S.D. Opera’s new territory

BY PAMKRAGEN

Two yearsago this week,San Diego

Operapresented its last pre-pandemic performanceatthe SanDiego Civic Theatre On Saturday itwill finally return The new productionof Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Così fan tutte”willnotonlybethe company’s first fully staged indoor production since February 2020, itwill also marka number of other firsts.

Acclaimedinternationalopera directorTimothy Nelsonwillmake his companydebut,alongwithfour oftheopera’s principalsingers: baritonesReginaldSmithJr.and JohnBrancy,mezzo-soprano SamanthaHankeyand tenor Konu Kim.SopranoSarah Tucker, who playedMicaelainSanDiego Opera’s 2019 productionof“Carmen,” willbe makingher roledebutas Fiordiligi.Andthiswillalsobe an all-new productionwithscenery and costumescreatedin-houseby SanDiego Operadesigners.

Finally formanySanDiego Operaticketbuyers, thismaybe the firsttimethey’ve ever seen “Cosìfan tutte, which the company lastproducedin2005. Nelson whoisdirecting“Così"forthe firsttime,saidheknowswhythe operaisn’t donemore often.It’s tough to direct and even more challengingforitssingers.Buthe’s excitedthatitwillbethe first opera to welcomeaudiencesback.

“Ithinkit’s theperfectopera to return to indoorperformances with,” Nelsonsaid. “Theyhaven’t done itin 17 years,which makesit reallyspecialandthiscastis just dynamite It’s a tremendousopportunity formeas a directorand also foraudiences toexperiencea typeofopera that’s reallyvividand vibrant.” “Cosìfan tutte,”which roughly translate from Italianas“all womendothesame,”premieredin Viennaon Jan.26, 1790 It was the third and final collaborationbetween Mozart andhisItalian librettistLorenzo Da Pontefollowingthebetter known “The Marriage ofFigaro”in 1786and“Don

Giovanni”in 1787

Thestory begins whenanold bachelor, Don Alfonso,bets two youngsoldiers,Guglielmoand Ferrando,thattheir fiancées, sistersFiordiligi andDorabella, won’t staytrue to them. The soldiers testtheir women’s faithfulness bydonningdisguisesand courtingeach other’s fiancées, only to discoverthey’re each better suited to theother’s fiancée The sistersalsolosetheirhearts to the disguisedmen.

‘Così fan tutte’

“Così fan tutte”willbeperformed inItalianwithEnglishsupertitles projectedabove the stage. TheSanDiego Symphony willbe conducted by Bruce Stasyna, who isSanDiegoOpera’schorus master andmusicadministrator.

When: 7:30p.m.Saturday and Feb.15and18;2p.m. Feb.20

Where: SanDiegoOpera at the SanDiegoCivic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave.,SanDiego

Tickets: $35andup

Phone: (619) 533-7000

Online: sdopera.org andundergo emotionaltrials to find theirtruth.So, workingwithSan Diego OperascenicdesignerTim Wallace Nelsonhascreated a productionwith a forestthatwill grow darker astheplotthickens.

COVID protocol: Proof of full vaccinationornegative COVID-19PCR test within48hours of showtime required. Facemasks requiredindoors.

Theproduction willbesetin contemporary America and will beginin a locker roomwhere the menmake theirbet.Thenitwill moves to what Nelsoncallsa “darkeningforestofthemind.”He has alsoadded a new character to thestory: a weary, withered and wordless Cupid, whose presence in thestory representsthelossof idealizedlove.

Nelsonsaidcreating a new production conceptcanbehard for veteransingerswhohave performedthesame rolesdozensof times.Sohe’s grateful to havea youngandadventurouscastwho are excited toexplore “Così ina fresh way. Hisfavorite sceneinthe operaisFiordiligi’s mournful second-actaria“PerPieta,”which beginswiththe words “Inpity’s name, my dearest/ forgive the misdeed of a loving soul.”

That’s alsotheoperahighlight for Tucker SanDiego Opera’s Fiordiligi.TheHouston-based sopranois a Mozart specialist whosewillfollow “Così"with a run asPaminain North CarolinaOpera’s production of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.”

“The greatthingaboutsinging hismusicishe justputsitallin there for you,formomentslike fear andanger Evenif you don’tknow whatshe’s saying, you hearitinthe music, you hearitinthe coloratura andthe contrasts,” Tuckersaid. “Themusicis justunbelievable. For me, choosingmyfavorite part,it’sa contestbetweenthe firstacttrio “Soave Sia il Vento”(“maythewind be gentle”)and“PerPieta.”

“It’s hard and vulnerableandso satisfying.Themusicis juststunning,” Tuckersaid.

Nelson,whoisalso a conductor, said Mozart’s opera-composing skills grew dramaticallybetween “Figaro” and “Così"andthatcan beheard inthescore.

