[From www.sfcv.org]

The same day the San Francisco Forty-Niners fired their head coach,
the San Francisco Opera reaffirmed the role of its artistic leadership.
Steve Mariucci is gone, even after a 10-6 season, but the German team
of dramaturgs, directors and designers will continue to hold sway at the
War Memorial, including Wolfgang Willaschek, Hans Dieter Schaal, Jossi
Wieler and Johannes Schaaf.

At her second press conference since she arrived two years ago, SFO
general director Pamela Rosenberg acknowledged the difficulty of "charting
our way through waters that keep changing," and the "painful decision"
to reduce the next season slightly.  But, beyond the triple whammy of
economic recession, a drop in ticket sales and contributions, Rosenberg
still offered at least a half a season of unusual, substantial fare.

The 2003-'04 season, SFO's 81st, will open with the SFO premiere of
Virgil Thomson's "The Mother of Us All" (her favorite American opera,
Rosenberg said), and include Janacek's "The Cunning Little Vixen,"
Busoni's "Doktor Faust" (directed by Wieler and Sergio Morabito),
Shostakovich's "Lady Macbeth of Mtsenk" (with Schaaf and Willaschek), a
new, Schaaf-Schaal production of Rossini's "The Barber of Seville" and
the first French "Don Carlos" in 20 years.  A "Samuel Ramey in Concert"
event will honor his 25th year with the company.

Otherwise, it will be "The Magic Flute," 15 (count 'em) performances of "La
Boheme," and a "Cav/Pag" double-bill, bringing back Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
productions after a hiatus too long.  Falling by the economic roadside
are plans for "Coq d'Or" and "Der Freischutz." Asked about the company's
financial problems beyond the $7.7 million deficit for the previous year,
Rosenberg declined to "conjecture" at this point, but she did mention
that a 4% decline in single-ticket purchase during the season means the
loss of about $1 million.  At the same time, she confirmed ongoing
planning for such large future projects as Berlioz's "The Trojans." On
the other hand, "Benvenuto Cellini" is likely to slide a year from the
original 2006 schedule.

In addition to the senior and military $30 rush ticket program, Rosenberg
said the Opera will provide $15 tickets for any available rush seat to
students.  Here's the season, debuts marked with an asterisk:

"The Mother of Us All," Sept.  6-26.  Donald Runnicles/Christopher
Alden/Allen Moyer.  Cast: Susan B.  Anthony - Luana DeVol, Anne - Stephanie
Novacek*, Gertrude Stein - Judith Christin, Virgil Thomson - Beau Palmer*,
Daniel Webster - Jeffrey Wells, Angel More - Anna Christy*, John Adams
- John Duykers, Constance Fletcher - Wendy Hill*, Lillian Russell -Dana
Beth Miller*, Ulysses S.  Grant - Oren Gradus*, Andrew Johnson - David
Ossenfort*.

"The Magic Flute," Sept.  9 - Oct. 3.  Oleg Caetani*/John Cox/David
Hockney.  Cast: Pamina - Ana Maria Martinez*, Tamino - Charles Castronovo*,
Queen of the Night - Suzanne Ramo, Sarastro - Paata Burchuladze, Papageno
- Johannes Martin Kranzle, Papagena - Marnie Breckenridge, Speaker -
Philip Skinner.

"Cavalleria Rusticana" and "Pagliacci," Sept 19 - Oct 17.  Marco
Armiliato/Vera Lucia Calabria/Jean-Pierre Ponnelle.  Cast: Santuzza -
Andrea Gruber, Turiddu - Antonio Nagore, Lucia - Judith Christin, Alfio
- Anthony Michaels-Moore; Canio - Jon Fredric West, Nedda - Catherine
Naglestad, Tonio - Anthony Michaels-Moore, Beppe - Felipe Rojas, Silvio
- James Westman.

"The Barber of Seville," Oct.  7 - Nov. 23, Jan.  9-17.  Stefan Soltesz*
or Francesco Corti/Johannes Schaaf.  Cast: Count Almaviva - Yann Beuron*
or Matthew Polenzani, Bartolo - Paul Plishka, Rosina - Helene Schneiderman
or Joyce Di Donato, Figaro - Nathan Gunn* or Troy Cook, Don Basilo -
Philip Ens* or Ayk Martiressian, Berta - Catherine Cook.

"Don Carlos," Oct.  26 - Nov. 19.  Runnicles/Emilio Sagi/Zack Brown.
Cast: Don Carlos - Martin Thompson, Phillippe II - Robert Lloyd or Stephen
Milling, Rodrigue - Bo Skovhus, Grand Inquisitor - Attila Jun, Elisabeth
de Valois - Marina Mesheriakova, Princess Eboli - Violeta Urmana, Thibault
- Anne-Sophie Duprels, Old Monk - Gregory Stapp.

"Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk," Nov.  9-22.  Runnicles/Schaaf/Nina Ritter*.
Cast: Boris Ismailov - Vladimir Vaneev*, Zinovy Ismailov - Vsevolod
Grivnov*, Katerina Ismailova - Solveig Kringelborn, Sergei - Christopher
Ventris, Aksin'ya - Ann Panagulias, Priest - Viktor Chernomortsev,
Sonyetka - Jane Dutton*, Old Convict - Gregory Stapp

"La Boheme," Jan.  6-18, June 5 - July 2.  Runnicles or Alexander
Polianichko/Mark Lamos/Michael Yeargan.  Cast: Rodolfo - Vinson Cole or
Rafael Suarez, Mimi - Olga Guryakova* or Elena Prokina, Marcello - Mariusz
Kwiecien* or Scott Hendricks, Schaunard - Troy Cook or Johannes Martin
Kranzle or Brad Alexander, Colline - Ayk Martiressian or Friedemann
Rohlig, Musetta - Dina Kuznetsova* or Anna Netrebko, Benoit/Alcindoro -
Peter Strummer

"The Cunning Little Vixen," June 11, 2004 - July 1.  Runnicles/Daniel
Slater*/Robert Innes Hopkins*.  Cast: Vixen - Dawn Upshaw (debut in a
staged production), Fox - Dagmar Peckova*, Forester - Thomas Allen,
Schoolmaster - Anthony Laciura*, Badger - Peter Strummer, Parson - Gregory
Stapp, Forester's Wife - Judith Christin.

"Doktor Faust," June 15 - July 3.  Runnicles/Jossi Wieler/Anna Viebrock.
Cast: Faust - Rodney Gilfry, Mephistopheles - Chris Merritt, Duchess of
Parma - Eva Maria Westbroek*, Girl's Brother - Johannes Martin Kranzle.

Janos Gereben/SF
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