The Opera Tattler
Reviews of Performances and their Audiences
Category: Uncategorized
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* Notes * Thea Musgrave’s Mary, Queen of Scots opened at San Francisco Opera yesterday evening. The music and production both had a starkness and intensity that made for good theater. Conductor Clelia Cafiero did a fine job with the orchestra, her intentions were clear. The music has a certain stridency, with a lot of…
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* Notes * The 2026-2027 season of San Francisco Opera opened last night with what should have been the fourth performance of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra Maestra Eun Sun Kim and the San Francisco Opera Orchestra sounded absolutely gorgeous, proving the point of the latter’s recent strike. There is no opera without music, no matter how…
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San Francisco Opera and the San Francisco Opera Orchestra (represented by the American Federation of Musicians Local 6), jointly announced that they reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract. It is still subject to ratification, but the season is to open next Tuesday, September 22. Press Release } SF Opera Orchestra
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Performances of Simon Boccanegra on September 16 and 19, and the premiere of Mary, Queen of Scots on September 20 are cancelled as the orchestra of San Francisco Opera continues to strike. Press Release } San Francisco Opera Orchestra
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A new season of San Francisco Opera did not open with the scheduled Simon Boccanegra last night, as the orchestra went on strike. Today’s Free Opera In The Park is also cancelled. The musicians of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra let their intentions to strike on opening night known on August 27 and the opera…
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* Notes * Ten weeks of opera training culminated last Saturday with the Merola Grand Finale at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. All the singers are at a high level, but there were still a few stand outs. The orchestra sounded fine under Maestro William Long, the playing was idiomatic for all…
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* Notes * Rinaldo (ovation pictured, photograph by author) opened at West Edge Opera on August 2 in a pop-art superhero staging that was so much fun. The orchestra was a bit rough, but the beauty of Händel’s music came through, especially because the singing was lovely. Keturah Stickann directed this very silly production that…
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* Notes * Last Thursday the Merola Opera Program presented an absolutely charming rendition of Ariadne auf Naxos (soprano Abigail Raiford as Echo, soprano Jennifer Robinson as Nyade, soprano Adia Evans as Prima Donna/Ariadne, and mezzo-soprano Katherine Dobbs as Dryade pictured, photograph by Kristen Loken) at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The playing, acting,…
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* Notes * Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra gave semi-staged performances of Tolomeo (Dashon Burton, Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, Lauren Snouffer, Kangmin Justin Kim, and Nicole Heaston pictured, photograph by Kristen Loken) starting last Thursday at Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. Music Director Peter Whelan chose to have the orchestra behind the singers, which led to some synchronization…
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* Notes * Merola Opera Program continued the summer season with La Tragédie de Carmen (soprano Anna Thompson as Micaëla and mezzo-soprano Ariana Maubach as Carmen pictured, photograph by Kristen Loken) on Thursday at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. This reimagining of Bizet’s Carmen by Peter Bronk is concise and provocative. The singing was…
