Los Angeles Opera is saying goodbye to its long-time artistic director and chief conductor, James Conlon as he retires after 20 years, and we’ve got that celebratory concert on this week’s Sunday Opera (10/4 3:00 p.m.) featuring excerpts from three works.
The program begins with acts three and four of Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” featuring a cast that includes Rodrick Dixon, Ernesto Petti, Craig Colclough, Sara Saturnino, and Yuntong Han.
The second piece is the act two finale from Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” In this “act,” you’ll hear Hyungjin Son, Nicole Heaston, Gabrielle Turgeon, Craig Colclough, Vinicius Costa, Hyona Kim, Nathan Bowles, and Vincius Costa.
The final piece of the evening is an excerpt from act three of Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg,” and you’ll hear Martin Guntner, Nicole Heaston, Nathan Bowles, Hyona Kim, Yuntong Han, and Craig Colclough.
They’re joined by the LA Opera Orchestra and Chorus, and, of course, James Conlon conducts.
After the opera, we’re changing things up a bit musically while featuring Conlon conducting some symphonic works. We’ll hear two works by Dmitri Shostakovich including his Concerto No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra featuring violinist Vladimir Spivakov and a suite compiled from the music of one his operas, “Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District,” which was arranged by Conlon.
Our other work is a suite by Alban Berg from his opera “Lulu” which he wrote when he knew that the opera wouldn’t be mounted.
In all three of these pieces, James Conlon conducts the Gurzenich Orchestra of Cologne with whom Conlon has made several recordings.
