The Opera Tattler
Reviews of Performances and their Audiences
Category: Opera Review
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* Notes * Last night Mozart's La finta giardiniera had the first of two performances by the Merola Opera Program (Rose Sawvel, Casey Candebat, and Jennifer Cherest pictured left in Act I, photograph by Kristen Loken) in San Francisco this summer. The production, directed by Nicholas Muni, employs much violence and many weapons, but does not…
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* Notes *This season’s revival of Arabella (Act III pictured left, photograph by Ken Howard) opened at Santa Fe Opera yesterday. Sir Andrew Davis conducted a vivid performance from the orchestra, and the strings were particularly beautiful. Many of the smaller roles were filled by singers familiar to those of us from San Francisco, such…
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* Notes *The opening of Santa Fe Opera's Maometto II (Act II pictured left, photograph by Ken Howard) occurred a few weeks ago. The third performance yesterday evening had much appeal, in no small part because of Rossini's music, which was conducted by Frédéric Chaslin and played with spirit. The volume of the orchestra was…
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* Notes *Szymanowski’s Król Roger (Act I pictured left, photograph by Ken Howard) opened last weekend at Santa Fe Opera. The second performance on Wednesday sounded strong, the orchestra held together under Maestro Evan Rogister. At times the volume obscured the singer’s voices, but not often. The production, directed by Stephen Wadsworth and with sets…
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* Notes *Lost in the Stars, composed by Kurt Weill with book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson, opened at the Glimmerglass Festival (Act I pictured left with Sean Panikkar as The Leader, photograph by Karli Cadel) on Sunday afternoon. This opera is based on South African author Alan Paton’s novel Cry, the Beloved Country. Somehow…
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* Notes *The opening performance of Lully's Armide at the Glimmerglass Festival (Act I pictured left with Peggy Kriha Dye as Armide and Colin Ainsworth as Renaud, photograph by Karli Cadel) occurred last Saturday. The opera takes its plot from Torquato Tasso's epic poem La Gerusalemme liberata and shares several characters with Orlando furioso by…
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* Notes *The Paris Opera Ballet performed Pina Bausch‘s arresting choreography of Orpheus und Eurydike as part the Lincoln Center Festival yesterday evening. The set, designed by Rolf Borzik, is sober, offset by his simple, often translucent costumes. The dancing was gorgeous. The movements were fluid, and had a lovely natural quality to them. One…
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* Notes * Dominick Argento’s Postcard from Morocco was performed last night by the Merola Opera Program at Cowell Theater in San Francisco. This odd one act opera, which premiered in 1971, requires only ninety minutes, seven singers, and eight instrumentalists. The action takes place at a train station, and the waiting travelers all carry particular…
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* Notes * This week Michael Tilson Thomas conducts San Francisco Symphony (pictured left) in a program of Liszt and Bartók. The opening performance began with Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1. Jeremy Denk played fluidly, but with clear articulation. Both Denk and the orchestra could sound blustery or playful as the music required. The staged version…
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* Notes * The Magic Flute (Alek Shrader as Tamino and the animals of the woods in Act I Scene 3 pictured left, photograph by Cory Weaver) opened at San Francisco Opera Wednesday night. The new production, from artist Jun Kaneko, is an utter delight. Kaneko’s use of bright colors and whimsical shapes is charming.…
The Opera Tattler 