photo by Ruth Waltz for the International Herald Tribune

The IHT has a review of the premiere of Hanz Werner Henze's new opera, "Phaedra" at the Berlin Staatsoper. In New York, the opera world thinks an opera by freakin' Richard Danielpour is some kind of breakthrough, but Berlin gets a premiere by one of the greatest composers of the 20th Century, with designs by Olafur Eliasson no less!

They're also doing a new production of Medeamaterial by Pascal Dusapin (based on the Heiner Müller play) directed and choreographed by Sasha Waltz! I can't stand it!

It's time to interest some of those hedge fund billionaires in some contemporary music methinks.

John Cage and Merce Cunningham

Today is the anniversary of the birth of one of my saints, John Cage. WNYC is playing his music all day, which you can listen to via MP3 or Windows Media stream.

[image from Music From Other Minds]

James and I are attending Don Giovanni on Saturday as part of NYC Opera's "Opera For All" promotion: $25 tickets! I recommend getting on their mailing list for future offers, as most of it is now sold out except for a concert of hightlights from the season on Thursday the 6th. If you want to avoid the crowds in Chelsea, maybe you should attend that instead. You can text "OPERA" to 43077 for insider news and offers.

Sept. 6th: City Opera Concert Celebration 7:30 p.m; followed by an after party with the East Village Opera Company on the Promenade of the State Theater

THE CONCERT: The City Opera Celebration Concert will showcase our orchestra in an 80-minute program of highlights from the season sung by City Opera artists.

THE POST-CONCERT PARTY: As a way of kicking off the Festival and welcoming a new audience to our house, the entire audience will be invited onto the Promenade and Ring Balconies of the New York State Theater for light hors d'oeuvres and beverages following the Concert. The East Village Opera Company, a rock band that plays opera arrangements, will provide music for the party.