Now that the subscriptions have been processed, the San Francisco Opera will begin to sell single tickets for all of the operas in its 90th season beginning on July 2 at 10 AM. This includes both the five operas in the Fall 2012 Season and the three operas in the Summer 2013 Season. For those still interested in subscribing, the Subscriptions Web page offers a variety of options designed to accommodate the interests of both local and out-of-town opera goers.
The summary of the five Fall operas is as follows
- Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi with libretto by Francesco Maria Piave: The season opens with a revival of the SFO production of this opera, staged by Harry Silverstein. The conductor will be Nicola Luisotti (Giuseppe Finzi for two performances). Approximate running time will be 2 hours and 35 minutes with one intermission.
- I Capuleti e I Montecchi (the Capulets and the Montagues, as in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet) by Vincenzo Bellini with libretto by Felice Romani: This will be new to San Francisco, co-produced by SFO with the Bavarian State Opera of Munich. Staging will be by Vincent Boussard, making his SFO debut. Riccardo Frizza will conduct. Joyce DiDonato will return to the SFO stage to sing the role of Romeo. (An aria from this opera was included on her recent Diva, Divo album.) The role of Giulietta (Juliet) will be taken by Nicole Cabell, also making her SFO debut. Approximate running time will be 2 hours and 40 minutes with one intermission.
- Moby-Dick by Jake Heggie with libretto by Gene Scheer. This will be the San Francisco premiere of the opera co-produced by SFO in partnership with the Dallas Opera, San Diego Opera, Calgary Opera, and the State Opera of South Australia. It was first performed in Dallas on April 30, 2010. Staging will be by Leonard Foglia, and Patrick Summers will conduct. Ben Heppner will return to SFO to sing the role of Captain Ahab (with Jay Hunter Morris also returning for two performances). Approximate running time will be 3 hours with one intermission.
- Lohengrin by Richard Wagner (who also wrote the libretto): This is another co-production in which SFO joined forces with the Houston Grand Opera and the Grand Théâtre de Genève. These will be the first SFO performances. Daniel Slater will make his SFO debut as director, and this will be the first opportunity to hear Luisotti conduct Wagner. Brandon Jovanovich will return to SFO to sing the title role opposite Camilla Nylund, making her SFO debut in the role of Elsa von Brabant. Approximate running time will be 4 hours and 20 minutes with two intermissions.
- Tosca by Giacomo Puccini with libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa: This will be a revival of the SFO production staged by Jose Maria Condemi and last seen in June of 2009. Luisotti will conduct, again with two performances led by Finzi. Ticket-buyers will have to choose between two dynamite sopranos in the leading role, Angela Gheorghiu and Patricia Racette. Approximate running time will be 2 hours and 40 minutes with two intermissions.
The three Summer operas will be as follows:
- Les contes d'Hoffmann (the tales of Hoffmann) by Jacques Offenbach with libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré: This is a co-production with the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, receiving its first performances in San Francisco. Staging will be by Laurent Pelly, and Patrick Fournillier will conduct. The cast will involve many faces familiar to San Francisco audiences: Matthew Polenzani as Hoffmann, Natalie Dessay as the women in his life, Alice Coote as Nicklausse transforming into his Muse, and Christian Van Horn as the nemesis figures. Approximate running time will be 3 hours and 30 minutes with two intermissions.
- Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte: This is a revival of John Cox’ staging for a co-production with Opera Monte Carlo, set (appropriately enough) in Monte Carlo in 1915. Condemi will return to direct this revival, and Luisotti will conduct. Approximate running time will be 3 hours and 25 minutes with one intermission.
- The Gospel of Mary Magdalene by Mark Adamo (who wrote his own libretto): This will be a world premiere, written on a commission from SFO. Staging will be by Kevin Newberry, and Michael Christie will conduct. Both will be making debut performances with SFO, as will Sasha Cooke in the title role. (Cooke should already be familiar to San Francisco Symphony audiences.) Approximate running time will be 2 hours and 45 minutes with one intermission.
All available single tickets go on sale on Monday, July 2, 2012 at 10 AM. Prices range from $22 to $385. They may be purchased online through the pages for the individual operas. Hyperlinks to these pages are provided on the 2012–13 Season Web page, through which one can obtain all specific information about dates, times, and casting. Tickets may also be purchased at the Box Office in the War Memorial Opera House, located at 301 Van Ness Avenue, or by phone at 415-864-3330. On July 2 the Box Office will be open from 10 AM to 6 PM. After that regular Box Office hours are 10 AM to 5 PM on Monday and 10 AM to 6 PM on Tuesday through Friday. During the performance season the Box Office will be open on Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM.
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