weekend, part i.

A weekend of classical music...sounds like a blast, right? It does to me!

Los Angeles has a small (compared to New York, Chicago and London) classical music scene, but it's vibrant, eclectic and often on the cutting-edge, focusing on new composers and the avant-garde. I dig it, and there's SO MUCH going on this weekend, I just had to share. Everything from an opera by a 12th century feminist to an opera with a 60s cult film as its backdrop.

Er...there's a lot between those two operas, so take a look.

Cantoris Los Angeles presents Ordo Virtutum, by the Benedictine nun, mystic, writer and composer Hildegard von Bingen. The play will be accompanied by an ensemble of medieval instruments. If you're looking for an introduction to opera, this may be it, as it's only a little over an hour.

Friday and Saturday, April 25th-26th, 7:30 p.m., at the ProCathedral of St. John on West Adams Boulevard. Get all the details here.

Nun, writer, composer and all-around badass Hildegard von Bingen

On the other side of town, St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in the Palisades presents Violin Fest, celebrating four centuries of violin music and featuring Salastina Music Society co-directors Maia Jasper and Kevin Kumar. For details and tickets, go here.

Salastina's Maia Jasper and Kevin Kumar

I've blogged frequently about the Jacaranda Music Series, so you know I love it. This season's finale features none other than the magnificent Lyris Quartet performing quartets by my favorite composer Sofia Gubaidulina--plus works by Schnittke, Pärt and Prokofiev.

And if that wasn't enough, the Lyris also kicks off the premiere concert of the new Contemporary Performance Collective. Tune In features the works of many Los Angeles composers performed by local musicians. I am VERY excited about this. Sunday, April 26th, 8pm at the St. Francis of Assisi Church in Silverlake. More details and ticket information here.

Classical musicians are remarkably photogenic, no?

Sunday also marks a new Classical Music in Historic Sites concert from the Da Camera Society. The Italian Saxophone Quartet will perform pieces by Morricone, Piazzolla and Gershwin at the stunning Bradbury Building in DTLA. More info and tickets here.

The Italian Saxophone Quartet plays Sunday

This is the one I'm all over--the American Cinematheque and Los Angeles Opera have joined forces in an opera/film mash-up. Hercules vs. The Vampires, an early '60s Mario Brava cult classic, inspires the new work by L.A. composer Patrick Morganelli.

Again--this is your chance to see an opera that isn't 18 hours long with multiple intermissions, and bonus: the tickets are very reasonable, so you can sit down front! That's what I'll be doing on Sunday.

Sliding into next week, LACMA hosts Celebrating Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 29th featuring LA Phil concertmaster Martin Chalifour, along with members of the Angel City Chorale and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, performing works by Schoenberg, Stravinsky and more. Info and tickets here.

I said it before, I'll say it again: classical musicians are TRÉS photogenic.

Come back tomorrow, where I'll continue with weekend, part ii (the non-classical music edition--WHAT!).

Love, Lexa.

six months.

Hi there! It's so good to be back.

So, this has been one of those times when real-life, non-virtual things come up and I lose sight of the blog for a bit. Like, I started a post and (as is often the case) by the time I got around to finishing, it didn't feel relevant anymore.

But something else has happened along with the surgery from which I'm recovering. I wasn't sure whether to address it on the blog, but I've decided to do it. So here it goes: I've been diagnosed with cancer--Stage III Ovarian Cancer, to be exact.

Needless to say, having cancer and adjusting to chemotherapy puts a damper on blogging. But there's no way I'm letting it go. Nothing stops the blog. I also thought this might be a good place to add some thoughts about what I'm going through...you know--write about it--like everyone keeps telling me to.

Here's the deal. I have six months of chemotherapy--the title of this post--18 sessions, of which I have completed five. I'm not going to lie to you, readers. The past two months have been rough. The side effects have left me exhausted, nauseous and bald.

But I also want you to know life hasn't stopped. I've managed to get out and about (a little) since my diagnosis, and I would like to share some of it with you in this post. Let's take a look.

I finally got to attend a concert of the Da Camera Society's Chamber Music in Historic Sites. Courtesy of my lovely friend Vivian, we were treated to a special night at L.A.'s super private, members-only California Club. As Curbed L.A. noted in a recent post, "there is an old adage that goes 'The people who run Los Angeles belong to the Jonathan Club; the people who own Los Angeles belong to the California Club.'"

The night included a delicious supper followed by a concert of "Thomas Bloch and Friends," featuring a rarely-played instrument called the Glass Harmonica. Created by Benjamin Franklin, the glass harmonica features a series of glasses attached by a metal rod. Slightly similar to a harpsichord, the glasses are operated by water-moistened fingers and pedals, creating ethereal, merry-go-round-like sounds. 

The concert included works by Benjamin Franklin(!), Mozart, Debussy and more. The star of the show (in my less-than-humble, totally-violin-biased opinion) was violinist/violist Cindy Wu, who blew me away with Saint-Saëns' "Fantasie for Violin and Harp."

Another treat was a visit from my best friend Dan, who flew in from NYC a couple of weekends ago. We hooked up with our other high-school bestie (also named Dan) and had quite a time--we always do. After a month and a half of being housebound, it was wonderful to enjoy dinners at two of my fave restaurants: A.O.C. and Crossroads...

Wow. Look at all that hair I had a couple of weeks ago. 

No wonder I was surrounded by cute guys.

...plus an amazing concert by the Jacaranda Music Series in Santa Monica. As part of the L.A. Phil's Minimalist Jukebox program, the night featured my two favorite chamber groups, the Calder and Lyris Quartets, joining forces on Philip Glass's score for Mishima, a film by Paul Schrader. The second half of the show included actor Franz Hans, backed by a horn band, narrating David Byrne's The Knee Plays, 14 pieces that were composed as interludes between the acts of Robert Wilson's opera Civil Wars.

And just a few more fun things to share with you: I discovered (and became a bit obsessed with) the Waterlogue app, which transforms this stunning photo...

...into this beautiful watercolor...

...and this little mutt into...

Isabel Archer, Downton Abbey style.

I binged watched a TV series--eight episodes of Broadchurch, starring David Tennant and the WONDERFUL Olivia Colman. Man, I love this lady.

I got lost in a new book. Congratulations on the Pulitzer, Ms. Tartt. Even if not everyone agrees.

 I developed a mad girl crush....

...on the gorgeous Rosamund Pike, who wowed me as Paul Giamatti's wife in Barney's Version.

...and will soon be seen in David Fincher's Gone Girl. EXCITED! EXCITED! SO EXCITED!

I know Ben Affleck is in this, but still, I am shaking with excitement.

I attended a fascinating art exhibit at 11:11 A Creative Collective  in Tarzana...

...and fell head over heels for the photography of Erin Stone...

From "Returning" by Erin Stone.

...and just enjoyed my beautiful, Mid-Century Modern neighborhood.

Now I'm off to do a little wig shopping. See you soon--and I promise it won't be long.