Museum Mondays

Yayoi Kusama

Aspiring to Pumpkin's Love, the Love in My Heart

SF MOMA

August, 2025

 

Breaking News

Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall

Photo by Lisa Hirsch

It's not often that a music review also contains breaking news, but my review of last night's SFS gala concert concludes with more good news for the orchestra: the orchestra has a new artistic administrator, a position that has been open since last fall, when Phillippa Cole left. Michael Gandlmayr joins the orchestra next, from the same position at the Cleveland Orchestra. Before Cleveland, he was artistic administrator of the Seattle Symphony. (Seattle experienced the departure of a number of good people during the tenure of Krishna Thiagarajan, who left the orchestra earlier this year.)

Amusingly, the news came from SFS in the form of a correction: I had the wrong time frame for Cole's departure, and, oh, there's a new artistic admin starting next week! 

Oh, right, the gala was fun! It wasn't a deep program and it seemed to exemplify this year's...uh...weak programming, but Jaap van Zweden led a zippy and fun program; the orchestra sounded great; Yuja Wang is always fun.

• Lisa Hirsch, S.F. Chronicle (review)
• Tony Bravo, S.F. Chronicle (reporting)
• Steven Winn, SFCV (review)
• Joshua Kosman, On a Pacific Aisle (link to follow)

 

Contract!

Davies Symphony Hall

Photo by Lisa Hirsch

Well, now. Yesterday afternoon, I heard that SFS and its musicians had reached a contract agreement. A couple of hours later, a press release arrived. It's good news, even thought the tentative contract still needs formal ratification by the parties. The musicians' salaries will rise by a remarkable amount, 15% over the three-year term of the contract, which is retroactive to last November and runs through November, 2027. (I nearly fell off my chair when I saw the numbers.)

I'm very pleased with this news. While I think that such a good orchestra has never really been in much danger of failing to attract top musicians, because there is so much talent out there, it's certainly a concern that some openings went unfilled for so long and that several musicians have left or are in the process of leaving for other orchestras.

Some questions remain, at least in my mind: why did the orchestra seem so intransigent for so long? And where did the money come from, given the confusing statements of problem finances by the orchestra? What finally allowed this settlement to happen?

Anyway, here's the press release:

San Francisco Symphony and American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 6 members of the Orchestra reach tentative three-year contract agreement The three-year agreement provides a wage increase beginning September 1, 2025, with biannual increases rising by 15% over the contract; an increase to the defined benefit pension plan, making it the second-highest in the industry; exceptional health benefits and 10 weeks of paid vacation annually

San Francisco, CA—The San Francisco Symphony Board of Governors and the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 6 members of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra have reached a tentative three-year collective bargaining agreement subject to ratification by both parties. The new contract will be applied retroactively to November 24, 2024, continues through November 20, 2027, and keeps the Orchestra in the top five highest-paid orchestras in the country. The new agreement guarantees regular increases to minimum weekly scale, maintaining the starting weekly base salary of $3,450 from November 24 through August 31, 2025, followed by biannual increases, rising over time by 15% to $3,960 (a starting minimum annualized salary of $205,920) in the last six months of the contract.  The musicians will also receive a one-time additional payment of $3,450 upon ratification of the contract, in addition to an increase to the defined benefit pension, bringing the maximum annual benefit to $89,000—the industry’s second-highest pension benefit among orchestras in the U.S. The tentative agreement continues to provide generous medical plans with low cost to musicians and 10 weeks of paid vacation.  Joint statement from the Board, Musicians, and Administration: “The Board of Governors, Musicians of the Orchestra, and Administrative Staff of the San Francisco Symphony share a united vision for the artistic greatness and endless creativity of this organization and will endeavor to work together to sustain and build upon that vision. We collectively recognize that the artistic impact of this organization is fueled both by the artistry of our Musicians and by the support of our community. We are all committed to working together to support and grow our connections with patrons, audiences, and our city.”  Statement from San Francisco Symphony Chief Executive Officer Matthew Spivey: “We are pleased that we were able to work together with our Orchestra and the AFM to reach an agreement that provides highly competitive compensation while also acknowledging the importance of our organization’s long-term financial stability. This tentative agreement is a demonstration of the Administration’s faith in the future of the Symphony and the organization’s deep commitment to its musicians and the Bay Area community. It also requires the Symphony to stretch financially with the support and generosity of our community to meet the new contract terms in the years to come. Our artists are the lifeblood of our work and mission, and, without them, our organization would not be what it is today. We are grateful that we can all continue to deliver exceptional classical music performances to our Bay Area community. I also want to thank both the staff and musicians who have been involved in the negotiations, as well as the board, staff, and entire Orchestra for their commitment to a bright future for this organization.”  Statement from David Gaudry, Chair of the Musicians’ Negotiating Committee: “The Musicians of the San Francisco Symphony are grateful for the renewed commitment and support for the Orchestra and the artistic future of this great institution demonstrated by our coming together on the terms of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. We continue to acknowledge the economic challenges facing the organization, the importance of long-term fiscal health, and the commitment demonstrated by the Board. We are confident that working together to support this organization will allow us to continue to be able to present the type of innovative programming and world-class symphonic music for which we have become known.”

