Friday night
The LA Phil – Adés conducting his own stuff and
Respighi was also involved – that Feste Romane
Respighi is so clever and perky
But I liked Adés’ energetically mournful violin concerto
Adés- the thin man in black
His slender violinist friend dressed as the White Knight
Angular men for angular music.
Saturday night
– Entartete Kunst – ‘recovered’ – or maybe ‘rescued’
or maybe ‘not rescued’
What can we call them – holocaust victims that could have
changed the face of art of life of whatever the hell
but death.
Anyway this was Franz Schreker’s opera
The Stigmatized (Dei Gezeichneten)
An American Premiere
Voices, such strong voices
That cannot finish their own development.
Sunday night
Hollywood Hills
A screening of ‘Hotel du Love’ – narrated by the producer.
A major fabulous flop from ‘the 90’s’
My unabashedly favorite line: “Listen to the penis!”
No, really.
Tuesday night
Disney Hall
La Commedia – American Premiere
(again, but this time not so desperately out of step)
Composer: Louis Andriessen
He always liked the ladies – he felt me up a bit
Way beck when he coached us on his flute sonata.
I go backstage – and Louis is old, Reinbert is old
maybe I am old but we all recognize one another.
Anyway, La Commedia has text and song
And there are too many favorite lines and bad translations
to make a truly informed choice
But I did like: “I am sending some of my men out there
to see if anyone is taking the air”
A Dante mis-translation for sure.