Deborah Voigt: “A soprano of penetrating power and clarity”
- NY Times

“And then there was Nina Stemme, whose voice seems ever richer and more finely attuned . . . This was, quite simply, an Isolde to die for.”
- Opera, review of Glyndebourne’s ‘Tristan & Isolde’

“Eva-Maria Westbroek brings unfailing lyricism and a commanding vocal presence to the role of Sieglinde.”
- Opera, May ’09

Patricia Racette: “A consummate singing actress . . .”
- Chicago Tribune

In addition to our annual fall weekend in San Francisco, we have decided to return for a second weekend this season for the San Francisco Opera’s irresistible June program. An intriguing combination of three major works by Gounod, Wagner and Puccini will showcase several of the world’s leading sopranos in portrayals that are mostly new to U.S. audiences. First will be the MET’s gifted singing actress Patricia Racette as a lyric Margeurite in Charles Gounod’s expansive French opera, Faust. Second will be Giacomo Puccini’s late melodrama, La Fanciulla del West (‘The Girl of the Golden West’), being mounted to showcase the American dramatic soprano Deborah Voigt in the challenging title role. This eagerly awaited new production of ‘Fanciulla’ will be a Centennial celebration of the 1910 premiere. San Francisco’s third opera will be Richard Wagner’s towering Die Walküre, offering the stellar combination of Sweden’s radiant Nina Stemme as Brünnhilde and Holland’s Eva-Maria Westbroek as Sieglinde – the two most exciting Wagnerian interpreters to have emerged out of Europe’s leading houses. The outstanding male contingent will be headed by Stefano Secco as Faust and John Relyea as Mephistopheles; Salvatore Licitra as the romantic outlaw Dick Johnson opposite Roberto Frontali as Sheriff Jack Rance; and Wagnerians Christopher Ventris as Siegmund and Mark Delavan as Wotan. General Director David Gockley and Music Director Nicola Luisotti should be commended for assembling these extraordinary casts for this trio of performances in the beautifully restored War Memorial Opera House. This will be by far the most exciting weekend of the American opera season this summer. Mr. Gockley’s solid stewardship has been received with unanimous enthusiasm, following his remarkable achievements in Houston for over three decades.

We are also fortunate to include a creative program of works by Gustav Mahler at the San Francisco Symphony. Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas (widely lionized throughout the Bay Area as ‘MTT’) will lead his finely tuned ensemble in a popular program of Mozart, Beethoven and Berg, highlighted by Beethoven’s classic Violin Concerto with James Ehnes as soloist. Whenever ‘MTT’ is on the podium at Louise Davies Hall, tickets are invariably sold out weeks in advance.

Early June is a welcome period in the city, without hordes of tourists. Restaurants and museums should be refreshingly uncrowded, and the Bay Area generally enjoys pleasant late spring weather for strolling throughout the city and for any sightseeing excursions.

Accommodations for four nights at the deluxe JW Marriott Hotel (formerly the Pan Pacific), ideally located on Post Street only a couple of blocks from the city’s central Union Square. Within convenient walking distance are a plethora of art galleries and designer shops, and restaurants. The re-named Marriott offers a full range of dining facilities and twenty-four hour room service. It is one of San Francisco’s finest properties and is widely considered an exceptionally desirable hotel. We have been delighted with our experiences there on our frequent visits during the past decade.