Reviews of Performances and their Audiences
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Pictured left is Act I, Scene 3 of San Francisco Opera's Götterdämmerung with Daveda Karanas (Waltraute) and Nina Stemme (Brünnhilde) by Cory Weaver.
Whole Cycle: Echovar | oboeinsight | Wall Street Journal
Civic Center: Götterdämmerung
Not For Fun Only: Rheingold | Walküre | Siegfried | Götterdämmerung
* Notes *
Der Ring des Nibelungen at San Francisco Opera came to a spectacular conclusion with Götterdämmerung (Prologue pictured left, photo by Cory Weaver) today. The orchestra played beautifully for Maestro Donald Runnicles. There were only two or three sour moments, and even these were fleeting and did not detract from the overall brilliance of the performance. The horn and harp were striking. The music of Siegfried’s funeral march was incredibly moving, as was the very end of the opera. The chorus sounded strong and the greeting of Gunther and Brünnhilde was gorgeous.
The principal singers gave performances consistent with their previous ones, only with greater focus and intensity. Stacey Tappan, Lauren McNeese, and Renée Tatum may have looked like they had seen better days as the Rhinemaidens, but they sounded great. They held it together for the wild part of the music that starts with “So weise und stark verwähnt sich der Held.” Ronnita Miller, Daveda Karanas, and Heidi Melton were memorable as the Norns, each voice distinctive, but singing together. Daveda Karanas also made the Waltraute/Brünnhilde scene in Act I very human and believable. Andrea Silvestrelli was menancing as Hagen, singing with force and richness. Ian Storey was only overwhelmed a few times as Siegfried, his voice has warmth and was particularly effective in Act III. Nina Stemme was truly a wonder as Brünnhilde, going from strength to strength.
* Tattling *
Every seat was sold, and even standing room was at capacity. I heard there were altercations in the balcony over places at the rail. It was noted that the person seated in the balcony with the service dog was late today, and her dog was allowed to roam freely around the standing area.
As for the orchestra level, there was the usual talking, laughing, clapping, and electronic noise. People were all too amused by the remote control used in the first scene of Act II.
* Notes *
The third Ring cycle at San Francisco Opera continued yesterday with Siegfried (Act II, Scene 3 pictured left, photo by Cory Weaver). The orchestra sounded better than ever under Donald Runnicles. The brass was particularly clean, especially in the Act I Vorspiel and before Brünnhilde makes her vocal entrance in Act III, Scene 3. A clarinet squeaked once in Act II, but overall playing of the clarinet and the rest of the woodwinds was gorgeous, the Woodbird music was very pretty. Again, the fire music at the end of Act III, Scene 2 was wonderful.
The singing was strong. Jay Hunter Morris (Siegfried) sounded young and sweet, his voice is more open and has a fuller bloom to it than when he debuted the role more than a month ago. His acting skills are evident, I especially liked watching him mimic the movements of Mime, sung by David Cangelosi. The latter gave a performance with great physicality and a full range of colors in the voice. Cangelosi enunciates well, yet maintains a bright lyricism. Mark Delavan (Wanderer) would occasionally be overwhelmed when we got to brass-heavy parts of the music, though perhaps this was only because my seat was right in front of that section. He did sing beautifully. Nina Stemme is a stunning Brünnhilde. At this point, it is hard to imagine anyone else in this role, as Stemme embodies the character so perfectly.
* Tattling *
The audience had a hard time being quiet during the music that did not include singing, but because the performance was so engaging, the talking was easy enough to ignore. At least no electronic noise was heard, at least, not on the orchestra level where I was seated. The person next to me in Row L Seat 6 took photographs of the projects at the top of Act II until the woman in M 4 hissed at him to stop.
Tenor David Cangelosi (pictured left in Siegfried Act I, photograph by Cory Weaver) sings Mime in San Francisco Opera's current Ring production. Cangelosi has been blogging himself since 2009, and graciously agreed to meet with The Opera Tattler and Miss LCU before the final dress rehearsal of Das Rheingold last month.
What are your dream roles?
Mime is my dream role! Years ago I received the Solti Ring box set on cassette tape, and for some reason, I started listening to Siegfried first. I got into opera to sing this role.
You are clearly an athlete. How does your training as a springboard diver help you as an opera singer?
I've always been athletic and wiry. I have really good control of my body in the air, so springboard diving came very naturally to me. Being physically strong helps my stamina on stage. In Siegfried I am on stage for 90 minutes without a break, and my Mime is very physical, so it is pretty exhausting.
What makes a good Mime?
For any role, I make sure to listen to what the other characters say to me. 90 to 95 percent of what I do is simply to react. I've never had an acting lesson!
How does Francesca Zambello's production compare to your experiences at Lyric and the Met?