• Aidin Vazini and Tony Bravo, Chronicle
• Janos Gereben, SFCV (link to follow)
• Janos Gereben, SFCV (strike authorization)

 

Friday Photo

Spider Man Costume

Oakland, CA

September, 2025

 

Political Violence

I'm generally opposed to political violence, with some exceptions, like the overthrow of an oppressive government by the people (the American Revolution). Last year I wrote a blog post shaking my head at the number of people saying that political violence "isn't who [Americans] are." Gosh, political violence has been with us for centuries, practiced by individuals and the government. Right now, we've basically got secret police rounding people up based on skin color and their ability to speak Spanish. That's government-sponsored political violence and the Supreme Court is letting the government get away with it.

Today, Charlie Kirk, a right-wing political figure, was assassinated during an appearance in Utah. I wanted to take note of a few things he said in the last few years.

In October, 2022, Rolling Stone quoted him as follows:

Republicans usually tout a “tough on crime” stance, but right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk thinks a man who is set to be charged with attempted homicide should be allowed out on bail.

“Why has he not been bailed out?” Kirk said Monday on his podcast of the man who allegedly beat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi‘s husband Paul with a hammer last Friday. “By the way, if some amazing patriot out there in San Francisco or the Bay Area wants to really be a midterm hero, someone should go and bail this guy out, I bet his bail’s like thirty or forty thousand bucks.” With a smirk, he added: “Bail him out and then go ask him some questions.”

It sounds like he was okay with violence against Paul Pelosi. 

This past June, when Melissa Hortman, a Democratic politician, was assassinated in her home, along with her husband and their dog, the BBC noted the following:

In the wake of the attacks, several of Trump's top supporters and allies - including Utah Senator Mike Lee, Elon Musk, conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer and activist Charlie Kirk - attempted without evidence to link Walz and Democratic lawmakers to the killings.

Lastly, Kirk believed that some gun deaths were inevitable and the price you pay for having the Second Amendment:

"You will never live in a society when you have an armed citizenry and you won't have a single gun death," Kirk said at a Turning Point USA Faith event on Wednesday, as reported by Media Matters for America. "That is nonsense. It's drivel. But I am—I think it's worth it.

"I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational. Nobody talks like this. They live in a complete alternate universe."

We have the First Amendment, giving people basically the right to say whatever drivel they want. Kirk certainly took advantage of it, and now he's a victim of political violence himself.

Democrats almost uniformly condemn political violence, regardless of the political beliefs of the target. Charlie Kirk did not.

Ojai Festival Appoints Teddy Abrams

Teddy Abrams

Photo: Lauren Desberg, courtesy of 21C Media Group

Teddy Abrams, composer and music director of the Louisville Orchestra, will succeed Ara Guzelimian as artistic and executive director of the Ojai Music Festival, effective September 1, 2026. The first festival for which he'll appoint the music director is the 2027 festival. Esa-Pekka Salonen is the music director for the 2026 festival.

