The second act of Dream of the Red Chamber reached the apex and provided the audience with soul-stirring fulfillment.
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“This used to be a funhouse… but now it’s full of evil clowns / It’s time to start the countdown…. I’m gonna burn it down”
In San Francisco Opera’s new Così fan tutte, the elements that most visibly read as “American” were a penchant for slapstick humor, overcooked blocking, and an abundance of cartoonish period costumes that hobbled the opera’s first act.
Ludwig van Beethoven’s “rescue opera” Fidelio was presented by San Francisco Opera as their first new production of the season last Thursday in reinterpreted fashion.
After the break the ladies stepped up their game so much that it elevated the night into legendary status: definitely one for the books!
The San Francisco Opera became the first US opera company to present a full-blown production indoors on its home turf this season when they ushered the US opera audience into 2021-22 Season on Saturday September 21 with a stellar performance of Giacomo Puccini’s perennial favorite Tosca.
San Francisco Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago have announced the cancellation of their respective 2020 fall seasons.
Eun Sun Kim has been appointed the Caroline H. Hume Music Director of San Francisco Opera, effective August 1, 2021.
Bring your family: This show is special! Such perfect opera is hard to find!
The San Francisco Opera, perhaps incidentally, continued their exploration of operas based on literary works by mounting the revival of Giacomo Puccini’s first success, Manon Lescaut.
How does one make a performance of standard opera repertoire like Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro feel “fresh?”
From the technical standpoint San Francisco Opera’s Billy Budd was pretty much flawless.
Politics and romance entangled in a spectacular fashion at San Francisco Operas’s Roméo et Juliette.
La Cieca is informed that the opening night of San Francisco Opera’s Roméo et Juliette was delayed by an “Impeach Trump” demonstration, with hundreds of flyers dropped into the auditorium.
Pene Pati, originally scheduled to sing Romeo on October 1, will perform the role in all performances, replacing Bryan Hymel who has withdrawn for personal reasons.
Saturday August 17 the Merola Opera Program wrapped up its annual Summer Festival with the Merola Grand Finale concert at the War Memorial Opera House.
“Who are you? Who do you want to be?” The search for one’s identity is explored in American composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer’s brand new opera If I Were You.
“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?” went the introduction to the 1940s radio program The Shadow, an apt description for the San Francisco Opera’s production of Rusalka.
Once again we got a very frustrating performance of Orlando; this time a beautiful and completely coherent production marred by some sub-optimal singing.
“Tame” seemed to be the appropriate adjective to describe San Francisco Opera’s Carmen.
San Francisco Opera continues its competition with Lyric Opera of Chicago for the title of “World’s Dullest Opera Company.”
There comes a time where everything falls into place, and more importantly, when your head and heart are also in the right mindset. That’s when when the opera becomes cathartic, life-changing experience.
How do we celebrate a long career in opera, particularly one as illustrious as Plácido Domingo‘s?
Beautiful singing, thoughtful staging, lovely melodies… a perfect escape from daily life.
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