San Francisco Opera’s 2007 season got underway in dramatic fashion with a soprano controversy. Although this  was probably not what David Gockley anticipated when he took the helm as general director earlier this year,  the sudden firing of Hope Briggs prior to the first performance of Don Giovanni  put SFO subscribers in a serious huff - until it was made clear that a highly capable replacement had been found in Elza den Heever. Having stepped into the role immediately after the final (and fateful) dress rehearsal, the Adler Fellow acquitted herself admirably, and will no doubt win more admirers as her career progresses.

Her role as Donna Anna was characterized by sudden swings in dynamics ranging from the tentative to the heroically assertive as she tried to find her way through the first act. But in the end, she triumphed. Indeed, her final aria, "Non mi dir," was exquisite. And although this was Van Den Heever’s debut with a major opera company, critics who had seen her performance in this role last year at the Lincoln Theatre in Napa, California, were equally smitten.

Mariusz Kwiecien as Giovanni

Mariusz Kwiecien, meanwhile, was simply brilliant as the Don. Classically trained in dance (and fencing), he’s a completely convincing Rake capable of killing, raping, maiming, and humiliating his hapless victims. While hardly the greatest baritone to sing the role here in recent years, he’s easily the most athletic and guilelessly affecting. Those of us who were introduced to this still-rising star when he debuted in “La Boheme” (as Marcello) three seasons ago, have been looking forward to this over-the-top turn, and he did not disappoint. His is a dynamic physical presence, but not a scene-stealer.

Speaking of scenes, the final note of praise should be reserved for the production which is shared with the Theatre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels. This was David McVicar’s first time here, too, and he made a quick and lasting impression with his imaginative dark and moody staging. Working with designer, John MacFarlene, who dressed the cast in “Empire” period costumes, Seville never looked more menacing and forbidding…a plague city.




Patrick Burnson

Pictures © John Lee / San Francisco Opera