By Robert D. Thomas
Music Critic
Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News
Los Angeles Opera remains in a cautious mode for its 2011-2012 season, which will offer six operas with 37 performances, the same number of operas but two performances fewer than the current season. However, on the plus side, ticket prices are also remaining unchanged for the 2011-2012 season.
In addition, although it wasn’t announced today, Plácido Domingo, the company’s general director, is expected to conduct the U.S. premiere production of the 19th century opera, Bánk bán, by Hungarian composer Ferenc Erkel. Details on that production — a nonsubscription event — will be forthcoming (news on that opera was announced by the Hungarian government and has appeared in several sources, including the Los Angeles Times — LINK).
There will be no new productions next season. Two of LAO’s 2011-2012 operas will be company premieres and two will be company revivals; thus, all six offerings will have been mounted before, either at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion or elsewhere. Music Director James Conlon will conduct four of the operas. Domingo — who will also sing the title role in Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra during the season — will conduct Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, and Patrick Summers — music director of Houston Grand Opera and principal guest conductor of San Francisco Opera — will lead Puccini’s La Bohème to conclude the season.
Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte will run in tandem, beginning with Onegin, which will open on Sept. 17 in the first of five performances using a production that originated at London’s Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Cosi, which last played at LAO in 1996, will open on Sept. 18 with five other performances to follow. Its production by Nicholas Hytner originated at England’s Glyndenbourne Festival Opera.
Maintaining the English production theme, Simon Boccanegra, the other company premiere, will play for seven performances beginning Feb. 11, 2012, using another production from Covent Garden.
Continuing the company’s traversal of Benjamin Britten’s operas (which begins this March 12 with The Turn of the Screw), Conlon will conduct a production of Albert Herring beginning Feb. 25, 2012 and running for five other performances. Director Paul Curran will mount a production that was staged last summer at Santa Fe Opera. This will mark the first time in 20 years that LAO has presented Albert Herring. 2013 is the anniversary of Britten's birth.
La Bohème will open on May 12, 2012 in a six-performance run using the company’s production by Herbert Ross last staged here in 2007.
Unlike the current season, which has three recitals, none were announced for the upcoming season.
Season subscriptions are now on sale; details are at www.laopera.com. Single tickets go on sale May 1.
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(c) Copyright 2011, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved. Portions may be quoted with attribution.
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