Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Harassment claims inspire bold new work for upcoming opera season

Art Imitates Life Imitates Art...

“Really, it’s both an honor and a pleasure to be able to write specifically for the voice of one of the all-time great tenors,” says composer Sowsear. “I’ve been listening to Placido Domingo since I was a child, and I can almost literally already hear him tearing into the outraged indignation of an aria such as ‘Inquietante e impreciso’ (‘Troubling and inaccurate’), or the self-pitying sorrow of ‘Era un’alta volta’ (‘It was another time’). And almost as importantly, I think the work will have real staying power: there’s a mythic force to it, a classic tragedy of a great man and great lover being undone in his old age, both physically and in his reputation. The chickens are coming home to roost. I’m not saying I’m glad that these women went through what they did; I’m just saying that their suffering has not been in vain.”
“Really, it’s both an honor and a pleasure to be able to write specifically for the voice of one of the all-time great tenors,” says composer Sowsear. “I’ve been listening to Placido Domingo since I was a child, and I can almost literally already hear him tearing into the outraged indignation of an aria such as ‘Inquietante e impreciso’ (‘Troubling and inaccurate’), or the self-pitying sorrow of ‘Era un’alta volta’ (‘It was another time’). And almost as importantly, I think the work will have real staying power: there’s a mythic force to it, a classic tragedy of a great man and great lover being undone in his old age, both physically and in his reputation. The chickens are coming home to roost. I’m not saying I’m glad that these women went through what they did; I’m just saying that their suffering has not been in vain.”
“Really, it’s both an honor and a pleasure to be able to write specifically for the voice of one of the all-time great tenors,” says composer Sowsear. “I’ve been listening to Placido Domingo since I was a child, and I can almost literally already hear him tearing into the outraged indignation of an aria such as ‘Inquietante e impreciso’ (‘Troubling and inaccurate’), or the self-pitying sorrow of ‘Era un’alta volta’ (‘It was another time’). And almost as importantly, I think the work will have real staying power: there’s a mythic force to it, a classic tragedy of a great man and great lover being undone in his old age, both physically and in his reputation. The chickens are coming home to roost. I’m not saying I’m glad that these women went through what they did; I’m just saying that their suffering has not been in vain.”

“We were scrambling for a little while there,” says James “Silk Purse” Sowsear, Creative Director and House Composer at San Diego Opera. “There we were, thinking we’d scored a major coup: signing Placido Domingo himself to perform in next season’s scheduled showcase, Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia. And then these eight women come forward with stories of experiencing sexual harassment at the hands of our star tenor. The optics were…not good. It was one thing when the Met fired James Levine for messing with young men. They’re the Met. They’ll be fine. But as everyone knows, opera in San Diego is barely hanging on. We couldn’t afford to pay Mr. Domingo his kill fee and hire someone else, and we sure as hell couldn’t go on with the show. But then, one of those cute little things we keep around the office to help out said that as long as people were referring to “the #MeToo era” as an era, it was probably a big enough deal to serve as an artistic subject. “Somebody should make a show about that,” she said. That’s when the light when on, and I realized: somebody should make a show about that. Inspiration is funny that way: you never know what will set it off. And best of all, we still had Domingo under contract! Think of the publicity! Now we just have to hope the matter doesn’t get settled between now and next Spring.”

Sponsored
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Mid-range fleet scoring bluefin limits off Ensenada

Rockfish to open at all depths April 1st (no foolin’)
“Really, it’s both an honor and a pleasure to be able to write specifically for the voice of one of the all-time great tenors,” says composer Sowsear. “I’ve been listening to Placido Domingo since I was a child, and I can almost literally already hear him tearing into the outraged indignation of an aria such as ‘Inquietante e impreciso’ (‘Troubling and inaccurate’), or the self-pitying sorrow of ‘Era un’alta volta’ (‘It was another time’). And almost as importantly, I think the work will have real staying power: there’s a mythic force to it, a classic tragedy of a great man and great lover being undone in his old age, both physically and in his reputation. The chickens are coming home to roost. I’m not saying I’m glad that these women went through what they did; I’m just saying that their suffering has not been in vain.”
“Really, it’s both an honor and a pleasure to be able to write specifically for the voice of one of the all-time great tenors,” says composer Sowsear. “I’ve been listening to Placido Domingo since I was a child, and I can almost literally already hear him tearing into the outraged indignation of an aria such as ‘Inquietante e impreciso’ (‘Troubling and inaccurate’), or the self-pitying sorrow of ‘Era un’alta volta’ (‘It was another time’). And almost as importantly, I think the work will have real staying power: there’s a mythic force to it, a classic tragedy of a great man and great lover being undone in his old age, both physically and in his reputation. The chickens are coming home to roost. I’m not saying I’m glad that these women went through what they did; I’m just saying that their suffering has not been in vain.”
“Really, it’s both an honor and a pleasure to be able to write specifically for the voice of one of the all-time great tenors,” says composer Sowsear. “I’ve been listening to Placido Domingo since I was a child, and I can almost literally already hear him tearing into the outraged indignation of an aria such as ‘Inquietante e impreciso’ (‘Troubling and inaccurate’), or the self-pitying sorrow of ‘Era un’alta volta’ (‘It was another time’). And almost as importantly, I think the work will have real staying power: there’s a mythic force to it, a classic tragedy of a great man and great lover being undone in his old age, both physically and in his reputation. The chickens are coming home to roost. I’m not saying I’m glad that these women went through what they did; I’m just saying that their suffering has not been in vain.”

“We were scrambling for a little while there,” says James “Silk Purse” Sowsear, Creative Director and House Composer at San Diego Opera. “There we were, thinking we’d scored a major coup: signing Placido Domingo himself to perform in next season’s scheduled showcase, Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia. And then these eight women come forward with stories of experiencing sexual harassment at the hands of our star tenor. The optics were…not good. It was one thing when the Met fired James Levine for messing with young men. They’re the Met. They’ll be fine. But as everyone knows, opera in San Diego is barely hanging on. We couldn’t afford to pay Mr. Domingo his kill fee and hire someone else, and we sure as hell couldn’t go on with the show. But then, one of those cute little things we keep around the office to help out said that as long as people were referring to “the #MeToo era” as an era, it was probably a big enough deal to serve as an artistic subject. “Somebody should make a show about that,” she said. That’s when the light when on, and I realized: somebody should make a show about that. Inspiration is funny that way: you never know what will set it off. And best of all, we still had Domingo under contract! Think of the publicity! Now we just have to hope the matter doesn’t get settled between now and next Spring.”

Sponsored
Sponsored
Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Celebrate Holi, Borrego Springs Music Festival

Events March 23-March 27, 2024
Next Article

Taco Taco Poway still has 99-cent fish tacos

Tacotopia prizewinner is well known among Powegians
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.