When Judgment Day for General Managers comes (a frequent event) his guardian angel will shield Lotfi Mansouri with the words: "BUT HE DID `WOZZECK'!" The revival of Mansouri's 1990 Canadian Opera Company/ San Francisco Opera co-production in the War Memorial tonight is even more important and memorable than it was on first viewing. Mansouri's responsibility (and glory) is total: First, he is brave (foolish?) enough to do "Wozzeck" at all, producing an opera whose six (!) performances will cost a great deal, with very little ticket revenue to help. The opening night house was one-third empty, with a steady trickle of departing patrons throughout the intermissionless two-hour performance. Second, the production: Michael Levine's monumental design, in Michael Whitfield's lighting -- sets that amaze and impress all by themselves, and yet they fit the work perfectly. Third, Mansouri's stage direction: fluent, "logical," unerring. You can see, clearly, that he believes in the work, and his passion translates into great theater. Fourth, and this is what sets the revival apart: great casting. San Francisco has been lucky with excellent "Wozzeck" casts (four productions over 20 years with Geraint Evans, Marilyn Horne's Marie in 1960 and 1962, Evelyn Lear in 1968, Janis Martin in 1981, Judith Forst in 1990), but tonight's debut in the title role by Alan Held and Hildegard Behrens' Marie were truly remarkable. Held virtually "throws away" a great voice in order to concentrate on the text, the drama, the role. Behrens is flawless in singing and acting; whatever else may be going on in this phase of her career, THIS performance was splendid. Kenneth Riegel's Captain is almost too bizarre, "too good," Michael Eder (in his U.S. debut) portrays the Doctor just as memorably. Mark Lundberg's Drum Major presents exactly the huge presence the role requires. Smaller roles and Ian Robertson's chorus all come across wonderfully well, everything fits together. And one more important choice by Mansouri: engaging Michael Boder to conduct "Wozzeck" was a brilliant move. The orchestra stormed (at times excessively, true) and excelled all night long, Boder brought out layers and layers of sound often covered over, he paced and balanced the performance beautifully -- and I do mean to use that word because rarely have I heard that part of the music so clearly. In one scene, when the Drum Major makes his appearance, the Opera allowed publicly that amplification is used "during the loud marching music." Perhaps counting on that, Boder really let it rip, and no voices could be heard while the band crossed the stage. But for the rest of the performance, everything held together (except for the dearly departing), and Berg's difficult, complex, grotesque masterpiece was given its due, in Mansouri's finest hour... or two. Janos Gereben/SF [log in to unmask]