I received an email yesterday from Zakk Hoyt telling me of a free concert taking place this weekend.  I found both the concert and the intended beneficiary so compelling that I thought I should let you know about it, encourage you to look at the on-line material and urge you to go if you possibly can. 

As I mentioned last week I made the trip this weekend to see Opera Theater Oregon's production of The Medium by Gian-Carlo Mennotti. I had called Elizabeth in advance and asked her if you would care to go with me. "Is it that group we saw in the bar?" she asked and when I confirmed that she was most excited . "I don't even need to know what the show is. If it's them I am so there!" I must say that is rather how I feel about OTO and it was most gratifying that E feels similarly. Furthermore, it speaks well of the company doesn't it? I mean, can there be a higher accolade than being prepared to attend entirely on the strength of the name of the outfit doing the show?

And so we went. Unfortunately I was feeling somewhat under-the weather (an early Winter cold, I think) and so not my normally perky self but I am very happy I went. Outside of Portland Opera there is no performing arts organisation in Portland I am more delighted to support.

When The Met began their saturday morning HD transmissions to movie theaters I was asked many times (and the question still pops up quite regularly) what effect I thought these performances would have on live opera performed by regional opera companies. My answer then was that they would have little to no effect on attendance at opera houses. I remain of that view. The Met, whether they like it or not, are preaching to the choir. The audience that I see at the Lloyd Center movie theater on a saturday morning is almost entirely composed of older, well-heeled patrons who already have their tickets to Portland Opera. There are few youngsters.

It seems as though we barely have La Traviata behind us and here we are in the thick of preparations for Fidelio. On Wednesday last I went to the Hampton Opera Center for the traditional Meet 'n Greet breakfast. This is not only an opportunity to chew the fat with the principals, conductor and director of the current production but offers an excellent chance to hear what they all have to say about the production with which they are involved, about themselves, their families and their careers. There is also a spirited question-and-answer session. I have been looking forward to this get-together particularly because while I have never been to a fully-staged production of Fidelio, I have been to a concert performance and have listened to the music some - and I don't get it. I have just not been able to get excited about it. And yet I have always suspected that the deficiency lay with me rather than Beethoven (No - really? Who'da guessed that one?) There seems to be general agreement that the work is a masterpiece and yet it seems that it isn't performed much; well, certainly not with the regularity or frequency of the major Verdi or Mozart operas or anything at all by Puccini. I was hoping for some informed and educated views and of course I was not disappointed.

The longest three and one half hours I ever spent was sitting through the one hundred minute production of Salome beamed by the Metropolitan Opera to movie houses world-wide on Saturday morning.

This week I received an email from a professional musician friend of mine in England. He had been away for a while and not been keeping up with this blog (can you imagine?). When he finally caught up he saw what I had written last week - and in the past - about Bryn Terfel and had some very interesting things to say. I will quote from his missive:

"From friends in the Royal Opera Orchestra, I already knew of the Terfel troubles. Sadly, watching and listening to him on Last Night of the Proms revealed real problems, of both nerve and technique. Sweating profusely, he struggled through Silent Noon and some folk songs, breathing every two notes as if suffering from a chronic lung condition, and was quite unable to sustain any sound after the first 'push'. It's not greed, but desperation - he has to retire from opera as he simply can't do it any more, and, probably because of having to maintain lifestyle, taxman, family and agent , has to bluff his way in the pop world where audiences are ignorant and uncritical - but HE KNOWS and is obviously traumatised. Having admired his Elijah and countless other things, I feel very sorry for him - too much too soon, and the pressure got to him. One would have thought he had the physique and stamina but I believe it's a genuine psychological crisis.( and the finger story just does not hold up) He needs to get off that treadmill and take a couple of years off. For someone like that it's a long way down".