SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

San Francisco Opera: Summer’s Lease Hath All Too Short A Date (PD)


While much has been made over the past “uneven” summer season staged by the San Francisco Opera, the audiences seemed to enjoy all three productions and were sufficiently challenged by the variety of works  on display. OK, so Das Rheingold was something of a dud, but the performance I attended was given plenty of attention by those around me, with few leaving early. Warm, if abbreviated, applause was earned by a cast that was unremarkable in every way. Getting more (deserved) recognition was SFO’s orchestra, led by that Wagnerian interpretative giant, Donald Runnicles. The outgoing maestro remains immensely popular in San Francisco, a fact which may well have contributed to the poignancy of the night. It is truly a comfort to know, however, that he will remain to conduct the remaining works in the cycle through 2009.

Both of  the reviews appearing in Seen and  Heard  (Here and Here) were spot on in their harsh appraisals of Rheingold’s miscast singers and shopworn sets, but SFO’s general director, David Gockley, showed real leadership and guts by offering a conservative subscription base a bold alternative to any kind of fantasy pastoral.

A much warmer critical reception was given to SFO’s staging of Handel’s Ariodante, featuring the dynamic pairing of Susan Graham and Ruth Ann Swenson. Patrick Summers’ baton was rarely still as he ably led SFO’s orchestra through a brisk and bracing tempi that had both principal singers racing to match. The energy level never seemed to flag, and the Act III duet was smashing.  Still, the clap-happy opera goers in San Francisco were a bit too enthusiastic with their “bravas” when the two divas held fourth, if you ask me. Not that they were not both spectacular. But please let singers sing and get on with it. There was far too much self-celebratory noise making here, and the interruptions were equally irritating to the performers and those of us who value a seamless storyline and graceful transition.

As also reported in Seen and Heard, another mega star was scheduled to join this production, but  cancelled due to illness. I, for one, was concerned that when contralto Ewa Podles was forced to pull out of the role of Polinesso,  a weak substitute would be recruited. Most assuredly not, as Sonia Prina stepped in to give a rousing acting performance and did well in a star’s turn with “Spero per voi” – a Podles signature piece.

SFO’s marketing machine billed this operatic triumvarite as “Summer Madness,” and the criticial consensus seems to be that the strongest production, was clearly Lucia Di Lammermoor, with Natalie Dessay giving the performance of a lifetime. Besides noting that this production  was further “Frenchified” by having Gallic conductor Jean-Yves Ossonce presiding in the pit, this was a dreamy trip through the moors. Thanks to the  Paul Brown design, we were gently introduced to Donizetti’s vision of Albannaich tribal intrigues.

All eyes on were of course on Dessay, who romped and glided across the stage in fits of marvelous lunacy and despair. How does she do this and still deliver the coloratura nuance and hard clarity required for the bel canto masterwork? No one remained long to explore questions like these  however -  another beef with the SFO audience. Why are so many in such a hurry to flee the house? The minute the final curtain drops, scores of them begin scampering for the exits. Some, it is true, start their mad dash after standing for a few seconds to offer the obligatory ovation…but then to the doors! More and more otherwise well-behaving people seem do this these days, and where, precisely, are they running off to? To traffic jams already building at nearby public and private parking lots and another 30 minutes in an arterial gridlock. Lucia's madness is obviously contagious.

Paul Duclos

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