One Man’s Zing Is Another’s Warhorse

Regarding Robert Gordon’s “L.A. Opera Repertory: Repetitive Stress?” (Counterpunch, May 11):

I am sorry if the season displeased him, but in fact all but one of the operas we are presenting next season have not been performed in more than five years.

In Los Angeles Opera’s brief history of 12 seasons, I am very proud that we were able to present such challenging productions as “Wozzeck,” “Katya Kabanova,” “Nixon in China,” “Pelleas et Melisande” (both Peter Sellars productions), “The Return of Ulysses” and this season’s “Florencia en el Amazonas,” among others.

I am confident that we will continue to present the very best of the operatic repertory, including the more esoteric and lesser known, as the company gains an ever-more solid financial footing and a larger audience.

As we prepare for the eventual move of the L.A. Philharmonic into Disney Hall, it is critical that we do all we can to build a larger audience for opera in Los Angeles so that the L.A. Opera can rightly become the primary tenant of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

The 1998-99 season, which includes “Carmen,” “Werther,” “Falstaff,” the world premiere of “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “Madama Butterfly,” “La Traviata,” “Don Giovanni” and “Lucia di Lammermoor,” has, to date, attracted the largest subscription sale in L.A. Opera history. More important, the percentage of subscribers who have renewed from last season is the highest ever, more than 83%.

As our subscription and donor base grows, it will allow us to present more performances of more operas, both traditional and nontraditional. It is not unusual, by the way, for major American opera companies to present only one or two productions new to their repertory each season. The San Francisco Opera has only two productions new to their repertory for the 1998-99 season. It has, however, 63 years more of repertory to choose from.

Until contracts with all the artists are settled, I cannot divulge what is planned for future seasons, but I can assure Gordon that we are planning many productions new to Los Angeles audiences. I’m glad he decided not to give up his subscription seats, and I hope he will be too.

PETER HEMMINGS, General Director, L.A. Opera

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I couldn’t agree with Gordon more. I was recently called by the L.A. Opera and asked to subscribe to a “make-your-own” miniseries in which I could choose three operas. Unfortunately, I could come up with only two operas I would even want to see, “Werther” and “Lucia,” the latter only because of the cast. I don’t want to see another “Butterfly,” or another “Don Giovanni,” either.

Yes, we all had great expectations for our opera. It now appears that Hemmings and his subordinates are tired, bored and disinterested.

JOAN RUTKOWSKI, Santa Barbara

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I totally agree about the tired, old warhorses being trotted out . . . boring! “Fiery Angel” (1987) was wonderful, witty opera--cavorting nuns! The devil eats up the little busboy! It was great theater and great music. Let’s get L.A. Opera exciting again.

MARY DE CAMP, Los Angeles