The Opera Tattler

Reviews of Performances and their Audiences

Recent posts

Month: February 2008

  • Blomstedt Conducts Mozart at SFS

    * Notes * Herbert Blomstedt, conductor laureate and former music director of the San Francisco Symphony, is currently conducting an all Mozart program, which includes Divertimento in D major, K.251, Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-flat Major, K.482, and Symphony No. 38 in D Major, K.504, Prague. The last performance is tonight over at Davies…

  • $5M for Santa Barbara Opera

    AP reports that Santa Barbara Opera just received an anonymous donation of 5 million dollars. Founded in 1994, the company continues the 2007-2008 season with Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci beginning tomorrow night. In March they will present L'Elisir d'Amore. AP Article | Official Site

  • Hugh Wolff at Berkeley Symphony

    * Notes * Kent Nagano's 30th season as music director of the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra will be his last, and the search for his replacement is on. Over this season and the next there will be a total of six guest conductors, one of which may emerge as the next music director. The first of…

  • Mercer Arena and Seattle Opera

    Seattle Opera's lease of Mercer Arena at Seattle Center was approved by the Seattle City Council. Press Release | Seattle PI Article

  • Arizona Opera’s 2008-2009 Season

    October 11-19 2008: RigolettoNovember 15-23 2008: The MikadoJanuary 17-25 2009: L'Elisir d'AmoreFebruary 21- March 1 2009: Don GiovanniMarch 26- April 5 2009: Tosca Stephanie Blythe sings in The Mikado and Twyla Robinson sings Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. 2008-2009 Season Site | Official Site

  • Contemplating an LA Opera Subscription

    During my last visit, my mother extracted a promise to take her to see Madama Butterfly whenever it happened to come around in Southern California. Of course, I remembered that Madama Butterfly is to be performed at Los Angeles Opera next season, and thankfully only overlaps slightly with Idomeneo in San Francisco. This means I…

  • 2008 National Council Auditions Grand Finalists

    Carolina Castells, soprano from Miami, FloridaSimone Osborne, soprano from Vancouver, British ColumbiaJennifer Johnson, mezzo-soprano from St. Louis, MissouriDaveda Karanas, mezzo-soprano from Mandeville, LouisianaDominic Armstrong, tenor from Kirksville, MissouriRené Barbera, tenor from San Antonio, TexasChristopher Magiera, baritone from Lake Forest, IllinoisEdward Parks, baritone from Indiana, PennsylvaniaStephen A. Ray, baritone from Sherwood, Arkansas The nine finalists will…

  • Boston Lyric Opera’s 2008-2009 Season

    November 7-18 2008: Les Contes d'HoffmannMarch 20-31 2009: RusalkaApril 24- May 5 2009: Don Giovanni Boston Lyric Opera's next season is nicely balanced. Former Adler Fellow Kimwana Doner sings Donna Elvira. Press Release [PDF] | Official Site

  • Lip-synching at English National Opera

    Clive Bayley lost his voice during last Saturday's opening performance of the new Lucia di Lammermoor production at ENO. His understudy, Paul Whelan, sang from the side of the stage as Bayley mouthed the words and acted. I've experienced something like this only once, at Bayerische Staatsoper's staged production of the oratorio Saul. David Daniels…

  • Dicapo Opera Theatre’s 2008-2009 Season

    September 11-14 2008: The CrucibleOctober 10-18 2008: TurandotDecember 13-21 2008: Fantastic Mr. FoxJanuary 16-17 2009: LilyFebruary 19- March 1 2009: Šárka/La mort de Sainte AlméenneApril 16-19 2009: L'Italiana in Algieri Next season includes a world premiere of Kurt Weill's Lily and the US premieres of Janácek's Šárka and Honegger's La mort de Sainte Alméenne. Dicapo…