The following is a list of French opera performances that I am scheduled to review over the next year.
Carmen (Bizet) San Francisco Opera, June 5, 11, 14, 20, 23(m), 26 and 29, 2019.
J’Naii Bridges is Carmen; Matthew Polenzani is Don Jose, Anita Hartig is Micaela and Kyle Ketelsen is Escamillo.
[Below: J’Nai Bridges as Carmen; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
Maestro James Gaffigan conducts. Francesca Zambello directs her 2006 Royal Opera House production.
[For my performance review, see: Review: Francesca Zambello’s Theatrically Compelling “Carmen” – San Francisco Opera, June 5, 2019.]
Roméo et Juliette (Gounod), San Francisco Opera, September 6, 13, 18, 21, 24, 29 and October 1, 2019.
Bryan Hymel and Nadine Sierra are Roméo and Juliet for the first six performances. Scheduled for all performances are Lucas Meachem as Mercutio, James Creswell as Friar Laurence and Timothy Mix as Count Capulet.
The cast includes Daniel Montenegro, Philip Skinner, Stephanie Lauricella, Eve Gigliotti, SeokJong Baek, Christopher Oglesby and Hadleigh Adams. Pene Pati and Amina Edris perform the roles of the star-crossed lovers for the final performance.
[Below: Roméo (Pene Pati, above), believing that the sleeping Juliette is dead, decides to take poison; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisc Opera.]
Maestro Yves Abel conducts. Jean-Lous Grinda directs (assisted by Vanessa d”Ayral de Serignac) the Opéra de Monte-Carlo/Teatro Carlo Felice co-production whose sets are by Eric Chevalier and costumes are by Carola Volles. Lawrence Pech is choreographer.
[For my performance review, see: Review: Pene Pati and Nadine Sierra Brilliant in Gounod’s “Romeo and Juliet” – San Francisco Opera, September 6, 2019.]
Roméo et Juliette (Gounod), Sarasota Opera, February 15, 18, 20, 23(m), 28, March 4, 8(m), 14(m) and 20, 2020.
Andrew Surrena is Roméo; Hanna Brammer is Juliet. Lisa Chavez is Gertrude and Matthew Hanscomb is Mercutio.
[Below: Juliette (Hanna Brammer, left) and Roméo (Andrea Surrena, right) express their love to each other; edited image, based on a Rod Millington photograph, courtesy of the Sarasota Opera.]
Martha Collins directs. Maestro Anthony Barrese conducts.
[For my performance review, see: Review: Sarasota Opera’s Dramatically Persuasive “Roméo et Juliette” – March 4, 2020.]
Note: California’s Covid-19 pandemic lockdown required the cancellation of all of the Los Angeles Opera performances of “Pelleas et Melisande” (below):
Pelleas et Melisande (Debussy), Los Angeles Opera, May 2, 10(m), 14, 17(m), 20 and 23, 2020.)
Sir David McVicar’s Scottish Opera production comes to Los Angeles, conducted by Maestro James Conlon.
Yunpeng Wang is Pelleas and Kate Lindsey is Melisande.
[Below: Pelleas (here, Andrei Bondarenko, below) strokes the hair of Melisande (here, Carolyn Sampson); edited image of a Richard Campbell photograph for the Scottish Opera.]
Sir Willard White is Arkel, Christopher Purves is Golaud and Nancy Maultsby is Genevieve.
I am also scheduled to review the following operas:
Puccini’s “La Boheme” at the Los Angeles Opera, Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut” at the San Francisco Opera and “La Boheme” and Catalani’s “La Wally” at the Sarasota Opera. [See In Quest of 1890s Italian Verismo Operas – September 2019 – March 2020.]
Handel’s “Orlando” at the San Francisco Opera, Handel’s “Semele” at the Opera Philadelphia, Handel’s “Saul” at the Houston Grand Opera and Handel’s “Partenope” at the San Francisco Opera [See In Quest of Handel Operas – June 2019-July 2020.]
Penella’s “El Gato Montes” at the Los Angeles Opera, Kern’s “Show Boat” at the Glimmerglass Festival and Britten’s “Billy Budd” at the Central City Opera [See In Quest of Varied Operatic Repertory – February-August 2019.]
O’Regan’s “The Phoenix” at the Houston Grand Opera; and Corigliani’s “The Ghosts of Versailles” and Tesori’s “Blue” at the Glimmerglass Festival [See In Quest of 21st Century American Operas – November, 2018 – August, 2019.]
Dvorak’s “Rusalka” at the San Francisco Opera and “The Thirteenth Child” at the Santa Fe Opera [See In Quest of Operas Based on Myths and Fairy Tales – November 2018 – August 2019.]
Verdi’s “Falstaff” at The Dallas Opera, and Bizet’s “The Pearlfishers” and Janacek’s “Jenufa” at the Santa Fe Opera [See In Quest of Less Often Performed Repertory Operas – October 2018 – August 2019.]
Puccini’s “La Boheme” at the Santa Fe Opera and Verdi’s “La Traviata” at the Glimmerglass Festival [See In Quest of Italian Opera Favorites, October 2018-August 2019.]
Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” at the Houston Grand Opera [See In Quest of Mozart Operas (October 2018-April 2019)].