Small scale revolution might be fitfully brewing in operatic theater amid a current trilogy of Handel productions by the director R. B. Schlather in the White Box Gallery at New York's Lower East Side. The second installment was Orlando, premiered on Sunday April 26 with superficialities many of us have all seen before - a small-scale, modern-dress production with sexy, … [Read more...] about Handel for hipsters: Revolution or red herring?
The Prototype Festival’s Scarlet Ibis (and the day I almost ate glue)
When I was a kid, my older brother tried to feed me a tube of airplane glue. I'm sure he thought it was for my own good. Perhaps the glue resembled toothpaste? It made a great story over the years: Mom caught brother in the nick of time though with so much glue flying around that nearby furniture had to be re-varnished. Now, this micro-confession is a disclaimer for my … [Read more...] about The Prototype Festival’s Scarlet Ibis (and the day I almost ate glue)
The weirdest day of my recent life
The invitation sounded innocent enough. Somebody had died, leaving a massive classical record collection. Would I take a look to see if it's worth donating to a school or something - despite the formats (LP and 78s) being out dated? "Sure." "You'll have to wear a haz-mat suit." "Really? Who was this guy?" "He was a morbidly obese shut-in and lived in squalor." The … [Read more...] about The weirdest day of my recent life
The Henry Mollicone underground operas
Who ever said that opera had to be grand? It wasn't in the original mission statement when opera was invented more than 400 years ago with composers setting out to recapture the power of once-sung Greek drama. And they did so in royal courts that couldn't have been very large. But even as opera became gargantuan, smaller chamber works have been written, performed and loved over … [Read more...] about The Henry Mollicone underground operas
Curlew River: Britten’s madwoman as samurai
Never do I listen to Britten's Curlew River as an opera-goer. Partly because I've always had to travel considerable distances to hear the piece live, I am, in effect, a pilgrim - and one who happens not to be inclined toward pilgrimages. More than that, Britten's 1964, 80-minute piece about a madwoman looking for her lost son is a confluence of so many things that my … [Read more...] about Curlew River: Britten’s madwoman as samurai