The Opera Tattler

Reviews of Performances and their Audiences

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Category: San Francisco Opera

  • SF Opera’s Cyrano Media Round-Up

    Production Web Site | Press Photographs Previews: lies like truth | MusicalCriticism.com | The Opera Tattler | San Francisco Chronicle | San Francisco Examiner Reviews: FT.com | The Opera Tattler | San Francisco Chronicle | San Francisco Examiner

  • SF Opera’s Cyrano de Bergerac

    * Notes * Sunday’s matinée of San Francisco Opera’s Cyrano de Bergerac opened a run of seven performances. Petrika Ionesco’s production, from Théâtre du Châtelet, is attractive, but does not make for the most elegant set changes. There was much delightful spectacle, and the staging was not entirely old-fashioned either, despite looking fairly traditional. The orchestra…

  • Plácido Domingo’s SF Opera Press Event

    * Notes * Today the Communications Department of San Francisco Opera hosted an event with Plácido Domingo in conversation with David Gockley. Domingo will be singing the title role in Cyrano de Bergerac, which opens Sunday, and Gockley spoke a bit about how this was arranged, why we are getting a production from Théâtre du Châtelet,…

  • The Second Cast of SF Opera’s Figaro

    * Notes * The last three performances of San Francisco Opera's Le Nozze di Figaro this season features four new cast members. In the back of the balcony for the second performance on Saturday everyone could be heard, unlike during matinée I attended a week before in the side balcony. Dale Travis was perfectly funny as…

  • SF Opera’s Madama Butterfly

    * Notes * Harold Prince’s production of Madama Butterfly opened last night at San Francisco Opera. The revolving set, designed by Clarke Dunham, is pretty enough. Though not terribly elegant, it is sure to delight most. The transitions were fluid. Director José Maria Condemi certainly was presented a challenge of getting people on, off, and…

  • Marco Vratogna Interview

    Baritone Marco Vratogna (pictured left in San Francisco, note trousers and shoes) just finished singing Amonasro in the season opening run of Aida at San Francisco Opera. He is scheduled to sing Jack Rance in La Fanciulla del West at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Ezio in Attila at La Scala in June. The…

  • Humorous Observations on SF Opera’s Figaro

    * Tattling * Yesterday's matinée performance Le Nozze di Figaro at San Francisco Opera started late and was rather chaotic. There was much traffic coming into the city, perhaps because of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, the annual free music festival held in Golden Gate Park. Several latecomers were sent to the back of the balcony to…

  • A Second Look at SF Opera’s Figaro

    * Notes * The fourth of nine performances in San Francisco Opera's Le Nozze di Figaro revival this season was last night. From the back of the balcony everyone sounded robust. Maestro Luisotti's conducting highlighted the subtitle of this opera, ossia la folle giornata, and his playing of the fortepiano was filled with vim. I…

  • Another Look at SF Opera’s Werther

    * Notes * The San Francisco Opera's penultimate performance of Werther this season was held yesterday evening. From balcony standing room, the balances between the singers and the orchestra were better. Emmanuel Villaume did keep the orchestra together, the sound was gleaming and rich. The chorus of children was also lovely. It was apparent that…

  • SF Opera’s Figaro Media Round-Up

    Production Web Site | Press Photographs Interviews of de Niese: The Opera Tattler | SFCV | SFist Performance Reviews: Not For Fun Only | The Opera Tattler | San Francisco Chronicle | SFCV | San Francisco Examiner