Every year the Tucson Guitar Society presents a recital in which a soloist is accompanied by guitar and it is always a crowd-pleaser. This year’s event, held on Wednesday January 22, 2020, in Tucson at the University of Arizona’s 200-seat Holsclaw Hall, starred tenor Ian Bostridge and guitarist Xuefei Yang gave a recital that included music by John Dowland, Benjamin {…}
(photo credit: Hunter Canning) La MaMa presented Object Collection’s utopian space-opera, “You Are Under Our Space Control” (YAUOSC) in an engrossing theatrical atmosphere that felt wildly predestined. Founded in 2004 by writer/director Kara Feely and composer/musician Travis Just, Object Collection values accumulation above cohesion. The group seeks to radically inspire moments of innovative thought with dense layers of creativity and {…}
In Phoenix on January 24, 2020, Arizona Opera presented Giacomo Puccini, Luigi Illica, and Giuseppe Giacosa’s popular opera “La Bohème.” Illica and Giacosa wrote the opera’s libretto and I agree with modern writers that librettists deserve as much credit as composers. When the curtain opened, Stage Director Paul and Scenic Designer Peter Dean Beck gave us a two-level garret that would return for the last act. In it he did not use what I guess was merely a sleeping loft on the upper level. This construction is actually part of a most effective unit set that formed the second act hillside street, and the third act gate.
***This review has been edited from its original form. A previous version stated that the presentation of the concert version was the result of a “break down of the machine” by Robert LePage, which was incorrect and irresponsibly misinterpreted information on the part of the writer. Last June, the Metropolitan Opera announced that its upcoming production of “La Damnation de {…}
(Photo Credit: Jennifer Taylor) On Jan. 14, 2020, SongStudio opened its second year of masterclasses and performances at Carnegie Hall, continuing in the legacy of supporting and nurturing young artists started by revered mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne. Among the distinguished instructors of the program, led by Renée Fleming, were Elīna Garanča, Julia Bullock, Gabriel Kahane, and Hartmut Holl, Gabriel Kahane The {…}
(Credit: Brian Paulette) Experimentation and adventurous programming are at the heart of The Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s Explorations series. A recent departure for the company, brainchild of General Director and CEO Deborah Sandler, and held in its fine new production facility in the Crossroads district downtown, the series also provides excellent opportunities to showcase the company’s Resident Artists, and {…}
(Credit: Miguel Lorenzo / Mikel Ponce) Richard Strauss’ “Elektra,” one of the most audacious and darkest operas in the entire repertory, is a massive undertaking for any opera company. In the case of the Palau de Les Arts, the Robert Carsen production of the gripping opera was presented with great intensity further amplified by the appearance of Irene Theorin in {…}
(Photo Credit: Sunny Martini / Seattle Opera) Seattle Opera’s production of Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” has travelled around, being co-owned by regional opera companies in Kansas City, Honolulu, Detroit, Atlanta, and Seattle, with costumes rented from Santa Fe Opera. And while it was musically and emotionally rewarded, the mounting on January 11 was visually staid. Roads Not Taken For Tchaikovsky’s opera {…}
This past summer, OperaWire published an interview with “Ellen West” headliner Jennifer Zetlan. When asked what she wanted audiences to take away from her experience with the opera, Zetlan’s replied that, to her, an extremely successful evening of live theater or opera was one in which the audience leaves feeling their soul touched, adding “… I hope our audiences will find themselves deeply moved {…}