The Opera Tattler

Reviews of Performances and their Audiences

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Category: Elizabeth Bishop

  • SF Opera’s Die Walküre Cycle 3

    * 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…

  • SF Opera’s Das Rheingold Cycle 3

    * 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…

  • SF Opera’s Die Walküre Cycle 1

    * Notes * Cycle 1 of Der Ring des Nibelungen at San Francisco Opera continued last night with Die Walküre (Act III pictured left, photo by Cory Weaver). Francesca Zambello's production shows the human side of every character, both God and hero alike are shown as flawed yet accessible. The use of fire, dogs, and parachuting…

  • SF Opera’s Das Rheingold Cycle 1

    * Notes * Francesca Zambello’s “American” Ring opened with Das Rheingold Tuesday night at San Francisco Opera. Many of the video projections (by Jan Hartley) had been changed. Instead of reminding one of screen-savers, they look more like scenes from a Lord of the Rings video game. The projections for the beginning were a vast…

  • SF Opera’s Ring Panel Discussion

    Yesterday evening Kip Cranna moderated a panel discussion on Der Ring des Nibelungen (Das Rheingold Scene 1 pictured left, photo by Cory Weaver) which opens next today at San Francisco Opera. The panelists were mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Bishop (Fricka), baritone Mark Delavan (Wotan, Wanderer), baritone Gordon Hawkins (Alberich), tenor Brandon Jovanovich (Siegmund), soprano Heidi Melton (Sieglinde…

  • Bishop to Replace Diadkova as Fricka in SF Opera’s Ring

    Elizabeth Bishop (pictured left, photo by Sasha Vasiljev) will sing Fricka in Der Ring des Nibelungen at San Francisco Opera this Summer. She replaces Larissa Diadkova, who has withdrawn for personal reasons. Bishop recently sang two performances of the title role in Iphigénie en Tauride at the Metropolitan Opera, replacing an ailing Susan Graham. Press…

  • Der Zerbrochene Krug and Der Zwerg at LA Opera

    * Notes * Der zerbrochene Krug had its US premiere at Los Angeles Opera yesterday, along with the West Coast premiere of Der Zwerg, both part of James Conlon's Recovered Voices: A Lost Generation's Long-Forgotten Masterpieces project. Both operas are impressive. The comedic Der zerbrochene Krug (1941/1942) was Viktor Ullmann's last composition before he was…