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Author Archives: CrewMantle

Missed Summer

BRAVA SIGNORA!
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Inside Front Cover Opera America

For those global readers who do not receive the opera publication ‘Opera America’ which is arrives from the trade organisation of the same name, here is the new FEDERAL ARTS inside front cover of the upcoming edition. Given the magazine which will be front and center at next months trade show in Philadelphia, we decided to execute [...]
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Mob Wives the Opera?

Imagine if you will to be the COMMANDOpera mail box, and receive word the VHI television series MOB WIVES is under negotiations to bring the show to the opera stage. An Opera built around Mob Wives? For those who are unaware, the reality series follows the lives of a number of women who reside in Staten Island, [...]
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Mr. Lebrecht versus Mr. Hall

Good Lord. COMMANDOpera looks in on British critic Norman Lebrecht from time to time in the course of reading. Mr. Lebrecht it is to be understood by global readers, does not mince words, and is perhaps the singular writer this venue knows of who cares not for varnishing the truth. Perhaps it is this anti [...]
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AIX en Provence this Summer!

COMMANDOpera is reminding global readers who intend to be in the south of France, to make a point of taking in the festival at d’Aix en Provence. Excellent EXCELLENT summer season! As one might expect, the event is generally of lighter fare, however the repertoire always offers something out of the ordinary, such as the Charpentier [...]
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Mounting Everest in Dallas

COMMANDOpera recieved word late last evening the Dallas Opera has commissioned another new work! EVEREST, a collaboration between composer Joby Talbot, and librettist Gene Scheer, will prima at some point during the 2015 2016 season. COMMANDOpera recalls Mr. Talbot from his work with ‘The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy’. Most curiously, the work is to run [...]
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San Francisco Summer 2012

JOHN ADAMS AND ALICE GOODMAN’S NIXON IN CHINA (June 8–July 3) Described by the New York Times as a work of “clarity, simplicity, shocking elegance,” John Adams’ rhythmically rich recreation of Richard Nixon’s 1972 presidential trip to Beijing has established itself as one of the most important American operas of the 20th century. Twenty-five years [...]
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Anne Midgette WCO Review

Photo Credit: Mr. Stan Engebretson courtesy of Washington Concert Opera COMMANDOpera did not attend the Washington Concert Opera Samson and Dalila this past Sunday evening, however Washington Post colleague Anne Midgette did. Global readers are to know, Miss Midgette is a critic’s critic who writes precisely what she hears without mincing words. This venue admires her [...]
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Lyric Opera in the Black

The Lyric Opera of Chicago yesterday announced a break even financial scenario for 2012 2013. COMMANDOpera is very fond of this particular theatre simply because they manage to get it right on all fronts, all the time. Although the Lyric Opera did in fact use $3.8 million dollars from the reserve fund to maintain break even [...]
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WATER Closes Oper Frankfurt

Wasser will see its world debut at Oper Frankfurt on the evening of June 16th at 7:30 P.M. The new work by Mr. Arnulf Herrmann, represents the final of fourteen new productions during the 2011 2012 Oper Frankfurt season. Water was commissioned by the Ensemble Modern, financed by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation Co-production [...]
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