The Norwegian singer made her debut at The Met in a 2019 production of Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades. She’s also appeared there in the operas Ariadne auf Naxos (which I saw and was astounded by her performance), Elektra and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. This season she will appear in Verdi’s La Forza del Destino.

Before that happens she will be one of just a few select artists to give a recital at those hallowed halls at Lincoln Center on Thursday, September 14th. She will also perform a recital at the BroadStage in Santa Monica on September 17th. Pianist James Bailieu will accompany her at both concerts.

Last month I spoke with Davidsen about her approach to recitals, how the world has changed for opera singers and the responsibility of accepting those keys that Gelb has offered her. What follows are excerpts from our conversation that have been edited for length and clarity.

Q: You told Jeff Linden of PBS’s Morning Edition last year that you realized it would be easier for you to take on roles because you didn’t have to be yourself. Essentially that you just could be the character and some of your fear went away. In a recital you don’t get that opportunity unless you create a world where you are a persona apart from yourself. So how do you approach recitals?

It’s a very good question because you don’t have the props, the sets, the dresses. You don’t have the other colleagues. So there’s a lot of information and role characteristic things that are not there. But I do think that I have created my world for each number that I do. Each aria, each song, there is sort of a little world that is my world. My hope is that some of it will go to you as an audience member. Maybe you know the song, maybe don’t know the song, maybe you will get completely different pictures. But there’s room for us to explore all these smaller songs – smaller in terms of length rather than a three-hour opera. 

When you were accepting your Opera News Award earlier this year, you talked about how music allows you to express yourself in ways that words could not. What does a recital and the repertoire that you choose to perform tell us about who you are?

In recital I’ll talk in between to present the songs. So I think already there the audience gets to know a bit more of me. I will bring some Grieg songs, some Sibelius to these recitals. There’s a different part of me than when you hear an Ariadne or Tannhäuser or a Verdi. It’s something else you get to know. The bigger arias that will be where people think obviously this is the Lise we’ve heard before. So I think it’s presenting different sides of me or different parts of what I do, rather than sharing the main emotion in a way. 

But is there part of of putting the repertoire together for a recital that you think not only does this music speak to each other, but this helps me tell a story about who I am at this moment as I’m performing?

I think there is an aspect. The BroadStage and the Met concert [are] both a mix. There are certain arias that I would like to do because I think about the space and the piano. You have to think about that as well. The pianist is lost with these long chords that don’t really sustain in a piano. Then there’s how we build it up, what what suits each other, what’s a good contrast in all of this. I always think, what can I bring that they haven’t heard before? What can I bring that it will be a surprise? All of these things have to be taken in.

I saw a video where you performed I Could Have Danced All Night from My Fair Lady, which I think a lot of people would be surprised to hear you singing. What inspires a choice like that?

That is a simple inspiration because it is about what can I do to lighten my repertoire? My opera roles are filled with drama. There is not so much operetta in my repertoire. I think the audience, when they hear that in a concert, it is to sort of clear the air a bit like, oh what a light little tune or fun maybe. Also, I think we need that. We need something to sort of clear it up a bit before we dig into something even more serious.

When Peter Gelb says, “Every major dramatic soprano role that she wants to do is hers as far as I’m concerned” and offers you the keys to the Met, that’s pretty heady to be told at any point in one’s career. What kind of pressure do you feel when when the head of a Met is saying such glorious things about you?

One part is unbelievably overwhelming. It’s big, big, big words. It’s a responsibility I’m not sure I can carry. But on the other hand, it’s a responsibility I would like to carry. It’s a job that I would like to have because I really love being at the Met. So if those two things can come together, then it’s kind of the perfect match. Both him and me can only see what the future holds in a way and plan accordingly.

You have so much attention on you right now which gives you tremendous opportunities. Given that a lot of people describe the time we’re living in now is a golden age for new opera, how much do new contemporary works interest you as you move forward in your career?

It interests to me quite a lot. But in terms of what I feel I can do, I still focus on the more classical, ultra-traditional operas, because I do believe I have a voice that suits that repertoire. That said, I do believe that when I’ve sort of settled some of these roles, then I hope I’ll get to do modern opera and work with a composer because it must be amazing to do a whole new opera that is made for you in your time. There’s a completely different way of communicating with the composer. You don’t have to say, Why did you write this? It means you can actually go and ask and I think that is amazing.

Is there an opera that you have so many questions that you would love to have a chance to talk to the composer? Would you like to talk to Wagner before tackling Tristan und Isolde if that were possible?

I think I’ve always liked to have a chat with them. I think the thing is both Wagner and Strauss are very specific in their writing. I think Verdi is even more interesting because there’s so much tradition. There’s so much this is how it used to be done and we don’t really know how much truth there is in that. Sometimes I wonder if they do this, why do they do it?

Renata Scotto just passed away. In 1978 she did an interview with the New York Times and she said, “I have two Renata Scottos, one working and one private. The private one doesn’t remember the artist because I really need to relax my head and have fun.” That was nearly 45 years ago. Does being an opera singer today require that same duality? 

I think that is the same. It’s just in a different way than it was for her. I think in today’s time we are even more exposed to our audience. With social media we’re connected in a completely different way, and that has its pros and cons. It’s brilliant because I can communicate with people on the other side of the world. I can get messages from people. I can give advice to young singers. There are so many good things, but I think it also requires an even stricter strategy in how to protect yourself. It’s all out there and how much do you want to be out there, How much do you want to be private or personal? And I think that is a balance I worked a lot on to find and I still do. 

