SF Opera Ring Cycle 2

After the rigamarole of claiming prime standing room spots for the 1st cycle of San Francisco Opera's Ring Festival, it was a relief to attend the 1st two performances of cycle 2 sitting on the floor at the back of the balcony, with just the libretto to look at. The upstairs railing was full up, & during Rheingold I was next to people reading the score & a woman who curled up on the floor & napped for 2 and half hours.

I feel like the orchestra's playing improved steadily throughout the 1st cycle, & the sound was tremendous from up there. My ears were frequently drawn to the strings, clarinets & trumpets. Conductor Donald Runnicles made the music swell without pushing the tempos.

The cast practically flaunts its vocal strength & stamina. Tenor Štefan Margita, with the supple clarity of his voice, articulate expression & physical charisma, is an ideal Loge. Tenor Brandon Jovanovich sang Siegmund with heft, lyricism & energy to spare. It felt like he could have held the fermata on "Wälse!" for twice as long without a problem. Soprano Karita Mattila did not always sing Sieglinde with accuracy, but her broad, syrupy voice is so novel that I enjoyed hearing her nonetheless. The ardent expressiveness of mezzo Jamie Barton's singing as Fricka was impressive.

The audience applauded soprano Iréne Theorin's Brünnhilde after her 1st short scene in the 2nd act of Die Walküre, & there was laughter during the Wotan/Fricka scene. There was also delighted applause for the parachuting Valkyries in act 3. In Rheingold, the Nibelungs' screaming is terrific. It was great running into many opera friends at these performances, & I had fun taking in the lively atmosphere of Brünnhilde's Biergarten, which indeed offered beers, pretzels & wursts.

§ Das Rheingold

San Francisco Opera 2018 Ring Cycle 1

Conductor, Donald Runnicles

Director, Francesca Zambello

Wotan, Greer Grimsley

Loge, Štefan Margita

Alberich, Falk Struckmann

Fricka, Jamie Barton

Erda, Ronnita Miller

Mime, David Cangelosi

Fasolt, Andrea Silvestrelli

Fafner, Raymond Aceto

Donner, Brian Mulligan

Froh, Brandon Jovanovich

Freia, Julie Adams

Woglinde, Stacey Tappan

Wellgunde, Lauren McNeese

Flosshilde, Renée Tatum

Tuesday, 06/19/18, 7:30PM
War Memorial Opera House


§ Die Walküre
San Francisco Opera Ring Cycle 1

Conductor, Donald Runnicles
Director, Francesca Zambello

Brünnhilde, Iréne Theorin
Wotan, Greer Grimsley
Sieglinde, Karita Mattila
Siegmund, Brandon Jovanovich
Fricka, Jamie Barton
Hunding, Raymond Aceto
Siegrune, Laura Krumm
Grimgerde, Renée Rapier
Ortlinde, Sarah Cambidge
Gerhilde, Julie Adams
Rossweisse, Lauren McNeese
Schwertleite, Nicole Birkland
Helmwige, Melissa Citro
Waltraute, Renée Tatum

Wednesday, 06/20/18, 7:00pm
War Memorial Opera House

SF Opera Götterdämmerung 1

Each time conductor Donald Runnicles appeared in the pit for the Sunday matinee of San Francisco Opera's Götterdämmerung, the audience gave more cheers & applause for the maestro & the orchestra. I feel like the orchestra's playing has steadily improved over the course of this 1st cycle. There was striking playing from all sections & an over-all sheen to the orchestra's sound. I never thought I would pay so much attention to the bass trumpet or bass clarinet. The brass playing was clean yet brash. The horn solos, both from offstage & the pit, sounded courageous & glinting. The strings were vibrant. Maestro Runnicles led the music in an unbroken flow, continually swelling & exhaling, & the opera's big orchestral passages were enthralling.

The opening Norns scene was gripping, all 3 singers sounding dusky & focused, accompanied by a murky & restless orchestra. It was nice to hear mezzo Jamie Barton twice, as a Norn & as Waltraute. Her voice is hearty, with strong low notes, & there are lots of colors to her singing.

Director Francesca Zambello managed to find humor in the Gibichungs Hall scene. Soprano Melissa Citro was a strong-voiced Gutrune, & she comically minced about the stage, conscientiously tidying the furniture, plumping couch pillows & posing herself in preparation for Siegfried's arrival. Baritone Brian Mulligan has an even, taut & pleasing voice, & his Gunther is a decent man who realizes too late that he's a pawn in Hagen's game. Andrea Silvestrelli's hollow, resonant voice is distinctive, & he was a chilling Hagen. I enjoyed every moment of his performance. Bass-baritone Falk Struckmann was a dark, insinuating Alberich. He often enunciated the text spitefully.

Tenor Daniel Brenna has a bounding, easy-going stage manner & was an endearing Siegfried. His voice is somewhat light, but unforced & with clear, bright high notes. His act 3 narrative was lively & engaging, & he sang his death scene affectingly in short, expressive phrases. Soprano Iréne Theorin sings with sustained strength, & her Brünnhilde was consistently stalwart. She varied her performance with a controlled pianissimo during her immolation scene.

