Night After Night

Three in one.

Joshua Fineberg's Lolita at Peak Performances @ Montclair

and

Keys to the Future at (Le) Poisson Rouge

and

Die Walküre at the Metropolitan Opera
The New York Times, April 8, 2009

How remarkable that a sedate suburb like Montclair, New Jersey, is home to some of the New York area's most provocative presentations in Jedediah Wheeler's Peak Performances series at Montclair State University. I can't speak to the quality of the Manhattan shuttle bus service on weekends, but I can now verify that getting to MSU on a weeknight is a piece of cake -- the New Jersey Transit train line stops two blocks away from the theater (it's the penultimate stop, Montclair Heights).

As for the event, I'm pretty pleased with this review -- but do pay special attention to the fantastic photo by Michelle V. Agins, which does an amazing job of actually showing what this incredibly complex production looked like. You can also still see the trailer video, with bits of a European performance and comments from Fineberg, on YouTube.

Journey into mystery.

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center at the Rose Studio
The New York Times, April 4, 2009

Tales of mystery and imagination from Sebastian Currier, Jo Kondo and John Zorn, courtesy of the Chamber Music Society's "New Music in the Rose" series.

Three sheets to the wind.

L'elisir d'Amore at the Metropolitan Opera
The New York Times, April 2, 2009

City Opera returns.

[Posted this evening on The Volume.]

Ending months of speculation, New York City Opera announced details of its 2009–10 season this evening. Unsurprisingly, given the turmoil and uncertainty the company has endured over the past year, the season ahead will be a short one, with just five staged productions. Still, if new general manager and artistic director George Steel wanted to prove his commitment to both tradition and innovation in one fell swoop, he could hardly have laid a stronger hand on the table than this one.

Following an opening-night gala concert in honor of David H. Koch, namesake of the rechristened New York State Theater, on November 5, the season proper will commence on November 7 with a revival of Hugo Weisgall's critically acclaimed Esther, returning for the first time since its world premiere run in 1993. A new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni, directed by Christopher Alden, arrives the following evening. Mark Lamos's charming 2002 production of Chabrier's L'Étoile returns on March 18, with the same director's popular staging of Puccini's Madama Butterfly opening on March 19. Rounding out Steel's first season is Handel's Partenope, which opens on April 3.

"This first season in our renovated home will show the many ways City Opera makes outstanding contributions to the people of New York and to the world of opera," Steel said in a press statement. "We are excited to return to our audiences, on schedule, and are thrilled to be moving forward with our plans for a more extensive 2010–11 season." Subscriptions will be on sale starting May 1 for renewing subscribers and June 15 for new ones; single tickets will be available starting September 8.

Addendum: Dan Wakin has more on the New York Times site.

Addendum II (Apr. 4): And now comes news of a potential strike of City Opera's singers, chorus and production staff.