Verdi at the Golden Gate : Opera and San Francisco in the Gold Rush Years / George Martin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Martin, George, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Verdi, Giuseppe, 1813-1901--Performances--California--San Francisco.

Verdi, Giuseppe.

Opera--California--San Francisco--19th century.

Opera.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxii, 321 p. ) ill. ;

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Berkeley, California : University of California Press, [1993]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Opera is a fragile, complex art, but it flourished extravagantly in San Francisco during the Gold Rush years, a time when daily life in the city was filled with gambling, duels, murder, and suicide. In the history of the United States there has never been a rougher town than Gold Rush San Francisco, yet there has never been a greater frenzy for opera than developed there in these exciting years. How did this madness for opera take root and grow? Why did the audience's generally drunken, brawling behavior gradually improve? How and why did Verdi emerge as the city's favorite composer? These are the intriguing themes of George Martin's enlightening and wonderfully entertaining story. Among the incidents recounted are the fist fight that stopped an opera performance and ended in a fatal duel; and the brothel madam who, by sitting in the wrong row of a theater, caused a fracas that resulted in the formation of the Vigilantes of 1856. Martin weaves together meticulously gathered social, political, and musical facts to create this lively cultural history. His study contributes to a new understanding of urban culture in the Jacksonian-Manifest Destiny eras, and of the role of opera in cities during this time, especially in the American West. Over it all soars Verdi's somber, romantic music, capturing the melancholy, the feverish joy, and the idealism of his listeners.

Contents:

I. Toward a Theatre 9

II. The First Opera 18

III. The Celebrity Sopranos 32

IV. More of Ernani; and the First Resident Company 44

V. Anna Bishop and Judith (Nabucco) 50

VI. Ernani, Nabucco, I Lombardi, and I due Foscari 67

VII. Economic Decline, Il trovatore in Excerpts, and the Vigilantes of 1856 89

VIII. Maguire, His Opera House, and the Bianchis 109

IX. Il trovatore Premiered; Ernani Revived 125

X. The Bianchis Produce La traviata and Attila 140

XI. Theatrical Scenery and Styles; Traviata and the New Realism 153

XII. A Duel, and a Period of Operatic Doldrums 164

XIII. Success of the Maguire-Lyster Company, and Failure of Rigoletto 176

XIV. The Annus mirabilis: San Francisco Mad for Opera 189

Appendix A Opera Premieres in San Francisco, 1851 Through 1860, with Theatre, Cast, and Number of Performances 213

Appendix B Chief Theatres for Opera in San Francisco, 1851-60 227

Appendix C Transpositions and Tuning A in San Francisco 233

Appendix D Verdi's Operas: World, Western Hemisphere, United States, and San Francisco Premieres, with Casts for San Francisco 237

Appendix E Reviews of San Francisco Premieres and Early Performances of Macbeth, I masnadieri, and Luisa Miller 247

Appendix F Performances of Verdi's Operas in San Francisco by Decade, 1851 Through 1899 253.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 303-308) and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 01. Okt 2020)

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780520913424

0520913426

9780585116716

0585116717

OCLC:

1198929222