It’s hard to imagine that Verdi’s Otello might almost have never existed…
The Otello Project: Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Pacific Symphony’s Opera Initiative
In three entertaining and enlightening Zoom webinars, Pacific Symphony Assistant Conductor, Dr. Jacob Sustaita, previews and introduces the upcoming performances of Verdi’s operatic masterpiece, Otello. Each online session will explore the opera’s depiction of jealousy and rage by examining the work’s psychological, musical and dramatic forces.
Miscellany
Plácido Domingo, 77, has sung his 150th role. … Architect Frank Gehry has designed a new concert hall for L.A. Phil’s youth orchestra. … The music director of the Long Beach Symphony adds the Portland Symphony (Maine) to his resume.
New subscription series: ‘Symphonic Voices’
Pacific Symphony has launched a new subscription series focused on the human voice. Dubbed “Symphonic Voices,” the four-concert package is centered on the annual semi-staged production of an opera, which next season will be Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” (Feb. 21, 23,
Miscellany
An inside look at James Levine’s lawsuit against the Metropolitan Opera…. The musicians of the Atlanta Symphony have a new contract, negotiated without rancor…. John Williams’ next “Star Wars” film will be his last…. Here’s a fresh idea for a
That time Philip Glass was in a whisky ad
“In the Spring of 1984, I had just finished writing Akhnaten and I was getting ready for a double opening at the Houston Grand Opera and at the Stuttgart Opera. I had already used up all the commission money to
Director’s note for ‘The Magic Flute’
“The Magic Flute” is Mozart’s final opera and one of his last compositions. It premiered in Vienna in September 1791 and Mozart died a mere two months later. Despite being sick, hungry, broke and altogether miserable, Mozart’s music is some
Audio: Klemperer conducts the Overture to ‘The Magic Flute’
Here’s one of my favorite recordings of Mozart’s Overture to “The Magic Flute,” with the Philharmonia conducted by Otto Klemperer. It’s stately but never heavy, and finely detailed. https://ia801709.us.archive.org/23/items/MagicFluteOvertureklemperer/1-01Mozart_DieZauberflteK620-Overture.mp3 Carl St.Clair and Pacific Symphony give three semi-staged performances of “The
February vlog update
Here’s my colleague’s update on Pacific Symphony’s February concerts, in video form.
Miscellany
A video of one of Leonard Bernstein’s last rehearsals has recently surfaced. … The Minnesota Orchestra will be the first major American orchestra to visit South Africa. … The Houston Symphony has named a new CEO, someone from Orange County.