1971/72 The Flying Dutchman Program

Explore the 1971/72 Flying Dutchman Program!

1974 Così fan tutte

Seattle Opera’s first-ever performance of Mozart’s intriguing comedy.

1976/77 Werther Program

Explore the 1976/77 Werther Program!

1970/71 Madama Butterfly Program

Explore the 1970/71Madama Butterfly Program!

1972/73 Die Walküre Program

Explore the 1972/73 Die Walküre Program!

1973 Daughter of the Regiment

Anna Moffo’s Seattle Opera appearance!

DENNIS BAILEY as Froh

Hear the voice of Seattle Opera’s resident tenor in the ’70s!

1976/77 La Cenerentola Program

Explore the 1976/77 Cinderella Program!

THOMAS PASATIERI at SEATTLE OPERA

A favorite young composer of ours in the 1970s!

1969/70 Of Mice and Men Program

Explore the 1969/70 Of Mice and Men Program!

1974/75 The Barber of Seville Program

Explore the 1974/75 Barber of Seville Program!

1979 Ring

Edward Sooter made a great addition to our Ring cast at its fifth consecutive summer.

1970/71 Carmen Program

Explore the 1970/71 Carmen Program!

1975/76 The Ring Program

Explore the 1974/75 Ring Program!

1979 Faust

Erich Parce makes his Seattle Opera debut.

1973/74 Cosi fan tutte Program

Explore the 1973/74 Cosi Fan Tutte Program!

1970/71 The Marriage of Figaro Program

Explore the 1970/71 Marriage of Figaro Program!

1979/80 Queen of Spades Program

Explore the 1979/80 Queen of Spades Program!

1970 La Forza del Destino
1978 Falstaff

Seattle Opera’s first production of Verdi’s comic Shakespearean masterpiece.

RING in English: Paul Crook as Mime and Raimund Herincx as Wotan

Hear the SIEGFRIED Riddle Scene–in English!

1978 Ring

Johanna Meier and Alberto Remedios joined our cast this summer.

1970 Les contes d’Hoffmann

Joan Sutherland wowed the opera-goers of Seattle in 1970 by singing all three ladies in “The Tales of Hoffmann.”

1971 Calvary Program

Glynn Ross comissioned a new Pasatieri chamber opera for a church in Medina.

1970 Of Mice and Men

Seattle Opera’s first original commissioned work.

The Cecilia Schultz Auditions

A precursor of Seattle Opera’s Young Artists Program.

1976/77 Of Mice and Men Program

Explore the 1976/77 Of Mice and Men Program!

1973/74 Siegfried Program

Explore the 1973/74 Siegfried Program!

1978/79 Don Giovanni Program

Explore the 1978/79 Don Giovanni Program!

1979 Lucia di Lammermoor

Polish soprano Zdizislawa Donat was a memorable Lucia.

1976 The Seagull

Thomas Pasatieri’s opera based on the Checkov play.

1976 Of Mice and Men

The return of this great American work, first performed in Seattle in 1970.

Glynn Ross on Forging a Ring

Excerpt from The Journal of the Wagner Society of Northern California

Geraldine Decker as Erda

Hear the voice of Seattle’s original Ur-Mutter.

National and International Casts

How Glynn Ross organized the two casts necessary for presenting opera in Seattle.

1974 Mefistofele

A sexy devil bewitched Seattle Opera in 1974.

1976 Werther

Featuring the meltingly honeyed voice of Leo Goeke in the title role.

1975/76 The Seagull Program

Explore the 1975/76 The Seagull Program!

1978 Boris Godunov

Nicola Ghiuselev sang the title role in Russian, and Giorgio Tozzi sang it in English!

1975 Eugene Onegin

This Sarajevo Opera production starred some of Yugoslavia’s greatest singers.

1971 Un ballo in maschera
1970/71 The Tales of Hoffmann Program

Explore the 1970/71 Tales of Hoffmann Program!

1975/76 Eugene Onegin Program

Explore the 1975/76 Eugene Onegin Program!

1979/80 Faust Program

Explore the 1979/80 Faust Program!

1975/76 Thais Program

Explore the 1975/76 Thais Program!

