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.

shocktober.

It's October--hooray! I'm going to spare you the excuses from this current absence--recovering from cancer, crippled dog who possibly needed surgery (and thankgodfully didn't), work madness--I've got them all. Instead, let's focus on what makes us happy right now--it's fall, even here in Los Angeles.

It's been fun watching all the decorations go up in the neighborhood, and kind of...

...scary!

This weekend, I made a curried pumpkin soup, and it was awesome. I put it together from a few different recipes and added my own spin. What's great is that I think this would work with any pureed-type soup--butternut squash, cauliflower, etc.

I just smashed up garlic, ginger and jalapenos, added the pumpkin puree, coconut milk and some vegetable broth, a few generous dollops of curry paste and seasoned it with curry powder, tumeric, coriander and a touch of cumin (I always use this sparingly). I ladled it over brown rice (quinoa or forbidden rice would work, too) and garnished with sour cream, pumpkin seeds and tortilla chips. Good, healthy stuff.

I know--I'm not really a food blogger, but sometimes I dream of being one, so indulge me here.

Unfortunately I didn't get back to my friend Lisa in time to snag a free ticket for the opening Jacaranda Music Series concert. Sad, because my favorite Lyris Quartet was performing. On the bright side, there will be more Jacaranda concerts to come, and Lisa offered me a ticked for the L.A. Opera next weekend! Dido and Aeneas/Bluebeard's Castle--so excited.

The very photogenic Lyris Quartet

Went to the Farmer's Market at Fairfax and Third, like I do most Sundays. I love the beautiful painting of it below, which was part of a recent art exhibit I attended. The show celebrated the book launch of 100 Not So Famous Views of L.A. by local artist and printmaker Barbara Thomason.

Artwork via Barbara A. Thomason.

Here is one more painting from the book. Of course, we're all familiar with the giant chicken man in Highland Park.

Artwork via Barbara A. Thomason.

 
After the Farmer's Market, I was excited to to attend the Academy Costume Exhibit at what will soon be the new Academy Museum. My friend Susan is a member and scored us some VIP tickets.

At top right: three of Edith Head's eight Oscars.

It was a fascinating (and exhaustive) look at Hollywood history through the lens of the costume designer. Having lived in L.A. for over fifteen years now, in such close proximity to the entertainment industry, there's very little of the "magic of Hollywood" that leaves me awestruck. This exhibit did. The sheer scope of the show (much like the Kubrick retrospective) is overwhelming. If you're reading this, and you're in the L.A. area, it is a must-see.

The many cinematic gowns of Queen Elizabeth. Photo via 

AP/Miami Herald (there was no photography allowed).

And of course, the best part of the year--along with the dropping temperatures, the addition of flannel PJ pants, the longer nights--is the crazy good sunsets.

Lots of fun stuff planned next weekend, too, so stay tuned for more! xoL

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.

oblivion.

Hello! I wanted to start off this post with a couple of pics I've been meaning to put up for the longest time.

A funny thing happened last December--this billboard for the film Jack Reacher appeared out my office window. Our lovely copywriter, Kaiza, pointed out that the the Scientology sign loomed just beyond the headline, "If he's coming for you, you deserve it." It was too serendipitous not to document, so I had our amazing front-end developer (and budding photojournalist) Asim--pronounced AWESOME--work his magic.

Photos by Asim Bharwani.

Full disclosure: there's a bit of Photoshopping going on here for effect, but I mean really! How does this even happen? Only in L.A., kids. Only in L.A.

The billboard stayed up for a few months after the New Year, and one day I looked at it and thought, "What the hell? I'm going to go see Jack Reacher." Two criteria influenced my decision: 1. It was written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, and 2. I very much enjoyed Mr. Cruise in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.

An avant-garde film director you do not want to f*** with.

Which leads me to two things I want to discuss: the casting of director Werner Herzog as the film's villain...um, ok...WHAT???!!! Who knew that one of the most visionary directors in the last century is also the scariest son-of-a-bitch on-screen. I mean, good GOD. While the movie was standard fare, I'll be seeing this dude in my nightmares for years to come. Incredible.

Which leads me to my next point: the re-emergence of Tom Cruise as the world's most perfect action film star. Like I said, I love MI4, particularly because of Cruise's kick-back performance, which said, "Look, I'm just Tom. By now, I know you know what's up and I don't care. I just want to make my movies and do my own stunts. I'm not going to even bother kissing any girls, because I know you don't buy it, and honestly, it's always made me uncomfortable. So let me just get back to martial arts and hanging off the tallest buildings in the world." Real talk.

Oblivion--maddeningly slow, haunting, unsure if it's an action or an art pic, 

and a surprising comment on drone warfare.

