La Opera League

Yesterday’s Opera League of Los Angeles Seminar was fantastic! UC Santa Barbara Professor Simon Williams and KUSC-​FM Opera Program Host Duff Murphy talked to our members and guests about Bel Canto Singing from Donizetti to the Present. This was a perfect prelude to LA Opera’s «Lucia di Lammermoor,» which will have six performances from March 15-​April 6. It was a first-​rate event in every way. The next Seminar will be held on May 4 to discuss LA Opera’s «Thais,» which will have six performances from May 17 to June 7 «From Novel to Opera — Anatole France to Jules Massenet.» Speakers will be Santa Fe Opera’s Desiree Mays and UC Santa Barbara Professor Simon Williams.

Went to go see Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde with Christopher S. He’s the only friend I know that actually likes opera! Anyhoo, this was my first one. I wasn’t expecting Four and a Half Hours! with 25 minute intermissions.
I will tell the story sans opera voice in a quick nutshell.
Girl is pissed that boy killed her first boy.
boy that killed her first boy got wounded in the fight.
She nurses murder boy back to health. She is still pissed. She tries to kill new boy but ends up falling for new boy. New boy secretly likes Girl, but she is getting hitched to his uncle, the King of Ireland.
She’s mad because he won’t pay attention to her since his uncle has claimed her.
She’s so pissed and has him take the love potion.
Act II Oh I curse the day that comes, let the night last forever (repeated again and again for an hour) :Um. I slept through half of it:
Act III Boy is dying and his buddy sings to him, Boy that is dying miraculously has the ability to sing and belt out notes for an hour «Where’s the ship? Is the ship coming, Is my love coming, Isolde, Isolde!!» (again repeated for an hour) Girl’s ship comes and he dies. She complains over his body, why’d you die? Even in death women complain about their men. Best party is even after she complains and he dies, his ghost meets her and surrounds her with his love. The last part, made me cry. I can say that I like opera, just not Wagner. I think he would have done better to have made two acts and made the same connections.
The sets were wonderful, the singers were completely amazing, the orchestra was on point, and the acting was impeccable.
Despite my detestment of Wagner’s long-​winded storytelling, I did enjoy myself.
Anyway, as for the opera house itself, it is lovely, there are good seats in the rear orchestra for 98 bucks, and they serve champagne as you wait. Outside the courtyard is a beautiful fountain and a nice snackbar complete with salad bar. You can even get a jack and coke during intermission.
Underneath the complex of the opera house and theatre is flat rate 8 dollar parking. Get there early so you can park well!!!
I’d definitely going back.

Beethoven’s Fidelo was done with traditional story telling on aesthetically sensible staging. Several scenes were like art work in a modern art museum. The use of projection in Act II, thanks to modern technology, was successful in depicting the contrast of darkness in scene 1’s underworld and brightness in scene 2’s liberation.
Soprano Anja Kampe, in the role of «Fidelio/​LEonore» had a big and bright voice. However, she seemed worn out toward the end of Act II. Her high pitch was tight, honking like truck horn — granted, this demanding role requires juice to swim off 200 meter butterfly. Tenor Kalus Florian Vogt, as Florestan, had a young and delightful voice. The supporting roles of Rocco, Fizarro, Fernando and Marzelline were sung beautifully. This was one of the few LA Opera productions where there were no weak links.
The orchestra played with refined sounds. Conductor James Conlon has made great improvements to the orchestra. Not quite the level of the Met or Chicago’s Lyric, the playing from the pit demonstrated an up and coming great orchestra.
Can’t wait to see their Jenufa, the next production of the season.