Coppeneur Chocolates

Coppeneur a German chocolate company offers a wide variety of regional chocolates, 9 of which are sitting neatly wrapped in front of me. Like a world tour ready to open, the first leg of the journey will have us headed to islands of Papua Neuginea, Trinidad, Grenada and Sao Tome. It seems chocolate is popular on islands. Out of the 9 bars 7 are from island nations.

One thing I noticed about Coppeneur is they excel at making a chocolate bar with a fine mouthfeel and texture. This has been consistent with all the bars I have tasted.

Tabuna from Papua NewGuinea, has an initial taste of deep shadowy darkwood forrest. The depth and savouriness are followed by notes of mushroom and toasted spices. There are also distinct notes of currant, cherry, leather and tobacco that round out the finish. Very nice lots of body and complexity in this bar.

The Sao Tome has a brilliant taste bright, fresh, fruity and even a bit vegatal. The complexity of this bar is wonderful, from the freshness of the initial tasting to woodsy/vegatal finish it leaves the palate feeling clean and bright. I really like this offering, my mouth feels so fresh.

Trinidad Habanero and Lavender: the initial notes of Lavender rose from my mouth to my sinuses. This was followed by a deep spiciness a glorious deep spiciness that tickled the back of my throat. I was quite impressed by the use of these two ingredients, I did not think I would like this bar as much as I did. I have tried the lavender flavored Dagoba bar and found it too floral. But Coppeneur really pulled it of and left me wanting more. I think the 72% cacao content made this a more enjoyabe chocolate than Dagoba's offering.

I have 6 more chocolate bars to review . . . wish me luck!

Peter Grimes and Grenada Chocolate

I managed to catch the last performance of San Diego Opera's production of Benjamin Britten's classic Peter Grimes on Sunday April 26th. I applaud them for taking on the challenge of staging this opera, for it is not an easy one to digest. The story is gritty and grimy and it doesn't really fit in with the standard repertoire. It was such disappointment to the San Diego crowd that after the first performance they slashed ticket prices to lure people in.

At first it seems a bit hard to swallow, the music and general tone are on the darker side, which never really lightens up. The whole set was mostly grey with little color overall even in the costumes. The lighting was sparse, I felt as if I was peaking into some bleak reality. The beautiful tonality of the Sea Interludes between acts added to the tenseness.

Anthony Dean Griffey played the role of Peter, his on stage presence as an outcast, gruffy, inhospitable, passionate and at times delusional fisherman was very convincing. It is hard to imagine stepping in and out of this role but Griffey pulled it off well and his melodious voice added a soft belly that lies underneath the character. At times he reminded me of Chris Farley from Saturday Night Live both in look and his ability to characterize extreme states. He did an excellent job overall really owning the role.

The cast was strong, Jennifer Casy Cabot playing the role of Ellen, she conveyed the warmth and care of the character superbly. I also really liked the apprentice a silent part of an 11 year old boy who is Peter's new apprentice. There were quite a few choruses throughout the piece, the last one was particularly well timed with the orchestra, the intensity of it brought me to the edge of my seat. The orchestra and singers were well timed and synchronized throughout most of the production. The music backing Ellen touched on the warmth of her part and sounded quite well with her sweet voice.

Scene 2 of Act III really sent shivers across my skin, Peter is certain to tried for murder of his second apprentice. Knowing the town will not have mercy on Peter, Captain Balstrode played by Rod Gilfry tells Peter to take his boat out and sink it. The deranged, lost and forlorn gaze in Peter's eyes as he hears the message and walks off stage left me feeling slightly uneasy. Rod Gilfry was excellent as the even keeled Captain Balstrode.

This Opera was worth the 2 hour Sunday morning drive to San Diego, though I can't say I would like to see again soon, mainly due to the heaviness of the story.

Chocolate from The Grenada Chocolate Company accompanied me on this foray, I picked up a bar of their 71% dark from Whole Foods in Southern California. Grenada makes a straightforward organic dark chocolate, what sets them apart from the rest is that they are a co-operative of growers and processors. Most of the cacao comes from the island but I have heard they are getting cacao from Costa Rica due to hurricane damage to their island crop. Grenada Chocolate Company make all their bars in small batches at their little factory nestled amoung the cacao trees, in Grenada.

