The Opera Tattler

Schwabacher Summer Concert 2009

* Notes * 
Tonight's Schwabacher Summer Concert was splendid. Kate Crist and Gregory Carroll impressed in Act II Scene 2 of Der Fliegende Holländer. Crist's warm voice has some rough edges but can be quite arresting. Carroll could not match her heft and volume but has a sweet, strong voice nonetheless. Ryan Belongie and Susannah Biller sang Act III, Scene 1 of Orfeo ed Euridice beautifully. Suzanne Hendrix was completely disturbing as Baba in the Act II excerpt taken from The Medium.

Act II, Scene 7 of L'Italiana di Algeri was charming, Margaret Gawrysiak's voice has a dark beauty, though she did not sing perfectly cleanly. Yohan Yi was hilarious as Mustafa, his movements were spot on, but his enunciation could have been clearer. The ensemble at the end of the scene was a little off from the music. The last act of La Bohème was heartwrenching, both Brian Jagde (Rodolfo) and Lori Guilbeau (Mimì) were compelling vocally.

* Tattling * 
The props consisted of 11 chairs, a sofa, 3 tables, and a trunk; they were used, however, to good effect. The evening began with a possibly staged cellular phone ring, and the conductor, Mark Morash, commented "You might want to turn that off." There was a fair amount of talking, especially during the beginning of the Gluck. Someone's crutches fell during the duet between Mimì and Rodolfo, and someone's watch alarm sounded at 10pm, just at the end of La Bohème.

Casting Change for Schwabacher Concert

Michael Sumuel will replace Evan Boyer as Taddeo in the excerpts of L'Italiana in Algerithey are doing for this year's Schwabacher Concert.

Casting | Merola Opera Program

Sum Up of SF Opera's 2008-2009 Season

Last Sunday's performance of La Traviata concluded the 2008-2009 season at San Francisco Opera. Elizabeth Futral was at her best, her high E-flat was strong, though she was still somewhat shrill. Charles Castronovo sounded absolutely lovely, he did not seem quiet compared to Futral. Edwin Outwater had the orchestra under control, never overwhelming the singers. The inappropriate laughter in Act III happened again.

Looking back, the first cast had a very loud but lovely Anna Netrebko paired poorly with a rather quiet Charles Castronovo, a more balanced pairing with Elizabeth Futral and David Lomelí in the second cast, and the fine performance from Ailyn Pérez and Charles Castronovo on July 1st.

The Summer part of the season was quite popular, at least one of the Tosca performances, five of the Traviata ones with Netrebko, and all six shows of Porgy and Bess sold out. The staging of Tosca was dull, and the principals lacked chemistry, but there was some beautiful singing. Porgy and Bess had a strong cast and the production really came together.

The house was quieter as far as backstage noise is concerned, though there were still some moments when the microphones did make high-pitched sounds, though not as constantly as before. The Tosca simulcast did very well, about 27,000 people attended at AT&T Park. The SF Opera podcast continues not to be updated, and SF Opera does not have a Twitter account, though the Merola Program does.

The audience was fairly good this year. People were able to keep their mobile phones off, but not their watch alarms. There was quite a lot of talking during Porgy and Bess, but everyone was rather quiet for Netrebko.

Again, not a lot of absurdity this Summer, though perhaps the silliness of the Fall makes up for it. My own opera attendance was, in fact, rather significantly down from last year. The Opera Tattler attended 11 of 23 performances, which is the least I've attended the SF Opera over the last five summers. However, I was surprised how much I liked Porgy and Bess, and earlier in the season, Die Tote Stadt.

Last Performance of Runnicles as SF Opera's Music Director

 * Notes *
Thursday's B cast performance of La Traviata at San Francisco Opera marked the end of Donald Runnicles' tenure as Music Director. Elizabeth Futral still sounded shrill in Act I, but improved as the night wore on. David Lomelí seemed restrained, but sang beautifully, especially at the beginning of Act II. Stephen Powell's Germont, was consistent, his voice is warm and pleasant.

