With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here .
Classical Pick of the Week: David Hockney's Tristan & Isolde
You probably relate David Hockney's name with his famous California photograph called " Pearblossom Highway #2 ." But one of the contemporary artist's early loves was opera and he's back, for the third time ever with Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde" with the LA Opera , a "great ode to sexual ecstasy," the production company writes in the tag line of the title.
It's a five-hour piece, but you can guarantee people will come out in droves for one of history's ultimate love stories. And if these fans were opera fans in Los Angeles 20 years ago, they are probably coming back, maybe for their third time. It's sort of become a decade anniversary as Hockney collaborated with the LA Opera on this piece in 1987 and 1997, making this the second revival, something the LA Times looked into earlier this morning (what does "revival" really mean ?). And the Downtown News is running a story about it , dated tomorrow.
In the Times article, Hockney half jokingly observes that one of his set designs may have inspired local architect Frank Gehry: "He observes that his 1987 design for the billowing ship's sails in Act 1 bears an uncanny resemblance to the curves of architect Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall, opened in 2003. 'Frank might have seen this, don't you think?'"
Sponsored message
"Trisan and Isolde" opens this Saturday across the street from Disney at the Dorothy Chandler Music Pavilion .
Photo by Ken Howard
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
