Friday Photo

Fence, crocosmia, roses

Laurel District, Oakland

June, 2006

 

Goodbye, Robert Lepage, Hello, Richard Jones!

Interior of The Coliseum, London

November, 2019

Photo by Lisa Hirsch

The English National Opera is launching a new Ring production, directed by Richard Jones and conducted by Martyn Brabbins . We've seen a couple of Richard Jones stagings in SF, a superb and well traveled Hansel und Gretel and a somewhat less successful Queen of Spades. They're starting out this fall -- they hope -- with The Valkyrie, with Rheingold, Siegfried, and Twilight of the Gods to follow. 

There's going to be a new translation, by John Deathridge. The previous production, of which I saw The Valkyrie in 2004, used a Jeremy Sams translation that I didn't like one bit. I am puzzled at why this revival doesn't use Andrew Porter's magnificent singing translation from the 1970s, but whatever.

I don't see any casting details on the ENO web site, but let me quote from the announcement:

English National Opera (ENO) is to bring Wagner’s Ring Cycle to the London Coliseum, starting with The Valkyrie this Autumn, subject to any further lockdown restrictions. Directed by the award-winning Richard Jones, and marking the first time in more than 15 years since ENO last staged The Ring, all four parts of The Ring Cycle will be staged at the London Coliseum over five years. Rhinegold will premiere in 2022/23 followed by a reprise of The Valkyrie, and new productions of Siegfried and Twilight of the Gods in 2024 and 2025 consecutively. The Metropolitan Opera is co-producing.

Museum Mondays

Architectural Frieze

The Cloisters, New York City

February, 2010

 

And Speaking of Bang on a Can

They have lots coming up in March:

First Fridays with Robert Black, Bang on a Can All-Stars’ Bassist

Friday, March 5, 2021 at 12pm ET 

 

Celebrated German Dance Company Sasha Waltz & Guests presents 

In C  with music by Terry Riley, recorded by Bang on a Can

Saturday, March 6, 2021 at 2pm ET 

 

Watch Party for the Video Premiere of Michael Gordon’s Sonatra

performed by Vicky Chow and moderated by Ethan Iverson

Sunday, March 7, 2021 at 3pm ET

 

Bang on a Can Marathon Live Online – MaerzMusik Edition

presented by Berliner Festspiele

Sunday, March 21, 2021 from 3-7pm ET

 

All Streaming at live.bangonacan.org 

Details after the jump.

Bang on a Can Tomorrow (Sunday, February 21, 2021)

From the press release, with interjections from me:

Bang on a Can February 21, 2021 Marathon Performance Schedule

Every piece on the program is a world premiere of a newly commissioned work. Set times are approximate and subject to change. 

The times are EASTERN TIME. On the West Coast, this starts at 10 a.m.

View at: live.bangonacan.org

Related: 

• SF Chron critic Joshua Kosman writes about Bang on a Can and William Robin's new book Industry
• William Robin interviewed at I Care if You Listen
• William Robin and Alex Ross talk about Industry and new music
• Buy Industry from Oxford University Press (or your local bookstore)

 

1PM

Jakhongir Shukur Potter's Wheel, performed by Robert Black

Jennifer Walshe Happiness Starts Right Now, performed by herself

Maria Huld Markan Sigfusdottir Pending, performed by Chi-chi Nwanoku

Amir Elsaffar new work performed by Ken Thomson

 

2PM

Gregory Spears new work performed by David Byrd-Marrow

Kristina Wolfe new work performed by Molly Barth

Gabriel Kahane Hollywood & Vine, performed by Arlen Hlusko

Bora Yoon new work performed by herself, with video by R. Luke Dubois

 

3PM

Matthew Shipp Spaceman’s Blues, performed by himself

Joel Thompson Supplication and Compensation, performed by Anthony Roth Costanzo

Rohan Chander △ or The Tragedy of Hikkomori Loveless from FINAL//FANTASY, performed by Vicky Chow

David Cossin new work performed by himself

 

4PM

Eve Beglarian A Solemn Shyness, performed by Lara Downes

Ingrid Laubrock new work performed by herself

Molly Herron Canon No. 4, performed by Maya Stone

Alvin Lucier new work performed by Mark Stewart

More after the jump.

