San Francisco Classical Voice

Morgan-Previn-Thiebaud in Sacramento

With a new executive director and Davis' Mondavi Center as a new, additional venue, the Sacramento Philharmonic is going places. Jane Hill, the new director, is coming from Opera Omaha; before that, she served on the faculty of both UC-Berkeley and San Francisco's A.C.T.

Music director Michael Morgan — who is also heading the premiere-happy Oakland East Bay Symphony and is Conducting Program Coordinator at Tanglewood — has just arranged Sacramento's first commission, an important one: Andre Previn is writing a work to honor "local artist who made good" Wayne Thiebaud, in the next season.

During the 2002-'03 season, Philharmonic offerings include Tian Ying as soloist in "California resident Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3," Beethoven's Symphony No. 2, Vaughan Williams' Concerto Grosso. principal trombonist Joel Elias playing Paul Creston's Fantasy for Trombone and Orchestra, and the world premiere of California composer Valarie Morris's Symphony of Light and Shadows. (As to Sergei Vasilyevich, he did indeed die in Beverly Hills, in 1943, but he is buried in Valhalla, New York, and had rather strong Russian roots, so the California connection is just an uncertain marketing ploy.)

One of the community programs Morgan initiated in Sacramento is the partnership with the city's River Cats Triple A baseball team, creating scholarships to provide private music lessons for public school students.

Smoke Gets in Your Docket

In the ongoing dispute between the San Francisco Opera Chorus and management about the use of stage fog, a lawsuit was filed last week in San Francisco Superior Court on behalf of singer Alexandra Nehra. The suit, "Nehra v. Rosco Laboratories, Inc., et al.," claims she has "developed severe allergies and asthma" from fog machines used in SF Opera productions, and it asks for an injunction, which would require the company to stop using fog machines and to remove all residue of fog from the Opera House.

Nehra already filed a worker's compensation claim this fall, saying that her problems started during performances of Nabucco, in a scene that used fog and propane torches. "I was coughing up black stuff," Nehra said. Glycol fog machine manufacturer Rosco International of Stamford, Conn., maintains the fog is safe when used properly, meaning not "overfogging" and using only the fluid recommended by the manufacturer. "We have been advised over the years that this is an extremely safe material to be around," said a product manager, but he allowed that stage fog could cause dryness in the throat and nose.

The Eaglen-Flicka Shuffle

Jane Eaglen is stepping in as the honorary chair of San Francisco Opera Center's annual benefit Front & Center program. Eaglen replaces Frederica von Stade, who had to cancel her engagement with the Opera Center because of her conflicting engagement in the Kennedy Center Honors James Levine program.

Front & Center takes place on Sunday, Dec. 8, at the Westin St. Francis Hotel. For information, see www.sfopera.com. Von Stade, who participates in many benefits each year, will return from New York to head a benefit by the Chamber Orchestra of St. Catherine of Siena to raise funds for a local children's music program on Dec. 15, in the church at 1310 Bayswater (at El Camino Real) in Burlingame. For information: www.stcatherine.html.

Music for Middle-Earth

Besides a good original story, fine script, two Ian's, and New Zealand's breathtaking scenery, the first film in the Lord of the Rings series conquered on the strength of Howard Shore's symphonic, operatic, romantic, sweeping score. Unlike some of his big-name colleagues, Shore also manages not to call attention to himself, the music accompanies the work, but it has a life of its own — just listen to it on a CD. In the upcoming second chapter, The Two Towers, the music got even better . . . unlike the rest of the film.

(Iterations vary widely. In the current adult preoccupation with wizards, elves, dwarfs and boy-toys, Harry Potter-2 is funnier and better than the first one, but against the excellence of the first LotR, the new one is confusing, it's a series of special-effect battle scenes — looking like a new "Star Wars" episode — the human element is largely missing. James Bond 20 is just an extended commercial of itself; the first 20 minutes of Femme Fatale alone is many times better, and more inherently Bond-ish.)

Shore's score for The Two Towers (what an unfortunate name!) is glorious, even if it's "hidden" so much that you have to listen for it — but do, it's worth it. Once again, the performance is by the full (96-piece) London Philharmonic. Singers featured include Elizabeth Fraser and Ben Del Maestro in Isengard Unleashed and Emiliana Torrini in Gollum's Song.

Unlike new operas based on films, Shore's music should be extracted from the movie and serve as the basis for a one-act opera. That could also be the first work of musical theater in search of a libretto.

Toronto Turnaround

There is surprising, excellent news from the Toronto Symphony. Last January, the orchestra had a $7 million deficit and the administration talked about the approaching "total collapse." Last week, the Symphony announced that it has finished the last season in the black, and has reduced its deficit by $2 million. Former Ontario premier Bob Rae, new chairman of the Symphony's board of directors, attributes the dramatic turnaround to a restructuring plan developed under the new TSO president and CEO, Andrew R. Shaw.

The National Post reports the organization's fundraising for the season was up 50%, to $9.8 million. An important fundraising initiative was the "TSO Challenge," created in partnership with the federal government through Heritage Canada, which matched contributions. At the same time, operating costs were reduced last year by $1.4 million, orchestral fees reduced, and the Roy Thomson Hall allowed the TSO a rebate of 15% in auditorium rental costs. Each of the 93 orchestra members agreed to take a 15% pay cut, saving the organization almost $1 million.

Big-Budget Cancellations

In addition to changes in San Francisco and Los Angeles opera companies' plans reported here extensively, money woes are making themselves felt around the country. The Chicago Lyric Opera has just dropped Berlioz's Benvenuto Cellini and Montemezzi's L'Amore dei Tre Re, replacing them with Gounod's Faust and the Gilbert & Sullivan The Pirates of Penzance. General director William Mason said the Lyric will save more than $1 million with the switch. The company has managed to balance its books for the last 15 years (and 14 consecutive years of sold-out houses), ending fiscal 2002 with a surplus of $50,000, according to Mason.

Santa Fe Opera dropped Strauss' Die Liebe der Danae in favor of Verdi's La Traviata. Dallas Opera is expected to cancel or postpone the planned US premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage's The Silver Tassie.