In the news: Daniel Cátan: Composer of LA Opera’s Il Postino

Unfortunately, Daniel Cátan, a prolific opera composer, died this week at the age of 62.

Mr. Cátan composed the music for LA Opera’s “Il Postino,” which had its premiere in Los Angeles only a few months ago.

His other operas included: “Florencia en el Amazonas” and  ”Rapaccini’s Daughter.”

Mr. Catán received his doctorate from Princeton University, where he studied under Milton Babbit.

For more on the life of Mr. Cátan, please read the following article in the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/arts/music/daniel-catan-composer-of-operas-in-spanish-dies-at-62.html?src=me

Getty Villa- photography exhibit: In Search of Biblical Lands: From Jerusalem to Jordan

In Search of Biblical Lands: From Jerusalem to Jordan in Nineteenth-century Photography

March 2–September 12, 2011

Getty Villa. 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, CA.

(310) 440-7300

http://www.getty.edu/

Shakespeare Salon: April 14- Huntington

Shakespeare Salon: Scenes and Sonnets

April 14 (Thursday)

7 p.m.

The Independent Shakespeare Co. will present readings of some of the Bard’s sonnets and scenes, in the Huntington Art Gallery.

Catherine Hess, curator of European art, will explore their connections to some of the masterpieces in the collection. Seating is limited.

For information on ticket prices, please call: 626-405-2128.

Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens 1151 Oxford Road. San Marino, CA  91108.

http://www.huntington.org

Tennessee William’s final play “A House Not Meant to Stand” -extends- till May 22nd

Tennessee Williams’ final play, never before seen on the West Coast:

A HOUSE NOT MEANT TO STAND extends at the Fountain-  till May 22

The Fountain Theatre. 5060 Fountain Ave. LA CA 90029 (Fountain at Normandie)

For information on show times and tickets
(323) 663-1525 or www.FountainTheatre.com

For a link to my review on this play, one of the best theatrical productions in LA this year, in my opinion, please see:

Review: -Must See- Tennessee Williams puts the fun in dysfunctional at the Fountain Theater

-Leticia Marie Sanchez

Dudamel’s latest creation- congratulations!

The La Times reports the real reason why Gustavo Dudamel was unable to conduct last Tuesday’s concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic: he and his wife Eloisa were having a baby boy.

Many congratulations to the conductor on his newest creative endeavor!

For more, please read:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/04/gustavo-dudamel-and-wife-welcome-baby-boy-martin-in-la.html

In the news: Aphrodite Goes Home

Illegal Smuggling?

Organized Crime?

After much controversy, the Getty’s Villa’s Aphrodite goes home.

Ciao bella! Buon Viaggio!

For the full report, read:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-return-of-aphrodite-20110323,0,6998689.story

In the News: the Curious Collection of the Barnes Foundation

Which American Museum has:

181 works by Renoir

69 Cezannes (more than in all the museums of Paris combined),

59 Matisses

46 Picassos

and

7 Van Goghs

The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia.

This happens to be the spot that Matisse called, “the only sane place to see art in America.”

Unfortunately, the collection will be at the Foundation for only two more months.

The Independent covered the saga and court hearings behind the attempt to move the works of art out of the Foundation

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/rupert-cornwell/rupert-cornwell-is-this-the-biggest-art-heist-in-history-2246968.html

as did the documentary Art of the Steal.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1326733/

All the World’s a Stage: William Leavitt’s “Theater Objects” at MOCA

All the World’s A Stage:

William Leavitt’s Theater Objects at MOCA

By Leticia Marie Sanchez

All photography© MOCA

All the world’s a stage, all the men and women merely players. Nowhere does Shakespeare’s expression hold more true than at William Leavitt’s Theater Objects at MOCA.

Walking into the exhibition one hears the constant chirping of birds and the flow of cool air. Are we in a jungle? A theme park? On the set of a play?

Leavitt’s engaging exhibition interacts with its audience, causing the museumgoer to constantly question where he or she stands.

Co-curated by MOCA Curator Bennett Simpson and Ann Goldstein, former MOCA senior curator and director of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, William Leavitt: Theater Objects represents the first solo museum exhibition and retrospective of the artist’s 40-year career. The exhibit showcases approximately 90 works from 1969 to the present, including: sculptural tableaux, paintings, works on paper, and photographs.

Leavitt’s background in stagecraft, narrative, and theater, informs his work, which gives audiences a behind-the scenes peek at theatrical installations. An inscription in the exhibit gives a “nod to Raymond Chandler,” an apt allusion as Leavitt’s work veers into noir, into what is lurking behind the shadows, behind the patio, behind the façade.

