Design is rotten in Denmark, evidently — and in every other grand
opera locale. “Palace” has come to mean “high school
basement,” or that’s what they look like. “Royal” is
synonymous with sleazy men in suits.
Author: Gary Hoffman
Hamlet, New York
Verdi’s Falstaff (Glyndebourne 2009) on Blu-Ray
Much of the fascination of the new DVD of Verdi’s Falstaff (Glyndebourne 2009) lies in the Richard Jones’s updating: the action takes place in 1946.
Aleksandra Kurzak steps into Cecilia Bartoli’s slippers
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/features/observations-aleksandra-kurzak-steps-into-cecilia-bartolis-slippers-1933470.html
Otello (Salzburg Festival 2008) on Blu-Ray
There are two reasons why you need to see the new Otello DVD (Salzburg Festival 2008).
BSO/Jayce Ogren, Symphony Hall, Boston
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/73c1d62c-3ce1-11df-bbcf-00144feabdc0.html
Opera’s Alice Coote on trousers, English songs
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/31/DDPU1CKOF7.DTL
In Revival of Verdi, a New Note of Drama
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/arts/music/31traviata.html
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Sondra Radvanovsky sing up a storm for WPAS
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/classicalmusic/2010/03/dmitri_hvorostovsky_sondra_rad.html
House of Style — A bumpy season at the Met
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2010/03/29/100329crmu_music_ross
Angels in America, Barbican, London
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/c20d5780-3b50-11df-b622-00144feabdc0.html