In 1960, another Norwegian soprano, Kirsten Flagstad got a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood. Most people today probably walk around or walk on her star and have no idea who she is because opera isn’t embraced in 2023 the way it was in 1960. Do you think it would be good if if opera was embraced the way it was in 1960? Do you think that’s even remotely possible? 

I have no idea if it’s possible. I think the world has so much to offer right now. We have so many paintings and art forms available to us that to go back and be such a high percentage of what people used to do, I think is really, really hard. I don’t know if I’m naive, but I really hope that there will be a time where [there] will be even more people listening to opera. If we can manage to open our doors a bit more and make sure that it’s reachable for everyone, that is my number one wish for this art form. 

I come from a house where we didn’t know what opera was, but we thought it was not for us. We didn’t listen to it. True to my education, to my work, my family now goes to opera and they say they love it. There’s a completely different way of listening. In a time where we search for yoga or mindfulness or meditation, I want to say, “Hey, we’re already there. Just come in.”

There’s so much to look at. There’s so much to take in. Turn your phone off. When we let go of the fact that we have to know everything all the time, that’s when we are able to take in new experiences. That’s what I’ve said to friends or family that don’t normally go to the opera. It’s okay if you’re bored for a couple of minutes. You can look at those sets. You can look at an orchestra of 100 people that are playing. And we’re all there for you. There’s so many things. Eventually you will know more and, maybe as an audience member, demand more. Lean back and let the music speak.

If there was anything about this time in your life, in your career, that you would like to bottle up and have as a reminder 15, 20, 25 years from now, what do you think it would be?

It will be the fact that I have so many wonderful audience members that come to my concerts. The fact that people travel to see me sing. I wish I can sort of take that in, not just in a bottle, but, I wish I understood that because it’s pretty surreal.

Why? 

I don’t know. Can’t you find someone where you are? I don’t really grasp that. But of course, I travel to see people, too. So it’s not really connected. If I zoom out, I can say,” Oh, how about that repertoire? You like that?” Then you travel to do it. But when people come from Australia to hear you, that is for me. There’s so much love in that and I wish I could take that in and keep that because it’s this dedication beyond. It’s really, really impressive.

Both photos of Lise Davidsen ©James Hole/Courtesy BroadStage

The post Lise Davidsen Has the Keys to the Metropolitan Opera appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

We have fifteen different options for you this week. Attention Margaret Cho fans, we will tell you how to start and end your weekend with her.

Here are your Best Bets at Home: November 6th – November 8th:

Solitude – LA Philharmonic’s Sound/Stage – November 6th

This week’s filmed performance from the Hollywood Bowl finds Gustavo Dudamel leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a program entitled Solitude. There are two works being performed and they both look at the idea of being alone in very different ways.

First up is the American premiere of Dawn by Thomas Adés. The work had its world premiere earlier this year in a performance by the London Symphony Orchestra conduced by Simon Rattle. It’s designed for our socially distant times and for an orchestra of indeterminate size.

Dawn will be followed by Duke Ellington’s Solitude as arranged by Morton Gould. It’s one of Ellington’s finest.

Both of these works are less than ten minutes. This will be a shorter Sound/Stage, but who wants to spend more time than that alone?

As a reminder, previous episodes of Sound/Stage are also available for viewing.

Virtual Halston – November 6th – 5:00 PM EST/2:00 PM PST

After a couple weeks off to shoot a film, Julie Halston returns with Virtual Halston. Her guest this week is Margaret Cho.

For the uninitiated, Halston holds an on-line salon where pithy conversation and witty repartee are the main ingredients. (Of course, I’d suggest having a martini in hand, too.)

Whether you know Cho for her music, her stand-up comedy, her film and television appearances or her activism, you know she’s smart, funny and guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

There’s no charge to watch Virtual Halston. However, donations are encouraged and proceeds will go to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.

Midori and Ieva Jokubaviciute – 92 Street Y – November 6th – 7:30 PM EST/4:30 PM PST

Violinist Midori and pianist Ieva Jokubaviciute perform works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, César Franck and Edvard Grieg in this recital.

Midori and Jokubaviciute have been collaborating since 2016. What began as a handful of recitals in Canada, Columbia, Germany and Austria has turned into worldwide performances together.

Grieg is first with his Sonata No. 2 in G Major, Op. 13. This three-movement sonata was written in what is now called Oslo in 1867.

Mozart follows with Sonata in E-flat Major, K. 302. This two-movement sonata was composed in 1778.

Franck closes the program with his Sonata in A Major. This four-movement sonata was written in 1886 as a wedding gift from the composer. It’s first public performance was in December of the same year.

Tickets are $15.

Alan Broadbent and Don Falzone – Mezzrow – November 6th – November 7th

Pianist Alan Broadbent and bassist Don Falzone will be performing four sets between Friday and Saturday night live from Mezzrow in New York City. There are sets each night at 7:00 PM EST/4:00 PM PST and 9:00 PM EST/6:00 PM PST.

If your first introduction to Broadbent was his Grammy Award-winning arrangement for Natalie Cole’s When I Fall In Love, you might be surprised to learn he’s been closely involved with some of the most celebrated music of all-time. Sometimes as a pianist, other times as an arranger.

A diverse list of his collaborators would include David Byrne, Charlie Haden, Woody Herman, Diana Kroll, Linda Ronstadt, Rod Stewart and Barbra Streisand. He’s also recorded 26 records as a leader.

In addition to working with Broadbent, Falzone has worked with David Lindley, Eric Person and Rufus Wainwright.

There is no cost to watch the performance, though donations are encouraged. Sponsorship tickets are also available at $40.

The link in the heading is for Friday night’s shows. To access Saturday night’s shows, please go here.

