature of Viktor Ullman's one-act The Emperor of Atlantis, composed in 1943 while he was imprisoned in Terezin, paired with Ernst Krenek's The Secret Kingdom. Krenek emigrated to the U.S. after his works were labeled "degenerate" by the Nazis. Neither composers career was ever the same after the war.

Conlon will be conducting musicians from the Colburn School and the singers will be from the Domingo-Thornton Young Artists program. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by calling 213 621 1050 or at colburnschool.edu/tickets. Conlon will be giving a lecture prior to each performance, which will surely be worth attending. 

Il Postino on Great Performances this weekend

This Friday, November 25th, Great Performances on PBS will be airing Daniel Catan's Il Postino. I was initially skeptical this opera was going to be any good, but once one favorable review after another started flowing in I went down to catch the last performance in L.A. and loved it. Placido Domingo stars as the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Charles Castronovo was magnificent in the title role. Rounding out the perfect cast are Christina Gallardo-Domás as Neruda's wife and Amanda Squitieri as Beatrice, the postman's love interest. The final duet between Domingo and Castronovo was one of the most memorable moments I've seen on an opera stage. You don't want to miss this. Check your local PBS stations for times and be sure to set your DVR to record it.

LA Opera to commemorate Daniel Catán

LA Opera will remember the life and legacy of Daniel Catán at 6pm on Monday, May 23, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The program is open to the public.

http://www.laopera.com/company/catan/

Risk-free offer: LA Opera's 2011/12 Season

LA Opera's next season has only six productions and is heavy with warhorses, but at least they're attractive warhorses. I'd happily see 5 of the 6, and it doesn't take much to persuade to me see Boheme, especially if the cast interests me. So I guess that makes me interested in all of it.

However, it's very disappointing to see no Wagner on the schedule and it looks like the "Recovered Voices" program, one of the company's best ideas which has had great artistic success, has been shelved in favor of an annual work by Britten. Don't get me wrong- I like seeing Britten on the schedule, but "Recovered Voices" was a significant endeavor. The big news of course is Domingo as Boccanegra with a ridiculously great cast.

While it's certainly not as adventurous as the good third of San Francisco Opera's next season, LA's is more pleasing to me- especially since Nino Machaidze returns once again, seemingly establishing herself as the company's favorite soprano. That's only one highlight of some pretty decent casting although there are a lot of names in the schedule I don't recognize. Of those I do, there are a number of former Adler Fellows hitting the Chandler stage next year. Take a look:

Eugene Onegin with Dalibor Jenis, Oksana Dyka, Vsevolod Grivnov, Ekaterina Semenchuk. Conlon conducts. I've never heard any of these singers, though Dyka will be in SF next season for Attila. Onegin is one of my favorites.

Cosi Fan Tutte with Aleksandra Kurzak, Ruxandra Donose, Roxana Constantinescu, Saimir Pirgu, Ildebrando D'Arcangelo. Conlon conducts. More unfamiliar names, and more Mozart (yawn) but at least it's Cosi- the one Mozart opera I actually get excited about hearing.

Romeo et Juliette with Nino Machaidze, Vittorio Grigolo, Museop Kim, Vitalij Kowaljow. Domingo conducts. It's all about the cast for this one. Machaidze's fantastic and I have no idea why she hasn't been booked in SF already. Kowaljow is marvelous and the word on Grigolo from Europe is very positive.

Simon Boccanegra with Domingo, Ana Maria Martinez, Vitalij Kowaljow, Stefano Secco, Paolo Gavanelli. Conlon conducts. Wow.

Albert Herring with Alek Shrader, Daniela Mack, Liam Bonner, Ronnita Nicole Miller, Stacey Tappan. Conlon conducts. A young cast to be sure and hopefully they won't get lost in the iffy acoustics of the building. This is the riskiest thing on the schedule, which is sad. I've never seen this Britten work so it's another "yes."

La Boheme with Ailyn Perez, Stephan Costello, Janai Brugger-Orman alernates with Valentina Fleer as Musetta, and Artur Rucinski. Patrick Summers conducts. Ailyn Perez as Mimi? That's a "yes."

Best of a Beast: 2010

Looking back on the year's performances I realized it wasn't a good year for Bay Area theater, but it was a great year for LA Opera, which claimed three spots in the top ten. SFJazz is also on a roll, which presented two shows on the list. Overall I saw about the same number of performances as in 2009, and the mix of what ended up in the Top 10 is similar to last year's, though not by design. This year the list is ranked, starting with the best. The links will take you to the original post.

1. The Los Angeles Opera Ring Cycle, directed by Achim Freyer
    Visionary and thought provoking, this was Wagner for the 21st Century, and truer to the composer's idea of Gesamkunstwerk than any production I've ever seen or read about.

2. San Francisco Opera's Věc Makropulos
    A perfect match of artist and material, with all the supporting pieces perfectly in place made this the most talked about production San Francisco Opera has staged in years, and justifiably so.

3. Lulu at the Met:
    I never posted about this, as I saw it in the midst of a whirlwind trip through 5 states in 2 weeks back in May, but this was outstanding on every level. Marlis Petersen as Lulu was sensationally decadent and gave Berg's anti heroine an amazing depth. Anne Sofie von Otter's Countess Geschwitz and James Morris' Dr. Schön were also incredible. The conducting by Fabio Luisi was  superb. Everything about this was, in a word, perfect.

