The Opera Tattler
Reviews of Performances and their Audiences
Category: Opera San José
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* Notes * Don Giovanni opened with two different casts at Opera San José over the weekend. The piece seemed a bit beyond the abilities of all those involved. Though Mozart sounds wonderfully effortless, the Sunday afternoon performance on Easter was both sincere and labored. It was probably a wise decision to cut “Dalla sua…
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* Notes * A double-bill of Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi (pictured left, photograph by P. Kirk) closes the 2012-2013 season at Opera San José. Charlie Smith’s cunning set is used for both operas, but somehow the space seems completely transformed for each. The costumes, from Elizabeth Poindexter, look completely appropriate. Lorna Haywood’s production is…
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* Notes * The Pearl Fishers (Act I with James Callon and Zachary Altman, photograph by P. Kirk) opened the 2012-2013 season at Opera San José over the weekend. Sunday’s performance gave a compelling case for this opera, which is so much less popular than Bizet’s Carmen. Maestro Anthony Quartuccio had the orchestra going at…
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* Notes * Faust (Act II with Michael Dailey and Jouvanca Jean-Baptiste, photograph by P. Kirk) opened at Opera San José last night. The ambitious performance had some lovely points, but was, on the whole, rather scattershot. The orchestra, lead by David Rohrbaugh, sounded slightly lax. The overture was drawn out so that we could…
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* Notes * Last night a double bill of La voix humaine (pictured left, photograph by P. Kirk) and Pagliacci opened at Opera San José. It is something of an odd juxtaposition, one imagines it is based on the duration of these two operas and the fact that it would be difficult to present the…
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* Notes * Last weekend the 28th season of Opera San José opened with Idomeneo. The production (Act I pictured left, photo by P. Kirk) directed by Brad Dalton, is gorgeous. Steven C. Kemp's set looks meticulously researched, and Johann Stegmeir's costumes were quite pretty. The choreography, from Dennis Nahat, did not always go with…
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September 10-25 2011: IdomeneoNovember 12-27 2011: Pagliacci and La voix humaine February 11-26 2012: La traviataApril 21- May 6 2012: Faust There are five operas scheduled for next season at Opera San José. One is sure further details are forthcoming.
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* Notes * The 27th season of Opera San José opened with the West Coast premiere of David Carlson’s Anna Karenina yesterday evening. The libretto, written by Colin Graham, packed a lot of narrative into less than three hours. It felt a bit like hearing the Cliff Notes to Tolstoy’s novel set to music as…
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September 11-26 2010: Anna KareninaNovember 13-28 2010: ToscaFebruary 12-27 2011: Il Barbiere di SivigliaApril 23- May 8 2011: La Bohème Season Announcement | Official Site
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* Notes * Opera San José's new season opened with Manon last night. The orchestra sounded clean under the baton of Joseph Marcheso. On the whole, the intonation was spotless and the soli from the woodwinds and strings were particularly nice. The organ did have a rough entrance at the beginning of Act II. Dianna Shuster's…
The Opera Tattler 