José James Celebrates Bill Withers – SFJAZZ – November 6th – 8:00 PM EST/5:00 PM PST

When this 2019 concert took place at SFJAZZ, James was supporting his 2018 album Lean on Me which celebrated Bill Withers. This concert, part of SFJAZZ’s Fridays at Five series, will be a bit more melancholy than it was originally as we lost Withers earlier this year.

The album found James performing classic Withers songs like Ain’t No Sunshine, Lovely Day, Just the Two of Us and the title track.

I enjoy James and his music, whether he’s performing jazz or soul or hip-hop influenced material. I’m looking forward to this concert.

SFJAZZ asks that you become a member to enjoy their Fridays at Five concerts. Membership is $5 for one month of shows or $60 for a full year. It’s a bargain in my book.

Fred Hersch – Village Vanguard – November 6th – November 7th

Jazz pianist Fred Hersch is offering two different performances this weekend from New York’s Village Vanguard. On Friday night he’ll be performing solo on the piano.

His latest album, Songs from Home, was released on Friday. The project finds him recording in quarantine from his home. Songs by Jimmy Webb, Joni Mitchell, Cole Porter, The Beatles and Duke Ellington’s Solitude are included on the record.

On Saturday night he’ll be performing with saxophonist Miguel Zenón.

Zenón has released twelve albums as a leader – the most recent being 2019’s Sonero: The Music of Ismael Rivera. He’s toured and recorded with numerous artists including David Gilmore, Charlie Haden, Danilo Pérez, Antonio Sánchez, Kenny Werner and Fred Hersch. He was named Jazz Artist of the Year on the 2014 Jazz Times Critics Poll.

Tickets for each concert are $10 and include the ability to stream the performance for 24 hours.

One Man, Two Guvnors – PBS Great Performances – November 6th – check local listings

I’ve written about this hilarious play starring James Corden before. I’m including it again because if you just want to laugh yourself silly for a couple hours, you should watch One Man, Two Guvnors.

The filmed performance is airing on Great Performances on PBS. As with all PBS programming, best to check your local listings for start time and exact airdate.

Border Crossings Part 1 – Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra – November 6th – 9:30 PM EST/6:30 PM PST

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra is launching an ambitious new program entitled Close Quarters. The series, which will have multiple episodes between now and June 4, 2021, will combine performances by select LACO members paired with images and art created by James Darrah.

This first concert features Baroque works and Baroque-inspired composers originating from Bolivia, Mexico and Spain. On the program is Diferencias sobre la gayta by Anónimo and Martín Y Coll; Sonata Chiquitana IV by anonymous, Concierto barroco by José Enrique González Medina and Gallardas by Santiago de Murcia.

Patricia Mabee, who curated the program, leads from the harpsichord. She will be joined by Josefina Vergara and Susan Rishik on violin, Armen Ksajikian on cello, Ben Smolen on flute, Jason Yoshida on theorbo/baroque guitar and Petri Korpela on percussion.

There is no charge to watch the performance which will be available on the LACO website, their YouTube channel and Facebook Live.

Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera – San Francisco Opera – November 7th – November 8th

Nicola Luisotti conducts; starring Julianna Di Giacomo, Thomas Hampson, Ramón Vargas, Heidi Stober, Dolor Zajick, Efraín Solís, Christian Van Horn and Scott Conner. This Jose Maria Condemi production is from the 2014-2015 season.

Verdi’s opera, translated A Masked Ball, had its premiere in Rome in 1859. Librettist Antonio Somma used the libretto written by Eugène Scribe for the opera, Gustave III, ou Le Ballo masqué, written by Daniel Auber in 1833. 

The opera is based on the real life assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden who was killed while attending a masquerade ball in Stockholm. 

Verdi takes some dramatic liberties which certainly enhances the drama. Riccardo is in love with Amelia. She, however, is the wife of his good friend and confidante, Renato. Riccardo is warned by his friend that there is a plot to kill him at the ball. Paying no attention to the warning, Riccardo instead seeks out Ulrica, a woman accused of being a witch. In disguise he visits Ulrica to have his fortune read. She tells him he will be killed by the next man who shakes his hand. That next man turns out to be Renato. What follows is a story of intrigue, deception, questions of fidelity and, of course, the assassination.

Di Giacomo made both her company debut and role debut as Amelia in this production. Lisa Hirsch, in her review for the San Francisco Gate, said of her performance, “Di Giacomo has the ideal voice for this role, beautiful, fresh and easily produced, from glowing top to bottom. She lacks for nothing technically, singing with a gorgeous legato and noble, long-breathed phrasing, not to mention exquisite dynamic control, whether pleading for a last view of her child in Morrò, ma prima in grazia or contemplating the gallows at midnight in Ma dall’arido stelo divulsa.”

Marcus Strickland Trio – Smalls – November 7th – 5:00 PM EST/2:00 PM PST

This is the same trio about which I wrote when they played in September at Blue Note. The difference here is you don’t have to pay to see the performance, though donations are encouraged for both the artist and the venue.

Strickland was named “Best New Artist” in the 2006 JazzTimes Reader’s Poll.

In Critic’s Polls for DownBeat he was named the 2008 “Rising Star on Soprano Saxophone” and the 2010 “Rising Star on Tenor Saxophone.”

He’s been releasing albums since 2001’s At Last. His most recent recording was 2018’s People of the Sun. 

Joining Strickland again will be Ben Williams on bass and E.J. Strickland (his twin brother) on drums.

There is a second set at 7:00 PM EST/4:00 PM PST. Sponsorship seats are available for $40 per set.

Amor y Odio – Verdi Chorus – November 8th – November 22nd

Los Angeles-based Verdi Chorus has put together their first pandemic-era concert. It is called Amor y Odio and the concert will celebrate Songs of Spain and the New World.

