always look on the bright side
As if to demonstrate that there are better ways to run an opera company than the NYCO’s ongoing fiasco, Fort Worth Opera announced today that they will present the world premiere of Before Night Falls, is by Jorge MartÃn in 2010. Darren K. Woods, the quiet genius who is general director of Fort Worth Opera, first learned of Before Night Falls in 2005 after American Opera Projects in New York presented piano readings from the then unfinished opera and set his sights on the world premiere after he workshopped the piece at Seagle Music Colony in Schroon Lake, New York this past summer.
Perhaps the most striking aspect to this story what is La Cieca is delighted to point out as the gay angle: Before Night Falls is of course based on the autobiography of the same title by gay dissident Reinaldo Arenas, and Fort Worth Opera just last season offered the U.S. “fully staged” premiere of Peter Eötvös’ Angels in America.
Gay-themed contemporary opera is obviously not the easiest sort of repertoire to sell to subscribers, and yet FWO thrives. Not that La Cieca wants Fort Worth Opera to lose their leader, but maybe a Darren K. Woods is what the NYCO needs to break its current jinx.
No sir…we are keeping Darren down here in our neck of the woods of Fort Worth.
Ive said it before ill say it again… the FWOpera did themselves a world of good changing to a spring festival… Check out the schedule… Beth Claytons Carmen, Isobel Leonards Cenerentola and Daniel THE FLY Okulitch’s Dead Man Walking (w/ Robynne Redmonn!) Im excited…
Well, in the age where Sara Palin is a viable candidate for VP, I suppose it’s not a surprise that someone would suggest that this man could run City Opera………
Before Night Falls is occupying a spot that was supposed to hold another new commission from Thomas Pasatieri which was bumped and them bumped again into oblivion.
Does everyone know, today (November 7th) is Dame Joan Sutherland’s birthday. She is 82. I hope she is doing well.
some one told us, jatso… and the other great Dame, Gwyneth…
Im spending my Friday nite with Joanies Norma.
How remarkable that they share a birthday. I don’t suppose that La Cieca has a clip of them singing together, or chatting on some talk show or something?
http://www.operabase.com/index.cgi?lang=en
This site is a treasure trove of info like bdays, premiers and current schedules all over the place…
Thank you High C’s. I’ll check it out. I was listening to Joan’s early Lucia recording myself today. I’ll have to hear some Gwyneth before I head off to bed.
I’m not quite sure what Fort Worth means or how it could have staged Angels in America more fully than we had it in Boston in June of 2006. Steve Maher directed, Gil Rose (Boston Modern Orchestra Project) conducted and Tom Meglioranza sang Prior in a fully staged production at the Calderwood Pavilion of the Boston Center for the Arts. They may have had a bigger stage or more expensive scenery, but Boston had a completely staged and very effective prouction.