Friday Photo

Interior of Aldgate East Tube Station, London

May, 2014

There's more of a story behind this photo than you might think. The photo turned up, mysteriously, at the end of a black and white roll of film that I just had developed in January, along with four other rolls of film going back to the 1990s. (That's what happens when you really clean up: you find rolls of undeveloped film.) Most of the rest of the roll of film is forest shots that I think I must have taken in 2007 on a trip to the Olympic Peninsula.

I remember taking this photo, because it was taken from an odd spot: I was standing on St. Botolph St. outside the station, looking in, from the end of the station opposite the fare hall and I remember approaching the location and looking into it. What's really strange is that I have absolutely no memory of having taken a film camera to London with me on the 2014 trip. I had just bought a very nice dSLR, with which I took hundreds of photos on that trip. I must have thrown my little Olympus point and shoot camera into the camera bag, because I definitely didn't take my Ricoh film SLR.

Here's a photo of the exterior of the station, taken right before or after the above shot:

 

Gail Samuel to the Boston Symphony

Gail Samuel in Copley Square, Feb. 17, 2021 (Photo by Aram Boghosian)

Courtesy of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

It's just over a year since Mark Volpe's retirement from the Boston Symphony was announced, and today the BSO named his successor: Gail Samuel, who has been an executive at the LA Philharmonic for some 25 years, most recently as Chief Operating Officer. She was one of the two strong internal candidates to take over as CEO when Deborah Borda returned to the New York Philharmonic after many years at the LA Phil. (For reasons nobody could fathom, the LA Phil's Board went with an outsider, who was replaced less than two years later by Chad Smith, the other strong internal candidate.)

Mark Volpe has been a strong manager* at the BSO, which has had good labor relations and has an enormous endowment, more than $500 million.  The orchestra has had the same problems during the pandemic as every other full-time U.S. orchestra, and negotiated musician pay cuts as a result.

It's great that the BSO has named such a strong and experienced leader to this important position. Congratulations to Ms. Samuel on her new job!

More:

• BSO web site
• BSO Press room; there's a link to a PDF of the press release
• NY Times (photo is a Times photo taken outside WDCH, which amuses me a bit)

* Yeah, James Levine's troubled tenure as music director of the BSO owing to his health problems, I know, I know, But I don't know what the BSO knew.

Spano to Fort Worth

On April 1, 2021, Robert Spano becomes the Music Director Designate of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.  He assumes the position of Music Director as of the 2022-23 season.

Miguel Harth-Bedoya, whom Spano succeeds, appears to not have a Music Director position. He is Music Director Laureate of Ft. Worth and director of orchestral studies at the University of Nebraska.

Open positions:

• Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, when Robert Spano leaves at the end of 2021-22. 
• City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, when MGT leaves at the end of 2021-22
• London Symphony Orchestra has an opening for chief conductor in 2023, when Sir Simon Rattle heads to the BRSO in Germany.
• Baltimore Symphony, because Marin Alsop did not renew her contract there
• Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra following the firing of Daniele Gatti
• Opera Theatre of Saint Louis: Stephen Lord resigned following accusations of sexual harassment. OTSL has not named a new music director.
• Michigan Opera Theater: Stephen Lord resigned following accusations of sexual harassment. MOT has not named a new music director.
• Teatro Regio Turin: Open now with departure of Gianandrea Noseda. the Teatro Regional's has not named a new music director.
• Minnesota Opera: Michael Christie has left. MO has not named a new music director. 
• Sarasota Orchestra after Anu Tali  leaves at the end of 2018-2019. Jeffrey Kahane is "artistic advisor" but whether that means he is conducting the orchestra....I do not know.
• Melbourne Symphony: Sir Andrew Davis leaves at the end of 2019. No new music director has been named.
• Opera de Paris, when Philippe Jordan leaves in 2020. No successor has been named.
• Virginia Symphony: JoAnn Falletta is now laureate, but no successor has been named.
• Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
• Minnesota Orchestra, when Osmo Vänskä leaves in 2022.