Visual impact comes primarily from large digital projections on the scrim & the back of the stage, & the production relies on constantly shifting images of industrial landscapes & natural phenomenon to make its points. I was impressed at how quiet the many scene changes behind the scrim were.

Throughout the opera we see all the female personages physically attacked by men in some way, & the final scene pointedly puts only women on stage. Gutrune witnesses "Starke Scheite" while women dump rifles, tires, debris & Siegfried's body off the back of the stage. Projections depict an apocalyptic snow of portraits of the cast. In the closing moments a girl comes on stage to plant a sapling.

The audience was dedicated & attentively quiet throughout. The only time I noticed people exiting early was during the 1st act. There was a standing ovation from the orchestra level & extended applause & cheering, especially when the scrim went up to reveal the orchestra members on stage, holding up their instruments & waving to us. It was great to see the French horn player singled out. Ring attendees could collect "I Survived!" buttons as they left the theater. Even though this was a matinee performance, my head was so filled with music that I couldn't get to sleep until 2am.

§ Götterdämmerung
San Francisco Opera 2018 Ring Cycle 1

Conductor, Donald Runnicles
Director, Francesca Zambello

Brünnhilde, Iréne Theorin
Siegfried, Daniel Brenna
Gunther, Brian Mulligan
Hagen, Andrea Silvestrelli
Waltraute, Jamie Barton
Gutrune, Melissa Citro
Alberich, Falk Struckmann
First Norn, Ronnita Miller
Second Norn, Jamie Barton
Third Norn, Sarah Cambidge
Woglinde, Stacey Tappan
Wellgunde, Lauren McNeese
Flosshilde, Renée Tatum

Sunday, 06/17/18, 1:00pm
War Memorial Opera House

SF Opera Siegfried 1

The 1st act of San Francisco Opera's Siegfried on Friday seemed to go by much faster than its 80 minute running time. The orchestra under conductor Donald Runnicles sounded bouncy, & the musicians' playing was agile & detailed. Tenor David Cangelosi was a lively Mime. His exuberant physical performance included dances & cartwheels, & his singing was expressive & fluent. Tenor Daniel Brenna was a rambunctious Siegfried, & his relaxed, almost casual, stage presence put me at ease. His voice is on the lighter side, a bit gritty & somewhat bright. Mr. Brenna had fun with the role & was playful & jolly in the forging scene, which demonstrated the sword-making steps clearly. As The Wanderer, Greer Grimsley sounded predominantly angry. His voice is big, centered & penetrating. Siegfried's bear was mischievous, & his antics included stealing a bag of potato chips from Mime's trailer.

I found the setting for act 2 to be confusing. We seem to be in an abandoned warehouse, with Fafner lying in wait just outside. Bass-baritone Falk Struckmann gave a dark portrayal of Alberich, sometimes snarling & declaiming the text rather than singing it, & his voice was focussed & firm. It wasn't clear to me why he had a shopping cart filled with Molotov cocktails. Bass Raymond Aceto sang Fafner with smooth phrasing, & his death scene was pitiable. In this staging the Forest Bird is a perky girl in a trench coat, & soprano Stacey Tappan sounded fit & bright, with chirpy high notes. The extended off-stage horn solo had good pacing & a modulated tone & was nearly flawless.

The playing of the orchestral passages in act 3 was brilliant. The prelude was vigorous & weighty. The violins' high, meandering music in the transition to scene 3 sounded eerie & translucent, & the orchestra's depiction of the Brünnhilde's awakening was gleaming. The brasses had far fewer bloopers than previous nights. Mezzo Ronnita Miller sang a rooted, imperturbable Erda & displayed baritonal low notes. Soprano Iréne Theorin's voice is brawny, & her Brünnhilde sounded consistently strong, even when she sang quietly. Siegfried seemed bemused by her behavior, at times even laughing at her.

There was a small baby at the back of the auditorium during the beginning of act 1 for some reason. So far I haven't seen as many Ring costumes worn by attendees as I was expecting, though I did spot a pair of gentlemen wearing lederhosen & horned helmets, & Opera Tattler was evidently paying tribute to Siegfried's bear.

§ Siegfried
San Francisco Opera Ring Cycle 1

Conductor, Donald Runnicles
Director, Francesca Zambello

Siegfried, Daniel Brenna
Brünnhilde, Iréne Theorin
Mime, David Cangelosi
The Wanderer, Greer Grimsley
Alberich, Falk Struckmann
Fafner, Raymond Aceto
Erda, Ronnita Miller
Forest Bird, Stacey Tappan

Friday, 06/15/18, 6:30pm
War Memorial Opera House 

SF Opera Walküre 1

From the 1st moments of San Francisco Opera's Die Walküre on Wednesday evening, the orchestra played with vigor & a purposeful forward momentum. The strings were unified & incisive, & there were beautifully sweet solos from the entire woodwind section, especially the clarinets & oboes. The brasses popped out boldly.

Tenor Brandon Jovanovich was a virile Siegmund, his singing connected, resonant & urgent. Soprano Karita Mattila as Sieglinde did not sound as youthful, but I enjoyed her wide, viscous voice & compelling acting. In this staging, Sieglinde is clearly a captive, & in act 2 she portrayed that trauma movingly. As Hunding, bass Raymond Aceto was appropriately predatory. He makes a nice sound, & his singing was firm. The 2 dogs that ran across the stage before the fight between Hunding & Siegmund in act 2 really seemed to be chasing something.