Futral definitely looked best in the Jazz Age costumes. In this performance she did not kick her shoes off for "Sempre Libera," and Lomelí carried her to the bed at the end of that act. She also had an actual letter in Act III, which wasn't the case with Netrebko or Perez, if memory serves. Powell's choreography was different than Croft's, Powell did not embrace Futral at all, and he did not enter with open arms at the end of Act II Scene 1.

* Tattling * 
The people in Box V talked during the quiet parts of the music. Otherwise, there were some watch alarms, but nothing else terribly noisy. There was less laughter than usual, though there was some giggling when Annina says "Quest'oggi, è vero? Vi sentite meglio?" in Act III.

Many bouquets were laid on the conductor's music stand and many more thrown on the stage during the ovation. Maestro Runnicles threw a couple bouquets up to his daughters in Box A.

Ailyn Pérez in SF Opera's Traviata

* Notes *
Ailyn Pérez's turn at Violetta in San Francisco Opera's La Traviata yesterday night was impressive. She was a better match for Charles Castronovo (Alfredo) and did not overwhelm him, he did not seem nearly as quiet. Pérez had an appealing vulnerability, her performance was nuanced, and her high notes were never shrill. She had a few gasps here and there, but her breathing was generally under control. Castronovo sang with great sensitivity, he was a bit underpowered at the top of the Brindisi, but was otherwise fine. Dwayne Croft (Germont) still rushed a little, but sounded less strained than during opening night. The supporting cast sounded lovely as well, particularly Andrew Bidlack as Gastone and Renée Tatum as Annina. The chorus might have been the slightest bit off from the orchestra a few times, but continued to sound very pretty.

It was interesting to note the differences in staging. Pérez did not hang her legs out of the fancy car for her entrance, nor did she pull Castronovo into her bed at the end of Act I. Her costume for the first half of Act II was not a dressing gown, but a velvet dress with lace trim. She did not provoke inappropriate laughter as Netrebko and Futral did, despite the inane super-titles, perhaps because her performance was more engaging somehow.

* Tattling * 
There was almost no electronic noise in balcony standing room, a few hearing aid noises or stray microphones for OperaVision were heard. There was a little whispering.

The Orpheus Group was given a pre-performance tour of the Media Suite. There are eight robotic cameras in the house that are controlled backstage, as well as two fixed ones. Video editing is even done during the performance. We were taken to the stage just before curtain and were greeted by Castronovo himself.

B Cast of SF Opera's Traviata

* Notes *
The B cast of San Francisco Opera's La Traviata performed last night. Elizabeth Futral and David Lomelí were a good match vocally as the leads, neither overwhelmed the other as far as volume was concerned. Futral's pianissimo was exquisite, the coldness of her voice could come off as crystalline. However, she did have some shaky shrillness too, she shrieked her last note in Act I and her vibrato was out of control at the end of "Addio, del passato." Lomelí fared better, his voice always sounded clean and lovely. Stephen Powell was fine as Germont, though his shifts in dynamics were not terribly distinct in "Di Provenza il mar." Leann Sandel-Pantaleo was a very brash but charming Flora, she gasped a few times, but she and the rest of the supporting cast were singing back-to-back performances. The chorus sounded together, and did particularly well in Act II. The orchestra also did well, there was only a brief moment where the horns sounded strange at the beginning of "Ah, fors' è lui."

* Tattling * 
There was so much electronic noise in the balcony that I had to move down to orchestra standing room to read the score in peace. Someone's watch alarm rang at least thirty times, at different intervals, and made noise for practically every number. Downstairs, someone in standing room also had a watch alarm, but it only rang at each hour.

Many Merolini and Adlers were in attendance. I must have been quite exhausted, for I inadvertently greeted Heidi Melton as we walked in opposite directions through the box level lobby.

Various News Items

Fabio Luisi has been appointed the next general music director of Opernhaus Zürich, and starts in 2012. Lyndon Terracini is the next artistic director of Opera Australia, starting October 2009.

In sadder news, the choreographer Philippine "Pina" Bausch died this morning.

