Le Rossignol 1970
Based on a tale by Hans Christian Andersen…
…a nasty Chinese Emperor is reduced to tears and made kind by a small grey bird.
(presented as a double-bill with Help! Help! The Globolinks)
Synopsis
Scene I
By the seaside, a fisherman sits waiting to hear the Nightingale who delights him every night with her song. The Emperor’s cook arrives, with courtiers of the Emperor of China, in search of the Nightingale. When she appears, they offer her a formal invitation to sing for the Emperor at court. Although she will miss her forest, the Nightingale obeys the Emperor’s request, going off to the palace in a procession headed by the cook.
Scene II
The palace of the Emperor is ablaze with lanterns decorated with little flowers. The cook, now Chief-High-Cook, describes to the court the little bird whose singing makes everyone weep. The Emperor arrives, announced by the Chamberlain, and the Nightingale begins to sing. So charmed is the monarch that he offers the bird the Order of the Golden Slipper, but the Nightingale sings only to give pleasure, and refuses the honor. Just then, three envoys from Japan offer the Emperor a mechanical nightingale and as the mechanical song begins, the real nightingale flies away. Insulted that she has flown away, the Emperor banishes her forever.
Scene III
Sometime later, the Emperor is gravely ill. Death sits at the foot of the bed holding the imperial crown and sceptre, and ghosts of the Emperor’s good and bad deeds surround him. The Emperor calls for music and the banished Nightingale answers the call. Even Death is conquered by the loveliness of the song, and when the courtiers arrive, instead of finding the Emperor dead, they find him risen from his bed. As the lyric tale ends, the fisherman bids that all acknowledge, in the song of the Nightingale, the voice of heaven.
Artists
Judith Blegen
Soprano
The Nightingale
Judith Blegen
Hometown: Missoula, MT
SFO Debut:
Emily, Help! Help! The Globolinks, 1969
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1961
Past Seasons:
Susanna, The Marriage of Figaro, 1970
The Nightingale, Le Rossignol, 1970
Emily, Help! Help! The Globolinks, 1970
Barbarina, The Marriage of Figaro, 1961
Milliner, Der Rosenkavalier, 1961
Sidney Johnson
Tenor
The Fisherman (July 4 - 10)
Sidney Johnson
Hometown: New York, NY
SFO Debut:
Fisherman, Le Rossignol, 1970 (July 4 – 10)
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1968, 1969
Past Seasons:
Count di Lerma, Don Carlo, 1971
First Priest, The Magic Flute, 1971 (July 10 – August 4 & 26)
Tamino, The Magic Flute, 1971 (August 13)
Steersman, The Flying Dutchman, 1971
Hervey, Anna Bolena, 1970
First Armored Man, The Magic Flute, 1969
1st Japanese Envoy, Le Rossignol, 1969
Loren Driscoll
Tenor
The Fisherman (July 17 - 29)
Loren Driscoll
Hometown: Midwest, WY
SFO Debut:
Ferrando, Così fan tutte, 1957
Past Seasons:
Tom Rakewell, The Rake’s Progress, 1970
Fisherman, Le Rossignol, 1970 (July 17 – 29)
Dionysus, The Bassarids, 1968
Armand des Grieux, Boulevard Solitude, 1967
Tom Rakewell, The Rake’s Progress, 1962
Eumolpus, Perséphone, 1962
Shepherd, Oedipus Rex, 1962
Eumolpus, Perséphone, 1961
The Handsome Mr. Hermann, News of the Day, 1961
Tom Rakewell, The Rake’s Progress, 1960
Don Ramiro, Cinderella, 1960
Edgar Linton, Wuthering Heights, 1958
Rodolfo, La bohème, 1958
Ferrando, Così fan tutte, 1958
Flamand, Capriccio, 1958
Brighella, Ariadne auf Naxos, 1957
Count Almaviva, The Barber of Seville, 1957
Tom Rakewell, The Rake’s Progress, 1957
Gimi Beni
Bass-baritone
Emperor of China
Gimi Beni
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
SFO Debut:
Grand Inquisitor, The Gondoliers, 1960
Past Seasons:
Billy Jackrabbit, La fanciulla del West, 1991
Morbio, Die schweigsame Frau, 1991
Notary, Der Rosenkavalier, 1989
Le Baron, Chérubin, 1989
Frank, Die Fledermaus, 1988
Prince Yamadori, Madame Butterfly, 1987
Morbio, Die schweigsame Frau, 1987
Ivan Yakovlevich, The Nose, 1987
Frank, Die Fledermaus, 1986
Un Licteur, Orpheus in the Underworld, 1985
Stephano, The Tempest, 1985
