`PASSION, DEATH, DESTRUCTION, MISERY'; IT ALL BEGINS WITH `FEDORA' AT L.A. OPERA.Byline: Fred Shuster Daily News Music Writer ``In opera, there is always too much singing.'' French composer and critic Claude Debussy Achille-Claude Debussy (IPA /aʃil klod dəby'si/) (August 22, 1862 – March 25, 1918) was a French composer. may have been overstating the case a bit. Those who love the venerable art form, of course, believe there's never too much singing. And for the singers themselves, well, this is their reason to exist. Even when British soprano Susannah Waters says she approaches a role like Countess Olga in L.A. Opera's production of Umberto Giordano's ``Fedora'' as an actress might, she first goes about developing a ``note memory'' of the part. In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently , she memorizes the musical notes long before anything else. ``Fedora A free distribution of the Linux kernel from Red Hat along with a variety of open source utilities. Technical support is not provided for any of the Fedora distribution, only for Red Hat's full fee-based subscription of Linux. ,'' which stars soprano Maria Ewing Maria Ewing (born March 27, 1950 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American opera singer who has sung both soprano and mezzo soprano roles. She studied in Cleveland, Ohio and New York. opposite Placido Domingo Noun 1. Placido Domingo - Spanish operatic tenor noted for performances in operas by Verdi and Puccini (born in 1941) Domingo , is the story of Fedora Romazoff, a Russian princess who plots the downfall of the man who killed her fiance in a duel, only to fall in love with him. The libretto libretto (ləbrĕt`ō) [Ital.,=little book], the text of an opera or an oratorio. Although a play usually emphasizes an integrated plot, a libretto is most often a loose plot connecting a series of episodes. comes from the Victorien Sardou Victorien Sardou (September 5, 1831 - November 8, 1908) was a French dramatist. He is perhaps best remembered today for the play La Tosca (1887) on which Giacomo Puccini's opera Tosca (1900) is based. The fedora hat is named after another of his plays. play from which ``Tosca'' also stems. The opera, in repertory with ``La boheme'' through September, opens the L.A. Opera's 12th season and, by extension, high society's annual social season. It's an opera season, though, that boasts a little something for everyone, insists Christopher Hahn, the company's artistic administrator. ``When we choose a season, we try to create as much variety as possible,'' he said. `` `Fedora' is such an unusual piece to open with. I think for people not completely familiar with opera, this rarely performed, quintessential 19th-century piece is an ideal introduction.'' The new season, which kicks off Wednesday at the Music Center, also features ``Florencia en el Amazonas Florencia en el Amazonas (English title: Florencia in the Amazon) is an opera in two acts composed by Daniel Catán. It contains elements of magical realism in the style of Gabriel García Márquez and uses a libretto by Marcela Fuentes-Berain, one of his pupils. ,'' which explores Nobel Prize-winning novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez's vision of magical realism magical realism n. A chiefly literary style or genre originating in Latin America that combines fantastic or dreamlike elements with realism. ; ``Countess Maritza Countess Maritza (Marica grófnő) is an operetta in three acts composed by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán, with a libretto by Julius Brammer and Alfred Grünwald. It premiered in Vienna, as Gräfin Mariza, on 28 February, 1924 at the Theater an der Wien. ,'' a tuneful taste of classic Viennese operetta operetta (ŏpərĕt`ə), type of light opera with a frivolous, sentimental story, often employing parody and satire and containing both spoken dialogue and much light, pleasant music. ; ``Salome,'' with the great dramatic soprano Hildegard Behrens Hildegard Behrens (born 9 February 1937, Varel, Germany) is a German dramatic soprano known for her wide repertory including Richard Wagner, Carl Maria von Weber, Mozart, Richard Strauss, and Alban Berg roles. ; ``The Magic Flute,'' one of Mozart's most delightful inventions; and ``Il trovatore,'' Verdi's famous tale of two men in love with the same woman. ``The season opens with passion, death, destruction, misery and all that sort of stuff,'' Hahn said. ``And it closes the same way.'' Season ticket-holder Jonathan Post, an English professor at the University of California, Los Angeles UCLA comprises the College of Letters and Science (the primary undergraduate college), seven professional schools, and five professional Health Science schools. Since 2001, UCLA has enrolled over 33,000 total students, and that number is steadily rising. , said he was looking forward to the new opera season with ``expectation and curiosity.'' Post, who lives in Northridge, said last year's L.A. Opera