Giannattasio joined the fabled ranks of such SFO singers as Renata Tebaldi, Leontyne Price, and recently deceased Montserrat Caballe.ĭirector Tim Albery's new-to-SFO staging of "Arabella," last of the operas in which Richard Strauss partnered with Hugo von Hofmannsthal, was tenderly romantic. "Tosca" has stormed the stage of the War Memorial Opera House in over 30 productions since the first opening night of the auditorium in 1932. Glamorous Italian soprano Carmen Giannattasio made her high-profile SFO and role debut as the title diva. Third in the lineup, Puccini's verismo hit "Tosca" got a handsome new production, built to last. His "Vesti la giubba," the first million-selling record in history, was unaffectedly touching. Tenor Marco Berti, as scary clown Canio, returned to SFO and validated the Company's confidence in a realistically tortured performance. Conductor Daniele Callegari, making his SFO debut, took his time at first, but soon raised the temperature to demonstrate the power of verismo. The concept worked, even if the stitches sometimes showed, and it was an exciting season-opener. Director Jose Maria Condemi guided his vision in a revival for SFO.
He re-staged both, blending them into one plot, set in the Italian barrio of Buenos Aires. The traditional pairing of Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana" and Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci" fired his imagination. Director Stephen Lawless staged the drama as a historical pageant in a theater resembling London's Globe.Īrgentinian tenor Jose Cura has developed another career in recent years as a director and designer. Her presence was anchored by rich-voiced mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton as her friend and rival, the Duchess of Nottingham. Focusing on Queen Elizabeth I's obsession with the Earl of Essex, soprano Sondra Radvanovsky roamed the stage like a gyroscope in a magnificent portrayal of a woman betrayed.
Donizetti's bel canto masterpiece "Roberto Devereux" was second in the fall roster. Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Operaĭomingo wasn't the only visiting royalty. Carmen Giannattasio in the title role of Puccinis Tosca.
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