BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//The Wagner Society of Northern California - ECPv6.2.3//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:The Wagner Society of Northern California X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://wagnersf.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The Wagner Society of Northern California REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20220313T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20221106T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20230312T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20231105T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20240310T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20241103T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20250309T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20251102T090000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250118T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250118T143000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20241105T225209Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250318T185632Z UID:56352-1737205200-1737210600@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Thematic Transformation (aka Leitmotifs) with Maestro Leo Eylar DESCRIPTION:HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL VIDEO OF THIS PROGRAM: https://youtu.be/_epM6lu9Lxw\n\nMaestro Leo Eylar takes us on a journey exploring Wagner’s use of Leitmotifs focusing on the Ring. He includes handouts for attendees featuring the motives as well as a CD. An engaging as well as erudite speaker\, the talk makes a complex topic easy for non-musicians to understand.\n\nIf you enjoy Maestro Eylar’s talk and want to hear more from him\, here is a link to his talk on “Wagner’s French Connections” from June\, 2024 – https://youtu.be/j-sc3qjA2rI \nCurrently serving as the Music Director of the California Youth Symphony\, Leo Eylar is also an active composer. Born in Los Angeles to a musical family. He began studying violin at the age of nine and was accepted into the private studios of both Jascha Heifitz and Ruggiero Ricci. Eylar attended Northwestern University and the University of Southern California and in 1980 joined the Seattle Symphony. Shifting gears in 1982\, he was awarded a grant to study conducting at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna. After studies there with Otmar Suitner\, he returned to the U.S. and completed his Master’s Degree in conducting at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music while simultaneously holding the position of Co-Concertmaster of the San Jose Symphony from 1984-89. Eylar was on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music from 1985-88. He is now Professor Emeritus at CSU\, Sacramento where he served on the full-time faculty for 30 years directing its symphony orchestra\, as well as teaching music theory\, history\, and composition. Since 1990 he has been Conductor and Music Director of the California Youth Symphony. Under his masterful and spirited direction the orchestra has enhanced its reputation as one of the finest youth orchestras in the world and has performed to great critical acclaim across four continents. He has also guest-conducted extensively throughout Europe and Asia\, including prestigious music festivals in Japan\, Austria\, France\, and Australia. \nAs a composer\, his works\, which blend a rich\, coloristic neo-romanticism with elements of jazz and driving Eastern European rhythmic vitality\, have been performed in Carnegie Hall\, as well as in England\, the Netherlands\, Japan\, Germany\, Russia\, China\, and Austria as well as multiple recordings. URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/everything-you-always-wanted-to-know-about-thematic-transformation-aka-leitmotifs-with-maestro-leo-eylar/ LOCATION:Jewish Community Center – San Francisco\, 3200 California Street\, San Francisco\, CA\, 94118\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/svg+xml:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Music-flat.svg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241208T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241208T143000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20240725T221404Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250318T190123Z UID:55923-1733657400-1733668200@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:Cosima Wagner Holiday Celebration Brunch DESCRIPTION:HERE IS A LINK TO THE PERFORMANCE OF WAGNER’S WESENDONCK LIEDER THAT WAS FEATURED AT THIS EVENT – https://youtu.be/Qj8m9k3DcB0 \nOur traditional Wagner-centric Holiday Celebration returns once more to the classic Marines Memorial.  This year\, in addition to a festive repast served in the beautiful Crystal Lounge\, the program will feature a performance of the Wesendonck Lieder by Elisabeth Rosenberg\, an up-and-coming Brünnhilde accompanied by the well-known Bay Area Wagnerian\, Jonathan Khuner\, who is currently the Music Director of West Edge Opera and has previously been on the music staffs of the Metropolitan and San Francisco Operas and\, notably\, served as prompter for the Ring Cycle in Bayreuth under the baton of James Levine. Together they performed selections from the Ring at our meeting on May 18th which is available for viewing through our Performance Archive. \nPhoto Credit: Niels Noordhoek URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/cosima-wagner-holiday-celebration-brunch/ LOCATION:Marines’ Memorial Club and Hotel\, 609 Sutter Street\, San Francisco\, CA\, 94102\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/159px-Champagne_uncorking_photographed_with_a_high_speed_air-gap_flash.