Comments on: Tosca at the L.A. Opera

By: David

David — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 03:59:37 +0000

Patterico,

If they don’t offer you a full time job as an editor for the Op-Ed page at the LAT, maybe you should try writing their Opera reviews. I bet yours is much better than the present reviewer, if there is one (since I stopped reading their reviews, which are complete waste of ink).

Sounds like I need to see “Tosca” too. Thanks!

By: m.croche

m.croche — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 19:20:49 +0000

I’m not sure that the marriage of the Vienna Philharmonic with 19th-century Viennese dance music was ever a very happy one to begin with. Listen to recordings from 1899-1930 of Strauss Jr.’s band. Ziehrer’s band or any of the other smaller dance ensembles that dotted the landscape of the time and you’ll soon come to an analogy that looks something like this:

Vienna Philharmonic : old Viennese popular music as
Glenn Miller : Count Basie (or, I suppose, Duke Ellington)

And three cheers for Robert Wilson. Wagner tapped into myth precisely because he wanted his theatrical material to be universal, not an anecdote about conflicting social groups in a bygone century as was fashionable at the time. Wilson, whose work often evokes different Asian theatrical traditions, matches Wagner’s purposely “timeless” subject matter with echoes from the pre-modern theater. Wilson’s production might not feature 19th-century histrionics, but it does represent an attempt to take seriously that which is most radical in Wagner.

By: Pigilito

Pigilito — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 12:40:50 +0000

Crap; make that Walter Cronkite.

By: Pigilito

Pigilito — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 12:38:58 +0000

Dafydd,

I haven’t seen it in the US for several years (I’m in Switzerland, now), but it used to come on PBS a day or two after New Years, and was always hosted by Howard Cronkite.

Every New Years the Vienna Philharmonic hosts a concert (Wikipedia entry), which traditionally showcases Strauss waltzes.

It is a chance to view and hear the highly professional Philharmonic, albeit on TV.

I hope it is shown wherever you are. The program is here. The explanation for Mozart’s presence is here.

Tickets are awarded by lottery and must be requested in January of the year before, which makes planning to attend problematic.

Best wishes, Alex

By: Dafydd

Dafydd — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 11:36:41 +0000

Pigilito, can you tell me more about this “New Year’s concert out of Vienna?” What channel is it broadcast on? What are they playing?

Thanks,

Dafydd

By: Big Lizards

Big Lizards — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 11:14:49 +0000

Thanksmas

I had my annual Thanksmas party last night, and the — oh, should I explain that? Back when I was at university (UC Santa Cruz), I didn’t always have enough money to go home for the holidays; so I decided…

By: Pigilito

Pigilito — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 08:06:14 +0000

Bummer about Ramey taking ill (he does an excellent job of personifying evil in that role). Still it sounds as if his replacement was quite good.

It’s amazing how much proper acting adds to one’s enjoyment–and in my case, understanding–of operas.

Will you watch the New Year’s concert out of Vienna this year? My wife (a native Viennese) is upset that more Mozart will be featured at the expense of the various Strausses. I can’t complain about the selection of composers, but I’m not keen on the break with tradition.