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San Francisco Opera’s 2010-2011 Season

September 10- December 5 2010: Aida
September 15- October 1 2010: Werther
September 21- October 22 2010: Le Nozze di Figaro
October 12- November 27 2010: Madama Butterfly
October 24- November 12 2010: Cyrano de Bergerac
November 10-28 2010: The Makropulos Case
June 14-July 3 2011: Der Ring des Nibelungen

Dolora Zajick shares the role of Amneris with Guang Yang. Plácido Domingo sings the title role in Cyrano, Ramón Vargas is Werther, and Karita Mattila is the lead in The Makropulos Case. Noteworthy debuts at San Francisco Opera next season include Danielle de Niese as Susanna in Figaro and Elīna Garanča as Charlotte in Werther.

Season Announcement | Official Site

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45 responses to “San Francisco Opera’s 2010-2011 Season”

  1. CruzSF Avatar
    CruzSF

    Dear OT,
    Have you received a news release? I just visited the SFO Website and it’s “down for maintenance.”
    Domingo as Cyrano? He’s the Energizer bunny.

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  2. mj Avatar
    mj

    Cruz, you can get to all the individual opera pages with casting info from the calendar. http://sfopera.com/calendar.asp Choose September 2010 from the drop down menu.
    I find it surprising that there are 12 performances of Aida, 9 performances of Figaro and 12 of Butterfly. Especially Butterfly. Hasn’t just about everyone who is currently alive in the Bay Area now had more than enough opportunity to see Butterfly at SF Opera? Grrrr…
    I am excited about the Makropolous Case. The Werther cast looks pretty good. Most of the other stuff does not look thrilling, at least on paper. Hope to be pleasantly surprised.

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  3. mj Avatar
    mj

    And apparently the new production of The Marriage of Figaro got the ax because we are looking at a John Copley show.

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  4. Craig Cruz Jr. Avatar
    Craig Cruz Jr.

    Thanks, MJ!
    I hate to tell you but I might be the only opera lover in the Bay Area who has never seen Butterfly. I came to love opera recently (the last few years) and also missed the last 2 productions due to scheduling conflicts. But in general, I agree with you. It would have been nice to postpone Butterfly another year or two and mount a work not seen just 3 or 4 years ago.

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  5. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    I wonder if they are just starting those three productions later. I guess we’ll see!

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  6. mj Avatar
    mj

    No shame in never having seen Butterfly! I’m just getting all worked up because I am sick to death of it.

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  7. mj Avatar
    mj

    I am curious about the two Aidas, Michaela Carosi and Michele Capalbo. Has anyone heard them?

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  8. mj Avatar
    mj

    Also curious about Michele Losier who will sing Cherubino. Anyone….?

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  9. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    The press release just went out: http://sfopera.com/press/2010-11SeasonAnnouncement/2010-11SeasonAnnouncement.pdf

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  10. Roberto Avatar
    Roberto

    I think I will see both Aidas. What are you folks opinions about both casts?
    I look forward to see Domingo. It is not one of my favorite tenors but I respect him a lot. In overall, it is an interesting season. Three popular operas and three more or less obscure ones (one of them with a very recent debut).
    I like the bag. How couldn’t I?

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  11. Sacto OperaFan Avatar
    Sacto OperaFan

    Greetings All !
    I was wrong…no Elektra which, IMHO, would have been much more interesting that Butterfly . But as MJ pointed out there are always newbies. I’m just so jaded blush.
    Congratulations to OT and the fellow contributors for getting all the operas identified. I suspect Turandot will be the Puccini opera for the 2011 season, with the Racette Tosca in 2012.
    I’m looking forward to MC, Aida with Dolora (one of my faves), and Cyrano as I’ve not seen or heard it before. Anyone seen/heard it?
    The Figaro and Butterfly look dull. I’m on the fence with Werther. Someone talk me into going. I’m not a fan of French Opera and the Massenet I’ve seen (Manon, Herodiade) did not thrill me. Great casts on paper….but the operas did not grab me.
    Hope you all are just dying to see everything!!
    Cheers…

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  12. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    The only opera I have no interest in here is Madama Butterfly. But I’m pleased that there is only one Puccini opera next season.

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  13. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    I am pleased that we get to hear Zajick, and I am curious to hear both casts.
    It is exciting that Domingo is finally coming back to SF Opera. I’ve actually never heard him at the War Memorial.

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  14. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    I guess since we are having so much Wagner, R. Strauss has been put aside for the season.
    Though I’m not a big fan of Massenet, the 2 leads for Werther should be quite good.

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  15. Craig Cruz Jr. Avatar
    Craig Cruz Jr.

