The climax of the masked ball in Verdi’s opera (photograph by Yasuko Kageyama, taken during a performance of this production at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma during the 2015–16 season)
As is usually the case, San Francisco Opera (SFO) is “first out of the gate” to launch the new concert season. This will be the company’s 102nd season, and it will begin with a festive opening weekend. The opera will be Giuseppe Verdi’s three-act Un ballo in maschera (a masked ball). The title is based on the event at which King Gustav III of Sweden was fatally shot. This was a controversial narrative, which eventually led to shifting the venue to colonial Boston. However, SFO will present the opera as Verdi’s librettist, Antonio Somma, initially conceived it.
The role of the King will be sung by tenor Michael Fabiano. The narrative has him in a romance with Amelia (Armenian soprano Lianna Haroutounian), who is married to Renato (Mongolian baritone Amartuvshin Enkhbat, making his SFO debut). The other major role is that of the King’s page Oscar, who will be sung by coloratura soprano and Merola alumna Mei Gui Zhang; this will be her debut performance in that role, having already sung the role of Eurydice in Christoph Willibald Gluck’s Orpheus and Eurydice with SFO in the fall of 2022. Music Director Eun Sun Kim will conduct; and the program will be staged by Leo Muscato, who will be making his SFO debut.
This opera will be given seven performances. Opening night will take place on Friday, September 6; and the performance will begin at 8 p.m. Five performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. on September 11, 18, 21, 24, and 27, and the 2 p.m. performance will take place on September 15. Ticket prices range from $28 to $426; and, depending on location, there is a facility fee of either $2 or $3 per ticket. All tickets may be purchased in the outer lobby of the War Memorial Opera House at 301 Van Ness Avenue or by calling the Box Office at 415-864-3330. Box Office hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m. on Monday and 10 a.m.– 6 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday. There is also a Web page with hyperlinks for purchasing tickets for all seven of the performances. Readers should be aware that there is a high demand for tickets for this production. As of this writing, that Web page identifies those dates with either limited or best availability. In addition, there will be a livestream beginning at 2 p.m. on September 15. The charge will be $27.50, and it may be purchased through a separate Web page.
The opening night performance will be followed by the annual Opera Ball. Proceeds benefit education programs, which reach thousands of students in K-12 classrooms, as well as afterschool programs. A Web page has been created with all necessary information for those interested in attending. There will also be a special Cocktail Celebration at 6 p.m. on opening night for BRAVO! Club, the community of young professionals that happen to be opera lovers. Those attending will be entitled to discounted tickets for seats in the Dress Circle and Orchestra. Further information is available through the above hyperlink.
Kim will also conduct the free annual concert showcase San Francisco Chronicle Presents Opera in the Park. The SFO orchestra will star vocalists, who will be performing during the fall season. Golden Gate Park is, of course, a vast expanse; and the venue for the concert will be the bandshell in Robin Williams Meadow. The performances will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday, September 8.
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