The Opera Tattler
Reviews of Performances and their Audiences
Month: November 2025
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* Notes * The 2025 Adler Fellows (pictured, photograph by Kristen Loken) had their concert last Friday at Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. Every season we see and hear these apprentice artists in supporting roles on the main stage of San Francisco Opera, so it is nice to have a program completely focused on them.…
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* Notes * Ercole Amante (ovation pictured, photograph by author) premiered at ODC Theater from Ars Minerva this past weekend. The piece by Antonia Bembo was written in 1707 and features absolutely beautiful music. It is startling that Ars Minerva can keep finding these obscure operas that are all so lovely. The production directed by…
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* Notes * The Monkey King (Act I pictured, photograph by Cory Weaver) had a world premiere last night at San Francisco Opera. Composed by Huang Ruo and with a libretto by David Henry Hwang, this new opera is a spectacular piece of theater. Director Diane Paulus’ production features puppetry, projections, and dancing. Basil Twist’s…
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* Notes * Last night was the fifth and final performance of Parsifal at San Francisco Opera. I attended in balcony standing room and the sound of the orchestra under Maestra Eun Sun Kim was better than ever, lucid and shimmering. The chorus is likewise very powerful and together. The singing was strong though tenor…
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* Notes * Yesterday evening I went to the fourth performance of San Francisco Opera’s Parsifal San Francisco Opera and read the score in standing room. The way Maestra Eun Sun Kim has set up the strings is novel, she has the violins in the middle, the cellos on the outside to her left, and…
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* Notes * The third performance of Parsifal (Act III, Scene 1 pictured, photograph by Cory Weaver) San Francisco Opera was yesterday afternoon. I was lucky enough to attend this opera in Box Z, which is pretty much as close as one can get to the stage. Again, new details revealed themselves, and as always,…
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* Notes * The Fall concert for San Francisco Opera was held last night. It was lovely to hear the orchestra (pictured, photograph by Matthew Washburn) front and center under the baton of Maestra Eun Sun Kim. The sound was clear and buoyant throughout the program of Manuel de Falla and Beethoven. Beethoven’s Fifth was…
The Opera Tattler 