4. Esperanza Spalding at Davies Symphony Hall
    A spellbinding, phenomenal performance by a young artist who seems destined to have a major impact on the world of music far beyond jazz.

5. John Adams and the San Francisco Symphony  
    The performances of Harmonielehre and El Niño, with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the former and the composer taking the helm for the latter proved three things without a doubt: the San Francisco Symphony is performing at its peak right now and has never sounded better; John Adams is a genius; the relationship between the two, now more than 25 years old, must be considered one of the most fruitful collaborations of our time.

6. LA Opera's Il Postino
    No one thought this opera was going to stink more than I did. When the reviews came out unanimously praising it, I had to go see for myself what all the fuss was about. Still skeptical as I took my seat, when it was over I wished I could see it again. Even though it was written for Domingo, this has the goods to stick around for a long time after the legend has called it a day. An accessible, beautiful, contemporary work and a great production.

7. LA Opera's The Stigmatized
    LA Opera's Recovered Voices programming has put some truly memorable productions on the stage in the past couple of years and this was one of the best. Sadly, the program has disappeared from next year's schedule. Let's hope this is only temporary, as productions like these of operas that have been neglected for too long here in the U.S. finally see the light of day. NB, this was no novelty, but as deserving to be seen and heard as anything else that appeared on any major house's schedule in the past year. Brubaker and Silja were fantastic- and Conlon was again in peak form.

8. San Francisco Opera's Die Walkure
    Perhaps the most aurally satisfying experience of the year, which more than made up for the nonsense and creepy perversity onstage.

9. Lila Downs at Herbst
    You should have been there. If you weren't, don't miss her the next time.

10. Antibalas at the Great American Music Hall
      This band from New York is an incendiary experience of funk, Afro-funk, and so much more, but none of that really matters. They tore it up in legendary fashion for more than two hours, if for nothing else simply for the sheer joy of doing so, and simply because they could.

Other notable performances:

Christopher Wheeldon's Ghosts performed by the San Francisco Ballet
Vasily Petrenko conducting the San Francisco Symphony
The Burroughs and Kookie Show: Late Night in the Interzone
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

With thanks and gratitude to Penelope, the Femme Fatale, Maria Gostrey, Chad Newsome, CC, GG, Madame Merle, the Swedes elder and younger, the Greek, Miss Trixie, Ann Enigma, Axel, Patrick, the OT, A Naturalized Southerner, La Divinavila, Dr. Hank, Craig, Reid and the Minister's Rebellious Daughter for doing it with me.

LA Opera's Rigoletto

I was going to skip seeing Rigoletto in LA while I was down there to see Lohengrin, mostly because of the cost and I'd seen the production when it was here in SF a few years back. Then my grandmother told me that LAO had invited a bunch of seniors to a dress rehearsal and she seemed to regret not going. Then LAO sent out a survey and after finishing it I was pleased to get a 50% off code to buy tickets to any performance. So with that fortuitous bit of good luck I took my 97 year old grandmother to her first opera. She only slept through about ten minutes of the first act and no, I didn't wake her up.

Photos: Robert Millard

LAO has a winner here. This is the best Rigoletto I've seen. Conductor James Conlon lit the orchestra on fire, which is especially impressive after leading them in a gorgeous performance the night before. We were seated in the second row of the orchestra, giving me a mostly clear shot at watching him lead- and it was interesting to watch him conduct and sing along through most of the score. The cast is first rate: as Rigoletto, George Gagnidze was in fine voice, but equally important, he brought an actor's sensibility to the role without going overboard. An operatic anti-hero if there ever was one, Gagnidze's hunchbacked jester evoked disdain for everyone around him yet still came through as sympathetic. With the exception of King Philip in Don Carlo, Rigoletto is Verdi's most nuanced character and can be hard to capture and Gagnidze's portrayal is a memorable one.

As his daughter Gilda, Sarah Coburn sang beautifully and evoked the innocence the character needs with ease. Unfortunately the audience began to applaud before "Caro nome" was finished, but she wasn't thrown by it. Andrea Silvestrelli's Sparafucile was creepy and slimy, but his voice lacked menace. There was something unconvincing about to me, but the audience responded very positively to him at the curtain. Kendall Gladen was fine, especially in the quartet. Daniel Sumegi's Count Monterone was also well-sung.

As the Duke, Gianluca Terranova was the most believable I've seen in the role yet. Dashing, good-looking, with a voice that validates the hype he's been getting lately, Terranova is a singer to keep your eye out for. If he has a tendency to sing to the audience more than than to the other characters onstage, I'm going to write that off to director Mark Lamos. He sang everything as passionately as he did "La Donna Mobile" and didn't go over the top on what may be the best known aria ever written.

The set worked better here than it did in SF, perhaps because this production felt grittier. From the opening scene at the Duke's ball, where women in masks and exposed breasts gave the scene a salaciousness it lacked previously, the tilted walls and darkly-lit doorways suggest treachery lurks just out of sight and creates a sense of claustrophobia that Gilda and Rigoletto experience in different ways. Garish lighting by Mark McCullough only added to the effect. The chorus was excellent, as were Constance Hoffman's costumes.

The lecture by Conlon was packed. I enjoyed it immensely but after it was over my grandmother wondered why he had to tell us the whole story. Don't listen to her- Conlon's a wealth of erudite, interesting information and if you have the time beforehand his lectures are well worth attending.

