Portland Classical Vocal and Opera Lovers

An enslaved princess, a love triangle, a deadly rivalry . . . all brought to life in one of the Met's most legendary, lavish stage spectacles through the musical storytelling of your friend and mine, Giuseppe Verdi. Angel Blue's lustrous voice, a column of gold and velvet, should be an ideal match for this music.

Please note the earlier-than-usual start time of 9:30. This event runs nearly four hours, so be prepared! I'll be in seat Q1, but it worked well last time for people to sit wherever they want, and we can meet up after the show to debrief and have a coffee or whatevs.

Beethoven's only opera, about the stalwart Leonore, who really goes the extra mile for her husband Florestan, a political prisoner. It's sort of "Twelfth Night" meets "The Shawshank Redemption." Lise Davidsen's voice is so perfect for this role that it could have been written for her, and this will be a performance for the ages. Even if you're not familiar with this opera, it is extremely listen-able . . . highly melodic, lots of drama, and as someone who didn't normally write for singers, Beethoven blithely ignores what the human voice can or should do, with the result that the roles of Leonore and Florestanan are two of the most demanding vocal marathons in opera.

I'll be in Seat Q1 as usual. I will have to leave shortly after this performance concludes, to make it over to Lincoln Hall for the Jerusalem Quartet's opening salvo in their full Shostakovich String Quartet cycle, so that's going to be a day. If you are not yet aware of this series of concerts, please visit Friends of Chamber Music and buy tickets! The Jerusalem Quartet are the finest interpreters of Shostakovich since the Fitzwilliam (who debuted most of the works under the composer's guidance). They are playing the quartets in order, over five concerts, so if you go to only one, make it the 7-9 night, and make sure you have emotional support/a stiff drink afterward.