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241028T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241028T190000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20240626T034916Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250329T021513Z UID:55911-1730142000-1730142000@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:Francesca Zambello on Directing Wagner and her Upcoming Tannhäuser in Houston DESCRIPTION:HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL VIDEO OF THIS PROGRAM: https://youtu.be/3hlgxggifOM?si=cjtLa92KRdw2rdb0 \nThe Wagner Society is thrilled that world-renowned director and impressaria Francesca Zambello will join us to talk about the design and direction process of how an opera comes together. In this very special event\, she will share thoughts on how rehearsing Wagner is different from all other composers\, and what it’s like working with singers\, conductors\, and designers on his works. Following there will be a visual presentation about the highly anticipated new staging of Tannhäuser she will direct at the Houston Grand Opera in the spring of 2025. In her strikingly beautiful production\, lust and love\, diametrically opposed forces in the opera’s universe\, do battle within the title character’s psyche and curse his epic journey to salvation.  The powerhouse cast includes tenor Russell Thomas in his role debut as Tannhäuser\, soprano Tamara Wilson as Elisabeth\, mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke as Venus\, baritone Luke Sutliff as Wolfram\, and bass Alexandros Stavrakakis as Landgraf Hermann. Erik Nielsen\, music director of Bilbao Symphony Orchestra\, will lead the forces of the HGO orchestra. \nZambello has served as the Artistic Director of Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center since 2013.  She is also the Artistic & General Director of the Glimmerglass Festival\, Emerita. She served as the Artistic Advisor to the San Francisco Opera from 2005 to 2011 and as the Artistic Director of the Skylight Theatre from 1987 to 1992. Her monumental production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle at SFO (2011 & 2018) was a landmark for local Wagnerians. URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/francesca-zambello-on-directing-wagner-and-her-upcoming-tannhauser-in-houston/ LOCATION:Green Room – War Memorial Veteran’s Building\, 401 Van Ness Avenue\, San Francisco\, CA\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Francesca-Zambello-1-300x300-1.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241014T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241014T210000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20240625T205652Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250318T190558Z UID:55883-1728932400-1728939600@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:Director Paul Curran on Tristan und Isolde DESCRIPTION:HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL VIDEO OF THIS PROGRAM: https://youtu.be/Qjlbaw4QqcI            \nAs the premiere of the San Francisco Opera’s eagerly anticipated production of Tristan und Isolde approaches\, director Paul Curran will give the Wagner Society a special preview of his staging while sharing insights into this monumental work. Wagnerians who enjoyed his previous talk with us (via Zoom) in 2021 know what an engaging and thoughtful speaker he is. This promises to be a special evening. \nPaul Curran was born in Glasgow\, Scotland. He played clarinet in the Glasgow Schools Orchestra and saw his first opera (Scottish Opera’s production of Wozzeck) in 1980. Moving to London\, he trained as a ballet dancer at the London Studio Centre and the Central School of Ballet before studying with Sulamith Messerer. He worked for a time as an usher at English National Opera during the period when Lord Harewood\, Mark Elder and David Pountney formed the artistic management of the company. He then spent two years at the ballet school of the Finnish National Opera and then three years as a professional dancer with Scottish Ballet and in Germany. A hip injury terminated his ballet career\, and he worked as an interpreter and stage manager before\, at the age of twenty-seven\, entering the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney to study directing. Since then\, he has circled the globe directing in many of the great houses including the Metropolitan\, Santa Fe\, Chicago\, Covent Garden\, La Scala\, Wexford\, La Fenice\, and Naples. Curran also served as the General Director for the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet 2007-2011. URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/director-paul-curran-on-tristan-und-isolde/ LOCATION:Green Room – War Memorial Veteran’s Building\, 401 Van Ness Avenue\, San Francisco\, CA\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Paul-Curran.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240914T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240914T150000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20240328T202916Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250318T190903Z UID:55569-1726318800-1726326000@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:"Tristan und Isolde: Wagner's Most Subversive Opera?" with Simon Williams DESCRIPTION:HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL VIDEO OF THIS PROGRAM: https://youtu.be/b3kgYaRscdU          \nThe focus of the WSNC this fall will be the performances of “Tristan und Isolde” at the San Francisco Opera. Simon Williams will lead-off with a tantalizing talk on Wagner’s most revolutionary work and its wide-ranging implications. \nWell-known to the members of the WSNC\, Simon Williams has taught at universities on four continents\, including the University of