NCOpera

"Drop all lesser pleasures..."

Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin had never been performed in Alaska before last Saturday night. And who was conducting? Our own conductor far far from home, Timothy Myers! According to Mike Dunham of Alaska Daily News: “Non-singing counted for much here…notably the contribution of conductor Timothy Myers. Faced with a pared-down orchestra (nine violins total would be about half of the first violin section alone in any of Tchaikovsky’s symphonies), he compensated with masterful precision that paid attention to the composer’s melodies and ingenious deployment of instruments, getting especially crisp work from the winds. The distinct wind and harp voices supporting the letter writing scene came out with elegant clarity. The Anchorage Opera orchestra has seldom sounded this good. Should I ever find myself in a city where this man is directing another production or a concert, I’ll drop all lesser pleasures to attend.”

Let’s read that last line again: “Should I ever find myself in a city where this man is directing another production or a concert, I’ll drop all lesser pleasures to attend.”

Mike Dunham: Consider yourself invited to Raleigh!