John Crosby (conductor)
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John O’Hea Crosby (born 12 July 1926, Bronxville, New York – died 15 December 2002, Rancho Mirage, California) was a musician and, in 1957, the founding general director of the Santa Fe Opera, in New Mexico, a post which he held until his retirement at the end of the 2000 season. The company’s 50th Anniversary Season was presented in 2006 under the direction of Crosby's longtime associate and successor, Richard Gaddes.
Crosby’s early studies in Connecticut were interrupted by a bout of asthma, which caused him to attend the Los Alamos Ranch School in New Mexico for a year. It was Crosby’s first introduction to the West and, specifically, to the Santa Fe area. He fell in love with it. High school graduation led to a two-year period of army service between 1944 to 1946, some of which was spent in Europe and some with the 18th Regimental Band handling piano, violin, trombone and double bass.
Attending Yale as an undergraduate soon followed and, after some consideration of several future professions which included the law, airplane piloting, and music (where he studied composition with Paul Hindemith and created musical arrangements for musical productions), he graduated with a degree in music in 1950.
Having decided that music was to be his life, Crosby spent a few months as an assistant arranger for Broadway musicals before returning to graduate studies at Columbia University between 1951 and 1955. During these years, he became an opera lover, attending the Met regularly and working as the piano accompanist assistant to Dr. Leopold Sachse, the former artistic director of the Hamburg State Opera, and teacher of opera classes at Columbia.
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[edit] The Founding of the Santa Fe Opera, 1957
During the three years preceding Santa Fe’s first season in 1957, Crosby meticulously planned for its creation, helped and encouraged by Dr. Sachse. Asked in a 1991 interview why he founded the SFO, Crosby responded: "Because of Rudolf Bing" and he went on to explain that Bing's influential productions at the Met in the 1950s had caused him to regard opera "as a serious art form".
By this time Crosby's parents had bought a second home on land located about three miles north of Santa Fe. Close to this location, the San Juan Ranch, a 199-acre guest ranch, became available and, sponsored by his father with a loan of $200,000 (of which $115,000 would built the theatre and the balance would buy land) the purchase was completed.
From this location Crosby and Sachse (who was to be artistic director) carefully selected the specific site of the open-air theatre, which was planned to seat 480 and to be “the only outdoor theatre in America exclusively designed for opera” [1]. In addition, Crosby calculated that about $60,000 was needed to be raised to support the first summer’s operations; in the end, only $50,000 was raised but $40,000 was taken at the box office with about 12,850 people attending.
Several things characterized Crosby’s approach to the presentation of opera in Santa Fe: firstly, all operas were to be sung in English to make them as accessible as possible and, secondly, staging, costuming and lighting were emphasized, as was acting. The thirteen singers who were engaged were mostly young (all between 21 and their early thirties), were attractive, and they could act; they created a firmly cohesive company with no stars or prima donnas.
The third aspect of Crosby’s approach – and the most revolutionary in the world of opera in America in the 1950s – was the creation of the apprentice system whereby eight young people were to be given living expenses and paid per performance to be members of the chorus and to understudy major roles. As Crosby noted: “In this country young artists have to do something which is impossible – gain experience. But with our plan, these young people will be scheduled in small roles and will have the opportunity of working with their older brothers and sisters who have already won their spurs. To get such experience now, a young artist has to go to Europe”.[2]
The Apprentice Program for Singers and Technicians (Technicians were added in 1965) is very much alive and well at the Santa Fe Opera today. Annually, about 1,000 singer applicants compete for about 40 positions and, of the 600 technician applications, about 60 are chosen as apprentices. Some apprentices are invited to return for a second season.
[edit] The First Season
The program for the first season was characteristic of most of the seasons which Crosby subsequently programmed. It was an adventurous one consisting of five operas in rotating repertory. There were two fairly popular ones, Madama Butterfly (presented on 3 July 1957, opening night) and Il barbiere di Siviglia; a world premiere, on this occasion Marvin David Levy’s The Tower (coupled with Pergolesi’s La Serva Padrona); a Richard Strauss opera, Ariadne auf Naxos (many more - including many American premieres - were to follow in later seasons due to Crosby's love of that composer's work); and, finally, a major coup for Crosby and the company, Igor Stravinsky’s The Rake's Progress with the composer present for two weeks in July. Photographs exist of the composer attending rehearsals.
