Someone once told me that you can tell how fantastic a music festival is if the number of bands you wished you could have seen is equally as long as the groups you did get to see. This rule certainly applies to the BAM Next Wave Festival. The list of what I wish I could…
Tag: Opera
the loser
This is how “preaching to the choir” might look, I thought, as I sat in the mezzanine, completely enthralled by the story that baritone, Rod Gilfry — who was terrific in Anna Nicole — sang to us last night at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. This was the world premiere of David Lang’s opera, the loser, based on…
La Double Coquette
I was lucky enough to catch the New York Premiere of La Double Coquette at Montclair State University this past weekend. Wow. Il était merveilleux! It was part of the university’s Peak Performances series, which consistently presents an exciting season of productions each year. The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) in Montclair joined Peak Performances…
Manon Lescaut
Well, this is opera, so it won’t surprise you that I found the whole story of Manon Lescaut slightly amusing. I felt especially guilty giggling to myself during Act IV, as poor Manon is dying of thirst and exhaustion in the desert outside of New Orleans. Yes, you read that correctly: A desert in Louisiana….
Lulu
I chose four operas to see during the Metropolitan Opera’s 2015/16 season. This year I decided to see them all live in HD at BAM Rose Cinema because I am particularly interested in the pre-performance lectures. Yesterday I saw my first: Lulu, composed by Alban Berg with Frank Wedekind as librettist. This opera, arguably the…
You Us We All
Take a Baroque court masque (rich with fabulous wigs and costumes — and of course allegorical figures.) Add a heavy dose of pop culture (think Whitney Houston, Andy Warhol video of Edie Sedgwick, silver confetti, balloons.) Sprinkle with absolutely amazing vocals, text, and modern Baroque orchestration. Now shake it hard. Shake it even harder. If…
Hagoromo
What a week of BAM-tastic choral music, live music and dance! It is a privilege to attend such amazing Next Wave Festival performances. For as many shows as I attend, I miss so much (but until we have clones — heaven forbid — I will never be able to experience as many cultural events as…
Refuse the Hour
I just got home from the fabulous experimental chamber opera Refuse The Hour by artist William Kentridge. It was part of BAM’s Next Wave Festival. It was hard to describe, but try to imagine this: a mad steampunk scientific traveling circus lab that is exploring the concept of time — with a dash of Robert Wilson…
The Rake’s Progress
A bearded lady. A deal with the devil. A fabulously surreal set. Wonderful music. A love story. A tragedy. A cautionary tale. That is The Rake’s Progress by Igor Stravinsky, which I had the pleasure of seeing live at the Metropolitan Opera last night. The plot of this opera is a morality play in its most…
Semele
Las Vegas has been the gateway to several of my fondest Western outdoor adventures. I dislike parts of Vegas, but then again, I am fascinated with the city as well (in a this-is-so-cheesy-but-I-can’t-take-my-eyes-off-of-it kind of way.) It’s odd to have this flashy raunchy place connected in my mind with such classic gorgeous hiking trips. It’s…
Iolanta/Bluebeard’s Castle
On Wednesday, February 18, I saw the perfect doubleheader at The Metropolitan Opera: Peter Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta and Béla Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle. I sometimes attend the Live in HD screenings at BAM, but I attended this one live at the opera house. Anna Netrebko was wonderful as the blind princess, Iolanta. I was surprised at how…
Les Contes d’Hoffmann
Should I see the performance live, or should I attend the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD screening at BAM’s Rose Cinema? Lucky for me I have the option. I usually do a little of both. There is nothing like the thrill of being in the opera house and hearing the music and voices live —…
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