L.A. OPERA'S NEW SEASON A MIXTURE OF REVIVAL, NOVELTY.Byline: - Sharon Cotal Peter Hemmings, general director of the Los Angeles Opera The Los Angeles Opera is an opera company in Los Angeles, California, United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, part of the Los Angeles Music Center. , announced Monday that the 1999-2000 opera season will include revivals of old favorites as well as two new productions never before staged in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . Hemmings will retire at the end of the season after 14 years with the opera. He will be succeeded by star tenor Placido Domingo, who will assume the role of artistic director in July 2000. Hemmings cites the critically acclaimed Francesca Zambello production of Benjamin Britten's ``Billy Budd'' as one of the season's highlights. The all-male cast features baritone Rodney Gilfry as Billy and bass Jeffrey Wells as Claggart, the master-at-arms maddened by Billy Budd's goodness and beauty. Loosely based on the Shakespeare characters, ``The Capulets and the Montagues'' which is also new to L.A., will premiere in October. Domingo will appear in the opera's first performance of the French masterpiece ``Samson et Dalila'' in September. He will be accompanied by mezzo-soprano mezzo-soprano: see soprano. Denyce Graves in the role of the Philistine temptress. In addition to its regular season, the opera will present Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Noun 1. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa - New Zealand operatic soprano (born in 1944) Dame Kiri Janette Te Kanawa, Te Kanawa in a solo recital on Nov. 3. The L.A. Opera 1999-2000 season is as follows: Sept. 8-26: ``Samson et Dalila'' (Saint-Saens), with Denyce Graves; Domingo will alternate with Gary Lakes as Samson; Gregory Yurisich and Richard Bernstein. Conducted by Lawrence Foster and directed by Nicholas Joel. Sept. 11-25: ``The Elixir elixir /elix·ir/ (e-lik´ser) a clear, sweetened, alcohol-containing, usually hydroalcoholic liquid containing flavoring substances and sometimes active medicinal ingredients. e·lix·ir n. of Love'' (Donizetti), with Ramon Vargas, Ruth Ann Swenson Ruth Ann Swenson (August 25, 1959) is an American soprano who is renowned for her brilliance in coloratura roles. Born in Bronxville, New York and raised on Long Island in Commack, she studied at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and briefly at Hartt College of Music , Thomas Allen, Rodney Gilfry. Conducted by John Keenan and staged by Stephen Lawless. Oct. 13-31: ``The Capulets and the Montagues'' (Bellini), with Suzanne Mentzer, Laura Claycomb, David Miller, Malcolm MacKenzie, Eric Halfvarson. Conducted by Richard Hickox and directed by Thor Steingraber. Dec. 8-21: ``Hansel han·sel n. & v. Variant of handsel. and Gretel'' (Humperdinck), with Paula Rasmussen, Clare Gormley, Judith Christin. Conducted by William Vendice and directed by James Robinson. Jan. 19-Feb. 5: ``Faust'' (Gounod), with Samuel Ramey, Marcello Giordani, Leontina Vaduva. Conducted by Philippe Auguin and stages by Frank Corsaro. March 1-21: ``Rigoletto'' (Verdi), with Haijing Fu, Inva Mula, Frank Lopardo alternating with Roberto Aronica as the Duke of Mantua Mantua (măn`ch  ə, –tə), Ital. Mantova, city (1991 pop. 53,065), capital of Mantova prov. , Eric Owens, Pamela Helen Stephen. Conducted by Hickox and directed by Bruce Beresford. April 15-May 5: ``La Rondine'' (Puccini), with Carol Vaness, Marcus Haddock, William Parcher, Greg Fedderly. Conducted by Emmanuel Villaume and directed by Marta Domingo. June 3-17: ``Billy Budd'' (Britten), with Rodney Gilfry, Robert Tear, Jeffrey Wells. Conducted by Roderick Brydon and directed by Francesca Zambello. To receive a subscription brochure, call (213) 972-8001. Non-subscription tickets will go on sale in August. |
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