Merola Opera Program: The Song as Drama

Those familiar with yesterday morning’s summary account of the four Merola Opera Program performances that will take place this summer already know that the season will get under way towards the end of next month. The title of the first offering will be The Song as Drama; and it will be curated jointly by Merola Artistic Director Carrie-Ann Matheson and tenor Nicholas Phan. This will be the third time that the two of them will join forces, having presented What the Heart Desires in 2021 and Metamorphosis: Recovery, Renewal, and Rebirth at the beginning of last season.

The Song as Drama will feature performances by five Merola vocalists and five pianists. The program selections will encompass a diverse range of eras and styles. When necessary, additional chamber musicians will provide the necessary accompaniment. However, as of this writing, the full program has not yet been finalized. (I plan to attend this program; and, for what it is worth, I have to confess to cultivating an interest in the art songs of Claude Debussy, which deserve more attention than they tend to receive!)

Seating in the Taube Atrium Theater for recital performances (from a Symphony Parnassus Web page)

This performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 27. The venue will be the Dianne and Tad Taube Atrium Theater, which is located on the fourth (top) floor of the Veterans Building, located at 401 Van Ness Avenue on the southwest corner of McAllister Street. (Note that there are Muni bus lines on both Van Ness and McAllister.)

As was announced yesterday, tickets will be available for $10 for those under 25 and those attending their first Merola production. All other tickets will be $35 for general admission. There will also be discounts available for groups of ten or more, and group sales can be arranged by calling 415-621-4403. Otherwise, tickets may be ordered through the San Francisco Opera Box Office, which is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday. The Box Office, which is in the outer lobby of the War Memorial Opera House at 301 Van Ness Avenue, is not open on Saturday, when it can be reached only by calling 415-864-3330, which will connect at all of the above hours.