Soprano Iréne Theorin was a startlingly hyperactive Brünnhilde when she entered in act 2. Her voice was sturdy & aggressive, & her stamina was immediately apparent. She varied her performance by singing loudly or softly. Mezzo Jamie Barton was a furious & confident Fricka, her singing shining & clear with lots of vocal color. The staging of her dispute with Wotan included humorous moments that got the audience laughing, & her fiery performance was like a punch in the face. Bass-baritone Greer Grimsley has a big, powerful voice, & his delivery as Wotan was consistently stentorian. His sound carried even when he was far upstage during his final lines of the opera.

During the opening of act 3, the audience applauded for the valkyries descending by parachute & for the portraits of fallen soldiers. The valkyries each sang out assertively, & it was sometimes possible to distinguish individual singers. The production requires a lot of acting from the cast, & it was nice that everyone moved well on stage. The real fire that courses round the set at the end of the opera is a fine spectacle.

§ Die Walküre
San Francisco Opera Ring Cycle 1

Conductor, Donald Runnicles
Director, Francesca Zambello

Brünnhilde, Iréne Theorin
Wotan, Greer Grimsley
Sieglinde, Karita Mattila
Siegmund, Brandon Jovanovich
Fricka, Jamie Barton
Hunding, Raymond Aceto
Siegrune, Laura Krumm
Grimgerde, Renée Rapier
Ortlinde, Sarah Cambidge
Gerhilde, Julie Adams
Rossweisse, Lauren McNeese
Schwertleite, Nicole Birkland
Helmwige, Melissa Citro
Waltraute, Renée Tatum

Wednesday, 06/13/18, 7:00pm
War Memorial Opera House

SFO Rheingold 1

At last night's opening of San Francisco Opera's Ring Cycle, there was confusion as to which door was for standing room ticket holders. It turned out that the system of lining up on numbered spaces on the pavement has been scrapped, & we had to organize ourselves at the door closest to Van Ness instead. There was a bit of agitation in line, but I was fortunate that friends slightly ahead of me were able to secure spots at the downstairs rail.

The orchestra & singers all performed vigorously. Even the Rheinmaidens were somewhat manful. Bass-baritone Falk Struckmann as Alberich had a secure & inviting tone, his singing articulated & clear. He was both villainous & giddy in the Nibelheim scene, especially when he picked up & threw a tiny Nibelungen. Tenor Štefan Margita's effortlessly supple & reedy voice is a marvel & a constant pleasure to listen to, & he portrayed Loge convincingly as an absolute snake.

As Wotan, bass-baritone Greer Grimsley sounded confident & direct. His sturdy voice made me think of a tree trunk. Mezzo Ronnita Miller's Erda was commanding, her voice firm, wide & majestic. It was great hearing the distinctively cavernous bass voice of Andrea Silvestrelli as a lovesick Fasolt. I also really enjoyed mezzo Jamie Barton's beautifully even & shimmering singing as Fricka. She communicated imperiousness as well as tenderness. Tenor Brandon Jovanovich sang lyrically and was a funny actor as an effete Froh.

The orchestra played out for conductor Donald Runnicles, especially the brasses, who were bold even when there were bloopers. I'd forgotten how funny the staging by director Francesca Zambello is. When Erda descends back into the Earth, there's a slapstick moment when Wotan practically falls in head-first after her.

The mythological characters are all completely human here, wearing costumes that evoke the California Gold Rush & The Gilded Age. The production relies heavily on large, constantly moving, video projections of fog, clouds, water, fire & rocky landscapes, that seem to have been upgraded from the 2011 version. I was glad that Donner's sparkler-shooting croquet mallet has been retained. The young Nibelungen supers were excellent screamers, truly shrill & terrifying.

§ Das Rheingold

San Francisco Opera 2018 Ring Cycle 1

Conductor, Donald Runnicles

Director, Francesca Zambello

Wotan, Greer Grimsley

Loge, Štefan Margita

Alberich, Falk Struckmann

Fricka, Jamie Barton

Erda, Ronnita Miller

Mime, David Cangelosi

Fasolt, Andrea Silvestrelli

Fafner, Raymond Aceto

Donner, Brian Mulligan

Froh, Brandon Jovanovich

Freia, Julie Adams

Woglinde, Stacey Tappan

Wellgunde, Lauren McNeese

Flosshilde, Renée Tatum

Tuesday, 06/12/18, 7:30PM

War Memorial Opera Houes

San Francisco Opera 2018 Ring

San Francisco Opera's 2018 Ring Cycle, a revival of their 2011 production, conducted by Donald Runnicles & directed by Francesca Zambello, opens tonight. When I joined the line for standing room tickets this morning around 9:15am, there were a dozen or so people ahead of me. Those first in line had arrived before 7am. When the box office opened at 10am, the line had grown to about 40, & getting our tickets was a fast & orderly affair. This is a busy week for local opera buffs, & there were people in line attending both this & the San Francisco Symphony's presentation of Boris Godunov.

