Organization

Upcoming Events

	La Traviata Presented by Opera San Jose at California Theatre February 11-February 26, 2012 She's a beauty... a famed courtesan, glamorous, yet fragile. It is 1889 Paris and the celebrated Violetta Valéry has thrown a lavish party where she meets the young admirer Alfredo Germont. He has long loved her, and she is so taken with his sincerity that she abandons her life of luxury and retreats to the country to be with him. But, when met with the disapproving eye of Alfredo's father, Violetta regrettably agrees to end the affair and go back to Paris. A jealous Alfredo denounces La Traviata Presented by Opera San Jose at California Theatre February 11-February 26, 2012 Event Rating (0 votes)
	Faust Presented by Opera San Jose at California Theatre April 21-May 6, 2012 He's a seducer, mischievous, malevolent... the spirit of evil. He is Méphistophélès, the devil in the flesh, and in this timeless tale, he appears to the old scholar Faust, promising him the elixir of youth in exchange for his soul. Faust is transformed into a young, handsome man and sets out with his devious companion to experience the pleasures of the world. Faust seduces the beautiful and innocent Marguerite, only to abandon her before she gives birth to his Faust Presented by Opera San Jose at California Theatre April 21-May 6, 2012 Event Rating (0 votes)

Past Events

	Verdi's La Traviata - Preview and Panel Discussion Presented by Opera San Jose at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library January 31, 2012 Opera San Jose presents a free preview of Verdi's most popular romantic tragedy, La traviata. The one-hour program will include a performance of selected arias and duets by members of the cast, followed by a panel discussion with the creative team, and will be moderated by Opera San Jose's general manager, Larry Hancock. This event takes place in Room 225/229 on the second floor of the Library. Verdi's La Traviata - Preview and Panel Discussion Presented by Opera San Jose at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library January 31, 2012 Event Rating (0 votes)
	Opera San Jose - Harker Concert Series Presented by The Harker School December 2, 2011 Since its founding in 1984, Opera San Jose has featured many of the nation's best young vocalists. Known for its unique company of gifted resident artists, by 2010 Opera San Jose had performed 106 opera productions on its main stage, 2,600 productions of educational programming, and 2,500 performances of community programming. There will be a pre-event reception one hour prior to each performace, and hors d'œuvres and beverages are available. Opera San Jose - Harker Concert Series Presented by The Harker School December 2, 2011 Event Rating (0 votes)
	Pagliacci & La Voix Humaine Presented by Opera San Jose at California Theatre November 12-November 27, 2011 He's a jealous husband; she's a jilted lover. Both are in the depths of an emotional crisis. This pairing of two intensely dramatic operas explores the human psyche in a perfect union of music and drama. Leoncavallo's Italian opera Pagliacci is the tale of Canio, the leader of a traveling commedia dell'arte troupe. He is the clown who must laugh, and make others laugh, while masking his own grief after learning that his wife Nedda has betrayed him with another man. In the end, Pagliacci & La Voix Humaine Presented by Opera San Jose at California Theatre November 12-November 27, 2011 Event Rating (0 votes)
	Idomeneo Presented by Opera San Jose at California Theatre September 10-September 25, 2011 Idomeneo, the king of Crete, is returning from the Trojan War. To gain a safe return to shore during a violent storm at sea, Idomeneo vows to sacrifice to Neptune the first person he sees on land. Unfortunately, it's his son, Idamante, so Idomeneo flees instead of greeting him. Idamante, meanwhile, is in love with Ilia, the captured daughter of the king of Troy. Neptune, cheated out of his sacrifice, sends a sea monster to ravage Crete. Idamante slays the monster and presents himself Idomeneo Presented by Opera San Jose at California Theatre September 10-September 25, 2011 Event Rating (0 votes)
	Concert of Opera Classics Presented by Opera San Jose at Santana Row July 16, 2011 Artists from the Opera San José resident company will perform al fresco as they present a concert of popular arias and ensembles, featuring selections from the most famous opera composers in history. The company will present selections from operas comprising Opera San José’s glorious 2011-2012 season—Mozart’s dramatic masterpiece Idomeneo, a double bill of Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci paired with Poulenc’s La voix humaine, Concert of Opera Classics Presented by Opera San Jose at Santana Row July 16, 2011 Event Rating (0 votes)

more [+]

Media Reviews

• Event Name: Anna Karenina - West Coast Premiere
  Article: Opera Review: "Anna Kerenina"
  SFGate - Sep 16, 2010
  By Joshua Kosman, Chronicle Music Critic

  Spending time with the aristocracy, of other historical periods or in our own gilded age, can be pleasurable in its way - all that luxury and indolent ease. But you are expected to care about their personal problems.
  
