A Florentine Tragedy 1984
Based on Oscar Wilde’s text…
…set in Renaissance Italy, Zemlinsky’s tragedy contrasts youthful love and beauty with old age.
(presented as a double bill with Violanta)
Synopsis
(While Oscar Wilde was imprisoned in Reading Gaol, his manuscripts were stolen from his villa; among them was A Florentine Tragedy, not yet published. After his death, the manuscript was discovered but without the first scene of the drama. Zemlinsky composed his opera to the direct German translation by Max Meyerfeld, making only a few cuts.)
The merchant Simone, returning home from a trading journey, finds his wife, Bianca, in a compromising situation with Guido Bardi, the son of the Duke of Florence. Simone, who in rank, outward appearance and education is inferior to the young aristocrat, at first attempts to minimize an embarrassing situation through small talk, not daring to allow his jealousy to surface. But neither bargaining over his wares, which he forces on the young Prince, nor political discussions ease the smoldering tension. The Prince, through candid insinuations regarding his relationship to Bianca, provokes her husband to such an extent that an altercation becomes unavoidable. “Is the whole, mighty world limited to the confines of this room and does it have only three living souls as its inhabitants? So let this humble room now be a world-stage, where rules fall and our passive lives are the stakes for which God plays.” Simone, driven to the ultimate, challenges his rival to a duel and kills him. As if transfigured by the “great deed,” his wife sinks into his arms, and they confess their mutual love.
Artists
Edward Crafts
Baritone
Simone
Edward Crafts
Hometown: New York, NY
SFO Debut:
Simone, A Florentine Tragedy, 1984
Past Seasons:
Count Almaviva, The Marriage of Figaro, 1985
Count Almaviva, The Marriage of Figaro, 1987
Lisa Turetsky
Mezzo-soprano
Bianca
Lisa Turetsky
Hometown: Glendale, CA
SFO Debut:
Bianca, A Florentine Tragedy, 1984
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1983
Past Seasons:
Babette, The English Cat, 1985
Ceres, The Tempest, 1985
Lady 4/Madwoman 5, We Come to the River, 1984
John Stewart
Tenor
Guido Bardi
John Stewart
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
SFO Debut:
Cavalier, Cardillac, 1967
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1964, 1965
Past Seasons:
Sebastian, The Tempest, 1985
Baron Lummer, Intermezzo, 1984
Matteo, Violanta, 1984
Guido Bardi, A Florentine Tragedy, 1984
Apollo, L’Orione, 1983
Count Elemer, Arabella, 1983
Narraboth, Salome, 1978
Pinkerton, Madame Butterfly, 1972 (August 2 – 24)
Narraboth, Salome, 1972
Ferrando, Così fan tutte, 1969
Narraboth, Salome, 1969
De Laubardemont, The Devils of Loudun, 1969
Pinkerton, Madame Butterfly, 1968 (August 15 – 31)
Gaston, La traviata, 1968
A Landlord, Der Rosenkavalier, 1968
One of the Called, Die Jakobsleiter, 1968
Narraboth, Salome, 1967
Yarizhkin, The Nose, 1965
Servant, Lulu, 1964
John Crosby
Conductor
John Crosby
Hometown: New York, NY
SFO Debut:
Madame Butterfly, 1957
Past Seasons:
La traviata, 2002
The Egyptian Helen, 2001
Elektra, 2000
Countess Maritza, 1999
Ariadne auf Naxos, 1999
Madame Butterfly, 1998
Salome, 1998
La traviata, 1997
Arabella, 1997
Madame Butterfly, 1996
Daphne, 1996
Countess Maritza, 1995
Salome, 1995
Tosca, 1994 (July 1 – 15)
Intermezzo, 1994
La bohème, 1993 (July 2 – 16)
Capriccio, 1993
Die Fledermaus, 1992
Der Rosenkavalier, 1992
La traviata, 1991 (June 28 – July 6)
Die schweigsame Frau, 1991
La bohème, 1990
Ariadne auf Naxos, 1990
La traviata, 1989 (June 30 – July 12)
Der Rosenkavalier, 1989
Die Fledermaus, 1988
Feuersnot, 1988
Friedenstag, 1988
Madame Butterfly, 1987
Die schweigsame Frau, 1987
Die Fledermaus, 1986
The Egyptian Helen, 1986
Orpheus in the Underworld, 1985
Die Liebe der Danae, 1985
A Florentine Tragedy, 1984
Violanta, 1984
Intermezzo, 1984
Orpheus in the Underworld, 1983
Arabella, 1983
Die Fledermaus, 1982
Die Liebe der Danae, 1982
La bohème, 1981
Daphne, 1981
La traviata, 1980
Elektra, 1980
The Grand Duchesse of Gerolstein, 1979
Lucia di Lammermoor, 1979
Salome, 1979
Tosca, 1978
Salome, 1978
The Italian Straw Hat, 1977
Fedora, 1977
La traviata, 1976
Salome, 1976
Carmen, 1975
La bohème, 1974
The Grand Duchesse of Gerolstein, 1974
La bohème, 1973
The Merry Widow, 1973
The Grand Duchesse of Gerolstein, 1972
Madame Butterfly, 1972
Salome, 1972
Don Carlo, 1971
The Grand Duchesse of Gerolstein, 1971
La traviata, 1970
Anna Bolena, 1970
Tosca, 1969
Salome, 1969
Madame Butterfly, 1968
La traviata, 1968
Der Rosenkavalier, 1968
Carmen, 1967
La bohème, 1967
Tosca, 1966
Capriccio, 1966
Rigoletto, 1966
La traviata, 1965
Madame Butterfly, 1965
Arabella, 1965
Rigoletto, 1964
Daphne, 1964
La bohème, 1964 (August 22 & 28)
Die Fledermaus, 1963
Madame Butterfly, 1963
Der Rosenkavalier, 1963
Salome, 1962
Oedipus Rex, 1962 (and Director)
Perséphone, 1962
Tosca, 1962
Der Rosenkavalier, 1961
La bohème, 1961
The Gondoliers, 1960
Tosca, 1960
Die Fledermaus, 1959
Madame Butterfly, 1959
La bohème, 1958
Wuthering Heights, 1958
Capriccio, 1958
Bliss Hebert
Director
Bliss Hebert
Hometown: Faust, NY
SFO Debut:
The Rake’s Progress, 1957
Past Seasons:
L’incoronazione di Poppea, 1986
Orpheus in the Underworld, 1985
The Tempest, 1985
Violanta, 1984
A Florentine Tragedy, 1984
Orpheus in the Underworld, 1983
Mignon, 1982
The Rake’s Progress, 1981
Erwartung, 1980
Von Heute auf Morgen, 1980
Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1979
Salome, 1979
Salome, 1978
Pelléas and Mélisande, 1977
The Marriage of Figaro, 1976
Salome, 1976
Carmen, 1975
La vida breve, 1975
L’enfant et les sortilèges, 1975
Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1974
The Magic Flute, 1974
Le Rossignol, 1973
L’enfant et les sortilèges, 1973
The Marriage of Figaro, 1973
The Merry Widow, 1973
Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1972
Pelléas and Mélisande, 1972
Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1971
The Magic Flute, 1971
The Marriage of Figaro, 1971
Le Rossignol, 1970
The Marriage of Figaro, 1970
The Rake’s Progress, 1970
Le Rossignol, 1969
The Magic Flute, 1969
The Magic Flute, 1968
Boulevard Solitude, 1967
Don Giovanni, 1966
The Rake’s Progress, 1966
The Stag King, 1965
L’enfant et les sortilèges, 1964
Rigoletto, 1964
Le Rossignol, 1963
Le Rossignol, 1962
The Rake’s Progress, 1962
The Rake’s Progress, 1960
Tosca, 1960
Abduction from the Seraglio, 1959
Regina, 1959
Falstaff, 1958
Nancy Thun
Scenic Designer
Nancy Thun
Hometown: Hoboken, NJ
SFO Debut:
Orpheus in the Underworld, 1983
Past Seasons:
Orpheus in the Underworld, 1985
Violanta, 1984
A Florentine Tragedy, 1984
Steven B. Feldman
Costume Designer
Steven B. Feldman
Hometown: Bethesda, MD
SFO Debut:
News of the Day, 1981
Past Seasons:
Orpheus in the Underworld, 1985
Violanta, 1984
A Florentine Tragedy, 1984
Orpheus in the Underworld, 1983
Mignon, 1982
Craig Miller
Lighting Designer
Craig Miller
Hometown: Hugoton, KS
SFO Debut:
The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1979
Past Seasons:
Don Giovanni, 1996
La fanciulla del West, 1995
La bohème, 1993
The Magic Flute, 1993
Capriccio, 1993
The Protagonist, 1993
The Tsar Has His Photograph Taken, 1993
Die Fledermaus, 1992
Don Giovanni, 1992
The Beggar’s Opera, 1992
Der Rosenkavalier, 1992
The Sorrows of Young Werther, 1992
La traviata, 1991
The Marriage of Figaro, 1991
La fanciulla de West, 1991
Oedipus, 1991
La bohème, 1990
Così fan tutte, 1990
Orfeo ed Euridice, 1990
Ariadne auf Naxos, 1990
Judith, 1990
La traviata, 1989
La Calisto, 1989
Der Rosenkavalier, 1989
A Night at the Chinese Opera, 1989
Die Fledermaus, 1988
Così fan tutte, 1988
Feuersnot, 1988
Friedenstag, 1988
The Black Mask, 1988
Madame Butterfly, 1987
The Marriage of Figaro, 1988
Ariodante, 1988
Die schweigsame Frau, 1987
The Nose, 1987
Die Fledermaus, 1986
The Magic Flute, 1986
The Egyptian Helen, 1986
The King Goes Forth to France,1986
The Marriage of Figaro, 1985
The English Cat, 1985
The Tempest, 1985
A Florentine Tragedy, 1984
Violanta, 1984
The Magic Flute, 1984
Intermezzo, 1984
We Come to the River, 1984
Orpheus in the Underworld, 1983
Don Pasquale, 1983
Arabella, 1983
L’Orione, 1983
The Turn of the Screw, 1983
Die Fledermaus, 1982
The Marriage of Figaro, 1982
Die Liebe der Danae, 1982
The Confidence Man, 1982
La bohème, 1981
Daphne, 1981
The Rake’s Progress, 1981
News of the Day, 1981
La traviata, 1980
The Magic Flute, 1980
Erwartung, 1980
Von Heute auf Morgan, 1980
Elektra, 1980
Lucia di Lammermoor, 1979
The Magic Flute, 1979
Lulu, 1979
Salome, 1979
A Florentine Tragedy 1984
- Tours
- Transportation
- Dining
- Talk