Conductors looking for jobs (that is, as of the near future, or now, they do not have a posting):

• Miguel Harth-Bedoya
• Lionel Bringuier
• Juanjo Mena
• Ludovic Morlot
• Sian Edwards
• Jun Markl
• Ingo Metzmacher
• Jac van Steen
• Mark Wigglesworth
• David Robertson
• Peter Oundjian
• Philippe Auguin
• Kwame Ryan
• Ilan Volkov
• Aleksandr Markovic
• Lothar Koenigs
• Henrik Nanasi
• Carlos Kalmar

And closed:

• Fort Worth Symphony: Robert Spano to succeed Miguel Harth-Bedoya.
• Oregon Symphony: David Danzmayr succeeds Carlos Kalmar at the beginning of the 2021-22 season.
• Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Maxim Emelyanychev has succeeded Robin Ticciati
• Orchestre de Paris, Klaus Mäkelä to succeed Daniel Harding
• Montreal Symphony Orchestra: Raphael Payare has succeeded Kent Nagano.
• Richmond Symphony: Valentina Peleggi succeeds Steven Smith.
• Singapore Symphony: Han Graf succeeded Lan Shui.
• BBC National Orchestra of Wales: Ryan Bancroft succeeded Thomas Søndergård
• BRSO hires Sir Simon Rattle to succeed the late Mariss Jansons, effective 2023.
• Jader Bignamini is now Music Director of the Detroit SO, succeeding Leonard Slatkin.
• Opera North: Garry Walker is music director designate
• Sydney Symphony Orchestra names Simone Young their chief conductor; she takes over in two years, succeeding David Roberts.
• San Francisco Opera appoints Eun Sun Kim its music director, starting August 1, 2021. She succeeds Nicola Luisotti.
• Philharmonia Orchestra names Santtu-Matias Rouvali as its next Principal Conductor, starting in 2021-22.

Read more at Musical Chairs of the Past.

WTF Just Happened Today....at San Francisco Opera?

War Memorial Opera House

Photo by me

UPDATED: 10:50 PM 2/16/20 owing to oops, my error

If you're following the various news streams coming out of San Francisco Opera, you might be forgiven for being the tiniest bit puzzled and, if you're a subscriber, even a little bit pissed off.

Today, the company announced the return of live opera, with a good deal of fanfare. Later in the day, there was a Town Hall with a very enthused Matthew Shilvock and guests including director Matthew Ozawa.

As a subscriber and a member of the press, I received both the press release and a glossy email telling me the details. Briefly:

• There will be eleven (11) drive-in performances of a 90-minute, one-act version of The Barber of Seville. It will be performed on the set that the company has built for the upcoming Fidelio (!) and it will be done as a backstage comedy - in other words, Barber meets Noises Off. I have to say, a good-parts version of Barber is a lot more personally appealing than the full-length version, although, uh, not at these prices: $250/car if you're on site at the Marin Civic Center, where you can, I guess, hear the singers on your radio. Alternatively, you can pay $50/car to view a simulcast at another location....or you can pay $25 to watch the video in the comfort of your home at a later date. Lastly, those 11 performances take place from April 23 to May 15, 2021. Matthew Ozawa directs, Roderick Cox conducts, a good cast all composed of former Adler Fellows.
• The Adlers: Live at the Drive-in. There will be three presentations of this concert, on April 29, May 6, and May 14. Again, Marin Civic Center is involved.
• There will be some concerts presented digitally (that is, streaming on the web site).
• Ring Festival: the Company will stream the 2018 presentation of the Zambello Ring on consecutive weekends - good scheduling, there - and also present a large number of interesting-looking panel discussions, webinars, etc. with all sorts of people.

I'll get to what I am personally pissed off about, but first, here's the real news that isn't in the press release or email to patrons:

The planned spring season of Barber, Der Zwerg, and the Verdi-Wagner concerts with Lianna Haroutounian and Iréne Theorin has quietly disappeared from the SFO web site. The season had been announced as taking place from April 25 to May 15, 2021.

It seems reasonable to guess that everything announced today is in lieu of the planned season. It has has been not yet been announced as canceled (and I did check for such a press release before posting this), but c'mon, the drive-in Barber effectively precludes the opera-house Barber. And tickets were still on sale for the spring season during the fall of 2020.

