Brian Dickie

Relaxing in DC

 
I am all set for two nights in the Capital Hilton here where we will be having our Board and Committee meetings.  It is a gorgeous day for the last day in October - and it will be better still tomorrow.  But what you see above is not too bad is it?  This of course is the Washington monument seen from the Ellipse just across 17th street from the Corcoran Gallery.

I had a a little time off after I arrived this afternoon and took the opportunity to pop down to the  Corcoran to see the Richard Avedon - Portraits of Power exhibition.  It is on until January 25 and is a must see.  Do not vist Washington without setting aside an hour or so for that.  Avedon's ability to grab the fleeting moments of his subject's personality was extraordinary and his crafsmanship in editing and processing the images in his own unmistakeable style set him apart. 

But I was somewhat alarmed to find that the only one of his subjects on exhibition here that I knew well at all, was captured in a most uncharacteristic, or even never before displayed, mood.  This was Isaiah Berlin (right by Avedon) who was an old friend of my family and was in no small part responsible for me getting into the opera business.  So I was somewhat alarmed to see Isaiah in this way!  Nevertheless the whole show was mightily impressive.

This evening we are all gathering for a reception before the NEA Opera Honors event which will consist of some kind of performance in addition to the speeches and presentations, and then a dinner.  So it may be a late night.  This event is a co-production of the National Endowment for the Arts and Opera America.

On the way to DC

I am at the airport and the blogging service is down except by iPhone! So I can not correct the clock....... More when I get to the Nation's Capital (I am there now)

A quiet day

This has been a calm day for me in Chicago - broken up by a delightful lunch with a good attorney friend in Greek Town.  We went to Roditys - an unpretentious place with simple good food of the kind one finds in the average Taverna in a small Greek town.  

I am off quite early tomorrow to Washington where we have Board and Committee meetings of Opera America, as well as the first NEA Opera Honors tomorrow evening; and then the opening of Lucrezia Borgia at the Washington National Opera, with Renee Fleming in the title role, on Saturday evening.

And on Sunday I make my way to Philadelphia for auditions at Curtis and the AVA.  I hope thay have all calmed down after the World Series.

More news from the East as as when.

U of C music

I am on the Visiting Committee of the University of Chicago's Department of Music.  This evening we had our autumn dinner - and a more congenial gathering of people one could not imagine.  The great thing is that the faculty turn out in force - and given that this department  is adorned with the likes of Philip Gossett, Martha Feldman, Marta Ptaszynska, and Shulamit Ran to name but a few of those present - this was no small affair.

And after a most excellent dinner the as ever charismatic Shulamit Ran entertained us eloquently and treated us to some of her favorite things - with emphasis of course, and rightly so, on the work of Contempo of which she is Artistic Director.  

The ability of this University to reach out so widely into the Chicago community is, of course, with few  equals.  It is a very important part of what they are - and these visiting committees and their activities are most effective instruments for this work.

I had made my way down to Hyde Park this afternoon by the excellent Metra service (free to me with my magic card!) - and walked up the Midway Plaisance the half mile of so to Goodspeed Hall, headquarters of the Department of Music.  It is a pleasant walk indeed, past the Lab Schools and the Rockefeller Chapel (above right)- one feels a history of scholarship heavily on ones shoulders. 

I grabbed a ride back to town with Shauna Quill, director of the University of Chicago Presents program - she has now been here in Chicago for two years and has made a great impact.  We are so fortunate in having such able and friendly colleagues in this great city.

All change at the CCPA

We had a Board meeting of the Chicago College of the Performing Arts this afternoon.  The CCPA is part of Roosevelt University (see above on this bright afternoon) and our immensely successful Dean, Jim Gandre, was whisked away from us a year ago by Roosevelt's President, Chuck Middleton, to become Provost - this is the second in command position.  And he is making waves in that job too and will no doubt be as transforning there as he was these last seven years as Dean of the CCPA.

We have been fortunate in having Rudy Marcozzi, a music theorist and a distinguished teacher, in charge for the last year or so as Interim Dean.  But he is anxious to get back to the class room so is no doubt delighted that the search process for the new Dean is drawing to a close.  By the way Rudy's new book has just been published by Prentice Hall and you can get it at Amazon.  It is already being dubbed the Bunny Book because of its cover (see in the left column and click to buy) - smart marketing indeed!!!

I am looking forward to meeting some if not all of the final short list next month.  I have no doubt that the field will be strong - the CCPA is in fine shape with a great faculty and masively increased applications for admission.  The future is bright and the opportunities are infinite.

Winter is coming - it was very cold today.

Yet another learning opportunity

The feedback auditions that I participated in yesterday provided another new piece of information for me.  A number of the singers were from the University of Northern Iowa School of Music. And they were terrific!  There were some remarkable  voices who are clearly in the hands of an outstanding singing teacher.  This university is in Cedar Falls, Iowa and is clearly the place to be.  When I was in Iowa last year judging the Met auditions in Ames,  I was struck by the very special seriousness of purpose which appears to be a common theme in this state.  So here we have it again!  Maybe I should make this a regular port of call in future.