There are two more performances on December 15 and 18. And my grandmother really enjoyed it. She said she'd go again.

Lohengrin in LA

LA Opera's current production of Lohengrin looks like it's had some trouble finding an audience. When General Chang and I went to go see it last Saturday night the back rows of the orchestra were completely empty. It was a shocking, dismaying sight. I discussed this with a couple of gentlemen seated near us, one of whom expressed embarrassment that the LAO audience decided to largely bail on this one. Too bad, because  they're missing out on a solid production and cast for one of Wagner's best operas and four hours of musical glory from James Conlon and the LAO orchestra, which never sounded better to me than they did that night.

I was expecting (and hoping for) a much wilder, regie-esque production from director Lydia Steier, who's worked with the notorious Calixto Bieito and the visionary Achim Freyer, but with the exception of not having a swan in sight, this is a straightforward, no-nonsense production which sets the story in WWI to great effect. The cast has three superlative leads- Ben Heppner is the title character, a knight of the Grail seeking an unquestioning love. A signature role for Heppner, I've heard he's had off moments during this run but on this night he was in fine, if not robust, voice. He impressed me on two levels- his complete comfort in the role and his ability to make his voice heard at every point, remaining a distinct presence which even stood out crystal-clear during the robust chorus scenes.

Soile Isokoski's Elsa was the evening's greatest pleasure. Her voice is pure gold and she expresses the quandary of Elsa's plight convincingly. Dolora Zajick, who received the evening's loudest applause, was fantastic as Ortrud, but I thought the audience response to her a bit overdone as she fit well within the ensemble and Isokoski was as good if not better. Perhaps this crowd was applauding what they've read, not what they heard? The other principals, Kristinn Sigmundsson  as King Heinrich and James Johnson as the hapless Telramund also made great contributions to the whole, as did the chorus.

It's really quite inexplicable why people are avoiding this one. It's an intelligent, well-designed and performed production of standard rep and some of the greatest music you'll ever hear. I believe there is one more performance left and heavily discounted tickets are available for it.

Prior to the show the General and I had dinner at First & Hope, which did us right with some great food and drink. My first visit here left me ambivalent at best, but my return left me a fan.

Il Postino- specially delivered

Last Saturday night I caught the final performance of Il Postino at LA Opera. I was initially loathe to even think about seeing this- another opera based on a film for which I had little fondness. It seems that almost every new opera opera commissioned by American houses is based on a movie, even if the movie has a literary origin, it seems the opera is pitched to the audience that admired the film. However, when the reviews came out and everyone was singing the praises of Daniel Catán's score and the singers I wanted to see for myself if it was that good.

As it turns out, I think it's even better than most of the reviews I read about it claimed. Perhaps that's one of the benefits of seeing the last performance instead of the first- at the end of a run everything is in place, just clicking, and the cast last night had an easy air about it, as if they were sending off something the were all proud to have been a part of and wanted to make this last one the best.

Placido Domingo's 134th role as the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda is the big draw here, but the night really belongs to Charles Castronovo- and Domingo was very gracious to make his curtain calls at the end in hand-in-hand with Castronovo. While everything about this opera works- it's these two who are its heart and soul, along with some incredibly beautiful music.

I'll skip the story/plot- you probably already know it anyway, and just relate what worked so well on the stage, which was, for me at least, an unexpected delight. First of all from the primary to the minor roles, this was extremely well cast. Catán wrote the part of Neruda with Domingo in mind, so it's no surprise he inhabits this role to an extent that will make it a challenge to whoever follows him in it. Domingo's voice isn't as large as it has been recently- here he sings at the same volume as everyone else instead of seemingly effortlessly soaring over them, and I couldn't tell whether Domingo was doing this intentionally or if this was just the inevitable signs of a man his age, but there was no apparent attempt on his part to ever be more than part of a tight ensemble that had a story to tell. Not an easy feat when you're probably aware that all eyes are on you whenever you're onstage.

Castronovo is brilliant. As his character develops and grows in spirit and confidence, so does his voice. During the final duet performed by the two tenors, Castronovo's Mario has grown to where he shares the stage with Domingo as an equal- as a character and a tenor. It was one of the most moving moments I've witnessed in an opera.

Christina Gallardo-Domás' turn as Neruda's wife Matilde was perfect. The physical chemistry between her and Domingo was wholly believable, and when she exclaims late in the opera that their time on the island of Cala di Sotto was reinvigorating to their love and happiness it's easy to believe. It's not a large role, but it is a significant one, and Gallardo-Domás leaves an indelible impression.

Amanda Squitieri's Beatrice Russo was another revelation. It's easy to see why Mario falls in love with this beguiling woman. I'd like to see her and Guillardo-Domás as Mimi and Musetta. And Castronovo would be a great Rodolfo.

The rest of the cast was fine as well, but everything about this production was done at the finest level. A brilliant, beautiful yet simple set. Gorgeous use of imagery, perfect costumes and Grant Gershon led the LAO orchestra through the graceful score with clarity and richness. I've read a lot of commentary comparing the score to Puccini, but I hear his influence primarily in the vocal writing. The music reminded me more of Strauss, and oddly enough, Janacek in Cunning Little Vixen mode (one of the most joyous scores ever composed). Beautiful.