Ojai's press release is after the jump.

Belated Museum Monday

Ruth Asawa

From the magnificent retrospective of her work at SF MOMA

August, 2025

This show is traveling to NY MOMA and you can see it there if you missed it here.

 

Belated Friday Photo

Purple Carrots

Berkeley Bowl West, Berkeley, CA

September, 2025

 

Meanwhile, at San Francisco Opera

War Memorial Opera House

Photo by Lisa Hirsch

San Francisco Opera has a new, two-year agreement with its AGMA members, which include the chorus, principal artists, dancers, and production staff. The press release is brief, the news good:

The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) and San Francisco Opera (SFO) announce a new two-year collective bargaining agreement, ratified by AGMA’s Board of Governors on August 25, 2025.

Following over nine months of negotiations, the new contract, retroactively effective from March 1, 2025 and in effect through February 28, 2027, brings pay increases including equitable pay adjustments, enhanced work-life protections, and new benefits, as well as enhancements to scheduling and audition processes, while also recognizing the challenges being faced across the arts at the moment. San Francisco Opera’s AGMA members include the Chorus, Principal Artists, Dancers, and Production Staff.

"This agreement reflects the dedication of every AGMA member at San Francisco Opera; we really came together. Solidarity works,” said Sally Mouzon, AGMA's Western Region Vice President, SFO Chorister, and member of the Negotiating Committee. “It’s about respect for the job we do, a healthy balance between life and work, and ensuring that artists have a real seat at the table as our beloved San Francisco Opera plans for the future.”

“I am deeply grateful to all those on both negotiating committees who gave so deeply of their time and wisdom to craft a new agreement. The new contract will ensure that San Francisco Opera continues to produce opera at the highest levels of excellence, while reflecting the need for long-term sustainability in the arts,” said Matthew Shilvock, General Director of San Francisco Opera. “Our AGMA Artists are extraordinary professionals and partners in the creative vitality of the company and I’m very excited for the thrilling artistry that this contract will make possible in the years ahead.”

This agreement underscores the shared commitment of San Francisco Opera and AGMA to honor the artistry and contributions of the AGMA Artists of SFO, fostering a workplace culture that supports excellence and creativity, and building a long-term pathway to a sustainable future for opera in San Francisco.

 

Salary Negotiations at San Francisco Symphony

Davies Symphony Hall

Photo by Lisa Hirsch

If you're reading this, you're probably aware that the musicians and administration of San Francisco Symphony have been at loggerheads over the contract for, well, roughly a year. There were protests over Esa-Pekka Salonen's departure (sigh) and the most recent contract expired in November, 2024. There have been formal extensions of that contract, though I think the last one expired in the spring.

I dug up some historical information about SFS musician pay. The first two items are from Janos Gereben's reporting in San Francisco Classical Voice. The last is from email sent by SFS last week about their last, best, and final offer. 

2018 Contract

 

"The new agreement runs through Nov. 26, 2022. It provides for a new weekly base minimum salary of $3,263, increasing to $3,570 in the final six months of the contract. The current amount is $3,200."

 

[LRH: 2018 is the contract that got cancelled during the pandemic, with musician salaries rolled back substantially to save money, with the possibility of SFS invoking force majeure to force even more extreme cuts.]

 

 2023 Contract

 

“The new agreement will be applied retroactively from Nov. 27, 2022 [when the previous agreement expired] and runs through Nov. 18, 2024. The agreement provides for a new weekly base minimum salary of $3,313 upon ratification and increasing to $3,450 in the 2023–24 contract year, in addition to a retroactive lump sum payment to full-time musicians.”

[LRH: When the musician says their pay hasn't yet been restored to pre-pandemic levels, I believe they mean that the contract that expired last year didn't get to the planned $3,570 of the 2018 contract.]

 

 

2025 Offer from SFS ("Last, Best, and Final Offer")

 

A starting minimum annual salary of $189,332, rising to $196,976 by the end of the contract.

