NO, it's not really opera, but it's related by more than half: Jane Glover, the conductor of Music of the Baroque, usually conducts one opera for the Chicago Opera Theater. Last year she conducted Don Giovanni and this year it will be another Mozart gem, La Clemenza di Tito. Also, tonight the MOB performed a section of Purcell's Fairy Queen, a semi-opera, and they started their season with a concert version of a Handel opera, so I'm not too far off-topic.
Among the many wonderful things about Chicago, the arts and humanities reign supreme for me. Art Institute? Love it! The Chicago Symphony Orchestra? World class. The Lyric Opera? Great singing. But the Music of the Baroque is almost a secret treasure; guess it's not such a secret because few seats remained empty.
Check it out:
http://www.baroque.org/about/
Great hits this evening to commemorate the births and deaths of four great and standard composers: Purcell, Handel, Haydn, and Mendelssohn. For the neophyte these are recognizable names. Many tunes and styles also resonate with non-classical music people, which isn't to say it was cliched, trite, or dull to the regular WFMT listener. Not at all. In fact, a chamber orchestra setting brings nuances to light for everyone.
Simply splendid evening made more educational by excellent program notes, neither too pedantic nor superficial. And if one can find the time, pre-concert lectures brush one up ever so refreshingly.
Bravo, Chicago. Your arts more than make up for the strange weather and politics!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Boring Abduction
Quite a lot of Chicago Lyric Opera's Abduction from the Seraglio is boring. Mozart can be. There, someone said it. Yes, the music is really sublime, but not for hours on end. "Too many notes," they said in Amadeus, and everyone remembers that because it seems true to modern ears.
When there's a lot of coughing during an aria, the director has failed. True, the singer could commit a bit more. Yet if the director has done a good job, then the singer will have an easier time of it! Standing and declaring is too much onus on the singer and sleepy-making for the audience.
As has been written of this production everywhere, the entropic approach to set design baffles. What was a charming set in the first act was reduced to a revolving astro-turf platform, which then gave way to a door. I am a big fan of minimalism (such as was seen here in the AMAZING Eugene Onegin last year), but there must be strong style or meaningful symbols.
Five of six performers were mediocre on the night I went. I wonder if because they were all young, they were obliged to the conductor?
Anyhow, it is another opera NOT for the beginner. Approaching Mozart operas daunts many, rightfully so in this case. For the neophyte, The Magic Flute is the way to go.
When there's a lot of coughing during an aria, the director has failed. True, the singer could commit a bit more. Yet if the director has done a good job, then the singer will have an easier time of it! Standing and declaring is too much onus on the singer and sleepy-making for the audience.
As has been written of this production everywhere, the entropic approach to set design baffles. What was a charming set in the first act was reduced to a revolving astro-turf platform, which then gave way to a door. I am a big fan of minimalism (such as was seen here in the AMAZING Eugene Onegin last year), but there must be strong style or meaningful symbols.
Five of six performers were mediocre on the night I went. I wonder if because they were all young, they were obliged to the conductor?
Anyhow, it is another opera NOT for the beginner. Approaching Mozart operas daunts many, rightfully so in this case. For the neophyte, The Magic Flute is the way to go.
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