Premieres



	U.S. Premieres Photos from the 1930s Ring of the Nibelung, 1935-36


	U.S. Premieres

Britten	A Midsummer Night's Dream	1961
Cherubini	The Portuguese Inn	1954
Henze	Das Verratene Meer	1991
Janácek	The Makropulos Case	1966
Orff	The Wise Maiden	1958
Poulenc	The Dialogues of the Carmelites	1957
Ravel	L'Enfant et les Sortilges	1930
Reimann	Lear	1981
Rossini	Maometto II	1988
Schuller	The Visitation	1967
Shostakovich	Katerina Ismailova	1964
Strauss	Die Frau ohne Schatten	1959
Tippett	The Midsummer Marriage	1983
Tippett	King Priam (Opera Center)	1994
von Einem	The Visit of the Old Lady	1972
Walton	Troilus and Cressida	1955
Weill	Royal Palace,	1968



		COGAN


	Wise Maiden Carl Orff's The Wise Maiden (English version of Die Kluge) had its first U.S. performance at the War Memorial in 1958. Lawrence Winters was the King; Leontyne Price, the Wise Maiden of the opera's title. Sets were by a young French designer who was making his U.S. debut: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle.


		COGAN

	Frau ohne Schatten The first American presentation of Strauss's Die Frau ohne Schatten was given in 1959 in Jean-Pierre Ponnelle's sets. The cast included Irene Dalis as the Nurse (left) and Marianne Schech as Barak's Wife. Leopold Ludwig conducted.


		JONES

	Katerina Ismailova Shostakovich's Katerina Ismailova, first heard in 1964, boasted powerful interpreters of the two leading parts: Jon Vickers as Sergei and Marie Collier in the title role.


		JONES

	Makropulos Case Janácek's The Makropulos Case, which had its premiere in 1966, brought the unforgettable portrayal of Emilia Marty/Elina Makropulos by the late Marie Collier.




			X

	Visit of the Old Lady Gottfried von Einem's The Visit of the Old Lady, based on the Dürrenmatt play, featured Regina Resnik as Claire Zachanassian, the rich lady of the opera's title. The production was directed by Francis Ford Coppola.


		SCHERL

	Lear Aribert Reimann's Lear had its U.S. premiere in 1981, with a repeat staging in 1985. On both occasions, the title role was portrayed by Thomas Stewart.


		SCHERL

	Midsummer Marriage Sir Michael Tippett's mystical opera The Midsummer Marriage was given its North American premiere in 1983. Mary Jane Johnson portrayed the central role of Jenifer.


		SCHERL

	Maometto II Rossini's Maometto II, in its first American presentation in 1988, boasted a cast that included Simone Alaimo in the title role (shown), June Anderson as Anna, Marilyn Horne as Calbo and Chris Merritt as Paolo. Alberto Zedda conducted.


		SOHL

	Das Verratene Meer Hans Werner Henze's chilling Das Verratene Meer (known in other media as The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea), in its first U.S. hearing in 1991, featured Tom Fox as the sailor, Ryuji.



		SOHL


	A Midsummer Night's Dream The image is from our most recent staging of Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, 1992, at which time Brian Asawa portrayed Oberon; Sylvia McNair, Tytania. At the American premiere, however, which took place in 1961, the same roles were taken by Russell Oberlin and Mary Costa.