What are chances that a preview of the new "Tristan and Isolde" film
would be scheduled in San Francisco on Monday at the same time Tom Busse's
City Concert Opera is performing Frank Martin's 1941 "Le vine herbe" at
the JCC?  Given the automatic priority of a live event over a film (and
a deep-seated suspicion that Hollywood will not do well by "T&I," although
Anne Dudley's score may be interesting), I am opting for "The Poisoned
Wine" - not an opera you stumble upon on every corner.

In fact, this will be an SF premiere, the claim of a Northern California
first having been shot down by Bob Commanday, who remembered the Martin
being performed at the Cabrillo Festival in 1962, Gary Samuels conducting
(and Bob acting as chorus director - no wonder he remembered it).

The cast in the JCC's Kanbar Hall is headed by Carole Schaffer (Iseut),
John Owens (Tristan), Tonia d'Amelio (Branghien), Ruth Escher (Iseut
aux blanches mains), and Jeff Fields (Le Roi Marc).  The orchestra is
exceptionally promising, including Roy Malan, Debra Fong, Ellen Ruth
Rose, Daria d'Andrea, and Leighton Fong.
(http://maven.jccsf.org/content_main.aspx?catid=338#627.)

Janos Gereben/SF
www.sfcv.org
Janos [log in to unmask]