Update starts:

My apologies to SFO and the communications department; I am leaving the above to show what I was wrong about. Sometimes I need to read my own blog, because in December, SFO announced, and I reported, the following:

Due to the ongoing pandemic, San Francisco Opera is re-envisioning our upcoming 2021 schedule. The originally announced 2021 Spring Season running April 25–May 16 at the War Memorial Opera House—Rossini’s The Barber of Seville (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg, and concerts featuring sopranos Lianna Haroutounian and Iréne Theorin—will not take place as planned.

I remember that there would be an update, but not the announcement that the season would not take place as planned. 

Update ends.

I'm going to note that I made a specific inquiry to SFO's communications department about the concerts, which are the kind of thing that could be done as livestreams, even if Theorin and Haroutounian are accompanied by pianos in different countries. This was around 4:30 p.m. and I haven't received a reply. If I'm wrong about the effective season cancellation - and who knows? Maybe I am! - I'll be issuing an update and an apology. [See the above, though I wish that a single communication today had included "....as we announced in December, the spring season will not go forward as planned.." but this is totally my bad.]

Here's what I'm, uh, pissed about: there's really not much in the announcement for current subscribers. By this I mean the people who subscribed to 2020-21, made a donation when they subscribed in the spring of 2020, and donated their tickets back to the opera as the summer 2020 and fall 2021 seasons vanished into the maw of the pandemic. My partner and I would be among these people. 

Subscribers typically get order priority over non-subscribers, and in fact we're getting maybe 10 days of priority in order Barber tickets. We also get a discount over single-ticket buyers, at least those who haven't found a discount somewhere. We are getting a $30 discount, from $99 to $69, for a full set of the Ring Festival events.

I think this is an unfortunate failure to materially recognize people who've given the company their unfailing support during this difficult period, so I'm hoping that the company will figure out something to do with pricing to thank us. I mean, absent official cancellation of the season, I still hold tickets for the spring season, right? I bet that there will not be a way for my household to swap our six collective tickets for one ticket to the drive-in Barber....if we wanted to go.

UPDATE: 11:20 pm Subscribers can apply past ticket payments to upcoming events. (I might have already donated back my spring tickets, can't remember.)

UPDATE: later on 2/16/20: Clay Hilley, Sarah Cambidge, and Heidi Stober, the case of Der Zwerg, still have the show on their web sites, so maybe it is happening later this year. But when a company isn't selling tickets to a show....is that show happening?

David Danzmayr to Oregon Symphony

David Danzmayr will take the helm at the Oregon Symphony when Carlos Kalmar's tenure ends at the end of the 2020-21 season. Full details at Charles Noble's Nobelviola blog.

I'm reminded that the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, one of the world's great orchestras, has not announced a new music director after firing Daniele Gatti in 2018 over his inappropriate behavior.

Open positions:

• City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, when MGT leaves at the end of 2021-22
• London Symphony Orchestra has an opening for chief conductor in 2023, when Sir Simon Rattle heads to the BRSO in Germany.
• Baltimore Symphony, because Marin Alsop did not renew her contract there
• Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra following the firing of Daniele Gatti
• Opera Theatre of Saint Louis: Stephen Lord resigned following accusations of sexual harassment. OTSL has not named a new music director.
• Michigan Opera Theater: Stephen Lord resigned following accusations of sexual harassment. MOT has not named a new music director.
• Teatro Regio Turin: Open now with departure of Gianandrea Noseda. the Teatro Regional's has not named a new music director.
• Minnesota Opera: Michael Christie has left. MO has not named a new music director. 
• Sarasota Orchestra after Anu Tali  leaves at the end of 2018-2019. Jeffrey Kahane is "artistic advisor" but whether that means he is conducting the orchestra....I do not know.
• Melbourne Symphony: Sir Andrew Davis leaves at the end of 2019. No new music director has been named.
• Fort Worth Symphony: Miguel Harth-Bedoya leaves in 2020. No successor has been named.
• Opera de Paris, when Philippe Jordan leaves in 2020. No successor has been named.
• Atlanta Symphony, when Robert Spano leaves in 2020. No successor has been named.
• Virginia Symphony: JoAnn Falletta is now laureate, but no successor has been named.
• Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
• Oregon Symphony, when Carlos Kalmar leaves at the end of the 2020-21 season.
• Minnesota Orchestra, when Osmo Vänskä leaves in 2022.

