San Francisco Opera Announces January/February Schedule of Free Streams

San Francisco Opera's weekly, free opera streams continue in February with Wagner's Lohengrin (February 6-7), Mozart's Così fan tutte (February 13-14), Puccini's La Rondine (February 20-21) and Verdi's Falstaff (February 27-28). Newly added, a live interview on Friday, January 29, with tenor Stephen Costello, soprano Nicole Cabell and director Shawna Lucey, will precede Verdi's La Traviata this weekend (January 30-31). The conversation, which will provide an opportunity for opera audiences to interact with the artists as they discuss and introduce La Traviata, will be hosted on Zoom.

Free opera streams are viewable on demand with registration at sfopera.com, beginning at 10 am (Pacific) on the first streaming date through 11:59 pm the following day. The free, live artist conversation about La Traviata will take place on Zoom (registration required at sfopera.com/streaming). A recording of the interview will be available on the Company's YouTube channel after the live event. Current San Francisco Opera subscribers and members (donors of $75 and up) retain access to opera titles after their window of public access. For more information, visit sfopera.com, and follow San Francisco Opera on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Spotify.

LA TRAVIATA JANUARY 30-31

Friday, January 29 at 1 pm PST: Tenor Stephen Costello and soprano Nicole Cabell in dialogue with La Traviata assistant stage director Shawna Lucey

Free and open to the public. Audience members are invited to submit questions during the event. Advanced registration required to attend. Visit sfopera.com/streaming to register.

From January 30-31, San Francisco Opera presents the 2014 production of Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata by John Copley with revival staging by Laurie Feldman. Leading the cast are soprano Nicole Cabell, who takes on the role of the courtesan Violetta Valéry, tenor Stephen Costello as her lover, Alfredo, and baritone Vladimir Stoyanov as Alfredo's father, Germont. Former San Francisco Opera music director Nicola Luisotti conducts the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in a "frequently revelatory" (San Francisco Classical Voice) interpretation of Verdi's beloved 1853 score. The creative team behind the production are set designer John Conklin, costume designer David Walker, lighting designer Gary Marder and choreographer Yaelisa. La Traviata is performed in Italian with English subtitles and has an approximate running time of 2 hours and 5 minutes.

LOHENGRIN FEBRUARY 6-7

In a co-production with Houston Grand Opera and Grand Théâtre de Genève, Richard Wagner's Lohengrin arrives at the War Memorial Opera House in David Slater's vision of the Romantic work, in collaboration with production designer Robert Innes Hopkins and lighting designer Simon Mills. Tenor Brandon Jovanovich makes his role debut as the titular mysterious knight and, in her first appearance with the Company, soprano Camilla Nylund is his bride, Elsa von Brabant. The cast also features Kristinn Sigmundsson as King Heinrich, Gerd Grochowski as Telramund and Petra Lang as the sorceress Ortrud. This "thrilling" (San Francisco Classical Voice) engagement marks former music director Nicola Luisotti's first assignment conducting a Wagner opera. San Francisco Opera Chorus Director Ian Robertson prepares the "massive and powerful" (The Mercury News) chorus. Lohengrin is performed in German with English subtitles and has an approximate running time of 3 hours and 40 minutes.

COSÌ FAN TUTTE FEBRUARY 13-14

San Francisco Opera's 2013 presentation of Mozart's Così fan tutte features staging by Jose Maria Condemi of John Cox's concept which reimagines the comedic opera in a Mediterranean beach town on the eve of World War I. The opera also highlights the contributions of production designer Robert Perdziola and lighting designer Christopher Maravich. The ensemble cast is composed of all artists making role debuts. Marco Vinco portrays the philosopher Don Alfonso, who makes a bet with two young men, Ferrando (Francesco Demuro) and Guglielmo (Philippe Sly), that flirting with their lovers while in disguise would prove that the women are unfaithful. Ellie Dehn portrays Fiordiligi, the fiancée of Guglielmo, and Dorabella, who is engaged to Ferrando, is performed by Christel Lötzsch. Susannah Biller bows as Despina, the two sisters' maid and co-conspirator with Don Alfonso. Music director Nicola Luisotti conducts a "lively and shimmering" (San Francisco Examiner) account of Mozart's third and final collaboration with librettist Lorenzo da Ponte in a co-production with Opéra de Monte-Carlo. Così fan tutte is performed in Italian with English subtitles and has an approximate running time of 2 hours and 55 minutes.

LA RONDINE FEBRUARY 20-21

Set in Paris during the 1920s, this sumptuous, Art Deco-inspired production of Giacomo Puccini's La Rondine stars the "radiant" (Contra Costa Times) Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu as the courtesan Magda de Civry. Concealing her identity, Magda visits a café where she falls in love with Ruggero, performed by Ukrainian tenor Misha Didyk. Nicolas Joël is the visionary behind the Company's co-production with Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse and Royal Opera, Covent Garden from 2007 which is directed by Stephen Barlow. The artistry of set designer Ezio Frigerio, costume designer Franca Squarciapino and lighting designer Duane Schuler are also exhibited in this stream. Anna Christy is Magda's maid, Lisette, who is coupled with Gerard Powers as Prunier, an artist who influences Magda's decisions on love. Maestro Ion Marin conducts San Francisco Opera's presentation of Puccini's touching and romantic work, featuring "lush, sweeping melodies" (San Francisco Chronicle). La Rondine is performed in Italian with English subtitles and has an approximate running time of 1 hour and 50 minutes.

FALSTAFF FEBRUARY 27-28

Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel, "one of the great Falstaffs of this or any age" (San Francisco Classical Voice) owns Giuseppe Verdi's title role in a production from Lyric Opera of Chicago. The larger-than-life Falstaff is low on money and attempts to obtain funds by seducing two married women simultaneously, but his schemes are thwarted. The composer's farcical final opera is set to text by Arrigo Boito based on plays by William Shakespeare. Olivier Tambosi directs an international ensemble, including Spanish soprano Ainhoa Arteta as Alice, Italian baritone Fabio Capitanucci as her husband, Ford, and American soprano Heidi Stober as their daughter Nannetta. Frank Philipp Schlossmann creates the scenery and costumes and Christine Binder designs the lighting. Italian maestro Nicola Luisotti leads the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in an event that "should not be missed" (San Francisco Examiner). Falstaff is performed in Italian with English subtitles and has an approximate running time of 2 hours and 10 minutes.

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