The 1848 Californian gold rush has an almost mythical place in American cultural history, with its associations of lucky strikes and the pioneering spirit, as well as more negative connotations of lawlessness, hard toil and poverty for those who were not so lucky. It has spawned Hollywood films, documentaries, books and songs, while opera-goers are also likely to associate it {…}
What better way to celebrate America in the midst of moral decay? What better offering than a paean to the quest for independence, human dignity, the chance for actual freedom? Meet “Girls of the Golden West,” John Adam’s brand new opera, given its world premiere last night in San Francisco. A collaboration with the renowned artist and visionary, Peter Sellars, {…}
This week, John Adams fifth opera “Girls of the Golden West” makes its world premiere at the San Francisco Opera. The premiere will mark the second time one of Adams’ operas opens at the company. The new work is inspired by the 1851/1852 letters of Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe who lived for a year and a half in the {…}
The Guggenheim Museum has announced its Works & Process series for the fall season, which will include two new operas. The series will include John Adams’s opera “Girls of the Golden West,” which is slated to have its world premiere this fall in San Francisco. New Yorkers will have a chance to preview the work on Sept. 21 and 22, 2017, {…}
The San Francisco has announced its 2017-18 season with major classics making a return to the house and one significant world premiere slated to close out 2017. The big announcement of the day was that this season is music director Nicola Liusiotti’s last with the company, though it was hinted that the company would find ways to have him return {…}