Because when I thought about it, Tom stars in a few of my favorite films--Minority Report and Collateral, and yes, I would add MI4--the only film I've seen where the audience broke into applause after an action sequence--to the list. And I wished the bloated and pretentious Magnolia had simply focused on the Cruise storyline, because he was riveting in the role of a type-A, hyper-masculine, misogynistic, self-help guru.

But it begs the question: can you separate a public figure's persona and artistic work from his disturbing personal beliefs? I suppose it depends how disturbed you are by those beliefs. It appears as I'm not alone in welcoming Tom back into my life, as the New York Times featured an editorial, Learning to (Re)Love Tom Cruise this week. Unfortunately, it wasn't a very enlightening take on the Cruise conundrum, dismissing his involvement and support of a dangerous cult with basically, "Oh, leave him alone!" Yes, we're all entitled to worship any religion we please, as the author points out; I'm all for it. But anyone who still thinks that Scientology gives its members full freedom to live and believe as they choose probably has a head full of trillion-year-old thetans.

The article made me all the more excited to read Going Clear, by New Yorker writer Lawrence Wright. Maybe I'll get back to you with a review of it. Maybe I won't.

Moving on. I also come across this photo on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page. This is the corner I have worked at for the past eight years: Sunset and Vine. It was interesting to see a perspective on it from 60+ years ago (judging from the cars).

Photo via http://vintagelosangeles.net/

And FYI: here's how it looks today.

Photo by AEH--that's me.

I made a trip to my beloved Stories in Echo Park and was struck by this beautiful cover.

But it was not the reason I popped in (Do I need a reason?). This was:

Buy it at buyolympia.com!

Ian, aka the original Sassiest Boy in America and the lead singers of the bands Nation of Ulysses and The Make-Up, held a séance at Stories last Thursday night. I wasn't able to go because I had to work late, but I was determined to get an autographed copy of his new book, because my little bro just loves him, and it was recently his birthday, and I wanted to surprise him, and...shit.

Ian played in the Make-Up, which gives me fond, 90's-era memories.

Oh well. It's interesting, because I now work with a chap named Treiops Treyfid (maybe his real name, maybe not...), and Treiops was in a band called Pitchblende, which was a part of the late 80's-early 90's D.C hardcore/art rock scene.TT--as we fondly call him--was a contemporary of Ian.

TT, kickin' it D.C. style with Pitchblende.

Treiops is now a well-known fixture on the L.A. art scene. You can see more of his (weird) art and hear more of his (really weird) music at treiops.com.

Multi-media performance artist, Treiops Treyfid, in action.

The pièce de résistance of the weekend was a performance of the little-known "Curlew River," by Benjamin Britten. The opera was presented by Jacaranda Music as part of the Britten Centennial and featured members of the L.A. Gay Men's Chorus.

Photo via latimes.com

I think this was the first opera I've ever seen sung in English. As you can see, the performers all wore grey sweatshirt hoodies and jeans. It reflected the simple, spare notion of the story, which was inspired by 14th century Japanese Noh theater. The tale of a Madwoman who crosses a river in search of her missing son with a Ferryman, a Traveler and a chorus, only to find he is dead and is visited by the boy's spirit, was strange yet moving. The principals were all excellent, and I loved it. I'm really enjoying Jacaranda's dynamic programming--they are a force for modern music in Los Angeles.

The latest in Britten 100/LA: A Celebration.

In other exciting news, I've perfected a new soup recipe! And I've been scarfing it down for dinner every night ever since. The star ingredient is Trader Joes' rice noodles, and it's super easy to make:

• Dice 2 cloves of garlic, 1/2 jalapeno, 1/4 onion & a chunk of ginger.
• Sauté and add 2 cans of vegetable broth.
• Bring to a simmer, and add 1/2 bag of TJ's shredded cabbage and a handful of shredded carrots.
• While the veggies soften, add a shake of soy sauce, a few drops of fish sauce, 2 shakes of rice vinegar and the juice of one or two limes.
• Cook the rice noodles according to directions. Place noodles in a bowl, add the soup and garnish with chopped mint, basil and cilantro, plus a dollop of chili garlic sauce.

Success!

This week's photo find: an early pic of the Rolling Stones, who played at the 650-capacity club, Echoplex. I did not go the show. But I know I'm getting old, because I'm starting to dig classic rock again.

Just one more thing: this was outside the Mosaic church on the corner of Hollywood and La Brea.

I'm really intrigued by this place. I always drive by on Sunday morning, and they have a fabulous coffee spread out front, along with lots of hip youngsters mingling and looking happy. And apparently this jazzy graffiti, "Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul" refers to a new book club the church is starting. You can read more about it here.

That's all for now. As always, thank you for reading. I'll be back with more soon. xoL