1977 Tosca
1972 Lucia di Lammermoor

Beverly Sills sang Lucia in Seattle.

1971 Tommy

The world’s first ‘rock opera’ was Bette Midler’s only Seattle Opera appearance!

1979 La boheme

Archie Drake’s first outing as Benoit/Alcindoro–a role he owned for decades at Seattle Opera.

The Casting of George, Of Mice and Men

as told by Julian Patrick

1978 Norma

Seattle Opera’s first Norma featured powerful singing from Cristina Deutekom.

1969/70 Turandot Program

Explore the 1969/70 Turandot Program!

1971 Don Carlo

Fiorenza Cossotto stole the show with “O don fatale.”

1975 Ring

The first Ring performed complete within a week in the U.S. in a generation.

MARVELLEE CARIAGA as Fricka

Hear the mezzo who was Seattle’s original Queen of the Gods.

1971 Carmen

A fantastic cast brings Bizet’s stunning opera alive.

RING in English: Archie Drake as Gunther and James McCray as Siegfried

Hear Archie Drake sing Gunther–in English!

“What Is This Thing Called Opera?”

Opera education and outreach, ’70s-style!

1975 Manon

Mary Costa and Leo Goeke sang Massenet’s unfortunate lovers.

1976 Ring Program

Explore the 1976 Ring Program!

HENRY HOLT On Opera In English

Hear the voice of Seattle Opera’s first Music and Education Director!

1970 Opera America Conceived

with Glenn Ross in 1970

1969/70 La forza del destino Program

Explore the 1969/70 Force of Destiny Program!

1977 Otello

Mary Costa was an attractive Desdemona.

1976/77 Tosca Program

Explore the 1976/77 Tosca Program!

1975/76 Aida Program

Explore the 1975/76 Aida Program!

1974 Siegfried

A second Ring opera is added to Seattle’s repertory.

1970: Of Mice and Men World Premiere

Hear Archie Drake in this thrilling American premiere.

Opera By Children

A pioneer opera education program, which later became a model for programs nationwide.

1978 Ring Program

Explore the 1978 Ring Program!

The Premiere: Of Mice and Men

as told by composer Carlisle Floyd

1970 Madama Butterfly

Seattle Opera’s first production of Puccini’s beloved tragedy.

1978/79 Norma Program

Explore the 1978/79 Norma Program!

1978/79 La Boheme Program

Explore the 1978/79 La Boheme Program!

1971 La boheme

Our second production of Puccini’s perennially popular tragedy.

1974/75 Mefistofele Program

Explore the 1974/75 Mefistofele Program!

GLYNN ROSS Welcomes You To The RING

Hear the voice of Seattle Opera’s founding General Director!

1977 Ring Program

Explore the 1977 Ring Program.

1979 Don Giovanni

A great star, but a compromised performance!

1975 Der Rosenkavalier

A huge cast assembled for Strauss’s great comedy.

1973 La Traviata
1972 Black Widow

World Premiere of a new Pasatieri opera!

1974/75 Il Trovatore Program

Explore the 1974/75 Il Trovatore Program!

1972 Faust

Starring Norman Treigle as the devil!

Two Languages in the ’76 WALKÜRE Death-Announcement Scene

A cast substitution with unexpected results.

1979 Ring Program

Explore the 1979 Ring Program!

1973/74 Rigoletto Program

Explore the 1973/74 Rigoletto Program!

1976/77 Otello Program

Explore the 1976/77 Otello Program!

1969/70 Salome Program

Explore the 1969/70 Salome Program!

1978/79 Carmen Program

Explore the 1978/79 Carmen Program!

1977/78 The King of Lahore Program

Explore the 1977/78 The King of Lahore Program!

1972/73 Manon Lescaut Program

Program for 1972/73 Manon Lescaut–the production that launched our Scenic Studios and Costume Shop.

RING in English: Noel Tyl as Wotan

Hear the voice of Noel Tyl, one of our first Wotans.

1971/72 Un ballo in maschera Program

Explore the 1971/72 A Masked Ball Program!

1972 Der Fliegende Holländer

Wagner’s rollicking sea yarn came to Seattle with a famous cast.

