SFCV’s perceptive writers report on topics relevant to opera. Review Music Cuts to the Heart of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande at LA Opera Victoria Looseleaf - March 28, 2023 With James Conlon conducting a sensitive account of the score, and a fine cast to boot, there is no mystery to the success of this production. Review Prospero’s Island Is Light on Shakespeare Lisa Hirsch - March 27, 2023 Allen Shearer and Claudia Stevens’s operatic take on The Tempest succeeds most in musical moments that depart entirely from the original. Review Rachel Willis-Sørensen Slays With Richard Strauss’s Four Last Songs Jason Victor Serinus - March 27, 2023 Though the competition is formidable, Willis-Sørensen stands up to the greatest sopranos who have interpreted this song cycle. Review Another Snapshot of New Opera From West Edge Nicholas Jones - March 21, 2023 The annual showcase of excerpts from operatic works-in-progress confirms the future is bright for today’s composers and librettists. Preview Prospero’s Island Translates Shakespeare Into 21st-Century Opera Lisa Houston - March 18, 2023 This new telling of The Tempest from composer Allen Shearer and librettist Claudia Stevens premieres March 25 at Herbst Theatre. Feature Defying the Algorithm: William Kentridge’s Sibyl and Intuitive Art Victoria Looseleaf - March 14, 2023 The new chamber opera about prophecy and instability is the climax of the artist’s yearlong residency at UC Berkeley. Music News Opera San José Announces 40th Season Michael Zwiebach - March 10, 2023 Building on the company’s recent success, General Director Shawna Lucey unveils a lineup with more firsts and some welcome blasts from the past. Review The Last Sorcerer: An Enchanting Fairy-Tale Opera Resurrected Chrysanthe Tan - March 7, 2023 The famous 19th-century mezzo Pauline García Viardot wrote this work for her children and vocal students, and it still holds up today. Review Russell Thomas Gets Emotionally Honest and Close to the Bone Jim Farber - February 28, 2023 In a major recital for LA Opera, the tenor sings three world premieres dealing directly with being proudly gay. Preview Doubling Down on Debussy Tom Jacobs - February 27, 2023 Music Director James Conlon devises a citywide celebration of the composer ahead of LA Opera’s production of Pelléas and Mélisande. Pagination « First First page ‹ Previous Previous page … 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 … Next › Next page Last » Last page