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Curtain calls: under Placido Domingo's leadership, the Los Angeles Opera is hitting all the right notes.

Article Excerpt
IN OPERA, A WORLD IN WHICH EVERYONE BURSTS into song, reality is an afterthought. Artists and fans glory in the pursuit of the superlative, be it the grandeur of Richard Wagner or the minimalism of Philip Glass. Success isn't measured in box-office receipts--this is a notoriously cost-ineffective business--and there is no Oscar for best soprano. The standard is set by four centuries of tradition (and in this field, people have very long memories). These days, however, nearly all the leading U.S. houses have had to check their ambitions at the stage door. From New York to San Francisco, flagging attendance and slashed budgets have forced a retreat to cheaper, safer--and duller--programming.

Fortunately for us, our hometown remains a resilient exception. The Los Angeles Opera's recently announced 2004-5 season, which begins in the fall, includes a record 100 performances and ten productions (four new stagings and three imports new to the city). The projected operating budget of $48 million is up $12 million from that of the current season and is more than double the one Placido Domingo inherited when he took charge five years ago. These numbers assure that the company ranks among America's five largest, no small feat given its relative youth. More exciting, Domingo and his colleagues possess the potential to vault into the top tier in quality, internationally as well as nationally. Already, the Los Angeles Opera is one of the most intriguing around.

It has not been immune to trouble. The gyrating economy and millions in unfulfilled commitments from mega-donor Alberto Vilar have required Domingo and his staff to make their share of cancellations, stumbles, and punts. Still, after each new blow, they keep bouncing back. A big reason is Domingo....