Two Major Concert Series to Launch on June 4

As was observed yesterday, June will be a busy month for those that take concert-going seriously. Two major series will get under way on the evening of Saturday, June 4. One of these will be the 2022 Summer Season of the San Francisco Opera (SFO). The good news in this case is that both of the opera productions will be given multiple performances; but, at the very end of the month, there will be a single orchestral performance featuring SFO Music Director Eun Sun Kim leading the SFO Opera Orchestra joined by the SFO Chorus and four vocal soloists. The other series will be the one-performance-only recitals presented by Sunset Music and Arts.

The SFO Summer Season will complete the “transitional” 2021–22 season, prior to the return of a full repertory season this coming fall. As already observed, programming will consist of two full-length staged opera productions and an orchestral concert. Specifics are as follows:

• June 4–July 2: Following the performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s K. 588 Così fan tutte (thus do all women) at the end of last year, the SFO “trilogy” project of Mozart operas based on libretti by Lorenzo da Ponte, conceived and directed by Michael Cavanagh, will conclude with the K. 527 Don Giovanni. Readers may recall that K. 588 was set in a country club for “the Rich and Mighty” oblivious to the Great Depression. K. 527 will be set in the same venue in a post-apocalyptic future, where it is now in ruins. The title role will be sung by Canadian baritone Etienne Dupuis making his SFO debut. The plot is organized around the Don’s past, present, and future “conquests.” The past is Donna Elvira (soprano Carmen Giannattasio) [updated 5/18, 3:50 p.m.: Carmen Giannattasio has withdrawn from the production for health reasons and will be replaced by soprano Nicole Car.], the present (the first woman we see on stage) is Donna Anna (soprano Adela Zaharia, another SFO debut), and the future is the about-to-be-married Zerlina (Christina Gansch). The conductor will be Bertrand de Billy, making his SFO debut. This production will be given eight performances at 7:30 p.m. on June 4, 10, 15, 18, and 21 and July 2 and at 2 p.m. on June 12 and 26. Ticket prices range from $26 to $398. They 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. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday. There is also a Web page with hyperlinks for purchasing tickets for all eight of the performances. Finally, in honor of San Francisco’s Pride Month, the June 18 performance will include a Pride Night at the Opera after-party immediately after the final curtain drops. All ticket holders to the evening’s performance are invited to attend this celebration of San Francisco’s diverse LGBTQ+ community on the Dress Circle level of the Opera House for drinks, dancing, and jubilation. [added 5/17, 3:30 p.m.: In addition there will be a livestream of the 2 p.m. performance on Sunday, June 12. Admission will be a one time charge of $25 payable through a Web page. Once the price is processed, instructions for connection will be provided. Up to three devices will be able to play the livestream. In addition, the performance will be available on-demand for 48 hours starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 13.]
• June 14–July 1: The second staged production will be a revival of Bright Sheng’s Dream of the Red Chamber, given its world premiere performance on September 10, 2016. Sheng also wrote the libretto in partnership with David Henry Hwang. The title of the opera is also the title of one of what are called the Four Great Classical Novels of China. It was written in the eighteenth century by Cao Xueqin, who died after completing 80 chapters. Another 40 chapters were added by the partnership of publisher Gao E and author Cheng Weiyuan. The libretto is a distillation of all of this content into a single basic plot line framed by a Prologue and a coda. All of the major roles will be performed by vocalists of Asian extraction, almost all of whom will be making SFO debut performances. Conductor Darrell Ang will also be making his SFO debut. This production will be given seven performances at 7:30 p.m. on June 14, 17, 23, and 25 and July 1 and at 2 p.m. on June 19 and July 3. Ticketing will be the same as for Don Giovanni, and there will again be a Web page with hyperlinks for purchasing tickets for all seven of the performances. [added 5/17, 3:35 p.m.: In addition there will be a livestream of the 2 p.m. performance on Sunday, June 19. Admission will be a one time charge of $25 payable through a Web page. Once the price is processed, instructions for connection will be provided. Up to three devices will be able to play the livestream. In addition, the performance will be available on-demand for 48 hours starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 20.]
• June 30, 7:30 p.m.: The orchestral performance will focus entirely on the music of Giuseppe Verdi. Kim will conduct the SFO Orchestra and SFO Chorus, now under the direction of John Keene. They will be joined by four vocalists: soprano Nicole Car, tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz, baritone Etienne Dupuis, and bass Soloman Howard. The first half of the program will consist of selections from Luisa Miller and Il Trovatore. The second half will be devoted entirely to Don Carlo, including the auto-da-fé scene and the rarely performed ballet music. Ticket prices range from $29 to $249. They will be available at the Box Office or through a Web page. [added 5/17, 3:40 p.m.: This one-time-only performance will also be livestreamed. Admission will again be a one time charge of $25 payable through a Web page. Once the price is processed, instructions for connection will be provided. Up to three devices will be able to play the livestream. The performance will not be available for subsequent on-demand viewing.]

