The Opera Tattler

Reviews of Performances and their Audiences

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Month: October 2014

  • Efraín Solís in SF Opera’s Cenerentola

    Efraín Solís (pictured left) will sing Dandini in San Francisco Opera's Cenerentola, which runs from November 9 to 26, 2014. He replaces Fabio Capitanucci, who has withdrawn for health reasons. Production Web Site | Press Release

  • LA Opera’s Dido & Bluebeard

    * Notes * Los Angeles Opera presented a double bill of Dido and Aeneas (Paula Murrihy and Liam Bonner in the title roles pictured left, photograph by Craig Matthew) and Bluebeard’s Castle last night. The juxtaposition of these two works is pleasantly odd. Conducted by Steven Sloane, the orchestra could have sounded slightly crisper in the…

  • SF Opera’s Tosca

    * Notes * Another revival of Tosca (Brian Jagde as Cavaradossi and Mark Delavan as Scarpia in Act III pictured left, photograph by Cory Weaver) opened last night at San Francisco Opera. Lianna Haroutounian had a fine debut on the War Memorial stage as Floria Tosca. She clearly has an emotional connection to the role and…

  • Show Cake

    Julie warns Magnolia that it is not easy to stop loving someone in Act I, Scene 2 of Show Boat. Queenie, Joe, and some members of the chorus join in on the song. Details of Painting | Performance Review of Show Boat

  • SF Opera’s Partenope Media Round-Up

    Production Web Site | SF Opera's Blog Reviewers found San Francisco Opera's Partenope (Act III pictured left, photograph by Cory Weaver) delightful. Reviews: San Francisco Chronicle | San Francisco Classical Voice | San Francisco Examiner | San Jose Mercury News

  • SF Opera’s Partenope

     * Notes * Christopher Alden’s delightfully humorous production of Partenope opened at San Francisco Opera last night. The stylish set (Act I pictured left, photograph by Cory Weaver), designed by Andrew Lieberman, was enhanced by Adam Silverman’s lighting. Costume designer Jon Morrell did a wonderful job evoking 1920s Paris and Man Ray. The staging matches the…

  • SF Opera’s Un Ballo in Maschera (Hampson)

    * Notes * A fourth performance of San Francisco Opera‘s A Masked Ball this season was held yesterday. The orchestra and singers were more synchronized, but there were times when the former was slightly ahead of the latter. At times this was excitingly chaotic. There were lovely soli from the cello, English horn, and clarinet. The…

  • Steven Isserlis at PBO

    * Notes * Cellist Steven Isserlis (pictured left, photograph by Satoshi Aoyagi) is playing with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra in the Bay Area starting with a performance at the SFJazz Center last night in San Francisco. The program is bookended with symphonies by Haydn, the first one being No. 57 in D major, and the second No.…

  • SF Opera’s Un Ballo in Maschera (Mulligan)

    * Notes * Last night San Francisco Opera performed A Masked Ball a second time this season. The traditional production is the same as the one seen here in 2006, Jose Maria Condemi’s direction is similarly straightforward, if not slightly bland. The ball scene (Act III pictured left, photograph by Cory Weaver), however, is quite festive.…

  • SF Opera’s Un Ballo in Maschera Media Round-Up

    Production Web Site | SF Opera's Blog Julianna Di Giacomo (pictured left, photograph by Cory Weaver) made an impressive debut at San Francisco Opera in Un Ballo in Maschera as Amelia. Reviews: Not For Fun Only | San Francisco Chronicle | San Francisco Classical Voice | San Francisco Examiner | San Jose Mercury News