Category Archives: Opera Review

Sorcerer Review – Lamplighters excel in seldom-heard early Gilbert and Sullivan opera

William S. Gilbert (librettist) and Arthur Sullivan wrote 14 operas together in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. The middle nine (in order of composition) beginning with Pinafore in 1878 and concluding with The Gondoliers in 1889 are still performed more or less frequently by amateur, community, and professional companies throughout the English-speaking world. Continue reading »

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Pocket Opera’s Don Giovanni Review – A Masterpiece

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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Lucia Review – And a Special Extra Treat at West Bay Opera

The curtain comes down on the fourth and final performance of WBO’s production of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor with tumultuous applause drowning out the last few chords of the orchestra.  Continue reading »

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Tosca Review – All Toscas are Above Average

Years and years ago when I was a lad of sixty or so I attended performances of the Minneapolis Symphony and the Minnesota Opera.  I would then read the review of the performance in the Minneapolis paper and become extremely annoyed by the music critic Continue reading »

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A Very Small Fledermaus – Student Production Captures the Magic

A month or so ago in this space you heard me rave about the production of Die Fledermaus by Opera San JosÉ.  I won’t take back a word of that review, but I have to tell you about a quite different but equally exciting Continue reading »

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Fledermaus Review – Happy Hour at Opera San JosÉ

IF you live anywhere near San Jose California, and IF you like any of opera, light opera, operetta, or musicals, THEN run, do not walk, to the Opera San JosÉ web site (or call them at 1-408-437-4450) and order your tickets to see Cast I perform Die Fledermaus on Saturday 11/17, Tuesday 11/20, or Sunday (matinee) 11/25.  Continue reading »

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Lohengrin Review – Classic Wagner at its Best

There is opera and there is modern opera – and there is Wagner.  And as I have just discovered, Wagner doesn’t just mean Wagner’s Ring.  Believe it or not, last night, (October 24, 2012) was the first time I had ever seen his Lohengrin.  And have I been missing something wonderful!  Continue reading »

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Moby Dick Review – Thrilling Interpretation of a Classic American Novel

How do you start with an 800-page book that has stood the test of time and create a three-hour opera from it?  Here are a couple of quotes from Composer Jake Heggie’s fascinating article in the program:  Continue reading »

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Hoffmann Review – West Bay Opera presents a wonderfully integrated production

I never get tired of seeing Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann.  And a good thing, too, since in the space of three months I will have seen 6 performances of three quite different productions of the opera:  Continue reading »

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Capulets and Montagues Review – Shakespeare It Ain’t

I had seen Shakespeare’s play; I had seen Gonoud’s opera a couple of times; I had seen many, many performances of Prokofiev’s ballet.  But at the San Francisco Opera on October 3, 2012, I saw I Capuleti e i Montecchi, an 1830 opera by Vincenzo Bellini, for the first time.  And from the first few notes of the overture, I knew I was about to see a story different from the one told by S, G, and P.  Continue reading »

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