Arts Conversations

Virginia Opera preview with Glenn Winters

For its first production of the new season, Virginia Opera presented a lyrical but seldom-produced early opera by Bizet – “The Pearl Fishers”. Our critic found much to like in the singing, but was less enThu,siastic about the staging.

One of the marks of good theater is that a play will have the substance and latitude to be interpreted differently and still remain valid. Such is the case with the opening production of the season for the Virginia Stage Company, August Wilson’s multi-award winning “Fences”. Our critic, M.D. Ridge, found the VSC presentation visually convincing and emotionally compelling.

Virginia Opera opens the 2012-2013 season with its first-ever production of “The Pearl Fishers” by George Bizet. The Opera’s Community Outreach Musical Director, Glenn Winters, offers this insightful preview of a tuneful and colorful early effort by the young genius composer, Bizet.

The Virginia Symphony opened its 2012 – 2013 season with a bravura program of colorful music and a exciting soloist. Our critic, M.D. Ridge attended the Chrysler Hall concert and has this report.

As its final offering of its inaugural season, Lyric Opera Virginia presented one of the greatest operas in the repertoire – Bizet’s Carmen. This jewel box production lost little in its slimmed-down version, according to our critic, M.D. Ridge.

For the past eight years, the Virginia Arts Festival and the John Duffy Composers Institute has offered an opportunity for music of promising young composers to be presented to the public. This year’s “Masterworks in the Making” program concentrated on character and structure. M.D. Ridge reports on the results.

The Virginia Arts Festival concludes with one of the largest and most emotional works in the concert repertoire, the Symphony No. 8 by Gustav Mahler. The work has never been performed in this area, in large part because of the number of musicians required. Raymond Jones spoke with Virginia Symphony conductor Joann Falletta about performing this “Symphony of a Thousand.”

The 2012 Virginia Arts Festival opened with a recital by America’s reigning diva, soprano Renee Fleming. Her appearance at the Harrison Opera House proved once again that Fleming is one of the finest singers before the public today. M.D. Ridge reports on the performance.

For its final subscription concert of the season, the Virginia symphony performed three colorful, romantic and seldom-heard pieces. The orchestra was joined by pianist William Wolfram and all were roundly cheered, including our critic, M.D. Ridge.

The American Theater in Hampton was the site of another virtuoso performance recently, this time by cellist Matt Haimovitz, who offered Bach as well as contemporary music for solo cello. M.D. Ridge reports.

The Tidewater Classical Guitar Society continued their tradition of presenting the best young guitarists in the world with the appearance of Thibault Cauvin in Williamsburg and Norfolk. Our critic, M.D. Ridge, attended the Norfolk performance and was greatly impressed.