Les Contes d'Hoffman by Jacques Offenbach San Francisco Opera 26 November 1996 Bill Graham Civic Center When we asked for the "best available" upgrade for our seats in the SFO's temporary Civic Center venue, the agent wondered if we really wanted the best there was; he had seats within the first two or three rows, center section. When we asked if our casual clothes would be appropriate, he smiled and said, "In these seats, people will just be looking and wondering who you are." I'm glad we paid the exorbitant price and moved down. The Civic Center isn't much of an opera venue at the best of times. From the cramped upper deck seats we were assigned in exchange for our good orchestra location in the War Memorial, we'd found it difficult to hear, impossible to see and uncomfortable to sit. Down front, we had a much better view, of course, and an up-close encounter with Samuel Ramey, who sang Lindorf and Dr. Miracle with power and authority that were readily apparent from this distance. He eclipsed Jerry Hadley's pedestrian Hoffman in ever way: vocally, dramatically and in sheer presence. I liked Ruxandra Donose as The Muse: she is pretty to look at, a charming, beguiling presence on stage combined with a decent, dusky voice. Tracy Dahl did a good job singing Olympia, a crisp, controlled coloratura, well acted in a strange role. I also liked Michel Sénéchal playing two small roles effectively. The orchestra (positioned above and behind the stage in this strange venue) performed professionally, a workmanlike performance for Steven Mercurio. The set by Gerard Howland was striking, the scroll and giant quill evocative of the Tales themselves.