Conductors looking for jobs (that is, as of the near future, or now, they do not have a posting):

• Lionel Bringuier
• Robert Spano
• Juanjo Mena
• Ludovic Morlot
• Sian Edwards
• Jun Markl
• Ingo Metzmacher
• Jac van Steen
• Mark Wigglesworth
• David Robertson
• Peter Oundjian
• Philippe Auguin
• Kwame Ryan
• Ilan Volkov
• Aleksandr Markovic
• Lothar Koenigs
• Henrik Nanasi
• Carlos Kalmar

And closed:

• Oregon Symphony: David Danzmayr succeeds Carlos Kalmar at the beginning of the 2021-22 season.
• Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Maxim Emelyanychev has succeeded Robin Ticciati
• Orchestre de Paris, Klaus Mäkelä to succeed Daniel Harding
• Montreal Symphony Orchestra: Raphael Payare has succeeded Kent Nagano.
• Richmond Symphony: Valentina Peleggi succeeds Steven Smith.
• Singapore Symphony: Han Graf succeeded Lan Shui.
• BBC National Orchestra of Wales: Ryan Bancroft succeeded Thomas Søndergård
• BRSO hires Sir Simon Rattle to succeed the late Mariss Jansons, effective 2023.
• Jader Bignamini is now Music Director of the Detroit SO, succeeding Leonard Slatkin.
• Opera North: Garry Walker is music director designate
• Sydney Symphony Orchestra names Simone Young their chief conductor; she takes over in two years, succeeding David Roberts.
• San Francisco Opera appoints Eun Sun Kim its music director, starting August 1, 2021. She succeeds Nicola Luisotti.
• Philharmonia Orchestra names Santtu-Matias Rouvali as its next Principal Conductor, starting in 2021-22.

Read more at Musical Chairs of the Past.

Museum Mondays

Virgin and Christ Child

The Cloisters, New York City

February, 2010

 

Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla to Complete Tenure at CBSO

Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla

Photo care of Los Angeles Philharmonic

News from Birmingham: Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla's contract at the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra has been extended by one year, though 2021-22....and then she will be moving to the position of Principal Guest Conductor. Here's what the conductor said of this decision:

I have decided to give up my position of Music Director of the CBSO at the end of the 2021-22 season and have happily accepted the orchestra’s invitation to become Principal Guest Conductor in the 2022-23 season.

This is a deeply personal decision, reflecting my desire to step away from the organisational and administrative responsibilities of being a Music Director at this particular moment in my life and focusing more on my purely musical activities. I have such admiration and great fondness for the musicians of the CBSO and I am absolutely delighted that we shall continue to make music together in the coming years. .

Open positions:

• City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, when MGT leaves at the end of 2021-22
• London Symphony Orchestra has an opening for chief conductor in 2023, when Sir Simon Rattle heads to the BRSO in Germany.
• Baltimore Symphony, because Marin Alsop did not renew her contract there
• Opera Theatre of Saint Louis: Stephen Lord resigned following accusations of sexual harassment. OTSL has not named a new music director.
• Michigan Opera Theater: Stephen Lord resigned following accusations of sexual harassment. MOT has not named a new music director.
• Teatro Regio Turin: Open now with departure of Gianandrea Noseda. the Teatro Regional's has not named a new music director.
• Minnesota Opera: Michael Christie has left. MO has not named a new music director. 
• Sarasota Orchestra after Anu Tali  leaves at the end of 2018-2019. Jeffrey Kahane is "artistic advisor" but whether that means he is conducting the orchestra....I do not know.
• Melbourne Symphony: Sir Andrew Davis leaves at the end of 2019. No new music director has been named.
• Fort Worth Symphony: Miguel Harth-Bedoya leaves in 2020. No successor has been named.
• Opera de Paris, when Philippe Jordan leaves in 2020. No successor has been named.
• Atlanta Symphony, when Robert Spano leaves in 2020. No successor has been named.
• Virginia Symphony: JoAnn Falletta is now laureate, but no successor has been named.
• Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
• Oregon Symphony, when Carlos Kalmar leaves at the end of the 2020-21 season.
• Minnesota Orchestra, when Osmo Vänskä leaves in 2022.

