In Tuesday’s (2/15) Wall Street Journal, David Mermelstein reports from St. Paul, Minnesota. “The beloved American soprano Dawn Upshaw has always followed her own star. When few singers of her stature championed new music, she made a cottage industry of the practice, a commitment that has only increased with the years. At the same time, her growing interest in more intimate forms of music making has led her to forge new associations away from the opera house, including one here with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. … The soprano is now in the middle of two weeks of concerts in St. Paul, variously performing music by Benjamin Britten, Manuel de Falla and Gabriela Frank. Ms. Frank’s piece—the song cycle ‘The Keeper and the Dove,’ with lyrics by the playwright Nilo Cruz—was inspired by the painter Frida Kahlo and commissioned by the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra especially for the soprano, who will give its premiere on Thursday. … She also relishes working with the conductors Esa-Pekka Salonen and David Robertson and, especially, with the director Peter Sellars. In fact, in June she will collaborate with Mr. Sellars for the 10th time—at the Ojai Music Festival, where this year she serves as music director.”
Posted February 15, 2011
