Patrick Mack

Patrick Mack starting listening to opera as a teenager to the total bewilderment of his rock and roll mother. He sang leading roles in the opera departments of Santa Monica College and UCLA and for two years in the Baltimore Symphony Chorus. In 2003 he joined the tenor section of The Verdi Chorus which has been giving young singers paid performance opportunities for over 30 years. He has served on their Board of
Directors since 2012 and handles their publicity, marketing, and Facebook page. Patrick is a luxury cruise consultant with All-Travel in
Los Angeles and was honored as one of the Top 25 Travel Agents in the country in 2015 by Travel Agent Magazine. Having weaned himself from an
early age on the musical opinions of Andrew Porter in the New Yorker, he has been wielding the critics pen on Parterre.com since 2011.
His singing of the national anthem has never failed to impress those standing closest to him at any public event he attends.

Maddalena scene Maddalena scene

This solid if not stellar performance finds our diva in particularly passionate form. Maybe they should have re-titled it Maddalena?

on May 10, 2021 at 9:00 AM
Gold dust Minnie Gold dust Minnie

Giacomo Puccini’s La fanciulla del West may have its detractors (Stravinsky referred to it as a “horse-opera’) but you will not find me among them.

on February 23, 2021 at 2:21 PM
Magic Freyer Magic Freyer

I still remember, and some of it quite vividly, what it was like to experience Achim Freyer‘s intense and groundbreaking Ring production all these years later.

on July 22, 2020 at 10:01 AM
Wild horses Wild horses

This video recording of Il trovatore is sensational for all the right and wrong reasons simultaneously.

on June 30, 2020 at 2:42 PM
Dueling duels Dueling duels

Mr. Wilson’s production concept, according to his liner notes, has more to do with Paris at the time of the premiere and a “world of memory” than it does with the storytelling of civil war in medieval Spain.

on June 29, 2020 at 1:58 PM
Jawdropper Jawdropper

Robert Wilson is many things: a visionary (certainly); an iconoclast, artist, director, and designer of sets, lighting, costumes, movement (and furniture). Yet his work is never boring (well, at least not intentionally).

on June 16, 2020 at 3:24 PM
On the beach On the beach

On the first viewing of this Idomeneo, with a cast clad mostly in military khaki green set against a green sky, the eye starts to tire from the dullness of the surroundings.

on June 02, 2020 at 11:23 AM
Tusk to tusk Tusk to tusk

Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana has always been a particular favorite, although I’ve only seen it staged once (and that by an amateur company the details of which I share spare you all, save to note that dinner was served during the performance.)

on May 27, 2020 at 2:11 PM
To love the language To love the language

With most of us dug in for the duration, there’s no better time to tuck into a CD box set of neglected treasures. Not that I needed an excuse, mind you.

on April 15, 2020 at 12:50 PM
Roberto dangerously Roberto dangerously

For those of you keeping track at home that’s four substitutions for three roles and the curtain hasn’t even gone up yet.

on February 25, 2020 at 12:23 PM
Raising genius Raising genius

A special program note for Saturday night’s performance of Matthew Aucoin’s new opera Eurydice pointed to a rare convergence of three MacArthur Grant fellows in its creation and staging.

on February 03, 2020 at 9:16 AM
Strange magic Strange magic

We’ve had a mini-fest of director Barrie Kosky’s work this year at LA Opera.

on November 27, 2019 at 1:54 PM
Nothing but the truth Nothing but the truth

On a new Opus Arte video, Ermonela Jaho is at the absolute peak of her powers both vocally and interpretively.

on November 19, 2019 at 11:26 AM
I believe in unicorns I believe in unicorns

Sunday evening Los Angeles Opera presented tenor Javier Camarena in recital to a wildly enthusiastic audience from the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

on October 24, 2019 at 8:48 AM
Ray of ‘Light’ Ray of ‘Light’

An opera company presenting a Broadway musical that centers around a woman of a certain age travelling to Italy with her young daughter might seem more a vehicle for a great diva of a certain age.

on October 14, 2019 at 10:00 AM
If I had a photograph of you If I had a photograph of you

I’m certain I wasn’t the only one thrilled to bits to see LA Opera’s production of La Bohème finally retired after 26 years and seven mountings.

on September 29, 2019 at 1:26 PM
Girl of the emboldened west Girl of the emboldened west

L’Italiana in Algeri‘s appearance at the Salzburg Festival should be no surprise since Ceciila Bartoli has been the intendant of the Whitsun Festival extension at Salzburg since 2012.

on September 03, 2019 at 5:35 PM
È la solita storia del tenore È la solita storia del tenore

While Luciano Pavarotti may have brought opera to the people, once he realized how lucrative it could be, there was a string of promoters who helped him turn all that adoration into cold hard cash.

on June 18, 2019 at 12:21 PM
Mr. Fabulous Mr. Fabulous

Michael Fabiano is a boss. This is a fact. 

on June 17, 2019 at 9:00 AM
Paris in the springtime Paris in the springtime

La Traviata offered a cast of fresh debutantes and an uncommonly strong musical performance that could hardly be bettered.

on June 04, 2019 at 9:36 AM
What the cat dragged in What the cat dragged in

As you can imagine, oaths are sworn, curses are flung with avidity, and a mysterious shepherd sings a tune of foreboding from a distant mountain gorge just when you’d expect it.

on May 07, 2019 at 1:44 PM
Take the long way Rome Take the long way Rome

Russell Thomas’s opening aria, “Del piu sublime soglio” displayed an intense attention to the text and some surprisingly beautiful piano phrasing that I’ve never heard risked before and it brought wonder and gooseflesh.

on March 05, 2019 at 11:40 AM
Stranger with candy Stranger with candy

Saturday night I navigated the Music Center concourse, or what’s left of it with it’s seemingly eternal construction to the main plaza, wending my way to the Dorothy Chandler for the opening night of LA Opera’s Hansel and Gretel.

on November 19, 2018 at 10:00 AM
Uphill climb Uphill climb

The Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho is surely the reason that Covent Garden has made a commercial release of this “Live to Cinemas” relay from March of 2017.

on November 19, 2018 at 9:00 AM