Critics Pick

Die Walküre

Venue: War Memorial Opera House
Date: Wed June 30, 2010 7:00pm
City: San Francisco
Price Range: $15-$360
Tickets: 415-864-3330

San Francisco Opera

A powerful god finds himself torn by conflicting loyalties in the second installment of Wagner's majestic Ring cycle, which features the famous "Ride of the Valkyries." Director Francesca Zambello gives this epic tale of an emotionally volatile father and his disobedient children a distinctly American touch while honoring its mythic roots. Donald Runnicles, whose command of Wagner's music "offers one of the city's most reliable musical thrills" (San Francisco Chronicle), conducts a world-class cast including two stunning sopranos: Nina Stemme, the sublime Senta of San Francisco Opera's The Flying Dutchman (2004), and Eva-Maria Westbroek, whose Wagnerian vocalism was called "outstanding" by London critics. Mark Delavan, hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as a "robust and commanding" Wotan in the 2008 Ring cycle opera Das Rheingold, continues the journey.

"Prepare to be utterly amazed," raved the Washington D.C. Metro Weekly. "This is a supremely cohesive operatic and theatrical experience, a tremendously absorbing ride in which we thrill to Wagner's brilliant, evocative score while realizing just how relevant the work is to modern audiences. Time will fly like a Valkyrie on the wind."