Reviews, appreciation and analysis of all things opera
William Burnett 
Collaborations on new opera productions between set and costume designer Michael Yeargan and production designer Elijah Moshinsky can result in insightful experiences and are certain to be absorbing. It has been seven years since they collaborated on a new production of Ruggero Leoncavallo’s “I Pagliacci” for the Lyric Opera of Chicago. That production was revived … Read more
Lyric Opera has revived its 2002 productions for the “double bill” of Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana” and Leoncavallo’s “I Pagliacci”. This post reviews the “Cav”. The subsequent post will review the “Pag”. (Some of the photographs shown below are from the Chicago performances, and some are from the same production when it was shown in Houston … Read more
The 1987 David Hockney production of Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde”, one of the treasures of the Los Angeles Opera, traveled to the mid-continent for the first time for nine performances at Chicago’s Lyric Opera. Lyric’s headliner was its Isolde, Deborah Voigt. Although 12 days earlier, she had been indisposed for one performance (which proved an … Read more
[Wm: This is the second part of my interview with Ian Campbell, the General and Artistic Director of the San Diego Opera, and the stage director of a new production of Massenet’s “Don Quixote (Don Quichotte).] Wm: I understand that you became friends with Luciano Pavarotti in Australia in the 1960s. IC: Yes, it was in … Read more
“Don Quixote (Don Quichotte)”, a work of Jules Massenet’s maturity, had its premiere in 1910, the last year of the 20th century’s first decade. Ninety-nine years later, the San Diego Opera has mounted a new production of this work. [Below: a poster prepared for the Parisian premiere of “Don Quixote (Don Quichotte)”, at the Theatre … Read more
[Note from William: Continuing my interviews with persons involved in producting live operatic performances, we begin a two-part series with Ian Campbell, General and Artistic Director of the San Diego Opera.] [Photo: San Diego Opera’s Ian Campbell; edited image of a photograph, courtesy of San Diego Opera.] Wm: You commissioned and are personally directing a … Read more
As the first offering of its 2009 season, San Diego Opera mounted Puccini’s “Tosca” in the historic Jean-Pierre Ponnelle production that it came to own. The “Tosca” performances, occurring just a month after the 150th birthday of the Tuscan composer’s birth, starred French soprano Sylvie Valayre in the title role, with Americans Marcus Haddock as the painter Mario … Read more
Houston Grand Opera, in the second year of a five year cycle honoring 20th century English composer Benjamin Britten, has created a new production of “Midsummer Night’s Dream” in collaboration with the Canadian Opera Company of Toronto and Lyric Opera of Chicago. (The production will appear in Toronto May 5 through 13, 2009, with a different cast, … Read more
The Dallas Opera, in its final season before the opening of the new Winspear Opera House, has mounted a vibrant new production of Gaetano Donizetti’s “Roberto Devereux”, with an international cast of the first rank. Those fortunate enough to be present at one of the four scheduled performances will experience a revival of one of … Read more
The Los Angeles Opera continued its month dedicated to Conductor James Conlon’s presentation of Mozart’s masterpiece, “Die Zauberfloete (The Magic Flute”), with an alternate cast of artists in the five principal roles from the previous night’s opening of the opera’s run. (For a review of the opening performance, see: Conlon’s Magical Revival of Mozart’s “Flute” at … Read more
Opera-goers attending either of the performances of the Los Angeles Opera during the second weekend of January 2009 had a world class experience – conductor James Conlon leading the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra in a spirited and extraordinarily well-sung performance of Mozart’s “Magic Flute” in Sir Peter Hall’s production, utilizing the cheerful and imaginative sets … Read more
As a reviewer of substantial numbers of operatic performances, one comes to appreciate that a truly successful performance requires much more than good singing by the singers in the lead roles. Often, a good performance becomes a great one when the opera’s storyline is enhanced by the strong dramatic presence of singing actors in “supporting” … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
In June 2008 Clifford (Kip) Cranna, Ph.D., San Francisco Opera’s Director of Music Administration, became the 35th person to be awarded the San Francisco Opera Medal, an honor created 38 years ago. It was the first medal to be awarded since 2005, and thus the first of General Director David Gockley’s tenure. (A few days … Read more
For months Opera Santa Barbara arranged a wonderful celebration of the 150th Birthday of the great Italian composer Giacomo Puccini in their gilded, opulent new operatic venue – The Granada Theatre. The celebration was to take place with superb wining, dining and Puccini’s great music, plus a very, very special guest – the composer’s granddaughter, … Read more
After 22 years presenting superb – often World-Class – opera in Orange County, Opera Pacific’s finale was a smashing production of Rossini’s beloved “Barber of Seville”, most ably presided over and conducted by Opera Pacific’s Artistic Director John DeMain. Tragically, the descent of the final curtain of “Barber’s” last performance proved to be the abrupt, … Read more
Bizet’s “Carmen”, presented in 1999 Emilio Sagi’s production designed for the Teatro Real of Madrid, was revived by the Los Angeles Opera in mid-November. December 6th introduced a second cast, with responsibility for three of the opera’s performances. The evening was the occasion for the Los Angeles debuts of three major artists. [Below: Don Jose … Read more
One might argue that the San Francisco Opera from its founding has been a house that seems dedicated to Puccini’s works, but that happens to do a great job of other parts of the operatic repertoire, as well. The outgoing musical director, Donald Runnicles, is associated with Wagnerian and contemporary opera, but also excelled with … Read more
The Lyric Opera of Chicago mounted a new production of Alban Berg’s “Lulu”, under the direction of Paul Curran. Last season the Scottish Director developed Lyric Opera’s production of Richard Strauss’ “Die Frau ohne Schatten” and has established himself as an advocate for Benjamin Britten’s operas in the United States at the Santa Fe and Central City … Read more
The middle of the 20th century was an exciting time for those curious about the Italian bel canto operatic masterpieces of Gaetano Donizetti. First Maria Callas and then Leyla Gencer, Joan Sutherland, Montserrat Caballe and Beverly Sills used their stardom to advance the cause of Donizetti’s dramatic operas. I myself saw Caballe as Elisabetta in … Read more
Chicago’s civic pride in the ascension of a hometown African-American family to the world stage has created intense interest in the most famous opera about an African-American community. Two weeks after President-Elect Barack Obama’s victory celebration at Chicago’s Grant Park, the Lyric Opera added Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” to its performance history. The community interest … Read more
Until the late 1960s, San Francisco Opera paid scant attention to Donizetti’s great romantic comic opera, “L’Elisir d’Amore”, having had only three performances of the opera in San Francisco in the first 44 seasons of the company’s history. (If this seems incredible for an international house led for its first 30 years by an Italian-born … Read more
San Francisco Opera, as part of its efforts to increase interest in live operatic performance among younger audiences, has developed the “family matinee”, which takes place at the opera house, utilizing the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus and the production sets from one of the main season operas. This year’s family matinee is Donizetti’s … Read more