Opera Warhorses

An appreciation and analysis of the ‘Standard Repertory’ of opera

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Entries from June 2009

Eric Owens, Laquita Mitchell Lead Powerful “Porgy and Bess” at San Francisco Opera – June 21, 2009

June 26th, 2009

For the second time in seven months, this website is reviewing a performance of the Zambello production of Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess”. The production, which generates enthusiasm and sold out performances in every city in which it has shown, was reviewed in its Lyric Opera performances in Chicago last November, less than two weeks after [...]

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Tags: 2005-2010: William's Reviews

House of Puccini: Striking San Francisco Opera “Tosca” with Pieczonka, Ataneli and Ventre – June 14, 2009

June 18th, 2009

This website has described the San Francisco Opera as the “House of Puccini”, both because of its long association with the operas of the Tuscan composer and the recent excellence of its Puccini productions, since David Gockley assumed the general directorship of the company in 2006.
The 2006 production of “Manon Lescaut” with Karita Mattila and [...]

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Tags: 2005-2010: William's Reviews

Gods and Nibelungs on the Pacific Coast: the Three Ring “Rheingolds”

June 13th, 2009

Wagner’s four opera “Ring of the Nibelungs” is, under the most favorable of circumstances, a complex undertaking for an opera company, yet three of the four largest opera companies on America’s Pacific Coast are mounting their own versions of the “Ring” in productions as unalike from each other as one can imagine.
One set of Rings [...]

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Tags: Quests and Anticipations