Bartolo, The Marriage of Figaro, 1970
Trulove, The Rake’s Progress, 1970
Emperor of China, Le Rossignol, 1970
Dr. Turtlespit, Help! Help! The Globolinks, 1970
Prince Yamadori, Madame Butterfly, 1968
Speaker, The Magic Flute, 1968
Dr. Dulcamara, The Elixir of Love, 1968
Benoit/Alcindoro, La bohème, 1967
Bartolo, The Marriage of Figaro, 1967
Bartolo, The Barber of Seville, 1967
Fifth Jew, Salome, 1967
Count of Monterone, Rigoletto, 1966
Sacristan, Tosca, 1966
Trulove, The Rake’s Progress, 1966
Don Magnifico, Cinderella, 1966
Bartolo, The Marriage of Figaro, 1965
Ivan Yakovlevich, The Nose, 1965
Bartolo, The Marriage of Figaro, 1964
Benoit, La bohème, 1964
Simone, Gianni Schicci, 1964
Dr. Goll, Lulu, 1964
Sacristan, Tosca, 1960
Trulove, The Rake’s Progress, 1960
Creon, Oedipus Rex, 1960
Simone, Gianni Schicci, 1960
Jean Kraft
Mezzo-soprano
Death
Jean Kraft
Hometown: Menasha, WI
SFO Debut:
Adelaide von Waldner, Arabella, 1965
Past Seasons:
Marcellina, The Marriage of Figaro, 1987
Housekeeper, Die schweigsame Frau, 1987
Third Lady, The Magic Flute, 1986
Marcellina, The Marriage of Figaro, 1985
Juno, The Tempest, 1985
Third Lady, The Magic Flute, 1984
Notary’s Wife, Intermezzo, 1984
May/Madwoman 4, We Come to the River, 1984
Berta, The Barber of Seville, 1981
Miss Pick, News of the Day, 1981
Madame Larina, Eugene Onegin, 1980
Herodias, Salome, 1979
Mistress Meg Page, Falstaff, 1977
Geneviève, Pelléas et Mélisande, 1977
Marcellina, The Marriage of Figaro, 1976 (July 10 – 23; August 21 -24)
Mistress Meg Page, Falstaff, 1975
Third Lady, The Magic Flute, 1974
Countess Geschwitz, Lulu, 1974
Marcellina, The Marriage of Figaro, 1973
Kate Julian, Owen Wingrave, 1973
Suzuki, Madame Butterfly, 1972
Herodias, Salome, 1972
Miss Newkirk, Help! Help! The Globolinks, 1970
Flora, La traviata, 1970
Death, Le Rossignol, 1970
Marcellina, The Marriage of Figaro, 1970
Mother Goose, The Rake’s Progress, 1970
Miss Newkirk, Help! Help! The Globolinks, 1969
Death, Le Rossignol, 1969
Third Lady, The Magic Flute, 1969
Herodias, Salome, 1969
Ninon, The Devils of Loudun, 1969
Annina, Der Rosenkavalier, 1968
Gianetta, The Elixir of Love, 1968
Flora, La traviata, 1968
Third Lady, The Magic Flute, 1968
Maddalena, Rigoletto, 1966
Thisbe, Cinderella, 1966
Prioress, Dialogues of the Carmelites, 1966
Mother Goose, The Rake’s Progress, 1966
Margret, Wozzeck, 1966
Marcellina, The Marriage of Figaro, 1965
Betty Lane
Soprano
The Cook
Betty Lane
Hometown: New York
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1970, 1971
Past Seasons:
Second Lady, The Magic Flute, 1971
Cook, Le Rossignol, 1970
John White
Bass-baritone
The Chamberlain
John White
Hometown: Texas
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1970
Past Seasons:
Chamberlain, Le Rossignol, 1970
Vocal Ensemble, Opera, 1970
Howard Chadwick
Bass-baritone
The Bonze
Howard Chadwick
Hometown: Massachusetts
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1969, 1970
Past Seasons:
The Bonze, Le Rossignol, 1970
Keeper of the Madhouse, The Rake’s Progress, 1970
Tom Acord
Tenor
1st Japanese Envoy
Tom Acord
Hometown: Texas
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1970
Past Seasons:
1st Japanese Envoy, Le Rossignol, 1970
Bruce Cheney
Baritone
2nd Japanese Envoy
Bruce Cheney
Hometown: New York
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1970
Past Seasons:
2nd Japanese Envoy, Le Rossignol, 1970
Richard Roytek
Tenor
3rd Japanese Envoy
Richard Roytek
Hometown: Massachusetts
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1969, 1970
Past Seasons:
3rd Japanese Envoy, Le Rossignol, 1970
Don Curzio, The Marriage of Figaro, 1970
3rd Japanese Envoy, Le Rossignol, 1969
Third Jew, Salome, 1969
Eve Gentry
Dancer
The Mechanical Nightingale
Eve Gentry
Hometown: San Bernardino, CA
SFO Debut:
Mechanical Nightingale/Choreography, Le Rossignol, 1969
Past Seasons:
Mechanical Nightingale, Le Rossignol, 1970
Robert Baustian
Conductor
Robert Baustian
Hometown: Storm Lake, IA
SFO Debut:
The Barber of Seville, 1957
Past Seasons:
Die Jakobsleiter, 1980
Pelléas et Mélisande, 1977
The Marriage of Figaro, 1976