Regina\, Alberta\, Cornell University and UCSB where he was Professor in the Department of Theater and Dance for over thirty years. Now retired\, he continues to lecture widely. His published works span the fields of continental European theatre\, the history of acting\, Shakespearean performance\, and operatic history. His major publications include “German Actors of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries” (Greenwood\, 1985)\, “Shakespeare on the German Stage\, 1586-1914” (Cambridge\, 1990)\, “Richard Wagner and Festival Theatre” (Greenwood\, 1994)\, and “Richard Wagner and the Romantic Hero” (Cambridge\, 2004). He has contributed numerous articles in his fields of specialty in edited volumes and leading periodicals. He is also an active director and reviewer of opera. His current projects include co-editing “A History of the German Theatre” for Cambridge University Press and studies of Shakespeare in the eighteenth century and European opera in the nineteenth. URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/tristan-und-isolde-wagners-most-subversive-opera-with-simon-williams/ LOCATION:Jewish Community Center – San Francisco\, 3200 California Street\, San Francisco\, CA\, 94118\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Joseph_Albert_-_Ludwig_und_Malwine_Schnorr_von_Carolsfeld_-_Tristan_und_Isolde_1865f-e1724109915738.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240615T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240615T140000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20240530T135425Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250318T191125Z UID:55836-1718456400-1718460000@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:Queering Wagner with Dr. Patrick S. Cheng DESCRIPTION:Unfortunately the Zoom broadcast wasn’t recorded. We have obtained a video of a very similar talk given by Reverend Cheng for the Wagner Society of New York. We thank The Wagner Society of New York for providing this video file. https://youtu.be/Dd4GGdXpdm8 \nIn honor of Pride Month\, Dr. Patrick S. Cheng will give a Zoom talk about the life and works of Richard Wagner from a queer perspective. Topics will include LGBTQ+ Wagnerites from the 19th century to today\, the homosexuality of key people in Wagner’s life (including his patron King Ludwig II as well as his son Siegfried)\, Wagner’s fetishes with respect to satin and perfume\, and the transgressive sexual relationships in Wagner’s operas. \nDr. Patrick S. Cheng is the Visiting Professor of Anglican Studies at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. A Wagnerite as well as an Episcopal priest\, Dr. Cheng has published three books on queer theology\, including Radical Love: An Introduction to Queer Theology. Dr. Cheng holds a B.A. from Yale College\, a J.D. from Harvard Law School\, and a Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary. \n \n  URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/queering-wagner/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Queering-Wagner-Carricature-e1717075372980.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240608T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240608T150000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20240219T213747Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250318T191426Z UID:55508-1717851600-1717858800@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:Wagner's French Connections by Maestro Leo Eylar\, Music Director of the California Youth Symphony DESCRIPTION:HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL VIDEO OF THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/j-sc3qjA2rI\n\nMaestro Leo Eylar’s talk which will combine history\, music and politics. Richard Wagner had a troubled relationship with all things French. However\, Wagner had a formidable influence on French music\, in particular the music of Debussy. Maestro Eylar will explore aspects of Wagner’s use of harmony and the evolution of the 7th chord. Eylar has a keen sense of humor and a knack for presenting complex musical topics in a way that everyone will understand.\nConductor-Composer Leo Eylar was born in Los Angeles and grew up in a musical family. He began studying violin at the age of nine and was accepted into the private studios of both Jascha Heifetz and Ruggiero Ricci. He attended Northwestern University and the University of Southern California\, where he received his Bachelor of Music degree Summa cum Laude. In 1980\, Eylar joined the Seattle Symphony\, and in 1982 was awarded an International Rotary Foundation Grant to study conducting at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna\, Austria. After studies there with Otmar Suitner\, he returned to the U.S. and completed his Master’s Degree in conducting at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music\, simultaneously holding the position of Co-Concertmaster of the San Jose Symphony from 1984-89. Eyler has also guest-conducted extensively throughout Europe and Asia\, including prestigious music festivals in Japan\, Austria\, France\, and Australia. He has also been a frequent guest conductor of the San Jose Symphony. With a repertoire of over 400 symphonic works as well as numerous operas\, Eylar brings a vast range of expertise and depth to his conducting. He is also a composer of international stature. His compositions\, which blend a rich\, coloristic neo-romanticism with elements of jazz and driving Eastern European rhythmic vitality\, have been performed in Carnegie Hall as well as in England\, the Netherlands\, Japan\, Germany\, Russia\, China\, and Austria. Maestro Eylar is the third music director in California Youth Symphony history and over the past 25 years elevated CYS to ever-greater musical heights. URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/maestro-leo-eylar-music-director-of-the-california-youth-symphony/ LOCATION:Jewish Community Center – San Francisco\, 3200 California Street\, San Francisco\, CA\, 94118\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Piano-Playing.