The Opera Tattler

Reviews of Performances and their Audiences

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Month: November 2015

  • SF Opera Summer 2016 Cast Changes

    Ellie Dehn (pictured left) replaces Nadine Sierra as Micaëla in the first cast of San Francisco Opera's Carmen, which opens May 27, 2016. Tenor Maxim Aksenov makes his War Memorial Opera House debut in the alternate cast as Don José replacing Riccardo Massi. Both Sierra and Massi are withdrawing for personal reasons. Jordi Bernàcer will…

  • SF Opera’s Il barbiere di Siviglia

    * Notes * A revival of Emilio Sagi’s busy production of Il barbiere di Siviglia (Act II pictured left, photograph by Cory Weaver) returned to San Francisco Opera after only two years. The proceedings last night did not come into focus until the finale of Act I, but the result was a definitive success, unlike much…

  • SF Opera’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

    * Notes *Let's not beat around the bush on this one, San Francisco Opera's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg  is very long and not for the faint of heart. Maestro Mark Elder's style is glacial, and while every single beautiful note is heard, it seemed tough on both the orchestra and the singers. Coupled with the…

  • Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera

    Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera in the Veterans Building's fourth floor and basement opens February 28, 2016. The 300 seat theater named for Dianne and Tad Taube will host the Schwabacher Debut Recital Series, three performances from the newly formed producing division of the San Francisco Opera called SF Opera Lab, two concerts of…

  • Opera San José’s Le Nozze di Figaro

    * Notes *My review of Opera San José's Le nozze di Figaro is up on San Francisco Classical Voice. * Tattling * The audience seemed genuinely amused by all the antics on stage. This run should do well, even if I myself did not particularly enjoy the performance.

  • Final Dress of SF Opera’s Meistersinger

    * Notes * It was a distinct pleasure to see and hear the final dress rehearsal of San Francisco Opera's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Brandon Jovanovich and the cast pictured left) was held last night at the War Memorial Opera House. The cast is great, and I'm sure they will be even better once everyone…

  • Opera Parallèle’s Christopher Pratorius Q&A

    My Q&A with composer Christopher Pratorius about his children's opera Amazing Grace commissioned by Opera Parallèle is on KQED Arts. 4th and 5th grade students of St. Martin de Porres Catholic School in Oakland will perform the opera on November 12 at 6pm and November 14 at 11am and 1pm. Performances are free and take…

  • The Met’s Lulu

    * Notes * A spectacular new production of Lulu (pictured left, photograph by Ken Howard) opened at the Metropolitan Opera last night. Director William Kentridge's staging is vibrant, and the singing and playing was strong. There were times when the production was perhaps busy, there was a lot of enormous video art projected across the stage…