"The Year in Classical And Dance" from New York Magazine

The Big Entrance
The unofficial start of Alan Gilbert's reign at the NY Philharmonic with a free concert in Central Park takes the cake as the most important classical music happening of 2008. While some people (and some players) expressed grief at his replacement of Riccardo Muti who, as we know, lovingly declined the position of music director, his official reign (which starts in September) is guaranteed to be new and exciting. He already expressed some new ideas he has for the Phil: Phil: "a new-music ensemble, a renegotiated balance between contemporary music and traditional repertoire, and the world premiere of a work by composer-in-residence Magnus Lindberg; Messiaen’s Poèmes pour mi, sung by Renée Fleming; and Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique."

The Year in Superlatives
Best Changing of the Guard: City Ballet's New Male Trio
Sean Suozzi, Tyler Angle, and Robert Fairchild are the three new male headliners for the New York City Ballet. Having seen all three I can tell you that these are three thrilling dancers. Sean Souzzi happens to be my favorite of the three, with his "dark romanticism" and gorgeous dancing.
Best Choreographer: Benjamin Millepied
I've only seen him dance (and sing) in Jerome Robbin's West Side Story Suite so I can tell you nothing about his choreography. To experience Millepied's "unique vision" for yourself you can visit the New York City Ballet this spring at the start of its new season.
Best Use of an Unexpected Space: Die Soldaten
This avant-garde opera written by Bernd Alois Zimmermann found an equally obscure home at the drill hall in the Park Avenue Armory. In this extraordinary production has movable bleachers that transport the audience from one scene to another.

The Top Ten Classical Events
10) Youtube Symphony- Global online auditions for an orchestra to play a new work by Tan Dun were launched by Google last week. All auditioners post a video of themselves on Youtube playing the music Google posted. Sounds like I'll be wasting even more hours on Youtube!
9) Tristan und Isolde- That old cursed thing? Apparently New York Magazine thinks it was worth the wait.
8) Alarm Will Sound- I'm not sure I understand it, but apparently this ensemble played an orchestration of a player-piano piece that can not be played by human hands.
7) The Opening of (Le) Poisson Rouge- A new hot spot for "genre hoppers." I'm not sure it's a cross-over club...
6) Brooklyn Rider at the Brooklyn Lyceum- Brooklyn's leading string quartet and Iranian fiddler Kayhan Kalhor displayed "magical logic"during that one night concert, which you can catch on their CD Passport.
5) Peter Grimes- The most disturbing production, in my opinion, of the Met's 2007-2008 season
catches this number 5 spot with Athony Dean Griffey's performances as Peter Grimes.
4) Bernstein at 90- What would a classical countdown be without a little Bernstein love?
3) Jordi Savall & Hespèrion XXI- A unofficial soundtrack to Don Quixote played by a Catalan viola da gamba master and his ensemble, featuring works written during the time of Cervantes.
2) Jeremy Denk at Zankel Hall- Fellow blogger Jeremy Denk performed two rigorous piano works by Ives and Beehtoven and later picked the keys out of his teeth.
1) Doctor Atomic- "Adams’s score overwhelmed the weaknesses in Peter Sellars’s quilted-together libretto." Apparently. The orchestra, led by Alan Gilbert, was the real star of the show. Not that I would know. I didn't the production and I don't possess a true ear for new music.



So, the best the Met could muster was Doctor Atomic, Peter Grimes, and Tristan und Isolde. Well, good for them, it could have been far worse I suppose.


My favorite?
The Worst of the Year:
"Already wheezing during the boom years, New York City Opera suffered a triple trauma when renovations to the State Theater forced the current season's cancellation, fund-raising hit a wall, and incoming general manager Gerard Mortier decided to take his ball and go home. The tragic debacle leaves the company on the brink."
Silly Mortier, NYCO is for Sills!



