For an opera fan, Wednesday evening’s Philharmonic concert must have been a happy occasion. For me, an opera fan for sure, it was. What more could I have asked for than to spend close to a couple of hours with two giants of opera, the 19th century golden boys, Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner. The program was balanced fairly, an equal number of pieces, five each with two being orchestral: Verdi’s exciting Overture to “La Forza del Destino,” often played on symphonic concerts, and the hauntingly melancholic Prelude to Act 3 of “La Traviata; Wagner’s rousing Prelude to Act 3 of “Lohengrin,” also a symphonic favorite, and the mood-setting, festive Prelude to Act 3 of “Die Meistersinger.” To all of them, conductor Arthur Fagen and his stage-filling orchestra gave readings that thrilled for the lushness of sounds produced and for their intensity of feeling […] It was amazing that Maestro Fagen could bring unity and clarity of such high quality to an ensemble just organized. But not only did the Philharmonic make itself proud in the orchestral pieces mentioned above but in accompanying the singers the remainder of the evening. Wolfgang Brendel and Jane Dutton have had distinguished singing careers of long standing […] Brendel sang with passion […] Dutton sounded jubilant […]
Peter Jacobi, Heraldtimesonline.com, September 9, 2016
Giacomo Puccini, Madama Butterfly, North Caroline Opera, January 30 and February 1, 2026
From the very start, the music, conducted masterfully by Arthur Fagen, was captivating. Even when the action lagged, the music was able to bring rich depth to these scenes, languishing in emotion. Andrea Luke, February 1, 2026,...