Dominick Argento and Charles M. Nolte’s “The Voyage of Edgar Allen Poe”, an American opera, is waiting in the bullpen to be locally premiered by Placido Domingo’s Washington National Opera, which promised Congress, in exchange for the NATIONAL moniker, to stage one American classical opera each and every season. The otherwise distinguished and responsible company has managed to stage an American opera only about one-half the time, and it has not yet announced the American classical opera that it intends to stage in the 2008-09 season.
I didn’t know the Washington National Opera was to do an American opera every season. I do wish we could do more American operas here in San Jose, but it’s risky. Especially, it seems, with a San Jose audience.
I read the above quote on (at?) this blog.
I did wonder if the “American opera” the WNO was putting on this year was the “American Ring“. Heh.
Well, we’re setting “Elixir” in San Jose circa 1900… does that count? 🙂
Really?! I hadn’t heard that.
Now if only I could SEE it. As far as I’m concerned it could be set on Mars. Sigh. I wish wish wish we could see the singers, rather than just hear them (somewhat in the distance). I think I’ll feel sorry for myself for a little while now.
Okay. Done.
One of these days we’ll rig up an elaborate system of mirrors. Well, we would if I had any say in the matter…
But yeah, I was told last season that Elixir would be set in San Jose around 1900. As I recall, there was line in the libretto that gave Larry Hancock the idea. What’s even more interesting is that San Francisco is doing Elixir as well, in a production that runs at the exact same time as ours. And theirs will be set in Napa Valley, 1915.
Wow. I didn’t realize Larry Hancock decides these kinds of things. Interesting.
In the old hall the plexiglass that was put above the railing (due to the fire marshall’s insistence) allowed us to view the whole opera. It was great, even if it was all in mirror-image. I’d give anything for that.
Or maybe not anything, but I’d pay a buck or two! 😉
We have season tickets to SF Opera this year, so I’ll at least get to see their production. It’s just so bizarre that we are doing ours at the same time.