§ San Francisco Opera Ring Cycle 2018
June 12 – July 1, 2018

Dream of the Red Chamber at SF Opera

Back in the first week of the San Francisco Opera season, I attended the 2nd performance of Dream of the Red Chamber, the opera by Bright Sheng & David Henry Hwang receiving its world premiere here. I enjoyed the visual spectacle of the production. The opening chorus of beggars, emerging from a burning village, looks like a painting come to life. Dai Yu's boat trip at the beginning of the story & her climactic disappearance at the end are depicted simply but effectively using rippling blue fabrics. I liked the visual poetry of an interlude that illustrates the passing of the seasons with falling leaves of different colors.

Scene transitions had beautiful choreography. The grand hall of the Jia family is appropriately ostentatious, & as its multi-plane backdrop rose into place, I felt like I was floating above the landscape. The transformation of Granny Jia's deathbed into a funeral bier was efficient & clever. The costumes were opulent.

The cast was uniformly strong & ardent. Tenor Yijie Shi as Bao Yu sounded open & clarion & acted befittingly like a feckless teenager in act 1. Soprano Pureum Jo as his love interest Dai Yu sang with a consistent, solid sound & had nice soft notes. I liked mezzo Hyona Kim as the imperious Lady Wang. Her singing was expressive & emphatic. Soprano Irene Roberts was a pragmatic Bao Chai. Her sound was full, & she was impressively resolute in her act 2 monologue. Soprano Karen Chia-ling Ho was a rueful Princess Jia & sang confidently. The soloists are almost all high voices, so it was nice hearing the male voices of the chorus.

Mr. Sheng's music is atmospheric, with strong, irregular rhythms, chromatic harmonies, & shimmering orchestral colors. Chinese accents are provided by gongs at moments of urgency, & there is a prominent solo for the qin. The vocal lines often feel stretched, with long-held notes at the ends of phrases. The orchestra played alertly for conductor George Manahan, & the clarinet solos were especially lovely.

The choppy storyline includes elements of romance, domestic drama, politics & Buddhist philosophy. Mr. Hwang's English language libretto is prosaic & even bald, particularly in the erotic dream scene. Supertitles & program notes were accommodatingly provided in both English & Chinese, & there were definitely more Asian faces in the audience than I am used to seeing at the opera.

There was an open curtain during intermission, with director Stan Lai talking about the production & taking questions via Twitter. The audience seemed attentive. Mr. Sheng was present to take a curtain call at the end of the performance.

§ Dream of the Red Chamber
Music by Bright Sheng
Libretto by David Henry Hwang and Bright Sheng

San Francisco Opera
Conductor, George Manahan 
Director, Stan Lai
Production Designer, Tim Yip
Lighting Designer, Gary Marder
Choreographer, Fang-Yi Sheu
Chorus Director, Ian Robertson
Fight Director, Dave Maier

Flower/Dai Yu, Pureum Jo
Stone/Bao Yu, Yijie Shi
Lady Wang, Hyona Kim
Bao Chai, Irene Roberts
Granny Jia, Qiulin Zhang
Princess Jia, Karen Chia-ling Ho
Aunt Xue, Yanyu Guo
The Monk/Dreamer, Randall Nakano
Lady-in-Waiting/Flower, Toni Marie Palmertree, Amina Edris, Zanda Švēde
Eunuch/Stone, Pene Pati, Alex Boyer, Edward Nelson

Tuesday 09/13/16 7:30PM
War Memorial Opera House

Don Pasquale at San Francisco Opera

Maurizio Muraro (Don Pasquale) and
Lucas Meachem (Dr. Malatesta).
Photo from SF Opera web site.

Wednesday night I was in standing room at San Francisco Opera for Don Pasquale, Donizetti's sprightly farce about elder abuse. Director Laurent Pelly's modern dress staging is great fun. Comic momentum was propelled by slapstick, stylish costumes, silent movie-style pantomime, dancing & a lot of opening & closing of doors. Even from up in the balcony, I did not feel I was missing any of the action. The stylized set represents a street with houses on either side & a huge rotating room in the middle, representing Don Pasquale's home. This room also turned out to function as a megaphone. Singers' voices sometimes boomed when they were standing inside.

Ernesto 1st appearance made me laugh right away. He entered wearing his pajamas & stirring a cup of coffee. It immediately established his unambitious character & gave a reason for Don Pasquale to disinherit him. Similarly, Norina's shabby apartment, with its piles of clothes & magazines but no furniture, immediately communicated her scrappy personality.

Bass-baritone Maurizio Muraro in the title role had a resonant, stentorian voice & was a terrific comic actor. His shadow boxing during his act 3 scene with Malatesta so pleased the audience that they spontaneously applauded mid-duet. He was also a very human & sympathetic Pasquale. Tenor Lawrence Brownlee has a unique voice. It's light & agile & goes high up with astonishing comfort, yet it's tensile & cutting. Mr. Brownlee had to be a game performer as Ernesto. He sang into the floor while on all fours, sang while climbing a tall ladder & dangled upside down from a window.

Soprano Heidi Stober was a gutsy Norina, & the staging did nothing to ameliorate the meanness of her treatment of Pasquale. Ms. Stober sounded sturdy & a bit sultry, & she showed off startlingly big high notes. Baritone Lucas Meachem was an elegant yet shady Malatesta. His voice was firm, suave & soothing, & he was hilarious in his duets with Norina & Pasquale. The chorus was solid & lively & came across as a character in itself. 3 supers playing Pasquale's servants were amusing presences.

