Opera Company of Boston
| Company type | Non-profit organization |
|---|---|
| Industry | Opera |
| Founded | 1958 |
| Founder | Sarah Caldwell, Linda Cabot Black |
| Defunct | 1990 |
| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
Area served | New England, United States |
Key people | Sarah Caldwell (founder and conductor), Laszlo J. Bonis (president 1967–1986), Ralph Lyford (associate conductor), Kent Nagano (conductor), Dar Williams (stage manager) |
| Products | Opera productions, touring division Opera New England |
The Opera Company of Boston was an American opera organization located in Boston, Massachusetts, active from the late 1950s until the 1980s. Established in 1958 by American conductor Sarah Caldwell under the name Boston Opera Group, it later developed a touring division known as Opera New England. Caldwell led and conducted the majority of its productions throughout its existence, presenting more than 75 operas that encompassed a wide range of musical eras and genres, including numerous U.S. premieres and many contemporary compositions.
The company's unique programming and Caldwell's inventive stagecraft garnered national recognition, positioning it among the foremost opera companies in the United States. After 32 seasons, financial challenges compelled the company to close its doors in 1990.
Founding
In 1958, Sarah Caldwell, together with Linda Cabot Black and others, established the Opera Company of Boston with an initial investment of $5,000. Their inaugural production was Jacques Offenbach's Voyage to the Moon, staged outdoors on Boston Common. Adelaide Bishop performed as Queen Popotte in this production, which received favorable reviews from The Boston Globe and led to a subsequent performance at the White House attended by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Building upon this early success, Caldwell went on to produce Puccini's La bohème.
1958–1979
Lacking a permanent venue initially, Caldwell rented the Donnelly Theater for the company's first staging of La bohème. This theater remained their primary location until its demolition in 1968. Over the next seven years, performances were held at various sites including the Shubert Theatre, MIT's Kresge Auditorium, the Cyclorama, and the Tufts University Field House. In 1975, the company secured a five-year residency at Boston’s Orpheum Theatre.
1980–1990
In pursuit of a permanent home, Caldwell purchased the B. F. Keith Memorial Theater in 1978 with financial backing from patron Susan Timken. Although the theater was in poor condition and featured a shallow stage that limited production capabilities, its seating capacity of 2,500 and excellent acoustics offered significant promise. Renamed the Boston Opera House, it became the company’s base starting in 1980. However, rising upkeep expenses necessitated selling the venue to a developer from Texas after the 1989/1990 season, leading to the cessation of opera productions by the company.
Legacy
The Opera Company of Boston drew acclaimed artists such as Beverly Sills, Joan Sutherland, as well as emerging performers like James Billings. Other notable singers included Plácido Domingo, Marilyn Horne, Renata Tebaldi, and Sherrill Milnes. The artistic team featured prominent individuals such as associate conductor Ralph Lyford, early-career conductor Kent Nagano, president Laszlo J. Bonis (1967–1986), and stage manager Dar Williams. Renowned designers like Rudolf Heinrich and Ming Cho Lee contributed to its visual presentations.
Under Caldwell’s direction, the company achieved international prestige for its groundbreaking repertoire choices, presenting American premieres of works by composers including Arnold Schoenberg (Moses und Aron), Sergei Prokofiev (War and Peace), and Hector Berlioz (Les Troyens, Benvenuto Cellini), along with pieces by composers such as Luigi Nono, Alban Berg, and Peter Maxwell Davies.
See also
- Boston Lyric Opera, inaugurated in 1976, recognized as the largest opera organization in New England
- Guerilla Opera, launched in 2007, specializing in modern chamber opera productions
- Opera Boston, operational from 2003 until 2012
- Odyssey Opera (Boston), created in 2013
External links
- Eichler, Jeremy, "Boston long overdue for a dedicated opera venue", The Boston Globe, 20 September 2014