LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR
Gaetano Donizetti (1797 - 1848)
Opera in two acts in Italian
Libretto: Salvatore Cammarano
Premièr at Teatro San Carlo, Naples – 26 September 1835
27 September, 05 October 1957
War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
Conductor: Francesco Molinari-Pradelli
Chorus master: Gianni Lazzarini
Stage director: Carlo Piccinato
Scene and costumes: Golstein & Co.
Choreographer: William Christensen
Enrico (Lord Henry Ashton of Lammermoor) UMBERTO
BORGHI baritone
Lucia (Lucy) her sister LEYLA GENCER soprano
[Role debut]
Edgardo (Edgar) master of Ravenswood GIANNI
RAIMONDI tenor
Arturo (Lord Arthur Bucklaw) CESARE CURZI tenor
Raimondo (Raymond) chaplain at Lammermoor LORENZO
ALVARY bass
Alisa (Alice) companion to Lucy JEAN BURLINGHAM
mezzo-soprano
Normanno (Norman) follower of Ashton VIRGINIO
ASSANDRI tenor
Time: About 1700
Place: Scotland
Photos © ROBERT LACKENBACH, San Francisco
Photos © MARIA JEANETTE, San Francisco
 |
| Kurt Herbert Adler (General Manager SF Opera), Leyla Gencer and Robert Watt Miller (President of Opera Union) |
LEYLA GENCER’S LUCIA SCORES
VARIETY
1957 May
LOS ANGELES EVENING CITIZEN NEWS
1957.05.04
OPERA MAGAZINE
1957 June
THE HERALD
1957.08.18
THE DETROIT FREE PRESS
1957 September
CHRONICLE TRIBUNE
1957.09.13
ABILENE REPORTER-NEWS
1957.09.17
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1967.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.17
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1957.09.18
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1957.09.18
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1957.09.18
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1957.09.18
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1957.09.18
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1957.09.18
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1957.09.18
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1957.09.18
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1957.09.18
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1957.09.18
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1957.09.19
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1957.09.19
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1957.09.19
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1957.09.19
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1957.09.19
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1957.09.20
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1957.09.21
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1957.09.22
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1957.09.22
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1957.09.22
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1957.09.22
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1957.09.23
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1957.09.27
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1957.09.27
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1957.09.27
OAKLAND TRIBUNE
1957.09.28
Turkish traslation of the above article from Turkish State Theater Magazine
1957 November, No.36
PETALUMA ARGUS
1957.09.28
INDEPENDENT STAR NEWS
1957.09.29
LOS ANGELES TIMES
1957.09.29
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1957.09.29
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SUN
1957.09.29
SAN FRANCISCO CALL-BULLETIN
1957.09.29
MARIE HICKS DAVIDSON
Whilst
commemorating with appreciation artists such as Lilly Pons and Mada Robin who
had successfully sung this role, I must admit that Leyla Gencer is a level
above them. With her fine artistry; she literally became the opera heroine
experiencing the madness in the famous mad scene. It wasn’t an excruciating
scene full of passion, but a sincere and serene expression of infinite misery.
Istanbul, we salute you for your outstanding Leyla Gencer. In terms of voice and brilliant stage presence, Gencer was marvellous. Not only did she receive enthusiastic applause at the end of her aria, but there were also prolonged the cheers, bravos and ovation at the end of the mad scene. With her clear and pure voice, Leyla Gencer was able to sing Donizetti’s extremely difficult opera with such ease.
Istanbul, we salute you for your outstanding Leyla Gencer. In terms of voice and brilliant stage presence, Gencer was marvellous. Not only did she receive enthusiastic applause at the end of her aria, but there were also prolonged the cheers, bravos and ovation at the end of the mad scene. With her clear and pure voice, Leyla Gencer was able to sing Donizetti’s extremely difficult opera with such ease.
Turkish traslation of aabove artickle from Turkish State Theater Magazine
1957 November, No.36
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
1957.09.29
ALFRED FRANKENSTEIN
If Leyla Gencer continues to be as successful as she was in Lucia, then she clearly will earn the right to be extremely proud as the famous primadonnas of whose names will not mentioned in these columns for the first time. Her vocal artistry, which possesses a robust and smooth tone quality of a lyric soprano and the lightness, agile qualities of a coloratura soprano must be appreciated and taken into serious consideration. She sang the bright lacy music warmly with considerable ease and control. In addition to her extremely potent vocal mastery, her acting skills made the performance even more appealing. To sum up, Leyla Gencer absolutely won her case.