The aroma is deep and chocolaty with notes of leather and various types of ripe fruit from banana to citrus. There is great depth to this chocolate and the aroma is the first introduction to this. The taste is extremely full bodied, which I really like, there are these upfront tones of coffee, strong coffee followed by a nuttiness. As I sat mulling over the nutty flavor, I started to detect some burnt caramel, then grapefruit rind, cherry, wood and spice. All this was then followed by a peanutbutter/hazelnut finish.

Grenada chocolate has character, lots of it, I had no particular reason for choosing this bar to go along with me to Peter Grimes. But as I reflect on it a bit more, I can see some similarities, they are deep and complex and never let up in their intensity.

The Birds by Walter Braunfels and Waialua Estate Cacao

Los Angeles Opera's recent production of The Birds (Die Vogel) by Walter Braunfels conjures the words enchanting, charming, elegant and delightful. It is a touching story which seems appropriate for the times. For haven't we we all dream at one time or another to live free as a bird, an life filled with song and unencumbered by the gravitas of terrestrial life? Adapted from a Greek comedy by Aristophane's, The Birds is ripe with touches of fairy tale.

Conceived of between WWI and WWII The Birds is a story of longing touched with love. It centers around a pair of characters Good Hope and Loyal Friend who seek to live in the utopian realm of the birds. Their attempt to enter the world of the birds is more of an interference and eventually leads to disruption and war. They enter the world with the common notion and mistake that grass is greener on the other side.

I feel the production suited the fairy tale like theme of the story quite well. The opening aria sung by the Nightingale played by Desiree Rancatore was particularly appealing. Her singing rang out beautifully as she was silhouetted against a blue full moon on a darkened stage. This shadow image was striking and added a mystical and elusive quality to the prelude. At first her high notes seemed a challenge but as the opera progressed she clearly warmed up and this was no longer an issue.

The entire cast was very well put together with some notables being Good Hope, Loyal Friend, Prometheus and the Nightingale. Valeria Vinzant playing the first Wren was also a pleasure. She played Papagena in LA Opera's recent production of The Magic Flute. It is interesting to note she has a quality about her that makes for a nice 'bird'.

We are first introduced to Good Hope tenor Brandon Jovavich, as he sits on darkened stage with visions of birds flying by. Projected in pure white light as a flock across the stage; their flight against the blue and the black of the set had a quasi strobe light and hypnotic feel. His voice was warm, fluid and he was very convincing in his role.

Loyal Friend the more guile of the two was played by James Johnson was equally as convincing with his cunning ways vocalized quite well. His stately voice held the part together well, singing with and over the orchestra his projection was superb.

In the opening scene of act 2 Good Hope begs the Nightingale to show him the world the birds live in. She sings to him in he falls into euphoria trying to grasp the harmony the birds know so well. As she sings flower blossoms were projected onto the stage one by one at first. Good Hope reaches for them in awe yet fails to grasp their beauty. This touch tied in nicely with his reflections on love and beauty on his journey home. He could only take the feelings with him as the Nightingale sings her aria.

Prometheus played by Brian Mulligan stole the stage in act 2, as he burst onto the set to warn the birds of the wrath of the Gods. It was a small but part he received a big ovation from the crowd, he was a real pleaser.

There was also a well choreographed dance scene in Act 2 for the wedding of the Dove and Pigeon. The dancers were very deft at navigating the steep rake of the stage, though at times it did seem they may slide off into the orchestra. The choral pieces were also highly enjoyable, the bird tribe consisted of some 20-30 performers. They were cast in various color costumes, designed by Linda Cho.

The score was composed in the 1920's in Germany and sounds like works from the late romantic period, rather than modern. This lent a quality of familiarity to it, a friend reminded this music is common in motion pictures. To me this familiarity seemed some how comforting. James Conolon conducted with a tender and verdant touch and the orchestra was impeccable. The music came together nicely with the performers, with both being in harmony throughout the whole piece. Their synchronization was very pleasing adding to the ethereal setting of the story.

Waialua Estate of Hawaii is the only cacao plantation in the United States. They produce about 15,000 pounds of beans a year, making this one of the rarest chocolates available. The plantation is located on the North Shore of Oahu and growing only Criollo variety trees. The pleasing climate and rich volcanic soils yield a nice quality bean. The chocolate from this plantation marketed by both Dole Foods and Malie Kai Chocolates.

The chocolate is processed by San Francisco's Guittard, the Dole variety is a 70% dark offered in a small box containing 5 individually wrapped 10 gram pieces. Malie Kai offers a 55% dark and 38% milk chocolate variety they also offer a few inclusion bars. For this tasting I opted for the 55% dark.

