Erling in the Pink

Maestro Erling Wold, has today been made just a bit more famous, in this swell feature by Joshua Kosman in the San Francisco Chronicle.
You can find this in the Sunday May 18 Datebook "Pink Section"

There is also this great photo of our renown tenor John Duykers, rehearsing his role as Edvard Mordake, in a spectacular orientalist robe by Kathleen Crowley.



PS Erling's boots are actually PINK .

update! rave reviews are pouring in.
Joshua Kosman's review in the Chronicle
SF360

The Fantastic World of Edvard Mordake

Mordake, Erling Wold's latest opera, tells the story of the 19th century aristocrat, Edvard Mordake, who was driven mad by his twin sister - a female face on the back of his own head.
I was asked to help visualize the setting- a suite of rooms fit for a Victorian gentleman.

I found plenty of inspiration at Richard Reutlinger's lovingly restored Victorian house in San Francisco, especially in the master bedroom, which features a Dresser-inspired frieze painted by my late friend and mentor, Larry Boyce.
I photographed some rooms, and made a Thurber-esque line drawing, as well as a simplified gouache painting of the bedroom (above) which are all to be computer- modified by Erling and German visual artist Freider Weiß, and then projected on stage to create Edvard's world. The large mirror I left blank, as they will be adding some invented reflections there. The set will alternate between photos, video, drawings, and paintings, to create varying levels of reality and fantasy.
And I hope Larry won't mind that in making my paintings of this room, I filled in his rather glaring persian flaw, so as to leave room for some of my own.

Mordake by Erling Wold, a solo performance with tenor John Duykers, premiers May 22 and runs through June 7, 2008
as part of the San Francisco International Arts Festival
More information and musings on this subject can be found on Erling's blog.

Mordake is featured on the cover of Theater Bay Area this month!

Lynne Rutter Murals & Decorative Painting

Missa Beati Notkeri Balbuli Sancti Galli Monachi

The off the hook baroque interior of the Cathedral of St Gallen.

After an incredibly lovely train trip from Milan through the Alps we arrived in St Gallen, Switzerland, for the premier of Erling Wold's mass, which he named for one of St. Gallen's most beloved monks, Notker the Stammerer.

Nearly 500 people attended the concert held in the choir of the Dom Cathedral. Erling's beautiful and moving music was brought to life by soprano Kim Brockman, whose voice really does remind one of angels, and the rock star of organists, Willibald, who handled the cathedral's 300+ year old instrument like it was a turbo powered sports car.
The applause lasted over 10 minutes.

A recording of the concert is here.

Albrechts Flügel

This week we are in Vienna!

Yesterday Erling Wold and I went to Albertina, notable for its print collection and works on paper, including those by Albrecht Dürer.

Years ago Erling wrote some music for a Jon Jost film called Albrechts Flügel. Though the film was never finished, the piano piece, played here by Marja Mutru, is among my favorite of Erling's compositions.
mp3 at erlingwold.com

a hot night by the bay

last night at yoshi's paul mehling and the hot club of san francisco gave a special performance to celebrate the release of their new cd "yerba buena bounce."

i'm always happy to get a chance to hear paul play, and he happens to half of the World's Most Stunning Couple (the other half being the tall lovely dancer kerry mehling)

it was one of those rare hot nights in the bay area, the food at yoshi's is great, and the band was spectacular, and thanks to a whole lot of nigori sake, i didn't mind a bit when paul was too much of a gentleman to autograph my chest.