Concert and opera reviews from Southern California.
The excellent musical team did their best to work with the meager materials they’ve got. From the podium, Lina González-Granados commanded the strong feeling for individual lines.
Read MoreThe English Concert orchestra, featuring period strings, a theorbo, two harpsichords facing each other, two recorders and oboes (played by the same players), performed like a veritable b’rock band…
Read MoreThe uncut, note-perfect score of Barbiere used in this production – which I assume is the new critical edition from Pesaro – breezed through the three hours without an ounce of tedium or boredom.
Read MoreIsabel Leonard, the Donna Elvira,...gave a probing performance of the most troubled of the Don’s three female victims.
Read MoreMany have compared Davidsen to her great predecessor Birgit Nilsson, but I would beg to differ and go back further in time, and compare her to another Norwegian, Kirsten Flagstad…
Read MoreIn John Cox’ revisionist staging, portable heat lamps replaced campfire in “Fuoco di gioia”; a desk and chairs replaced Desdemona’s bed and pillows…
Read MoreThe Pacific Symphony in Costa Mesa presented a concert staging of Verdi’s popular Rigoletto. The direction, by the Met’s staff director Kathleen Smith Belcher, is effective and generally faithful to the composer’s own staging instructions.
Read MoreThe director presented a dreamlike drama played by “real people” with naturalness of acting, and the musical standards were very high…
Read MoreThe English Consort, joining forces with the Clarion Choir and an international lineup of soloists, performed it complete. At nearly three hours, the oratorio seemed not at all long.
Read MoreJoining Gheorghiu were her fellow compatriots pianist Alexandra Dariescu and violinist Alexandru Tomescu.
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