Opera Warhorses

For the third consecutive year of David Gockley’s San Francisco Opera General Directorship, I am summarizing my year’s performance reviews, having attended and reviewed at least one performance of each work mounted for the San Francisco Opera’s “main stage” at the War Memorial Opera House. Also, I am grading each performance attended, following the grading [...]

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Periodically, I cite productions that I regard as of more than routine interest, that are revivals of productions I have reviewed on this website. In each case listed below, the production is one I have seen performed at one opera company, that is scheduled to be performed at another. Obviously, this is not meant to [...]

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The “standard repertory” of opera is dominated by works created by citizens of four European countries – Italy, Germany, Austria and France. Many of the singers, conductors, set designers and stage directors associated with opera production are themselves from those four countries, although if you look at the world supply of operatic performers, there would [...]

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