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240518T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240518T193000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20240504T021640Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241020T184426Z UID:55808-1716053400-1716060600@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:The Wagner Society of Northern California Richard's Birthday Celebration DESCRIPTION:Join your fellow Wagnerians for a festive celebration of Richard’s 211th Birthday! We will gather at the Sunset Brewing Company to toast “the Master” and enjoy a delicious repast while sharing our mutual enthusiasm. \nSpace is limited so book early. Your registration must be received by April 30\, 2024.  URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/the-wagner-society-of-northern-california-richards-birthday-celebration/ LOCATION:Sunset Reservoir Brewing Company\, 735 Noriega Street\, San Francisco\, CA\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Richard_Wagner_c.1840.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240518T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240518T150000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20240219T212148Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250318T191719Z UID:55483-1716037200-1716044400@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:West Edge Opera - "Legend of the Ring" An Introduction with Jonathan Khuner DESCRIPTION:HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL VIDEO OF THIS PROGRAM: https://youtu.be/lJ_atae246U\nThe Wagner Society welcomes West Edge Opera Music Director Jonathan Khuner who will introduce us to “Legend of the Ring”. West Edge Opera has presented this condensed Ring twice before. The upcoming encore presentation will be considerably different than the previous productions. This time West Edge will present Legend of the Ring in a “real theater” with a pit area for a larger orchestra so Khuner has augmented the score with additional music and musicians. \nHe will present his talk at the piano with musical excerpts and arias by Elisabeth Rosenberg who\, with Maestro Khuner\, will give the Society a guided tour through Brünnhilde’s journey. The program will include a few excerpts from each of the four segments of Legend of the Ring. The presentation will show Brünnhilde’s development through vocal characterization\, beginning with the carefree exuberance of “Hojotoh!” through her solemn embrace of immolation. URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/west-edge-opera-legend-of-the-ring-introduction/ LOCATION:Jewish Community Center – San Francisco\, 3200 California Street\, San Francisco\, CA\, 94118\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Rackham-Wotan-and-Brunnhilde-SMALL-e1729615981778.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240427T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240427T150000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20240219T211027Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240219T211027Z UID:55473-1714222800-1714230000@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:Parsifal - A Documentary Film DESCRIPTION:The Society will have a documentary film presentation. The recent screening of Flying Dutchman Fire and Ice was quite a success so we will present another film by Werner Boote. This film is entitled Parsifal\, Indiana Jones and Richard Wagner. Previously screened by the Society in 2004\, this film traces the legend of the Grail from the Holy Land to Spain. The film also goes behind the scenes at the Vienna Staatsoper as they prepared Wagner’s Parsifal for a new production staged by Christine Mielitz. The film contains interviews with Donald Runnicles\, Johan Botha\, Thomas Quasthoff and Angela Denoke. \nWe convene at the JCC-SF\, 3200 California Street\, San Francisco\, CA. URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/parsifal-a-documentary-film/ LOCATION:Jewish Community Center – San Francisco\, 3200 California Street\, San Francisco\, CA\, 94118\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Leibig-Parsifal.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240316T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240316T150000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20240219T205523Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250318T191951Z UID:55469-1710594000-1710601200@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:Bayreuth\, A History with Emma Popek DESCRIPTION:HERE IS AN ARCHIVAL VIDEO OF THIS EVENT:  https://youtu.be/0aZ9G6X549Q       \nAs Wagnerians\, we are drawn to the Bayreuth Festival to see innovative opera productions and enjoy its special atmosphere. For us it is a destination\, a Wagnerian Mecca. Bayreuth\, however\, existed long before Richard Wagner put it on the map and made it famous. This sleepy Bavarian town located on the crossroads of Central Europe has an unexpectedly interesting history starting from its obscure origins in the Middle Ages to the traumatic events of the 20th century. This talk will present Bayreuth as a place where significant events of the broader European history took place and shaped it to what it is today. \nEmma Popek is a retired analytical chemist\, environmental technical and quality assurance manager\, and author of an internationally-acknowledged textbook on environmental data collection and analysis. In addition to music\, her lifelong passion is Classical literature and history. In retirement she applied her analytical skills and power of deduction to Classics and comparative literature. In 2021\, she organized a Zoom conference\, Symposium Peregrinum\, for international Greco-Roman scholars where she gave a talk titled “A Journey of a Hero—Achilles\, Siegmund\, and Choices They Make”. The same year she gave a presentation to the Classical Association of the Pacific Northwest titled “The Intersection of Classics and Late Romanticism—Homer\, Ovid\, and Richard Wagner”. Emma is a WSNC Board Member and the WSNC Treasurer. \n\n  URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/bayreuth-a-history-a-zoom-webinar/ LOCATION:Zoom Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Construction-Festspielhaus.