William Burnett

I have been attending opera performances since my early teenage years. In 2005, I created operawarhorses.com, and have traveled throughout North America, and to Europe and Asia to report on opera performances and to interview opera performers, conductors and administrators.

Bel Canto in Troubled Times: A Conversation with lyric tenor Michele Angelini, Part One

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My conversation with Michele Angelini began at the Glimmerglass Festival where he was performing the lead tenor role in Rossini’s “La Gazza Ladra” and resumed during the global Covid-19 pandemic that has so disrupted the performance of opera.  [Below: tenor Michele Angelini; edited image of a Rebecca Fay photograph.]  Wm: Michele, the Glimmerglass performance of … Read more

Historical Performances: Dorothy Kirsten Leads “Butterfly” Cast for San Francisco Opera’s New Production, November 13, 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 eleventh of fourteen such observances of performances from the company’s 1966 Fall season.  A few hours after attending a Saturday night performance of Berlioz’ “Les … Read more

Historical Performances: Crespin, Vickers in first American production of Berlioz’ “Les Troyens” – San Francisco Opera, November 12, 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 woof Kurt Herbert Adler. This is the tenth of fourteen such observances of performances from the company’s 1966 Fall season. One week after my second “Rigoletto” performance of San Francisco Opera’s 1966 … Read more

Historical Performances: A Pleasing “Rigoletto” From Chester Ludgin, Lee Venora, Ottavio Garaventa and Janis Martin, San Francisco Opera, November 5, 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 ninth of fourteen such observances of performances from the company’s 1966 Fall season. In the mid-20th century, the San Francisco Opera, following the practice of … Read more

Historical Performances: “Nozze di Figaro” with Geraint Evans, Reri Grist, Claire Watson and Thomas Stewart – San Francisco Opera – October 29, 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 eighth of fourteen such observances of performances from the company’s 1966 Fall season. Six days after a memorable Sunday matinee performance of Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov”, … Read more