REVIEWS
Golijov's Ainadamar (2013):
"Final Ainadamar is thrilling. No previous Opera Parallèle — or really any other recent production by a small company I can think of — had the all-around excellence of the last performance of Ainadamar on Sunday afternoon at the Yerba Buena Center. ... Everything was impressively right, terrific really, especially if you're a fan of Osvaldo Goijov. The intensity and relentless tragedy of the memory of Lorca's execution at the 'fountain of tears' is hard to take, but the music brings catharsis. The silence following the final curtain, and the subsequent ovation were both telling and in the right. Adding to Georgia Rowe's review of the vocal-musical splendor, the production team headed by stage director Brian Staufenbiel well deserves acknowledgment, especially Matthew Antaky, scenic and lighting design (kudos on both accounts), and Christine Crook, costume design. From a small company such a big, spectacular and successful production is something to treasure."SAN FRANCISCO CLASSICAL VOICE
"Uncommonly vivacious, a sumptuous and vividly sung production, Sitting through Friday's opening performance was like watching a virtuoso display of crepe-paper origami. … Conductor Nicole Paiement and director Brian Staufenbiel took this flimsy concoction and - operating gently but with winning determination - breathed enough life into it to let the piece stand on its own feet. The result was not exactly gripping, but it was impressive in its way. ...All the more remarkable, then, that the mounting by Opera Parallèle, with the collaboration of the flamenco choreographer and dancer La Tania, made for a vivacious and intermittently affecting evening. Staufenbiel's resourceful staging, arrayed on Matthew Antaky's split-level set."
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
“The production is ambitious, confidently executed, classy. Visually stunning, with its dream-like video projections and steamy flamenco dancing. That's Opera Parallèle's new production of Osvaldo Golijov's "Ainadamar" ("Fountain of Tears"), which opened Friday for a short run at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts' Lam Research Theater."
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS
“A stunning new production . . . . a riveting 80-minute staging . . . . Staufenbiel’s staging was powerfully focused in every scene. The director introduced an atmosphere of mourning even before the opera began, as chorus members, dressed in bloodstained gowns as brides, widows, and children, wandered through the lobby looking like lost souls . . . . Staufenbiel and designer Matthew Antaky (sets and lighting) devised a two-level stage with discrete playing areas. Christine Crook’s costumes helped delineate the shifts in time; A superb corps of flamenco dancers led by choreographer and lead dancer La Tania were seamlessly integrated into the action.”
SAN FRANCISCO CLASSICAL VOICE
“Opera Parallèle’s production also featured five women flamenco dancers led by La Tania, who are seen during the opening chorus having their children torn from their arms by male soldiers, a reference to the tens of thousands of “lost children” who were stolen from Republican families by Nationalists for re-education. By casting a chorus of young girls alongside the women, and also adding a corps of female dancers who at times appeared as mother figures, Opera Parallèle’s production, directed by Brian Staufenbiel, highlighted the impact of the war on women as well as intergenerational female relationships. This choice was a significant and thought-provoking shift."
NEW MUSIC BOX
"Outstanding . . . Opera Parallèle’s Ainadamar is the most exciting opera to hit San Francisco in several years. This nuanced production operates on many levels, yet is easily embraced by folks who know little about opera or the Spanish Civil War. Like many of the offerings by Opera Parallèle, this striking work makes a resounding case for the vitality of contemporary opera.
That something extraordinary is afoot is evident even before the curtain opens as singular ghostly figures, white dresses matching white pancake, wend their way through the lobby, coursing slowly throughout the theatre, pausing to sit briefly before picking up a white bloodstained suitcase and moving on. Thus primed, the audience is open to appreciate the single deep horn leading the orchestra. Operatic, video, and dance elements are individually added, building slowly to a explosive crescendo in which electronic hoof beats organically morph into a flamenco heel dance. Leaving the audience breathless, a triparate story of Federico García Lorca, his muse, Margarita Xirgu, and Mariana Pineda unfolds."
