La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi San Francisco Opera, 14 September 1991 War Memorial Opera House (San Francisco, CA) Our first visit to the San Francisco Opera last night introduced us to the warm, gracious hall by filling it with Carol Van Ness' glowing rendition of Violetta in a fine performance of La Traviata. She sang with surpassing beauty, effortlessly encompassing all the range and all the lyricism of the part, easily the highlight of an all-around satisfying show. The rest of the cast also sang well, particularly Paolo Coni as Giogio Germont. Like Marcello Giordani as Alfredo, Coni grew steadily stronger as the opera progressed. By his final scenes, he sang with authority and constant, smooth legato and won a fine ovation for it. Giordani sang with sweet tone if little power, but overall captured the role well. He is a handsome fellow and decent actor, and that combined with a voice that grew to match the emotional pitch of the final scene carried him through the evening. The orchestra, under Maurizio Arena was flawless and perfectly balanced to the singers, although only in flashes did the playing rise beyond solid competence. Van Ness was a delight. She sang with wonderful assurance, never faltering on the music or the portrayal. She was emotional, rich, lyrical. She stands out far from most of the sopranos I have heard. I also enjoyed the lighting in this performance-simple but effective, particularly as act two progressed from evening to twilight to dark through the arbor of the country house. The sets were simple, as well, and unremarkable. Others: Phillip Skinner as the Baron; Catherine Kerr as Flora; Donna Petersen as Annina. Production: John Copley; Sets: John Conklin; lighting: Thomas Munn. Done in four acts (too long). There was another special treat at the opera house this night: I met a young man I had first seen in Seattle at the Ring cycle in August and got to know a bit more about him. He is Robert T. Parks, who tells me he is the bookkeeper for an answering service. More tellingly, he is an opera fan extraordinaire. When John Larson and I asked him to take our photo with the Ring billboard, he told me his Seattle Ring was one of five or six cycles he had seen in the past year. Little did I know that was only the surface of his opera-going. At this show he wore a black tee-shirt embossed "Opera Standees Association," and he later presented me with a his business card from the group. On the shirt front is a calendar of all the SF Opera dates for 1991 and he is crossing them off as he attends. So far, he has been at ALL the performances. Not all the operas-all the shows, every night. He tells me standees arrive at 7 a.m. performance morning to secure a place in line by leaving a "marker" and then return a couple of hours before the show to buy tickets for $6 each. Then you must rush in and secure a place at the standee rail at the rear of the main floor orchestra section. When everyone else got up to stretch their legs at intermission, the standees (obviously enough) sat down to rest. They were a tight little knot of people sitting on the floor at the back of the hall, often engaged in animated discussion of the opera or some other point: students, adults, members of the OSA in matching tee-shirts. Parks looks about 30, a striking, slight figure with long beautiful black hair that reaches almost to his waist. He is olive skinned, with glasses and a dark moustache. He was sorry I couldn't attend War & Peace the next day. (I told him I had to leave town - not true-because it seemed impossible to suggest to him that I just wasn't going to the opera.) He offered to place a marker in the standees que for me anytime I was coming to San Francisco during opera season. I realize I am somehow envious of him. I was touched by the offer, and hope I can take him up on it.