Vocal focus from CCMN*
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA VOCAL EVENTS
Lauri D. Goldenhersh’s Weekly Highlights
We’re in the thick of the season! Don’t think about staying home:
Opera is in abundance this time of year, with a new production of The Death of Klinghoffer at LONG BEACH OPERA and Lucia di Lammermoor opening at LA OPERA this weekend, in addition to other productions continuing around town (see below). We tweeted from the Lucia dress rehearsal yesterday afternoon, marveling about the visual and vocal wonders — check out the chatter
or get more details in this preview on the Singerpreneur blog.
Aside from a knockout performance by Russian soprano ALBINA SHAGIMURATOVA in the title role, one of the unusual features of this production is the use of the glass armonica, made possible by the company’s importing rare instrument musician THOMAS BLOCH from France for this production.
Local glass armonica virtuoso WILLIAM ZEITLER and acclaimed lyric tenor MATTHEW TRESLER are appearing in two concerts from LES SURPRISES BAROQUES this weekend, celebrating ‘Music of the Hemispheres‘ – for more information and tickets, click here.
For a different kind of blast from the past, track down your best bonnet for ‘A Victorian Concert and High Tea‘ with OPERA A LA CARTE in Pasadena. This organization creates delightful retro events as well as truly fun Gilbert & Sullivan shows, and if your Lenten diet allows for a tea cake or two, you won’t want to miss this event that is perfect for (near-)springtime. Click here
Choral music gets full play this week, as well, with DE ANGELIS VOCAL ENSEMBLE and Brahms’ unforgettable German Requiem at the San Juan Capistrano basilica; and an afternoon with Antonin Dvorak, courtesy of the HOLLYWOOD MASTER CHORALE. Check the calendar for more info.
There are also two special events by the LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE to celebrate MORTEN LAURIDSEN, both at Disney Hall. “Skip” Lauridsen has been an enormously influential composer for the last two decades, and is best known for his ‘O Magnum Mysterium (from Lux Aeterna),the Mid-Winter Songs and much more. The organization will host an exclusive screening of the award-winning documentary about the composer Friday night at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. The choir, led by GRANT GERSHON, will then perform selections from his oeuvre at Disney Hall on Sunday night. Tickets are in hot demand, but there’s still a chance to go. Get information about both.
CONTINUING: A sold-out Carmen from PACIFIC OPERA PROJECT; the last of the must-see Billy Budd at LA OPERA; and the original (Swedish) version of Verdi’s A Masked Ball (Un ballo in maschera) from SAN DIEGO OPERA. Buzz is, the trek to SD is worth every bit, just to see STEPHANIE BLYTHE in this show. Our review coordinator, NATALIE MANN, was in San Diego recently, and tells us more about this production here
Have a wonderful week, with or without the green beer on St. Paddy’s Day. Either way, pace yourself, as next weekend is another monster, with plenty going on. Ever and always, thank you for supporting live singing!