Luisi Press Release | Terracini Press Release [PDF] | Tanztheater Wuppertal

Auditions for the General Director 2009

* Notes *
This year's Auditions for the General Director of San Francisco Opera were yesterday evening, featuring the participants of the Merola Opera Program. It certainly was not a dull performance, and watching the 2009 crop of singers develop will be fascinating. I especially liked hearing the returning Merolini, Nathaniel Peake, in particular, has improved. His voice has a fuller bloom, so I do look forward to hearing him in the title role of L'Amico Fritz. Kate Crist sounded more secure "Du bist der Lenz" than this time last year and Benjamin LeClair continued to sound wonderful in "Come dal ciel precipita."

As for the newcomers, tenor Gregory Carroll and contralto Suzanne Hendrix seemed most promising at this early stage. Carroll has a warm, full tone, and sang both Wagner and Leoncavallo nicely. Hendrix was incredible as Erda, better than what we have heard recently on the main stage production last summer. Baritone Michael Sumuel sang "O Du, Mein Holder Abendstern" very beautifully, and mezzo Maya Lahyani has some great stage presence.

For what it is worth, David Gockley called back Evan Boyer, Lori Guilbeau, Maya Lahyani, Ryan Belongie, Brian Jadge, Sara Gartland, Gregory Carroll, Susannah Biller, and Suzanne Hendrix.

* Tattling *
Not only was there a huge and loud Pride celebration going on outside at Civic Center, but a determined crowd of Anna Netrebko fans waiting in line for a signing in the lobby of the War Memorial. However, both were more or less inaudible inside the hall. There was scattered whispering and a bit of talking amongst the audience members.

Seattle Opera Receives Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant

Seattle Opera has received the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant in support of new American opera. Daron Aric Hagen's Amelia premieres in May 2010 in Seattle.

Press Release [PDF] | Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Eric Owens Reception

The Opera Standees Association held a small reception for Eric Owens yesterday evening in San Francisco. Owens is in the midst of having a great success in Porgy and Bess at San Francisco Opera, and the last performance is tomorrow. Despite this, and his recent Met debut, he remains refreshingly humble.

Eric discussed the excitement of live performance, how each night in a particular run will be different, and how having 3,000 people in the audience is part of it. He played Robert Levin's Curtis Commencement speech to us, which champions new music. We pontificated on which new operas might make it to the standard rep: Ainadamar, Dead Man Walking, and Little Women. A lively conversation about how it is more difficult to do a contemporary opera the second time, rather than the premiere, ensued.

We also got to hear about how Eric Owens became a singer, how he played oboe professionally but ended up at Temple University for voice as an undergraduate, and how he got into the Curtis Institute for Music for grad school after a year studying with Armen Boyajian. It is clear he is both tenacious and persistent. It was also particularly interesting to hear what music Owens loves, as he was a fan of opera before he ever thought he would be a singer himself. Charmingly enough, he did standing room at the Met as a teenager, first Tosca, then Götterdämmerung and Der Rosenkavalier.

Opera Lowers Blood Pressure

Dr. Luciano Bernardi at the University of Pavia has done a study on the effects of listening to classical music, including selections from Turandot, Nabucco, and La Traviata.

BBC Article | Science Blog

José Iturbi International Music Competition 2009

Current first year Adler Fellow Leah Crocetto won the vocal portion of the José Iturbi International Music Competition this year. Third year Adler Heidi Melton placed second.

AP Article | José Iturbi International Music Competition

Iolanthe at SFS

* Notes * 
The semi-staged production of Iolanthe at San Francisco Symphony was disappointing aurally, but not because of the musicians, singers, or Gilbert & Sullivan. Frustratingly enough, it was the amplification system that was the problem, and last night's performance was dogged by balance problems and feedback from the microphones. The voices were painfully loud at times, and it was quite difficult to gage the quality of the singers. This is unfortunate, I had been looking forward to hearing Sasha Cooke (Iolanthe) in person, after hearing her in the Met simulcast of Doctor Atomic. Her voice seemed pure and lovely, but the amplification made it difficult to tell about her heft and volume. At least the feedback problem did not persist in the second act.

