Early start for San Diego Opera

The beleaguered San Diego Opera officially starts its season way early this year with a September 5 recital concert by opera power-couple Ailyn Perez and Stephen Costello at the Balboa Theatre.

Both Costello and Perez have cut their teeth at San Diego Opera in roles such as Juliet and Romeo and Margueritte and Faust. Actually, cutting their teeth is the wrong thing to say. Teeth cutting is a miserable experience for both baby and parents, and even though Perez and Costello are still extremely young for the world stage, they have great-big, glorious, grown-up voices.

These two came with a full head of teeth? Ugh, whoever came up with teeth cutting wasn’t quite on the money.

All metaphors aside, Perez and Costello are two of the best singers in the world. We might want to get swept up in speculations about where their careers will take them and what they will sound like in three to five years but that’s all useless diversion.

The truth of the matter is that right now they are great singers. Not good, not promising. Great.

This concert comes shortly after the release of their first recording together. The CD contains love duets by the usual suspects — Verdi, Puccini — but also love duets by Bernstein, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Frank Loesser and others.

The San Diego concert will accompanied by piano.