Conductor Giuseppe Finzi led with quick tempos & a flexible beat. The musical climaxes were pointed. All the orchestral solos sounded smooth, & the trumpet solo for Ernesto's "Cercherò lontana terra" had a nice long line & was polished. The violins' ensemble was occasionally loose.

My opera companion & I had a conversation with a friendly usher who admitted to being curious about opera but not yet a fan when she 1st started ushering. This would be a good production to attend when there is an Open Curtain. I'd like to see how they turn Don Pasquale's house upside down during intermission.

§  Don Pasquale
Music by Gaetano Donizetti
Libretto by Giovanni Ruffini and Gaetano Donizetti

San Francisco Opera
Conductor, Giuseppe Finzi
Director, Laurent Pelly

Don Pasquale, Maurizio Muraro 
Norina, Heidi Stober 
Ernesto, Lawrence Brownlee
Dr. Malatesta, Lucas Meachem
A Notary, Bojan Knežević

Wednesday 09/28/16 7:30PM
War Memorial Opera House

Andrea Chenier at SF Opera

Last Friday I heard Andrea Chénier at opening night of San Francisco Opera's 2016 - 17 season. The evening began with remarks by the new General Director Matthew Shilvock, President Keith Geeslin & Chairman of the Board John Gunn. They thanked sponsors & donors, & Mr. Gunn brought the event to a halt when he forgot the name of Music Director Nicola Luisotti for several long seconds.

Tenor Yonghoon Lee in the title role sounded reliably strong & projected bravery. He had a slightly dark timbre & shaded his drawn-out notes nicely. I enjoyed hearing soprano Anna Pirozzi as Maddelena. Her voice was agile & penetrating & had a pleasing friction. Her top notes emerged with seeming ease, & she sang "La mamma morta" with control & nice dynamic contrast. Baritone George Gagnidze as Gerard had an unwavering, weighty & consistent sound.

Smaller roles were all cast from strength. Mezzo Catherine Cook was a characterful & sneering Contessa di Coigny, & baritone Edward Nelson had a smooth & pretty voice as the dandy Fleville. Bass Robert Pomakov as Mathieu was fittingly boisterous & hearty, & the clear-voiced tenor Joel Sorensen was a lively Incredibile. Baritone David Pershall as Roucher made a firm & appealing sound.

Though Giordano's score is scintillating & often loud, from orchestra level standing room the orchestra seemed subdued & cushioned. Maestro Luisotti's tempos did not feel too hurried. I liked the clarinet & violin solos, & the harp was assertive. Director David McVicar's production is attractive, & the scenes sometimes looked like neo-classical paintings. The period costumes had an authentic feel & looked easy to move in. The use of child supers in every act added liveliness to the staging, but it was an antiseptic picture of the French Revolution overall. The set changes with the curtain down after acts I & III were long.

Considering that this was opening night, there was surprisingly little audience attrition after intermission, though a pod of young people in tuxedos & gowns exited the orchestra level in the pause after act III. Competition for standing room was light, & 2 of our opera companions were offered seats before the end of the performance.

§ Andrea Chénier
Music by Umberto Giordano | Libretto by Luigi Illica

San Francisco Opera
Conductor, Nicola Luisotti
Director, David McVicar
Chorus Director, Ian Robertson

Carlo Gérard, George Gagnidze
Major-Domo, Anders Fröhlich
An Old Gardener, Charlie Lichtman
Maddalena di Coigny, Anna Pirozzi
Bersi, J’Nai Bridges
Contessa di Coigny, Catherine Cook
Pietro Fléville, Edward Nelson
Flando Fiorinelli, Matthew Erikson
Andrea Chénier, Yonghoon Lee
The Abbé, Alex Boyer
Shepherdess, Laura Alexich
Shepherd, Michael Levine
Mathieu, Robert Pomakov
L'Incredibile, Joel Sorensen
Roucher, David Pershall
Madelon, Jill Grove
Madelon's Grandson, Graham Isom
Fouquier-Tinville, Matthew Stump
Dumas, Brad Walker
Gravier de Vergennes, Charlie Lichtman
Laval-Montmorency, Susan Anderson-Norby
Idia Legray, Tatiana Bookbinder
Schmidt, Anthony Reed

Friday, 09/09/16, 8:00PM
War Memorial Opera House

SFO: Meistersinger

Last Wednesday night I attended the opening performance of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at San Francisco Opera. Starting with a languidly paced overture, conductor Mark Elder led with slow, measured tempos that seemed chosen to give every note of the score its full value. The resulting music had a dull, even sheen. There were many beautiful instrumental solos, but the slow tempos may have strained the musicians. There was a surprising blooper from the off-stage band in act 3, & the violins sometimes sounded tired. The violas had a warm, velvety tone, & the harp had an emphatic clarity.

Tenor Brandon Jovanovich as Walther sounded lyrical, masculine & ardent & was convincing as a young, noble military officer. He nearly missed a high note during the 1st act song trial, & before the 3rd act it was announced that he was singing through a cold. He sounded slightly cautious but made it through fine. Baritone James Rutherford was a mildly gruff Hans Sachs & sounded firm & youthful. His singing was impressively consistent & taut throughout. The production asks for naturalistic acting, & Martin Gantner's Beckmesser was eager, foolish & vain but not cartoonish. HIs singing was crisp & characterful & felt stylistically correct.

Soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen had a solid, steely voice & portrayed a grown-up Eva. Bass Ain Anger sang Pogner with weight & a natural ease. I enjoyed the Magdalene of mezzo Sasha Cooke, whose bright, sparkling voice had a powerful presence. Tenor Alek Shrader was an appealing David. His voice was high & nimble, & he moved with agility. It was marvelous to hear bass Andrea Silvestrelli as the night watchman. His resonant, cavernous voice wafted easily through the auditorium, even though he remained at the back of the stage.

David McVicar's production, originating from Glyndebourne, is set during the Napoleonic Wars, & the attractively costumed cast look like they are in the latest Jane Austen adaptation. The entire opera takes place under an ornate vaulted ceiling, & the chorus & the Meistersingers were all distinct individuals, members of a small, lively community. Twice in act 1 the apprentices break into a synchronized dance routine with knee slaps & stomping. The stage fighting during the act 2 riot is rough & vigorous. In a surreal moment in act 3, shoe boxes in Sachs's workshop come to life. The busy meadow scene features stilt-walking jugglers & an extended dance routine. Many scenes had strong lighting coming in from the wings.

The performance ran 5 & 3/4 hours, not including the curtain calls. I noticed considerable attrition in the balcony by act 3. The remaining audience gave an appreciative ovation, cheering the cast & orchestra.

§ Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Richard Wagner

San Francisco Opera
Conductor: Mark Elder
Production: David McVicar
Revival Co-Directors: Marie Lambert, Ian Rutherford

Eva: Rachel Willis-Sørensen
Magdalene: Sasha Cooke
Walther von Stolzing: Brandon Jovanovich
David: Alek Shrader
Sixtus Beckmesser: Martin Gantner
Veit Pogner: Ain Anger
Hans Sachs: James Rutherford

Balthasar Zorn: Joel Sorensen
Ulrich Eisslinger: Joseph Hu
Hermann Ortel: Edward Nelson
Konrad Nachtigall: Sam Handley
Kunz Vogelgesang: AJ Glueckert
Fritz Kothner : Philip Horst
Hans Foltz: Matthew Stump
Hans Schwarz: Anthony Reed
Augustin Moser: Corey Bix
An apprentice: Laurel Porter
A night watchman: Andrea Silvestrelli

Wednesday, November 18, 6:00PM
War Memorial Opera House

SF Opera Opening Night

This morning the steps of the War Memorial Opera House are decked out, & party tents fill Grove Street, in preparation for San Francisco Opera's opening night, featuring soprano Leah Crocetto & tenor Michael Fabiano in Verdi's Luisa Miller. I joined the line for standing room tickets around 8:30am, & there were only 3 people ahead of me. Heading the line was the Opera Tattler, who was surprised to be first. In past years she has arrived far earlier, only to find herself 2nd or 3rd, so there is definitely a shift occurring in standing room. When the box office opened at 10:00am, a dozen people were waiting.

The mood was enlivened by the Opera Tattler's young companion, who was not shy about testing all the building's doors & crawling around the other patrons. Though he had to wait with the rest of us, he disappointingly won't have the fun of attending the show. A friendly guy in line made a coffee run & brought back treats for his fellow standees.

When I got my ticket, I was instructed to enter on the courtyard side of the building tonight, instead of the usual Grove Street side. Immediately following tonight's performance, General Director David Gockley will award the SF Opera Medal to Francesca Zambello, the director of the production.

§ Luisa Miller
Giuseppe Verdi
San Francisco Opera
Fri 09/11/15 8:00pm
War Memorial Opera House

SF Opera iCalendar Fix

The calendar page on the San Francisco Opera website has an iCalendar link which I thought would be handy for importing their performance calendar into my Google Calendar. However, when I tried it, Google Calendar only created one event. There's a slight problem with the file, but after a bit of hacking, I came up with a fixed version. If anyone would like to give it a try, I've uploaded it here. For the tech-savvy, I've also made it available on github.

Philharmonia Baroque & SF Opera Adlers

Last Friday night I heard Philharmonia Baroque in a concert featuring San Francisco Opera Adler Fellows. Board member Kay Sprinkel Grace took 5 minutes at the start to talk about the orchestra's current $8 million fund raising campaign. In the 1st half we heard 4 Mozart vocal numbers, each paired with a short instrumental dance. The singers were on a raised stage behind the orchestra, & there were supertitles.

Bass Anthony Reed had a lambent, even sound & open, relaxed low notes in "Per questa bella mano." Double bass player Kristin Zoernig stood beside him & performed the aria's wildly virtuosic accompaniment. It was amusing to watch her flit all over the instrument while Mr. Reed remained stationery. Soprano Julie Adams sang the cute "Nehmt meinen Dank" with a room-filling sound that I could feel physically. Baritone Edward Nelson sang a comic, multilingual aria from La finta giardiniera with a lovely voice, & his acting was so adroit that his strutting entrance got laughs even before he started singing.