A subset of the Verdi Chorus known as The Fox Singers make up the singers for the first of several virtual concerts they are producing. The singers for Amor y Odio are sopranos Tiffany Ho and Sarah Salazar; mezzo-soprano Judy Tran; tenors Joseph Gárate and Elias Berezin; and bass Esteban Rivas.

Anne Marie Ketchum, Artistic Director, leads the performance. Laraine Ann Madden is the accompanist.

The premiere of the concert will take place at 1:00 PM EST/10:00 AM PST on Sunday, November 8th. The concert will remain available through November 22nd.

Be sure to read our interview with Sarah Salazar who has quite a story of determination against the odds.

Johnny O’Neal and Mark Lewandowski – Mezzrow – November 8th – 5:00 PM EST/2:00 PM PST

Jazz pianist and vocalist Johnny O’Neal will be joined by bassist Mark Lewandowski for these performances from Mezzrow in New York.

Perhaps you caught the October 14th performance by Johnny O’Neal I wrote about. If not, you are in for a treat. That preview tells you a bit about O’Neal and his incredible story.

Lewandowski is a bassist and composer who, like most jazz musicians, works as a sideman in addition to his own work. He’s toured and recorded with such artists as Sheila Jordan, Wynton Marsalis, Zoe Rahman, Jean Toussaint, Bobby Wellins and with these shows, O’Neal.

There is a second set at 7:00 PM EST/4:00 PM PST. Sponsorship seats are available for $40 per set. Regular viewing is free, but donations are encouraged.

Modern Beauty Part 2 – Pittance Chamber Orchestra – November 8th – 6:00 PM EST/3:00 PM PST

In last week’s Best Bets, I included Pittance Chamber Orchestra’s three-part performance series entitled Modern Beauty. The series, featuring pianist Gloria Cheng, continues this week with clarinetist Donald Foster joining her.

The program features Garlands for Steven Stucky. Four works for solo piano will pay tribute to the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer who passed away in 2016. Cheng will perform Iscrizione by Esa-Pekka Salonen, Green Trees Are Bending by Stephen Andrew Taylor, Waltz by John Harbison and Interlude by Kay Rhie.

Foster will join her for a performance of Stucky’s Meditation and Dance.

There is no charge to watch the performance, but donations are encouraged. By the way, if you missed last week’s performance, you can still watch it on Pittance Chamber Orchestra’s website.

Jessie Mueller with Seth Rudetsky – November 8th – 8:00 PM EST/5:00 PM EST

Tony Award-winner Jessie Mueller (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) is Seth Rudetsky’s guest for his concert series this weekend.

In addition to her role as King, Mueller has appeared on Broadway in the 2011 revival of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, the 2012 revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, she originated the role of “Jenna” in Waitress and appeared as “Julie Jordan” in the 20128 revival of Carousel.

Mueller was in previews in The Minutes, a play by Tracy Letts, when the pandemic hit.

If this live performance does not work for your schedule, there will be a re-streaming of the concert on November 9th at 3:00 PM EST/12:00 PM PST. Tickets for either date are $25. Uber fans who purchase a ticket for the live performance can also purchase (for an additional $25) a VIP Upgrade allowing access to the sound check taking place at 5:00 PM EST/2:00 PM PST.

Beth Lapides’ Uncabaret – November 8th – 10:30 PM EST/7:30 PM PST

If any week in recent memory has called for a thought-provoking but gentle way to end the weekend, this might just be that weekend. So I offer you Uncabaret. Joining for Zoom #16 of the long-running comedy show are Jamie Bridgers, Margaret Cho, Alex Edelman, Judy Gold, Alec Mapa, Apart Nancherla and Julia Sweeney. As usual, Mitch Kaplan is the music director.

If you are unfamiliar with Uncabaret, check out my interview with Beth Lapides as she started the second quarter century of the show in 2019.

Tickets range from free to $100 with perks along the way the more you are able to pay to see the show.

Those are my fifteen Best Bets at Home: November 6th – November 8th. However, you know that I’ll always give you some reminders just in case you want more. And what’s wrong with wanting a little more?

This weekend’s offerings from the Metropolitan Opera are La Forza del Destino by Verdi on Friday; Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette on Saturday and Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg on Sunday.

This is the penultimate weekend for Table Top Shakespeare: At Home. This weekend’s shows are Troilus and Cressida on Friday; As You Like It on Saturday and Othello on Sunday.

Atlantic Theater Company’s Fall Reunion Reading Series has performances remaining on Friday and Saturday of Rajiv Joseph’s Guards at the Taj.

That officially ends all my selections for you this weekend. I hope you will relax and enjoy these Best Bets at Home: November 6th – November 8th.

Photo: James Corden in One Man, Two Guvnors (Photo by Johan Persson/Courtesy PBS)

The post Best Bets at Home: November 6th – November 8th appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

This week’s series launches with a work by George Frideric Handel from 1725 and concludes with a work by Richard Wagner from 1868 (in a production that hasn’t been streamed yet).

Each production becomes available at 7:30 PM EDT/4:30 PM PDT on the Metropolitan Opera website. Every opera remains available for 23 hours. They are heavily promoting their Met Stars Live in Concert series and recently announced the cancellation of the full 2020-2021 season, so you’ll have to go past those announcements and promos to find the streaming productions. Schedules and timings may be subject to change.

If you read this column early enough on November 2nd, you might still have time to catch the 2011-2012 season production of Satyagraha that concludes last week’s Politics in Opera series. 