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240224T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240224T153000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20240105T195412Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250318T192139Z UID:55413-1708779600-1708788600@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:Jonathan McPhee - Ring Reduction for Piano DESCRIPTION:HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL VIDEO OF THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/QhtFRauyy64\nMaestro Jonathan McPhee is an artist in residence at Boston University\, the Music Director of the Lexington Symphony and since 1992 has been a guest conductor for the Houston Ballet. McPhee will introduce us to his most recent work “Wagner – the Essential RING” an adaptation of Wagner’s Ring for piano. McPhee is among a handful of artists who create reduced orchestrations of large\, well-known classical music pieces. Maestro McPhee has experience on both sides of the podium – including leadership roles at orchestras around the country and conducting for professional orchestras of all sizes in major halls around the world. \n“My approach is always to be respectful of the original intentions\,” McPhee says. “But I know how orchestras of all sizes sound\, which allows for maintenance of the textures\, colors and integrity of the composer’s sound world. It’s possible to make listeners think they’re hearing eight horns when only four are playing by combining them with trombones and bassoons. A lot of this work involves tricking the ear into hearing sounds produced by instruments other than the ones originally used.” URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/johnathan-mcphee-ring-reduction-for-piano/ LOCATION:Zoom Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Piano-Playing.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240121T010000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240121T150000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20240105T183036Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240105T183036Z UID:55403-1705798800-1705849200@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:Flying Dutchman - a video presentation DESCRIPTION:Our first Member’s Meeting for 2024 will be a film presentation. Our film is entitled “The Flying Dutchman\, Fire and Ice” In this film we will be introduced to a real “Flying Dutchman” a sailor circumnavigating the globe in his sailing ship. This will be juxtaposed with a production of Wagner’s Flying Dutchman at the Vienna Staatsoper. The film goes behind the scenes with director Christine Mielitz\, conducted by Seiji Ozawa and the cast which includes Falk Struckmann. \nNoted documentatian Werner Boote created this intriguing film. \nThis event is free to WSNC Members. We hope to see you there. URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/flying-dutchman-a-video-presentation/ LOCATION:Jewish Community Center – San Francisco\, 3200 California Street\, San Francisco\, CA\, 94118\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Elves-on-ship-with-red-sails.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231111T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231111T160000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20231107T221939Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231107T221939Z UID:55258-1699707600-1699718400@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:WSNC Member's Meeting - Members share their Wagner Memories from 2023 DESCRIPTION:Our next meeting will take place at the JCC-SF on Saturday\, November 11th at 1:00 p.m. This is a Member’s Meeting and we have 5 member volunteers who will make presentations to the group. Three members will recount their first trip to the Bayreuth Festival and we will have 2 book reports on recent publications about Richard Wagner. The location is JCC-SF 3200 California Street\, San Francisco\, CA. There is parking in the lower level garage at the JCC-SF\, upon entry take your receipt and pay at the kiosks in the garage when you exit. There is also parking across the street at the UCSF Center – you must pay in advance at the kiosks and place the receipt in your vehicle. There is also some street parking\, but it can be scarce. I look forward to welcoming members! \nMembers are free\, guests are $10 per person \nThis will be our final meeting for the year. Due to the unique\, spectacular October 30th banquet with Simon O’Neill\, we elected to forgo the customary Cosima Party in December. \nWe meet at:\nJCC-SF – 2nd Floor Gallanter Hall\n3200 California Street\nSan Francisco\, CA \nThere is parking under the building for a fee. You will get a ticket when you enter\, when you exit pay at the kiosks within the garage. There is parking across the street at the UCSF-Laurel Heights – this is for a fee. Pre-Pay at the kiosk and place the receipt on your dashboard. There is some street parking\, however it is scarce. URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/wsnc-members-meeting-members-share-their-wagner-memories-from-2023/ LOCATION:Jewish Community Center – San Francisco\, 3200 California Street\, San Francisco\, CA\, 94118\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/43-Siegfried-Funeral-Procession-c.