I was about 20 years ago, I think, that Thea Musgrave's `Mary, Queen of
Scots' had successful performances in London, San Francisco and Virginia.
It's a good opera, well deserving of a breakthrough against the black hole
that swallows up deserving new works.

A small-scale redemption is scheduled for next week, at the world premiere
of Musgrave's `Three Women: Queen, Mistress, Slave,' the Women's
Philharmonic conducted in Herbst Theater by Apo Hsu.  (Two other works on
the program are by Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Grammatte and Judith Shatin.)

The characters in Musgrave's work are Mary, Manuela Saenz (mistress of
Simon Bolivar) and Harriet Tubman.  I don't know how much -- if any --
of the music from the opera will appear in `Three Women.'

I hope for a report as actual attendance is not possible for me.  Women's
Philharmonic consists of women only and it performs only works by women.
Logic and consistency (if not actual rules) call for an audience of women
only.  The concert is on Jan.  23; for information: (415) 392-4400.

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