Monday, November 2 – Handel’s Rodelinda

Conducted by Harry Bicket; starring Renée Fleming, Stephanie Blythe, Andreas Scholl, Iestyn Davies, Joseph Kaiser and Shenyang. This revival of Stephen Wadsworth’s 2004 production is from the 2011-2012 season. This is an encore presentation of the production that was previously available on June 14th.

Handel’s opera had its world premiere in London in 1725. The libretto is by Nicola Francesco Haym who revised Antonio Salvi’s earlier libretto. Scholars have long considered Rodelinda to be amongst Handel’s finest works.

Queen Rodelinda’s husband has been vanquished and she is plotting her revenge. Multiple men have plans to take over the throne, but they have Rodelinda to contend with who is maneuvering herself to prevent that from happening. She is still faithful to her husband who is presumed dead.

Fleming and Blythe appeared at the Met in these role in the first revival of this production in 2006.

James R. Oestreich, in his review for the New York Times, said of Fleming’s return to Rodelinda, “But it would be asking too much of a singer like Ms. Fleming to revamp her technique in midcareer, so there was inevitably some disjunction between stage and pit. Ms. Fleming painted her coloratura in broad strokes, but it was enough that she threw herself and her voice wholeheartedly into the considerable drama.”

Tuesday, November 3 – Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice

Conducted by James Levine; starring Danielle de Niese, Heidi Grant Murphy and Stephanie Blythe. This Mark Morris production is from the 2008-2009 season. This is an encore presentation of the production that was previously available on June 3rd.

Once again the myth of Orpheus inspired a composer. Christoph Willibald Gluck’s opera, which premiered in Vienna in 1762, has a libretto by Ranieri de’ Calzabigi. (Others who have been so inspired include Haydn, Lizst and Stravinsky. The story is also the inspiration for the Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown.)

The Orpheus story is about a man who suddenly loses the love of his life, Euridice. He travels to the underworld to find her. He can bring her back, but only if he truly trusts in her love.

Anthony Tomassini, in his New York Times review of this production, began his review with singular praise for Blythe: “With each performance the American mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe gives, it becomes increasingly apparent that a once-in-a-generation opera singer has arrived. Ms. Blythe’s latest triumph came on Friday night at the Metropolitan Opera: a vocally commanding and deeply poignant portrayal of Orfeo in a revival of Mark Morris’s 2007 production of Gluck’s sublime masterpiece Orfeo ed Euridice. This was Ms. Blythe’s first performance of Orfeo, a touchstone trouser role for many mezzo-sopranos, and she already owns it.”

Wednesday, November 4 – Mozart’s Idomeneo

Conducted by James Levine; starring Nadine Sierra, Elza van den Heever, Alice Coote, and Matthew Polenzani. This revival of the 1982 Jean-Pierre Ponnelle production from the 2016-2017 season. This is an encore presentation of the production that was previously available on May 18th and October 4th.

Mozart’s opera had its world premiere in 1781 in Munich and has a libretto by Giambattista Varesco. 

Idomeneo tells the story of Idomeneus, the King of Crete, who in order to survive at sea promises Poseidon he will kill the first man he sees upon being rescued. His son, Idamante, learns that his father is in serious danger and fears he has perished. Mourning his father at the beach, he is overjoyed to see that he has survived. But in doing so becomes the first man his father sees. That’s when the story gets good!

George Grella, writing in New York Classic Review, said of Nadine Sierra’s performance, “Her voice balanced youthful shine and, just under the surface, deep feeling. She was incandescent all night, singing with great ease and richness, and modulating naturally between moods of loss, love, regret, and pride.”

Thursday, November 5 – Rossini’s Semiramide

Conducted by Maurizio Benini; starring Angela Meade, Elizabeth DeShong, Javier Camarena, Ildar Abdrazakov and Ryan Speedo Green. This is a revival of John Copley’s 1990 production from the 2017-2018 season. This is an encore presentation of the production that was previously available on June 16th.

Voltaire’s Semiramis was the inspiration this Rossini opera. The libretto is by Gaetano Rossi. Semiramide had its world premiere in 1823 in Venice. This was the composer’s final Italian opera.

Queen Semiramide is a troubled and complicated woman. She and her lover, Assur, killed her husband, King Nino. Their son, Ninius, disappears and is presumed dead as Semiramide ascends to the throne. Years later she becomes enamored with a young warrior named Arsace. Guess who he turns out to be?

David Wright, writing in New York Classical Review, raved about Meade’s performance.

“Soprano Angela Meade anchored the cast with a fearless performance in the title role of the morally compromised and lovestruck queen, issuing a blizzard of sixteenth and thirty-second notes and dizzying leaps with expressive power to back them up.”

Friday, November 6 – Verdi’s La Forza del Destino

Conducted by James Levine; starring Leontyne Price, Giuseppe Giacomini, Leo Nucci and Bonaldo Giaiotti. This John Dexter production is from the 1983-1984 season. This is an encore presentation of the production that was previously available on June 18th and 19th.

This frequently performed Verdi opera had its world premiere in 1862 in St. Petersburg, Russia. The libretto is by Francesco Maria Piave, based on an 1835 Spanish drama, Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino by Ángel de Saavedra.

Leonora is the daughter of the Marquis of Calatrava. She falls in love with Don Alvaro, but her father is dead-set against their getting married. A tragedy befalls all three leaving Leonora to find solace in a monastery.

This was one of Price’s greatest roles throughout her career. Bernard Holland, writing in the New York Times, raved about her performance.