StarkInSider
Harbison's The Great Gatsby (2012):
“The director Brian Staufenbiel made an impassioned case for the virtues of Harbison’s creation. Staufenbiel’s staging made resourceful use of space in San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center Theater. The God-like gaze from the billboard advertising the services of the oculist T. J. Eckleburg—a weighty symbol in Fitzgerald’s novel—was conveyed by eerie film clip, and another one helped shuttle the main characters in and out of Manhattan in their deadly motorcars.”OPERA (UK)
“This production, conducted with crisp directness by Nicole Paiement
and inventively staged by Brian Staufenbiel with an imaginative use of a
few film clips.”
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
“Staufenbiel and designers Matthew Antaky (sets), Christine Crook
(costumes) and Austin Forbord (video) fashioned a credible 1920s
setting, bringing jazz crooners, a live band and dancers (choreography
by Tom Segal) onstage for the party scenes. At the Buchanan home, things
were somewhat scaled down, though tasteful. The Wilsons' garage offered
a grimy contrast, and video projections of rippling water, veils of fog
and fast-moving road scenes enhanced the action. The eyes of the
novel's Dr. Eckleburg watched over the proceedings like some omniscient
god.”
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS
“Many aspects of the production reach a level close to perfection. “T.
J. Eckleburg, Oculist” billboard became a coup de theatre when its
glasses suddenly lowered down and surrounded Wilson and paramour Myrtle
on the stage.”
SAN FRANCISCO CLASSICAL VOICE
“Director Brian Staufenbiel found just the right dispassionate approach
to take in bringing these characters to life, and Conductor Nicole
Paiement elicited performances through which they were entirely
convincing even though they were singing, rather than speaking.
It is thus important that the results have turned out both impressive
and rewarding and may well have breathed new life into an opera whose
proper place may have finally been found in a chamber setting.”
SF EXAMINER.COM
“The casting was excellent & the acting so good that I sometimes
felt I was watching a play.
Front & rear video projections enhanced the production without
overdoing it. Rippling water appears out the windows of the Buchanans'
home, & reflections from a swimming pool dreamily wash over Gatsby's
home. The eyes of the iconic eyeglasses billboard are alive, & they
watch & then entrap George & Myrtle. A proscenium-filling video
illustrates the tense car journey to New York. The party scenes were
lively & included dancers & an on-stage band with singers. In
the opera's final moments, Daisy's green light descends into the
auditorium above the audiences' heads.”
NOT FOR FUN ONLY
“Director Brian Staufenbiel put forth a bold production, employing much videography and period dance.”
THE OPERA TATTLER
“Ensemble Parallele was again doing the work of arts angels last weekend
when they presented the world premiere of Jacques Desjardins ' chamber
orchestration of John Harbison 's opera The Great Gatsby at the Novellus
Theater in SF.
We're not sure why the world premiere at the Metropolitan Opera was
greeted with apparent indifference, but this talented ensemble of
artists and musicians have returned it to its rightful place in the
center of the American canon.”
BAY AREA REPORTER
“Not surprisingly, given Ensemble Parallele’s track record, it was a
success both musically and dramatically, much more so, in fact, than the
Met production, which I saw in its final 2002 appearance.
Staufenbiel provided a fast and fluid staging (about half an hour was
cut from the opera, with Harbison’s consent), which reflects the
layering in the music. Through the clever use of projections, scrims,
and a few moveable elements (including Gatsby’s lovely shirts that make
Daisy cry, which come down from above, laid out on a rack in rows in a
rainbow splendor of pattern and soft color), all the fundamentals of the
novel appear: Tom and Daisy’s place, Gatsby’s place, the water in
between them, the distant green light at the end of the Buchanan dock,
George Wilson’s garage in the Valley of Ashes, the dispassionate stare
of the eyes of Dr Eckleburg.”
REVERBERATE HILLS
“An almost audaciously ambitious production of The Great Gatsby. Director Brian Staufenbiel's work is impressive.”
A BEAST IN A JUNGLE
“Ensemble Parallèle specializing in contemporary works, has mounted a
lavish, polished production of John Harbison’s “The Great Gatsby.”
