The Opera Tattler

Reviews of Performances and their Audiences

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  • Die Entführung aus dem Serail at SF Opera


    Entfuehrung

    * Notes * 
    Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio) opened at San Francisco Opera yesterday evening. The production, designed by David Zinn, features an adorable 18th century theatre and lavish costumes. Director Chas Rader-Shieber did not use the set to its best advantage. There were some amusing moments, as when the Pasha’s ship zipped by in the background, or when a door appeared in the middle of the stage. Unfortunately, for the most part, the opera was just not as funny as it could have been. The choreography was artificial and poorly motivated. The members of the chorus looked and sounded especially uncomfortable as they very carefully synchronized their arm movements.


    Under Cornelius Meister, the orchestra was clear, albeit papery and dry. The triangle seemed to have a bit of trouble at the end of the overture and was not with the cymbals or the bass drum. As for the principal singers, everyone sounded perfectly nice, for the most part. The cast fluidly switched from their English dialogue to the German singing, though perhaps it would have made more sense to sing in English as well.


    Peter Rose was funny as Osmin, his voice is pleasant, but his low notes are not strong. He was not with the orchestra for parts of “Wer ein Liebchen hat gefunden” or in the trio at the end of Act I, but was better for the rest of the opera. Andrew Bidlack sounded lovely as Pedrillo, he was weak at times during Act II, but was wonderful during the seranade “In Mohrenland gefangen war ein Mädel.” Anna Christy (Blonde) was as cute as ever, she twittered her way through, occasionally with a lot of vibrato, but much warmth. Mary Dunleavy fared less well, the top of her voice is sometimes strained and shrill, particularly in her first aria. Her voice can be angelic and she held up during “Welcher Wechsel herrscht…Traurigkeit ward mir zum Lose.” As our hero Belmonte, Matthew Polenzani looked stiff but sang his arias with beauty.


    * Tattling * 
    The audience talked during the English dialogue, but were quiet for the music. A person next to us in standing room exclaimed something when he realized the dialogue was to be in English, he seemed rather unhappy.


    My companions were asked if they were married by a very pleasant usher who took our photograph. We had a good laugh about this.

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  • Silvestrelli to Replace Rose

    Andrea Silvestrelli will replace Peter Rose as Osmin in SF Opera's Die Entführung aus dem Serail on September 29th.

    Press Release [PDF]| San Francisco Opera

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  • SF Opera Ring Cast

    Walkuere

    The casting for San Francisco Opera's Der Ring des Nibelungen was announced today. The three cycles are scheduled for June 14-19, June 21-26, and June 28-July 3, 2011, and will be conducted by Donald Runnicles. The production is directed by Francesca Zambello, with sets from Michael Yeargan. Currently, tickets for complete cycles are on sale for subscribers and donors only.

    Das Rheingold
    Wotan: Mark Delavan
    Loge: Stefan Margita
    Alberich: Gordon Hawkins
    Fricka: Larissa Diadkova
    Erda: Ronnita Miller
    Mime: David Cangelosi
    Fasolt: Andrea Silvestrelli
    Fafner: Daniel Sumegi
    Freia: Melissa Citro

    Die Walküre
    Wotan: Mark Delavan
    Brünnhilde: Nina Stemme
    Siegmund: Brandon Jovanovich
    Sieglinde: Anja Kampe, Heidi Melton (6/29)
    Fricka: Larissa Diadkova
    Hunding: Daniel Sumegi

    Siegfried
    Siegfried: Ian Storey
    Mime: David Cangelosi
    Brünnhilde: Nina Stemme
    Alberich: Gordon Hawkins
    Wotan: Mark Delavan
    Erda: Ronnita Miller
    Fafner: Daniel Sumegi
    Forest Bird: Stacey Tappan

    Götterdämmerung
    Siegfried: Ian Storey
    Brünnhilde: Nina Stemme
    Gunther: Gerd Grochowski
    Hagen: Andrea Silvestrelli
    Alberich: Gordon Hawkins
    Waltraute: Daveda Karanas
    First Norn: Ronnita Miller
    Second Norn: Daveda Karanas
    Third Norn: Heidi Melton
    Woglinde: Stacey Tappan

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  • Ring-Nuts

    The Opera Tattler has been sent this article no less than three times. One cannot begin to imagine why. For the record, I am only attending three of the seven Ring Cycles listed.