Happy Listening!!! =)

Bartlett Sher is Off The Hook and Peter Gelb: "Ghost"buster

Michael Kaiser, the head of the Kennedy Center, is the savior of New York City Opera.
He has promised to assist NYCO in finding a new leader while helping schedule the 2009-2010 season. It is made very clear in the AP report that Michael Kaiser will not be the next general manager/artistic director. He is only helping NYCO and guiding them into a new, and hopefully extremely exciting, era.
So, WWBD?? She'd find someone to help her beloved company. Good work, Bubbles. =)


IN OTHER NEWS:

It seems that New York City Opera isn't the only opera company at Lincoln Center to be feeling the effects of our economic crisis. The long awaited Met revival of John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles has been cancelled for, of course, financial reasons. The opera, that was supposed to show next season, was going to star Thomas Hampson, Angela Gheorghiu, and Kristin Chenoweth. Hampson and Gheorghiu will instead star in La Traviata, which will replace Ghosts. We have no report of Chenoweth, we figure she's "pop-u-lar" enough to find a new project.
Peter Gelb has said, however, that none of next season's new productions will be cut.
Personally, I don't think he should make any promises about that. New productions are expensive and God knows how this economic situation will play out in the next few months.



Happy Listening!! =)

This Weekend's Excitements

Well, yesterday there was the NYCO's Madama Butterfly Live from Lincoln Center on PBS. I came in at the end of Act I and found the two stars in wonderful voice. James Valenti not only possessing a beautiful tenor voice, he also possesses a lovely tenor physique!!!! No exaggeration needed. Shu-Ying Li as Cio-cio San looked and sounded graceful and wonderful. Susan Graham was the host. I was slightly surprised as I was expecting Renee Fleming, opera's new Katie Couric and the Met's poster girl. Susan Graham looked like she stole Ms. Fleming's wardrobe stylist and her hair. Fleming let Susan borrow her hair since she sorta likes the new corn-row Shakira style hair from the Met's Thais.

Speaking of Renee Fleming...
"I'm a Pilates nut. I found that it's really changed my body. After two children you think you will never in your life have a flat stomach again, and I'm here to tell you that Pilates can do it."
was among other fascinating comment's regarding geography, courtesans, and being booed at La Scala.


This weekend, to my disappointment (although I wish him will), Juan Diego Florez is in Peru for his wedding. =( =( Around this time last year Mr. Florez and Julia Trappe were married in a "private and secretive ceremony" in Vienna. Now they are both in Peru for a- I am guessing- religious ceremony. All I have to say is: Ms. Trappe, you're lucky you got to him first.


Unless you're not too tired from this Saturday's Tristan and Isolde HD transmission I recommend these two wonderful television programs that air this Sunday. Two of the John Adams episodes have already aired, but tune in anyway, it's such a great show!!! Let it be known that since watching the movie "1776" at age ohhhh I would say 8 or 9, I have been enthralled by this point in American history and by the story of John Adams. Also, since the age of 8 or 9 I've also been enchanted by all things Jane Austen.
Well-rounded? Yes, you could say that.


Happy Listening!! =)

Rumor Patrol Part II: The Truth Revealed!!!

It was announced yesterday (and today by the New York Times) that the New York State Theater will remain dark for the 2008-2009 season of the New York City Opera. The NY Times article says that allllll those singers will NOT be unemployed for a whole year, there will be various concert performances at different locations, rather than full scale productions.

Renovations for the City Opera (courtesy of the NY Times):

• a larger and movable orchestra pit (said to improve acoustics??)
• new stage lighting
• an audiovisual system
• refurbished seats and new carpeting
• upgraded box office and lobby
• removable sound system: acoustical paneling

Okay, sounds good to me, but will it all sound good in the end? We have yet to find out!!!

Happy Listening!!!!! =)

Sliced Bread and the New York City Opera

Metropolitan Opera On Demand... it's the coolest thing since the Metropolitan Opera Live on Rhapsody.... which is the coolest thing since the Metropolitan Opera Live Saturday Matinee Broadcasts... which is the coolest thing since sliced bread. Basically, the Metropolitan Opera is kick arse cool. I'm sorry, there's no other way to put it.

RUMOR PATROL: There's a little rumor that could create a huge problem. The New York City Opera might decide to leave the New York State Theater dark in 2008 and 2009. They might wait until Gerald Mortier comes in the fall of 2009 to start their 20th century themed season. The matter might be decided this week at a meeting for the opera board members. If they don't decide then, the answer will come soon.



