June 18
Lunch yesterday with composer Jake Heggie to discuss a possible future project. I will see him again in August in Adelaide for the Australian premiere of MOBY-DICK.
Last night was SIEGFRIED, the third installment of Francesca Zambello’s extraordinary production of Wagner’s RING here in San Francisco. This is perhaps the most difficult of the RING operas to pull off, but this production succeeds superbly. The remarkable cast includes Jay Hunter Morris in his role debut as “Siegfried” and this Texas born tenor who began his career in the Dallas Opera chorus was nothing less than magnificent. He has sung several roles with TDO (including “Bacchus” in ARIADNE AUF NAXOS) but nothing prepared me for his stunning performance in this most treacherous of tenor roles.
Also outstanding was Swedish soprano Nina Stemme as “Bruennhilde” and David Cangelosi as a particularly repellent “Mime.”
Tomorrow—GOETTERDAEMMERUNG…