The three-year proposal starts at $3,641 minimum weekly scale (MWS) in the first year (retroactive to November 24, 2024)—representing a 5.5% increase above the current MWS. Each subsequent year provides 2% increases: $3,714 in contract year 2025–26 and $3,788 in 2026–27.

• Aidin Vaziri covered this story in the Chronicle.
• SFS musicians website

 

Christoph von Dohnányi

Die Frau ohne Schatten

Final scene, San Francisco Opera, 1989

Ron Scherl/San Francisco Opera

 Christoph von Dohnányi died yesterday in. Munich, two days before his 96th birthday. He was the music director of the Cleveland Orchestra from 1984 to 2002 and a revered conductor all over.

I heard him conduct only twice, both time in operas of Richard Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten at San Francisco Opera in 1989 and Arabella at the Royal Opera. Frau was utterly overwhelming; I had never heard a note of the score before that performance, and, well. (Also Gwyneth Jones was very, very loud.) {Looking at the page in the archive, I can't believe they started such a long opera at 7:30 p.m. in those days. Also, I stood through it, in Dress Circle standing room. This was before the renovations that removed Dress Circle standing room to add accessible seating.) 

That Arabella was the only time I've liked the opera out of the three productions (three casts, three productions, three conductors). The combination of a superb cast, a slightly fantastical production, and Dohnányi's marvelous conducting worked absolute magic. This production, from the Theatre du Chatelet, used be available on DVD; watch for used copies for sale.

Dohnányi came from a distinguished family. The composer Ernst von Dohnányi was his grandfather; Dietrich Bonhoeffer was his uncle. His father, Hans von Dohnányi, was executed in 1945 for his role in the July 20 plot to assassinate Hitler.

Ave atque vale, Christoph von Dohnányi.

Elsewhere:

• Tim Page, Washington Post
• Margalit Fox, NY Times

Brandeis Was Ahead of Its Time

Slosberg Music Center

Courtesy of Brandeis University

As a Brandeis undergrad, I spent countless hours attending classes, practicing, and rehearsing at Slosberg.

Two years ago, Brandeis announced that it was suspending admissions to its graduate music programs, in music history, music theory, and composition. For a while, it looked as if it might reverse this decision, since the music graduate programs cost about $300,000/year, a rounding error in its $100 million annual budget. But then they went ahead, ending Brandeis's long history of excellence in training music scholars and composers.

Since then, we've seen many other schools suspend various programs in the humanities, including unique programs in certain Eastern European languages, graduates of which have served in the U.S. Foreign Service and at U.S. intelligence agencies. The University of Wisconsin is eliminating such programs. Indiana University is discontinuing up to 100 different programs. 

Brandeis is overhauling its liberal arts programs to make them more career-oriented. (They're calling this a bold initiative, well....) I'm so glad that I went to college when there was respect for the arts and humanities.

The University of Chicago is the latest to join in this ongoing attack on the humanities.

• UChicago Reducing, Freezing Ph.D. Admissions for Multiple Humanities Programs
  
• More UChicago Ph.D. Programs Pause Admissions in Humanities, Social Sciences
  

Chicago's musicology program has a legendary history. When I mentioned this to my colleague Michael Zwiebach at SFCV –– himself a holder of a UC Berkeley doctorate in musicology –– he cited a wide range of scholarship that's come out of Chicago in the last fifty years. 

These changes are truly tragic, inflicting major damage on the intellectual life of the United States. Once you eliminate these programs and possibly lay off scholars in those areas, it's at best extremely difficult to reconstruct them. Institutional memory is lost along with teachers and students. What happens to specialized libraries and archives in those areas? Are they dispersed to less shortsighted institutions?

What's happening here is not so different from the Trump regime's ongoing attacks on science, with their attempts to eliminate important medical and scientific research and institutions, for no discernible reason other than to be destructive. The country is being set back decades with the destruction of ongoing and anticipated research. The elimination of funding for mRNA research means abandoning productive research into things like cancer cures. The attack on vaccines means people will die. The elimination of smallpox and the near-elimination of infectious diseases like polio and measles is one of the great triumphs of medical science and public health, and a few crackpots are being allowed to throw all of this away.