    NYT Article

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  • Adler 2010 Speculation

    Adlers-2009 The Adler Fellows for 2010 will be announced next week, but it is good fun trying to figure out which of the Merolini are coming back to San Francisco next season. It is quite likely that we won't see any of the Merola apprentice coaches as Adlers, given that both Dennis Doubin and Allen Perriello are in their first year here. As for singers, the probable outgoing Adlers are two sopranos (Heidi Melton, Tamara Wapinsky), two mezzos (Daveda Karanas, Daniela Mack), two tenors (Andrew Bidlack, Alek Shrader), and the sole bass Kenneth Kellogg. My guesses are:

    Susannah Biller
    Kate Crist
    Maya Lahyani
    Ryan Belongie
    Gregory Carroll
    Nathaniel Peake
    Benjamin LeClair     

    One would love to see countertenor Ryan Belongie and baritone Michael Sumuel as Adlers, but looking at what is coming up and who is leaving, I would be surprised if they were chosen. Suzanne Hendrix would also be great as an Adler, but she's a contralto, though this might work for next year's Die Walküre. In any case, they will need a bass, probably Ben LeClair, as Yohan Yi is a Domingo-Thornton Young Artist at LA Opera and Evan Boyer is a member of the upcoming season of Lyric Opera of Chicago's Ryan Center. Baritone Paul Scholten will be in this latter program as well. Mezzo-soprano Maya Lahyani and tenor Alex Mansoori might also be out since they are in the Seattle Opera Young Artists Program.

    Merola's Official Site | Upcoming Performances

    Merola Grand Finale Reviews: The Opera Tattler | Not For Fun Only | Civic Center | SFCV | San Francisco Chronicle

    Così fan tutte: The Opera Tattler | Civic Center | Oboe Insight | Not For Fun Only | SFCV | San Francisco Chronicle

    L'amico Fritz: The Opera Tattler | Civic Center | SFist | SFCV | San Francisco Chronicle

    Schwabacher Summer Concert: The Opera Tattler | Not For Fun Only | SFist

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  • Rückert Lieder at SFS

    Susan-graham * Notes * 
    Yesterday evening mezzo-soprano Susan Graham opened San Francisco Symphony's latest Mahler Festival with the Rückert Lieder. Graham sang with a gorgeous ease, her voice sounds both pure and lush. Michael Tilson Thomas conducted the orchestra in a straightforward manner. Some of the brass entrances were harsh, but the playing was fairly clear. The woodwinds did well, especially the English horn in "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen." The violins were split downstage, with cellos next to the first violins, violas next to the seconds, but it seemed that everyone could be heard perfectly fine.

    After the intermission, Mahler's Symphony No. 1 was played with great volume and flashiness. Despite this, the performance was a bit slack, the tempi and dynamic changes did not always come through. Also, the celli were buried behind the violins, because of the seating arrangement. There were, of course, moments of beauty nonetheless, particularly in the inner movements.

    * Tattling * 
    The audience was perfectly silent for the Rückert Lieder, as they were being recorded. People did whisper during the 1st, and someone's iPhone quacked at one point. The woman in Row L Seat 7 of the orchestra got a text message on her iPhone at the end of the second movement and she updated her Facebook page during much of  the following Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen. Naturally she clapped quite heartily at the end and joined in for the standing ovation.

