If you want Italian opera go to Italy and hope for the best — like conductor Daniel Oren’s Manon Lescaut two years ago in Genoa.
Author: Michael Milenski
Parsifal on the Cote d’Azur
Parsifal had its first performances in Bayreuth in 1882 where it was soon seen by Wagner’s soul mate Friedrich Nietzsche. And there the friendship ended.
La Fille du RÈgiment in Montpellier
The OpÈra National de Montpellier sometimes rises to artistic heights, and even when it fails its attempts are often interesting.
Cendrillon in Marseille
Rare repertory but not truly rare, Massenet’s Cendrillon makes an appearance from time to time.
Otello in San Francisco
Sir Peter Hall created this production of Otello at Chicago Lyric Opera in 2001.
Salome in San Francisco
If Herbert von Karajan conducted Madama Butterfly and Maria Callas sang Isolde it follows that Nicola Luisotti should conduct Salome.
La Fille du RÈgiment in San Francisco
There is a buzz of excitement in the War Memorial Opera House on Friday nights that is akin to the Saturday afternoon buzz at the Met.
Abduction from the Seraglio in San Francisco
Some of the more memorable achievements of San Francisco Opera occurred in the brief life-span of its Spring Opera season, 1961-1981.
Il trittico in San Francisco
In the otherwise silent sixteen years between La fanciulla del west (1910) and Turandot (1926) Puccini had a flirtation with operetta, La rondine (1917) and with the quick and easy drama of the short story in his three one-acts, Il trittico (1918), composed as a one-evening cycle.