“‘Figaro’and‘DonGiovanni’ are wonderfulbecausetheirstoriesare sorich andtheir charactersare sovivid.Butbythetimehe gets to ‘Così,’hehasmasteredthe art of telling a story withmusic,” Nelsonsaid. “Here he’s trying to create withmusictheuniversal emotional experienceofwhat it feelslike when yourheart breaks forthe firsttimeand you realize love is not a fairy tale.

“It’s a whole different typeof theaterhe’s inventing.It’s not aboutplot.It’s more aboutsitting in a momentandhavingit wash over you withthemostincredible music,” Nelson said. Nelsonhasdirectedmore than 70 operaproductions worldwide andhasserved asanartisticdirector forfouropera companiesinthe U.S.andEurope.Hisinnovative new and contemporary reimaginationofclassic works have led criticsatthe New York Timesand Baltimore Sun to callhis work “the future ofopera.” Butforall of his experience, Nelsonsaidhe wasn’t ready to tackle“Così"untilnow.

“I’ve dancedarounditformymy entire career,” hesaid.“‘Cosìfan tutte’isbyfarmyfavorite Mozart opera,and I think the greatest

Mozart opera,whenhe was atthe pinnacleofhispower as a classical composer But I’ve hadthisnagging questionofwhetheritcanbe staged inany way thatdoesn’tdiminishits quality asanopera.”

Finallyhecameupwith a creative solution.In“Così,”thestory beginslightand comic,thenit takes a dark andintrospective turn inthesecondact,where theheartbroken youngloversare exploring theirhearts,disillusionmentand nostalgiaforwhat was lost.

Nelsonsaidthisshift fromlight to dark reminded himoftheplotsof

Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods,”where confused lovers flee into dark forests

Whileher characterhasher heart brokenin“Cosìfan tutte,” Tucker’s own love lifehas a storybookending. Justbefore thepandemic,shemet Japanese bassbaritoneHidenoriInouein a PensacolaOperaproduction of Mozart’s “DonGiovanni.”Onthe morningoftheir finalperformance,she worked upthe courage to askhimoutfor coffee.Thenext daythey wenttheirseparate ways butquickly reconnectedbyphone, andwhenthepandemicshut downtheopera world,theyhad all thetimeinthe world toget to know each other They got married earlylast year.

“Longdistanceoperatic romancesare really tough,”shesaid. “Youhave to figure outwhen you canafford to investin getting to know thisperson. I thinkifthe pandemicdidn’thappen,it would have taken a lot longerforus toget together.” pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com

BY BETH WOOD

Violinist Johnny Gandelsman considersthe audiencean

integralpartnerinhis concerts,whether it’s with theintrepid Brooklyn Rider string quartet, Yo-Yo Ma’s SilkRoad Ensemble or a herculean solo performance.

“Ispendmany hours practicing,” Gandelsman said. “But you canonlylearn abouthow thepiece affects you when you playitforan audience.

“Itimmediately changes everything about howI play, howI listen. You canspend 100 percent oftimelearning apiecein your room,and then you learn 100 percent more onhow you’re affected bythepiecewhen you performit.”

Bornin Moscow and raisedinRussia and Israel, Gandelsmancame to the U.S. to studyatPhiladelphia’s CurtisInstitute of Music in 1995 He wona 2016 Best WorldMusicGrammy Award for co-producing “Sing Me Home,”bySilk RoadEnsemble. Gandelsman’s exquisite “JS Bach:Complete Cello Suites(Transcribedfor Violin)” was releasedin February 2020,a month before his original concert withArt ofElan, which had to cancelitdue to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, Art ofElanisbringingGandelsman to SanDiego to openits 15thseasonwith “ThisIsAmerica”atthe Institute forContemporary Art (ICA)CentralinBalboa Park and“BaCH @ The JAI |Bach CelloSuites”atThe JAI at the ConradPrebys PerformingArtsCenterin La Jolla.

“ThisIsAmerica”isa new recordingprojectfeaturing more than20 works forsoloviolin written by Americanand U.S.-based artists.Theproject was commissionedby20arts organizations from the UnitedStates,including Art ofElan.

BecausetheCOVID-19 pandemiccausedcancellationofhisnational tour more than once,Gandelsmanusedthetime to put “ThisIsAmerica” together. The concert features a diverse arrayof contemporary composers, includingmany women.

“BaCH @ The JAI| Bach CelloSuites,”meanwhile, willfeature theformidable violinistperformingallsix suites. Withthecellosuites, Gandelsman respectfully fiddles a bitwithBach.He was inspiredbyhis friend and frequent collaborator, Irishmaster fiddler Martin Hayes.

“Martin’s anincredible