Conductors looking for jobs (that is, as of the near future, or now, they do not have a posting):

• Lionel Bringuier
• Robert Spano
• Juanjo Mena
• Ludovic Morlot
• Sian Edwards
• Jun Markl
• Ingo Metzmacher
• Jac van Steen
• Mark Wigglesworth
• David Robertson
• Peter Oundjian
• Philippe Auguin
• Kwame Ryan
• Ilan Volkov
• Aleksandr Markovic
• Lothar Koenigs
• Henrik Nanasi
• Carlos Kalmar

And closed:

• Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Maxim Emelyanychev has succeeded Robin Ticciati
• Orchestre de Paris, Klaus Mäkelä to succeed Daniel Harding
• Montreal Symphony Orchestra: Raphael Payare has succeeded Kent Nagano.
• Richmond Symphony: Valentina Peleggi succeeds Steven Smith.
• Singapore Symphony: Han Graf succeeded Lan Shui.
• BBC National Orchestra of Wales: Ryan Bancroft succeeded Thomas Søndergård
• BRSO hires Sir Simon Rattle to succeed the late Mariss Jansons, effective 2023.
• Jader Bignamini is now Music Director of the Detroit SO, succeeding Leonard Slatkin.
• Opera North: Garry Walker is music director designate
• Sydney Symphony Orchestra names Simone Young their chief conductor; she takes over in two years, succeeding David Roberts.
• San Francisco Opera appoints Eun Sun Kim its music director, starting August 1, 2021. She succeeds Nicola Luisotti.
• Philharmonia Orchestra names Santtu-Matias Rouvali as its next Principal Conductor, starting in 2021-22.

Read more at Musical Chairs of the Past.

Friday Photo

Staircase

Historic Skyscraper Tour, Chicago

November, 2016

 

News from West Edge Opera

 Various. news from West Edge Opera that I am way behind in reporting!

Snapshot

The annual Snapshot program will be held outdoors with social distancing this year:

May 15, 4 p.m. (And maybe also May 16?)

Bruns Amphitheater

100 Cal Shakespeare Way

Orinda, CA

Watch this web page for more details.

Aperture

The new Aperture program is for the development of new operas. You can read about what's going on at the Aperture web site. There are now eight operas in what they're calling the Sprint phase.

2021 Summer Festival

This year's festival -- which will present the three operas that were planned for 2020 - will also be held at the Bruns Amphitheater. Here's the press release, followed by dates:

BERKELEY, CA, February 2nd, 2021 - This summer, West Edge Opera is thrilled to be a part of Cal Shakes 'Season of Shared Light', presenting a three-week-long opera festival - an outdoor celebration of live music and performance - at The Bruns Amphitheater, 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way, nestled in the hills overlooking Orinda, CA. This partnership with Cal Shakes presents the opportunity for safety, collaboration, and most importantly: the opportunity to celebrate live arts again.

On Saturday July 24th, West Edge will open its festival with Katya Kabanova by Leoš Janáček, first performed in 1921. Jonathan Khuner will conduct this haunting tale of a woman's passion breaking free from the constraints of a conservative society with tragic consequences. Indra Viskontas directs. Soprano Carrie Hennessey will play the title role. Adler Fellow and Merola alum Christopher Oglesby will play her lover Boris. Kabanicha, Katya's tyrannical mother-in-law, will be played by soprano Kristin Clayton. Mezzo-soprano Sarah Coit is another veteran of West Edge's 2019 festival, earning raves as Jenny Diver in The Threepenny Opera, and will play Katya's young confidant, Varvara. Rounding out the cast will be tenor Alex Boyer, as well as Philip Skinner and Chad Somors. The opera will be sung in Czech with English surtitles. Performances run through Thursday, August 5th.