Turkish traslation of the above artickle from Turkish State Theater Magazine
1957 November, No.36
MUSICAL AMERICA
1957 October
KERRVILLE DAILY TIMES
1957.10.03
OAKLAND TRIBUNE
1957.10.05
PETALUMA ARGUS COURIER
1957.10.05
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1957.10.05
VALLEY TIMES
1957.10.05
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1957.10.05
SANTA BARBARA NEWS PRESS
1957.10.06
LAAGEBDALSPOSTEN
1957.10.11
INDEPENDENT PRESS TELEGRAM
1957.10.13
CUMHURİYET DAILY NEWSPAPER
1957.10.14
OPERA NEWS
1957.10.14
THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
1957.10.21
RANA BLAD
1957.09.21
THE WALNUT KERNEL
1957.10.24
LOS ANGELES TIMES
1957.10.25
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1957.10.25
DAILY NEWS POST & MONROVIA NEWS
1957.10.26
LOS ANGELES EVENING CITIZEN NEWS
1957.10.26
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1957.10.26
OPERA NEWS
1957.10.28
VALLEY TIMES
1957.10.29
ÇAĞRI MAGAZINE
1957 November
STATE TEATRES MAGAZINE No.36
1957 November
MUSICAL AMERICA
1957.12.01
LOS ANGELES TIMES
1957.11.10
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
1957.11.11
AKİS WEEKLY MAGAZINE
1957.11.30
OPERA MAGAZINE
1957 December
THEATRE ARTS [Vol.42] Issue I
1958 January
THE WALNUT KERNEL
1961.06.01
THE SAN FRANCISCO OPERA 1922 - 1978
1978
ARTHUR BLOOMSFIELD
From Arthur
Bloomfield’s book The San Francisco Opera 1922 – 1978
(1978 Comstock Editions)
……. Francesca project stemmed
from the fact that Tebaldi was learning the role for Maggio Musicale in
Florance. When that the Festival dropped the work, she was less interested in
doing it for San Francisco. It was more feasible for Adler to go ahead
substitute soprano than a substitute opera – the production was already built
when the unwooable Tebaldi made her decision – so Leyla Gencer, a Turkish
soprano with Italian opera experience, was imported. She turned out to be an
exceptionally interesting if uneven artist. Her physical beauty at the time was
marked, her poise sure, her pianissimi exquisite, her voice in general, when
well-projected, remarkably warm in tone. Whether she made more or less of
Francesca than Tebaldi might have done is one of history’s little question marks. ……. The report continued with a statement
of the position of the San Francisco Opera, which was, not surprisingly, that
Madam Callas was fired, and that a complaint, furthermore, was being sent off
to the American Guild of Musical Artists. The fact that a recording of
Cherubini’s Medea was on the ailing Callas’ September schedule – sessions took
place from 12th to 19th – did not sit exactly well with
Adler and Miller. Nor the fact that she “rested up” by going to an early
September ball tossed for her in Venice by Elsa Maxwell. Callas had wired Adler
September 1 that he should have a sub on hand “in case”. Bul Callas’ logical follow-up,
in Adler’s estimation, would have been either come on schedule and try to
perform, or to cancel outright, and stay home. Most subscribers felt Adler and
Miller were to be commended for their uncompromising action, and after Leonie
Rysanek’s Lady Macbeth and Leyla Gencer’s Lucia – both highly successful –
Maria Callas was, if not forgotten, hardy missed. ……. Gencer’s Lucia was not of the pretty-pretty
pyrotechnical variety. Here was a warm spinto soprano who simply happened to
have coloratura flexibility as well. The riches of her voice which, like Callas’,
has a certain sonic sex appeal, helped produce an adult Lucia. Also, vivid
acting: she conveyed a real sense of derangement in the Mad Scene. All in all,
this was the most memorable portrayal offered in San Francisco by a sometimes-remarkable
artist. Her success in the part indicated that another reengagement was in order,
and she returned in 1958. Her other assignments were Violetta and Liu, the latter
only in Los Angeles. ……. Mezzo Irene Dalis
appeared first in one of her best roles, Eboli in Don Carlo. She swung into it
with a fiery regality and sang it warmly, winning friends who would welcome her
back in many seasons to come. She shared to honours in the first two
performances with Tozzi, whose limping, swaggering Philip certainly one of the
best all-around characterizations her offered through the years of personages
more interesting than the stock Ramfis and Zaccaria types. Frank Guarrera was a
vivid Rodrigo, Piero Miranda a so-so Don Carlo. No soprano has ever known
better than Leyla Gencer how to stand about looking noble, but her vocal projection
in the role of Elizabeth was spotty. …….
Opening Night
1967 brought a revival of Gioconda, not seen nineteen years. Adler had waited
until he had the whopping sort of cast that can make this over-climaxed irresistible
warhorse run. Up through the summer of ’67 there were problems, two of his choices
agreeing the job and then backing off. Crespin was to do her first Gioconda,
and she had coaching with Zinka Milanov in Yugoslavia on her agenda, but
indisposition made it impossible for her to learn the role in time, and Peter
Glossop defected from Barnaba for Fallstaff with Sarah Chadwell’s American
National Company which toured the U.S. in the wake of the prematurely hatched
Met National troupe. Crespin was ably enough replaced by Leyla Gencer, absent
for nearly a decade from San Francisco scene. For Barnaba there were the
parched tones of Chester Ludgin, a man-of-all-work baritone who was encountering
vocal problems especially inconvenient for such a draftable singer. With Patané
exceedingly crisp, cultivated man on the podium. Grace Bumbry an ideally
handsome, mellifluous Laura, Maureen Forrester (a rare figure on the operatic
stage) a plummy Cieca, and Cioni a pingy Enzo, this was, despite problems, a
Gioconda lineup not to be dismissed. Gencer’s dramatic handling of the title role
made one respect her artistic integrity even as one worried over instances of
vocal abandon. Espaccially after the opening night, a traditionally troublesome
time for voices, she achieved a fairly even effect, always using her voice,
according to her habit, as a piece of highly charged equipment. There have been
more brilliant-sounding sopranos of the Gioconda type, but none more
resourceful. Gioconda being sort o character whor turns up from everybody’s
woodwork, she tends to be more than a bit tiresome, but Gencer put you on her
side.
