Chamber Music and Zaha Hadid

 Last night the Abu Dhabi Festival hosted the first of a series of performances at a wonderful portable theatre designed by Zaha Hadid. The concert featured classical chamber music by Carnegie Hall's Ensemble ACJW with a young soprano from the Emirates, Sara Al-Qaiwani. The theatre was set up on the grounds of the lavish and traditional Emirates Palace Hotel.

We were hoping to actually perform at this theater, but because of its intimacy Margaret and I we were moved to a different venue.

The portable theater plays off the acoustics of its surroundings. It doesn't look like it's made an appearance in the United States yet.

 The setting was a remarkable accomplishment. A musical performance is very influenced by its surroundings and the wispy theater created an intimacy--almost feeling like you were hearing music in a tent.

Abu Dhabi festival

Here's a little more context for what's going on with Abu Dhabi.

With Margaret Wolfson in Abu Dhabi

About ten years ago, storyteller Margaret Wolfson and I wrote PSYCHE AND EROS for the San Jose Chamber Orchestra. This ambitious forty minute piece had a great premiere but unfortunately has languished on the shelf since then. Fortunately, we have gotten a chance to do it again, in a smaller version for Storyteller, Violin and Piano, which will premiere on the 25th at the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival. Stay tuned for posts from Abu Dhabi!

Slaying the Dragon

A new project, SLAYING THE DRAGON, saw the first light of day last week at the Ethical Society of Philadelphia. Center City Opera's Andrew Kurtz had the inspiration to create an opera based on the true story of a rabbi and his wife who befriend and change the path of a Grand Dragon of the KKK.

It was a very intense day starting with a reading of Ellen Frankel's libretto under the supervision of dramaturg Albert Innaurato. That evening, the libretto, with many last minute revisions, was presented to a small audience along with a couple of minutes of music.

Ellen did an amazing job of writing on the spot while absorbing the suggestions!

In the studio

Before they left town, the MIDSUMMER cast began the process of making a recording of the show. Pictured here are Jennifer Goode Cooper (Titania), Curt Tucker (Conductor), Tony Huerta (Engineer), and Toney Walsh (Peter Quince). They are at the famous Ardent Studio in Memphis. Amazingly, they will record the lead vocals first and then go back into the studio to lay the a cappella tracks underneath.

Feedback on Dream

I stuck my e-mail address in my program bio for DREAM and asked for feedback. My favorite one so far has been from a high school student, Eric. Here's some of it:

"I had never been to an opera before, but I knew that I enjoyed the energy of a cappella groups (I had heard DeltaCappella before) and the catchiness of musical theatre. I feel that your opera brought out the best of all three worlds and combined it with wonderful staging and acting to create an enjoyable experience. I thought that Playhouse on the Square was the perfect place to perform your work because it created an intimate setting that a cappella groups thrive on. In particular, I liked it when characters emerged from the "voicestra pit."

One of the stereotypes that I held about opera in general before going to your show was that I would be unable to understand the words if it was in English (or the plot if it was in Italian, French, German etc.) I had no trouble understanding the words and the dialog felt natural and never seemed contrived. I liked how you were able to bring out the comedic elements in Shakespeare's play through clever staging and through the music. My personal favorite characters were Lysander (for his fantastic acting and great solos) and Puck (for his general mischief). I liked how you ended the opera with the main melody again after Puck gave his famous last monologue.

The melodies were fantastic and catchy especially the opening/main melody! I feel that you really did combine "very accessible melodies" with "serious music." My friend and I agreed that Helena's main, recurring melody had the catchiness of a pop song melody. "

The sweetest music to my ears is his comment about being able to understand the words!.

Lucia review

A nice review of Hawaii Opera's LUCIA.

From the a cappella world

Check out the Mouth Off Podcast this week which features an interview with TeKay, our second tenor and Flute/Thisbe. Mouth Off is a major voice in the a cappella world.

Lucia set is tried and true

Back in the early 1980s, I was on the staff of Greater Miami Opera, now called Florida Grand Opera. We did Lucia on this very set, designed by Robert O'Hearn. Obviously the set has been touched up and refurbished, but it still works very well.

Bloody good

Here's Lucia, Nancy Allen Lundy, covered with Arturo's blood.