The performers seemed to have a good rapport with the conductor, George Manahan. The playing sometimes came off nicely, though again the balances were wrong due to the amplification. The dancing was very sweet, though the girls were not exactly together, they were charming. The choreography also worked on the singers, and Lucas Meachem (Strephon) in particular did well. The hula hooping in the first act from the fairies garnered a laugh. The acting was amusing, Joyce Castle was hilarious as the Queen of the Fairies, and Richard Suart was likewise funny as the Lord Chancellor. The diction was not perfectly clear, despite the loud volume, though I was able to follow the words without surtitles.

* Tattling * 
There was rustling and some quiet talking. Someone's watch alarm sounded at least 20 times during Act I, as the Queen of the Fairies spoke.

At intermission, I was blamed for the poor use of amplification, as it had to be someone's fault. Perhaps I would have much less to tattle on if things had gone better, indeed.

Festival Opera 2009

Festival Opera's 2009 season opens July 11th with Turandot, and ends August 16th with Faust.

Turandot
Turandot: Othalie Graham
Calaf: Christopher Jackson
Liù: Rebecca Sjöwall
Timur: Kirk Eichelberger
Ping: Igor Vieira
Pang: Adam Flowers
Pong: Michael Mendelsohn
Mandarin: Ted Weis
Emperor Altoum: Jonathan Nadel

Faust
Faust: Brian Thorsett
Marguerite: Kristin Clayton
Méphistophélès: Kirk Eichelberger
Valentin: Eugene Brancoveanu
Wagner: Zachary Gordin
Siébel: Erin Neff
Marthe: Patrice Houston

Meet the Merolini 2009

The 29 Merolini for 2009 were interviewed by San Francisco Opera Center Director Sheri Greenawald, Merola Opera Board of Directors Chairman Jayne Davis, and President Patrick Wilken yesterday evening, in the Green Room of the War Memorial Veterans Building. Iowa was mentioned many times, in context of the strong work ethic of Midwesterners. Several of the singers have switched from one voice type to another. The funniest story we heard all evening was probably from apprentice coach Tamara Sanikidze, who managed to break her tailbone in seven places at the White House, and wondered why the leader of the Free World couldn't manage to trim his ear hair.

Casting was announced as well, though it is not clear who is singing Isabella in L'Italiana in Algeri for the Schwabacher Concert. Kate Crist is listed for the former, but made it clear during her questions that this was a misprint. Not too surprising given she is a soprano, and Isabella is sung by a mezzo. Looking at the line up, perhaps Margaret Gawrysiak is singing it. ([Update: 06/19/2009] This has been confirmed by Kate Crist and by the press release.)

Schwabacher Summer Concert
Ryan Belongie: Orfeo (Orfeo ed Euridice), Toby (The Medium)
Susannah Biller: Euridice (Orfeo ed Euridice), Monica (The Medium), Elvira (L'Italiana in Algeri), Musetta (La Bohème)
Evan Boyer: Colline (La Bohème)
Gregory Carroll: Erik (Der Fliegende Holländer)
Kate Crist: Senta (Der Fliegende Holländer) 
Margaret Gawrysiak: Isabella (L'Italiana in Algeri), Mrs. Nolan (The Medium)
Lori Guilbeau: Mimì (La Bohème), Mrs. Gobineau (The Medium)
Suzanne Hendrix: Mary (Der Fliegende Holländer), Baba (The Medium)
Brian Jagde: Rodolfo (La Bohème)
Eleazar Rodríguez: Lindoro (L'Italiana in Algeri)
Paul Scholten: Mr. Gobineau (The Medium), Marcello (La Bohème)
Michael Sumuel: Taddeo (L'Italiana in Algeri), Schaunard (La Bohème), Mr. Gobineau (The Medium)
Yohan Yi: Mustafa (L'Italiana in Algeri)

L'Amico Fritz
Fritz: Nathaniel Peake
Suzel: Sara Gartland
Beppe: Maya Lahyani
Federico: Eleazar Rodríguez
Hanezò: Yohan Yi
David: Aleksey Bogdanov
Caterina: Susannah Biller

Così fan tutte
Fiordiligi: Lara Ciekiewicz
Dorabella: Ellie Jarrett   
Guglielmo: John Chest / Michael Sumuel  
Ferrando: Alex Mansoori
Despina: Caitlin Mathes
Don Alfonso: Benjamin LeClair