The Opera Tattler
Reviews of Performances and their Audiences
Month: August 2008
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In the Loge, 1878Mary Stevenson Cassatt, American, 1844–192681.28 x 66.04 cm (32 x 26 in.)Oil on canvasMuseum of Fine Arts, Boston I've never thought too much of Impressionism in general or Cassatt in particular, but this opera painting did catch my attention on a recent jaunt over to Boston. The painting compares favorably to Renoir's…
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The firms Arkitema and Arkþing are to create the new opera house for Icelandic Opera near the Kópavogskirkja on Borgarholt hill. Based on folklore about the home of the elves, the designs can be seen on the Arkþing site (under Projects, Culture & Sports, Operahouse in Kópavogur). Press Release (In Icelandic) | BD Article (In English) | Icelandic Opera's…
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January 3- March 23 2009: Madama ButterflyJanuary 10- February 14 2009: Cavalleria / PagliacciJanuary 22- April 30 2009: Die ZauberflöteMarch 3-April 29: Lady Macbeth of MtsenskMarch 12-26 2009: WertherApril 14-September 9 2009: I Capuleti e i MontecchiMay 12-31 2009: A Little Night MusicJune 27- July 18 2009: Dido & Aeneas / Acis & GalateaJuly 7-…
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Official Site | 2008 Performances Merola Grand Finale Reviews: The Opera Tattler | Civic Center | San Francisco Classical Voice | San Francisco Chronicle Don Giovanni: The Opera Tattler | Civic Center | Oboe Insight | Not For Fun Only | SFist | San Francisco Chronicle Albert Herring: The Opera Tattler | The Rehearsal Studio | SFist | San Francisco Classical Voice | San Francisco…
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Soprano Elza van den Heever and tenor Michael Weinius won Seattle Opera's second International Wagner Competition, held on August 16, 2008. Elza is an alumna of the Merola Program and a former Adler Fellow. The judges included Hans-Joachim Frey, Ben Heppner, Peter Kazaras, Pamela Rosenberg, Stephen Wadsworth, and Eva Wagner-Pasquier. Press Release [PDF] | Official…
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* Notes * This year's Merola Opera Program ended twelve weeks of training with a Grand Finale last night at the War Memorial Opera House. The performance was staged simply, using a set that included a couple of steps to a rickety parquet floor and a pair of stage right doors. The costumes were standard…
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* Notes * Interlochen Academy of the Arts graduate Red Bennett's opera What They Seem premiered yesterday evening at the Mission Cultural Center in San Francisco. The jaunty music was directed smoothly by Cole Thomason-Redus, and the six musicians in the orchestra all sounded fine. What could be done with only oboe, piano, cello,…
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Welsh National Opera is targeting young men between the ages of 14 and 25 with a film entitled Surf Tailz. Baritone and surfer Craig Yates is working on the project and one can read about it on WNO's official site. The South Wales Echo has a rather misleadingly titled article on the endeavor as well,…
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George Steel is assuming the post of general director at the Dallas Opera on October 1st. Steel has been the executive director at Columbia University's Miller Theatre since 1997. Press Release [PDF] | Biography
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* Notes * Festival Opera's delightful production of A Midsummer Night's Dream opened last Saturday in Walnut Creek. Michael Morgan and Mark Foeringer did a fine job with the direction, the choreography never lagged and fit the music well. The sinuous dancing was not perfectly synchronized, but was enchanting nonetheless. The flying effects used for Puck were perfect…
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