San Francisco Opera
Saturday, August 23 at 1 p.m.
In our continuing commitment to year-round opera, the San Francisco Opera, the second largest opera company in North America presents eight operas this season under the direction of David Gockley.
This season includes the following operas:
Samson and Delilah (in French) by Camille Saint-Saëns airs Saturday, August 23
The definitive Delilah of our day, Olga Borodina has been praised by Allan Ulrich in the San Francisco Chronicle for her "gloriously voluptuous singing."
The Russian mezzo-soprano reprises her seductive 2001 performance as the tantalizing temptress in an eagerly awaited revival of Saint-Saëns’ biblical epic. Clifton Forbis, whose powerful tenor voice has thrilled audiences from Vienna to Los Angeles, plays the Old Testament hero who loses his heart, his hair, and finally his strength. Patrick Summers returns to the San Francisco Opera podium to conduct the lavish production.
Tannhäuser (in German) by Richard Wagner airs Saturday, August 30
Two irresistible impulses—the lure of carnal pleasure and the yearning for spiritual redemption—battle for one man’s soul in Wagner’s tale of tragedy and transcendence. German tenor Peter Seiffert, praised by New York Magazine for his "vocal finesse and expressive shading," gives a passionate portrayal of a 13th-century poet torn between his love for the pure Elisabeth and his lust for the sensual goddess Venus. The first new production of the David Gockley era will be directed by the bold and innovative Graham Vick and conducted by the Company’s acclaimed Music Director, Donald Runnicles.
Iphigénie en Tauride (in French) by Christoph Willibald Gluck airs Saturday, September 6
In the Greek island of Tauris, following the Trojan War, Iphigénie is the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, and the sister of Elektra and Orestes. Her troubling dream about her murderous family sets the story in motion. When King Thoas announces that the survivors of the latest shipwreck on the shores of Tauris must be sacrificed, she recognizes them as Orestes and his friend Pylades. Through the agency of the goddess Diana, Iphigénie, her brother, and the Greek people are ultimately saved.
Madama Butterfly (in Italian) by Giacomo Puccini airs Saturday, September 13
The heroine of this beloved opera finds herself faced with a dreadful choice: life without dignity or death with honor. Hear some of Puccini's most soaring and captivating music in this classic story of colliding hearts and cultures. Patricia Racette returns to reprise her triumphant appearance in the title role, described by the San Francisco Chronicle as a performance of "vocal grandeur and theatrical intensity...a powerhouse performance."
Appomattox (in English) by Philip Glass airs Saturday, September 20
It was a turning point in American history, and the climax of a powerful personal drama about two proud men. After four years and the loss of 600,000 lives, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to his Union counterpart, General Ulysses S. Grant, in Appomattox Court House, Virginia, bringing the Civil War to an end. The intense emotions of this landmark day and the historic weeks leading up to it are compellingly conveyed by the hypnotic music of Philip Glass in this highly anticipated world premiere. The dazzling creative team includes Academy Award winner Christopher Hampton (librettist), renowned stage director Robert Woodruff (director) and acclaimed champion of new music Dennis Russell Davies (conductor).
Das Rheingold (in German) by Richard Wagner airs Saturday, September 27
The lust for power, the lure of gold, the sacred beauty of nature, the destructive impulses of man: These timeless themes dominate both American history and Wagner's Ring. Provocative parallels are promised in Artistic Adviser Francesca Zambello's imaginative new staging of the massive, four-opera cycle, which begins with this mythic tale of mountaintop chicanery. This co-production with Washington National Opera uses imagery from various eras of American history—including, in this first installment, the California gold rush and the Roaring Twenties. Donald Runnicles conducts a cast headed by three great American singers: mezzo-soprano Jennifer Larmore and baritones Mark Delavan and Richard Paul Fink.
Ariodante (in Italian) by George Frideric Handel airs Saturday, October 4
Rediscovered after two centuries of neglect, this baroque gem has been widely acclaimed as a masterpiece containing some of Handel’s most emotionally expressive arias. A Scottish prince is betrayed by a deceitful duke in this compelling tale of passion, envy, greed, despair and ultimate triumph. Mezzo-soprano Susan Graham returns in the title role, with Sonia Prina as the scheming Polinesso, and the return of Ruth Ann Swenson as Ginevra. Veteran director John Copley deftly negotiates the twists and turns of the story.
Lucia di Lammermoor (in Italian) by Gaetano Donizetti airs Saturday, October 11
The heroine of Donizetti's tragic masterpiece—a young woman who is driven to madness when forced to marry a man she does not love—has inspired memorable performances by some of opera's most luminous stars. Now it is Natalie Dessay's turn to own this virtuosic role. The BBC calls her "utterly believable...Dessay's voice is a wonder: crystal clear, devastatingly accurate and with a remarkable power and flexibility." Joining the world-renowned French soprano will be tenor Giuseppe Filianoti, whose Metropolitan Opera debut as Lucia's true love Edgardo was hailed as "sensational" by Opera News.
For more information, visit http://sfopera.com.
