Le Rossignol 1973
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 L’enfant et les sortilèges)
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
Rita Shane
Soprano
The Nightingale
Rita Shane
Hometown: New York, NY
SFO Debut:
The Queen of the Night, The Magic Flute, 1968
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1962, 1963
Past Seasons:
Musetta, La bohème, 1974
The Queen of the Night, The Magic Flute, 1974
Nightingale, Le Rossignol, 1973
Le Feu/ Le Rossignol, L’enfant et les sortilèges, 1973
Musetta, La bohème, 1973 (July 6, 14 & 28)
The Queen of the Night, The Magic Flute, 1971 (July 10 – 16, August 13 – 26)
Le Rossignol, L’enfant et les sortilèges, 1963
Michael Devlin
Bass-baritone
The Emperor
Michael Devlin
Hometown: Chicago, IL
SFO Debut:
Figaro, The Marriage of Figaro, 1971 (August 19 – 27)
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1964, 1965
Past Seasons:
Count Almaviva, The Marriage of Figaro, 1991
Commandant, Friedenstag, 1988
Altair, The Egyptian Helen, 1986
Count Almaviva, The Marriage of Figaro, 1982
Eugene Onegin, Eugene Onegin,1978
Count Almaviva, The Marriage of Figaro, 1973
Emperor, Le Rossignol, 1973
Surveyor, Melusine, 1972
Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni, 1972
Marquis d’Obigny, La traviata, 1965
Usher, Rigoletto, 1964
Pinellino, Gianni Schicci, 1964
Fourth Shepherd, Daphne, 1964
Stuart Burrows
Tenor
The Fisherman
Stuart Burrows
Hometown: Cilfynydd, Wales, United Kingdom
SFO Debut:
Tamino, The Magic Flute, 1968
Past Seasons:
Camille de Rosillon, The Merry Widow, 1973
Fisherman, Le Rossignol, 1973
Tamino, The Magic Flute, 1969
Fisherman, Le Rossignol, 1969
Alfredo, La traviata, 1968 (July 13 – August 22)
Nemorino, The Elixir of Love, 1968 (August 17 – 23)
Barrie Smith
Soprano
The Cook
Barrie Smith
Hometown: Tryon, NC
SFO Debut:
First Lady, The Magic Flute, 1974
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1971, 1973
Past Seasons:
L’Aurora/ Attendant, L’Egisto, 1974
Cook, Le Rossignol, 1973
Female Singer, Yerma, 1973
Tebaldo, Don Carlo, 1971
William Dansby
Bass
The Chamberlain
William Dansby
Hometown: Texas
SFO Debut:
Colline (July 6-1)/ Alcindoro (July 28 – August 14), La bohème, 1973
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1971, 1972
Past Seasons:
Pistol, Falstaff, 1977
Doctor, Pelléas et Mélisande, 1977
Gretch, Fedora, 1977
Zuniga, Carmen, 1975
Pistol, Falstaff, 1975
Uncle Sarvaor, La vida breve, 1975
Bartolo, The Marriage of Figaro, 1973
Chamberlain, Le Rossignol, 1973
Bonze, Madame Butterfly, 1972
Physician, Pelléas et Mélisande, 1972
First Soldier, Salome, 1972
John Hall
Bass-baritone
The Bonze
John Hall
Hometown: Arizona
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1972, 1973
Past Seasons:
Alcindoro, La bohème, 1973 (July 6 – 14)
Pritschitsch, The Merry Widow, 1973
Bonze, Le Rossignol, 1973
Nepomuc, Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1972
Mason, Melusine, 1972
William Wahman
Tenor
First Japanese Envoy
William Wahman
Hometown: Illinois
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1972, 1973
Past Seasons:
Don Curzio, The Marriage of Figaro, 1973
First Japanese Envoy, Le Rossignol, 1973
Douglas Botnick
Baritone
Second Japanese Envoy
Douglas Botnick
Hometown: California
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1973
Past Seasons:
Second Japanese Envoy, Le Rossignol, 1973
Michael Young
Tenor
Third Japanese Envoy
Michael Young
Hometown: Texas
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1973
Past Seasons:
Third Japanese Envoy, Le Rossignol, 1973
Isola Jones
Mezzo-soprano
Death
Isola Jones
Hometown: Illinois
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1973, 1974
Past Seasons:
Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1974
Volupia/ Didone, L’Egisto, 1974
Clo-Clo, The Merry Widow, 1973
Death, Le Rossignol, 1973
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
Robert Jones
Chorus Master
Robert Jones
SFO Debut:
Don Carlo, 1971
Past Seasons:
La bohème, 1974
The Magic Flute, 1974
Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1974
Lulu, 1974
L’Egisto, 1974
La bohème, 1973
The Marriage of Figaro, 1973
The Merry Widow, 1973
The Flying Dutchman, 1973
Le Rossignol, 1973
L’enfant et les sortilèges, 1973
Owen Wingrave, 1973
Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1972
Madame Butterfly, 1972
Don Giovanni, 1972
Pelléas et Mélisande, 1972
Melusine, 1972
The Magic Flute, 1971
Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1971
The Marriage of Figaro, 1971
The Flying Dutchman, 1971
Yerma, 1971
Le Rossignol 1973
- Tours
- Transportation
- Dining
- Talk