William Leavitt, Theme Restaurant, 1986, oil on canvas 46 x 72 in., collection of Carolina Bilbao and Richard Massey, Miami

Leavitt employs satire in his painting of the landmark Encounter Restaurant at LAX by titling it Theme Restaurant. His title links the iconic airport restaurant to a theme park like Disneyland. The visual context of the painting, cleverly hung by MOCA next to Roller Coaster (1984) and Brown Derby (1987) underscores this motif. Leavitt’s satire highlights Los Angeles’ identity as an entertainment hub. Are people flying into the city simply to be entertained? (Ironically, the interior of the LAX restaurant, was in fact designed byWDI, Walt Disney Imagineering)

William Leavitt, California Patio, 1972, mixed media(artificial plants, Malibu lights, flagstone, slider, curtains, wooden wall, and text), 96x144x 96 in.,collection Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam,courtesy of Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

William Leavitt, Cutaway View, 2008, mixed media installation with painting (acrylic on canvas),  98  x  75  x  26  in., painting:  30 x  40 in., courtesy of Margo Leavin Gallery, Los Angeles

Finally, the Tropics is a multi-media display consisting of a water color set, a script, gelatin silver prints, and texts. The script tells the story of a man bestowing a pearl necklace upon his wife. The jaguar in the painting symbolizes the predatory nature of the man who uses jewelry as a means of seduction in the jungle of desire.

William Leavitt, Jaguar (from The Tropics), 1974, oil on canvas, 34 1/4 x 44 1/4 in., courtesy of the artist

Review: The Real Housewife of Düsseldorf County—Clara Schumann

The Real Housewife of Düsseldorf County—Clara Schumann

Israela Margalit’s “Trio,” currently playing at the Lounge 2 Theater in Hollywood, offers a window into the artistic triangle between Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann, and Johannes Brahms. Maragalit, a concert pianist, tied the play together with her own recorded compositions of Schumann, Brahms, and Beethoven.

Photo: From Left- Bjørn Johnson, Meghan Maureen Mc Donough. Jeremy Shranko

Meghan Maureen Mc Donough played the grim, subdued Clara Schumann, a once famous concert pianist repressed as a housewife cooking beans. Mc Donough’s Clara was a woman drained by years of belittlement by an insecure husband who would toss cruel jabs at her, including, “Those who can’t compose, play.”Her father, dynamically portrayed by Peter Colburn, bemoaned the wasting of Clara’s life. Bjørn Johnson, captured Robert Schumann’s madness with pathos, particularly when he called out in the asylum for his beloved Clara, his little “Clashen.”  Jeremy Shranko energetically portrayed the arc of Schumann’s protégé Brahms, from naïve tongue-tied ingénue to cunning manipulator.  Joseph Joachin, Brahms’ confidante (played by Brian Normoyle) radiated genuineness as a straight shooter, a voice of reason to his flattering friend.

The play worked best during the musical sequences.  For instance, when Brahms consoled an exhausted Clara, one heard his soothing Lullaby for Piano Solo. The music explained his solace and why Clara turned to him at that moment in time. Another memorable moment was a scene in which Clara and Brahms toyed with tempo, swept away rhythmically during Beethoven’s Appasionata. Margalit’s play was most meaningful when it centered on the music itself.

One minor weakness in the play is that structurally, a narrative element was needed to convey expository plot details: perhaps an introductory Greek-inspired chorus, a group of Düsseldorf townspeople, critics or audience-goers commenting on the timeline of the Schumann scandal. This element would have spared the actors from having to recount plot through dialogue (a structural challenge during which they did an excellent job) and instead focus on the immediate and the raw.

Margalit’s play begs the question: Can two eagles (artists) live together in domestic bliss? Or will one feel forever caged?

Review: Young Director’s Night at LACMA

Review: Young Director’s Night at LACMA

by Leticia Marie Sanchez

On March 5, LACMA Muse presented its 10th Annual Young Director’s Night. Six talented young directors presented a wide range of creative films.

Left. Sylvia Sether’s “Overdrawn.” Winner of the Art of Film Award

Cat Youell’s “The Mischievous Case of Cordelia Botkin” brought to light a true story episode from 19^th century San Francisco history (death by chocolate) with charm and humor.  Sylvia Sether’s “Overdrawn,” (and winner of the Fourth Art of Film Award) exhibited comedic chops and timing in its depiction of a single bank teller pushed to the edge. Jordan Bloch’s “Underdogs,” created unsettling tension as a bounty hunter wreaked havoc amongst diners in a roadside restaurant.

Left. “House of Olive Trees” directed by Thouly Dosiois

Thouly Dosiois’ beautifully shot “House of the Olive Trees,” set in Greece, was reminiscent of the films of Eric Rohmer in her marvelously sensuous shots of setting, slowly unfolding before our eyes. Fady Hadid’s unforgettable “Where We Live” documented the family life and loss of American immigrants from Baghdad with humanism and sensitivity.

Left. “Shoot the Moon” directed by Alex O’ Flinn

Director Alex O’ Flinn’s compelling “Shoot the Moon,” depicted the relationship between Tommy and his troubled brother, Victor, a Marine. O’ Flinn’s cinematography was pure visual poetry. The sunny, dreamlike warmth during flashback scenes depicting Tommy walking through fields with Victor and his ex-girlfriend contrasted with the gritty reality of Victor’s present, providing clues to his raw despair. O’ Flinn’s wealth of striking images (all the more incredible given that it was a short film) gave the audience immediate and profound access to the complex characters’ interior life. The filmmaker’s vision lifted storytelling away from restrictive Black and White; instead, O’Flinn probed life’s rich gray area, thereby offering hope for redemption and the chance to shoot the moon.

Kudos to LACMA for allowing these talented young directors a chance to showcase their vision and inspiring us all to shoot the moon.