Five-Spot: What caught my eye on February 9, 2012

By Robert D. Thomas

Music Critic

Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News

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Each Thursday, I list five events that pique my interest, including (ideally) at least one with free admission (or, at a minimum, inexpensive tickets). Here's today's grouping:

• Tonight at 8 p.m., Zipper Hall, Los Angeles

Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Huntington Library, San Marino

Camerata Pacifica

This traveling group (each concert plays in venues in four different cities) brings its latest program to Zipper Hall at The Colburn School in downtown Los Angeles tonight and to the Huntington Tuesday night. The program is a mixture of old and new: John Harbison's Variations for Clarinet, Violin and Piano; Sheng's Seven Tunes Heard in China for Cello; Schuman's  Märchenbilder (Fairy Tale Pictures), for Viola and Piano, Op. 113; and Beethoven's Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano No. 4 in B-flat Major, Op. 11, Gassenhauer. Information: www.cameratapacifica.org

• Saturday at 9:00 a.m. in local movie theatres

Metropolitan Opera in HD: Wagner's Gotterdamerung

If you've wondered what has caused all the kvetching vis-à-vis the Met's new Ring cycle, here's your chance to see the last part of the cycle: Gotterdamerung. The reviews have been generally negative not only of this production but also pretty much of all four productions, although there's been lots of praise for Fabio Luisi's work in the pit leading the Met Orchestra. However, as we learned from Siegfried, what comes across on the big screen may be quite different from the experience in the Met. Personally, I'd vote for L.A. Opera's production of Verdi's Simon Boccanegra (see below) but if you're a glutton for punishment, you have time to do both with dinner in between. Also, take note that Gotterdamerung runs six hours. An "Encore" date has not been announced. Information: www.metoperafamily.org

• Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

Los Angeles Opera: Verdi's Simon Boccanegra

Plácido Domingo performs the title role, which was written for a baritone and fits Domingo's voice at this stage of his career. James Conlon conducts and gives a pre-concert lecture one hour before the performance. Elijah Moshinsky directs this production from Royal Opera, Covent Garden (Brian in Out West Arts has one of his informative "10 Questions" features on Moshinsky HERE). There are six other performances, beginning Wednesday. Information: www.laopera.com

• Sunday at 7:00 p.m. at Walt Disney Concert Hall

Los Angeles Master Chorale: Bruckner and Stravinsky

Music Director Grant Gershon leads 115 members of his Chorale and a wind orchestra in Anton Bruckner Mass in E Minor and the motet Os Justi, along with Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms. Should be a real treat in the Disney Hall acoustics.  Information: www.lamc.org

And the weekend's "free admission" program ...

• Sunday at 6 at St. James Episcopal Church, Los Angeles

Edward Tipton, who from 1989-2010 was Canon of Music at the American Cathedral in Paris and is now Minister of Music for St. John's Pro-Cathedral in Los Angeles, appears on St. James International Organ Laureate Series. The recital will follow an Evensong service at 4:30 p.m. and will be played on a historically important instrument (read about it HERE). The church is located on Wilshire Blvd., two blocks west of Western Ave. and is reachable via a short walk from the Metro Purple Line's Wilshire/Western station. Information: www.saintjamesla.org

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(c) Copyright 2012, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved. Portions may be quoted with attribution.