News for
May/June 2004
THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO
LOS ANGELES -- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO (LE NOZZE DI FIGARO) will be revived at Los Angeles Opera in a production commemorating the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth. Performances at the Music Center are May 22-June 19.
Jurgen Flimm directs such stars as Isabel Bayrakdarian (Susanna), Veronique Gens (Countess) and Erwin Schrott (Figaro). Stefan Anton Reck is the conductor; sets and costumes are by Robert Israel and Birgit Hutter, respectively.
The opera was first mounted in Vienna in 1786 and has been a favorite with world-wide audiences ever since, thanks to its spirited and bold exploration of the most irrational of human experiences, love. FIGARO, as critic M. Owen Lee said, "contains in embryonic form the major traditions that still govern operatic composition--aria, recitative, duet, choral and dance interludes, and musical characterization."
Los Angeles
Opera will also mount IL TROVATORE (THE TROUBADOR) from May 27-June 20.
The quintessential Italian opera by Giuseppe Verdi stars Sondra Radvanovsky,
Franco Farina, Roberto Frontali, Dolora Zajick and James Cromwell. Stephen
Lawless directs.
Both operas will be sung in Italian with English super-titles. For tickets
and information, call (213) 972-8001 or (800) 400-8666 or click on LosAngelesOpera.com
Los Angeles Opera also recently announced its 2004-2005 season, which will be the largest in the company's nineteen years. Four brand-new productions, three productions new to Los Angeles, two revivals and three recitals will combine for the fullest season in history (100 performances in all).
The company premieres are ARIADNE AUF NAXOS, VANESSA, ROMEO ET JULIETTE and DER ROSENKAVALIER. Productions new to L.A. include IDOMENEO, CARMEN AND SWEENEY TODD. The revivals are LA BOHEME and AIDA, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC is a special summer event; the recitals include Bryn Terfel, Renee Fleming and Susan Graham.
Among the scheduled principal singers are Placido Domingo, Kate Aldrich, Milena Kitic, Richard Leech, Petra Maria Schnitzer, Marco Berti, Ana Maria Martinez, Kiri Te Kanawa, Michele Crider, Franco farina, Rolando Villazon, Anna Netrebko, Celena Shafer, Adrianne Pieczonka, Alice Coote, Jeremy Irons and Juliet Stevenson.
LOS ANGELES' NEWEST OPERA COMPANY
LOS ANGELES -- Repertory Opera Company, the newest professional opera company in Southern California, will present its production of Puccini's LA BOHEME, June 17-25 at United Methodist Church, 4350 Wilshire Blvd.
Formed seven months ago by artistic director LizBeth Lucca, the company has presented three full operas and ten evenings of opera scenes which have included Cosi fan Tutte, La Traviata, Macbeth and Daughter of the Regiment, among others.
Lucca's vision was to create an opera company which would present operas at affordable prices ($15 ticket price). She hired Brian Farrell as Musical Director (Julliard graduate, recipient of the Vladimir Horowitz Scholarship, assistant conductor with L.A. Opera). Her peformers are an eclectic group consisting of professional and part-time opera singers.
For tickets and information call (310) 323-969-4602.