After the grand adventure of Berlioz' Les Troyens, the sensation of the summer (and SFCV readers agree), the 90-member S.F. Opera Chorus is preparing for the fall season in the War Memorial with fond memories of that "choral opera." Ian Robertson, chorus director for the 29th season, says:
We are all still glowing with the memory of The Trojans and look forward to hearing the broadcasts thereof. We used to think of Meistersinger as being a "huge" opera for the chorus but Trojans makes Meistersinger feel like a mini opera as far as the amount of choral music is concerned. Ha!
Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is a huge work, even longer than Les Troyens (at 5 hours 30 minutes, including two intermissions), with a cast of more than a dozen soloists, numerous supernumeraries... and the chorus. Says Robertson:
Meistersinger has always been a great favorite of the Opera Chorus since it is so well-written for chorus and sounds so beautiful. Of course, the "fight scene" presents challenges of ensemble and it takes many hours of memorization despite being over in about two minutes.
I love the opening chorale bursting forth from the lengthy prelude and the choral responses to Walter's Prize Song are some of the most elevated and gorgeous examples of choral music anywhere.
Conducted by Hallé Orchestra Music Director Mark Elder, the opera features Greer Grimsley as Hans Sachs, Brandon Jovanovich as Walther, and Rachel Willis-Sorensen as Eva.
The chorus also has important roles in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, which Robertson says "is a delight to sing," and in Verdi's Luisa Miller, which opens the season, conducted by Nicola Luisotti, with Merola/Adler alumna Leah Crocetto in the title role.
"Luisa Miller choruses," says Robertson, "have an early Verdi freshness about them." But as to Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, a first-time visitor to the War Memorial:
It comes out of left field. We're used to show business choruses, but Sweeney on the surface has a lower choral profile while it presents its own challenges in theatricality, repetitive singing and the handling of extreme vocal ranges (sopranos up to high D sharp!! - baritones in the stratosphere).
With Mozart's Magic Flute, Robertson calls attention to the "warmth of the Priest's Chorus for the men and the rhythmic excitement of the two finales for men and women." Veteran conductor Lawrence Foster is making his S.F. Opera debut, as does tenor Paul Appleby in the role of Tamino; Nadine Sierra, Albina Shagumuratova, Philippe Sly, and Alfred Reiter are featured.
Rossini's Barber of Seville uses a small chorus, but they are front and center in several scenes.
P.S.: Robertson mentioning the Troyens broadcast near the beginning of the interview is welcome news to the city's old and many new Berlioz fans. It will be on KDFC-FM, 90.3, online, on Nov. 1, beginning at 8 p.m.