As San Francisco Opera prepares to open its star-studded fall season on Sept. 10, several smaller companies are trumpeting that this is far from a one-house region. Indeed, the risks that regional companies are taking at a time of economic contraction — I’m being euphemistic here — are cause for rejoicing.
Berkeley West Edge Opera: Xerxes
The company now known as Berkeley West Edge Opera (season not yet posted), formerly known as Berkeley Opera, is a case in point. With a name change occasioned both by its move to a much larger, sonically superior venue in El Cerrito and by the appointment of the adventurous Mark Streshinsky as artistic director, BWEO is attracting a much larger and enthusiastic audience. As a result, the company has dared to expand its regular spring/summer season with its first fall production.
On Nov. 13, 19, and 21, the company presents Handel’s Xerxes. Stealing some thunder from Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Baroque specialist Alan Curtis conducts and Streshinsky directs. Paula Rasmussen, who stars as the tyrannical king, sang the lead on a 2005 Euroarts DVD from Les Talons Lyriques under Christophe Rousset. Given the company she kept in that production, and Streshinsky’s strong work in BWEO’s recent Don Giovanni, I expect great things from this performance. The company is giving subscription discounts for the whole season of up to 20 percent.
Alan Curtis conducts Paula Rasmussen in Berkeley Opera’s Xerxes, Nov. 13, 19, 21, times not yet posted, El Cerrito Performing Arts Theater (at El Cerrito High School), $29-$69.
Opera San José: Anna Karenina
Opera San José breaks from the traditional mold with the West Coast premiere of David Carlson and Colin Graham’s Anna Karenina. Two casts alternate in the eight performances, Sept. 11-26.
As general director of this sole resident company of principal artists in the United States, former Metropolitan Opera star Irene Dalis has demonstrated her ability to groom fine singing actors, many of whom now regularly grace Bay Area and international opera stages. OSJ doesn’t exactly offer recession pricing, but it’s the largest company around, next to SFO, and devotes a lot of energy and money to sets, costumes, and rehearsals.
Opera San José presents Anna Karenina, Sept. 11-26, 8 p.m. (Sunday matinees at 3 p.m.), California Theater, San José, $51-$101.
West Bay Opera: La forza del destino
My hat is off to West Bay Opera. General Director José Luis Moscovich is mounting four company premieres this season. All are new productions, with supertitle translations prepared by Moscovich.
Verdi’s La forza del destino starts the season. Starring the beautiful Olga Chernisheva, who on past occasions has shown herself to possess the power and opulence of a diva, as well as Percy Martinez and Carl King (the Doctor in the Grammy-nominated Corpus Evita recording), the production should give the lie to the belief that only big houses dare tackle Verdi. The acoustics of the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto are quite good. With the promise of a very special Turandot next February, and a May double bill of Dido and Aeneas and La vida breve (the latter with an all-Latino cast), season subscriptions make sense.
West Bay Opera presents La forza del destino, Oct. 15, 23, 8 p.m.; Oct. 17, 24, 2 p.m., Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Alto, $35-$60.
San Francisco Opera: Werther
Even before next summer’s hotly anticipated Ring cycle, San Francisco Opera is devoting huge amounts of energy to its six-opera fall season. Jules Massenet’s rarely performed Werther receives a new production, directed by Francisco Negrin, that is reportedly strong on the psychological aspects of the opera. Three body doubles will help elucidate the inner workings of Werther’s mind.
The hero’s outer aspects will no doubt be ably handled by tenor Ramón Vargas, who sang so wonderfully in SFO’s production of L’Elisir d’amore. Portraying his untouchable beloved, Charlotte, is the great Alice Coote, whose passion and interpretive depth bowled me over at her San Francisco Performances recital last spring. Equally exciting are the SFO debut of Heidi Stober as Charlotte’s sister, Sophie, and the return of the gifted Brian Mulligan as Charlotte’s husband, Albert.
San Francisco Opera presents Werther, Sept. 15 – Oct. 1, check Web site for times, War Memorial Opera House, $25-$255.
San Francisco Opera: Cyrano de Bergerac
Another rarity is Alfano’s almost-forgotten opera, Cyrano de Bergerac. The reason for its mounting is simple: Plácido Domingo. The great tenor, who is singing wonderfully in his 69th year, has always had an interest in trying out new repertory that fits his voice.
I’m equally excited by the return of soprano Ainhoa Arteta, whose performance as Magda in a mind-opening DVD of an alternative version of Puccini’s La Rondine (directed by Plácido’s wife, Marta) gave SFO’s Angela Gheorghiu a run for the money. The SFO debut of tenor Thiago Arancam, a former Teatro alla Scala Young Artist, and the return of Stephen Powell (last seen here as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly) and Brian Mulligan, give even more reason to attend.
San Francisco Opera presents Cyrano de Bergerac, Oct. 24 – Nov. 12, check Web site for times, War Memorial Opera House, $25-$255.
San Francisco Opera: The Makropulos Case
My third SFO top pick is Janácek’s The Makropulos Case. While the debut of a new production, directed by Olivier Tambosi, is certainly enticing, the return of the ravishing Karita Mattila makes this one a no-brainer.
Even though the divine Karita has made something of a specialty of Janácek roles, this is the first time she sings the part of the ageless, 300-year-old Emilia Marty. Given that Mattila will have turned 50 two months before she makes her role debut, here’s hoping we can all toast a voice equally ageless. (She sounded wonderful in the recent Met HD broadcast of Tosca.) The production also gives us our first opportunity to hear bass-baritone Gerd Grochowski, who returns next year to sing Gunther in the Ring.
San Francisco Opera presents The Makropulos Case, Nov. 10-28, check Web site for times, War Memorial Opera House, $25-$255.