“This was truly Miss Price’s evening. There were some jolting shifts of register, and Miss Price must protect her fragile upper notes with tender care; but her dramatic presence on stage and the overall impact of her singing went far beyond matters of technique. ‘Madre, pietosa Vergine’ had a stunning muted eloquence, and ‘Pace, pace, mio Dio!’ at the end had a sonorous beauty and power of communication that this listener – and I think everyone else in attendance – will think back upon for many years to come.”

Saturday, November 7 – Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette

Conducted by Plácido Domingo; starring Anna Netrebko, Roberto Alagna, Nathan Gunn and Robert Lloyd. This revival of Guy Joosten’s 2005 production is from the 2007-2008 season. This is an encore presentation of the production that was previously available on July 23rd.

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet served as the inspiration for this five-act opera by Charles Gounod that had its world premiere in Paris in 1867. The libretto was written by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré.

The opera closely follows Shakespeare’s play about two star-crossed lovers from warring families. Their love only inflames the animosity between the Montagues and the Capulets. No matter what the young lovers do to be together, fate always seems to find a way to make their love impossible. When that happens, tragedy follows.

In her review for the New York Times, Anne Midgette said of the two leads: 

“You are not going to hear much better singing than this today. True, Anna Netrebko and Roberto Alagna can both be faulted. She is a little wild, flinging herself into roles and about the stage (especially, on Tuesday, at her first entrance); he has a certain emotional bluntness, and a certain monochrome tone. So much for the obligatory criticism. The bottom line is that Ms. Netrebko produced a luscious sound that you wanted to bathe in forever, especially in her first-act duet with Mr. Alagna. The ultimate measure for a singer should be, Is this a sound you want to listen to? The answer here was yes.”

Sunday, November 8 – Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg – March 28th

Conducted by James Levine; starring Annette Dasch, Johan Botha, Paul Appleby and Michael Volle. This revival of Otto Shenk’s 1993 production is from the 2014-2015 season.

Richard Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg had its world premiere in Munich is 1868. As with his other works, Wagner wrote the libretto. It is also a rare comedy from the composer. The opera is one of Wagner’s longest running nearly four-and-a-half hours.

At stake in the opera is the love of a young girl named Eva. She has been betrothed to whomever wins a singing contest. Walther von Stolzing is desperately in love with Eva and wants to compete, but the song he wants to sing doesn’t conform to the rules set out by the competition. With the help of a cobbler named Hans Sachs, he hopes to overcome the opposition to him, win the contest and ultimately marry Eva.

In his review for the New York Times, Anthony Tommasini raved about Johan Botha in the role of Walther. “The powerful tenor Johan Botha has excelled in the demanding role of Walther, the restless knight who has come to Nuremberg, where he instantly falls for Eva, the lovely daughter of Pogner, the wealthy goldsmith. He did so again on this night. Mr. Botha has a very hefty physique. He does not cut the figure of the dashing young knight of Wagner’s imagination. Yet he sang with so much romantic allure and freshness, especially during the glorious ‘Morning Dream Song’ (as Sachs names it), that Mr. Botha seemed the essence of a young man in love.”

That’s the full line-up for Week 34 at the Met – our first half of the Two-Week Tour of Opera History. Next week’s operas begin with a work by Tchaikovsky from 1892 and concludes with an opera from 2016 composed by Adés.

Enjoy the operas and enjoy your week.

Photo: Stephanie Blythe in Orfeo ed Eridice (Photo by Ken Howard/Courtesy Metropolitan Opera)

The post Week 34 at the Met appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

For those who love great acting Ed Harris, Amy Madigan, Carole Kane and Bill Pullman headline one reading. The original and lesser-known cast of an award-winning 2010 show in Los Angeles headlines another. Jeff Daniels, Linda Lavin and Sierra Boggess will all tell stories about their careers and perform music. Then there are concerts from multiple genres of music and a popular jazz festival goes virtual.

If that isn’t enough, we have an opera recital from Norway and a production from Glyndebourne.

So let’s get to it. Here are your Best Bets at Home: August 28th – August 30th:

The Jacksonian – The New Group – Now – August 30th

In 2012 the world premiere of Beth Henley’s play The Jacksonian took place at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. Over a year later it had its New York premiere in The New Group production at the Acorn Theatre.

The cast for both productions was nearly the same: Ed Harris, Glenne Headley, Amy Madigan and Bill Pullman. Bess Rous appeared in Los Angeles; Juliet Brett in New York.

The New York cast has reunited for an online reading of The Jacksonian. Carole Kane assumes the role originally played by the late Glenne Headley.

The play is set in a seedy motel in Jackson, Mississippi in 1964. Bill Perch (Harris) has moved here after becoming estranged from his wife (Madigan). While there his encounters with his daughter (Brett), a bartender with dubious motives (Pullman) and a less-than-reliable motel worker (Kane) hasten his descent. In a town where racism is far too prevalent and a murder has just happened, these characters face what may be simply a dead end for them all.

The reading was live on Thursday, August 27th, but remains available through August 30th at 11:59 PM EDT for viewing. The cost is $25. 10% of all proceeds will benefit Race Forward, an organization dedicated to racial equality.

Virtual Halston – August 28th – 5:00 PM EDT/2:00 PM PDT

Last week we introduced you to Julie Halston’s Virtual Halston. So you can go here to see what we said about this delightful woman and her thoroughly enjoyable show.

All we have to add this week is that her special guest is Tony Award, Obie Award, Drama Desk and Golden Globe winner Linda Lavin. You might know her best as Alice from the long-running sitcom of the same name.

The Ballad of Emmett Till 2020 – The Fountain Theatre – August 28th 7:00 PM EDT/4:00 PM PDT – $20 live or to stream later

The Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles had a commercial and critical success with Ifa Bayeza’s play The Ballad of Emmett Till. With director Shirley Jo Finney on board, the original cast will reunite for an online reading of the play.