Making the San Francisco Symphony Look Even Smaller

Photo: Minna Hatinen

Esa-Pekka Salonen writes on his Facebook page:

I am happy to announce that I will begin three new positions in coming seasons: Creative Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Creativity and Innovation Chair of the Philharmonie de Paris, and Principal Conductor of the Orchestre de Paris. 

Over the course of my career, I am lucky to have found myself in many situations where the right parts have been in the right place to create genuine magic. More often than not, that place happened to be Los Angeles or Paris. 

We aspire to invent the musical worlds in which we want to live, and the LA Phil and Orchestre de Paris have done just that with Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Philharmonie de Paris. These are top-notch orchestras and the coolest halls, embedded within cities with the most curious and adventurous audiences. Most important, they are institutions who understand that the behind-the-scenes creative work is just as important as waving the stick.

I cannot wait to start creating together.

Chief/principal conductor of the Orchestre de Paris make him the successor to Klaus Mäkelä. Lucky Paris! Lucky L.A.!

• Press release, L.A. Phil
• Joshua Kosman, SF Chronicle, fulminating
• Michael Zwiebach, SFCV
• Joshua Barone, NY Times (gift link)
• Mark Swed, LA Times
• Aidin Vaziri, SF Chronicle (gift link)

 

Museum Mondays

Watermelons

Ruth Asawa Retrospective

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

August, 2025

 

Bohème Out of the Box

The first San Francisco Opera production after being shuttered for 18 months was 2021's Barber of Seville, performed outdoors in Marin County under what sounded like somewhat trying conditions. Neverless, for audiences hungry for live performances, I expect it was a balm for the soul.

I'll take a wild guess that some combination of that success and the desire to meet potential audience members where they are resulted in the creation of Bohème Out of the Box, a pocket version of Puccini's La Bohème. The physical production unfolds from a container on a flatbed truck; there's not that much in the way of props or scenery; the performers look like they're wearing whatever they please.

The opera itself is trimmed to roughly an hour, but –– as I discovered when I saw Bohème Out of the Box in Hayward on June 29 –– La Bohème is put together so well that even cutting it to half its length, what's left is dramatically and musically coherent. Thank you, Giacomo Puccini, Luigi Illica, and Giuseppe Giacosa! You knew what you were doing.

I'd been curious about Bohème Out of the Box since it first started touring the Bay Area in 2023. It hasn't made it to Oakland yet and I hope it will, but I'm sure there are pretty exacting requirements: a big enough park for the stage, canopies for a technical crew and SF Opera representatives, canopies for community organizations, etc., room for the audience to spread out, preferably shaded in case it's a hot day, and near public transport and parking. Plus a cooperative local government, and dealing with the City of Oakland is Not Fun.

Anyway, the Hayward site was awfully nice, a couple of blocks from BART and a free (!) parking garage. I wish there had been more shade, and probably I should have brought a folder chair, but whatever.

The crowd. Spot the general director! I promise you that he's in this photo.

Here's the stage, right after the performance, but you can pretend it's before the performance, right?

Side view, with canopies for dressing rooms, etc. visible behind the stage and the truck.

Tenor/director Alek Shrader introduces the show.

The cast was pretty great. Caroline Corrales sang Mimì gorgeously. Her Rodolfo was Samuel White, and he was fine, though I think I hear a budding spinto or dramatic tenor there. His voice was, perhaps, overkill for Rodolfo. Georgiana Adams was a very funny Musetta and Samuel Kidd, a great Schaunard on the main stage in June, was an equally great Marcello. I don't have photos of the latter two, alas.

Samuel White (Rodolfo) and Caroline Corrales (Mimi)

Jongwon Han as Colline singing "Vecchia zimmara," as Mimì is on her deathbed. 

Han was fantastic. There's a good view of pianist Ji Youn Li in this photo, too; the little blue umbrella was over her keyboard, presumably keeping it, rather than her, from overheating. She was a total champ, playing in the hot sun and doing a marvelous job of keeping the singers together, with each other and with her. I gotta say, performing in these less-than-perfect conditions is great training for everyone.