Happy Listening!! =)

Surprising Agreements and a BONK on the Head

I never thought this would happen in my lifetime, but I was always hoping it would. The New York City Opera and New York City Ballet have FINALLY come to an agreement. There will be renovations to improve the acoustics of the New York State Theater to the happiness of everyone who has ever loved City Opera. Good newssss!!!!


Sometimes things happen at the opera that are totally unexpected and have nothing to do with the action onstage at all, but they affect the mood of the entire night. On Saturday I saw "Le Nozze di Figaro" and in the second act, as we probably all know, the Count is in a tizzy because he thinks the Countess is hiding a lover in her dressing room. That's the simple version. Anyway, he goes to her desk/vanity and starts tearing it apart! Makeup, jewelry boxes, and an assortment of other things start flying around the stage while the Count is searching for the key to the dressing room. Suddenly, (the entire audience sees it) a ROUND little jewelry box thing starts rolling downstage. Everyone, except the performers and the orchestra, sees it coming, but we can't do anything to prevent it. The tension rises as it rolls closer to the orchestra pit. And closer and closer and closer and closer... *GASP* *bonk* Riiiiiight onto the head of the cellist. The conductor STOPS THE MUSIC and Simon Keenlyside and Anja Harteros turn in slight confusion. The audience is laughing hysterically and the poor cellist is holding her head like "whaaaaaat?" After a few moments of laughter and applause Simon Keenlyside gestures to La Contessa as if to say "It was her fault!" More laughter. After a long pause the music starts again and the opera resumes.
Later in the act I look down in the orchestra pit. The cellist is nowhere to be seen!!! I still don't know what happened to her, but she didn't come back to the opera! As much as I want her to be okay it was still REALLY funny. But I hope she's okay. =)

PS. I'm still clinging hopelessly to the Solti recording.

Happy Listening!!! =)

NYC Opera's new season!

Just as exciting as the Met's new season is its next-door neighboor New York City Opera's 2007-2008 season!!

New Productions:

Margaret Garner- with a cast full of debuts!!
Cavalleria/Pagliacci double bill- with Carl Tanner in Pagliacci and Brandon Jovanovich in Cavalleria
Cendrillon- with Joyce Castle as Mme. de la Haltiere and Cassandre Berthon as Cinderella
Vanessa- with Lauren Flanigan and Rosalind Elias as The Old Baroness
King Arthur- with director/choreographer Mark Morris
Ragtime- as the musical theater production of the season

Repertoire:

Agrippina- starring Ruth Ann Swenson and Heidi Stober
La Boheme- with Inna Dukach and Dinyar Vania
Don Giovanni- with Aaron St. Clair Nicholson as the devious Don Giovanni and Julianna Di Giacomo as Donna Anna in Harold Prince's production
Carmen- starring Beth Clayton as Carmen and Scott Piper as Don Jose
Madama Butterfly- with Shu-Ying Li as Cio-Cio-San and James Valenti as Pinkerton
Falstaff- with Jan Opalach as Sir John Falstaff and Pamela Armstrong as Alice Ford
Tosca- starring Anna Shafajinskaia as Floria Tosca and Todd Thomas and Baron Scarpia

I'm hoping to make my own audience-member debut at the City Opera this season!!! There are four (count 'em, four!) operas that I wish the Met was doing that City Opera is doing! Falstaff, Carmen, Tosca, and Don Giovanni. I've been waiting to see all except Tosca live for a long time, because I've already seen Tosca. Next season, however, the Met is not doing Tosca so I thought maybe I'll stroll across the plaza to see how the City Opera singers are doing. "Yo!! NYCO! Sup, my peeps????" I was praying every night that Don Giovanni would be one of the operas they do at Lincoln Center. I was thinking the Metropolitan Opera, but I guess my prayers were answered! Thank you, NYC Opera! =)=) I just want to hear "Madamina, il catalogo e questo", "vedrai carino", and "La ci darem la mano" live, on stage, with real opera singers. And voila!! City Opera does it again!!!!!!!!