The play combines multiple disciplines (music, poetry, drama) to tell the story of the 14-year-old boy who was tortured and killed for whistling at a white woman in 1955 in Mississippi.

The cast includes Bernard K. Addison, Rico E. Anderson, Lorenz Arnell, Adenrele Ojo and Karen Malina White.

F. Kathleen Foley, in her review for the Los Angeles Times, said of the play and this production:

“Those familiar with Till’s history may be shocked to find that Ballad is, initially at least, warm and vibrant, with a surprising quotient of laughter. That’s part of Bayeza’s careful design to make Till’s ultimate fate all the more harrowing. 

“In that she succeeds, brilliantly. Make no mistake: You will be devastated.”

Tickets are $20 and will allow for later streaming as well.

Jeff Daniels Concert and Stories – Wharton Center – August 28th- 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT $15

Jeff Daniels has been nominated for three Tony Awards (God of Carnage, Blackbird and To Kill a Mockingbird). All three for his performance as an actor. Daniels is also a singer/songwriter. He’s also the founder of The Purple Rose Theatre Company in Michigan. (If you don’t know why the theatre has that name, I urge you to check out the movie The Purple Rose of Cairo which is truly one of the most wonderfully romantic movies ever made.)

Daniels is performing from Lansing’s Wharton Center on Friday. He’ll share stories from his many film, television and stage projects and also perform original songs. Tickets are $15.

After the concert he will do a Q&A with the audience for up to 30 minutes.

Godspell Online In Concert – Hope Mill Theatre – August 28th – August 29th

Stephen Schwartz, the composer of the musical Wicked, had an early hit with the musical Godspell that opened off-Broadway in 1971. It would take several years before the show made its way to Broadway. It has become one of the most popular shows Schwartz ever wrote.

Even though it seems as if they are a little early, Godspell Online in Concert celebrates the show’s 50th anniversary this weekend.

This concert is taking place in England. But don’t worry, you don’t have to get up to see it first thing in the morning. Once you purchase a ticket for £15 plus £1.50 in service charges (roughly $22), you can watch the performance for up to 24 hours from when it first became available (which is 10 AM London Time; 5:00 AM EDT/2:00 AM PDT each date).

Ruthie Henshall (Chicago) and Darren Day (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) reprise their roles from a 1993 cast recording. Sam Tutty, Ria Jones and Jenna Russell also star in the concert.

Jodie Steele, Danyl Johnson, Jenny Fitzpatrick, Natalie Green, John Barr,  Sally Ann Triplett, Gerard McCarthy, Alison Jiear, Shekinah McFarlane and Lucy Williamson, all performers on the West End, join the concert.

Lise Davidsen in Oslo – Metropolitan Opera – August 29th – 1:00 PM EDT/10:00 AM PDT

Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen made a stunning Metropolitan Opera debut in last season’s production of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades. As one of the fastest rising new stars in opera, it was no surprise that the Met invited her to be part of their Met Stars Live in Concert series.

With James Baillieu on piano, Davidsen will be performing live from Oslo. The program includes works by Richard Wagner (Tannhäuser), Edvard Grieg, Giuseppe Verdi (Un Ballo in Maschera), Jean Sibelius, Richard Strauss, Giacomo Puccini (Manon Lescaut), Benjamin Britten, Emmerich Kálmán (Die Csárdásfürstin), Landon Ronald, Ernest Charles and a song from the musical My Fair Lady.

Tickets are $20 and the concert will remain available to you for 12 days.

Leimert Park Jazz Festival – August 29th – 3:00 PM EDT/12:00 PM PDT

This year’s Leimert Park Jazz Festival, like many other summer festivals, is going virtual. It’s free and though you won’t get to also discover this historic neighborhood in Los Angeles, you will get some great music.

This year’s line-up is:

Guitarist Michael O’Neill and Friends: David Witham, piano; Andrew Ford, bass; Land Richards, drums

Munyungo Jackson Quartet: Jackson is a percussionist with Errol Clooney on guitar; Keith Jones, bass; Euro Zambrano drums

Sy Smith featuring The Myron McKinley Trio – Smith is a vocalist joined by McKinley on piano; Ian Martin, bass; Stacey Lamont Sydnor, drums/percussion

Dwight Trible – singer

MFUO featuring Jacques Lesure on guitar; Marvin “Smitty” Smith, drums; Pete Kuzma, keyboards; Christian Moraga, percussion. MFUO means “Groove” in Swahili

The festival will be available for viewing on Leimert Park Jazz Festival’s Facebook page.

Skirball Stages: Gavin Turek and Ak Dan Gwang Chil – Skirball YouTube Page – August 29th – 11:00 PM EDT/8:00 PM PDT

This concert doesn’t neatly fit into what I usually cover at Cultural Attaché, but it seems too interesting not to include it.

The premise of this concert is to pair two unique artists: Los Angeles-based singer Gavin Turek with South Korean band Ak Dan Gwang Chil.

Turek, who performed on the empty grounds of the Skirball, is a singer for whom R&B is her passion, particularly that from the last two decades of the twentieth century.

In Seoul, Ak Dan Gwang Chil performed their trademark fusion of folk songs, sacred and secular gut (ritual music) and other music traditions from the Hwanghae-do region into music that feels both new and traditional at the same time.

The musical conversation between these two very different artists, at a time when political tensions between the United States and the Korean Peninsula are increasingly unsteady, should prove to be both fascinating and entertaining.

The Skirball Cultural Center undertook this project in the absence of being able to present their annual Sunset Concerts. Ak Dan Gwang Chil had been booked to participate in those concerts this year.

