Historical Performances

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 first of five such observances of performances from the company’s 1960 Fall season. My musical tastes as a teenager in San Diego encompassed most … Read more

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 third of five such observances of performances from the company’s 1960 Fall season. 2010 is a year of two centennial celebrations, the 100th anniversary … Read more

This is the tenth of ten observances of historic performances of the San Francisco Opera that I attended during the company’s annual tours of Southern California In 1950, the American debut of 35 year old operatic tenor Mario del Monaco  took place at the San Francisco Opera. His American debut role was Radames in Verdi’s … Read more

This is the ninth of ten observances of historic performances of the San Francisco Opera that I attended during the company’s annual tours of Southern California An important milestone in soprano Leyla Gencer’s distinguished career occurred at age 28, when in 1956 she debuted at the San Francisco Opera, substituting for Renata Tebaldi in the … Read more

This is the eighth of ten observances of historic performances of the San Francisco Opera that I attended during the company’s annual tours of Southern California When purchasing a ticket for an opera, the opera company’s often includes the statement that “casts and operas are subject to change”. Over time, opera goers inevitably will experience … Read more