Los Angeles Opera project
Recovered Voices presented
two exceptional one-act operas:
Alexander Zemlinsky’s
The Dwarf (based on
Oscar Wilde’s The Birthday
of the Infanta);– and Viktor Ullmann’s The
Broken Jug. Both composers were Jewish. Ullmann
perished in Auschwitz soon after writing his
last opera in the Concentration Camp at Terezin;
Zemlinsky, after fleeing the Nazis, died in anonymity
in NY. When the curtain was raised at the Los
Angeles Opera house, and the phenomenal stage
design by Ralph Funicello for The Dwarf was
revealed, I was transported instantly to an European
Court - a first stunning prelude to one of the
most beautiful operas I have ever seen. Conductor
James Colon’s passion for The Dwarf is undeniable.
In his lecture prior to the final performance of
the work with the LA Opera, he noted: “I’ve conducted
The Dwarf about 30 times and, as with any
masterpiece, I’m always discovering layers, depth,
beauty. It’s like seeing the works of Rembrandt,
Goya, Michelangelo, you never get tired of it, you
only discover more…”
But one had to actually experience it to fully appreciate
its complexity and beauty. The story of
The Dwarf is universal, as relevant today as it was
nearly a century ago. When The Dwarf discovers
how he looks and realizes that the object of his love
has nothing but contempt for him, he’s devastated
– all the more so because his desolation represents
the end of innocence and the death of the idea that
“love conquers all.”Like his lead character in “The
Dwarf,” Zemlinsky’s charismatic personality also
attracted the great love of his life – Alma Schindler.
But, as in the opera, she soon mocked his ugliness
and abandoned him for Gustav Mahler. Ironically,
Zemlinsky’s suffering over his own ugliness
and small stature provided him with an emotional
musical canvas to portray the dark, complex, but
ultimately rich humanity of his character.
There were remarkable performances by Mary
Dunleavy as a lively and cunning Infanta, But
the star was clearly Rodrick Dixon, displaying
a magnificent depth and vulnerability as
The Dwarf, in a performance encompassing everything
from joy, innocence and horror to fear,
despair and profound sadness. Susan B. Anthony
was a memorable Ghita, and the balance
of the cast was superb. Stunning lighting design
by David Weiner and atmospheric costumes
by Linda Cho completed the impressive production.
Ulmann’s The Broken Jug, a brilliant
comedy, starred James Johnson as Adam,
Melody Moore as Eve. My favorite part was the
minimalist staging at the start, in which the characters
danced in silhouette to the accompaniment
of the seven-minute overture. Without dialogue,
color or words, it was clear where the story was
heading, but in the end there was a big surprise.
And this time, unlike the life of its creator, Justice
prevails.
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UCLA Live: Aurélia’s Oratorio was one of the
most cinematic, poetic, evocative, variety/circus
shows I’ve ever seen. Imagine sitting at a lavish
dinner with Modgliani, Ravel, Isadora Duncan
and Chaplin all together. That’s what it was
like to watch Aurélia’s Oratorio performed by the
magical Aurélia Thierrée (grand daughter of
Charles Chaplin), superbly directed and designed
by Victoria Thierrée Chaplin.
Angelique Kidjo’s performance
at Royce Hall was
almost instantly transformed
into an all-join-in dance party
with the music embracing everything from her
native Beninese dance rhythms to funk, rock,
blues and jazz.
The offbeat trio of singer Bobby McFerrin,
pianist Chick Corea and drummer Jack
DeJohnette brought a
musical happening to Disney
Hall, combining spontaneous
music-making and
audience singalongs with humorous interaction
between the players.
Guitarist/singer
John Pizzarelli’s
Disney Hall performance
was a stunning display of classic music,
exploring the Frank Sinatra song book featuring
Pizzarelli’s warm voice and swinging guitar.
At the Getty, sexy
Cape Verde singer
Maria de Barros
seasoned her traditional songs with the spices of
Brazilian samba and Afro-Cuban salsa.
On the new CD Banquet of the Spirits, master
Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista features
keyboardist Brian Marsella, bassist and oud
player Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz, and drummer
Tim Keiper. Baptista also introduces the concept
of “Anthropofagia Equals Cultural Cannibalism,”
reflecting the powerful impact that Oswald
de Andreade’s 1928 essay, The Anthropophagite
Manifesto, had upon 20th Century Brazil. A
contemporary global music pioneer, Baptista
presents eight far-reaching originals and three
classic songs written by Cherry and late sitarist/
tabla player Collin Walcott.
In Love With the Music of Antonio Carlos
Jobim at the Jazz Bakery employed the
great bossa nova songs of Brazil in a show with
great entertainment potential.
The Eighth Color of the Rainbow (A Oitava
Cor do Arco-Iris) is the first feature film from the
state of Mato Grosso, Brazil by director Amauri
Tangara, released by Cinema Epoch & 8 STAR
Entertainment, now available at Amazon.com
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