You need to RSVP to see the program on August 29th. After that the concert will remain available on the Skirball’s YouTube page through late November.

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg – Glyndebourne – August 30th – September 6th

Richard Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg had its world premiere in Munich is 1868. As with his other works, Wagner wrote the libretto. It is also a rare comedy from the composer. The opera is one of Wagner’s longest running nearly four-and-a-half hours.

At stake in the opera is the love of a young girl named Eva. She has been betrothed to whomever wins a singing contest. Walther von Stolzing is desperately in love with Eva and wants to compete, but the song he wants to sing doesn’t conform to the rules set out by the competition. With the help of a cobbler named Hans Sachs, he hopes to overcome the opposition to him, win the contest and ultimately marry Eva.

This 2011 production from Glyndebourne marked the first-ever performance of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at the venue. David McVicar directed the production with Vladimir Jurowski conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Gerald Finely sings the role of Hans Sachs, Marco Jentzsch sings the role of Walther and Anna Gabler sings the role of Eva.

McVicar discussed the troubled history of this opera with The Guardian prior to its opening at Glyndebourne. In his comments you can get a glimpse into how he handled Wagner’s work:

“When Wagner composed the opera in the 1860s, he thought he was telling a joyous human story,” he says. “He didn’t consider that he was telling a negative, disturbing story. But if you produce the end of Meistersinger according to Wagner’s own stage directions, it would be unbelievably alarming.”

Sierra Boggess with Seth Rudetsky – August 30th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

If you think Sierra Boggess is only known for originating the role of Ariel in the Broadway musical version of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, you might be surprised to learn she’s been in several other shows. She has appeared as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera and has appeared in a revival of Master Class and in the musicals It Shoulda Been You and School of Rock.

She will be discussing her career and singing songs on this week’s Seth Rudetsky Concert. Tickets for the concert at $25. If you can’t watch the live version on August 30th, there is an encore streaming of the show on Monday, August 31st at 3:00 PM EDT/12:00 PM PDT. That also costs $25.

That’s almost all there is for your Best Bets at Home: August 28th – August 30th. But, as always, we have a few reminders:

Los Angeles area audiences can watch Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic on In Concert at the Hollywood Bowl on PBS SoCal at 8:00 PM PDT

Jazz Stream reminders:

August 28th: SFJazz’s Fridays at Five is Wayne Shorter Celebration Part 4 at 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

August 28th and 29th: David Murray at the Village Vanguard in New York 9:00 PM EDT/6:00 PM PDT

August 29th: Multiple Charlie Parker events at the 92 Street Y in New York

August 29th: SummerStage presents Charlie Parker’s 100th Birthday Celebration from New York

August 29th: Ramsey Lewis at 2:00 PM EDT/11:00 AM PDT

August 29th: Jon-Erik Kellso at Smalls – 4:45 PM EDT/1:45 PDT

Metropolitan Opera reminders:

Verdi week continues with La Traviata on Friday; Don Carlo on Saturday; Falstaff on Sunday

By my calculation there is far more to watch, see and hear than you could possibly fit into one weekend. So what will you choose? Here ends your Best Bets at Home: August 28th – August 30th. Enjoy!

Main photo: Rico E. Anderson, Adenrele Ojo, Bernard K. Addison, Lorenz Arnell and Karen Malina White in The Ballad of Emmett Till 
(Photo by Ed Krieger/Courtesy of The Fountain Theatre)

The post Best Bets at Home: August 28th – August 30th appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Here is this week’s programming available at MetOpera.org for 23 hours starting at 7:30 PM (ET) each night.

Monday, March 23 – Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde

Conducted by Simon Rattle, starring Nina Stemme, Ekaterina Gubanova, Stuart Skelton, Evgeny Nikitin, and René Pape. Transmitted live on October 8, 2016.

Tuesday, March 24 – Wagner’s Das Rheingold

Conducted by James Levine, starring Wendy Bryn Harmer, Stephanie Blythe, Richard Croft, Gerhard Siegel, Dwayne Croft, Bryn Terfel, Eric Owens, and Hans-Peter König. Transmitted live on October 9, 2010.

Wednesday, March 25 – Wagner’s Die Walküre

Conducted by James Levine, starring Deborah Voigt, Eva-Maria Westbroek, Stephanie Blythe, Jonas Kaufmann, Bryn Terfel, and Hans-Peter König. Transmitted live on May 14, 2011.

Thursday, March 26 – Wagner’s Siegfried

Conducted by Fabio Luisi, starring Deborah Voigt, Hunter Morris, Gerhard Siegel, Bryn Terfel, and Eric Owens. Transmitted live on November 5, 2011.

Friday, March 27 – Wagner’s Götterdämmerung

Conducted by Fabio Luisi, starring Deborah Voigt, Wendy Bryn Harmer, Waltraud Meier, Jay Hunter Morris, Iain Paterson, Eric Owens, and Hans-Peter König. Transmitted live on February 11, 2012.

Saturday, March 28 – Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

Conducted by James Levine, starring Annette Dasch, Johan Botha, Paul Appleby, and Michael Volle. Transmitted live on December 13, 2014.

Sunday, March 29 – Wagner’s Tannhäuser

Conducted by James Levine, starring Eva-Marie Westbroek, Michelle DeYoung, Johan Botha, Peter Mattei, and Gunther Groissböck. Transmitted live on October 31, 2015.

Check back here at Cultural Attaché for next week’s line-up which has one of my favorite Metropolitan Opera productions ever!

Photo of the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center by Jonathan Tichler/Courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera

The post Wagner Week at the Met – At Home appeared first on Cultural Attaché.