SF Opera music director Nicola Luisotti would not let last night's opening celebrations be the usual fashion défilé: sure, there were fancy Vuitton by Marc Jacobs dresses and plenty of bling-bling on display. But he forcefully reminded everyone that we were here to listen to a magnificent Turandot, not hobnob with the socialites. He mischievously started the second act while stragglers were still chatting up in the aisles. What fun to see them scramble to their seat. Maestro Luisotti ruled. The audience and the score.

The production is the David Hockney staging of Turandot, seen already here in 93, 98 and 02: it keeps coming back because it works. It has aged better than his Tristan, and if it's not broken, don't fix it: the brightly colored set, the chorus movement, the costumes, it all flows nicely, a few visual treats support the drama (the apparition of Turandot in Act I for one) and it does not get in the way of the music.