CULTUREVULTURE
Thomson's Four Saints In Three Acts (2011):
“Director and production designer Brian Staufenbiel created a witty, bright-colored theatrical panorama and interjected Stein's verbal nonsense with an arbitrary but welcome hint of narrative. Staufenbiel had the fine idea of taking a circus view of the whole thing. The Commère and Compère, the clerical authorities who serve as ringleaders for the proceedings, gave readings out of an enormous book, and the costumes and makeup were a nice blend of Christmas pantomime and Ringling Brothers.”SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
“Director Brian Staufenbiel put his own narrative atop Gertrude Stein's
charming libretto. Staufenbiel certainly does not lack ambition or
ideas, and in the end the structure probably helped keep some audience
members awake and engaged. The scene changes were seamless, all the
props were either on wires or wheels. The colors used for the costumes
gave the production cohesion, lots of white, with pops of red, yellow.”
THE OPERA TATTLER
“Ensemble Parallèle, a San Francisco-based producer of avant-garde
operas, captures much of the madness of the heavily abstract work –
which, despite what the title says, features some 20 saints and spans
four acts – with a playful, exquisitely sung and elegantly designed
production.”
THE BAY CITIZEN
“Staufenbiel has gone for much darker images, including sickness,
surgery, trial, and ultimately electrocution. It is as if he decided to
complement Thomson’s rejection of dissonance by imposing a “cognitive
dissonance” in the action on stage. What had been celebratory to a
point of ecstasy in the music has yielded to the most horrific stuff of
Freudian dreams. Once again Ensemble Parallèle has demonstrated its
capacity for original thinking dignified with the conscientious
execution it deserves.”
EXAMINER.COM
“Director, Brian Staufenbiel did a wonderful job staging the opera,
using the words and music as the key to the action, so that sometimes it
all made excellent (and even surprising and new) sense, and other times
it created a wonderful disjunction between sense and scene (as in the
trial, when the arbitrary-seeming phrases made a satirical point about
the workings of earthly justice versus the higher morality of St
Ignatius’s actions).”
PATRICK VAZ AT REVERBERATE HILLS
“Faced with the creators’ contemplation of the lives of Spanish saints,
director Brian Staufenbiel fashioned a tragicomic scenario in which
these gentle souls, clothed in primary hues, suffer the perils of the
Inquisition. The vision of Saint Ignatius in an electric chair may be
jarring but the mood remained airy and an improvisatory feeling – the
imagination can take you anywhere – prevailed.”
FINANCIAL TIMES
Philip Glass' Orphée (2011):
“ . . the opera is a word-for-word rendition of the film, but
re-imagined here by director Brian Staufenbielwith stunning video and
circus effects, especially in the second act. And the result is a thing
of exceeding beauty, more surreal than the original, if such a thing is
possible.”
CULTUREVULTURE
“Triumphant . . . Ravishing and delicate, haunting and playful,
somber and romantic, the production fused story, music and
stagecraft into an engrossing evening of music theater.”
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
“Spellbinding! Haunting, hypnotic and dreamlike. A
spellbinding performance true to the intent of Glass and enhanced by
superb acting and visual effects.”
BAY FRANCISCO BAY TIMES
“Much like love, Ensemble Parallèle's production of the Philip Glass
opera Orphée was a many-splendored thing.Director Brian Staufenbiel's
production design expanded upon the traditional elements of opera in an
astonishingly effective fashion.”
SF WEEKLY
“I was amazed at the high level of quality and imagination
permeating every aspect of this superb production. Director and
production designer Brian Staufenbiel did a hell of a job.”
A BEAST IN A JUNGLE
“Staufenbiel had to develop his own repertoire of techniques to
confound the senses. This involved a rich repertoire of media that
ranged from multi-screen video projection to a circus aerialist dancing
high above the rest of the performers, supported by only two long
swathes of cloth. One could not have hoped for a better approach
to Glass.”
SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER
Berg's Wozzeck (2010):
Operatic Heaven From Hell
“Brian Staufenbiel paid equal attention to Wozzeck’s musical and
theatrical elements.”A 90-minute multimedia wow of a production was
whole and complete unto itself.”
SAN FRANCISCO CLASSICAL VOICE 2010
“Staufenbiel drew brilliant acting out of the three male
principals, all familiar to Bay Area audiences: the resonant
bass-baritone Bojan Knezevic in the near catatonic title role; tenor
John Duykers as the Captain; and Bass Philip Skinner as the Doctor. When
was the last time you saw an opera where you raved about the acting?”
'WOZZECK'”THE PLIGHT OF THE PERENNIAL OUTSIDER 2010
“… splendid and gripping production”
THE IRON TONGUE OF MIDNIGHT 2010
Tenor Soloist (2010-12):
“Carmina Burana was given a special treatment by the
Choral Society. In keeping with its original intention as a “scenic
cantata,” the performance was semistaged, complete with costumes,
dancers, and theatrical lighting. Tenor Brian Staufenbiel, also the
production’s stage director, sang and played the part of the roasted
swan in “Cignus Ustus Cantat.” In suitably sneering falsetto he gave a
funny interpretation of the various stages of his fate as a cooked
waterfowl.”
SAN FRANCISCO CLASSICAL VOICE 2012
“Tenor Brian Staufenbiel came out in a black leotard &
flapped white wings attached to his arms while singing in a high,
supernatural voice. Between verses he switched to a black pair of wings
& for the final verse put on a black mask.”
NOT FOR FUN ONLY 2012
“Though tenor Brian Staufenbiel had the smallest singing role, he
rendered it unforgettable as the unfortunate roasted swan in “En
Taberna” “In the tavern.” Costumed in black, with a lifelike bird's
head, and large, white-feathered wings folded on his back, he swooped
and flapped while lamenting his sad fate in rich, vibrant tones. The
scene turned melodramatic as Brancoveanu, whose character's macho
boasting had been interrupted by the impetuous swan, raised an imaginary
shotgun and fired in perfect synch with the orchestra's percussion
section. The theatrical interlude provided a high-spirited humorous
touch.”
SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL 2010
“Tenor soloist, Brian Staufenbiel, sang well the aria Bewundert, a
Menschen Mr. Staufenbiel’s graceful phrasing underscored Bach’s
contrapuntal mastery.”
CLASSICAL SONOMA 2010
“Brian Staufenbiel sang the Evangelist’s recitatives . . . He was impressive as the Evangelist, telling the story vividly.”
SAN FRANCISCO CLASSICAL VOICE 2010
Allen Shearer's Dawn Makers (2009):
Brian Staufenbiel Director: “The evening's affair recalled the
updated stagings of Peter Sellars. Ironically, the updates of Shearer's
and Stevens' work came prepackaged. Staufenbiel pulled off a bevy of
sight gags for the horses cum Valley Girls, did not bother to figure out
what would make a pool boy look particularly Pasadena-ish, and even
managed to figure out some way to stage the immobile, eternally aging
Victor.”
SAN FRANCISCO CLASSICAL VOICE 2009
“Brian Staufenbiel’s production proved how much can be accomplished by ingenuity on a modest budget.”
OPERA 2009
PREVIOUS REVIEWS
“… the low voices of the group were answered by Tenor Brian
Staufenbiel, whose rich tone and admirable declamation added much to the
performance.”
SAN FRANCISCO CLASSICAL VOICE 2009
“This performance had four highly distinctive people up front . . . Tenor Brian Staufenbiel, strong and elegant . . .”
SAN FRANCISCO CLASSICAL VOICE 2009
“The third movement features a beautiful unaccompanied passage
for tenor on wordless syllables, and in Staufenbiel’s earnestness a
listener really could hear the call of the wild.”
