'Summer Seduction' at San Francisco Opera

By Eman Isadiar

A mini-season of the San Francisco Opera dubbed Summer Seduction opened on June 2 with three hugely popular productions – Puccini’s Tosca, Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and Verdi’s La Traviata This article covers the first two of the named operas. Summer Seduction will continue through July 5 at the War Memorial Opera House.

Pieczonka Shines as Tosca

Canadian opera star Adrianne Pieczonka gives a captivating performance as Tosca. Photo by Cory Weaver

The intensely emotional melodrama Tosca is forever linked with the history of San Francisco Opera as well as that of the city itself. It was conducted by San Francisco Opera founder Gaetano Merola in the company’s inaugural season in 1923, and also marked the opening of the company’s current home, the War Memorial Opera House, in 1932.

The November 1978 performance of Tosca featuring perhaps two of the greatest stars of opera of all time – Montserrat Caballé and Luciano Pavarotti – was attended by San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk the night before his assassination.

Based on a drama by Victorien Sardou, Tosca depicts the life of famous singer Floria Tosca as she makes a desperate attempt to save the life of her lover, Mario Cavaradossi, who awaits execution for the crime of harboring a fugitive. The all-powerful police chief Scarpia, however, agrees to stage the execution in order to give the semblance that justice has been carried out, but demands Tosca’s love in exchange for her Cavaradossi’s life.

Tosca appears to succumb to Scarpia’s advances after obtaining a written safe-passage permit from him, but fatally stabs him as he prepares to embrace her. She then quickly flees the scene and instructs Cavaradossi to pretend to die after the first shot has been fired at what she believes will be a mock execution.

But everything goes terribly wrong.

Scarpia had never intended to spare Cavaradossi’s life, and the fake execution plot was a lie so he could have his way with the singer. Now being pursued for having killed Scarpia, Tosca leaps off the wall of the castle moments after Cavaradossi’s execution, and falls to her death.

Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonka gave a poignant performance in the title role. She perhaps achieved her brightest moment in “Vissi d’arte, vissi d’amore” (“I Lived on Art, I Lived on Love”) in Act 2, where Tosca asks God why she is subjected to such cruelty when she has dedicated her life to her art and to piety.

Matching Pieczonka’s brilliant Tosca, Italian tenor Carlo Ventre demonstrated equally impressive skill and control as the voice of Cavaradossi. Ventre communicated remarkably sincere emotion as he sang the words “Non ho mai tanto amato la vita” (“Never Have I Loved Life So Much”) in Cavaradossi’s a heartbreaking love letter to Tosca before his execution.

Georgian bass-baritone Lado Ataneli was powerful and convincing as the story’s antagonist Scarpia. Thierry Bosquet’s elaborately detailed sets, Maestro Marco Armiliato’s rich rendition, and Jose Maria Condemi’s thoughtful direction made this Tosca into yet another production San Francisco will remember among its proudest operatic moments.

Bona Fide American Opera

Laquita Mitchell and Eric Owens appear in the title roles of San Francisco Opera’s Porgy and Bess. Photo by Terrence McCarthy

In Porgy and Bess, composer George Gershwin portrays an African American community in Charleston, South Carolina, living in squalor and poverty but managing to remain hopeful for a brighter future. Many of the composer’s most memorable tunes were written for this work, which many believe represents a renaissance of American music.

San Francisco Opera seems to have presented Porgy and Bess in ten-year intervals dating back to 1977, all but the latest being touring productions of the Houston Grand Opera. The new production directed by Francesca Zambello, however, departs from tradition by transplanting the story from its original setting of the 1930s to the 1950s.

Porgy is a disabled man with no hope of finding love because of his physical condition. Crown is a gambler, drinker and drug-user caught up in a reckless lifestyle with his girlfriend Bess. The local dope dealer is named Sportin Life, who personifies the devil himself.

The story is about the unlikely love that develops between Porgy and Bess, and inspires each of them to transcend the confines of their individual lives. Porgy must overcome his poor self-image as a cripple and prove himself a man, while Bess attempts to abandon “happy dust” (cocaine) alcohol and amorous adventures for a modest life with Porgy.

For a while, Porgy and Bess are deeply in love and live in bliss, but things go awry and the downward spiral begins. Bess falls back into cocaine use, leaves Porgy and follows Sportin Life to New York. However, he opera ends on an optimistic note when Porgy grabs his crutch and says he will limp all the way to New York in order to save Bess once again.

We are left with the belief that he succeeds and that love conquers all in the end.

Remarkably talented bass-baritone Eric Owens gave a solid performance as Porgy. The decibel level of the applause during curtain call made Owens the uncontested star of the show. Of course, the endearing quality written into Porgy’s character probably helped.

Appearing for the very first time as Bess, Laquita Michell made us believe she has sung the part for years. Her soul-stirring voice combined with her subtle acting skills made for a captivating performance.

The audience came for Porgy or for Bess, but left absolutely enchanted by Serena, whose part was brilliantly sung and acted by Karen Slack.

Chauncey Packer also deserves mention with his compelling portrayal of Sportin Life, as does conductor John DeMain, who brought much musical depth and expertise to the exciting rhythms of Gershwin.

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Eman Isadiar teaches piano at the Peninsula Conservatory and writes about music in the San Francisco Bay Area.