  That's the conflict… Expand

  Spending time with the aristocracy, of other historical periods or in our own gilded age, can be pleasurable in its way - all that luxury and indolent ease. But you are expected to care about their personal problems.
  
  That's the conflict at the heart of "Anna Karenina" - not Tolstoy's great novel, of course, but the alluring and frustrating opera newly drawn from it by composer David Carlson, which had its West Coast premiere Saturday night at Opera San Jose.... Collapse

• Event Name: Anna Karenina - West Coast Premiere
  Article: Anna Karenina's West Coast Premier
  Examiner.com - Sep 13, 2010
  By Beeri Moalem

  Driving back from the Opera, I heard on NPR that money can actually buy happiness, albeit up to a certain point ($75,000). All the money in the world couldn’t buy happiness for the aristocrats in Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. David Carlson’s setting of th… Expand

  Driving back from the Opera, I heard on NPR that money can actually buy happiness, albeit up to a certain point ($75,000). All the money in the world couldn’t buy happiness for the aristocrats in Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. David Carlson’s setting of the epic novel was absorbed in the bleak unhappiness of this story, hardly ever letting any ray of hope shine through. Even in the grand parties, the springtime escapades at countryside dachas, or at diverting horse races, the score churns with a lustful urgency, possessed with a dreary unrelenting nervousness, unhappy to the core. Collapse

more [+]

Member Reviews

• Event Name: Tosca
  "Superb performance!"
  Review posted by: Dexter from Santa Clara, CA, Nov 26, 2010
  

  I appreciate and enjoy opera and, having seen a handful of them, I am slowly getting to be familiar with these wonderful works. I like Puccini's operas and since I have not seen Tosca before, I had... Expand

  All reviews/comments and complete event details

  I appreciate and enjoy opera and, having seen a handful of them, I am slowly getting to be familiar with these wonderful works. I like Puccini's operas and since I have not seen Tosca before, I had hopes that this would be something I would enjoy. And I certainly did! The sets and lighting were great and really set the mood and "the stage" for the story. The costumes were splendid to look at and really lent themselves to the characters and their performance. The performance of the actors/singers were entertaining. The 3 main characters who played Tosca, Cavaradossi, and Scarpia (for the 11/20 show) delivered a superb performance as their singing was top notch. All in all it was a wonderful and enjoyable show. At the end of the performance, I didn't quite get why the actor/singer who played Scarpia would get boos mixed with his applause. I'm thinking that the audience were still convinced of his evil character even when the show was over. I guess he's so bad he's good! :) Collapse

  All reviews/comments and complete event details

• Event Name: Anna Karenina - West Coast Premiere
  "E for effort"
  Review posted by: Susannah from San jose, ca, Sep 24, 2010
  

  The staging, tech, singing, and orchestra for this production were all quite good and I was surprised, as I'm not opera buff, that I enjoyed it as much as I did. Exquisite lighting, more "acting"... Expand

  All reviews/comments and complete event details

  The staging, tech, singing, and orchestra for this production were all quite good and I was surprised, as I'm not opera buff, that I enjoyed it as much as I did. Exquisite lighting, more "acting" than I'm used to seeing in opera, and phenomenal set complimented the cast as they sang through the plot of Tolstoy's dark philosophical story. I was even more impressed with the sound quality and balance. I think this production gets an A+ for execution, my only challenge was the material. The music was by no means unpleasant but it certainly isn't hummable. That being said the train and horse race scenes had some fantastic metaphorical motifs that even this musical ignoramus picked up on and thought were very clever. I'd suggest this based on the merit of the opera company over the actual opera but suggest it none the less!! Collapse

  All reviews/comments and complete event details

more [+]