Posts by Ken Herman
Ginger Costa-Jackson’s Nonpareil Carmen Scores for San Diego Opera
San Diego Opera General Director David Bennett wisely hired Ginger Costa-Jackson to sing the title role of his company’s recently opened production of Bizet’s “Carmen.” Vocally and dramatically, Costa-Jackson’s Carmen is simply nonpareil.
Read MoreSacra/Profana: Luminous Singing for the Lives and Strength of Women
Last weekend, March 22 & 23, 2019, the San Diego choral ensemble Sacra/Profana presented “Gender: X,” an adventurous and challenging collage of works by women composers and poets under the direction of guest conductor Emilie Amrein.
Read MoreCygnet’s Transcendent ‘Perestroika’ Exceeds Promise of ‘Millennium Approaches’
Under Cygnet Theatre Artistic Director Sean Murray’s astute direction, this searing production of “Perestroika” commands the Cygnet stage in Old Town. It will play in repertory with Murray’s
electrifying production of Tony Kushner’s first part of “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches” through April 24, 2019 .
San Diego Symphony and Master Chorale Deliver a Rewarding Surprise: Puccini’s ‘Messa di Gloria’
The March 22 San Diego Symphony Concert with the San Diego Master Chorale, under the baton of guest conductor Courtney Lewis, took the audience on an unexpected Puccini adventure: a compelling performance of his “Messa di Gloria” for chorus, three soloists and orchestra.
Read MoreMezzo-Soprano Ginger Costa-Jackson Muses on Carmen and #MeToo
A recent “Carmen” production in Florence, Italy had Carmen kill her stalker Don José in self defense in the opera’s final scene. San Diego Opera’s newest Carmen, mezzo-soprano Ginger Costa-Jackson, prefers the traditional climax: “I think she is better seen as a martyr to the #MeToo cause.”
Read MoreSteven Schick Leads Stirring, Probing Account of Bernstein’s “Kaddish” Symphony with La Jolla Symphony
After a rugged and stirring performance of Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 3, “Kaddish,” by the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus Saturday, March 16, I left UC San Diego’s Mandeville Auditorium refreshed and uplifted. Bernstein’s “Kaddish” Symphony, based on the ancient Hebrew prayer for the dead, takes the listener on a probing and at times exalting journey.
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