    I too am very much looking forward to hearing Zajick in the house. I saw her in this season’s Met HD Aida and found her spell-binding. She seems to exist in another dimension of singing and acting and I couldn’t take my eyes off her, even when she wasn’t the focus of the action.

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  16. Roberto Avatar
    Roberto

    And thanks a lot, Opera Tattler, to provide this space to us. I look forward to read you posts in 2010 and beyond.

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  17. Sacto OperaFan Avatar
    Sacto OperaFan

    Hi OT,
    I saw him when he came to sing Herodiade with Zajick and Fleming back in the 90s. Like I said, great looking cast on paper…but it didn’t quite jell for me.
    Domingo sang the rather small role of the Baptist. I thought his voice would project louder in the House….it didn’t; much to my disappointment. BTW, the loudest singing I’ve heard in the War Memorial was Dame Gwyneth Jones….my goodness her voice could peel the paint off the walls.
    I suspect that Cyrano will sell out quickly because of Domingo. If I were you, I’d go to one of the early performances. I have my doubts that Domingo singing the entire run. But I agree it will be nice to hear him again. I suspect he is in the very twilight of his career as a singer.

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  18. Roberto Avatar
    Roberto

    And what about Rigoletto? Last one was 5 years ago and I missed. For 2011, I would like to campaign for Rigoletto with Leo Nucci, Damrau and Alagna… 🙂

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  19. Ryans Avatar
    Ryans

    Ugh. Why so many Madame Butterfly productions… It seems like they do it every year…

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  20. Immanuel Gilen Avatar
    Immanuel Gilen

    Saw Carosi in Chenier in Paris last month. The only weak link in a high-quality cast.
    http://summeriscomingin.blogspot.com/2009/12/andrea-chenier-at-opera-bastille.html

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  21. Doug Avatar
    Doug

    Thanks for the up to the minute scoop as always, OT! Might anyone have a sense of which of these productions promise to be edgier than others? Most seem pretty traditional (Copley, etc.). Thanks.

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  22. graustark Avatar
    graustark

    I saw ML in the Arizona Opera Cosi Fan Tutte, where she sang Dorabella. She was the best performer on stage, quite characterful, but she didn’t have much competition. I also saw her in the La Scala HD Carmen, where she sang Mercedes. She seemed to be pretty good in that, but the movie theatre sound is pretty unreal.

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  23. graustark Avatar
    graustark

    The Butterfly production is from Chicago, where I saw it twice. It is far and away the best Butterfly production I’ve ever seen, so I heartily recommend it to those of you who aren’t hardcore Puccini haters.

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  24. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    My pleasure, and thank you!

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  25. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    The cult of Domingo is pretty frightening, and I did not like him in Parsifal at all. But he is an incredible Siegfried and he even did well in Tamerlano.
    I am sure Cyrano will be obnoxiously full. I will have to do my standing room early!

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  26. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    I hear Rigoletto is coming back in a new production pretty soon.

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  27. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    Practically! At least we get some new singers this time.

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  28. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    Did you see Zandra Rhodes’ super-bright Pearlfishers a few years ago? She’s not exactly traditional, so maybe Aida will be interesting.
    There are a lot of debuts as far as productions, so perhaps that bodes well. At least some of them have to be somewhat off-beat, one hopes.

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  29. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    At least we are getting a new production, how exciting!

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  30. knights-tale Avatar
    knights-tale

    A very conservative season, really. I’m looking forward to “The Makropolous Case” and “Werther,” neither of which I’ve ever heard, and neither of which has been done in SF for a long time (SF not really being a French or Czech opera town).
    The production of “Aida” got panned by “Opera News” when it was new at English National Opera. It was called tacky, and worse. Clearly SF Opera was shopping for a ready-made production and they settled for Zandra Rhodes’s, much like it did when it imported her “Pearl Fishers” from San Diego.
    “Cyrano” is Domingo’s pet project, so he’s not really risking anything by bringing it to SF. I sense David Gockley would have let Domingo sing “Happy Birthday” if it got him back here.
    Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised by Alfano’s music, but I have my doubts. No review of it I’ve read has great praise for it. And Domingo’a Roxane is Ainhoa Arteta, who’s not one of my favorite singers (too shrill for my taste). That’s a role Sondra Radvanovsky has sung at the Met; too bad she won’t sing it here in SF.
    The “Figaro” cast looks pretty good, but it was only done just 3 years ago or so (if somnolently).
    But the most ridiculous programming choice has to be…another “Madama Butterfly” I’m sure the board made David Gockley balance the Janacek and Massenet with a sure-fire money-maker. So we get “Butterfly” and a tacky “Aida.”
    And why import Chicago’s “Butterfly” production? Michael Yeargan’s SF version is near perfect. Is that supposed to make us forget that we’re seeing “Butterfly” for what, the third time in four seasons? Though Daniela Dessi might be interesting to hear/see.
    I think Puccini is a genius, but there is absolutely no need for another “Butterfly” so soon. When I opened up the brochure and saw that, I was annoyed.
    I hope with an improving economy, SF Opera’s programming gets a little more interesting. But the past few seasons it’s been overwhelmingly safe.
    And as a subscriber, I really have an issue with having to pony up another $300 just to see the “Ring” cycle in my section of the house. I’m still on the fence as to whether I’m going to it.

