Founded in 1923, San Francisco Opera is the second largest opera company in North America. It presents 10 opera productions each season and under general director Lotfi Mansouri has given special emphasis to new commissions and rarely performed works. Here's a list of this season's productions, along with our recommendations of available recordings. For more information on the San Francisco Opera and how to order tickets, call (415) 861-4008 or visit their website at www.sfopera.org.

November 19, 23; December 1, 5, 11, 1999

Donald Runnicles, conductor;
Barbara Bonney, Gösta Winbergh, et al.
W. A. Mozart, Idomeneo

November 24, 27, 30; December 3, 6, 10, 12, 1999

Nello Santi, conductor;
Andrea Gruber, Paolo Gavanelli, et al.
Giuseppe Verdi, Nabucco (New Production)

December 4, 7, 9, 11; January 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16,2000

Emmaneul Joel, conductor;
Maria Bayo, Luis Lima, et al.
Giacomo Puccini, La Bohčme

June 3, 7, 11, 13, 17, 22, 28; July 1, 2000

Daniel Beckwith, conductor;
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Monica Colonna, et al.
W. A. Mozart, Don Giovanni (New Production)

June 10, 16, 20, 23, 25, 29, 2000

Markus Stenz, conductor;
Raymond Very, Bryn Terfel, Rebecca Evans, et al.
Igor Stravinsky, The Rake's Progress

June 18, 21, 24, 27, 30; July 2, 2000