1973 Die Walküre

Glynn Ross begins introducing his favorite opera tetralogy to Seattle.

1972/73 La Perichole Program

Explore the 1972/73 La Perichole Program!

THE RING in English

Listen to excerpts from Seattle Opera’s English-language RINGS!

1974/75 Gotterdammerung Program

Explore the 1974/75 Gotterdammerung Program!

1979/80 Lucia di Lammermoor Program

Explore the 1979/80 Lucia di Lammermoor Program!

1976 Aida

An Aida featuring several RING singers.

1977 Madama Butterfly

Korean soprano Sung-Sook Lee was Seattle Opera’s second Butterfly.

1972 La Périchole

Our only performance of this charming operetta.

1977 Le roi de Lahore

Joan Sutherland in a Massenet rarity—also starring the young James Morris!

1973 Rigoletto

Italian baritone Matteo Manuguerra shines in Seattle Opera’s second staging of Rigoletto.

1981 Ring & Tristan Program

Explore the program for our Summer 1981 Wagner festival, featuring the Ring and Tristan and Isolde.

1976 Thaïs
1972/73 Faust Program

Explore the 1972/73 Faust Program!

1977/78 Madama Butterfly Program

Explore the 1977/78 Madama Butterfly Program!

1973/74 Gianni Schicchi, Pagliacci Program

Explore the 1973/74 Gianni Schicchi, Pagliacci Program!

1971/72 La Boheme Program

Explore the 1971/72 La Boheme Program!

1979 Macbeth
1970 Salome

Klara Barlow was Seattle’s first necrophilic nymphomaniac princess.

1975 Il trovatore

A multi-national cast brought Verdi’s tuneful melodrama to Seattle.

1978 Carmen

A 1978 production of Bizet’s thrilling opera.

1978/79 Macbeth Program

Explore the 1978/79 Macbeth Program!

WILLIAM WILDERMANN as Hagen

Hear the bass who was with us from before the beginning.

1978 Magic Flute

Seattle Opera’s first production of Mozart’s great fairy-tale.

Glynn Ross Receives 1972 First Citizen Award

Remarks from the award ceremony

1979/80 Fidelio Program

Explore the 1979/80 Fidelio Program!

1979/80 La Traviata Program

Explore the 1979/80 La Traviata Program!

1969/70 Die Fledermaus Program

Explore the 1969/70 Die Fledermaus Program!

1977/78 Boris Godunov Program

Explore the 1977/78 Boris Godunov Program!

1977 Ring

Simon Estes was a strong Hagen, and Ute Vinzing joined our Ring for the first time as Brünnhilde.

1976: Seattle Opera’s Early Valkyries

“Ride of the Valkyries” — sung in English!

1973 Noye’s Fludde

350 schoolchildren starred in a Seattle Opera production in 1973!

1970/71 Don Carlo Program

Explore the 1970/71 Don Carlo Program!

1975 Götterdämmerung

The first time the world ended at Seattle Opera!

1973 Manon Lescaut

Our first production directed, designed, and built entirely in-house!

1974 Barber of Seville

A lively production of Rossini’s great comedy.

MALCOLM RIVERS as Alberich

Hear Seattle’s first malevolent Lord of the Ring.

1971/72 Lucia di Lammermoor Program

Explore the 1971/72 Lucia di Lammermoor Program!

1977 La Cenerentola

Cinderella comes to Seattle Opera for the first time.

1976 Ring

A new Brünnhilde headlined our second complete cycle.

1974/75 Manon Program

Explore the 1974/75 Manon Progarm!

1977/78 Falstaff Program

Explore the 1977/78 Falstaff Program!

1973/74 Daughter of the Regiment Program

Explore the 1973/74 Daughter of the Regiment Program!

1977/78 The Magic Flute Program

Explore the 1977/78 Magic Flute Program!

1971/72 Black Widow Program

Explore the 1971/72 Black Widow Program!

1975/76 Der Rosenkavalier Progarm

Explore the 1975/76 Der Rosenkavalier Program!

1972/73 La Traviata Program

Explore the 1972/73 La Traviata Program!