La vida breve 1975
A true Spanish opera…
…abounding with the rhythm of castanets and flamenco dancing…
(presented as a double-bill with L’enfant et les sortilèges)
Synopsis
Act I
The scene is set in Granada. Against the recurring refrain of a blacksmith’s song from a nearby smithy – ‘Alas for ill-starred wretches! Unlucky he who is born an anvil, not a hammer!’ – we see a young gipsy girl, Salud, waiting impatiently and dejectedly for her lover, Paco: her grandmother attempts in vain to comfort her. When finally he arrives, she falls into his arms, and in reply to her passionate appeals, he swears eternal fidelity. Even while they are locked in an embrace, however, Uncle Salvador comes in to tell the grandmother that he has discovered that Paco is to marry another girl, rich and of his own class, in a few days’ time. An orchestral interlude (with the occasional sound of voices) representing twilight over Granada brings the first act to a close.
Act II
The second act opens with the fiesta in Carmela’s house to celebrate her marriage to Paco; a folk-singer sings a soleá to guitar accompaniment, and there is a general dance by the guests (this dance is widely known out of its context, largely through transcriptions). Salud appears outside the windows and voices her grief at her betrayal; Paco, hearing her, is seized with remorse, but conceals his agitation. During another orchestral interlude the scene changes to the interior of the house, where dancing has recommenced (this section was added for the Paris production of 1914). Salud and her two relatives have come in; she pours out her story, and when Paco, fearful of a scandal, desperately denies it, she falls dead at his feet. The curtain falls as the gipsies call clown curses on Paco’s head.
Artists
Ellen Shade
Soprano
Salud
Ellen Shade
Hometown: New York, NY
SFO Debut:
Mimi, La bohème, 1974
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1968, 1969
Past Seasons:
Arabella, Arabella, 1983
Countess Almaviva, The Marriage of Figaro, 1982
Pamina, The Magic Flute, 1980
Pamina, The Magic Flute, 1979 (August 15 – 24)
Mistress Alice Ford, Falstaff, 1977 (August 6 – 26)
Climene, L’Egisto, 1976
Violetta, La traviata, 1976 (July 7, 9, 15, 30; August 14)
Fiordiligi, Così fan tutte, 1975
Salud, La vida breve, 1975
Page of Herodias, Salome, 1969
Betty Allen
Mezzo-soprano
Salud's Grandmother
Betty Allen
Hometown: Campbell, OH
SFO Debut:
Geneviève, Pelléas et Mélisande, 1972
Past Seasons:
Dame Quickly, Falstaff, 1975
Grandmother, La vida breve, 1975
Pythia, Melusine, 1972
Neil Shicoff
Tenor
Paco
Neil Shicoff
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
SFO Debut:
Paco, La vida breve, 1975
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1973
Past Seasons:
Lensky, Eugene Onegin, 1978
William Dansby
Bass
Uncle Sarvaor
William Dansby
Hometown: Texas
SFO Debut:
Colline/ Alcindoro, 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
William Parker
Baritone
Manuel
William Parker
Hometown: Butler, PA
SFO Debut:
Schaunard, La bohème, 1974
Past Seasons:
Papageno, The Magic Flute, 1980
Guglielmo, Così fan tutte, 1975 (July 12 – 30)
Manuel, La vida breve, 1975
Le Fauteuil/Le Chat, L’enfant et les sortilèges, 1975
Harašta, The Cunning Little Vixen, 1975
Sondra Stowe
Mezzo-soprano
Carmela
Sondra Stowe
Hometown: California
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1975, 1976
Past Seasons:
Jenny Reefer, The Mother of Us All, 1976
Carmela, La vida breve, 1975
Un Pâtre, L’enfant et les sortilèges, 1975
Vinson Cole
Tenor
Voice in the Forge/ A distant voice
Vinson Cole
Hometown: Kansas City, MO
SFO Debut:
Fenton, Falstaff, 1977 (August 6 – 26)
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1974, 1975
Past Seasons:
Rodolfo, La bohème, 1981
Goldenmane, The Cunning Little Vixen, 1975
Voice in the Forge/ Distant Voice, La vida breve, 1975
First Armored Man, The Magic Flute, 1974
El Pelete
Flamenco Singer
El Pelete
Hometown: Almendralejo, Spain
SFO Debut:
La vida breve, 1975
Robert Gray
Tenor
Street-seller
Robert Gray
Hometown: California
