The Opera Tattler
Reviews of Performances and their Audiences
Category: Paolo Gavanelli
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* Notes * The third performance of Simon Boccanegra (Act I Scene 2 pictured left, photograph by Robert Millard) at Los Angeles Opera on Sunday was quite good. The production originates from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and is directed here by Elijah Moshinsky. Michael Yeargan's set is sleek, and Duane Schuler's lighting did…
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* Notes * The opening performance of Il Turco in Italia at Los Angeles Opera was delightful. The production originates from Hamburgische Staatsoper, directed there by Christof Loy, with attractive costumes and sets from Herbert Mauerauer. Here Axel Weidauer directed the amusing action to good effect, the audience certainly was engaged. Even though the specifics…
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September 23- October 16 2010: Il PostinoSeptember 26- October 17 2010: Le Nozze di FigaroNovember 27- December 18 2010: LohengrinFebruary 19- March 13 2011: Il Turco in ItaliaMarch 12-27 2011: The Turn of the Screw LA Opera's new season opens with a world premiere, with Plácido Domingo singing the part of Pablo Neruda. Domingo conducts…
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* Notes * Il Trittico opened at San Francisco Opera last night with Patricia Racette singing all three of the major soprano roles. The production, directed by James Robinson, is clean and simple. Allen Moyer's sets are unostentatious, the three are not tied together in an obvious way, yet still look like they match each other. Patrick…
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October 2 2008- July 24 2009: Macbeth October 4-11 2008: Das Gehege / Salome October 5 2008- July 13 2009: Norma October 19-25 2008: Die Bassariden October 23- November 2 2008: Eugene Onegin November 1-6 2008: Die Entführung aus dem Serail November 8 2008- May 21 2009: Der fliegende Holländer November 10 2008- January 31…
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Giorgio de ChiricoMistero e Malinconia di una Strada, 1914Oil on canvas, 88 x 72 cmPrivate collection * Notes * Apparently Michael Yeargan’s set for Rigoletto is based on Giorgio de Chirico’s architectural paintings. De Chirico (1888- 1978) started on this particular style in 1910 when he was living in Florence and moved on from metaphysical…
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* Notes * A revival of Rigeletto opened September 30th at San Francisco Opera. Mark Lamos’ production from 1997 inaugurated the last General Director’s tenure back in 2001. There were a few changes from the last time around, the dancers with exposed bosoms in the first scene were gone, and the lighting was less lurid.…
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The Bavarian State Opera production of La Traviata was impressive as far as the principal singers. Anna Netrebko sang Violetta, and she was simply perfect. Her voice is supple and nearly angelic. This part showed her abilities off more than in others I have heard, she was Nannetta in Falstaff at San Francisco and Natasha…
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Tickets to yesterday evening’s performance of Lucia di Lammermoor completely sold-out, presumably because Edita Gruberova was singing the title role. She is in her 25th year of singing Lucia, and she is quite remarkable. Her voice can be the very embodiment of icy perfection. The audience screamed and clapped after "Quando rapito in estasi" for…
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If all the operas at the Bayerische Staatsoper were as good as their current production of Don Carlo, I would never leave the Nationaltheater. It wasn’t perfect, but all the singers were good, and Zubin Mehta is a fine conductor. They chose to do their own version of Verdi’s Don Carlo, something in-between the full…
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