Both the Dole and Malie Kai are delicious straight forward chocolates. The Dole variety had a very smooth mouthfeel and a deep true chocolate taste. Malie Kai, is also very nice it has a bit more distinction with tones of red fruit complementing the rich chocolate palate. I recommend giving trying this rare cacao from the Aloha State.

Sarah Chang and Nirvana Chocolate

"I've always ranked the Brahms as the Mount Everest of all concertos . . ." from an interview Sarah gave with Barnes and Noble.com.
Tonight Sarah played Brahms Violin Concerto in D Major Opus 77 with the Pacific Symphony led by Carl St. Clair. Like climbing an insurmountable mountain, that was the feeling she evoked. I left her stellar performance feeling like I had also climbed a mountain. Such captivating beauty and emotion this woman evokes. From the moment she walked on stage a feeling rippled through me her style and movement imbue the piece with such life.

The evening began with two pieces by Richard Strauss. The first a double concerto for clarinet and bassoon. Followed by a rousing suite from Der Rosenkavalier Op. 59. With lyrical beauty Carl St. Clair us into a trance delicately conducting the duet concerto. Parts of me swayed the pacific conducting style and light winds of inspiration from clarinet player Benjamin Lulich and bassoon player Rose Corrigan. The piece was a gentle introduction to a wonderful night.

Without a score maestro St. Clair lead Der Rosenkavalier through peaks and valleys with fieriness and balance. It was a wonderful ride and a fitting piece that left us on energized for Sarah's stellar electrifying performance.

Wow, for one Sarah has presence on stage that is very note worthy in and of its self. From the minute she walked out I could feel the energy in the hall shift, it got more electric, her virtuosity apparent. She moves with the piece and animates each note with her body, swaying and carrying the concerto to new heights. Like she was feeling into it with her body and expressing each stroke with a her rocking movements, so beautiful to watch. She embodied the music and brought such life to score, one could almost feel it wafting through the air after the performance was over. She is quite a genius a joy to listen to and a pleasure to watch, if she is coming through your town make sure to get tickets for it is sure to be a show for your eyes and ears.

Nirvana 72% Organic Dark Chocolate: What a fine accompinement to the evening, crafted in Belgium from Trinitaro cacao beans from The Dominican Republic. This chocolate delivers it all for a reasonable price, $4.95. I would say it is just as good as some the more expensive bars I have tried but less pretensious. It has a deep chocolate richness rounded out with notes of banana and caramel. It lacks bitterness and acidity, the mouthfeel is generally good, not the best not the worst. Overall this is a very appealing bar that I would not hesitate to buy again and keep on hand.

Die Walkure and Fortissima 80% by Francois Pralus

photo by Monica Rittershaus

The epic of The Ring continues along with the abstract, non descript spectacle of Achim Freyer's vision, designed to represent a place before time and before consciousness. Such a place is a nebulous void entirely filled with a singular vision. Being that there is no such place and to try and present such a vision one has to wonder whoses art are we going to see, are we there to see Wagner or Freyer? We are drawn there by Wagner but what we get is Freyer's vision.

This production presents its self as more futuristic than timeless. Lighting effects are a massive part of this production, including the use of light sabers as swords. It fits the theme but draws a glaring unavoidable parallel to Star Wars. Light sabers were cool in 1977 but in 2009 and they seem foolish, cumbersome and passe. Add to that, Siegmund and Sielglinde looked like they just stepped off a Star Trek set. The use of scrim was better executed than in the production of Das Rheingold. In Die Walkure the scrim and lighting create wonderful compositions, presenting a sense viewing of a living painting, a reminder that Achim Freyer is a painter as well as stage designer.

This production of the Ring Cycle is so beyond what even seems normal in so many ways it is hard to reconcile the feeling that Wagner has been hijacked. There are so many aspects that raise questions. Why through all of Act 1 is this woman walking in a circle in the center of the stage? Why is there a giant glowing eye in the upper left hand corner? Why does the staging betray the libretto . . ? Siegmund played by the incomparable Placido Domingo and Sielglinde played by soprano Anja Kempe stand on opposite sides of the stage and sing of their embrace. The lack of visible emotion was replaced by fast moving clouds project onto the scrim.

There is a theme of distance plays its self out during the entire production, like the one between the characters. This gap creates a vacuum that seems to only fill with questions. There is a mystery to the sparseness of the set and the cold stage direction of the characters. I only wish he would let us in on what he had in mind because it seems far from Wagner's vision. Overall this quizzical production is hard to describe, there is so much mystery and symbolism which I feel would work much better if we had a clue as to the why of it all. To present such a avant garde staging and not give an explanation is a real disservice to the audience.