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  31. Sacto OperaFan Avatar
    Sacto OperaFan

    The Figaro is the old SF production. I was hoping for a new one as the Zack Brown design is kind of dark and dreary if memory serves.
    The Butterfly production from Chicago is the Harold Prince production mounted in the 80s – it was featured on “Great Performances,” on PBS back when it was new. It’s a unit set with people dressed in black running around moving props and stuff – very Japanese Kabuki or is it Noh?? I suppose if we have to have see Butterfly again at least it’s a “new” production to SF. However the cast doesn’t scream come see me.

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  32. Sacto OperaFan Avatar
    Sacto OperaFan

    I suppose one could dream. I doubt even the Met can offer that kind of cast. 😀
    I would love to see Damrau sing Sophie (Rosenkavalier). Hint, hint D. Gockley.

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  33. Doug Avatar
    Doug

    Thanks OT. I didn’t see Pearlfishers, but I look forward to the Aida at the ballpark. I can’t really stomach it indoors, if I dare admit that here. There are some new things headed our way and I hope some will be at least a little bit out there.

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  34. Henry Holland Avatar
    Henry Holland

    Ah, the scheduling gods smiled on me. I can do a Cyrano > Makropulos > Butterfly/something at the symphony for a nice weekend trip to San Francisco.

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  35. Axel Feldheim Avatar
    Axel Feldheim

    I too am disappointed that it is the same Copley production of Figaro, which I have probably seen 3 times already. Perhaps they could freshen it up by including a donkey.

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  36. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    Zandra Rhodes is a bit garish in her color choices from what I remember of Pearl Fishers.
    I’m glad to see a different production of Butterfly, as I’ve seen only the Yeargan one here, and his older one in San Diego. Though agreed, am pretty bored of this particular opera at this point.
    I think I’m just going to do standing room for the Ring.

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  37. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    Isn’t it lovely when that happens!

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  38. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    I think I’ve seen this production about 11 times. We probably have a better chance of getting Copley to include some horse heads.

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  39. mj Avatar
    mj

    I’d love to see Diana Damrau sing anything and everything (are you reading this, DG?).

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  40. mj Avatar
    mj

    Edgy? At sfo, these days? Ha ha.
    The Werther might be a little edgy. I remember some people getting all up in arms about the same director’s production of Alceste @ Santa Fe Opera last year. Didn’t see it myself but apparently it was not “traditional.”
    I bet the SFO Werther won’t be as edgy as this one tho’, also starring Garanca. It had not occurred to me before that Charlotte might be a cutter…
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrHskY97KV8

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  41. mj Avatar
    mj

    Aw, man! And the Canadians get Sondra Radvanovsky! Not fair.

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  42. mj Avatar
    mj

    Thanks graustark. Sounds like she might do well as Cherubino.

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  43. Henry Holland Avatar
    Henry Holland

    “Cyrano as I’ve not seen or heard it before. Anyone seen/heard it?”
    I have two recordings of it, it’s a nice opera. Tonal, of course, lasts about 2 hours, well orchestrated, some good tunes, sounds like it is very effective theater music. Is it a blazing masterpiece that’s been newly discovered? No, but it’s a damn sight better than second-rate Verdi like “Stiffelio” or most of the piffle that Donizetti and his ilk churned out.
    If you go to Amazon, go to the music section and search for “Alfano Cyrano” you’ll see the options and be able to listen to 30 second clips to get an idea. I have the CPO and Opera de Oro recordings.

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  44. rita rancano Avatar
    rita rancano

    I want to introduce my daughters to opera. They’ve only seen Der Rosenkavalier which was very disappointing. I’m considering Aida. What is your opinion of the summer cast? I’d rather not go to Madama Butterfly because I’ve seen it before, but I know the girls would swoon. Please advise me. Any other operas in the season that you would recommend?

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  45. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    Though I love Le Nozze di Figaro dearly, I would recommend Aida, because it is shorter (3.5 hours versus 3 hours). The Butterfly is a new production, and a different cast, so maybe it is a good idea as well.
    Rosenkavalier is a rough one for young people, a lot of the emotions explored in it are not easy to relate to even for me, and I’m no spring chicken.

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