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1975
Past Seasons:
Street-seller, La vida breve, 1975
A Woodpecker, The Cunning Little Vixen, 1975
Ashley Putnam
Soprano
Street-seller
Ashley Putnam
Hometown: New York, NY
SFO Debut:
Venere/Apollo’s Attendant, L’Egisto, 1976
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1973, 1975
Past Seasons:
Marschallin, Der Rosenkavalier, 1992
Marschallin, Der Rosenkavalier, 1989
Fiordiligi, Così fan tutte, 1988 (July 2 – August 11)
Countess Almaviva, The Marriage of Figaro, 1987 (July 17)
Danae, Die Liebe der Danae, 1985
Danae, Die Liebe der Danae, 1982
Violetta, La traviata, 1980
Lucia, Lucia di Lammermoor, 1979
Elena, The Italian Straw Hat, 1977
Angel More, The Mother of Us All, 1976
Street-Seller, La vida breve, 1975
Forester’s Wife/ A Screechowl, The Cunning Little Vixen, 1975
Sylviane, The Merry Widow, 1973
Nancy Callman
Mezzo-soprano
Street-seller
Nancy Callman
Hometown: New York
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1975
Past Seasons:
Street-seller, La vida breve, 1975
Maman/ La Libellule, L’enfant et les sortilèges, 1975
Sarah Beatty
Soprano
Street-seller
Sarah Beatty
Hometown: Illinois
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1974, 1975
Past Seasons:
Frasquita, Carmen, 1975
Street-Seller, La vida breve, 1975
Semele, L’Egisto, 1974
María Benítez
Choreographer/Dancer
María Benítez
Hometown: Taos, NM
SFO Debut:
Carmen, 1975
Past Seasons:
Carmen, 2006
La traviata, 2002
Carmen, 1999
La traviata, 1997
The Marriage of Figaro, 1976
La traviata, 1976
La vida breve, 1975
Guy Foster
Dancer
Guy Foster
SFO Debut:
Carmen, 1975
Past Seasons:
La vida breve, 1975
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
Allen Charles Klein
Scenic Designer
Costume Designer
Allen Charles Klein
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
SFO Debut:
The Rake’s Progress, 1970
Past Seasons:
L’incoronazione di Poppea, 1986 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
The Tempest, 1985 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
Mignon, 1982
The Rake’s Progress, 1981 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1979
Salome, 1979 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
Salome, 1978 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
Falstaff, 1977
Pelléas and Mélisande, 1977 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
La Traviata, 1976
L’Egisto, 1976 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
The Marriage of Figaro, 1976 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
Salome, 1976 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
Falstaff, 1975
La vida breve, 1975 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
L’enfant et les sortilèges, 1975 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1974
L’Egisto, 1974 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
L’enfant et les sortilèges, 1973 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
The Marriage of Figaro, 1973 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
The Merry Widow, 1973
Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1972
Pelléas and Mélisande, 1972 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1971
The Marriage of Figaro, 1971 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
Yerma, 1971 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
The Marriage of Figaro, 1970 (Scenic & Costume Designer)
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
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
Terry Lusk
Chorus Master
Terry Lusk
Hometown: Cicero, IL
SFO Debut:
Carmen, 1975
Past Seasons:
Tosca, 1978
Count Ory, 1978
Eugene Onegin, 1978
The Duchess of Malfi, 1978
The Italian Straw Hat, 1977
Falstaff, 1977
Pelléas et Mélisande, 1977
Fedora, 1977
Così fan tutte, 1977
La traviata, 1976
The Marriage of Figaro, 1976
L’Egisto, 1976
The Mother of Us All, 1976
Falstaff, 1975
Così fan tutte, 1975
La vida breve, 1975
L’enfant et les sortilèges, 1975
The Cunning Little Vixen, 1975
La vida breve 1975
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