I sat on the side of the hall, behind the orchestra & had a good view of conductor Nicholas McGegan, whose gleeful expressions were infectious. The orchestra's playing was consistently sprightly, though the valveless horns struggled to sound in tune. During Mr. Nelson's aria, 2 men seated themselves in our row & were a bit chatty, but they did not return after intermission.

Rossini's enjoyably silly one-act opera La cambiale di matrimonio, written when he was 18, took up the 2nd half. There was a lot of action, & the 6 singers created a fun & lively theatrical atmosphere with just a few chairs & props. Soprano Jacqueline Piccolino was a strong-willed Fannì & sounded brilliant & secure, especially in her short coloratura aria near the end. Tenor Brian Thorsett's singing was high, clear & elegant, even though his character, Fanni's young lover, often behaved boorishly. Baritone Efraín Solís was hearty & sympathetic as an earnest Canadian merchant who arrives wearing a big fur coat. His singing was warm & focused, & every note was distinct in his rapid coloratura passages.

As the lovers' main obstacle, bass Matthew Stump was appropriately obtuse, & his voice was firm & well-grounded. Mezzo Nian Wang, sounding secure & bright, was a flustered maid, & Mr. Reed was a contrastingly cool butler. Maestro McGegan's perky conducting was a good fit for Rossini, & the evening was entirely vivacious. The audience was engaged & laughing, even after the supertitles crapped out before the final ensemble.

The show was immediately followed by an LGBT reception in the lobby, where sparkling wine & cookies were served. My concert companion & I mingled with some of the performers, & we learned that Maestro McGegan asked the singers not to look at him. I was at 1st suspicious of the pink sparkling wine, which an old lady at the reception correctly identified as a rosé Crémant.

§ Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra
Nicholas McGegan, conductor

Ted Huffman, director
Julie Adams, soprano
Jacqueline Piccolino, soprano
Nian Wang, mezzo-soprano
Brian Thorsett, tenor
Edward Nelson, baritone
Efraín Solís, baritone
Anthony Reed, bass
Matthew Stump, bass

MOZART
Overture in D major, K. 106
“Per questa bella mano”, K. 612
    Anthony Reed, bass
    Kristin Zoernig, double bass

Contredance No. 1 in D major, K. 106
“Nehmt meinen Dank”, K. 383
    Julie Adams, soprano

Contradance No. 2 in A major, K. 106
“Con un vezzo all’Italiana” from La finta giardiniera
    Edward Nelson, baritone

Contradance No. 3 in B-flat major, K. 106
“Dite almeno, in che mancai”, K. 479
    Julie Adams, soprano
    Brian Thorsett, tenor
    Edward Nelson, baritone
    Anthony Reed, bass

ROSSINI
La cambiale di matrimonio (The Marriage Contract)
    Fannì — Jacqueline Piccolino, soprano
    Clarina — Nian Wang, mezzo-soprano
    Edoardo Milfort — Brian Thorsett, tenor
    Slook — Efraín Solís, baritone
    Norton — Anthony Reed, bass
    Tobia Mill — Matthew Stump, bass

Fri, April 17 @ 8:00PM
SFJAZZ Center, San Francisco

BarelyOpera

Last night I was at the Rickshaw Stop for BarelyOpera, a pop-up musical evening featuring SF Opera Adler Fellows Zanda Švēde, Maria Valdes, Julie Adams, Edward Nelson, Efraín Solís, Chong Wang & Anthony Reed. The SF Opera, aiming beyond its traditional audience, publicized the event primarily through social media. When I arrived 5 minutes before the doors opened, the line was already down the block, & I was surrounded by a lot of people I don't think I normally see at the opera.

The program was a mix of opera & musical theater & was partly determined by audience members who spun a wheel to randomly select the next number. The venue was packed, & the atmosphere was lively & fun. My favorite part was hearing people applaud & cheer spontaneously during the arias, something I can imagine happening in 18th century opera houses before it all got so serious.

The young Adler Fellows were very appealing in this setting. Baritone Efraín Solís engaged with the audience through his convivial personality as well as his hearty singing, & he took a selfie with us. Baritone Eddie Nelson took me by surprise with his tasteful & lovely renditions of Noël Coward songs, even accompanying himself on the piano. Tenor Chong Wang literally ended the show on a high note with glorious renditions of "Nessun dorma" & "O sole mio."

Robert Mollicone was the night's excellent emcee, & he was both sincere & funny. At one point he got all the singers to yodel for Yahoo's 20th anniversary. Slides projected behind the singers provided hilariously modern translations, as well as informative factoids about the composers & the music. Costumed supers from the opera greeted guests, & there was a rack of costumes for attendees to try on themselves. There were door prizes from the SF Opera, & I received a packet of pop rocks on the way out. For those who stayed, a dance party immediately followed. All this for $10!

