Tristan and Isolde Composer Richard Wagner Librettist Richard Wagner Company San Francisco Opera Association Location San Francisco, CA Venue War Memorial Opera House Season 1953 Language German Creative/Crew Conductor Georg Solti Stage Director(s) Carlo Piccinato Chorus Director Kurt Herbert Adler Settings designed by Armando Agnini Settings painted by Julius Dobe Cast Tristan, a Cornish Knight, nephew of King Mark Ludwig Suthaus Isolde, Princess of Ireland Gertrude Grob-Prandl Brangaene, Isolde's friend and attendant Margarete Klose King Mark of Cornwall Deszo Ernster(10/2) Desire Ligeti(10/7) Kurwenal, Tristan's devoted servant Paul Schoeffler Melot, one of King Mark's courtiers George Cehanovsky Shepherd Lawrence Mason Steersman Jan Gbur Sailor's Voice Caesar Curzi Show Dates Fri, Oct 2 1953, 8pm Wed, Oct 7 1953, 8pm Time and Place Legendary Scenes Act I -- On Board a Vessel Nearing the Cornish Coast Act II -- Garden Before Isolde's Castle; Summer Night Act III -- Garden of Tristan's Estate in Brittany Media Image Tristan und Isolde, Richard Wagner. San Francisco Opera, 1953. Photographer: Skelton Studios/San Francisco Opera. Paul Schoeffler (Kurwenal) Credit Skelton Studios Image Tristan und Isolde, Richard Wagner. San Francisco Opera, 1953. Photographer: Skelton Studios/San Francisco Opera. Paul Schoeffler (Kurwenal), Ludwig Suthaus (Tristan), Margarete Klose (Brangaene) Credit Skelton Studios Image Tristan und Isolde, Richard Wagner. San Francisco Opera, 1953. Photographer: Unknown/San Francisco Opera. Paul Schoeffler (Kurwenal), Deszo Ernster (King Mark) Credit Unknown Document SFO_PUB_01_SFO_1953_13_compressed.pdf (8.26 MB) Notes To access the full production program, click the PDF link above. --------------------- The Company General Director Gaetano Merola died on August 20th, while conducting Butterfly's "Un bel dì" in San Francisco's Stern Grove. The entire 1953 season was labeled "Gaetano Merola, 1879-1953 -- In Memoriam."
Image Tristan und Isolde, Richard Wagner. San Francisco Opera, 1953. Photographer: Skelton Studios/San Francisco Opera. Paul Schoeffler (Kurwenal) Credit Skelton Studios
Image Tristan und Isolde, Richard Wagner. San Francisco Opera, 1953. Photographer: Skelton Studios/San Francisco Opera. Paul Schoeffler (Kurwenal), Ludwig Suthaus (Tristan), Margarete Klose (Brangaene) Credit Skelton Studios
Image Tristan und Isolde, Richard Wagner. San Francisco Opera, 1953. Photographer: Unknown/San Francisco Opera. Paul Schoeffler (Kurwenal), Deszo Ernster (King Mark) Credit Unknown