An opera by Tarik O'Reagan
Libretto by Tom Phillips
Michael McDonaghSan Francisco,
A "dark" subject drawn from a famous book. A US premiere from an opera from the other side of the pond. Prestige. Glamour.
Well, many operas and films aren't that different from people.They look or sound profound, but aren't. ...
Michael Wade SimpsonSanta Fe,
First there was Charles Frazier’s 1997 National Book Award-winning novel, “Cold Mountain.” a Civil War romance that sold over three million copies. Then there was the 2003 Academy Award-winning movie, which starred Nicole Kidmann, Jude Law and Renée Zellweger. “Cold ...
Michael Wade SimpsonSanta Fe,
“The secret of love is greater than the secret of death,” sings Salome, late in Strauss’ opera, preparing to kiss a bloody mess, the severed head of John the Baptist. Perhaps the ...
Michael McDonaghSan Francisco,
Summer has always meant high temperatures and low expectations so I was happily surprised when I encountered the San Francisco Symphony in one of their "pop" programs this July. And the orchestra, which I hadn't heard for several ...
Michael Wade SimpsonSanta Fe,
Opening the 2015 Summer Season in its stunning setting at the open-air Crosby Theater in Santa Fe, Ned Canty’s production of “Daughter of the Regiment” features Anna Christy as a Marie with a smile that could light up Broadway; Alek ...
Michael Wade SimpsonSanta Fe,
Any opera with a rape as its central dramatic event is bound to be a little twisted. That’s Rigoletto in a nutshell. It’s a non-romantic, romantic opera. The plot not only revolves around the violent deflowering of Gilda, the court ...
Michael McDonagh
Alejandro Escuer's Mexico City-based quintet Onix Ensamble -- Escuer, flute; Fernando Dominguez, clarinet; Edith Ruiz, piano; Abel Romero, violin; Edgardo Espinosa, cello -- turns 20 this year when just surviving in the new music world is a major achievement. I've ...
Michael McDonaghNew York,
We like to think that chamber music is an acquired taste but what is chamber music but music played in a room by a few people for a few people or for thousands ? So it's not just the Mexico- ...
Mary NguyenLondon,
"Life is but a game" is a famous proverb in Russia, which derives from Tchaikovsky’s penultimate opera. It is a poignant message that subtly runs in the great Russian author Aleksandr Pushkin’s intricate storyline of love and gambling. That's until ...
Mary NguyenLondon,
Georges Bizet received hostile reviews of "Carmen" in 1875. Critics saw it as a radical opera that opposed the traditions of Paris and Opéra-Comique, where it was first performed, whilst the general public grew to love Carmen for its evocative ...
