Thursday, May 18, 2023

Peter Sellars to Stage Saariaho Opera for SFS

Clockwise from upper left: Esa-Pekka Salonen, Nicholas Phan, Axelle Fanyo, Christopher Purves, Fleur Barron, and Peter Sellars (from the SFS event page for the program being discussed)

Next month will see the second collaboration of stage director Peter Sellars with the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) and its Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen. Their four-year partnership began almost a year ago when Sellars staged an SFS program of Igor Stravinsky’s Oedipus rex and “Symphony of Psalms.” The second offering in that partnership will be a staged production of Kaija Saariaho’s one-act opera “Adriana Mater.” This followed her more elaborate first opera, the three-act L’Amour de loin (love from afar), which was given a thoroughly engaging account by the PBS series of HD video recordings of performances by the Metropolitan Opera.

“Adriana Mater” was given its world premiere (directed by Sellars) at the Opéra Bastille on April 3, 2006. Seventeen years later it could not be more relevant to current times. Its Wikipedia page provides the following synopsis:

The opera is set in the present day, in a crisis zone in an unnamed country. The story reflects on motherhood. Adriana, her son Yonas and her sister Refka are caught in the midst of civil war. Years ago, Tsargo, a soldier from their village, raped the young Adriana, and Yonas was born despite Refka's efforts to prevent her sister having the child. Adriana now anxiously watches Yonas as he grows into a man, and wonders whether he will grow up to be as violent as his father or gentler like his mother. 

In next month’s performance the title role will be sung by mezzo Fleur Barron, and Refka will be sung by soprano Axelle Fanyo, both of whom will be making their debuts in the SFS Orchestral Series. The two male roles will be taken by tenor Nicholas Phan (Yonas) and baritone Christopher Purves (Tsargo). The SFS Chorus will also perform, and Salonen will conduct.

This program will be given three performances at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 8, and Saturday, June 10, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 11. A single Web page has been created with hyperlinks for purchasing tickets for each of those dates. Ticket prices range from $35 to $165 and may also be purchased by calling the SFS Box Office at 415-864-6000. (There will be no seating in the Terraces.)

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