Category Archives: Opera Review

Dido and Aeneas and La Vida Breve – Two short tragic operas form an interesting combination

Posted on May 25, 2011 by philip

The evening of Friday, May 20, 2011 began with Dido and Aeneas, an opera written by the English composer Henry Purcell in the late 17th century. Although it is written in three acts with a total of 5 listed scenes, it takes only about an hour and is played without a break. Continue reading »

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Rigoletto in Mantua – A movie shot live in the Duke’s hometown

Posted on May 18, 2011 by philip

Rigoletto is not like any other character in all of opera. Continue reading »

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The Cat Transformed into a Woman – The last of two one-act operas separated by one intermission and millions of emotional miles

Posted on May 18, 2011 by philip

It was a somber crowd that meandered back into the auditorium after the intermission of Cav & Cat. But we didn’t stay somber very long. All of us Pocket Opera regulars know that the combination of Donald Pippin’s translation and Jacques Offenbach’s music will leave us laughing and humming regardless of the particular title. And it only took Donald’s two-sentence introduction to start the new members of the audience chuckling. Continue reading »

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Cavalleria Rusticana – The first of two one-act operas separated by one intermission and millions of emotional miles

Posted on May 18, 2011 by philip

A true music lover (male) is defined as a man who hears a girl singing in her bathtub and puts his ear to the keyhole. There were no bathtubs around to test this definition, but judging by the number of happy faces in the lobby at intermission there were a lot of music lovers in the audience at Pocket Opera this afternoon. Continue reading »

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Il Trovatore – It all came together

Posted on April 30, 2011 by philip

Saturday, April 30, 2011: During the 5 minute countdown to the start of today’s opera Ellen asked me, “Is this your favorite opera?” I replied to the effect that all operas are my favorites, all Verdi operas are my special favorite operas, but Il Trovatore is not one of my special special favorite Verdi operas. Continue reading »

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Capriccio – Strauss’ Last Opera

Posted on April 29, 2011 by philip

Let’s play a little game. Match the three Strauss operas in List A with the three words in List B. Continue reading »

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La Bohème – Opera San JosÉ Produces a Winner

Posted on April 26, 2011 by philip
“La Bohème is Puccini at his most tender and sympathetic. He loves these foolish young Parisians because he was once a struggling bohemian just like them. He understands their happiness and pain, and he is never judgmental. His music pierces our hearts with its beauty and directness. For generations, La Bohème has been the best first opera, the best date opera, and, for many, the best opera.”
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Manon – A “Dinner with Donald” Event

Posted on April 17, 2011 by philip

Manon is not my favorite opera. A statement that is praising with faint damns, since I like almost all opera. Continue reading »

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Le Comte Ory – Rossini’s Last Opera is pure unadulterated joy

Posted on April 9, 2011 by philip

We had a real sense of “being there” this morning, April 9 at the Cinemark Theatre in Palo Alto. At approximately five minutes after ten a. m., hostess RenÉe Fleming informed us that half an hour ago (i. e. about 12:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time) tenor Juan Diego Flé³rez had been at his wife’s side as she had given birth to a baby boy – and in a couple of minutes he would be on stage in the title role of today’s opera, Le Comte Ory. Continue reading »

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IphigÉnie en Tauride – Gluck turns Euripides’ play into a modern opera

Posted on April 5, 2011 by philip

The music, singing, acting, and story are all so good that I want to get one of my pet peeves out of the way before I start reviewing the opera. My peeve is not with any aspect of this Met HD production, but with Christoph Willibald Gluck and his librettist Nicolas-Frané§ois Guillard. The story is about a bunch of Greeks, so what business has a Roman goddess got interfering in their affairs? It should be Artemis! But Gluck says Diana, and since I’m reviewing Gluck’s opera, I’ll have to go along with it. But under protest, mind you. Continue reading »

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