Month: April 2020

The State of Opera Production in a Worldwide Pandemic: A Conversation with Director Paul Curran

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Note from William: The following conversation took place between myself and Director Paul Curran, following up on our previous interview [Telling the Story: An Interview with Director Paul Curran]. [Below: Director Paul Curran; edited image, based on a Dietmar Schulz photograph, courtesy of paulcurrandirector.com.] Wm: It’s been three years since my interview with you at … Read more

Historical Performances: “Il Trovatore” with dal Ponte, Todd, Allen and Boatwright – San Francisco Spring Opera Theater, June 20, 1966

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Note from William: This post continues my series of observances of historic performances that I attended at San Francisco Opera during the general directorship of Kurt Herbert Adler. This is the fifth of five such observances of performances from the company’s 1966 Spring Opera Theater season. Less than two years after my first live performance … Read more

Historical Performances: Douglas Moore’s “Carry Nation” with Wolff, Faull, Smith and Fredricks – San Francisco Spring Opera, June 13, 1966

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Note from William: This post continues my series of observances of performances that I attended at San Francisco Opera during the general directorship of Kurt Herbert Adler. This is the fourth of five such observances of performances from the company’s 1966 Spring Opera Theater season. Douglas Moore’s biographical opera “Carry Nation” provided a pyschological portrait … Read more

Historical Performances: Vanni, Armstrong, Beattie in “Italian Girl in Algiers” – San Francisco Spring Opera Theater, June 6, 1966

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Note from William: This post continues my series of observances of performances that I attended at San Francisco Opera during the general directorship of Kurt Herbert Adler. This is the third of five such observances of performances from the company’s 1966 Spring Opera Theater season. Mezzo-soprano Helen Vanni had opened the 1966 San Francisco Spring … Read more