Vocal focus from CCMN*
Southern CA Vocal Events
Lauri D. Goldenhersh’s Weekly Highlights
The season is coming! The season is coming!
Nothing like diving right in, as this weekend marks the start of a very busy year for classical vocal types.
As opera companies’ engines start humming, we tweeted yesterday from the dress rehearsal of LA OPERA’s season-opening double bill, combining Puccini’s only comedy, Gianni Schicchi (directed by Woody Allen), with Leoncavallo’s über-tragic Pagliacci (the Franco Zeffirelli production) at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Both of these shows are well-cast, well-sung and feature fantastical sets and surprise tidbits. Don’t be late — you won’t want to miss the opening credits! (Really!) To see the chatter from the #TweetSeaters, go to Twitter and search for #GianniSchicchi and #Pagliacci. @LAOpera’s recap via Storify is available by clicking here
That’s not the only opera opening this week, of course — just the only one where we’ve had a sneak peek. Also check out REDLANDS OPERA THEATRE’S gala, ’Soirée at the Gables’, taking place on Saturday night at the historic Mission Gables Bowl House. The event launches the new season but is also the inauguration of the Opera at the Gables concert series, and will include refreshments, a silent auction, additional activities and performances by more than a dozen talented performers from all over Southern California. For tickets and more info, click here
… and a Verdi opener from PACIFIC OPERA PROJECT – Falstaff under the stars (and in a cemetery, no less), with orchestra tables available in cabaret seating. Their shows sell out fast, and this one has been selling well for months. Quick, click here
If concerts are more your thing this week, consider DREAM ORCHESTRA with ‘Opera Forever’, the grand launch of the ‘Year of Jubilee of Mercy’ at the history St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Santa Monica. Conducted by DANIEL SUK, soloists GOLDA BERKMAN, TRACY COX, LACEY JO BENTER, JOSHUA GUERRERO and PATRICK BLACKWELL, all performing selections from five of the world’s most celebrated operas. Stay for the reception afterward, with goodies provided by Urth Caffé. Get more details and ticket information
Saturday night, join the LA Chapter of the AMERICAN COMPOSERS’ FORUM at LA City College, for “New Music Los Angeles”, presented with BRIGHTWORK NEWMUSIC and the LACC Dept of Music. The program is a lineup of separately curated segments, created by ACF-LA partners PACIFIC SERENADES, PEOPLE INSIDE ELECTRONICS (PIE), SALASTINA MUSIC SOCIETY, SYNCHROMY, TUESDAYS@MONK SPACE and WASTELAND. Many of the city’s most intrepid contemporary performers will appear, including soprano STEPHANIE ASTON, cellist ASHLEY WALTERS, baritone SCOTT GRAFF and new music ensemble GNARWHALLABY. As you can see, this is local collaboration on a grand scale, and a rare opportunity to sample so many fantastic parts of the LA new music scene, all in one evening. Be there early — the concert is free, but will fill up quickly. For the published program and more details, click here
THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY CHORAL COMPANY, led by DR. ZANAIDA ROBLES, in a program that examines the work of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. The concert is Tuesday night (the 140th anniversary of the composer’s birth), and continues the long legacy of the “African Mahler”, with selections from his work and that of seven other composers. The concert is free, with no tickets required — donations are accepted. More details
We’re back to our weekly schedule, and we’ll be ready to help you plan, so you can fill your year with luscious vocal music. Happy concertgoing, and as always, thank you for supporting live singing!
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*This post echoed from the weekly vocal events column in the Clickable Chamber Music Newsletter. The original is a text-based email newsletter, so images, links and details may differ in this enhanced version.
