The Opera Tattler

Reviews of Performances and their Audiences

Recent posts

Month: December 2009

  • LA Opera Bailout

    The layoffs earlier this year were not enough, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors just approved a $14 million emergency loan for Los Angeles Opera. LA Times | LA Opera

  • Dan Brown at La Scala

    Apparently Dan Brown attended the this season's opening of La Scala, a performance of Carmen, and mentioned that he could imagine the opera house as a setting for his writing. Reuters Article | La Scala

  • Marino Formenti plays Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus

    * Tattling * Marino Formenti's recent performance at Los Angeles Philharmonic convinced me to get a ticket for his performance of Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus in Berkeley yesterday, although I neither like nor understand Messiaen. Unfortunately, it turned out that I had to return to Southern California on Saturday morning for personal reasons, but was able…

  • The Tallis Scholars sing Josquin’s Missa De beata virgine

    * Notes * The Tallis Scholars started their latest US tour in Berkeley yesterday evening. The first half of the program consisted of Josquin's Missa De beata virgine, which was sung with remarkable clarity. The nine singers were perfectly synchronized under the direction of Peter Phillips. After the intermission we heard impeccable singing of Nesbett's Magnificat.…

  • Stucky, Sibelius, & Stravinsky at Berkeley Symphony

    * Notes * Last night Berkeley Symphony played a program of Steven Stucky, Sibelius, and Stravinsky. The program was quite coherent, the pieces all hung together well, each having a certain ethereality. The orchestra shimmered under Joana Carneiro, though perhaps lacking precision, the musicians did produce a lovely, hazy sound. Stucky's Radical Light started off almost…

  • Final Performance of Otello at SF Opera

    * Notes * The final performance of the year for San Francisco Opera was Verdi’s Otello last Wednesday. The orchestra continued to sound fine, especially the woodwinds. Luisotti’s interpretation of the music came through, his choices in tempi and dynamics were strong. The chorus also did wonderfully. Vocally, the performance was consistent with the opening, Renée Tatum…

  • The Barber of Seville at LA Opera

    * Notes * Last Sunday Il Barbiere di Siviglia opened in a matinée performance at Los Angeles Opera. The orchestra sounded unfocused under Michele Mariotti, often not with the singers. As Fiorello, José Adán Pérez sounded fine, as did Kerri Marcinko (Berta). Andrea Silvestrelli was an amusing Don Basilio, his throaty, resonant tones were spot on.…

  • Ensemble Parallèle’s Wozzeck Presentation

    Ensemble Parallèle's Artistic Director and Founder Nicole Paiement is giving a musical presentation about Berg's Wozzeck and a behind the scenes glimpse of the upcoming production. Bojan Knezevic and AJ Glueckert will offer musical examples and director Brian Staufenbiel will be on hand for a question and answer session on staging concepts. This event occurs…