Tag Archives: Pocket Opera

Two Handles on Handel – Orlando (Pocket Opera) and Giulio Cesare (MetHD)

Posted on May 10, 2013 by philip

Before I start my review, I want to make it clear where I am coming from. I like the music of George Frideric Handel but Continue reading »

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Orpheus Review – Pocket Opera Captures Essence of Offenbach’s Farce

Posted on May 6, 2013 by philip

Offenbach is one of Donald Pippin’s favorite opera composers, and Orpheus in the Underworld is one of his operas most often produced by Pocket Opera. Continue reading »

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Pocket Opera’s Don Giovanni Review – A Masterpiece

Posted on March 23, 2013 by philip

At 2:00 PM on Sunday, March 10, 2013 the house lights dim then brighten and Dianna Shuster, Executive Director comes on stage to make her opening announcement. A few of us old-timers start to applaud, not only to tell Dianna that we love her, but to Continue reading »

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Pocket Opera’s Tales of Hoffmann Review – Worth Seeing Twice

Posted on July 28, 2012 by philip

The Opera-year 2012-13 promises to be a banner year for one of my favorite operas. Continue reading »

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Norma, Pocket Opera Review – Pocket Production of a Melodious Eternal Triangle

Posted on June 30, 2012 by philip

The synopsis in the program starts by bringing us up to date: Norma, a much revered, awe-inspiring spiritual and political leader  Continue reading »

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Teseo Review – Donald Pippin’s Pocket Opera does it again

Posted on June 7, 2012 by philip

George Frideric Handel was a German composer living in England who wrote Italian operas based on Greek legends for an English audience.  Continue reading »

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Count Ory Review – Pocket Opera and Rossini produce a comic masterpiece

Posted on April 19, 2012 by philip

Let’s start with a quiz.  You know how when you buy a book or disk from Amazon they’ll try to entice you to buy more by showing you a few more books and saying, “People who bought your selection also bought . . .  ?”  Well, my quiz is, which one of the following would be most likely to appear to complete the sentence, “People who enjoyed Rossini’s Count Ory also enjoyed”  Continue reading »

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Yanked from the Harem Review – Pocket Opera’s interpretation of Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio

Posted on March 8, 2012 by philip

March certainly came in like a lamb this year.  Continue reading »

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Marriage of Figaro – Servants outsmart masters; women outsmart men; what is the world coming to?

Posted on July 20, 2011 by philip

What a contrast! A couple of weeks ago I spent 17 hours in 6 days seeing Wagner’s 4 glorious Ring operas with all their significance, dramatic music, and deep emotions without even a chuckle of humor. Last week I spent approximately the same number of hours in 8 days attending 3 operas, a play, and two play-readings all of which were light, filled with laughter, and (for the operas) musically hummable. Continue reading »

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Italian Girl in Algiers – Brave Heroine Rescues Helpless Hero from Fate Worse than Death

Posted on June 24, 2011 by philip

What’s not to like? Music by Rossini – always pleasant and hummable; Improbable plot – so what else is new in opera; happy ending – I mean really happy – good guys get what they want and bad guys turn out to be not bad at all. You walk out of the theatre humming melodies, chuckling, and feeling good. Continue reading »

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