USA Premiere Composer William Walton Librettist Christopher Hassell Based On Geoffrey Chaucer Company San Francisco Opera Association Location San Francisco, CA Venue War Memorial Opera House Season 1955 Language English Creative/Crew Conductor Erich Leinsdorf Stage Director(s) Paul Hager Settings and Lighting Leo Kerz Chorus Director Leo Mueller Costumers Goldstein & Co. Cast Calkas, High Priest of Pallas Giorgio Tozzi Antenor, Captain of Trojan Spears Carl Palangi Troilus, Prince of Troy Richard Lewis Pandarus, brother of Calkas Ernest McChesney Cressida, daughter of Calkas, a widow Dorothy Kirsten Evadne, her Servant Frances Bible Horaste, a friend of Pandarus Heinz Blankenburg Diomede, Prince of Argos Robert Weede First Priest Raymond Hammons Second Priest Winther Andersen First Trojan Lady Betty Gordon Second Trojan Lady Dolores San Miguel Third Trojan Lady Yvonne Gotelli Fourth Trojan Lady Katherine Hilgenberg First Watchman Vahan Toolajian Second Watchman Dave Manning Third Watchman William Petersen First Soldier Galliano Daneluz Second Soldier Douglas Mayock Show Dates Fri, Oct 7 1955, 8pm Thu, Oct 13 1955, 8pm Time and Place The Siege of Troy Scenes Act I -- Before the Temple of Pallas in Troy Act II, Scene 1 -- At Pandarus's house after dinner the following evening Scene 2 -- The same, the next morning Act III -- The Greek encampment. An evening ten weeks later. Media Image Troilus and Cressida, William Walton. San Francisco Opera, 1955. Photographer: Robert Lackenbach/San Francisco Opera. Raymond Hammons (First Priest) Credit Lackenbach Image Troilus and Cressida, William Walton. San Francisco Opera, 1955. Photographer: Unknown/San Francisco Opera. Richard Lewis (Troilus), Dorothy Kirsten (Cressida) Credit Unknown Document SFO_PUB_01_SFO_1955_14_compressed.pdf (9.55 MB) Sponsors The Settings are donated by the San Francisco Opera Guild Notes To access the full production program, click the PDF link above. --------------------- US PREMIERE / UNITED STATES PREMIERE First performance: Royal Opera House, London, 1954. --------------------- The composer, William Walton, attended the premiere.
Image Troilus and Cressida, William Walton. San Francisco Opera, 1955. Photographer: Robert Lackenbach/San Francisco Opera. Raymond Hammons (First Priest) Credit Lackenbach
Image Troilus and Cressida, William Walton. San Francisco Opera, 1955. Photographer: Unknown/San Francisco Opera. Richard Lewis (Troilus), Dorothy Kirsten (Cressida) Credit Unknown