The Cunning Little Vixen, 1975
Così fan tutte, 1975 (July 30)
La vida breve, 1975
L’Enfant et les sortilèges, 1975
The Magic Flute, 1974
Le Rossignol, 1973
L’Enfant et les sortilèges, 1973
The Marriage of Figaro, 1973
Pelléas et Mélisande, 1972
The Marriage of Figaro, 1971
The Magic Flute, 1971
The Marriage of Figaro, 1970
Le Rossignol, 1970
Le Rossignol, 1969
The Magic Flute, 1969
Die Jakobsleiter, 1968
Perséphone, 1968
The Elixir of Love, 1968
The Magic Flute, 1968
The Marriage of Figaro, 1967
Boulevard Solitude, 1967
The Barber of Seville, 1967
Dialogues of the Carmelites, 1966
Don Giovanni, 1966
Cinderella, 1966
The Marriage of Figaro, 1965
The Stag King, 1965
Lucia di Lammermoor, 1965
The Marriage of Figaro, 1964
L’Enfant et les sortilèges, 1964
L’Enfant et les sortilèges, 1963
Joan of Arc at the Stake, 1963
Don Giovanni, 1963
Mavra, 1962
Joan of Arc at the Stake, 1962
La traviata, 1962
Così fan tutte, 1962
The Marriage of Figaro, 1961
The Ballad of Baby Doe, 1961
The Marriage of Figaro, 1960
Cinderella, 1960
The Barber of Seville, 1959
Abduction from the Seraglio, 1959
Cinderella, 1958
Falstaff, 1958
Così fan tutte, 1958
The Tower, 1957
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
Willa Kim
Costume Designer
Scenic Designer
Willa Kim
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
SFO Debut:
The Stag King, 1965
Past Seasons:
Turandot, 2005
The Magic Flute, 1984
The Magic Flute, 1974
Le Rossignol, 1973 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
The Magic Flute, 1971
Le Rossignol, 1970 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
Help! Help! The Globolinks, 1970 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
Le Rossignol, 1969 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
Help! Help! The Globolinks, 1969 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
The Magic Flute, 1969
The Magic Flute, 1968
Georg Schreiber
Lighting Designer
Georg Schreiber
Hometown: Albuquerque, NM
SFO Debut:
Rigoletto, 1964
Past Seasons:
The Mother of Us All, 1976
Salome, 1976
L’Egisto, 1976
The Marriage of Figaro, 1976
La traviata, 1976
The Cunning Little Vixen, 1975
L’enfant et les sortilèges, 1975
La vida breve, 1975
Così fan tutte, 1975
Falstaff, 1975
Carmen, 1975
L’Egisto, 1974
Lulu, 1974
Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1975
The Magic Flute, 1974
La bohème, 1974
Owen Wingrave, 1973
L’enfant et les sortilèges, 1973
Le Rossignol, 1973
The Merry Widow, 1973
The Marriage of Figaro, 1973
La bohème, 1973
Salome, 1972
Pelléas et Mélisande, 1972
Madame Butterfly, 1972
Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1972
Yerma, 1971
The Flying Dutchman, 1971
The Marriage of Figaro, 1971
Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1971
The Magic Flute, 1971
Don Carlo, 1971
Opera, 1970
The Rake’s Progress, 1970
Anna Bolena, 1970
The Marriage of Figaro, 1970
Le Rossignol, 1970
Help! Help! The Globolinks, 1970
La traviata, 1970
The Devils of Loudun, 1969
Le Rossignol, 1969
Help! Help! The Globolinks, 1969
The Magic Flute, 1969
Così fan tutte, 1969
Salome, 1969
Perséphone, 1968
Die Jakobsleiter, 1968
The Bassarids, 1968
The Elixir of Love, 1968
La traviata, 1968
The Magic Flute, 1968
Madame Butterfly, 1968
Salome, 1967
The Marriage of Figaro, 1967
Boulevard Solitude, 1967
Cardillac, 1967
Carmen, 1967
The Marriage of Figaro, 1965
The Nose, 1965
The Stag King, 1965
Arabella, 1965
Lucia di Lammermoor, 1965
Madame Butterfly, 1965
The Barber of Seville, 1965
La traviata, 1965
Lulu, 1964
La bohème, 1964
Daphne, 1964
L’enfant et les sortilèges, 1964
Gianni Schicchi, 1964
Carmen, 1964
The Marriage of Figaro, 1964
Hugh Johnson
Chorus Master
Hugh Johnson
SFO Debut:
La traviata, 1970
Past Seasons:
Le Rossignol, 1970
Help! Help! The Globolinks, 1970 (Conductor)
The Marriage of Figaro, 1970
Anna Bolena, 1970
The Rake’s Progress, 1970
Opera, 1970
Tosca, 1969
Così fan tutte, 1969
The Magic Flute, 1969
Le Rossignol, 1969
Help! Help! The Globolinks, 1969
The Devils of Loudun, 1969
Le Rossignol 1970
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