Living at the Opera

The unending close-ups and ‘pseudo-artistic’ camera angles shot by video director, Gary Halvorson, came close to deflating the emotion out of the February 7th Telecast of G. Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. In Act One, he ran so many quick facial shots, it seemed there was one for each musical measure. He also interjected some unwieldy [...]

By Bernard Jacobson Reprinted with permission from Seen and Heard – Music Web’s Live Opera, Concert and Recital Reviews. Ensemble La Venexiana, cond. and dir. Claudio Cavina, The Moore Theater, Seattle, 8.2.2009 (BJ) The Early Music Guild and its executive director, August Denhard, put Seattle much in their debt with a three-performance visit by the [...]

By Harvey Steiman Reprinted with permission from Seen and Heard – Music Web’s Live Opera, Concert and Recital Reviews. Danielle de Niese, soprano; Ken Noda, piano; presented by Cal Performances, Hertz Hall, University of California at Berkeley. 8.2.2009 (HS) Danielle de Niese, best known for her glittering stage presence in Handel operas, opened her recital [...]

By James L Zychowicz Reprinted with permission from Seen and Heard – Music Web’s Live Opera, Concert and Recital Reviews. Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Lyric Opera of Chicago, Sir Andrew Davis (conductor) Lyric Opera Center Chicago 31.1.2009 (JLZ) Production: Director: José María Condemi Stage, Set and Costume Design: David Hockney Lighting: Duane Schuler Chorus [...]