The Opera Tattler

Reviews of Performances and their Audiences

Recent posts

  • Bishop Allen at the Rickshaw Stop

    * Notes * 
    The indie rock band Bishop Allen played yesterday at the Rickshaw Stop as part of their tour to promote their latest album. The music was blithe and cheery. They certainly were cute, as were the band that opened for them, Miniature Tigers. The venue at hand is quite close to both the opera and the symphony, and perhaps the atmosphere was what San Francisco Symphony had in mind when putting together the Davies After Hours event. As I stood at the rail of one of the landings, I almost felt I was at home in standing room.

    * Tattling * 
    The many young people in attendance were fairly noisy. One is always impressed with the consistency of appearance in any given audience, and this was no exception. I was particularly amused by the ironically hideous sweaters.

    Leave a comment

  • Chicago Opera Theater’s 2010 Season

    April 17-25 2010: Mosè in Egitto
    April 24- May 2 2010: Giasone  
    May 8-16 2010: Three Decembers


    Official Site | 2010 Season

    Leave a comment

  • John Adams at JCCSF

    John * Notes * 
    John Adams was interviewed yesterday by historian Kevin Starr as part of the JCCSF's Arts & Ideas series. We heard about how Adams came of age when contemporary classical music was hostile to communicating with an audience and about how he came to California in a VW Bug without intending to stay for more than a year. Adams stayed out here, of course, teaching at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music for several years. His most famous pieces were discussed including Shaker Loops, Harmonium, Nixon in China, The Death of Klinghoffer, On the Transmigration of Souls, The Dharma at Big Sur, and Doctor Atomic.

    Adams spoke of the piano as a tyrannical paradigm for composers, and interestingly he learnt clarinet rather than piano as a child.  He seems to strive for erudition, Gibbon is one of his favorite authors and he mentioned with disdain that young people do not find it cool to read Henry James or Dante. His advice to young composers was to "know everything." Likewise his comments on opera were rather amusing, that the essence of opera is surreal and that it also is a sort of specatator sport.

    * Tattling * 
    The "high sperm count" of Stravinsky's early works was mentioned, in opposition to his "taking the veil" in his serial period. Adams also spoke about how no one knew what to do with the Belgian-invented saxophone for a good thirty years until jazz came along. There was much teasing between Adams and Starr, and the latter was stumped about where the name for Adams' memoir came from.

    In contrast, the audience was on fairly good behavior, there was no electronic noise in the form of cellular phones or watch alarms. Scattered talking was noted, but this was not terribly distracting.

    Leave a comment

  • Opéra National de Paris’ 2009-2010 Season

    September 14- October 14 2009: Mireille
    September 17- October 2 2009: Wozzeck
    September 18 2009- April 23 2010: Il Barbiere di Siviglia
    October 3-17 2009: Die Tote Stadt
    October 10-25 2009: L'elisir d'Amore
    October 29- November 29 2009: La Bohème
    November 7- December 1 2009: Salome
    December 2-30 2009: Platée
    December 3-24 2009: Andrea Chénier
    January 14- February 4 2010: Werther
    January 20- February 13 2010: Idomeneo
    January 25- February 23 2010: La Sonnambula
    February 11- March 14 2010: Don Carlo
    March 4-28 2010: Das Rheingold
    March 17-31 2010: Fénelon's Faust
    April 24- May 15 2010: Billy Budd
    May 7- June 3 2010: Les Contes D'Hoffmann
    May 31- June 29 2010: Die Walküre
    June 14- July 10 2010: La Donna del Lago  
    June 25- July 12 2010: The Cunning Little Vixen

    Official Site | 2009-2010 Season

    Leave a comment

  • Il Pasticcino d’Amore

    Cupcakelisir 


    This is the sixth scene of Act II from L’elisir d’amore. The village girls have taken an interest in Nemorino, piquing the jealousy of Adina.


    Details of Painting | Performance Review of L’elisir

    Leave a comment

  • San Francisco Piano Quartet

    * Notes *
    The San Francisco Piano Quartet played this afternoon as part of Noe Valley Chamber Music's 16th season. The performance began with three movements of Antonín Dvořák's Piano Quartet in E flat Major, then involved various bits and pieces of music from related composers, and finally ended with the last movement from the first piece. Interspersed thoroughout were educational segments from the pianist, Avi Downes. She basically would give a bit of history on the pieces and talk about how they were germane to Dvořák's American journey.

    Harry Burleigh's In the Cold Moonlight resembled Chopin more than the spiritual for solo piano it is supposed to be. The opening movement of Goldmark's Piano Quartet in A Major was likewise lush and florid. The Three Preludes for Violin and Piano from Gershwin were exuberant and fun, more so than Sam Bass' Jazz Sonata for Cello and Piano, though the cello pizzicato in the latter piece was engaging. The Dvořák had a good deal of both playfulness and brashness. All of the playing was quite good.

    * Tattling *
    There was a rather loudly-barking dog nearby, but the audience itself was well-behaved save some person who unvelcroed something at least three times during the music.

