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If you are wondering what mysterious something seems to be missing from your life this winter, it could be opera. While we wait for the Washington National Opera's spring season to start in late March, there are a few operas on the schedule to tide us over, presented by visiting companies like the Kirov Opera and the smaller Washington companies like Opera Lafayette and Virginia Opera. Still, opera addicts will not be satisfied until WNO finally kicks back into gear.
In a reportedly swell event (.PDF file) at the Library of Congress yesterday, Plácido Domingo officially announced the productions that will make up WNO's 2007-2008 season. Just as the current season has offered a good mix of the daring and the staid, the company will give us a much-appreciated revival of William Bolcom's A View from the Bridge and Strauss's disturbing shocker Elektra (1909). The cast for the Bolcom production will include several of the singers who premiered the opera in Chicago in 1999, and Susan Bullock will sing the demanding title role of the infamous Strauss opera.
Apparently responding to my recent calls for Baroque opera, Handel's Tamerlano will make an appearance, with Domingo himself singing with countertenor David Daniels. There is no word yet on whether the company will invite an instrumental ensemble specializing in historically informed performance into the pit. That model has proven successful in European opera houses over the past several years. William Lacey, whom I saw at the podium for Santa Fe's Magic Flute this summer, will make his WNO conducting debut. He does have experience with Baroque opera, including Handel, and he tends to favor brisk, exciting tempi.
For some reason, WNO will delay its production of American Ring Cycle, moving back the third opera, Siegfried to the following season. Instead of this, we will have another Wagner opera, Der fliegende Holländer (not mounted by WNO in over a decade), with an excellent baritone, Alan Held, taking the title role for the first time. The season also includes some good chestnuts for the traditionalist. Puccini's La Bohème is always popular, and the new staging by Mariusz Treliński will hopefully provide some interest. There will also be a new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni (NB: with Domingo conducting), and the cast of Verdi's Rigoletto will be headlined by Joseph Calleja as the Duke and Lyubov Petrova as Gilda. Tenor Salvatore Licitra and mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick will sing in a semi-staged concert performance of Cavalleria Rusticana to end the season.
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I wasn't particularly impressed with Licitra in "Andrea Chenier," but then (1) I saw the invited dress, so it's likely he was saving his voice, (2) it was that horrid production with blood running down the metal backdrop and the bizarre gas chamber ending, so I'm sure that affected my opinion of him, and (3) I'm a tenor, and you can never trust our opinions of other tenors.
now, what would i wear to the opera? i am a 22 (male) recent college graduate and dont know if i have the posh threads that i always think of when attending the opera. thanks for any suggestions that are classy yet relatively cheap.
Robbie- people stress way more about dressing for the opera than they need to (unless you're going to opening night, which is usually a lack-tie gala affair). Imagine you were going to meet your Sig. Other's parents at a nice restaurant- you'll want to keep it fairly conservative. Clean, neatly pressed pants and a tie should do fine- if you have a jacket, it wouldn't kill you, but I've definitely seen men in nice sweaters over a collared (NOT POLO!)shirt.
Word of advice: turn OFF your cell phone. Don't even put it on vibrate. Don't even look at it (seriously, the light-up display is really distracting).
Robbie - The Goo is right on with every thing he said, but do yourself a favor and buy a tux as soon as you get a chance. Without too much effort you can buy one for the same price as a regular suit. Keep in mind that you'll need to spend about the same amount again on accessories (shirt, vest/cumberbund, cufflinks), but I bought one ten years ago and it was some of the best money I've ever spent.
Let me tell you my brother, there is nothing like walking into a black tie event wearing your own tuxedo while other guys are shifting around uncomfortably in their rented clothes. It's simultaneously old school and the hippest thing you could possibly be wearing. The other young cats will want to be you and the ladies (oh yes the ladies) will want to be with you.
hey guys,
thanks very much for your advice. i definitely have a jacket and tie, so i'll try when i go. getting a tux is a great idea, now i just need to fit that into my government-pay budget. well that, and to convince my sig. other to go to the opera with me!
If you get that tux, go to the opera by yourself. A good looking young guy in a tux could easily find himself a nice looking Cougar at the opera who will take him out to lots of expensive dinners and buy him stuff.
Yeah, the tux is smart advice- I used to be a classical musician, and all the boys I went to college with who no longer wear their tuxes to perform find excellent use for them constantly. You can actually work with a lot of rental stores to get a fine-lookin used tux dirt cheap, and they'll often do the tailoring for you. And as a lady, let me reiterate, that yes, we are suckers for those satin stripes.
If your sig other doesn't want to go with you, call me!
If you are a big fan of Baroque opera, especially Handel, it might interest you to attend Virginia Opera's upcoming performance of Agrippina over at GMU. Dates and info are on their website: http://www.vaopera.org/html/currentoperas/opera3.cfm
Seems like it will be a good production!