Sort of an LA Opera season preview

Having read Brian's preview of Daniel Catan's Il Postino, I realized I was going to have to make one more trip down to L.A. this year than I expected. In years past L.A. Opera has made it very easy to lure out-of-towners by programming two operas simultaneously that could be seen over a weekend. The pairings always worked pretty well with me, but for some reason this year they don't.

For starters, Il Postino sounded like a terrible idea to me, Domingo or not, and pairing its run with The Marriage of Figaro certainly wasn't going to induce me to go down there. No way. Ah, yes, Marcher eats his words again, though I'll skip the Figaro, thank you very much.

Then there's the new production of Lohengrin, directed by Lydia Steier, which seems destined to maintain LAO's track record of offending certain types of Wagnerites. In other words, this will likely be the highpoint of the entire season for me and with Ben Heppner in the title role leading a fantastic cast I cannot wait to see and hear this. But it's paired with Rigoletto. Now don't get me wrong, I think Rigoletto is one of Verdi's best. But I've seen it a lot in the last ten years and being totally unfamiliar with the cast, it holds no interest for me this time around.

Two potential pairings, two complete misfires and they only got me for Il Postino because Brian and I agree more often than not on what's good and what isn't and he's talking it up. But two out of the four is as far as I'm willing  to go and hopefully there will be something interesting across the street at Disney Hall while I'm there for the second night.

At least the third pairing this spring truly works for me. Normally, Rossini's Il Turco in Italia would be something I would happily see at home but unlikely to travel 400 miles to see. But this is a sensational cast and I have every expectation this will be as good if not better than last year's Elixir. That run overlaps with Britten's The Turn of the Screw. That seals the deal. Two operas I really do want to see. So in a season of six operas they're getting me to want to see four. That's not bad at all, considering that here in San Francisco there's only one production in which I'm truly interested. The rest I'm so indifferent about I've yet to purchase any tickets.

This is the third season in a row I've found LA Opera to be more interesting than San Francisco and I'm glad Domingo will be sticking around as the boss for at least a couple of more years. Now please bring back the Recovered Voices program, which is a gaping hole in LAO's schedule this year. Instead, there's Mark Morris' L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, which is truly a delightful, thoughtful evening of music and dance I strongly recommend you attend. See you at the Dorothy Chandler.

Mixed Meters' modest proposal for LA Opera's future

David Ocker over at Mixed Meters floated an interesting and provocative proposal this morning, suggesting that Peter Sellars should take over for Placido Domingo as the General Director of LA Opera when Domingo's contract expires next year. I think it's a brilliant idea, but I don't think for a moment it would ever happen. Unfortunately I suspect it will be years before we can play this game of speculation here in San Francisco with any real hope for a regime change, but it's fun to consider Sellars at the helm of SFO and what the company would be like under more adventurous leadership.

In the meantime, we'll have to content ourselves locally by speculating on MTT's eventual departure from the San Francisco Symphony and who his successor will be, but I've already made my thoughts on that subject known.

In the Ring, with the Times

The coverage of LA Opera's Ring at the LA times has really been exceptional. Not only has classical music/opera critic Mark Swed been a highly visible presence online, but the Times has also sent theater and pop music critics to cover it from a different perspective. As someone who appreciates pop and rock as well as opera, classical and other forms of music, I have been impressed by the postings of Ann Powers, who usually writes the Pop and Hiss blog (part of the larger Culture Monster blog found on the Times' website). She gets it- and articulates it very well, even if I sometimes disagree with her choice of analogies.

I'm linking to all four of her reviews of the second cycle. The third one is about to begin- again, if you can, I urge you to take a trip to LA and see at least a part of it if not the entire thing. It's phenomenal and last time I looked you could get tickets for individual performances on Goldstar, which is sad for the company but great for the average Joe or Josephine. In the meantime, take a look at these:

Das Rheingold: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/06/a-pop-music-critic-takes-on-wagners-ring-cycle-das-rheingold.html

Die Walkure: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/06/a-pop-critic-takes-on-the-ring-of-valkyries-and-vocal-magnificence.html

Siegfried: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/06/a-pop-critic-takes-on-the-ring-siegfried-at-los-angeles-opera.html

Gotterdammerung: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/06/a-pop-critic-reviews-the-ring-gotterdammerung-at-la-opera.html

Also Ring Festival LA has a pretty robust page happening on Facebook that keeps one apprised of what's going on about town. It only makes me wish I was there. The third and last cycle starts tomorrow night with Das Rheingold.

Das Rheingold and Die Walkure: the LA Ring Revisited

Since I had previously seen the individual productions of LA Opera's Ring cycle over the last year and a half, I was initially not going to see it as the full cycle for reasons of cost and scheduling (9 days to see an entire cycle- what were they thinking?). When the prices came down and the opportunity arose to buy selected performances rather than an entire cycle I eagerly bought tickets to see Rheingold and Walkure and after seeing how director Achim Freyer has tweaked what were already substantial artistic triumphs into near perfection I'm certainly glad I did. I was already tempted to see the fantastic Gotterdamerung again, but now I may even see Siegfried just to see how it's been improved.