Zambello is great, she really challenged me. She is interested in a longer emotional arc of the character, from Das Rheingold into Siegfried, and she adds a human touch to Mime's narrative. You will notice that in the last scene of Das Rheingold she has me wait around, and then I run off stage right. So it makes sense how I get from Nibelheim to the forest.
Do you sympathize with Mime?
There's really no black and white in these operas, all of the characters have a humanity to them. I don't think Mime planned to kill Siegfried from the beginning. Of course, Mime has his own agenda, but he raised this child, and I think he does care for Siegfried. But there is a point at which Mime chooses himself over Siegfried, obviously.
What are your favorite hair products?
Local business Nancy Boy in Hayes Valley makes some great products that aren't too heavily scented.
* Program *
“Bella siccome un angelo” from Don Pasquale
“Mab, la reine des mensonges” from Roméo et Juliette
Jonathan Michie, baritone and Robert Mollicone, piano
“Va! Laisse couler mes larmes” from Werther
“Sein wir wieder gut” from Ariadne auf Naxos
Deborah Nansteel, mezzo-soprano and Timothy Cheung, piano
“Sibillar gli angui d ‘Aletto” from Rinaldo
“Hai gia vinta la causa…Vedro mentr’io sospiro” from Le Nozze di Figaro
Philippe Sly, bass-baritone and Ana María Otamendi, piano
“No word from Tom” from The Rake’s Progress
“Отчего это прежде не знала” from Iolanta
Elizabeth Zharoff, soprano and Clinton Smith, piano
* Notes *
Matthew Epstein gave a rather novel master class for the Merola Opera Program last night at Herbst Theatre. Epstein had the Merolini sit in the middle of the auditorium, and give comments on their colleagues. There was something slightly awkward about this format, as it is very difficult to give one’s honest opinion in front of both the person being critiqued and an audience. Needless to say, there was a lot of hedging. Many comments started with “I love your voice, but” followed by a particular opinion. This event also was different from most master classes because the singers did not repeat their arias. Even still, it was certainly interesting to hear what the Merola participants had to say. All four voices we heard were pretty and pleasant, but Philippe Sly stood out, despite being ill. It was nice to hear the pianists on stage, rather than in the pit as with the General Director Auditions.
* Tattling *
There was rather a lot of talking in the audience, and at least two cellular phones rang.
* Notes *
Cycle 3’s Die Walküre (Act II, Scene 1 pictured left, photo by Cory Weaver) at San Francisco Opera was performed yesterday with Heidi Melton debuting the role of Sieglinde. Melton has a warmth to her voice, but also conveys the fragility of the character. She did sound a bit rough early on in Act I, Scene 3, but she recovered well. Her last notes of the opera, in Act III, Scene 1, were lovely.
Brandon Jovanovich’s Siegmund was better than ever, sounding stronger and more legato. Mark Delavan (Wotan) sounded especially poignant in Act II, and his interaction with Elizabeth Bishop (Fricka) were profoundly human. Nina Stemme consistently is arresting as Brünnhilde. The orchestra, conducted by Donald Runnicles, is resplendent.
* Tattling *
The house was full. A seeing-eye dog barked once in Act I. There was talking and laughing during the music, and the woman in P 8 of the Orchestra Level even finished a Facebook comment during the Act III Prelude. There was also lots of clapping over the music, first for the piggyback ride Wotan gave Brünnhilde in Act II, then for the entrance of the Walküren, and finally when the Walkürenritt ended.
* Notes *
The third and final Ring cycle of the season at San Francisco Opera started with Das Rheingold (Brandon Jovanovich, Elizabeth Bishop, Melissa Citro, and Gerd Grochoski in Scene 4 pictured left, photo by Cory Weaver) last Tuesday. Maestro Runnicles had the orchestra sounding noticeably cleaner this time around, especially the brass. The playing was gorgeous. The low strings and the harp were absolutely lovely. The balances were better, only the baritones were overwhelmed briefly when the orchestration was heavy. There were strong contributions all around, especially from Mark Delavan (Wotan), Elizabeth Bishop (Fricka), Andrea Silvestrelli (Fasolt), and Ronnita Miller (Erda). Štefan Margita's Loge was most impressive.
It was illuminating to sit so close to the stage this time around. One suspects that Francesca Zambello's directorial style is rather detail-oriented and very specific. The expressions and gestures used do create a sense of intimacy, but perhaps do not read that well from the back of the house.
* Tattling *
One could hear the squeaks of pulleys during the set changes. There was talking during these times as well. Electronic noise was at a minimum, but a watch alarm sounded at the beginning of the piece.
Production Web Site | SF Opera's Ring Blog | Cycle 1 Reviews
Pictured left is Act III, Scene 2 of San Francisco Opera's Götterdämmerung with Ian Storey (Siegfried), Gerd Grochowski (Gunther), Andrea Silvestrelli (Hagen), members of the San Francisco Opera Chorus, and supernumeraries by Cory Weaver. Cycle 3 starts this week, and below are selected reviews of the second cycle.
