Fall picks

Here in New York, over the past few seasons, we've seen operas where everything went magically right. There have been sensational interpretations and performances by a singer whose staggering musicianship and artistry defy superlatives, again and again.

But nothing has mattered so much as the Met's 2003-04 production of Halévy's La Juive starring Neil Shicoff as the battered, self-loathing goldsmith Eléazar. I had planned to see the opera several times, but the premiere left me so devastated—sleepless, *physically* aching, as if I had been beaten—that I couldn't bear to return. The friends who attended with me responded similarly.

There is a nice, crunchy essay to be written on the fact that La Juive has at its center an even bigger void than Don Giovanni. Since Rachel is not Jewish, La Juive is an opera whose title character does not exist. (Pray, friends, that I can ditch the day job real soon.)

I interviewed Neil Shicoff, who is a thoughtful, passionate, and fascinating individual. So I commend to you most warmly "Finding Eléazar," the film documenting Shicoff's journey towards the character he was seemingly fated to portray.

"Finding Eléazar" plays here in New York at the Quad starting 16 September. It is also bundled in the DG video release of La Juive. Don't miss it.

Newsday's Critics' Picks for the fall season ran yesterday. One of my picks—the cinema-related trifecta of Portman's Little Prince, Bennett's The Mines of Sulphur, and Howard Shore's "Lord of the Rings Symphony"—made the cut; my other pick fell victim to space limitations. So I offer it here, alongside an image of Jews in Ottoman costume.

Open a newspaper or switch on the news, and you're likely to meet with reports of people slaughtering each other in the name of religion. In this context, the 92nd Street Y's concert and lecture cycle "Shared Sacred Space" seems both quixotic and urgently necessary. This first installment of the Y's new "Music of the Mystics" series explores crosscurrents among Jewish, Christian, and Muslim artists at the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Ottoman Court. A concert by Istanbul's Bezmara Ensemble features works by Sephardi composer Tanburi Isak Fresco and Sufi hymns by Niyazi Misri (Nov. 17). The Lalezar Ensemble plays sacred and secular music by Ismail Dede Efendi, a leading composer of the Whirling Dervish tradition (Dec. 8). The Romeiko Ensemble and Jerusalem's Israel Maftirim Ensemble offer a contrasting program of Byzantine Greek Orthodox chant and kabbalistic hymns (Jan. 26). A symposium (Nov. 6) and pre-concert talks round out the series. Information here or at 212.415.5500.

Incidentally, Rachel Portman is interviewed on Studio 360 next week.

Here's another handful of fall picks. (I'm still woozy, so I may add to this anon.) Truth be told, many of the events I'm most keenly anticipating this season are happening *after* 1 January.

Luminescent Orchestrii, Hungry March Band, and Outernational play Makor (24 September).

I hope to make it to a few of the enticing programs at Columbia's Miller Theatre: Messiaen, Kurtag, and other goodies played by Dennis Russell Davies and Maki Namekawa (3 October); an all-Rzewski program (20 October); Giacinto Scelsi's complete string quartets (4 November); an all-Adams program (3 December).

Marin Alsop leads the New York Philharmonic (14, 15, 18 October).

Antony and the Johnsons play Carnegie Hall (13 October); not one week later, Cecilia Bartoli brings forbidden pleasures to Carnegie (19 October).

The amazing Borodin Quartet play Beethoven and Shostakovich (*bliss*) at Zankel Hall (21 October).

Up in Beantown (feh), Boston Baroque present Handel's Agrippina with Twyla Robinson, whose work I know and admire, and Michael Maniaci, whose work is unknown to me but comes much commended (21 and 22 October).

Barbara Frittoli sings Fiordiligi in the Met's revival of Così fan tutte (opens 21 October; presumably hip-hop-free).

The little I've heard of tenor Giuseppe Filianoti has greatly impressed me; he makes his Met début in Lucia (27 October).

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center play Shostakovich (28 and 30 October, 1 November).

Rufus Wainwright plays the Beacon Theater;  Gianmaria Testa makes his U.S. début at Joe's Pub (both on 1 November). I advise you to go for Gianmaria this time, since he comes our way much less frequently.

Erwin Schrott (Escamillo) and Ana Maria Martinez (Micaëla) sing in Carmen at the Met (starting 19 November). The Met's Carmen has been ghastly of late, but those two are worth hearing, along with the splendid maestro Philippe Jordan.

The Orchestra of St. Luke's play the Beethoven Violin Concerto (with Joshua Bell) and John Adams at Carnegie (1 December).

Yasmin Levy sings Sephardic music at Zankel (3 December).

I hope I'm mistaken, but I'm starting to think that Rolando Villazón is determined to have a short career (oversinging, heavy rep, yadda-yadda-yadda). Still, I'm looking forward to hearing him as the Duke in the Met's Rigoletto (opens 10 December).

Trio Mediaeval play Weil Recital Hall (10 December).

E adesso tutti a nanna ! *smooch*

Comments

[vilaine fille]

Ma donde est ? Est chez toi le petit Schrott !

P.S. to all: I am embarrassed to admit that it has taken me until now to figure out how to post a comment on my own blog, now that I've had to moderate comments. v.f., not the sharpest tack in the box

[Giorgia]

(how come it says "2 comments" to this post, but I can only read one, id est, my silly one? ah, mysteries of the cyberthingy...)

[Giorgia]

I just *love* the way the words "Erwin Schrott" link back to my blog...

LOL :-D