L'Italiana in Algeri by Gioachino Rossini San Francisco Opera, June 12, 1992 War Memorial Opera House This was a good opera for our first of three nights' Rosinni: light, airy, easy. We arrived at the airport at about 6 p.m. and were here at 8, so it's just as well we weren't trying anything too heavy tonight. This isn't heavy. I had heard this opera once on the radio and remembered liking it, but couldn't remember any specifics. That is about the way I expect I will remember this performance. Yes, it included Marilyn Horne, reprising a famous role of her youth, I understand, and I was glad to hear her sing -- but she didn't work very hard at it. Her stage presence is wonderful, and she show in one pianissimo passage in Act Two just what a good singer she can be. She did not, in my view, make a very convincing femme fatale. This opera is an ensemble lover's dream -- there's lots of ensemble singing, including the big number concluding act one, described in the program bt Marilyn Horne as the best of all time. There were many silly costumes and scenes: the eunuchs with their belly buttons, the harem butt-shaking whip scene, the sinking of the toy ship. Most were fun, and all seemed very "San Francisco." Frank Lapardo as Lindoro sang with a clean, strong voice. He seemed very Italian, looked like Jay Leno amd did a crowd-pleasing, animated dance number. Janet Williams is a very young,very cute Elvira. She nailed the high notes and has a pretty voice but wasn't very expressive; of course, it's a stupid part in a silly opera. Alfonso Antoniozzi as Taddeo was a verynatural actor, strong stage presence, strong clear voice; I would have liked to see him singing Mustaf instead of Simone Alaimo. Alaimo was expressive and musical, but does not have a very impressive instrument. Conductor: Donato Renzetti; Production and design: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle; stage direction: Sonja Frisell. We also saw Robert Parks of the San Francisco Opera Standees Association and ordered tee-shirts for the next night. He seems just the same -- delightful.