Regardless of the bizarre staging, the orchestra and singers were top notch. I felt all the performers were stellar and did an excellent job with in their roles. The oversized costumes, spacial distance and face paint did not prevent the viseral drama the inherent in this piece. James Conolon led the orchestra with grace, gusto and precision, the orchestra pit was covered like in Rheingold but this time the sound was less muffled and more vibrant.

I was accompiened this evening by a French friend, Francois Pralus who crafts some of the finest most complex dark chocolates to cross my palate in a while. The bar I choose was Fortissima, a blend of Criollo and Trinitaro beans from South America. This bar pleasently exceeded my expectations. It is rich flavorful and complex with notes of milk, banana, muted spice and lightly toasted grain. The bitterness is balanced well with tart reminders of passion fruit and citrus. This 100 gram bar was such a nice compliment to the evening at times I would just close my eyes and savor the sounds of the evening and silky notes of cacao filling my mouth. I give this bar high recommendations.

Vivaldi and Vivani

There were three things about this performance which got me excited months and advance. The first, this was the US premire of Motezuma, the second this was my first baroque opera and third the music was provided by Camereratta Pacific. They are Southern California's premire baroque ensemble who I have been wanting to see for a while. And the afternoon did not disappoint.

Ah, what a playful, fun, inventive, contemporary and wonderful production Long Beach Opera staged of Vivaldi's Motezuma, I barely know where to begin. The piece was in English and Italian, the arias were in Italian and the English was just to fill in the gaps. The theme of the production was "Pre-Columbian Aesthetics for a Post Modern World". The story is a ridiculously complicated love story which I will not attempt to retell, the absurdity is just a backdrop for the beauty of the music and arias.

Andreas Mitisek the artistic and general director for LBO is doing wonderful things evident by their 2009 sold out season. I am ever so grateful for their production of Vivaldi's Motezuma, an opera thought to be lost for the past 269 years. It was not so much lost as overlooked it wasn't until baroque scholars joined the libretto and score did this piece get reborn. The libretto by Luigi Gusti had been known to exist and a few arias from Motezuma werea also recycled in Bajazet. The score was sitting quite in a music library in Berlin which was moved to Kiev in the 1940's, then back to Berlin in 2001. There in plain view and labeled 'the poetry of this opera is by illustrious Gusti, the music by the priest Antonio Vivaldi'.

And the kingdom was reborn in the way we experience ancient cultures today, in a museum. The stage was set as a museum exhibit, encased in glass were the weapons, artifacts and dress of both the Aztec and Spanish at the time of Cortez's conquest. This museum setting might seem an irreverent place for a baroque piece and I heard some comments how it was a disgrace to the composer. Well, baroque unfortunately is museum worthy at least in this post modern world.

One thing some distressed reviewers and patrons forgot or didn't take into account was 1.) this is fiction, the libretto is soap opera worthy with its ridiculous love plot and 2.) Vivaldi is a classical version of a pop star. How many times have you heard The Four Seasons used in commercial advertising? Vivaldi was pumping out scores faster than they could be played much like today's pop hit factory producers and making a nice penny, much like they do today.

I mean no disrespect to Vivaldi in fact I love Vivaldi. The story involves Motezuma's daughter falling in love with Fernando Cortez's brother and from here a ridiculous story evolves. This in it self is just absurd situation, a God fearing Christian falling in love with and eventually marring a native 'heathen'. So with this in mind Long Beach Opera brought us a highly unlikely setting a museum. Like some hallucination, the guests in the museum become the characters in the show.

Another highly unlikely Motezuma's daughter Teutile a blond. Disguised in a blond wig Courtney Huffman played a stereotypical Southern California girl, love crazy and entitled. Her visual impression betrayed her signing and she did such a wonderful job playing the daughter of royalty with a modern twist. Singing her arias with such beauty, grace and humor, she brought a nice complexity and lyricism to the stage.

The tenor a regal looking Roberto Perlas Gomez played Motezuma, part angry father; part distraught royalty. His arias were commanding with a depth and magnetism. And through his acting we witnessed despair, disgust, nobility and redemption, with just the right touch of humor.

Mezzo Soprano Cynthia Jansen played Mitrena, Motezuma's wife. Her concerns for Motezuma were evident, I really felt drawn in by her presence as a loyal caring wife and mother. She stood by Motezuma's side like a true pillar of support. Even willing to carry out the sacrifice of her daughter at Motezuma's command.