§ BarelyOpera
SF Opera Adler Fellows
Robert Mollicone, emcee
Noah Linquist & Ronny Greenberg, piano

Program, as much as I can remember:

Habanera from Carmen
Zanda Švēde

"Là ci darem la mano" from Don Giovanni
Maria Valdes & Edward Nelson

''Tirannia gli diede il regno'' from Rodelinda
Efraín Solís

"If Love Were All" by Noël Coward
Edward Nelson

"La donna è mobile" from Rigoletto
Chong Wang

"Ol' Man River" from Porgy & Bess
Anthony Reed

Flower Duet from Lakmé
Julie Adams & Zanda Švēde

"O Isis and Osiris" from Die Zauberflöte
Anthony Reed

"Fin ch' han dal vino" from Don Giovanni
Edward Nelson

"Make them hear you" from Ragtime
Efraín Solís

"O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi
Maria Valdez

"Mad about the Boy" by Noël Coward
Edward Nelson

"Nessun Dorma" from Turandot
Chong Wang

"O sole mio"
Chong Wang

Monday, March 2, 2015 at 8:00 PM
The Rickshaw Stop

SF Opera: Partenope

This week I saw San Francisco Opera's entertaining production of Handel's Partenope. Director Christopher Alden sets the opera in 1920s Paris, & the audience applauded when the curtain came up on the Corbusier-like set. The playful staging is inspired by Dada absurdism & presents the plot like something by Noel Coward. Physically adept performances are required from the entire cast. Countertenor Anthony Roth Constanzo, as one of Partenope's pining suitors, fell down a spiral staircase then sang while dangling off its steps. He tap danced during his act 3 aria, with a cane thrown to him from the wings. His singing was youthful, clear & sweet, no matter what antics he was performing. Tenor Alek Shrader, portraying photographer Man Ray, was a captivating actor. He sang while hanging out of the transom over a bathroom door in act 2 & did hand shadow puppetry that caused applause mid-aria. His final aria incorporated a variety of increasingly contorted yoga poses. His singing was solid, with strong top notes that stood out from the rest of his range. Countertenor David Daniels, as the confused love interest of the opera's 2 female characters, had a brawny, muscular sound that conveyed maturity, & he was especially effective in his slower, more reflective arias.

Soprano Danielle de Niese was a sexy & free-spirited Partenope. Though her singing was often approximate, her performance was charismatic, joyful & expressive, & she moved around the stage with an alluring freedom. Mezzo Daniela Mack spends most of the opera disguised as a man & sounded firm, even & energetic. I enjoyed bass-baritone Philippe Sly's clean, focused singing & warm, open sound. He appears in the last act wearing inexplicable drag & bananas atop military headgear.

I liked the graceful & airy conducting from Julian Wachner. Tempos never felt strict, & the music sounded fresh. It was fun hearing the theorbo, & there was a nice flute obbligato. Baroque horns were used at the end of act 1. Their brash & blustery sound added period color, though their tuning was jarring. The show runs 3 1/2 hours, but I did not witness many people in the orchestra level leaving mid-performance. The audience cheered several arias, & the cast received a standing ovation. As this was the 1st night of the World Series, scores were displayed on the supertitles after act 1.

§ Partenope
George Frideric Handel

San Francisco Opera
Conductor: Julian Wachner
Director: Christopher Alden

Emilio: Alek Shrader
Partenope: Danielle De Niese
Arsace: David Daniels
Rosmira: Daniela Mack
Ormonte: Philippe Sly
Armindo: Anthony Roth Costanzo

Tue 10/21/14 7:30pm
War Memorial Opera House

SF Opera: Un Ballo in Maschera

Tuesday night I heard Un Ballo in Maschera at the San Francisco Opera. Soprano Julianna Di Giacomo as Amelia sounded strong, resonant & healthy, & the gallows scene & her pleading scene in act 3 were highlights of the evening. The production is double cast, & baritone Brian Mulligan was this evening's Renato. His voice was cushy & controlled, & he gave me the feeling he was always right on target. His "Eri tu" was firm. Tenor Ramón Vargas as the king made a consistent sound that was weighty & dark, & his singing was contained. Soprano Heidi Stober chased her hat a lot as the page Oscar. She sounded youthful, bright & a little brash. It was good to hear mezzo Dolora Zajick as the fortune teller Ulrica. Her hefty, potent voice seems to originate from somewhere beneath her feet. I also enjoyed the hearty singing of baritone Efraín Solis as one of her customers.

Conductor Nicola Luisotti led with vehemence & constantly propelled the music, sometimes pushing the singers. The orchestra played out & the string sound was heavy. The fortissimo chords at the beginning of the gallows scene were like gun shots. The English horn accompanying Amelia's "Ma dall'arido stela divulsa" evoked the darkness of night beautifully.

The production sets the action in 18th century Sweden, with the cast in opulent period dress. The audience applauded when the curtain came up on the costumed chorus in the final scene. The old-fashioned staging felt flat. Scores for the Giants vs. Nationals game were displayed via supertitles during pauses for set changes & the intermissions.

§ Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball)
Giuseppe Verdi
San Francisco Opera
Conductor: Nicola Luisotti
Director: Jose Maria Condemi

Amelia: Julianna Di Giacomo
Oscar: Heidi Stober
Gustavus III (Riccardo): Ramón Vargas
Count Anckarström (Renato): Brian Mulligan
Madame Arvidson (Ulrica): Dolora Zajick
Count Horn (Tommaso): Scott Conner
Count Ribbing (Samuele): Christian Van Horn
Christian (Silvano): Efraín Solis
Judge: A.J. Glueckert
Amelia's Servant: Christopher Jackson

Tue 10/7/14 7:30pm
War Memorial Opera House