I’m going to kick off this week’s edition of the top 10 operas to stream by saying that it is probably among the most varied from a repertory standpoint. You have your Verdi, Mozart, Strauss, and Wagner, of course. But then you also have music by African American composers, a baroque opera, a modern operatic classic, and even a recital {…}
Pocket Opera has announced the transmission of Pocket Watch, a three-song concert miniseries, as well as its Virtual Gala 2021, “Offenbachanalia,” commemorating the 44th year of its founding by its Artistic Director Emeritus, Donald Pippin. All performances will be streamed on the company’s official YouTube Channel and Facebook. The first concert, entitled “Songs of Concealment,” will be opened by baritone {…}
Pocket Opera has released several mini-concerts online. Since the pandemic shut down opera companies across the globe, the company has endeavored to continue bringing opera via digital means. The company, which continued to pay partial fees to every singer, director, costumer, and prop artist involved in the 2019-20 season, launched a 3-song Mini Concert Series, culminating in the concert by {…}
(Photo Provided by Pocket Opera) Pocket Opera, the San Francisco Bay Area’s flagship chamber opera company, opened its 2020 season on March 1, 2020 with the Mozart/Da Ponte masterpiece, “Don Giovanni.” The production was the first under the leadership of the company’s recently installed artistic director, Nicolas A. Garcia. Garcia previously served as the assistant artistic director under Pocket Opera’s {…}
California-based Pocket Opera has announced its 2020 season which will feature five operas throughout the year, including a unique double bill. The season opens with Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” with Anders Froehlich in the title role. Chris Filipowicz, Kevin Gino, Mitchell Jones, Sara LeMesh, Jaime Korkos, and Rabihah Dunn will take on the other major roles in the opera. César Cañon {…}
Puccini’s “La Rondine” soared out of Berkeley’s Hillside Club Sunday afternoon, in full flight. Pocket Opera, under the artistic direction of Nicholas A. Garcia and music director David Drummond, gave voice to its bittersweet charm. With the Pocket Philharmonic tucked neatly upstage and the small cast of ardent singers weaving in and out of a petite and well-designed set, the {…}
This weekend’s selections run the gamut from a world premiere, the return of a famed but rarely performed opera (at least in the States), a superstar cast in a Mozart opera, and two other works by prominent composers. Here is a rundown of our top five selections of the weekend (in alphabetical order by company). L’Incoronazione di Poppea – Florentine {…}
Pocket Opera’s “The Two Widows” was a treat. A Smetana rarity, Pocket Opera performed the work with gusto. The opening performance at Berkeley’s historic Hillside Club provided an intimate setting for this charming production directed by Nicholas A Garcia, Pocket Opera’s current Artistic Director. Donald Pippin’s English version of the original Czech libretto by Emanuel Züngel, aptly enhanced the music. {…}