Das Rheingold has been tinkered with less than Walkure, though there were subtle changes that made it even better than I recalled. That's saying something since I'd rate this particular Rheingold among my top five favorite productions of all time (and yes, it is my favorite opera). I was seated much further back in the orchestra than I was the first time, which makes Freyer's mise en scenes much more potent but had the distinct disadvantage of making large portions of the orchestra almost inaudible though the singing came through with complete volume and clarity all evening. We were stuck in a dead zone for the orchestra, unfortunately.

Richard Paul Fink has taken over as Alberich, replacing Gordon Hawkins. Fink brings a different, more energetic interpretation to the part, changing the dynamics in a significant way. This production of Rheingold casts Loge as the central figure, while Wotan is an observer to his own miscalculations and poor choices- hence the cage around his head representing how he's trapped by his own machinations. Fink's strong presence makes Arnold Bezuyen's Loge a less dominant figure this time around, which gives the entire production a less sinister air, while making it more of an ensemble piece, further aided by having Fricka and Wotan move about the stage more than they did the first time around. Michelle De Young, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite singers, was again spot on as Fricka, arms extended in pitiable frustration- she's pleading or she's illustrating how despicable her husband's games are. Graham Clark's Mime gave an energized, strongly sung performance. Fink's singing was strong throughout, and while he's not a sinister Alberich, he displays emotion through his voice and body language, allowing him to project more personality than anyone else onstage despite being masked through the entire performance. His Alberich is a cocky ringmaster, corrupted and avaricious. Hungry to exploit and eager to run the show. It's quite an interpretation.

Vitalij Kowaljow's Wotan, which was solid last year after a hesitant start, is now a full-blown star turn, though that becomes more apparent in Die Walkure. Having perhaps the most onerous demands as far as working within Freyer's elaborate production, Kowaljow seems completely at home in this role and he owns it from the moment he opens his mouth. For my money, he's the Wotan I want to see whenever possible and though he's fantastic here, I can't wait to see what he does with this role in a different production.

What surprised me the second time around? How solid this cast is. For Rheingold, there is not a single weak link onstage. I was also impressed by how quickly it moves and feels significantly less static than the 2009 version. Even the scene where Alberich turns from a dragon to a frog, normally my least favorite part of this, went by without me hoping it would be over quickly. The scene in the Nibelung's mine was thrilling and brilliantly choreographed, thanks to Clark's willingness to go all out and lead the way. I'm still not a fan of the airplane rainbow bridge, but it's larger now and makes sense in that you can tell what it is and further back in the house the Giants magnifying glasses are of no effect whatsoever. Small quibbles for what is really one of the greatest interpretations of Wagner's work there is, and I do mean that. For those who think this production has nothing to do with the story, what part of it don't you understand?

The following night we returned for Walkure, which didn't thrill me as much as Rheingold the first time around, but now I would have to concede it's better than it's predecessor. Why? Kowlojov, Domingo and Michelle DeYoung. Kowloljov owns this evening and though Domingo naturally got the biggest rounds of applause, Kowoljov wasn't far behind and in my opinion gave a flawless, nuanced, extremely sensitive performance. In the third act his remorse and anger were staggering. Having Michelle DeYoung replace Anja Kampe, who was a weak link last year as Sieglinde, transformed the first act from the most static thing I've ever seen into a thrilling, brilliant hour of drama and passion. She matches up much better with Domingo, and having the characters move around the circle, while the presence of Hunding and his kin lurk all around them, greatly improves the drama.

Second time around, improvements were significant for the Ride of the Valkyries, which now seems much angrier and violent, and having seen the production, I had a better appreciation of how Freyer uses a silhouette of the unborn Siegfried to mark time's progression, or lack thereof. There are so many brilliant, small details and nuances in this production that illuminate the story (if you know it) in such rewarding ways. The way trails of blood red ribbon tether the gods to Freia. The way Wotan gathers up the same tethers (tendrils?) extending from his Wanderer persona as he prepares to banish Brunnhilde, and then casts them aside, as if it's the most painful thing he's ever had to do. Kowoljow was simply riveting during this part of the third act.

And then there's Linda Watson- the Achilles heel of the production. Still not my kind of Valkyrie, but at least when she didn't have to emote anything strongly her voice was pleasant. Unfortunately, in Walkure, that's not too often, and let's just say she's no Gwyneth Jones.

This night flew by and oddly, was one of the most brilliantly paced, perfectly executed evenings of opera I've ever attended. I just wish I could have heard the orchestra better.

A final note: I saw Freyer in the lobby Saturday night and was quite disappointed he didn't come out to take a bow on either night. Based on the strong audience reaction, I think he would have been warmly greeted. Contrary to all the naysayers, everything I overheard during intermissions and after, with the exception of a certain New Yorker and a lover of Italian Bel Canto whom I brought with me on Saturday, was extremely positive.

Okay, one more note: it was a pleasure to run into Brian from Out West Arts, The Opera Tattler and her brother, and to catch up with Mary Ann Smart, whom I have not seen for way too long.

Really, you'd be foolish to miss this if you can make it.

He said, she said or: Lust and Loathing in LA

I'm sitting in a hotel room in downtown LA listening to Madame Merle complain about the audience at LA Opera (people in flip flops and incessant wrapper masturbation for the last hour of the performance) and compare a magnificent performance of Das Rheingold to Chinese opera. She says Chinese opera was worse. To my ears, that's akin to comparing a South Park cartoon to a Dix painting as equal representations of contemporary social commentary. I could probably come up with a better analogy for this, but when you (if you) get through this post you may understand why I'm not at the top of my game on this day. Oh, let me correct this as I am being heckled as I as write this. She's claiming it was as bad as an Air Supply concert.

