2008-09 Bay Area
Opera Events and Links
The Bay Area is rich in performances of Opera and Vocal Arts Recitals. Here are a few of the events already announced. More will be added as the year unfolds.
Cal Performances is the place to be this season to hear the great voices of our day. All are highly recommended!! So order your tickets early to ensure a seat:
Angela Gheorghiu, Soprano
Gheorghiu had been a relatively unknown commodity in the Bay Area, while the rest of the world watched and listened to her glorious voice in the world's leading houses. She made her debut in Puccini's La Rondine in San Francisco last Fall and returns to the house this Fall in La Boheme. Many of you saw her Live from the Met in HD at the Rialto this spring as Mimi in Boheme. Her recitals are frequently all opera arias. An event not to miss. Get your tickets early.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Salvatore Licitra, Tenor
Licitra has been somewhat of an enigma. He skyrocketed to fame in 2001 when he stepped into the shoes of Pavarotti, who was to appear at the Met in Tosca but cancelled leaving a much chagrined public. Licitra performed well and then immediately came to Berkeley to debut at Cal Performances. His performance was electric and suggested that he just might be the next Pavarotti. Time has told us that is not the case. An inconsistent performer, he can be thrilling in one role and taxed in the next. I suspect he will be in best voice for this concert.
Saturday January 10, 2009
Danielle de Niese, Soprano
A rising star that Cal Performances is usually great at snagging before they skyrocket to fame. She's beautiful, sexy, but can she really sing? Worth the chance on the basis of the hype that precedes her.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Cecilia Bartoli, Mezzo-Soprano
Drop everything!!! She's back, and promoting her new CD, a tribute to the 19th century mezzo, Maria Malibran. This is another chance of an operatic lifetime to see this total phenomenon, who rarely appears in the U.S.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Nicole Cabal, Soprano
Another much hyped soprano, who is getting gigs in the best opera houses. Her voice is a beautiful lyric and she promises not to be just any other soprano.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
2008 Summer Season
Das Rheingold
Richard Wagner. The first installment of the complete ring cycle due in 2010 at San Francisco Opera. Baritone Mark Delavan is Wotan, Mezzo Jennifer Larmore is Fricka in this Francesco Zambello production which is updated to America!!
June 3-28.
Ariodante
Georg Frederick Handel. Baroque Opera at its finest and certainly the best that Handel has to offer. This opera boasts an excellent and exciting cast that includes Mezzo, Susan Graham, and Soprano, Ruth Anne Swenson. Astounding Polish Contralto, Ewa Podles makes a much belated San Francisco Opera debut as Polinesso, reason enough to buy your ticket early.
June 15 - July 1. Highly Recommended!!
Lucia di Lammermoor
Gaetano Donizetti. International superstar soprano, Natalie Dessay makes her San Francisco Debut as the most famous bel canto heroine. Joining Dessay will be rising star tenor, Giuseppe Fillanoti as Edgardo. This is the ticket of the season to have.
June 17-July 5. Highly Recommended!
2008 Fall Season
Simon Boccanegra
Giuseppe Verdi. This middle period Verdi opus is a tour de force for Baritone, and the greatest Baritone in the world will be singing the title role. Dimitri Hvorostovsky stars with soprano Barbara Frittoli making her debut as Amelia. Frittoli was Suor Angelica in the Rialto Broadcast last year from the Met of Puccini's Il Trittico.
September 5 - 27. Highly recommended!
The Bonesetter's Daughter
Stewart Wallace. Based on the novel by Amy Tan, this newly commissioned opera is an unknown quantity. Be the first to experience it.
September 13 - October 3.
Die Tote Stadt
Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Don't let the German title fool you. This lushly romantic opera about grief and obsession will be the hit of the year. With German tenor Torsten Kerl, (acclaimed throughout the world as the definitive interpreter of Paul) making his San Francisco Opera debut, this is an opera and performance not to miss.
September 23 - October 12. Highly, Highly Recommended!
Idomeneo
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. A dramatic Opera by Mozart in German. While full of beautiful music, one tends to wait for Elettra's mad scene at the end to infuse some energy into the somewhat static score.
Oct 15-Oct.31. Recommended!
Boris Godunov
Modest Mussorgsky. Samuel Ramey caps a long career as the flawed czar in decline in this Russian masterpiece.
October 22-November 15. Recommended!
L'Elisir d'Amore (The Elixir of Love)
Gaetano Donizetti. Charming bel canto comedy with an outstanding cast, including soprano Inva Mula, veteran comedic baritone, Allesandro Corbelli and international star tenor, Ramon Vargas.
Oct 29-Nov. 26. Highly Recommended!
La Boheme
Giacomo Puccini. You could actually see this with 3 different casts, all worthy and all intriguing. Here are the combinations: Angela Gheorghiu and Piotr Beczala; Maija Kovaleska and Joseph Calleja; Melody Moore and Piotr Beczala. Exciting debuts: Joseph Calleja, a major tenor voice; and recent Adler Fellow graduate, soprano Melody Moore making waves already in the opera world.
November 16 - December 7. Highly Recommended!
2009 Summer Season
Tosca
Giacomo Puccini. The cast is promising and it has to be in order to warrant yet another Tosca, after the disaster presented several seasons back. Canadian Soprano Adrianne Pieczonka arrives with some exciting reviews. Lado Ataneli as Scarpia should be adequately sadistic.
June2 - June 26. Recommended!
Porgy and Bess
George and Ira Gershwin. I'm not a big fan of this opera, so I'll hold comments, especially since the cast has yet to be announced.
June 9-27.
La Traviata
Giuseppe Verdi. NETREBKO! Little else needs to be said. Get tickets early if you expect to get a seat.
June 13-July 5. Highly Recommended!!
Other Recommendations:
Manon
Massenet. With Natalie Dessay and Jonas Kaufmann.
Dream Cast in a great Opera.
September-October 2008.
http://www.pocketopera.org
Roberto Devereux
Donizetti. San Francisco Legion of Honor.
June 14,15,21
Donald Pippin is a San Francisco Institution. He presents operas in concert or semi-staged with very reliable and sometimes excellent singers. Many in the class have made a wonderful day of it when the operas are at the Legion of Honor. A day in the city with an opera matinee at one of the most beautiful locations and theaters (Florence Gould Theater, Legion of Honor) in the world, followed by an early dinner. It doesn't get much better.
All of Pocket Opera's offerings are worth the trek, but here are a few that are highly recommended! Get tickets early as they tend to sell out.
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