    During the intermission we were approached by the managing director of Noe Valley Chamber Music, who asked us how we found out about the concert. She noted our relative youthfulness, given that their audience is mostly over 50.

    Leave a comment

  • Davies After Hours at SFS

    * Notes *
    San Francisco Symphony's first Davies After Hours event was last night, after Nicola Luisotti again conducted Kodály, Bloch, and Brahms. The Second Tier Lobby was completely packed with people, and at times one could hardly move. This event seems intent on bridging classical music with a younger, hipper audience, not unlike the idea behind the Wordless Music Series. Cellist Alex Kelly played a set which included responses to both Bloch and Brahms. The latter was highly amusing, though I found the amplification distracting. Later Kelly played with the Mark Growden Sextet, a jazzy ensemble whose leader plays bicycle handlebars, accordion, and banjo. Though the music was not unenjoyable, the sensation of being crowded in by that many humans was, and we left early.

    * Tattling *
    There was quite a lot of chatter during the post-concert event, as one would expect. Much pushing occurred, and the Opera Tattler managed to squeeze her way to the balcony by the stage. Unfortunately, the conversations going on over there were utterly dull.

    Many classical music bloggers were in attendance, including sfmike, M. C—, and Axel Feldheim. Also seen were administrators from SF Opera, both the General Director and the Director of Marketing were spotted.

    Leave a comment

  • Madama Butterfly Live in HD Met Simulcast

    This account of the Met simulcast of Madama Butterfly comes from Upstairs Tenor, who is an usher and supernumerary at San Francicsco Opera.

      * Notes * 
    Anthony Minghella left us too soon, but his production of Madama Butterfly is, at least, a testament to his memory. Stark and beautifully designed, with incredibly specific and insightful Personregie down to the tiny role of Butterfly's mother, the production is one of the best things the Met has done in years. The much talked about puppet portraying Butterfly's son was wonderfully realistic, though ill-served by close ups that revealed the faces of the puppeteers, usually covered by veils, in HD. Renée Fleming hosted the intermission interviews, and proved herself a competent interviewer.

    The reliable Patrick Summers conducted a sensitive, well-thought-out performance, even if the woodwinds were somewhat lacking at several points. The cast was excellent, lead, as it is, by the dream-cast Cio-Cio San of Patricia Racette. Racette, who stepped in at late notice after Cristina Galldro-Domas took ill, is easily the best Butterfly singing today, and the camera caught every nuance, every quirk of the eyebrow and every smile in her expressive face. Her Pinkerton, Marcello Giordani, was a bit shaky in Act I, but much stronger after his hour's rest offstage. Maria Zifchak has been the Met's regular Suzuki for years, and examined up close, now we know why: who knew she was such an exquisite actress? Those were real tears during the Humming Chorus. Dwayne Croft, sounding like a dream, also returned to give an expert Sharpless, keen to every facet of the role. Greg Fedderly appears to have cemented his position as the reigning king of character tenors, and his snide Goro was a treat. Dean Peterson's gravelly-voiced Bonze and the surprisingly sympathetic Yamadori of David Won rounded out the principal cast.

    * Tattling * 
    There was a small dropout in the feed right in the middle of "Un Bel Di." Thank God it only lasted about two seconds. The audience at Daly City's Century 20 Theaters was quite well-behaved save a few watch alarms, but during the opening of this production, a completely silent dance performed by a Geisha, I heard a cell phone go off…in the Met Audience. That's Technology for you.

    Leave a comment

  • Luisotti conducts SFS

    * Notes *
    This week the incoming music director of San Francisco Opera, Nicola Luisotti, is conducting San Francisco Symphony in a program of Kodály, Bloch, and Brahms. The Galántai Tánkoc (Dances of Galánta) from Kodály were great fun. The woodwinds sounded clear, the clarinet and oboe were particularly lovely. In the second piece, cellist Michael Grebanier highlighted the plaintive qualities of Bloch's Schelomo. The symphony and conductor certainly contributed, the wall of sound they created was lush with textures. Luisotti's conducting is theatrical, one was worried he was having convulsions. He was irrepressibly animated during Brahms' Symphony No. 4. The brass had more than a few fuzzy moments, but the rest of the orchestra played well.

    * Tattling *
    For the first half of the performance I was at the very back of the house, the Second Tier, Section CC, Row H. The woman in Seat 9 took off her clogs during the performance and noisily fanned herself, but at least did not speak very much except at the very beginning. For the second half of the performance I was convinced to move to the Side Terrace. It was amusing to watch Luisotti from up close, but I had some difficulty containing my mirth.

    Leave a comment

  • Gluck and Slumdog Millionaire

    * Notes *
    The Opera Tattler was quite caught off guard by the performance of Gluck's Orphée et Eurydice in Slumdog Millionaire. Otherwise, this rather predictable film was nice to look at, like a prettily wrapped present. Good triumphs over evil, love conquers all, but not without the help of both fame and money.

    * Tattling *
    Someone's beer bottle shattered during the film, this both loud and startling. My companion started laughing during the Gluck, but I suppose that's perfectly appropriate given that I cannot seem to see movies that do not involve opera.

    Leave a comment