Now, is this the most ludicrous thing you've ever read? Heathens.

Guest writer Madame Merle: first, I'm being completely misrepresented... in my defense, which obviously won't work here, i did mention i don't like opera, but i make a really good arm piece...
rheingold, the story could have been told in an hour and the action would not have been sped up in the least. and seriously who taught la-la land opera goers etiquette? here's an opportunity to have an event folks... try some heels! and yes it was 12 hours and 53 minutes at least but eat before or unwrap your candy before the show, you were at the last 10 minutes for goodness sake.
now the Chinese Opera, i was sure my ear drums would burst, who sings that high! and why??? though had about the same amount of action and had actually managed to repress that i had ever seen anything that horrific until about half way through last night's performance when i suddenly had the flashback as i was trying to figure out ways to quietly kill myself to not have to suffer further.
now SOUTHPARK, come on... the beginnings of each episode this season have been brilliant, i was not saying anything at all good about any opera, chinese, german, italian, or any such likes... though did like dix.
are all women in Opera weak? vain? manipulative? so afraid her man will leave her, cheat again, she's willing to do anything?
the lessons i learned last night, power over love, but wait, youth over everything.
and what, only 60 more hours to go... joy of all joys.

Marcher: Yes, everyone knows you like Dix. What to do, you try, try to spread the wonders of the art to those you know and then you end up afterwards sitting at the Omni's outdoor bar listening to how one woman lost her virginity to Walkure (a marathon performance she has never found anyone else could equal since) while the other two tried to convince me of the merits of REO Speedwagon. Really, is this my life? Not that I'm complaining, but it was rather surreal. I was at least relieved to learn the deflowering did not take place during the first act.

Apparently Madame Merle has more to say, since she has figured out a way to poison herself at dinner and thus miss Domingo in Walkure, the prospect of which is causing her to break out in hives while she furiously texts her mother about the faux paus committed by various audience members:

Madame Merle: (putting on her bedroom eyes)... though we were actually a little more passionate about depeche mode... and we all know my likes are why you are allowing me to be here arguing in bed right now...
this is a city where people go to whole foods in their pajamas, but was hoping at least there would be some decorum, style, class... have i been in new york too long... i need to go back to the Met, its only obvious, leaving him to his girls with their german sex tales. [this portion has had certain bitchy elements removed by Marcher, to Madame Merle's great and vociferous protestations].

Marcher: Depeche Mode is the 80's version of Journey and just as musically vapid.

When I return, I'm going to write a real post about last night, and there are still a few other things I need to catch up on, but for now I'm going to give Madame Merle one final shot at clarifying herself (she knows no one cares about this except herself). We are now listening to Rick James. Seriously. Now I feel as if I'm in a Hunter S. Thomson story. Lust and Loathing in Los Angeles. Except there are no drugs to be found anywhere in this room. Well, there is the mini-fridge, which I'm about to drink my breakfast from.

Madame Merle:THERE, THAT'S EXACTLY IT! i had to do that opera stone cold sober!!!! (was about to write iTunes on shuffle as some sort of defense, but the fact that very kinky girl is even on it is indefensible... so i have to stop)

Marcher: She is a pretty arm piece, and brought everything she saw lacking in the audience, but I didn't expect any less of her. Needless to say, the price I'm going to pay for subjecting a juke box girl to 5 1/2 hours of Walkure will probably destroy myriad other hopes and fantasies I may have been harboring about the rest of the stay here in LA, but that's the price one pays for art, no?

It's now 1:20. Anyone want a ticket to see Walkure tonight?

The Drawn, the Marked, the Stigmatized

LA Opera's production of Franz Schreker's Die Gezeichneten (The Stigmatized, among other possible translations) marks the first performances of the once popular work in the Western Hemisphere. Part of LAO's Recovered Voices programming, which showcases Entartete Musik and its composers, they've once again, as they did with Zemlinsky's The Dwarf, put forth a work that deserves to be heard widely. Since there is no Recovered Voices slot on the schedule for next season, one can only hope the program is on hiatus while LA Opera gets itself on more stable financial footing. Programming like this is vital and important and LAO seems to be the only large company in the Western Hemisphere with any interest in it at all.

The question around such specialized programming is whether or not it's a novelty. In the case of The Broken Jug and The Birds, I would say yes, and I really don't care if I never heard either work again. However, in the case of The Dwarf and The Stigmatized, which share a single request by Zemlinsky ("Write me the tragedy of an ugly man") in their origin, the answer is a definite no. The fact that these two operas haven't been seen in the U.S. until LAO premiered them, while piffle like Puccini's La Rondine or Delibes' Lakme are regularly performed, is a kind of tragedy in its own right.

In the lecture before the performance I attended on April 18th, conductor James Conlon, who had given the orchestra a thorough workout the previous day in Gotterdammerung, said the plot was as convoluted as Trovatore times ten and we should pay more attention to the music than the goings on onstage. But what happens onstage is quite lurid and it's easy understand why Die Gezeichneten was very popular when it first arrived. Lurid like an Otto Dix painting, the story drips with decadence. Sitting in the front row however, prevented me from paying too much attention to the surtitles above me and focus on the music I did, since I don't understand German. Still, having read the synopsis a couple of times, and a cast that clearly articulated every word so that I easily caught the cognates, I didn't miss much by looking up every few minutes just to see where we were.