repertoire was ``spectacular,'' and he is especially excited about the seven productions during 1997-98. ``I really like the mix they do of chestnuts and new explorations,'' Post said. ``I never go down there with anything other than the highest expectations.'' Puccini's ``La boheme,'' which opens Saturday, is directed by filmmaker Herbert Ross (``The Turning Point,'' ``Steel Magnolias''). Set in Paris at the time of Toulouse-Lautrec, it is the heartbreaking story of opera's most famous young lovers. Domingo conducts three performances starting Saturday. ``If you don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. opera, `La boheme' is one of the best operas to be introduced to,'' Hahn said. ``There's wonderful music, a terribly sad story and romance. Opera isn't just long, endless arias.'' For ``Fedora'' director David Edwards, the L.A. Opera run of the Giordano opera offers a chance to bring attention to a piece ``that needs to be heard.'' The opera, he said, is a fascinating piece that's been neglected over the years. ``It's one of those operas that went out of fashion,'' the London-born Edwards said. ``It was overshadowed by Puccini's `Tosca.' It's a ravishing rav·ish·ing adj. Extremely attractive; entrancing. rav  ish·ing·ly adv. production with some fantastic music and a complex plot. Domingo believes passionately in the piece.'' True enough. For his part, the world-renowned tenor, who has been closely connected with the L.A. Opera since its inception a dozen years ago, said he was impressed when he discovered ``Fedora'' was the opera that brought a young Enrico Caruso to international attention when he portrayed the role of Count Ipanov at its world premiere in Milan. ``I started studying the score and discovered this wonderful, powerful tenor role,'' Domingo said between rehearsals. ``I loved the part and wanted to revive it.'' Domingo has sung the role in Milan, London, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of and Chicago. The L.A. Opera production, originated at Milan's La Scala opera house, is noted for its extravagant costumes and sets capturing the elegant decadence of a 19th-century European salon. Waters, singing the vivacious Countess Olga, joked that her role represents history's very first Spice Girl. ``She's rather lightweight - she doesn't have much upstairs,'' Waters said of Olga before rehearsal last week. ``The way to approach the role is to play it straight. She takes herself very seriously, but at the same time she misses all the serious stuff that's going on around her.'' Director Edwards dubs the piece ``a film noir'' because of such elements as a murder in the first three minutes, a police investigation, a princess in love with a murderer and a suicide. ``It's got all that dramatic interest,'' he said. ``And the score is very easy to listen to. It would make a great movie, actually.'' L.A. Opera's ticket sales improve each year, Hahn said, with the 1996-97 season outperforming all expectations. ``We overshot overshot protruding. overshot fetlock see knuckling over. overshot jaw See brachygnathia. Called also parrot mouth. all of our goals,'' he said. ``Last year's sales were the highest ever. The advance sales this season are very encouraging.'' Hahn explained that the concept driving the creation of a perfect season of seven productions is to offer classic operas, new pieces, experimental works, old favorites and superstar talent. ``You have to go a bit out on a limb with a piece sometimes,'' he said. ``But you do that when your goal is a well-rounded season.'' For Debussy, of course, there was apparently no such thing as a perfect opera season. Oddly, the composer had a like-minded comrade in opera composer Gioacchino Rossini (``The Barber of Seville''). ``Oh, how wonderful, really wonderful opera would be if there were no singers!'' Rossini once said. THE FACTS What: L.A. Opera's production of Umberto Giordano's ``Fedora.'' Starring: Maria Ewing as Princess Fedora, Placido Domingo as Count Ipanov (Craig Sirianni Sept. 20) and Susannah Waters as Countess Olga. Behind the scenes: Conducted by Sir Edward Downes. Directed by David Edwards. Sung in Italian with English supertitles. Where: Music Center of Los Angeles County, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown. When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sunday and Sept. 10, 14, 17 and 20. Tickets: $24 to $135. Information: (213) 365-3500; Web site: http://www.laopera.org/ CAPTION(S): 3 Photos Photo: (1--Cover--Color) Grand passions Opera lovers, rejoice! New season kicks off with `Fedora,' starring Placido Domingo Photo illustration by Jon Gerung/Daily News (2) In ``Fedora,'' first performed in 1898, a Russian princess plots the downfall of a man who killed her fiance in a duel, only to fall in love with him. (3) ``Countess Maritza,'' a Viennese operetta, is part of this year's L.A. Opera season at the Music Center. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion