Opera for the People
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Opera for the People was an Australian commercial radio program produced and conducted by Hector Crawford. Well-known operas were retold by a narrator and actors, punctuated with their most tuneful arias, performed by some of Australia's best singers, backed with a symphony orchestra. Most were spread over two half-hour segments, but could be played as one continuous program. The long-running series also sold to New Zealand, Canada and Hawaii, and was copied elsewhere.[1] The program was broadcast on 3DB, from 19 November 1946 to 20 March 1949; 21 operas were presented in this format, most were played twice — whether fresh productions or old recordings replayed was not divulged. Originally scheduled for Tuesdays at 8 pm, from 2 March 1947 3DB and 3LK broadcast the program on Sunday evenings at 7 pm, the slot previously occupied by the serial Melba.
Crawford ran an Opera for the People quest in Sydney, broadcast 3DB and 53 other stations throughout Australia – the largest commercial radio hookup to that date — 27 June 1947.[2]
- La Bohème on 19, 26 November 1946. With soprano Glenda Raymond, tenor John Lanigan, baritone William Laird,[3] and bass Maxwell Cohen.
- The Barber of Seville 24 December.[6]
- La Traviata 14, 21 January 1947.[8] Repeated 27 April, 4 May 1947; 6, 13 June 1948
- Pagliacci 28 January, 4 February. With John Lanigan, William Laird, Glenda Raymond, and Kelvin Plant.[9] Repeated 3, 10 August.[10]
- Rigoletto 2, 9 March 1947. Repeated 30 March, 6 April 1947; 31 August, 7 September; and 23, 30 January 1949
- Lucia di Lammermoor 16, 23 March 1947[11] Repeated 28 September, 5 October 1947.
- Il Trovatore 13, 20 April 1947. Repeated 26 October, 2 November 1947; 22 August 1948 and another date.
- Romeo and Juliet 11 May, 18 May 1947. With John Lanigan, Glenda Raymond. Repeated 23, 30 November 1947.
- Tales of Hoffmann 25 May, 1, 8. With June William Howard, David Allen, Wyn Laird.[12] Repeated 21, 28 December 1947; and again on 5, 12 September 1948.
- Don Giovanni 15, 22 June. With Maxwell Cohen, Glenda Raymond, John Lanigan and David Allen.[13] Narrator, as with other productions, was Eric Pearce.[14] Repeated 4, 11 April 1948.
- Tannhauser 20, 27 July. With Sylvia Fisher.[15] Repeated 2 May and another date 1948; 3 October and another date 1948.
- Cavalleria Rusticana 17, 24 August.[16]
- The Bohemian Girl 14, 21 September 1947. Repeated 20, 27 June 1948.
- The Marriage of Figaro 12, 19 October 1947. Repeated 4 July and one other date 1948.
- La Tosca 7, 14 December. With Eleanor Houston, John Lanigan, William Laird.[17] Repeated 20, 27 February 1949.
- Mignon 22, 29 February 1948. With Gunter Hirschberg[18] (formerly cantor at Temple Emanuel in Sydney).
- Daughter of the Regiment 7, 14 March 1948. Repeated 9, 16 January 1949.
- Martha 1, 8 August 1948. With John Lanigan, Noella Cornish, David Allen, Charles Skase, and Glenda Raymond. Repeated 14, 21 November.
- Carmen 6, 13 February 1949.
- Highlights of Opera 21 March 1948; 18 April 1948; 16 May 1948. With Glenda Raymond, John Lanigan, David Allen, and Valentine Stewart. Repeated 26 September 1948.