The next night, Sunday July 25th, West Edge will present Elizabeth Cree by Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell. Premiered in 2017 by Opera Philadelphia, the piece follows a series of murders set against the backdrop of a Victorian Music Hall performance troupe with a series of cameo appearances from the luminaries of the era. Sam Helfrich will direct, making his West Edge debut. Robert Mollicone, who conducted The Chastity Tree in West Edge's 2017 festival, will conduct. Mezzo-soprano Katherine Pracht will reprise the role of Elizabeth Cree, having last performed it with Chicago Opera Theater in 2018. Keith Phares plays her husband, John Cree. Also in the Music Hall troupe are Samuel Faustine, Ashley Dixon, Kenneth Overton, Phiip Harris, Simon Barrad, Leslie Katter and J Raymond Meyers. Elizabeth Cree will be sung in English with English surtitles. Performances run through Saturday August 7th. 

On Saturday July 31st, West Edge presents Eliogabalo by Francesco Cavalli. The subject of a debauched and corrupt Roman Emperor preying upon his hapless subjects was deemed too scandalous for even the Venetian Carnivale in 1667. General Director Mark Streshinsky will direct with Adam Pearl conducting from the harpsichord. Countertenor Randall Scotting will make his West Edge debut as the scheming Eliogabalo. Tenor Derek Chester will return to West Edge to play Eliogabalo's cousin and foil Alessandro, following his 2019 debut as Macheath in The Threepenny Opera. Soprano Nikki Einfeld will play Gemmira, the target of Eliogabalo's lustful gaze. Rounding out the cast are Shawnette Sulker, Jean-Paul Jones, Matheus Coura, Aura Veruni and Jonathan Smucker. Performances will run through Sunday August 8th.

Says General Director Mark Streshinsky: "We’ve had a connection to Cal Shakes for a long time and I have often dreamed about performing in their beautiful theater. When the opportunity presented itself, I jumped! We don't know what life will be like in July, but the chance to perform outside where we can socially distance greatly increases our odds of getting to gather and experience opera sooner than later. Our entire company is thrilled by the prospect."

These three operas were to be West Edge Opera's 2020 summer festival but were postponed due to COVID. West Edge Opera is thrilled to be presenting nearly all of the originally engaged singers, musicians, designers and directors from 2020 for the 2021 performances.

"Our West Edge players are thrilled with the prospect of returning to in-person performance," says West Edge Music Director Jonathan Khuner. "The healthy outdoor atmosphere and naturally fine acoustics at the Bruns will provide a very satisfying environment. As the seasons and vaccinations roll forward, we’re eager for the air of California summer and the warmth of our live audience."

A new website from West Edge Opera, with more information about the summer festival, will go live mid- March. Series tickets at the Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze level will be available May 1st, and individual tickets will be available June 1st.

Katya Kabanova 

by Leoš Janáček
Jonathan Khuner Conductor 
Indra Viskontas Stage Director
Starring Carrie Hennessey and Chris Oglesby.

Saturday, July 24th
Sunday August 1st
Thursday August 5th.

Elizabeth Cree 

by Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell
Bob Hollicone Conductor 
 Sam Hilfriche Stage Director
Starring Katie Pracht, and Keith Phares.

 Sunday, July 25th
Friday, July 30th
Saturday August 7th

Eliogabalo 

by Francesco Cavalli 
Adam Pearl Conductor 
Mark Streshinsky Stage Director
Starring Randall Scotting

Saturday, July 31st
 Friday, August 6th
Sunday, August 8th

Museum Mondays

Windows

The Cloisters, New York City

February, 2010

 

Who Knows Why?

Merlina

Tower of London

May, 2014

Photo by Lisa Hirsch

To clear up the issue I was getting at in my earlier post: I remain puzzled as to why the Gentle Author, who writes the Spitalfields Life blog, hasn't corrected a gross error on his blog.

There's a post at Spitalfields Life that went up on January 21 called "Merlin is Missing!". It's about one of the Tower of London ravens, who went missing some time in December and is presumed dead.

The problem in the GA's posting is that the bird's name is Merlina. Every other report I've seen, such as this one from the NY Times, got her name right. Her name is in the Tower of London's official Twitter feed. It's in Ravenmaster Christopher Skaife's charming book.

It's bad to get the name of your subject wrong. It's compounded when you fail to correct the error and ignore multiple prompts with the correct information: I made two blog comments, sent a couple of tweets, and sent an email to the Gentle Author, and the post hasn't been corrected. At least one other person on Twitter said the same.

And still, no correction. It would be easy to do, but somehow, not important enough. Or something.