-1985-1988-e1699395221102.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231030T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231030T210000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20230904T053802Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231018T223550Z UID:45489-1698688800-1698699600@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:A Musical Evening with Heldentenor Simon O'Neill DESCRIPTION:A Musical Evening with Heldentenor Simon O’Neill\nMonday October 30\, 2023 \nREGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST. \nSimon O’Neill participated in the San Francisco Opera Merola Program (2002) and subsequently received a career grant from the Wagner Society of Northern California. O’Neill’s career has taken him to great opera houses worldwide and is focused on Wagnerian roles. Simon O’Neill will be performing the title role in Wagner’s Lohengrin at the San Francisco Opera. You can read more about his career on his website: https://www.simononeill.com/grace/Biography.html URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/a-musical-evening-with-heldentenor-simon-oneill/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Simon-ONeill-2022-e1693687225274.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231014T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231014T150000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20230904T202526Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250322T013808Z UID:45512-1697288400-1697295600@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:Lohengrin in the 21st Century: The Challenge of Production with Simon Williams DESCRIPTION:HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL VIDEO OF THIS PROGRAM: https://youtu.be/Q-6QGZN62jk \nLohengrin is\, arguably\, the Wagnerian music drama that is most closely tied to the time in which it was composed. In dramatic form\, staging\, and in much of the music\, Lohengrin appealed directly to mid-19th century audience tastes; thematically it also engaged with nationalist and Romantic issues. Until well into the 20th century\, it was the most frequently produced of Wagner’s works. Now\, it is less frequently performed. This talk identifies both those features of Lohengrin that appealed to Wagner’s contemporaries and those that indicated his advance into fully fledged music drama. It will then suggest through slides and video how modern performers have interpreted Lohengrin from the perspective of the 21st century. \nSimon Williams was a Professor in the Department of Theater and Dance at the University of Santa Barbara for thirty years. He has taught at universities on four continents\, including the University of Regina\, of Alberta\, Cornell University and\, since 1984\, UCSB. He has published widely in the fields of European continental theatre\, the history of acting\, Shakespearean performance\, and operatic history. His major publications include “German Actors of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries” (Greenwood\, 1985)\, “Shakespeare on the German Stage\, 1586-1914” (Cambridge\, 1990)\, “Richard Wagner and Festival Theatre” (Greenwood\, 1994)\, and “Richard Wagner and the Romantic Hero” (Cambridge\, 2004). He has contributed numerous articles in his fields of specialty in edited volumes and leading periodicals. He is also an active director and reviewer of opera. His current projects include co-editing “A History of the German Theatre” for Cambridge University Press and studies of Shakespeare in the eighteenth century and European opera in the nineteenth. URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/lohengrin-the-challenge-of-production-with-simon-williams/ LOCATION:Jewish Community Center – San Francisco\, 3200 California Street\, San Francisco\, CA\, 94118\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Leibig-Lohengrin.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230624T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230624T150000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20230519T174725Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250318T192850Z UID:34145-1687611600-1687618800@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:Strauss's Evolving Relationship with Wagner's Creative Legacy with Katherine Syer DESCRIPTION:HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL VIDEO OF THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/HBQ0gCHIFo4 \nStrauss’s collaboration with the poet and dramatist Hugo von Hofmannsthal on Elektra (1909) spawned a creative relationship that swiftly moved in new stylistic directions with Der Rosenkavalier (1911) and Ariadne auf Naxos (1912). Ideas that would lead to Die Frau ohne Schatten (1919) started germinating in these years\, with Wagner’s creative legacy proving to be a potent wellspring for both poet and composer. In this presentation\, we consider some of the way’s Wagner’s legacy is threaded through this evolutionary phase for Strauss and turning point in history. \nKatherine Syer has taught at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the theatre studies and musicology departments and in the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA. Her areas of expertise include historical and contemporary opera/theatre production\, grounding her work as a dramaturg for spoken and lyric theatre. Syer’s scholarship focusing on Wagner’s