I am glad to see that the CSO is back at work this week - and I am looking forward to the first concert in the month long Pierre Boulez 85th birthday celebration. Bluebeard's Castle is the central work in Thursday's concert. This piece has been an important part of my life - I persuaded Robert Lepage to direct his first opera back in 1993 in Toronto. I really wanted him to start with the Ring. But he felt that he wanted to ease himself into opera more slowly - sensible fellow. So we opted for Bluebeard in tandem with Erwartung. And a huge triumph it was too - we took it to BAM and the Edinburgh Festival and the production remains in the COC store cupboard. Its good to know that my dream of a Lepage Ring will at last be realised at the Met starting next year.......
The last performances of Bluebeard in Chicago were of course our COT production in 2007 - with Samuel Ramey and Krisztina Szabo. The CSO have assembled a fine cast too - can't wait!
Also on Thursday I will be at the dress rehearsal of the Lyric's second series of performances of Tosca this season, with a different cast and conductor. Looks good on paper! The great attraction of course is Violeta Urmana in the title role.
And on Saturday I thought I would pop along to the movies - Rosenkavalier live from the Met at River East here in Chicago. A close up view of Renée Fleming and Susan Graham in Act 1 is likely to be a great treat!
Photo of Pierre Boulez © Clive Barda
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