Fernando Cortez played by counter tenor Charles Maxwell was charming and guile, emanating the air of confidence over this newly discovered land. There was quite a depth to his vocal range but seemed his voice didn't truly warm up until after intermission. When he seemed less strained and much more clear and articulate by the fourth act.

Ramiro, Fernando's brother was originally cast for a castrato, being there is a serious lack of this type of singer these day the role was played by mezzo soprano Peabody Southwell. Charming she was, playing a man in love and brother of the Conquistidor Fernando. She executed a balance between love and loyalty to blood very well.

Caroline Worra who played Asparo really stole the show, during most of Act 1 and 2 she was simply sitting on a bench in the "museum". This led me to believe she was only a spectator conveniently placed on stage. Though when she sung her first aria it she was astounding and really electrified the theater. I highly recommend getting familiar with her because she is destined for the larger stage.

Overall this production left me with a warm feeling and a delightful sense of satisfaction. It ended with a chorus and the wedding of Ramiro and Teutile and the uniting of the Spanish and Aztecs. Camerrata Pacific, Southern California's premiere baroque ensemble provided the music led by Andreas Mitisek at the harpsichord. They performed Vivaldi's score with precision.

Vivani crafts delicious chocolate and Vivaldi crafts delicious music, I think we may have a match made in heaven. Vivani is a German organic chocolate company who in my opinion makes one of the best bean to bar organic chocolates around. Vivani chocolates are widely available, reasonably priced. It is said that when Cortez arrived in "Mexico" the gutters were lined with gold and cacao beans were used as currency, a testament to the value of cacao?

With Motezuma we will be sampling Vivani chocolates, he was reportedly a known chocoholic said to have consumed 50 cups of hot chocolate a day. crafted from bean to bar in Germany, Vivani chocolates are a delight harmonious blends of cacao. Vivani does not use soy lechitin a common ingredient which assists with the smoothness and silky texture of chocolate bars. They have a small line of dark chocolate bar offerings including 72%, 85%, with lemon and with green tea. Their fine inclusion bars have a light yet flavorful touch adding to the enjoyment of their already rich chocolate.

The 72% melts with a creamy caramel complemented with notes of milky coffee and lightly buttered and toasted challah. There is the slightest of bitterness which rounds out the bar nicely, the aroma is sweet and inviting with a mouth feel of silk.

Their lemon inclusion has just the right touch of lemon oil bright enough to perk up the tongue and add a new twist to the sweetness of the chocolate, slightly reminiscent of cheese cake. The green tea inclusion features a 2% addition of matcha, powdered green tea. Two percent does not seem like a lot but a little seems to go a long way bringing a grassy vegetal tone to the overall flavor of the chocolate. The green tea did change the mouth feel adding to a slightly grainier texture.

Up Coming for April 2009

April is shaping up to be a full with lots of performances on the schedule and lots of chocolates to review.

First up is the US Premier of Vivaldi's Motezuma, this was the first opera to be written about the 'New World'. It is not a historical account but an opera story about falling in love with the wrong people, the daughter of Motezuma falls in love with a Spanish Conquistador. I am excited to see this for two reasons, 1.) it will be my first Baroque Opera and 2.) it will be a US premiere. It is being put on by Long Beach Opera a company south of Los Angeles.

Next is Waltz Dream by Oscar Strauss this is being put on by Lyric Opera of San Diego.

Then we have Die Walkure by Los Angeles Opera, this I am approaching with skepticism as it is being staged by Achim Freyer. LA Opera's first stage in the Ring Cycle Das Rheingold was interesting and left many questions. I found the costume and makeup to be a bit much and the staticness of the performance left a lot to be desired. Placido Domingo will be playing Siegmund, to see him is my main reason for attending.

Again at the LA Opera we have The Birds, this is part of James Conolon's 'recovered voices' project. He is reviving and presenting opera's that were suppressed by the Nazi regime. I have listened to the recording and just love it, this I am excited to see.

And finally we have Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes in San Diego. The San Diego Opera company has a long history and is an esteemed company out of one of the prettiest cities in the US. I am looking forward to this and their up coming production of Madama Butterfly in May starring Patricia Raccete as Cio-Cio San. She recently played this role at The Met this season, big talent in a fine seaside city.

Thrown into the mix for good measure is performance by Sarah Chang performing two pieces by Richard Strauss's including a suite from Der Rosenkavlier and violin concerto by Brahms.