Gianna Rolandi joined me in this session and we were both mightily impressed by the potential of these young people. 

Last evening's visit to the Court Theater was a treat - a splendid production combined with a real major star performance from E. Faye Butler in the title role.  Wonderful.  As was our friend Melanie Brezill as her daughter! (see below)

Weekend at Northwestern

Well its not strictly true that I will have spent a weekend up at the Music School at Northwestern.  I was there for just an hour yesterday and will be back this morning and early afternoon for the part of the Singers Workshop devoted to auditions.  Yesterday morning our "panel" consisted of Jay Lesenger, the new director of the opera program at Northwestern, Jane Bunnell, distinguished mezzo now teaching at de Paul University here in Chicago, Lenore Rosenberg, long time pillar of the Metropolitan Opera, Christopher Feigum, a talented baritone who is singing Lescaut in the Lyric's current Manon, and me.

There was an excellent turn out of young professionals - and next door in Lutkin Hall the Chicago district  Met auditions were proceeding.  So it was a full Saturday on the delightful Northwestern University campus.

And this evening I will be down at the Court Theater for the final performance of Caroline, or Change by our old friend Tony Kushner who was with us five years ago for our production of Brundibar in Tony's translation and Maurice Sendak's gorgeous sets and costumes.  This has been a big hit and the run was extended by a week.  So I am lucky to have been able to squeeze it in.  And another bonus is that one of the young stars of the show, Melanie Brezill, (right) got an early start in the business as the Sparrow in that Brundibar of ours at the Athenaeum in 2003.  We are proud of her!

Learn a little something every day

I had a delightful lunch today with an old friend from my time at Trinity College, Dublin.  This was Julian Dawson whom I met first 49 years ago this month!  He now teaches at Northwestern after a long career at the State University at Bloomington-Normal.  And he has now introduced me to a company that I never knew existed - the Intermountain Opera Association in Bozeman, Montana - clearly a stunning place as you can see here. 

Julian has been conducting regularly there in recent years and next year, in addition to taking on La Boheme, will be in charge of Douglas Moore's Ballad of Baby Doe.  Well that might be really worth the trip.  It will be on as yet undecided dates in October.  That's all I know.  But it seems that they are determined to make a name for themselves and after 30 years its probably about time. 

Tomorrow I am taking part in an Opera America organised Singers Workshop at Northwestern. I will be there just in the morning, but will be back for most of the day on Sunday.  This is one of the most lively of the many activities that OA organises.  It is in the capable hands of Peter McDowell, formerly of the Chicago Cultural Affairs department and now a valued member of the Opera America Staff.  He was a singer as a boy - he sang Miles in The Turn of the Screw at the Opera Theatre of St Louis in 1980.  So he brings some seasoned expertise to the event!

Opera as it can be

Yes, this War and Peace here in Toronto really reinforces faith in this unique art form for those who may be wondering if it has anything for audiences of the future.  This utterly riveting evening of nearly four hours will silence any argument about that.  It helps of course that the opera itself is a masterpiece. 

Elena Semenova as Natasha, Russell Braun as Andrei, and Mikhail Agafonov as Pierre were outstanding in this huge company.  But with scarcely a weak link anywhere in the cast, and a characteristically finely detailed production by Tim Albery which drove the piece forward through the many changes of scene without pause (which brought it in just under four hours); magnificent choral singing from the company's famed chorus; and superb orchestral playing under the commanding young German conductor Johannes Debus - the enthralled audience stayed and cheered for longer than I can remember since Callas sang Tosca!  Great stuff and what a wonderful beginning to Alexander Neef's first season.  Since there is no sign of this opera in Chicago's immediate future all opera lovers should hot foot it to Toronto for one of the last three performances (if you can get a ticket.) 

Before the performance yesterday evening I had a welcome opportunity to talk to Alexander Neef at length.  While he has been in place since just the beginning of this month, he already has a complete grasp of this complex job, and has a calm confident assurance about him which is unusual to find in anyone of any age let alone someone so young.  I believe that the company's future is guaranteed to be prosperous in all respects under his gentle but firm hand, and penetrating intelligence and sensibility.

We were then joined by my old colleagues at COC, Rob Lamb and Sandy Gavinchuk, for an excellent pre performance dinner at Toronto's new star restaurant near the Opera House, Nota Bene.  Take note indeed if you are in Toronto for opera, music or ballet.  This is remarkable quality at a surprisingly low price, especially now with the US Canada exchange rate in our favor.

I am back in Chicago this afternoon much enthused about the future of opera!

Canada again

I am safely installed in the Hilton next to the Four Seasons Opera House (left) and looking forward to however long War and Peace is - must be over four hours so we wont be done until approaching midnight.  I may report this evening, or it may wait until tomorrow morning. Patience everyone!

Photo: Sam Javanrouh © 2007