Whole Cycle: Chicago Tribune | Lies Like Truth | Opera West
The Classical Review: Rheingold | Walküre | Siegfried | Götterdämmerung
Huffington Post: Das Rheingold
Not For Fun Only: Walküre
Opera Geek: Rheingold | Walküre | Siegfried | Götterdämmerung
Opera West: Rheingold | Walküre | Siegfried | Götterdämmerung
Oregon Music News: Rheingold | Walküre | Siegfried | Götterdämmerung
Soprano Heidi Melton (pictured left, photograph by Kristin Hoebermann) sings Third Norn in Götterdämmerung and Sieglinde in Cycle Three's Die Walküre this summer at San Francisco Opera. She sings Third Norn in the Met's upcoming Ring cycle next year. The Opera Tattler caught up with Melton at the War Memorial before rehearsal a few weeks ago.
When did you first start singing?
When I was about 15 or 16, I wanted to be a soccer player. I didn't make it into the premier league, and I felt absolutely terrible. I locked myself in the bathroom at home and cried, and my sister, she picked the lock and talked some sense into me. She challenged me to find what was next. I started taking singing lessons, and it clicked right away.
What was your first Ring?
My first Ring was the one at Deutsche Oper Berlin by Götz Friedrich. It is from the 80s and set in the DC subway. I sang Third Norn, Helmwige, and Gutrune. For Gutrune, I didn't know I was singing the role until a week before, so it was pretty surreal. They had told me that I should look at the role, and thankfully I'm slightly OCD, so I did have the part memorized. I had about two days of rehearsal.
How do you like Berlin?
It is amazing, there is so much history.
What do you miss about the States?
Let me be honest, I really miss American Diet Coke. It is my biggest vice!
Welcome back! You spent three years here as an Adler. Is there a role that sticks out for you?
The funniest story is when I sang Diane in Iphigénie en Tauride. I had to sing from the second balcony, and I was standing up before I was to come in, watching Maestro Stewart carefully. An audience member was absolutely incensed that I was standing up, and kept hissing "Sit down, you sit down!" Once I started singing it was all fine, but I had to have an usher escort me for the rest of the performances.
You are singing Sieglinde soon. How do you relate to this character?
I've fallen in love with Sieglinde. I think you have to, in order to really do your job. Sieglinde is such a woman, not a girl. You do have to get past the incest, of course, in order to relate to the character. She has a serious case of arrested development. But I admire her cunning, and I feel this really comes out in Francesca Zambello's direction.
How have rehearsals been?
Great! I have been doing all the rehearsals for Die Walküre before Anja Kampe arrives. It is also Brandon Jovanovich's first Siegmund, so doing this together has been very rewarding. The most challenging scene has been the beginning of Götterdämmerung, though it doesn't look hard. We are on a pile of rubble, with the scrim down. We are wearing goggles and they had been fogging up, so it was difficult to see!
I hear your nickname is "Pippi." Why?
That's right! My mother named me "Heidi" because she just liked the book by Johanna Spyri. Once my colleagues heard of this, I got the nickname "Pippi," from the Pippi Longstocking books, of course.
* Notes *
Cycle 2 of Der Ring des Nibelungen at San Francisco Opera concluded with Götterdämmerung (final scene of Act III pictured left, photo by Cory Weaver) today. The orchestra was in fine form under Donald Runnicles. The bass clarinet, harp, and trumpet sounded especially wonderful. The chorus did well, and the male chorus sounded more together in Act III.
It was less easy to discern which words Andrea Silvestrelli continued to impress as Hagen. Ian Storey’s voice did not disappear this time as he sang Siegfried. He seemed flat at times, but he did sound warm. Nina Stemme was simply amazing as Brünnhilde. There were times when she might have been difficult to understand as far as the enunciation of her words, but the emotional import was never lost. The last scene was splendid, Stemme and orchestra sounded incredibly beautiful.
* Tattling *
There were no seats left in the house, and standing room was crowded. Because of the Pride festivities, there were many late-comers, most of whom seemed very irritated that they could not take their seats during the 1 hour and 50 minutes of the Prologue and Act I. A watch alarm was noted during Act I. Snoring was also heard in both Acts I and II.
As part of my Rheinmaiden costume I carried a fishbowl with gold marbles in it. One of the ushers deliberated on whether I would be allowed into the standing room area in the balcony with the marbles, as I was told I might make noise with them, and I was told I had to be very careful. After entering the balcony I was immediately asked if the marbles were food by another usher. Ironically, the usher in the center aisle spoke a great deal, as she told people they could not take their seats (if they were late), return to their seats (if they went to the restroom), or stand in the aisle unless they were ushers (as they would be a fire hazard). Obviously she was just trying to do her job and follow the rules, but the amount of talking aloud was distracting.
The Opera Tattler 
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