The summer of 1977 was a busy one, and hardly homogeneous. It ranged from the American premiere of Busoni’s Doktor Faust to an exciting production of a 17th-century rarity (Cavalli’s L’egisto), and it also included concert performance of The Merry Widow and a four-performance run of Hansel and Gretel that played to full houses of
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WTOC 1977: L’egisto
Imagine my surprise when I realized that the 1977 Cavalli L’egisto was performed at the Filene Center amphitheatre. I had assumed, in working through these early years, that the “bigger” works would be on the big stage, and the chamber operas would be at Madeira School. I was wrong. L’egisto had two performances at Wolf
Read MoreWTOC 1977: The Merry Widow
Guest artists Anna Moffo and John Reardon starred in the single-performance concert version of Merry Widow at the Filene Center. They were joined by young artists Faith Esham (stepping in at the last minute for a sick colleague) and David Kuebler. (The rest of the Company was probably getting ready for their mid-August performances of
Read MoreWTOC 1977: Doktor Faust
The DC premiere of Busoni’s Doktor Faust was an ambitious undertaking for the 6-year-old Wolf Trap Opera Company. It was produced and directed by Frank Corsaro, conducted by Cal Stewart Kellogg, with sets and costumes by Zack Brown. My late colleague Randolph Mauldin was chorusmaster, and the inimitable Stephen Lord was a member of the
Read MoreWTOC 1977: The Medium & The Telephone
Gian Carlo Menotti was a palpable presence in the Washington DC opera scene in the 1970’s and 80’s. The Wolf Trap Company had previously produced his Saint of Bleecker Street (1973), and his Medium/Telephone double bill made its way to the Madeira School venue in 1977. The Washington Opera produced the double bill twice in
Read MoreWTOC 1977: Hansel and Gretel
1977 was the year that the Wolf Trap Company reflected its more targeted focus in its name, and playbills and other written references began to refer to the Wolf Trap Opera Company. Young artists sang most featured roles in the July 1977 four-performance run of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. Roles were double cast, with each
Read MoreWolf Trap Company 1976: Overview
The Wolf Trap Company continued to refine and reinvent itself in the summer of 1976. There was no production at the Madeira School, but young artists were increasingly featured in the productions at the Filene Center, singing all supporting roles in La traviata and all featured roles except Oberon and Puck in A Midsummer Night’s
Read MoreWTC 1976: La traviata
Beverly Sills returned for her third consecutive season as a guest artist, this time as Violetta in Verdi’s La traviata. Joining her were Henry Price as Alfredo and Richard Fredericks as Germont. Supporting roles were sung by members of the young artist roster. Julius Rudel conducted and Tito Capobianco directed, in a production from the
Read MoreWTC 1976: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A daring new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream kicked off the 1976 WTC season at the Filene Center. Directed by David Alden and conducted by John Moriarity, it featured all 16 members of the Company roster. (Guest artists were engaged for Oberon and Puck.) Young artists making their Wolf Trap debuts included John Cheek
Read MoreWolf Trap Company 1975: Overview
Summer 1975 comprised three productions at the Filene Center (Roberto Devereux, Kismet and The Crucible), and one at the satellite venue at Madeira School (Albert Herring). The Company’s young artists also had the privilege of performing excerpts from Copland’s The Tender Land with the National Symphony under Antal Dorati. Throughout the mid-70’s, the Company young
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