'Faust' opens San Francisco Opera's summer triple pack

By Eman Isadiar

Opera lovers, rejoice! San Francisco Opera's dry season which lasts from late November to early June is finally over with the opening of Gounod's Faust on June 5 at the War Memorial Opera House. The opera features Italian tenor Stefano Secco in the title role, Canadian bass-baritone John Relyea as Mephistophélès, and American soprano Patricia Racette as Marguerite.

John Relyea (Mephistophélès, center) surrounded by villagers and soldiers in SF Opera's Faust -- Photo by Cory Weaver

French composer Charles Gounod based the opera on the dramatic work by German writer and philosopher Johann von Goethe. The story's main character, Doctor Faust, is an aging scholar who is convinced that his life has been a total waste. On the brink of suicide, an incarnation of the devil named Mephistophélès appears and offers him a second chance at youth and love in exchange for eternal servitude in the afterlife. Faust accepts and is transformed into his past youthful self.

Caught in the middle of the unholy bargain is Marguerite, a young woman known for her purity and virtue. Her brother and only living relative, Valentin, conveniently ships off to war leaving her vulnerable to Faust's romantic overtures. She cannot resist him for long and becomes pregnant and subsequently a social outcast. Valentin returns from war only to find himself disgraced by Marguerite's shameful indiscretion. He attempts to avenge her honor by challenging Faust to a duel, but he is no match for the dark forces at work. Fatally wounded, Valentin curses his sister and dies.

In the final scene Marguerite is in a prison cell awaiting execution for killing her child. Faust magically appears and offers to help her escape, but she refuses. As morning breaks, Marguerite climbs the long and steep stone staircase to embrace both death and redemption. Faust has no choice but to fulfill his end of the contract.

Making his role debut, tenor Stefano Secco left a deep impression as Faust with his haunting love song“Demeure chaste et pure” (“Chaste and Pure Abode”), in which he blesses the walls of the home where his love resides.

Dramatic soprano Patricia Racette was as captivating as ever as the heartbroken and forlorn Marguerite. Her aria “Si belle en ce miroir” (“So Beautiful In This Mirror”) was one of the most uplifting moments of the opera. Racette's is a familiar voice on the War Memorial stage. Her stunning performance last fall in all three operas of Il trittico will be remembered for many seasons yet to come.

Bass-baritone John Relyea gave a powerful interpretation of the character of Mephistophélès. His role was the single most important dramatic pillar on which rested much of the premise of the story. His opening duet with Faust “Me voici” (“Here I Am”) got the opera off to an intense start. A particularly chilling Relyea moment was in Act 2 when Mephistophélès mockingly offered an apple to the statue of the Holy Virgin in the garden, in a subtle biblical reference mixing Old and New Testaments.

Baritone Brian Mulligan masterfully sang the role of Valentin. His dying aria “Ecoute-moi bien, Marguerite”(“Mark My Words, Marguerite”) was an emotional high point of this production. Soprano Daniela Mack brought much depth to the counter-gender part of Marguerite's young admirer, Siébel.

The orchestra provided a uniquely rich musical backdrop under the capable direction of guest conductor Maurizio Benini. San Francisco Opera's renowned chorus gave another solid performance as the villagers and soldiers led by chorus director Ian Robertson. Credit must also be given to stage directorJose Maria Condemi for the superb acting and overall dramatic cohesion.

A production of the Chicago Lyric Opera, Faust is presented by San Francisco Opera through July 1. The summer opera season also includes concurrent performances of Puccini's The Girl of the Golden Westand Wagner's Die Walküre.

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Eman Isadiar is a San Francisco-based pianist and music journalist.

'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.