SAN FRANCISCO CLASSICAL VOICE 2009
Brian Staufenbiel Director: “The evening's affair recalled the
updated stagings of Peter Sellars. Ironically, the updates of Shearer's
and Stevens' work came prepackaged. Staufenbiel pulled off a bevy of
sight gags for the horses cum Valley Girls, did not bother to figure out
what would make a pool boy look particularly Pasadena-ish, and even
managed to figure out some way to stage the immobile, eternally aging
Victor.”
SAN FRANCISCO CLASSICAL VOICE 2009
“Supported by the impressive tenor Brian Staufenbiel, this was a
satisfying performance musically. It was left . . . to a gloriously
bedecked Staufenbiel to screech out the Roasted Swan's anguish.”
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS 2008
(Tenor, Brian Staufenbiel) “Outstanding” (Handel’s Jephtha)
LA PRESSE (Montréal) 2007
“The performances were polished, notably the ones by the Requiem's solo quartet, . . . and tenor Brian Staufenbiel. . . ”
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS 2006
“Judging by the spirited production of Kurt Weill's opera Street
Scene, presented last week by the UCSC music department, Santa Cruz has
another locus of arts energy and inspiration in the university’s
growing opera program.”
METRO SANTA CRUZ 2004
“Staufenbiel’s Tony [West Side Story] immediately charms the
crowd. He has a powerful, captivating voice and a charismatic presence
onstage. Stand out performances include those of the actors who play
Maria and Tony (Puentes and Staufenbiel).”
SANTA CRUZ GOOD TIMES 2003
“. . .Tenor Brian Staufenbiel, sent chills up the spine.”
SAN MATEO COUNTY TIMES 2003 ( Mozart's "Requiem)
“Tenor Brian Staufenbiel was a show-stopper in his single solo as
the condemned swan in “Cignus ustus cantat.” He mimed his way from
freedom, flying above the lake, to his cruel fate as a roasted dinner.
Even though sung in the original Latin, Staufenbiel’s falsetto perfectly
conveyed the poor bird’s lament (“Misery me! Now black and roasting
fiercely”).”
SACRAMENTO GAZETTE 2003
“Tenor soloist Brian Staufenbiel used his clear and supple voice
to good effect, delivering cleanly articulated recitatives. His aria The
Enemy Said, ‘I Will Pursue’ was neatly and stylishly done.”
SAN FRANCISCO CLASSICAL VOICE 2002
“With a pleasing tenor and charming manner, Brian Staufenbiel played Valere, the eager fop who loves Marianne.”
LOS ALTOS TOWN CRIER 2001
“ . . . the narrative of the Evangelist, powerfully sung in this
performance by tenor Brian Staufenbiel. (He) succeeded admirably in
furthering the action with his dramatic sense of pacing and dynamics-- a
very model of recitative singing.”
SAN FRANCISCO CLASSICAL VOICE 2001
“Tenor Brian Staufenbiel sang with style and conviction, a fine Bach tenor.”
SAN FRANCISCO CLASSICAL VOICE 2000
“Tenor, Brian Staufenbiel got to show off his fabulous falsetto in
'Cignus ustus cantat' (the roasted swan) -- an unforgettable episode.
The episode was gruesome and glorious.”
SACRAMENTO BEE 1999
“Staufenbiel's true pitch and easy natural delivery concealed the
inherent difficulty of the music's embellishments and harmonic nuances.”
SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL 1999
“. . . Staufenbiel possesses the perfect light tenor for the
composer's constant coloratura, and takes full advantage of Lindoro's
‘Languir per una bella.’ ”
PALO ALTO WEEKLY 1998
“Staufenbiel displays luminously exquisite placement, beautiful phrasing, and effortless support.”
REDWOOD CITY TRIBUNE 1998
“The outstanding Evangelist, Brian Staufenbiel, was not only sweet-toned but a dramatic and involved narrator.”
CITY (Rochester, NY) 1997
“Tenor, Brian Staufenbiel was the most appreciated soloist for his vocal quality, his expression, and his style.” (Messiah)
LA PRESSE (Montréal) 1997
“Outstanding performance by Staufenbiel . . . ”
OPERA NEWS 1996