L.A. Opera announces a ‘conservative’ 2011-12 season

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Still reeling from the recession and its recent mounting of the complete ‘Ring’ cycle, Los Angeles Opera is announcing Monday that its upcoming 2011-12 season will feature a lineup dominated by imported productions and revivals. The season highlights include Plácido Domingo performing the baritone role of ‘Simon Boccanegra’ for the first time in L.A., and the company premiere of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Eugene Onegin.’

The 2011-12 season will feature six productions, with 37 total performances. A special seventh production, the 19th century Hungarian opera ‘Bánk bán,’ is in the process of being finalized and looks virtually certain for the season, according to company leaders.

Domingo, on the phone from New York, where he was rehearsing at the Metropolitan Opera, said he will conduct ‘Bánk bán’ when it arrives in L.A., the exact dates of which will be announced later this year. He said that L.A. Opera has to be careful financially going forward, and that he would like to see the company return to as many as eight productions in the 2012-13 season.

Christopher Koelsch, the company’s chief operating officer, said L.A. Opera is taking a ‘conservative approach’ to the season and added that he is ‘cautiously optimistic’ about the company’s future.

Click here to read more about the season and continue reading below for the complete schedule being announced Monday.

‘Eugene Onegin’ (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky); conducted by James Conlon; starring Dalibor Jenis, Oksana Dyka, Vsevolod Grivnov.

Opening performance: Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. Additional performances: Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 25 at 2 p.m.; Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 9 at 2 p.m.

Co-production of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and the Finnish National Opera

‘Così fan tutte’ (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart); conducted by Conlon; starring Aleksandra Kurzak, Ruxandra Donose, Roxana Constantinescu.

Opening performance: Sept. 18 at 2 p.m. Additional performances: Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 2 at 2 p.m.; Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 8 at 2 p.m.

Production from Glyndebourne Festival Opera

‘Roméo et Juliette’ (Charles Gounod); conducted by Plácido Domingo; starring Nino Machaidze, Vittorio Grigolo, Vitalij Kowaljow.

Opening performance: Nov. 6 at 2 p.m. Additional performances: Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 20 at 2 p.m.; Nov. 26 at 2 p.m.

A Los Angeles Opera original production

‘Simon Boccanegra’ (Giuseppe Verdi); conducted by Conlon; starring Domingo, Ana María Martínez, Vitalij Kowaljow.

Opening performance: Feb. 11, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. Additional performances: Feb. 15, 2012, at 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 19, 2012, at 2 p.m.; Feb. 21, 2012, at 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 26, 2012, at 2 p.m.; March 1, 2012, at 7:30 p.m.; March 4, 2012, at 2 p.m.

Production from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

‘Albert Herring’ (Benjamin Britten); conducted by Conlon; starring Alek Shrader, Daniela Mack, Liam Bonner.

Opening performance: Feb. 25, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. Additional performances: March 3, 2012, at 7:30 p.m.; March 8, 2012, at 7:30 p.m.; March 11, 2012, at 2 p.m.; March 14, 2012, at 7:30 p.m.; March 17, 2012, at 2 p.m.

Production from the Santa Fe Opera

‘La Bohème’ (Giacomo Puccini); conducted by Patrick Summers; starring Ailyn Pérez, Stephen Costello, Artur Ruciński.

Opening performance: May 12, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. Additional performances: May 20, 2012, at 2 p.m.; May 23, 2012, at 7:30 p.m.; May 26, 2012, at 7:30 p.m.; May 31, 2012, at 7:30 p.m.; June 2, 2012, at 2 p.m.

A Los Angeles Opera original production

Season tickets will be available Tuesday. Single tickets will go on sale May 1.

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-- David Ng

Photo (top): Plácido Domingo in ‘Simon Boccanegra’ at Covent Garden. Credit: Catherine Ashmore

Photo (bottom): Gustavo Dudamel, left, and Domingo. Credit: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times