USA Staged Premiere Joan of Arc at the Stake Composer Arthur Honegger Librettist Paul Claudel Based On text by Paul Claudel Company San Francisco Opera Association Location San Francisco, CA Venue War Memorial Opera House Season 1954 Language English Commission English translation by Dennis Arundell Creative/Crew Conductor Pierre Monteux Stage Director(s) Harry Horner Chorus Director Leo Mueller Stage Designs by Harry Horner Settings painted by Davis L. West G.K.P. Projection System by Paul Planer Choreography pantomime by Willam Christensen Lew Christensen Cast Joan of Arc (actor) Dorothy McGuire Friar Dominic (actor) Lee Marvin Porcus Charles Kullman Virgin Franca Duval St. Margaret Marilynn Hall St. Catherine Rosalind Nadell First Herald (spoken) Lawrence Mason Second Herald Ralph Herbert Third Herald Carl Palangi Cleric Caesar Curzi Judge Desire Ligeti Monk Virginio Assandri Voice in the Prologue Marilynn Hall First Voice Winther Andersen Second Voice John Flynn Child James Ursino The Ass (actor) Sidney Walker Duke of Bedford (spoken) Russell Page John of Luxemburg (dancer) Gordon Paxman Reynold of Chartres (dancer) Carlos Carvajal William of Flavy (dancer) Ron Ross Grinder Trusty (dancer) Ron Ross Mother of Barrels (spoken) Betty McDonald Young Peasant Roy Franklyn Old Peasant Robert Hagopian Perrot (Boy -- spoken) Stephen Hatch First Jailer John Sullivan Second Jailer Anthony Verdell Show Dates Fri, Oct 15 1954, 8:30pm Thu, Oct 21 1954, 8pm Time and Place (not specified) Scenes PROLOGUE Scene 1 -- The voices of heaven Scene 2 -- The book Scene 3 -- The voices of the earth Scene 5 -- Joan delivered to the beasts Scene 6 -- The kings, or the invention of the card game Scene 7 -- Catherine and Margaret Scene 8 -- The King who goes to Rheims Scene 9 -- The sword of Joan Scene 10 -- Trimazo Scene 11 -- Joan of Arc in the flames Media Image Jeanne d'Arc au Bûcher, Arthur Honegger. San Francisco Opera, 1954. Photographer: R. Strohmeyer/San Francisco Opera. Stage Set Credit Strohmeyer Image Jeanne d'Arc au Bûcher, Arthur Honegger. San Francisco Opera, 1954. Photographer: R. Strohmeyer/San Francisco Opera. Lee Marvin (Brother Dominique), Dorothy McGuire (Jeanne d’Arc) Credit Strohmeyer Document SFO_PUB_01_SFO_1954_06_compressed.pdf (8.12 MB) Notes To access the full production program, click the PDF link above. --------------------- US PREMIERE / UNITED STATES PREMIERE First American staging at SF Opera; presented earlier in the US in concert. First performance: Basel, 1938. --------------------- Part II of a double bill, with "Il Tabarro" San Francisco Boys Chorus Dancers San Francisco Opera Corps de Ballet
Image Jeanne d'Arc au Bûcher, Arthur Honegger. San Francisco Opera, 1954. Photographer: R. Strohmeyer/San Francisco Opera. Stage Set Credit Strohmeyer
Image Jeanne d'Arc au Bûcher, Arthur Honegger. San Francisco Opera, 1954. Photographer: R. Strohmeyer/San Francisco Opera. Lee Marvin (Brother Dominique), Dorothy McGuire (Jeanne d’Arc) Credit Strohmeyer