If you are in the Bay Area, are you tuned in to KQED? San Francisco Symphony is on. You might enjoy it! Running commentary … but only for a while … Bill Bennett sure plays with the oboe nearly straight down. I’m not sure I could play that way. I wish they’d stick on some [...]
Archive of entries posted on 29th October 2008
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Opera rehearsal was “meh” (to quote some kids I know). My reed didn’t exactly misbehave, but it wasn’t the sort I’d want to play a performance on. Lots of silly music, though … it’s a comedy, after all. Now I teach a student, so I can’t quite relax yet. The nice thing about having an [...]
Well … Duh …
The author added he deliberately chose themes of sex, obsession and adultery because he believed they suited opera. This talks about a new opera with the libretto by Ian McEwan. Here’s another quote, from a different article: The biggest problem with opera, for me, is the disjunction between the sublime quality of the music and [...]
Sort of a Non-Announcement (So Far)
On Monday, the LA Opera is holding a press conference to announce what it says will be “the largest cultural event to come to Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympics.” Elsewhere it’s referred to as “a major citywide cultural event,” and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is slated to be on hand for the announcement with representatives [...]
Today
Today we begin rehearsals for Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore (Elixir of Love). I just hope my reeds decide to behave. Dan said that my reeds would be “wonder reeds” … I suggested that meant “I wonder what’s wrong with this one?” But who knows. Yesterday they certainly weren’t happy. Which means I’m not happy. No one [...]
Late Night
I’m just home from Idomeneo. I’m too tired to really write. I will only quickly say I was disappointed when it was announce that Alice Coote wouldn’t be singing, but I had not reason to be; I thought Daniela Mack did quite well! But the opera … totally new to me … sure has some [...]