Musically, Schreker is operating in R. Strauss territory with occasional forays into Puccini's realm. What an oddity it is to hear something that sounds like it comes from Act 1 of Boheme sung in German. With passages that can't help remind the listener or Salome or even Rosenkavalier, without sounding like a copycat, Schreker's music- and his story, packs a potent wallop.

As Alviano Salvago, Robert Brubaker, who has performed the role in Europe in a production available on dvd, sung with clarity and conviction as he disappeared into the role of the insecure, noble disfigured cripple. In a word, Brubaker is sensational in this role. Anja Kampe, who disappointed me the last time I heard her in LAO's Die Walkure, was much better here, giving depth and nuance to the troubled, confused artist Carlotta Nardi. The rest of the cast was strong, with James Johnson as the morally indifferent Duke and Martin Gantner as the slimy, self-serving Count Vitelozzo standing out. I also spotted a couple of former Merola alumni in smaller roles.

The staging, by Ian Judge, was confined by the severely raked platform of Gotterdammerung, but Judge made the most of it with evocative lighting, well-executed scenes and fantastic use of projections. It didn't hurt that everyone in the cast acted their parts as well as they sang them.

Conlon, for the second time in as many days, put the orchestra through their paces as they delivered a solid three plus hours of exquisite music. There are two more performances left, and discounted tickets are available on Goldstar. You'd be foolish to miss this, though it's definitely rough stuff- leave the little ones at home- there's a very graphic rape scene and the plot involves the abduction of young girls who are used as fodder at orgies by the rich inhabitants of Genoa. Who says opera is stuffy?

Photos by Robert Millard

The LA Ring Posts

Below are my reviews of the individual operas as they unfolded during the past fifteen months. The review for Rheingold is a combination of two posts. I will be revisiting 3 of the 4 (less Siegfried) when the cycle runs continuously in May and June. I urge you to get some tickets- it's an incredible production on every level.

Das Rheingold

Die Walkure

Siegfried

Gotterdammerung

Click on the tags for other posts about the LA Ring or LA Opera

Gotterdammerung- Tearing Down the House

LA Opera's Gotterdammerung brings the company's first Der Ring Des Nibelungen to an audacious close in what has turned out to be one of the most interesting, stimulating and brilliant productions I've ever seen. I remember once reading a quote by someone who said "What happens in Gotterdammerung is just awful." The quote kept coming back to my mind as I was getting ready to see the performance. Circling around it was my own thought about how director Achim Freyer would present what really is an awful story, because his Ring really hasn't been centered in the emotional lives of the characters, but rather in their psyche.

Since Freyer is really interested in exposing the inner psychological workings of these characters, this is a Ring without any heroes to be found anywhere on the stage. In this version, the ostensible hero is one step above a buffoon, trapped and ruled by his own id. Even without having his heart poisoned by Hagen's love potion, this Siegfried would have made the wrong move at some point. Brunnhilde really doesn't fare much better because a woman who would worship such a man can only end up looking foolish in the end.Those who dislike Wagner because of his anti-Semitism and eventual co-opting by the Nazis would be hard pressed to find anything here that even remotely glorifies the ideas behind their their discomfort. If Hitler's army was composed of nothing but Freyer's Siegfrieds WWII would have been over shortly after it began.


It's worth noting that the characters with least amount of moral rectitude in the entire cycle, Loge (Rheingold) and Hagen (Gotterdammerung), have been the true stand-out characterizations and hold the center in their respective chapters. While everyone else is trapped by their own flaws or personas (often literally), these two approach a level of strength that Schoepenhaur and Nietzsche would have admired. Does that make Freyer's approach anti-Ring? No. Set in no discernible time period or place, Freyer's vision takes on a quality of timelessness and otherworldiness that liberates Wagner's libretto from its historical time period and mythical sources- this story could be taking place 5000 years ago on a distant planet or 2000 years from now on this one. It really doesn't matter. Most productions of the Ring I've seen go one of two ways- the make the Gods truly gods (read heroic or noble), or they want to anthropomorphize them. Freyer throws those notions away and works with the libretto as it is. In this way, despite all the hoopla and dissent this production has caused, this may indeed be the most literal production of a Ring ever staged from the standpoint of the characters. And Shavians would be disappointed- unlike Zembello's Ring staged in Washington and currently unfolding in San Francisco, it would be a stretch to pin a capitalist critique on this cycle.


While there were some rough spots in the staging of Die Walkure and Siegfried, most notably expressed in the lack of comfort John Treleavan and Linda Watson seemed to have in their roles as Siegfried and Brunnhilde, with Gotterdammerung Freyer seems to have finally gotten everybody onboard with his vision. Treleavan seems comfortable with Siegfried as a clown this time around- and gave the character a depth that was lacking before. This was most notable when his face and body showed genuine angst when he realizes the truth behind his betrayal of Brunnhilde. Watson seems to have made peace with being an unglamorous, vengeful warrior- a woman spurned by both father and lover who is incapable of seeing the flaws in either of them. While neither are perfect singers for these roles for my taste, they both delivered powerfully sung performances, with Treleavan making every word distinctly clear and Watson becoming a force of nature in the third act, even though when she tears her hair out in age I kept thinking she looked like Esther Rolle dressed as Morticia Addams at a Halloween party. Equally important, both seem to have grown comfortable with the physical demands (and limitations) of Freyer's vision.


