Reviews of Performances and their Audiences
October 23 – November 7 2009: L'Elisir d'Amore
October 30- November 15 2009: Lohengrin
January 22- February 7 2010: Tosca
January 29- February 13 2010 : Turn of the Screw
April 16- May 1 2010: The Queen of Spades
April 30- May 14 2010: Xerxes
Patricia Racette sings the title role in Tosca opposite of Marcus Haddock. Susan Graham and David Daniels star in Xerxes.
Good to see Susan Graham doing some opera outside of Europe and the Met! Plus Handel, which seems to no longer be the latest thing. I wonder if Sonia Prina got started with U.S. exposure when she jumped into Ariodante last summer.
LikeLike
A pretty varied and well-chosen season I dare say. HGO is the only major American company to program Handel next season so far and with a really strong cast (both Susan Graham and Sonia Prina acquitted themselves nicely in SFO’s “Ariodante” last summer).
Most interesting is a role debut for Patricia Racette in “Tosca.” Seems a natural progression considering that her voice is evolving from a lyric into more of a spinto with some dramatic edge to it (it’s definitely too ripe a voice for Marguerite and the like). But I wonder if her voice has the heft and her stage persona the power to pull it off. Then again she constantly surprises me.
Donizetti seems to be overtaking Rossini as the comic opera composer du jour, what with Houston joining SF and Chicago in the current “Elixir of Love” fad. And with SF Opera importing the Met’s recent “Daughter of the Regiment.” And a rare hearing of his “Lucrezia Borgia” in Washington along with the standard spate of “Lucias” makes Donizetti a hot property these days in the US.
Overall HGO has perhaps the most interesting season so far…
LikeLike
I’m really tempted to go to Houston to hear Graham.
LikeLike
I have to agree as far as interesting seasons go, though I’m much more likely to go to LA rather than Houston for opera next year.
LikeLike
Houston definitely has the most interesting season next year, and with great casts, too! I have never been to Houston, but I will definitely be flying there for Xerxes. That cast is outstanding, and the opera is a masterpiece. Houston’s season would be great even in a booming economy, so I’m all the more impressed by the variety for next season. In comparison, I find Chicago, Washington, LA and SF disappointing.
LikeLike
I should add that I was extremely impressed with Graham and Prina in SF’s “Ariodante” last June. I was thrilled when Prina replaced Podles, for I had already become a big fan of her via her recordings.
LikeLike
I hope to get to Houston as well. I find most of the next season a bit dull, this is not surprising.
LikeLike
I adore Podles, so I was disappointed. Prina is good though.
LikeLike
Yeah, I found much of next season dull at LOC, Washington, SF and LA–I never thought I’d ever be saying “thank God for Houston!” LOL!
I’ll be very curious to see Santa Fe’s season for the summer of 2010, but to my knowledge they don’t announce until July or so.
LikeLike
Oh, I adore Podles, too, but Prina absolutely met my high expectations in San Francisco.
LikeLike
Well, I live in Houston, so I’m THRILLED with this season. I was totally expecting something ultra-conservative, but they really stepped up.
LikeLike
Lucky you! It should be a fine season.
LikeLike
The Opera Tattler 
Leave a reply to David Cancel reply