by Christina Waters | Oct 9, 2007 | Home |
Strapped in and thoroughly prepared for the rippling arpeggios and sonic repetitions that are Philip Glass’ prevailing strategies, I was surprised and transported by the majestic themes and counterpoints of his new opera, Appomattox, at its world premiere last week at the San Francisco Opera. At the baton was an old friend and long-time Glass colleague, Dennis Russell Davies, who commanded every nuance and thundering key change of this gorgeous piece of music.
Davies, believe it or not, was making his SF Opera debut — a long overdue debut for such a consummate interpreter of new music. Davies deserves a major world orchestra, but that’s another story.
The setting offered much dramatic promise — the final days of the Civil War, and the delicate negotiations of surrender between Robert E. Lee (sung by Dwayne Croft) and Ulysses S. Grant (Andrew Shore). Thanks to the magnificent baritones, an unusual touch, as the generals, the poignant scenes of battle fatigue and civility after four years and 600,000 confederate deaths, were subtle and moving.
However Glass and his librettist Christopher Hampton, ever postmodern, introduce not only events of today’s civil rights struggle into the midst of the Civil War — but even interlace the evening with a bathetic anti-war tract — and hence neutralize the aesthetic power of his music. (more…)
by Christina Waters | Oct 6, 2007 | Home |
More changes. Hugh Weiler, partner and consummate barkeep at Soif (shown here in a characteristic pose), is off to marry his sweetie Barbara in Sacramento and live happily ever after. The charm, calm, wry sense of humor and stupendous knowledge of wines that Weiler brought to the town’s chic wine bar are, frankly, irreplaceable. Weiler’s Soif colleague Patrice Boyle reassured me that there are plans for Weiler to make frequent and myriad guest appearances at the wine bar’s future events.
by Christina Waters | Oct 5, 2007 | Food, Home |
Here’s a highlight of Theo’s chef Nicci Tripp demonstrating one of his delightful house cheeses for Wine Country magazine.
by Christina Waters | Oct 1, 2007 | Home, Travel |
There are still a few things that justify enduring the slings and arrows of outrageous airport security checks, sitting for 10 and a half hours in a tiny, cramped seat, being rudely herded through the Frankfurt airport – and then getting into a smaller plane and sitting for two more hours.
Italy is one of them.
I spent last week in the perfect Mediterranean climate of Florence, where the Renaissance and its passionate architecture are still alive and well. Dining is effortless here, even though the dollar went on its all-time plunge while we were in Euro-land. But the artwork was our real destination — and this visit was wrapped around an eccentric Mannerist painter named Pontormo, and a visit to his frescoes in cloister outside of town, up in the extreme Tuscan landscape dotted with vineyards.
Like many visitors who’ve already seen the obligatory sights, we let the days stretch out into more wandering, lingering and relaxing than in previous trips. Aiming toward a particular restaurant each day, we focused on a destination each morning and another in the afternoon, and tended to seek out cool corners of a cathedral, to draw in sketchbooks or take notes and let the 500-year-old ambience transport us to a time before the internet or expiration dates.
The first afternoon, for example, we let the cool opulence of San Lorenzo wash over us and our jet-lag, and then had a simple dinner of caprese and niçoise salads at the splendid Caffe Gilli on Piazza della Repubblica, where our hotel is located. (more…)
by Christina Waters | Oct 1, 2007 | Food, Home |
Severino’s Community Butcher is heading back east! The talented couple, Hilary Prescott and Justin “Blade Runner†Severino will be leaving the area at the end of the year. Headed for Pennsylvania. “We’ve got family there, we can afford to buy a home and raise kids there.†That’s what Hilary told me last week. It is not good to watch an exodus of talent away from our pricey but idyllic coast. . . . But the word is that Severino’s partner Chris LeVeque will be taking over the business – and that’s good news for those of us who are now spoiled by the presence of naturally-grown and hand-butchered charcuterie.
