Reviving the Sacramento Opera

Last night in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacramento on 11th and K was the first piece of the attempt to revive the Sacramento Opera.  Basically it was a piano vocal recital accompanied by John Cozza, president of the Saturday Club, and sung by Soprano Carrie Hennessey, Mezzo Julie Anne Miller, tenor Scott Ramsey, baritone Igor Vieira and baritone Zachary Gordin.

The repertoire was selected based on a poll of Sacramento opera fans, and Sacramentans like their war horses.  We would like to hear Mozart/Da Ponte, and maybe a little Magic Flute, followed by Rossini's Barber.  Then maybe we would like a little Verdi, including La Traviata, though the Sacramento Opera lost money when this opera was presented a couple of years ago.  Then please we would like some Carmen and all of the big three Puccini.  For variety we might go for Massanet's Werther, Samson and Dalila and a little Faust.  The appearance of Werther was a surprise.

The venue allowed for lots of listeners and low ticket prices.  It also allowed for a very lively echo.  The singers stood under the dome which probably has the most echo in the building.

It was a pleasant evening with some very pleasant young people singing.  Apparently the biggest barrier to opera in Sacramento lies in the lack of the perfect venue.  The usual place is expensive.  The size of the audience seems to indicate that at $25 a person, there is a lot of interest in opera in Sacramento.