Once again this month will see the return of the Seattle-based musicians of Music of Remembrance (MOR) to the Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM). The program will present the San Francisco premiere of a one-act opera, entitled “The Parting,” commissioned from composer Tom Cipullo with a libretto by poet David Mason. (The world premiere will take place in Seattle on May 19.) That libretto explores the life and art of Hungarian poet Miklós Radnóti, widely considered one of the most important witnesses to the Holocaust.
The part of Radnóti will be sung by Michael Mayes. The plot is set in the Radnóti’s Budapest apartment on an evening two weeks after the poet’s 35th birthday, which is the eve of his departure for forced labor from which both he and his wife (soprano Laura Strickling) knew he might not return alive. What emerges is a reflection on what it takes to be an artist during cruel times while at the same time yearning for ordinary human happiness. Staging will be by Erich Parce, Alastair Willis will conduct, and Mayes and Strickling will be joined by mezzo Catherine Cook. The opera will be performed as the second half of the evening’s program, the first half offering chamber music by Hungarian composers László Wiener, Sándor Vándor, and Sándor Kuti.
The entrance to SFCM is at 50 Oak Street, halfway between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street and a short walk from the Van Ness Muni station. The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, and should last about two hours. Kip Cranna will lead a pre-concert interview beginning at 6:45 p.m. Premium tickets in rows A through K of the Center section will be $75. All other tickets will be $60. These will include specific seats designated for wheelchair access, and a seat can also be allocated for the companion of the wheelchair user. Online ticket sales are being managed by Brown Paper Tickets. Tickets may also be ordered in advance by calling 206-365-7770.
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