Pocket Opera
Encyclopedia
Pocket Opera is an opera
company based in San Francisco, California
which has been presenting operas in English
since 1978. The company was founded by Donald Pippin, whose musical career has spanned over six decades. Born in Zebulon, North Carolina
and educated at Harvard University
, Pippin began his career as an accompanist at George Balanchine
's School of American Ballet
in New York City
.
In 1952, Pippin moved to San Francisco, and has been an integral part of that city's artistic life since then. Audiences have followed him from his start at the hungry i
and Opus One in North Beach, through nearly two decades of presenting a weekly chamber music
series (1960-1978) at the Old Spaghetti Factory, to his present-day fame as the creator of one of San Francisco's most popular operatic institutions.
Pippin's first translation came in 1968, in the course of preparing Mozart's one-act opera Bastien und Bastienne
for performance as part of his chamber music series. The opera, and his singing translation of it, were immediate successes with San Francisco audiences.
From that point on, Pippin has dedicated himself to the task of producing literate English versions of both well-loved classics and lesser-known gems of operatic literature. His repertoire has grown to include over 70 translations, many of which have been used by the Washington Opera at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the San Francisco Opera Center, the San Diego Opera
, the Juilliard School of Music, and the Aspen Music Festival, among many others.
In April 2009, Pocket Opera presented Pippin's new English translation of the Polish opera The Haunted Manor
, funded by the National Endowment of the Arts.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
company based in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
which has been presenting operas in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
since 1978. The company was founded by Donald Pippin, whose musical career has spanned over six decades. Born in Zebulon, North Carolina
Zebulon, North Carolina
Zebulon is the eastern-most town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. In 2008, the population was estimated to be 4,732. Zebulon is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region...
and educated at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Pippin began his career as an accompanist at George Balanchine
George Balanchine
George Balanchine , born Giorgi Balanchivadze in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to a Georgian father and a Russian mother, was one of the 20th century's most famous choreographers, a developer of ballet in the United States, co-founder and balletmaster of New York City Ballet...
's School of American Ballet
School of American Ballet
The School of American Ballet is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world and is the associate school of the New York City Ballet, a leading international ballet company based at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. The school trains students from the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
In 1952, Pippin moved to San Francisco, and has been an integral part of that city's artistic life since then. Audiences have followed him from his start at the hungry i
Hungry i
The hungry i was originally a nightclub in North Beach, San Francisco. It was launched by Eric "Big Daddy" Nord, who sold it to Enrico Banducci in 1950.-The name:How the club's name came about is something of a mystery...
and Opus One in North Beach, through nearly two decades of presenting a weekly chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
series (1960-1978) at the Old Spaghetti Factory, to his present-day fame as the creator of one of San Francisco's most popular operatic institutions.
Pippin's first translation came in 1968, in the course of preparing Mozart's one-act opera Bastien und Bastienne
Bastien und Bastienne
Bastien und Bastienne , K. 50 is a one-act singspiel, a comic opera, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart....
for performance as part of his chamber music series. The opera, and his singing translation of it, were immediate successes with San Francisco audiences.
From that point on, Pippin has dedicated himself to the task of producing literate English versions of both well-loved classics and lesser-known gems of operatic literature. His repertoire has grown to include over 70 translations, many of which have been used by the Washington Opera at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the San Francisco Opera Center, the San Diego Opera
San Diego Opera
The San Diego Opera Association is a professional opera company located in the city of San Diego, California and is a member of OPERA America. It was founded in 1950 to present productions by San Francisco Opera in the San Diego area...
, the Juilliard School of Music, and the Aspen Music Festival, among many others.
In April 2009, Pocket Opera presented Pippin's new English translation of the Polish opera The Haunted Manor
The Haunted Manor
The Haunted Manor is an opera in four acts composed by Polish composer Stanisław Moniuszko in 1861–1864. The libretto was written by Jan Chęciński...
, funded by the National Endowment of the Arts.