L.A. Opera wins two Grammys for 'Ghosts of Versailles'

L.A. Opera wins two Grammys for ‘Ghosts of Versailles’

Patricia Racette as Marie Antoinette in Los Angeles Opera's 2015 production of John Corigliano's "The Ghosts of Versailles" at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

By Craig Nakano, Richard S. Ginell

Feb. 12, 2017 4:15 PM PT

When Los Angeles Opera took its curtain call Sunday at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the usual applause grew to a roar at the appearance onstage of two shiny guests stars: Grammy Awards that the company had just won.

The company’s 2015 production of composer John Corigliano and librettist William M. Hoffman’s “The Ghosts of Versailles” won Grammys for opera recording and engineered classical album. The former went to a team that included conductor James Conlon; performers Joshua Guerrero, Christopher Maltman, Lucas Meachem, Patricia Racette, Lucy Schaufer and Guanqun Yu; and producer Blanton Alspaugh. The latter honored engineers Mark Donahue, Fred Vogler & David L Williams.

In winning the opera recording category, L.A. Opera beat Santa Fe Opera’s recording of Jennifer Higdon’s “Cold Mountain,” the Salzburg Whitsun Festival production of “Giulio Cesare,” Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s “The Marriage of Figaro” and the Royal Opera of London’s “King Roger.”

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In the orchestral performance category, last year’s winner — conductor Andris Nelsons and Boston Symphony Orchestra — took top honors again, this time for “Shostakovich: Under Stalin’s Shadow — Symphonies Nos. 5, 8 & 9,” beating out, among others, Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony’s recording of “Bates: Works for Orchestra.”

Esa-Pekka Salonen and Los Angeles Philharmonic live recording of Frank Zappa’s “200 Motels” lost in the Grammys’ compendium category to “Daugherty: Tales of Hemingway; American Gothic; Once Upon a Castle” (Giancarlo Guerrero conductor, Tim Handley producer).

In the contemporary classical composition category, the winner was Michael Daugherty for “Tales of Hemingway.”

The chamber music and small ensemble Grammy went to Steve Reich for “Third Coast Percussion.”

David Frost was named classical producer of the year, beating out Alspaugh, Judith Sherman, Robina G. Young and the team of Marina A. Ledin and Victor Ledin.

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@cnakano

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