Sometimes, when I don’t like a famous opera (or at least one by a famous composer), I tell myself that the problem was the production, and I convince myself to see it again. I previously saw Parsifal in Houston in 2024 and thought it was very weird (even though tenor Russell Thomas was spectacular in the title role). I do enjoy Wagner, and I wanted to give the opera another shot, so I signed up to see it again in San Francisco.
Poor choice in my part. I did not like the direction of the production at all. Director Matthew Ozawa tried too hard to add deeper meaning on top of a libretto that sags under the weight of its own symbolism. There was odd dancing that seemed out of place, costumes that raised more questions than they answered, and a choice to have the chorus sing from backstage that required them to be on microphone unnecessarily.
Also, I hate to be negative about a particular singer, but I believe tenor Brandon Jovanovich was either miscast or given poor direction for his acting; Act I was particularly bothersome. To be fair to him, he was fantastic as Captain Ahab in Moby-Dick at the Met when I saw him earlier this year.
Lesson learned: if an opera is 5 hours long and you didn’t like it the first time, don’t see it again.
Opera: Parsifal
Composer: Richard Wagner
Venue: San Francisco Opera
Date: October 25, 2025
Link: https://www.sfopera.com/operas/parsifal/
Opera Nerd 
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