APRIL/MAY 1962 NEW OPERAS and PREMIERES with the Assistance of the New York State Council, the Tri-Cities Opera Company Commissioned Myron Fink to Write an Opera
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BULLETIN CENTRAL OPERA SERVICE sponsored by THE NATIONAL COUNCIL of the METROPOLITAN OPERA ASS'N 147 West Thirty-ninth Street, New York 18, N.Y.PE6-120O APRIL/MAY 1962 NEW OPERAS AND PREMIERES With the assistance of the New York State Council, the Tri-Cities Opera Company commissioned Myron Fink to write an opera. It is called "J e r e- m i a h" and will receive its premiere on May 25 in the Harpur College Audit- orium in Binghampton, N,Y. performed by the Tr-Cities Opera. (The existence and operation of the New York State Council on the Arts has been assured un- til March 1, 1967, by a recent vote of the Assembly in Albany, N.Y.) "The Good Soldier Schweik" has inspired Italian composer Guido Turchi, and his opera was premiered on March 22 at Milano's La Scala. Richard Kurka's opera with the same title had its first performance during the 1957-58 season at the New York City Opera Company. ****** The Washington Irving fable "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" was made into an opera, with John White as the composer and Martin Nurmi as librettist. It had its world premiere in February at Kent State University in Ohio. ****** The Biblical tragedy by Racine is the basic story after which Hugo Weisgall fashioned his short opera "A t h a 1 i e". Its premiere took place on April 9 at Town Hall, performed by the group that commissioned the work, namely, The Little Orchestra Society. ****** A "First" on these shores seems to be the production of "L o S p o s o D e 1 u s o", a one act opera by Mozart, which he never completed. It is edited by John Coombs and we thank the Inwood Chamber Players for taking the trouble of unearthing the material from Chappell in London for their produc- tion on May 6. It will play under the English title of "The Deluded Bridegroom". ****** Another New York premiere of a one act opera by a famous Austrian master took place at the McMillan Theatre at Columbia University on April 28. "Die Zwillingsbrueder" (Twin-Brothers) was written by Franz Schubert when he was twenty-one years old and was presented in a translation by Chester Kallman. *****•>.- • From our Canadian neighbors we hear of two productions, new for their country, Paisiello's "World of the Moon" (Engl. by Andrew McMillan) per- formed with "Dinner E n g a g e m e n t" by British composer Lennox Berkley in April at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. ****** A new opera by Hans Chemin-Petit by the name of"Koenig Nicol had its first performance recently at the Aachen opera, Germany. TRANSLATIONS Oxford University Press informs us of a new translation of Tchaikovsky's "Queen of Spades" by ARTHUR JACOBS. The English libretto is available from them at the price of $1.50. (417 Fifth Ave., New York 16, N.Y.) ****** All English translations by GEORGE and PHYLLIS MEAD are now available through G. Ricordi, 16 West 61 Street, New York 23, N.Y. ****** DANIEL STERNBERG is responsible for a new English translation of "Rigoletto", performed in April at Baylor University, Waco, Texas. ****** The Santa Fe Opera Company will present six of their ten operas in English. The operas sung in their original language are Salome (German), Persephone (French), Oedipus Rex (Latin), and Le Rossignol (Russian). For complete listing see February Bulletin. ****** Are you in need of a Lithuanian translation of "Aida"? If so, do get in touch with the Lithuanian Opera of Chicago. They just had three performances of it, with the Lyric Opera orchestra assisting. PUBLICATIONS The Music Committee of the People-to-People Program, at 734 Jackson Place, Washington, D.C. has recently published their 1962 INTERNATIONAL MUSIC CALENDER. The 282 page booklet comprises the International scene from Afghanis- tan to Zanzibar and lists of course all major musical events and festivals in detail. The same organization also publishes THE CALENDER OF MUSIC ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITED STATES (publication date October of each year). The 1961-62 issue is now available for $2. THE SUMMER MUSIC CALENDER OF THE UNITED STATES, which appears in June, can be ordered for $1.50. ****** -3- The 1962-63 issue of Marquis' WHO'S WHO IN AMERICA has just been published and contains many prominent names of the American musical scene. Available at Marquis Publication, 210 East Ohio Street, Chicago, 111. ****** Quaintance Eaton's "OPERA PRODUCTIONS, A HANDBOOK" is going into its second printing. We have been able to offer it to COS members at a reduced price and are repeating the offer on the last page of this Bulletin. Just return the order with your check enclosed and the book will be mailed to you promptly. ****** Pans of Gilbert and Sullivan will be pleased to hear that a FIRST-LINE INDEX to all vocal works by SIR ARTHUR SULLIVAN has been compiled and is available from Information Service Inc., 10 West Warren, Detroit 1, Michigan, for $2.75- EDUCATION NATIONAL EDUCATION TELEVISION will present in November a series of seven pro- grams entitled "Lotte Lehmann Master Class" over Channel 13, its New York station. These film strips were made in California in July I96I, just before Mme. Lehmann's retirement from teaching. However, she will step out from re- tirement next fall to stage "Rosenkavalier" at the Metropolitan Opera. This summer Mme. Lehmann will be presented with one of Austria's highest awards, the Cross of Honor, First Class, for Art and Science. The JUILLIARD SCHOOL OF MUSIC has sent us a very impressive list of their alumni who are now professionally active. It is too long a list for public- ation at this time but we give here a few of the names, picked at random: Stefan Bauer-Mengelberg, Lee Cass, Gloria Davy, Rosemary Kuhlman, Gladys Kuchta, Mary McKenzie, Leontyn Price, Margaret Roggero, Regina Sarfaty, Jeanette Scovotti, Paul Vermel, Shirley Verrett-Carter and many others. Juilliard's former President, William Schuman, who has become President of Lincoln Center, still serves the school as President Emeritus. Dean Mark Schubart, who is also vice-president of Juilliard, serves as chief executive officer until a new president takes office. ****** The UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA in Santa Barbara notifies us that Jean Cook, a former student, is now singing leading roles at the Zuerich Staatsopera. ****** ANNETTE ROYAK SCHOOL OF VOCAL ARTS presented Daniel Rayelli in a recital of songs and arias on April 26 at the Penthouse of the Buckingham Hotel, New York. ****** The DONNELL LIBRARY CENTER, 20 West 53 Street, New York, a branch of the N.Y. Public Library, was host to a Colloquium presented by the Mozart Festival -4- Orchestra. The subject matter was "Vocal Style in the Music of Mozart". The discussion was opened with a reading of a paper prepared and contributed by- Salzburg's Dr. Bernhard Paumgartner. Partaking in the panel discussion were Mrs. Ruth Martin, translator of many Mozart operas, Prof. Clarence H. Barber of Trinity College, Hartford, Conn., and Prof. Jan La Rue of New York Univer- sity. For further information contact The Mozart Festival Orchestra, 25 West 13 Street, New York 11, N.Y. AUDITIONS VOCAL (Western) The 1962 SAN FRANCISCO OPERA DEBUT AUDITIONS, open to residents of the Western United States and Canada, are now accepting applications from singers aged twenty-one and over. Finals will be held on the stage of the War Memorial Opera House in July. Regional eliminations will first take place in Denver, Los Angeles, Portland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver. Winners, considered for contracts with the S.F.O.C, will be presented in concert with the San Francisco Symphony. INSTRUMENTAL (Eastern) The HEIGHTS OPERA ASS'N announces the formation of a volunteer orchestra to play in Central and in Cadman Plaza Parks during July and August. The operas to be performed are Fledermaus, Magic Flute, Boheme, Rigoletto, Aida, Carmen, and Traviata. Interested musicians of all ages and for all instruments are invited to the auditions in May. For information contact Mr. George O'Farrell, Heights Opera Ass'n, 69 Cranberry St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y. or telephone UL5-6354. FUND RAISING CAN BE FUN The TULSA OPERA COMPANY feels that way. On Saturday, May 5 they staged a Bal Masque with Champagne Supper, Masks and Black Tie, at a price of $25 a couple. We hope that everyone had a grand time and that Tulsa Opera wound up with a nice profit against deficits. The OPERA REPERTORY GROU? of Jacksonville, Florida is presenting opera on Educational TV and their productions are underwritten by various business firms, together with a grant from the City of Jacksonville. **•*•*•*•* The SYMPHONY OF MUSICAL ARTS, formerly the Xavier Symphony Society of New York, is planning a busy 1962-63 season of twenty-six operatic and symphonic perform- ances. The group plans to work only with professional artists and at the same time to maintain its "No Admission Charge" policies. In order to realize this, S.M.A. is starting a fund-raising campaign, accepting donations from $5 to $5*000. With each different amount goes a respective title to the donor, and one may become "Friend" or "Founder accordingly. For further information Symphony of Musical Arts, 2109 Broadway, New York 23, N.Y. OPERA HOUSES, NEW AND OLD BOSTON is planning a new Civic Auditorium with facilities for grand opera and ballet, to be completed in the Fall of 1964. It will be located at the Prudential Center. ****** Plans for a performing arts center in SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York, were announced.