Reviews

“In some ways, the hero of the evening was conductor James Conlon, who emphasized the transparency, grace and lyricism in the score, as well as Verdi’s unique virile energy. There is surprisingly more of the former than the latter. In fact, considering the predominant male voices, “Boccanegra” is quite subtle and delicate in scoring. Conlon was also considerate of the voices, cushioning the smaller ones and letting the orchestra rip to comment on the larger ones.”

Los Angeles Times
Chris Pasles
February 12, 2012
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“James Conlon navigates smoothly between Verdi’s outbursts of passion and his delicate impressionism…”

Variety
Robert Hofler
February 13, 2012
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“James Conlon, presiding over the expert orchestra and thrilling chorus, luxuriated in Verdi’s most graphic music, whether stormy or lyric – delivering the glorious duets, the grand concertato, the gorgeous third act trio with visceral conviction.”

Blog Downtown
Donna Perlmutter
February 15, 2012
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“Everyone gets their moment to shine in this cast, but the person who holds it all together is James Conlon who again led the orchestra in a propulsive, lusty performance. The players sounded bright and polished closely following the overall timbre of the vocal casting.”

Out West Arts
February 12, 2012
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“James Conlon, stood at the Los Angeles Opera orchestral podium to conduct his superstar colleague, Placido Domingo, in a performance that ranks with, and, in many ways, exceeds these legendary performances of old.”

Opera Warhorses
February 13, 2012
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“The production is top notch. With conductor James Conlon, we are so accustomed to the perfection of the orchestra. Same with Grant Gershon, chorus master and the wonderful LA Opera chorus.”

Splash Magazine
By Georja Umano and Gerald Everett Jones
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“To no one’s great surprise — he has conducted 25 performances of three productions of Boccanegra before last night — James Conlon conducted with assurance and sensitivity and the LA Opera Orchestra played beautifully; it would be a shock if either were otherwise but such skill is not to be taken lightly or for granted.”

Class Act
Robert D. Thomas
February 12, 2012
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“Seductive sea currents literally flow on stage while James Conlon conducts the orchestra, evoking Debussy-like waves. Simon Boccanegra represents a deeply personal memory for Conlon, and his conducting on opening night honored that memory. In a podcast interview on LA Opera’s website, Conlon revealed that watching Giorgio Strehler’s production of Simon Boccanegra as a youth so moved him that it became his favorite recollection of an opera production. Conlon did justice to that defining moment by shaping Saturday evening’s music into a dynamic character.”

Cultural Cocktail Hour
Leticia Marie Sanchez
February 13, 2012
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“Conductor James Conlon avoids any hint of melodrama in the score, and brings the whole production under his loving musical care. It emerges as a clean and highly lyrical rendering that makes one wonder why this opera is not mounted more frequently.”

Los Angeles Downtown News
Marc Porter Zasada
February 16, 2012
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“Opening night’s performance was impressive musically featuring a strong cast and chorus conducted by music director James Conlon.”

Pasadena Star-News
Jim Farber
February 16, 2012
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