There was a kiosk where audience members could get on SFO's mailing list, get information about the upcoming season, and collect SF Opera schwag. 

General Director Matthew Shilvock chatting with people at the SFO kiosk.

The audience seemed to have a great time; I certainly did. 

Die Walküre, Santa Fe Opera

Soloman Howard (Hunding), Vida Miknevičiūtė (Sieglinde), and Jamez McCorkle (Siegmund) in Die Walküre

Curtis Brown for Santa Fe Opera

 

I was very happy with the singing and staging and very unhappy with the conducting in Santa Fe's Die Walküre. As I said to a friend, it's the third time this year that James Gaffigan has disappointed me! I'm told that his Tristan three years ago –– I didn't go to Santa Fe that year –– was good, so who knows what was up with Die Walküre. But it was astonishingly dull conducting of an exciting opera that gives the conductor lots of opportunities.

Let me also note that it occurred to me more than once that the excellent Santa Fe Opera Orchestra doesn't have a long tradition of playing Wagner, and in some hard-to-define way, it showed. The phrasing and articulation weren't quite idiomatic at times (the weak conducting didn't, of course, help.) The San Francisco Opera Orchestra has some players who've been in nearly every Wagner performance in the last 45 years, meaning five full Ring cycles, individual performances of some of the Ring operas, and numerous performances of Lohengrin, Tristan, Die Meistersinger, Parsifal, and so on.

Meanwhile, next May, the L.A. Phil is performing Die Walküre sort of in concert (Frank Gehry is designing the sets), with a similar cast and a more exciting conductor. I mean...I haven't loved everything I've heard from Dudamel but I'd be surprised if he is dull. The singers for the May performances are:

• Siegmund: Jamez McCorkle (pronounced Ja-MEZ, not James)
• Sieglinde: Jessica Faselt (change....one...letter...)
• Hunding: Soloman Howard
• Wotan: Ryan Speedo Green
• Brünnhilde: Christine Goerke
• Fricka: Sarah Saturnino

Note that the two performances are each spread out over three nights, one act per evening, so this is...an unusually expensive ticket.

Santa Fe press round-up:

• Lisa Hirsch, Parterre Box
• Opera Tattler
• Thomas May, Opera Now (I have an Opera Now sign-in but the site isn't letting me read this reivew)
• Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News
• William Burnett, Opera Warhorses
• Kate Wagner, VAN
• Harlow Robinson, SFCV

Banff International String Quartet Competition

Photo by Jake Dyson. Courtesy of Banff Lake Louise Tourism

Friends and I made plans to watch the Banff International String Quartet Competition, which is streamed, and then try to chat about the performances on a more-or-less daily basis. We are on different coasts and Banff is in between, so some flexibility is required.

If you'd like to watch nine outstanding quartets in varied repertory, all free, it's easy enough to do. (A tenth quartet withdrew.)

• The Violin Channel is streaming the concerts.
• The programs are slightly hidden on the BISQC web site under Buy Tickets. The listing for the concert that's on right now (it's intermission between the Quartett HANA and Quatuor Elmire) is here. The overall schedule page is here.

Julian Wachner Under Arrest

Back in 2022, conductor and composer Manhattan's Trinity Church fired its conductor Julian Wachner on grounds that it "concluded based on recent information that Julian has otherwise conducted himself in a manner that is inconsistent with our expectations of anyone who occupies a leadership position."

Juilliard decided against hiring him again based on accusations by one of its employees.

Wachner is now under arrest in Indiana on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material. He purchased it using cryptocurrency, which basically has no use other than in illegal transactions.

Note that Wachner denied all accusations against him in 2022 and that he had defenders at the time. I hope nobody defends him now, given the heinous accusations. Note that he was teaching fourth-grade children at the time of his arrest, and the school system, in notifying parents of his arrest, said that none of the alleged crimes took place at school. We can hope that's accurate.

Note the following, from IndyStar:

While serving a search warrant for Wachner's home, police found a black bag inside the primary bedroom's closet. The bag contained a "substantial quantity" of apparent cocaine and a laptop.