The first six performances were sold out and, in spite of some rainouts during what turned out to be one of Santa Fe’s wettest summers, the season was an unquestionable success, creating both national and international attention.
[edit] Crosby’s Achievements 1957 to 2000
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While Crosby’s tenure (the longest of any opera company director in the US) ended with his retirement in 2000, his achievements and precedents were extraordinary in relation to any other American summer opera company. Between 1957 and 2005, the company staged 135 operas, 11 of which were world premieres and 41 were American premieres.
Among the commissioned works which Crosby presented as world premieres are Carlisle Floyd’s Wuthering Heights during the second season in 1958 and Tobias Picker’s Emmeline in 1996, while distinguished American premieres include six operas by Richard Strauss (beginning with Capriccio, also a part of the adventurous second season in 1958) and six operas by Hans Werner Henze between 1965 and 2000.
Igor Stravinsky was to return to Santa Fe each summer until 1963 during which time he was given “an unmatched musical pulpit”[3] with performances of six operas ranging from Oedipus Rex (1960) to Le Rossignol (1962 and 1963).
Under Crosby’s tenure, several distinguished singers made significant appearances at the Santa Fe Opera. In the case of two singers, Kiri Te Kanawa (in 1971 as the "Countess", prior to beginning her international career later that year in England) and Bryn Terfel (in 1991), these were US debuts. Some singers, such as Samuel Ramey, who was a former apprentice, returned in Carmen in 1975; other American singers such as Jerry Hadley, Dawn Upshaw, Patricia Racette and Susan Graham and James Morris (another apprentice), appeared early in their careers and several return regularly.
In an obituary which appeared following death, another aspect of his influence is noted:
- "(his) work in Santa Fe helped opera spread to other cities. Most notably, the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, also a summer festival that specializes in new works and rarities, was founded in 1976 by Richard Gaddes, who had worked as an administrator at Santa Fe. "That was not a coincidence," said Mr. Gaddes, who returned to Santa Fe in 1988, and was appointed Mr. Crosby's successor in 2000. "I always say that John Crosby sired the Opera Theater of St. Louis. The whole concept was modeled on Santa Fe".[4]
As Director, Crosby’s final appearance on the podium was on 24 August 2000, conducting the last night of Strauss’ Elektra. It was his 171st time conducting a Strauss opera and approximately his 567th time as conductor of the opera company.
[edit] Retirement and Awards
Crosby retired to Palm Springs but continued to be involved with the SFO, conducting La traviata during the 2002 season.
Over his career, Crosby’s involvement in the world of opera included the presidency of the Manhattan School of Music for a decade from 1976, and a four-year presidency of the opera organization, Opera America from 1976.
In addition to five honorary doctorates, Crosby received the National Medal of Arts in 1991 and, in 1992, the German Order of Merit for services to German music.
John Crosby died in California on 15 December 2002
[edit] References
- ^ Eleanor Scott, see below
- ^ Eleanor Scott, see below
- ^ Craig Smith, "He Changed Santa Fe", see below
- ^ Alan Kozin, The New York Times, see below
- Huscher, Phillip, The Santa Fe Opera: an American pioneer, Santa Fe, New Mexico: Sunstone Press, June 2006. ISBN 0-86534-550-3
- Kozinn, Allan, " John Crosby, 76, Dies; Started Santa Fe Opera", New York Times, 17 December 2002
- Scott, Eleanor, The First Twenty Years of the Santa Fe Opera, Santa Fe, New Mexico: Sunstone Press, 1976.
- Smith, Craig, “He Changed Santa Fe”, The Santa Fe New Mexican, 16 December 2002
- Smith, Craig, "Maestro, impresario, entrepreneur", The Santa Fe Opera - 50th Anniversary supplement to The Santa Fe New Mexican, 28 June 2006.
- Unk., The Santa Fe Opera − Miracle in the Desert, Santa Fe Opera Shop, 2003.