Eric Halfverson's Hagen was everything one could want in the role, whose conception is brilliant. Freyer's Hagen is a dwarf, constantly perched on the lap of another, whom he makes do his bidding. He looks like a puppet though he's always pulling the strings. Strong in voice, Halfverson was fantastic.


The real revelation in the singing department came from Michelle DeYoung, who performed double duty as the second Norn and most impressively as Waltraute. De Young impressed me quite a bit in Rheingold, but she was even better here. She justly received a tremendous ovation afterwards as her singing was the finest of the performance. Her addition to the upcoming performances of Die Walkure will remedy the one bit of weaker casting from that chapter and give Domingo a formidable partner in the first act.


Jill Grove and Melissa Citro were the first and third Norns, and Grove gave another memorable performance.


Alan Held as Gunther and Jennifer Wilson as Gutrune both had masks on for the entire performance, as did the entire Gibiching chorus. Wilson had a difficult time making the role more than a cog in Hagen's machinations, and couldn't convey any physical presence justifying Siegfried's desire for her, but Held, large and clear in voice, managed to project a strong physical characterization behind his mask that gave this faceless Gunther a distinct and unique presence onstage. Held made Gunther a sympathetic character- who would have thought that possible?


Richard Paul Fink's Alberich has little to do here, but his moment was solid and as he trolled the stage checking on his son's progress, he casted an interesting aura of menace and intrigue when he was onstage.

The Rheinmaidens, Ronnita Nicole Miller, Stacey Tappan & Lauren McNeese, were again fine and mesmerizing to watch as their arm movements were duplicated to create a rippling effect at the rear of the stage. This time around lit in red, rather than blue, to signal the disharmony i.e. blood that surrounds their missing gold.


The orchestra, led by James Conlon, delivered the most gorgeous-sounding chapter of the ring in all of its fullness. Undoubtedly helped by the fact that the pit is no longer completely covered, they emitted a glorious sound the entire afternoon.


As for Freyer's choices in the staging, especially of the ending, I found it to work on a couple of levels. This Ring isn't of our world, and it's unlike any other, so when Valhalla goes up in flames and takes everything with it. there really is nothing left behind. Well done.


Photo by Monika Rittershaus

A Golden Opportunity

One of the things that makes seeing a Ring Cycle prohibitive for a lot of people is the cost and the time commitment. Usually opera companies charge twice as much for Ring tickets as they do for other productions, so even sitting up in the back of the balcony can easily run $400 for an entire cycle of the four operas, not to mention going to the house four times over the course of a week or so for some very long performances. Personally, there's little I'd rather do, but since I'll have seen the entire thing piecemeal by next week, the cost, and to a lesser extent the time commitment dissuaded me from seeing LA Opera's complete Ring Cycle again.

But now that LA Opera has made the tickets the same price as they are for other productions, and given people the opportunity to choose performances on the dates that work for them, I can't see any good reason to miss what is one of the greatest works of art ever created in what's turned out to be an intelligent, provocative, creative, fascinating and very well-cast production. Or at least catch some of it- especially Das Rheingold and Die Walkure.

No doubt LA Opera is only doing this because they have to sell more tickets, but their loss is a gain for opera lovers who can now see the most exciting Ring around until the LePage production comes to the Met in 2012. Don't be a sucker- get some tickets. This production of Rheingold is on my all-time top 5 list of things I've seen.

And how many opportunities to you get to hear Domingo in something terrific (rather than wait for him to show up in something mediocre like Cyrano, which no one really would ever mount if here weren't in it).

Don't kick yourself- when are you ever going to get the chance to see a Ring Cycle of this magnitude ever again for prices that start at $200 for the whole thing? In this country? Probably never. See you there.

PS- currently there are tickets for the remaining performances of The Stigmatized available on Goldstar.

Photos by Monika Rittershaus

What's the point of booing Gotterdammerung?

Photo by Monika Rittershaus

Every review I've read of LA Opera's Gotterdammerung, which opened this past weekend, has mentioned the robust booing directed at Achim Freyer, the production's mastermind (and careful of that last link- the LA Times' Mark Swed gives way too much away about the opera's concluding stagecraft). What is wrong with these people? Seriously. I'm not saying everyone should love the production, though I have so far, but this is part four!

Did you not see the first three in the cycle? If you saw them, or at least one of them, are you such a dimwitted masochist you would pay good money and spend over five hours to watch something you know you are going to loathe? Really? What's wrong with you?

If you haven't seen any of the previous operas, first of all why are you starting at the end and not the beginning? And what did you expect- Otto Schenk or Seattle? Had you not read a single review nor caught a glimpse of a publicity shot? The people booing this production are morons. Not because they don't like it, but because they went in the first place.

Now I don't like everything I see just because I want to, and sometimes I end up loving loving stuff I thought I'd hate- read this blog for ample evidence of this- but if I know the first ten or so hours of a fifteen-hour work aren't something I liked or was interested in, then why commit to the final five hours? It makes no sense to me at all. So shut up, would you please?

PS- if you've never been to the opera before, Gotterdammerung is not the place to start. Seriously.