| Date and venue | Title |
|---|---|
| 19-Jan-2013 Walt Disney Concert Hall | Susan Graham and Renée Fleming stunning at Disney Hall |
One would think that either Renée Fleming or Susan Graham alone would be reason enough to sell out a large venue such as Disney Hall. But everything is bigger in Hollywood, and the LA Phil brought both artists together for a one-night recital of French art song. But even that wasn’t enough. This was not an ordinary recital with neatly arranged sets of the typical repertoire finished off with a few predictable encores, concluded in two hours’ time. No, this was a thoughtful survey of French mélodies and their English-speaking muses, with slideshows, anecdotes, and stories.
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| 5-Jan-2013 Lincoln Center: Metropolitan Opera House | The Met in HD: Hymel is the hero in Berlioz's epic Les Troyens |
It’s very difficult to write about Berlioz’s Les Troyens without mentioning its length. Tonight’s cinema screening of Fransesca Zambello’s lush production was billed at 341 minutes – that’s 5.6 hours. But beamed live from the Metropolitan Opera in New York, those 5.6 hours entailed spectacular operatic entertainment. Several times larger than life, even the indulgent or unnecessarily long episodes (of which there are many) were engrossing.
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| 29-Jun-2012 Wigmore Hall | Susan Graham and Malcolm Martineau at the Wigmore Hall |
Susan Graham is the mezzo representative of the generation of American singers, including Barbara Bonney, Renée Fleming, Dawn Upshaw and Sylvia McNair, who rose to prominence in the mid to late 1980s and distinguished themselves internationally with their superlative techniques, gorgeous lyric instruments, and impeccable professionalism. In this recital, Graham not only reminded us why she belonged to this set of artists, but also delivered a very interesting programme of material of particular personal resonance, occasionally sharing something very special indeed.
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| 11-Nov-2011 War Memorial Opera House | Stylishly sung San Francisco revival of Handel's "Xerxes" is not to be missed |
“A revival of a revival of a revival” might describe Handel’s practice of reviving his own works. This highly acclaimed revival production of Handel's Xerxes received it best performance to date with a star-studded cast.
Xerxes tells the tale of two brothers, Xerxes and Arsamenes, both competing for the same bride – Romilda. Though Romilda and Arsamenes are betrothed, Atalanta, Romilda’s sister, attempts to thwart their love. The plot is further enriched through many disguises and additional characters.
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