After only one recital at the end of this month, Sunset Music and Arts will offer four performances during the month of June. These will all be weekend offerings, three on Saturday and one on Friday, all beginning at 7:30 p.m. With the usual subject-to-change-without-notice caveat, here are the current plans for dates, times, and performers:

• Saturday, June 4: Violinist Kennet Renshaw will begin the program with the Chaconne movement that concludes Johann Sebastian Bach’s BWV 1004 solo violin partita in D minor. He will then be joined by pianist Elizabeth Dorman. They will first perform Gabriel Fauré’s first sonata in A major. The program will then conclude with Franz Schubert’s D. 895 rondo in B minor, first published under the title “Rondeau brillant.”
• Saturday, June 11: Pianist Robert Schwartz has prepared a solo recital of music by Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt, and Frédéric Chopin. Each composer will be represented by two selections. Those by Beethoven will be two piano sonatas: the second of the Opus 2 set in A major and the second of the Opus 31 set in D minor. The first Liszt selection will be “Sonetto 123 del Petrarca” from his Années de Pèlerinage (years of pilgrimage) collection. This particular piece is the penultimate composition in the second (Italian) year. This will be followed by the twelfth of the “Hungarian Rhapsody” compositions, written in the key of C-sharp minor. The Chopin contributions will be the first of the Opus 48 nocturnes in the key of C minor and the Opus 36 impromptu in F-sharp major.
• Friday, June 24: This will be a somewhat more diverse ensemble of musicians. Heeguen Song is the Assistant Concertmaster of the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, pianist Sharon Lee Kim has been on the Music Faculty of Saint Mary’s College since 2008, and Scott Macomber is Acting Second Trumpet of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. The current program listed online is a bit vague about who will be playing what, but the full trio will perform a trio in E-flat major composed by Eric Ewazen. Song and Kim will play Jascha Heifetz’ transcription of George Gershwin’s three piano preludes, and they will also present Amy Beach’s Opus 23 Romance for violin and piano. [updated 5/14, 9 a.m.: This morning John Wilson announced cancellation of his recital:
• Saturday June 25: Pianist John Wilson seems to have been inspired by the “mavericks” programs that Michael Tilson Thomas prepared during his tenure as Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony. Indeed, he will conclude his program with Thomas’ Upon Further Reflection suite, which he composed last year. This selection will be preceded by the piano sonata composed by Aaron Copland during his own “maverick days.” The program will begin with Earl Wild’s Seven Virtuoso Études after Gershwin, turning seven familiar Gershwin tunes into major technical undertakings.]

All performances will take place in the Sunset district at the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation, located at 1750 29th Avenue, about halfway between Moraga Street and Noriega Street. Ticket prices are $25 for general admission with a $20 rate for students and seniors. Because the demand tends to be high, advance purchase is highly advised. Tickets may be purchased online through Eventbrite. Each of the hyperlinks on the above dates leads to the event page for single ticket purchases. Further information may be obtained by calling 415-564-2324.

Finally, because we are still under pandemic conditions, all health and safety guidelines provided by the City and County of San Francisco must be honored. That means that a face covering is required for admission to all concerts, and it must be worn at all times. Face masks must completely cover the nose and mouth and have ear loops or similar to hold in place. Gaiters and bandanas are not acceptable.

In addition, proof of vaccination will be required for admittance. This may be provided with either a paper copy or a digital image. Sunset has created a Health and Safety Web page with a self-assessment based on ten easily answered questions. Those entering the building will implicitly acknowledge that they have answered “no” to all ten questions. Anyone that has answered “yes” to a question will be asked to return for another concert or offered a refund for paid tickets.