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  • SF Opera’s Il Trittico Media Round-Up

    Production Web Site | Press Photographs

    Performance Reviews: The Opera Tattler | Not For Fun Only | Civic Center | SFist | SFCV | San Jose Mercury | San Francisco Chronicle

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  • Il Trittico at SF Opera

    Tabarro * Notes * 
    Il Trittico opened at San Francisco Opera last night with Patricia Racette singing all three of the major soprano roles. The production, directed by James Robinson, is clean and simple. Allen Moyer's sets are unostentatious, the three are not tied together in an obvious way, yet still look like they match each other. Patrick Summers had the orchestra sounding both tasteful and even. The Alders were out in full force and did very well. Tamara Wapinsky, David Lomelí, Daveda Karanas, Leah Crocetto, Heidi Melton, Daniela Mack, Austin Kness, and Kenneth Kellogg all sang at one point or another.

    Brandon Jovanovich sang beautifully in Il Tabarro as Luigi. He was overwhelmed by the orchestra at one point, but perhaps because he was simply too far upstage. In her San Francisco Opera debut, Ewa Podleś was arresting as the Princess in Suor Angelica. Her voice has an incredible richness and resonance. Paolo Gavanelli was menacing in Il Tabarro and darkly hilarious in the title role of Gianni Schicchi. He too sounded wonderful, embodying the parts perfectly. Patricia Racette managed her roles of Giorgetta, Suor Angelica, and Lauretta competently. She definitely looked different as each. Racette's vibrato can be unpleasant and her singing a bit labored. However, she does convey various emotions through her voice with an intense clarity.

    * Tattling * 
    We were very kindly given premium orchestra seats from the chorus director. The audience around us was well-behaved, very little talking and only a few electronic noises were heard.

    One could not help but notice that some of the program notes were written by a certain degenerate blogger.

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  • SF Opera’s Il Trovatore Media Round-Up

    Production Web Site | Press Photographs

    Performance Reviews: The Opera Tattler | Iron Tongue of Midnight | Civic Center | SFist | SF Examiner | EBAR | San Jose Mercury | San Francisco Classical Voice | San Francisco Chronicle | New York Times

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  • Opera in the Park 2009

    Mtwohy * Notes * 
    San Francisco Opera's Opera in the Park performance this year was rather charming    . Incoming Music Director Nicola Luisotti conducted with great enthusiasm, and to begin he faced the audience for the National Anthem and conducted us. Both the overture to La Forza del Destino and the intermezzo to Manon Lescaut sounded grand and sweeping. He also  We heard quite a lot from the current Trovatore at SF Opera: Sondra Radvanovsky sang "Tacea la notte…Di tale amor," Marco Berti sang "Ah, si, ben mio…Di quella pira," Quinn Kelsey sang "Il balen del suo sorriso," and the three of them sang "Deserto sulla terra…Di geloso amor" together.

    The Adlers sang several selections starting with Daniela Mack's "Non più mesta." Mack was a bit choppy and did sing "Voi che sapete" with greater fluidity. Leah Crocetto did well with both Donizetti and Puccini. David Lomelí sounded very fine as well, singing "Che gelida manina" and then "O Mimì, tu più non torni" with Quinn Kelsey. The afternoon also saw a lovely performance from Ewa Podleś of "Cruda sorte" from La Italiana in Algeri. Her low notes are richly secure, but those higher up in her tessitura are not exactly in tune. Continuing with Rossini, Andrea Silvestrelli gave an amusing rendition of "La calunnia." Brandon Jovanovich closed the afternoon with a beautiful "E lucevan le stelle" from Tosca.

    * Tattling * 
    There was some talking, including a woman on her cell phone as Crocetto sang from Lucia.

    The rehearsal earlier in the day was exceedingly entertaining, Luisotti sang in place of the singers for the first half. Podleś did not rehearse, nor did she sing in the encore "O sole mio." The encore was hilarious, and the women held their notes longer than the men. Luisotti danced around the stage during the ovation.

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