Lorin Maazel, the Castleton Festival Opera, and the Berkeley Symphony Perform Britten
Cal Performances' Zellerbach Hall (Bancroft Way and Telegraph Avenue Berkeley, CA 94720)
- Full Price:
- $58.00
- Our Price:
- FREE*
* Additional fees apply.
All offers for Castleton Festival Opera have expired.
The last date listed for Castleton Festival Opera was Sunday March 27, 2011 / 3:00pm (Albert Herring).
Currently at Cal Performances' Zellerbach Hall:
Nicola Luisotti Leads the San Francisco Opera Orchestra
- Full Price:
- $54.00 - $68.00
- Our Price:
- $25.00
As music director for the famed San Francisco Opera since 2009, Italian maestro Nicola Luisotti has been hailed by audiences and praised by the press. The San Francisco Chronicle even calls him "a blast to watch in action." He leads his acclaimed orchestra in a varied program, including symphonies by Prokofiev and Cherubini and Haydn's Cello Concerto, featuring soloist Amit Peled. Luisotti joined the San Francisco Opera after working with many of the most respected companies in the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera, Covent Garden and La Scala. He also serves as the principal guest conductor for the Tokyo Symphony. Learn More
Goldstar Member Tips
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ajackphd on What to Wear
Nice casual. This is Berkeley CA! ;-)
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ajackphd on Where to Park
THe venue - Zellerbach - is very BART friendly. Exit Downtown Berkeley and walk about 10-15 minutes.
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llllucky1 on What to Wear
How ever you want
59 Goldstar Member Reviews
Robert S.
Not much of an opera person to begin with but this type of chamber composition rather than being aria-driven really didn't thrill me nor my guest. I can appreciate the excellent voices and beautiful music but as a whole this type of opera wasn't something I'd be interested in. The story would need to be far more compelling to draw me in. Certainly can't complain about the price! It was a learning experience though.Written on Mar 28 2011
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Derrick Mapp
great for the price. i like britten (though this piece was a bit 'flowery' in its prose) and i saw maazel once when i was a kid and wanted to see him again. the orchestra was great if small.Written on Mar 28 2011
overall - the performance was wonderful. i thought the lucretia was the weakest performer (and she had a wonderful sound when more vocal power was required). she reminded me that opera is both singing AND acting. the other performers were clear and had range.
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J
This really did not thrill me. I thought it was boring and cheesy. The music was beautiful though. However, the singing was repetitive and one note. I wish I just could have went and heard only the orchestra play. It was also very long.Written on Mar 28 2011
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llllucky1
For the price it was Awesome! We had great seats, it was a nice theatre, and easy to access. the show was drawn out a bit and got better in the second half. The quality of their voices was excellent however it was awkward to have the narrators in the middle of the show when they didn't really look like they fit in. they were in the way of it all... but for $8 it was a fun nightWritten on Mar 25 2011
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More Information About Castleton Festival Opera
Description
With a conducting career spanning more than 50 years, Lorin Maazel's name is synonymous with musical excellence the world over. He was looking to the future when he created the Castleton Festival in 1997. Here, Maazel works intimately with a hand-picked group of singers, conductors, and directors. Among them are the best young singers he has heard in his travels throughout the international opera world. The artists live together on a beautiful 550-acre farm in Castleton, Virginia, collaborating on musical performances of nuance and depth.
In the past, anyone interested in experiencing these productions had no option other than to travel to Virginia. But now, Maazel and his colleagues are heading west, giving Bay Area music lovers—as well as those who appreciate unique artistic collaborations—a chance to enjoy this extraordinary group of artists at work.
The Rape of Lucretia
Thursday and Friday, March 24 and 25, 8:00 pm
The Rape of Lucretia (1946), written a year after Peter Grimes, was Britten's first chamber opera and includes some of his most ravishingly beautiful music. In this moving tragedy, corruption threatens virtue as Ancient Rome has descended into depravity and the only honorable woman remaining is Lucretia. The opera conveys with intense passion the struggle between evil and redemption, as the King's son seethes with jealousy, determined to test Lucretia's chastity.
Vocal cast to feature: Vale Rideout, Ekaterina Metlova, Arianna Zukerman, Michael Rice, Michael Weyandt, Matthew Worth, Alison Tupay, and Marnie Breckenridge
Albert Herring
Saturday, March 26, 8:00 pm; and Sunday, March 27, 3:00 pm
Albert Herring was written just one year after Lucretia, but the contrast could not be greater. Here is a true comic opera with a lightness of touch rarely found in Britten's work. The score sparkles with some of the composer's wittiest music and his gifts for parody and caricature are on full display. Castleton's charming production features a Bay Area favorite, soprano Nancy Gustafson, as Lady Billows.
Vocal cast to feature: Nancy Gustafson, Kristin Patterson, Ashleigh Semkiw, Alexander Tall, Tyler Nelson, Benjamin Bloomfield, Adrian Kramer, Brian Z. Porter, Tammy Coll, and Rachel Calloway
About the Ticket Supplier: Cal Performances
Cal Performances offers audiences the most comprehensive range of high quality, live performances by the world's greatest artists, both established and emerging. Located on the UC Berkeley campus, this prestigious performing arts presenter invites audiences to enjoy the entertaining and engaging experience of the performing arts from all disciplines and cultures in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.