An English Magic Flute at San Francisco Opera

By Jeffery S. McMillan, 02 July 2012

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Reviewed at War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco on 29 June 2012

Mozart, Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)

San Francisco Opera

Rory Macdonald, Conductor

Harry Silverstein, Director

Heidi Stober, Pamina

Alek Shrader, Tamino

Nathan Gunn, Papageno

Kristinn Sigmundsson, Sarastro

Albina Shagimuratova, Sarastro

Greg Fedderly, Monostatos

Nadine Sierra, Papagena

David Pittsinger, The Speaker (Der Sprecher)

Unmasking illusions: SF Opera’s Ballo mirrors life’s motley

Thomas May, 24th September

An excellent cast and smart, engaged direction make for an auspicious season launch in San Francisco Opera’s production of one of Verdi’s most sophisticated creations.

****1

San Francisco Opera's The Handmaid's Tale offers hope

Lois Silverstein, 14th September

John Fulljames directs a new production of Poul Ruders' uncompromising operatic take on Margaret Atwood’s celebrated novel.

****1

Antony and Cleopatra: Adams offers a Shakespeare speed-read

Mark Pullinger, 18th September

Great vocal performances from Amina Edris and Gerald Finley grace John Adams' new opera, which opens San Francisco Opera’s centennial season.

***11

San Francisco Opera offers a dark, powerful Rusalka

Edward Sava-Segal, 22nd June

Both vocally and instrumentally the performance was a high-class one

****1

Exquisite Handelian singing in San Francisco Opera's Orlando

Edward Sava-Segal, 21st June

The evening’s most revelatory performance came from the young countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen as Medoro.

****1

Heggie creates a new holiday tradition for the opera world

Donna Stoering, 20th November

A wonderfully realized production at San Francisco Opera of Jake Heggie's operatic version of a holiday classic.

*****

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Jeffery S. McMillan

Jeffery holds an MA in Jazz History and Research from Rutgers University and spent ten years as an archivist for the Metropolitan Opera, where he helped develop the MetOpera Database. He currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and writes about opera and jazz for publications including Opera News and Musical America.