Re: [ARSCLIST] Lieberman's Penelope

[Karl Miller <karl.miller@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steven Smolian <smolians@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

***I find I have a performance of Liebermann's opera Penelope. It includes Birgit Nilsson in th tirle role, confirmed by the German announcement which gives out about half-wayint the cast listing. My notes say it is Rosbaud with the NDR and the performance is before 1962.

***According to consulted sources, the premiere was in 1964 with Goltz, Szell, the Vienna Phil and a somewhat different cast.

***Have I misdated a later performance? Is this a preliminary version? Is the announcement a phony? What gives?
   
  "The first performance of Penelope was in summer 1954 in Salzburg, and within a few months the opera was performed on six other stages."
  Birgit Nilsson, "La Nilsson, My Life in Opera" p. 85
   
  I do see that Rosbaud gave the first performance of the Concerto for Jazz Band and Orchestra in the same year.

  The Orfeo CD lists the date of 17 August 1954, however Nilsson was not part of that cast. In her autobiography she refers to the Stockholm premiere on March 17 of 1955, which was, I believe, her first performance in the work. She also mentions that "Sixten Ehrling was competent and always well prepared..." so I assume he conducted those performances.
   
  Karl