The New York Times – Music:
Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang’s “The Monkey King,” based on “Journey to the West,” brings an old superhero to the opera stage.
Category: San Francisco Opera
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Huang Ruo’s ‘The Monkey King’: A Shape-Shifting Hero for a Third Culture Opera
The New York Times – Music:
Huang Ruo’s “The Monkey King” at San Francisco Opera transforms a classic Chinese tale into a reflection on identity, enlightenment and the creativity sparked when cultures entwine.
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Renata Scotto, Opera Diva Who Inhabited Roles, Dies at 89
The New York Times – Music:
Ms. Scotto, a leading Italian soprano, sang more than two dozen roles at the Metropolitan Opera and was a charismatic and demanding stage partner.
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Reimagining ‘Madame Butterfly,’ With Asian Creators at the Helm
The New York Times – Music:
As opera houses rework Puccini’s classic, criticized for stereotypes about women and Japanese culture, artists of Asian descent are playing a central role.
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San Francisco Becomes an Opera Capital
The New York Times – Music:
Audiences could take in works by Strauss and Kaija Saariaho, as well as a new one by Gabriela Lena Frank about Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.
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Elayne Jones, Pioneering Percussionist, Is Dead at 94
The New York Times – Music:
She challenged racial barriers when she joined the San Francisco Symphony in 1972. But she became embroiled in a legal battle when she was denied tenure two years later.
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From the Underworld to Our World: An Opera About Frida and Diego
The New York Times – Music:
Gabriela Lena Frank and Nilo Cruz’s work at San Diego Opera puts the story of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera in the context of the Day of the Dead.
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Review: In ‘Antony and Cleopatra,’ John Adams Goes Conventional
The New York Times – Music:
This composer’s latest stage work, at San Francisco Opera, is his most straightforward, but also his least inspired.
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John Adams, an American Master at 75
The New York Times – Music:
Adams, arguably our greatest living composer, has done operas inspired by recent history. In “Antony and Cleopatra,” he turns to Shakespeare.