A return to all-out fabulous
THE SFO 2022 SEASON
With some good fortune on the wildfire and coronavirus fronts during July and August, the Santa Fe Opera’s 2022 season will be back to its traditional scope for the first time since 2019. That means five mainstage productions, including the world premiere of M. Butterfly, and much-loved amenities, such as pre-performance talks and dinners, tours of the theater and opera ranch, and family nights at the opera.
IT’S A BIG SEASON.
Not in the number of performances, but in several other areas, including the largest crew of apprentice singers in company history (47), the highest number of costumes required (more than 500), and the number of additional orchestra members engaged (22). Tristan und Isolde is certain to be the longest opera ever staged here, with an anticipated running time of “approximately 4 hours, 29 minutes,” per the SFO website.
Two of opera’s most iconic titles — Carmen and The Barber of Seville — open the season on Friday, July 1 and Saturday, July 2, respectively. The former features a female-centric viewpoint, focusing on the tragedy from the title character’s perspective and not, as so often happens, from Don José’s. Rossini’s great comedy sports an ingenious scenic design that sure to generate smiles and laughter on its own, in addition to the riches contained in the music and the text.
Verdi’s Falstaff follows on July 16, in a production shared with Scottish Opera that got excellent notices when it premiered overseas in July 2021. The company’s biggest experiment in years follows with its first staging of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, opening July 23. Acclaimed Wagnerians Simon O’Neill and Tamara Wilson star in the title roles, led by conductor James Gaffigan, newly appointed music director of Komische Oper Berlin.
David Henry Hwang calls the opera stage “the most natural home” for his play M. Butterfly, which premiered on Broadway in 1988. He has crafted the libretto for this world premiere, which features a score by Huang Ruo, whose Dr. Sun Yat-sen had its American premiere here in 2014. M. Butterfly opens on July 30.
WHAT’S MISSING COMPARED TO LAST YEAR?
Simulcasts of every performance to the lower parking lot, since seating capacity is back to 100 percent. (Plans are underway to offer simulcasts in local parks later in the season.) Proof of vaccination will no longer be required, although masks are encouraged at the theater and required for events in Stieren Orchestra Hall. This is subject to change, of course, and the most up-to-date information can be found at santafeopera.org/health-and-safety.
WHAT’S BACK IN 2022? Prelude Talks
These 30-minute introductory talks held in Stieren Orchestra Hall are free of charge to ticket holders. The first talk starts two hours before the performance and the second, one hour before. (No talks for Carmen on Friday, July 1, or the apprentice scenes on Aug. 14 and 21.) Advance registration is required at least 24 hours prior to the talks. Go to santafeopera.org/calendar and click on the plus sign icon for each performance date to find the registration option.
Preview Dinners
A themed buffet dinner and an introductory talk about the evening’s opera are offered at the opera cantina before every mainstage performance, except Friday, July 1. The preview dinners are $70 with wine available for purchase.
They begin at 6 p.m. during July (5:30 p.m. for Tristan und Isolde on July 23 and 27) and 5:30 p.m. during August. Purchase at santafeopera.org/calendar. Tours Docent-led opera house tours take place at 9 and 9:10 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays during July and August. The free 30-minute tours include information about the theater’s architecture, the company’s history, and the 2022 season operas. (Note: These tours no longer include backstage areas of the theater.)
An extended free tour of the landscaped opera ranch, with its rehearsal facilities and administrative offices, is offered at 3 p.m. on July 8 and 22 and on Aug. 12 and 26. Advance registration is required at least 24 hours prior to the tours. Go to santafeopera.org/calendar and click on the plus sign icon for each performance date to find the registration option.
FAMILY NIGHTS
Discounted tickets are offered at one performance of each opera. The family nights for 2022 are Carmen on Friday, July 1, The Barber of Seville on Aug. 6, Falstaff on Aug. 16, Tristan und Isolde on Aug. 19, and M. Butterfly on Aug. 24. Tickets are $15 for those age 6 to 22, $30 for the first two adults attending with them, and $50 for additional adults. They’re available only by phone from the SFO box office at 505-986-5900.
FESTIVAL OF SONG
Three song recitals featuring soloists from the opera season are offered at the Scottish Rite Center in collaboration with Performance Santa Fe. Sopranos Tamara Wilson (Isolde) and Heidi Melton (the Isolde understudy) perform on July 31, soprano Elena Villalón (Nanetta/Falstaff ) and bass-baritone Nicholas Brownlee (Kurwenal/Tristan und Isolde) on Aug. 7, and mezzo-soprano Emily
Fons and tenor Jack Swanson (Rosina and Almaviva/The Barber of Seville) on Aug. 14.
The hour-long recitals begin at 4 p.m. and are followed by a meet-the-artists reception. Tickets are $45-$105 and are available from the Performance Santa Fe box office at 505-984-8759 or performancesantafe.org.