San Francisco Opera Holds Auditions July 2, 2011

San Francisco Opera is holding auditions for boys ages 7–12 with soprano or alto voices for the role of Cyril Rescorla in the Fall 2011 world premiere production of Christopher Theofanidis' Heart of a Soldier.

Auditions will be held on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at 1 p.m. at the War Memorial Opera House (301 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco).

SF Opera Cycle 1: Das Rheingold

Das Rheingold may be my least favorite of the tetralogy, partly because it's really hard to sit for 2 hours and 45 minutes without any breaks. Really, Richard, what were you thinking? Some of us find standing room to be a more comfortable alternative, but it's important to pack a pair of extra cushy shoes (see photo) so you can slip out of your 6 inch stilettos when the lights go down.

I have to admit I enjoyed the final dress more than the prima, which was littered with snafus. The set changes were obnoxiously loud, the prompter was audible at times even to us standees way in the back, and the kiddies (Nibelungs) ran amok on stage. Overall the singing was not bad, but not great either. The stand outs were Stefan Margita (Loge) and David Cangelosi (Mime). Both were excellent in their respective roles. They not only delivered beautiful singing, but succeeded in portraying the various dimensions of their complex, multifaceted characters. With the exception of a few mistakes from the horn section, the orchestra sounded lush and beautiful under Donald Runnicles. I found it amusing that Francesca Zambello had Freia fall in love with Fasolt after her brief abduction - a touch that brings to mind Patty Hearst's kidnapping and her Stockholm syndrome.

Spotted: Nina Stemme looking radiant in a printed dress in the audience with her husband. It's so nice to see principal singers supporting their colleagues!