Reviews, appreciation and analysis of all things opera
Earlier this month, I had anticipated [Six or so Reasons to Experience “Andrea Chénier” at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House] and then reviewed [Review: Yonghoon Lee is an Eloquent Andrea Chénier in McVicar’s Cinematic Staging – San Francisco Opera, September 9, 2016] Sir David McVicar’s production of “Andrea Chénier”. My review was of the … Read more
The following interview was conducted with the much-appreciated facilitation of the San Francisco Opera. [Below: Italian soprano Anna Pirozzi; edited image of a Victor Santiago photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.] Wm: I ask each of my interviewees the following questions: What are your earliest memories of music? of opera? AP: As a young girl … Read more
In recent years, live performances of some important operas of the “standard repertory” have become rarer. I am scheduled to review four such operas, each with major international casts, in Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles and Houston. Berlioz, The Trojans (Les Troyens), Lyric Opera of Chicago, November 13(m), 17(m), 21(m), 26(m) and December 3(m), 2016 British director Tim Albery … Read more
The following interview was conducted in the Santa Fe Opera Cantina, with the much-appreciated facilitation of the Santa Fe Opera: [Below: Bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen; edited image of a publicity photograph from kylek.net.] Wm: I have a question that I ask all my first time interviewees: What are your earliest memories of music? KK: I come from … Read more
The 18th century Chinese classic The Dream of the Red Chamber qualifies as one of the significant contributions to the literature of the human experience. That does not necessarily mean that one can extract a successful opera out of the sprawling epic. Chinese composer and co-librettist Bright Sheng and his California co-librettist David Henry Hwang have done just that, neatly intertwining the supernatural story … Read more