08/30/14 – Mefistofele – (SF Opera begins) 1:00pm
San Francisco Opera
OPERA: Mefistofele (in Italian)
COMPOSER: Arrigo Boito
The season kicks off with Boito’s resplendent retelling of Goethe’s Faust, a monumental work of “choral grandeur and melodic richness” (The New York Times) in one of the most impressive productions ever seen at the War Memorial Opera House. The cast includes Ramón Vargas, a tenor “in ravishing voice” (Financial Times), as the philosopher who sells his soul to the Devil; the “luminous, compelling” Patricia Racette (Washington Post) as the woman he desires; and, in the vividly menacing title role, the “seductively malevolent” bass-baritone Ildar Abdrazakov, a “fullbodied bass-baritone” renowned for his “wonderfully evil portrayals” (The New York Times). Our own Italian maestro will be on the podium, showing once again why “we are blessed to have Nicola Luisotti in San Francisco” (San Francisco Classical Voice).
CAST:
Mefistofele Ildar Abdrazakov
Faust Ramon Vargas
Wagner Chuanyue Wang
Adam Luke Lazzaro
Eve Brook Broughton
Margherita Patricia Racette
Marta Erin Johnson
Elena Patricia Racette
Pantalis Renee Rapier
Nereo Chuanyue Wang
CONDUCTOR: Nicola Luisotti
STAGE DIRECTOR: Laurie Feldman
San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus
CHORUS DIRECTOR: Ian Robertson
photo credits: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera