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Spanning the Decades

 

San Francisco Opera is a community of makers who pioneer innovative ways to make opera while preserving the techniques of previous generations. Spanning the Decades is a collection of conversations with past and present Company members about creating opera. Additional features include dramaturg emeritus Kip Cranna’s interviews with former staff and General Directors David Gockley and Pamela Rosenberg discussing their tenures in oral histories. Finally, hear the Company’s oldest known audio memento, a 1925 piano roll by Company founder Gaetano Merola.

Archival black-and-white photo of a hair and makeup artist styling a wig on a mannequin head as several people watch in a backstage workroom. The image accompanies San Francisco Opera’s conversation with longtime hair and makeup head Stan Dufford.

Hair and Makeup Edition

Stan Dufford and Jeanna Parham

Listen in as Jeanna Parham, SF Opera's Head of Hair, Wigs and Makeup since 2014, speaks with Stan Dufford, the charming gentleman who held the position from 1956–1968 and has served the Company for nearly seven decades.

(run time ~ 25 minutes)

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A singer reclines on an ornate bed in a dark, elaborate opera set, framed by oversized circular decorations and a suspended mirror reflecting the scene.

Lighting Edition

Tom Munn and Justin Partier

Tom Munn, Company Lighting Director from 1976-2001, sits down with Justin Partier, our current Lighting Director, to talk shop, Ponti projections and commiserate on the dauting use of mirrors on stage.

(run time ~ 32 minutes)

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Pierre Cayard and John Del Bono stand together in San Francisco Opera’s scene shop, surrounded by worktables, tools, and large fans.

Production Edition

Pierre Cayard and John Del Bono

San Francisco Opera’s scene shop foreman, John Del Bono, and Pierre Cayard, the Company’s Master Builder for over three decades, recently sat down together in the Company’s Burlingame scene shop to discuss the history of the scene shop and building sets for the War Memorial Opera House stage.

(run time ~ 20 minutes)

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Black-and-white group portrait of ten San Francisco Opera staff members or artists, with six people standing behind four seated women in a formal room.

Tour Edition

Christine Bullin and Kip Cranna

Wrangling multiple affiliate programs at a Company as big and busy as SF Opera can be daunting task, one that Christine Bullin embraced and accomplished with great skill.  Listen in as she and Kip Cranna discuss the creation of the San Francisco Opera Center, the evolution of the Adler Fellowship, and several other fascinating bits of Company history.

(run time ~ 41 minutes)

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Black-and-white candid photo of three people smiling and raising drinks together at a gathering. The older man in the center wears glasses and a suit.

SPO/T Edition

Ann Farris and Robert Darling

Taking opera out of the Opera House and into the community was a priority of the Adler administration.  Spring Opera, Spring Opera Theater, and Western Opera Theater were crucial for realizing that mission.  Listen in as Ann Farris and Robert Darling discuss SPO/SPOT, WOT, and designing/directing shows outside of the WMOH.

(run time ~ 30 minutes )

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A man in a gray suit and blue tie poses beside a woman wearing a red vest and turquoise scarf. They smile at the camera against a plain wall.

Director Edition, pt. 1

Francesca Zambello and Kip Cranna

Director Francesca Zambello speaks with Kip Cranna about her historic career at San Francisco Opera stretching back to 1982 and the introduction of supertitles to her productions of Jenůfa, The Little Prince, Show Boat, and Wagner’s massive Ring Cycle.

(run time ~ 15 minutes)

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Black-and-white photo of a woman seated in a chair, gesturing with both hands as she speaks in a room with tables and chairs.

Director Edition, pt. 2

Francesca Zambello and Kip Cranna

Kip Cranna and Francesca Zambello continue their engaging conversation as they discuss directorial challenges, Pavarotti, Freni, Kazakhstan dancers, and more.

(run time ~ 13 minutes)

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A man in white tie and a woman wearing a black sequined dress and a medal pose together at a formal event. Another attendee is visible in the background.

Director Edition, pt. 3

Francesca Zambello and Kip Cranna

Kip Cranna and Francesca Zambello finish up their engaging 3-part conversation as they discuss young artist training, obscure titles, musicals turned opera, and of course, the Ring.


(run time ~ 18 minutes)

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Label on a 1925 Ampico piano roll reading “Samson et Dalila,” “Potpourri,” and “Played by Gaetano Merola.” The tan paper roll has an ornate border and a black spool attachment at the bottom.

Director Edition

Gaetano Merola's 1925 piano roll

From a rare 1925 Piano Roll, experience Gaetano Merola playing Samson et Dalila.

(Grateful thanks to Peter Phillips for the MIDI file, and to Stanford Libraries Archive of Recorded Sound for use of the image and audio files/licensed via Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International — CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.)

(run time ~ 5 minutes)

Listen
A man in a dark suit and sunglasses sits on the stone steps outside the War Memorial Opera House, beside the building’s “Memorial Opera House” lettering.

Chorus Edition, pt. 1

Ian Robertson and Kip Cranna

Dramaturg Emeritus Kip Cranna sits down with recently retired colleague Ian Robertson for a three-part conversation about Robertson’s 35-year tenure as San Francisco Opera Chorus Director.


(run time ~ 27 minutes)

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Black-and-white photo of a smiling man seated beside a piano, with sheet music open in front of him and a chalkboard behind him.

Chorus Edition, pt. 2

Ian Robertson and Kip Cranna

Dramaturg Emeritus Kip Cranna sits down with recently retired colleague Ian Robertson for the second of a three-part conversation about Robertson’s 35-year tenure as San Francisco Opera Chorus Director.

(run time ~ 14 minutes)

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Black-and-white photo of two men looking at papers posted on a wall. The man in the foreground smiles while holding a large binder or folder; the second man stands behind him.

Chorus Edition, pt. 3

Ian Robertson and Kip Cranna

Focusing in on the internal machinations of the SF Opera Chorus, dramaturg Emeritus Kip Cranna sits down with recently retired colleague Ian Robertson for the third of a three-part conversation about Robertson’s 35-year tenure as San Francisco Opera Chorus Director.

(run time ~ 17 minutes)

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Color portrait of a smiling woman with short blond hair, wearing a light blue jacket with a patterned collar, photographed outdoors against a softly blurred background.

Oral History Edition

Pamela Rosenberg, General Director

In partnership with the Oral History Center at UC Berkeley and the Company's Archives, SF Opera's 5th general director, Pamela Rosenberg sat down with Paul Burnett, director of the OHC, to discuss her life, career, and tenure at SF Opera.  This audio excerpt focuses on the US premiere of Messiaen's only opera, Saint Francois d'Assise in 2002.

(run time ~ 26 minutes)

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A smiling man in a gray argyle sweater stands backstage beside rows of golden stage curtains and rigging. A sign nearby reads “STAGE.”

Oral History Edition

David Gockley, General Director

In partnership with the Oral History Center at UC Berkeley and the Company's Archives, SF Opera's 5th general director, Pamela Rosenberg sat down with Paul Burnett, director of the OHC, to discuss her life, career, and tenure at SF Opera.  This audio excerpt focuses on the US premiere of Messiaen's only opera, Saint Francois d'Assise in 2002.

(run time ~ 26 minutes)

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A smiling man in glasses and a brown suit speaks into a microphone behind an open laptop, with a green screen behind him.

Rent-a-Kip Edition

Kip Cranna, Dramaturg Emeritus

So what exactly IS a dramaturg?  Join Kip Cranna, SF Opera dramaturg emeritus, as he discusses dramaturgy, midwifing, commissioning, and the ones that got away.

(run time ~ 32 minutes)

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