When detectives entered Wachner's login credentials for the laptop, a video of child sex abuse was displayed in full screen. Dozens more files appeared to have been recently accessed, and a forensic examination of the laptop is ongoing.

JFC.

Yes, he deserves representation in the courts! That's due process. But I hope folks can see the pattern in his behavior.

Museum Mondays

Twisted Wire Sculpture

Ruth Asawa Retrospective

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

August, 2025

 

Friday Photo

Two-Toned Jimmy Nardello Pepper

August, 2025

 

Rigoletto, Santa Fe Opera

 

Duke Kim (Duke of Mantua) and Kayla Nanto (Countess Ceprano)

Rigoletto, Santa Fe Opera

Curtis Brown for Santa Fe Opera

In my review, I said that Duke Kim was made up such that he looked like a cross between Prince and Raul Julia as Gomez Addams. If you don't believe me, web search is your friend. Last year, Greer Grimsley, in The Righteous, looked like a cross between Barry Sonnenfeld, director of The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, and Michael Tilson Thomas. Maybe these pop culture references are a thing at Santa Fe.

• Lisa Hirsch, Parterre Box
• Thomas May, Opera Now
• Heidi Waleson, Wall Street Journal
• William Burnett, Opera Warhorses
• Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News
• Harlow Robinson, SFCV

House Debut

La Bohème, Act 1

Santa Fe Opera, July, 2025

 Soloman Howard (Colline), Long Long (Rodolfo), Efraín Solís (Schaunard), Szymon Mechliński (Marcello), photo by Curtis Brown for the Santa Fe Opera

Not at the Santa Fe Opera, which I've been attending since 2008, when I saw Adriana Mater, Billy Budd, and Radamisto, but at Parterre Box, which published my review of Santa Fe's La Bohème today. Grateful thanks to Harry Rose for the opportunity to write for Parterre Box, although it's bittersweet: Parterre Box's intended reviewer, Patrick Mack, died unexpectedly earlier this year.

I'm expecting more reviews. John Allison, editor of Opera Magazine, saw a different performance from the one I saw. Note that registration is required for Opera Now and a subscription is required to read Opera Magazine.

• Lisa Hirsch, Parterre Box. Did the well-nigh perfect La Bohème at San Francisco Opera make me crankier than I otherwise would have been about this production? You bet. (NB: will get embarrassing errors, both mine, fixed post-haste.)
• Thomas May, Memeteria; continues at Opera Now; he is much more positive about this production than I was.
• John Allison, Opera Magazine (link to follow; his Santa Fe reviews will not be published for a while)
• Heidi Waleson, Wall Street Journal (paywall)
• William Burnett, Opera Warhorses
• Harlow Robinson, SFCV

Merola Grand Finale

 

Chea Kang as the Sandman

Hansel und Gretel

Photo: Kristen Loken, courtesy of Merola Opera

The Merola Grand Finale took place this past Saturday, August 16, at the War Memorial Opera House. As always, there was a ton of great singing. Chea Kang, above, was particularly wonderful as Humperdinck's Sandman, from Hansel and Gretel. Between her singing and Elio Bucky's canny direction, I couldn't take my eyes off her.

Media roundup, links to follow for the other writers:

• Lisa Hirsch, S.F. Chronicle and SFCV
• Joshua Kosman, On a Pacific Aisle 
• Opera Tattler. I should also have mentioned the wholly unnecessary amplification of Charlotte Siegel and Justice Yates in their number.
• Michael Anthonio, Parterre Box
• Michael Strickland, S.F. Civic Center

Museum Mondays

The Angel of the Annunciation and The Virgin Annunciate

Spinello Aretino (c. 1350-1410)

Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK

July, 2024

 

Friday Photo

Silver City Daily Press

Silver City, NM

July, 2025

 

Belated Museum Monday

Medieval stone doorway with painting beyond

Philadelphia Museum of Art

April, 2025

Virgin and Child Enthroned with a Servite Friar and Angels

Pietro Lorenzetti, early 14th centur

Philadelphia Museum of Art

April, 2025