creative development and legacy has been published in several volumes and journals. Her monograph “Wagner’s Visions: Poetry\, Politics and the Psyche in the Operas through Die Walküre” appeared in 2014 (Boydell and Brewer). An international opera critic for over 30 years\, Syer is an avid performing arts advocate and frequent public speaker. URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/strausss-evolving-relationship-with-wagners-creative-legacy/ LOCATION:Jewish Community Center – San Francisco\, 3200 California Street\, San Francisco\, CA\, 94118\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/K-Syer-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230618T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230618T140000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20230519T185216Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250318T193046Z UID:34154-1687089600-1687096800@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:Heldentenor Clay Hilley in Conversation DESCRIPTION:HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL RECORDING OF THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/JgYsw8359uQ \nIn this Zoom Webinar\, we get to know heldentenor Clay Hilley. Praised in The New York Times for his “vocal heft\, clarion sound and stamina\,” by de Volkskrant for a “sublime” voice\, in the Financial Times for his “extraordinary energy and stamina\,” and heralded by Concerti for having\, ”sung himself into the front row of the hero tenors….” American Clay Hilley appears at the world’s leading opera houses and concert venues in the most challenging heldentenor repertoire. \nAt age 39\, Hilley sang Siegfried in Wagner’s Der Ring Des Nibelungen in Stefan Herheim’s new production at Deutsche Oper Berlin under the baton of Sir Donald Runnicles. This was where many WSNC Members became acquainted with Clay Hilley.  His most recent triumph was at the 2022 Bayreuther Festspiele\, where he replaced an ailing colleague as Siegfried for the premiere of Valentin Schwarz’s new production of Götterdämmerung under the baton of Cornelius Meister. On less than twenty-four hours’ notice\, he was flown from his vacation in Italy for this prominent debut\, a performance acclaimed by critics and Bayreuth’s audience alike. \nGet to know Clay better in this profile on Opera Wire: https://operawire.com/life-on-the-road-opera-couple-sara-duchovnay-clay-hilley-open-up-about-the-rv-lifestyle/ URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/heldentenor-clay-hilley-in-conversation/ LOCATION:Zoom Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Clay-Hilley-e1684521618176.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230528T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230528T193000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20230429T220530Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230524T174157Z UID:29523-1685293200-1685302200@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:Richard Wagner Birthday Reception DESCRIPTION:Join the Wagner Society of Northern California in celebration of Richard Wagner’s Birthday.\nWe are gathering immediately following the West Bay Opera performance of Flying Dutchman on Sunday May 28th at: \nBistro Maxine – in Palo Alto’s historic downtown\n548 Ramona Street\nPalo Alto\, CA \nRamona Street is pedestrian only\, however\, there are parking lots and street parking in the area. \nBeverages\, snacks and birthday cake will be served. \nYou do not have to attend the performance to enjoy the celebration. We will also be including members of the cast and crew of West Bay Opera’s Flying Dutchman. \nIf you do not wish to pay on-line\, please mail a check to:\nEmma Popek\, Treasurer\nWagner Society of Northern California\n2119 Wilmington Drive\nWalnut Creek\, CA 94596-6238 URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/richard-wagner-birthday-reception/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Peer-Space.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230429T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230429T120000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20230404T192030Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250322T013638Z UID:29302-1682762400-1682769600@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:Author Larry Wolff - In The Shadow of the Empress DESCRIPTION:HERE IS THE LINK TO AN ARCHIVAL RECORDING ON THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/UU3uAEVw4-g \nAs the Bay Area braces for the San Francisco Opera’s production of Strauss’ opera Die Frau Ohne Schatten\, The Wagner Society welcomes renowned author Larry Wolff. Wolff will discuss his new book\, “The Shadow of the Empress: Fairy-Tale Opera and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy”. This  book explores how the changing circumstances of politics and society transformed the Strauss/von Hofmannsthal opera and its cultural meanings before\, during\, and after the First World War. The influence of Wagner’s music on Strauss’s style was to be profound\, but at first his musically conservative father forbade him to study it. Indeed\, in the Strauss household\, the music of Richard Wagner was viewed with deep suspicion\, and it was not until the age of 16 that Strauss was able to obtain a score of Tristan und Isolde. Die Frau Ohne Schatten has not been performed in San Francisco since 1990. This webinar will help us to understand this monumental work. \nLarry Wolff is Silver Professor in the Department of History at New York University. His books with Stanford University Press include “Inventing Eastern Europe”\, “Venice and the Slavs”\, “The Idea of Galicia”\, “The Singing Turk”\, and “Woodrow Wilson and the Reimagining of Eastern Europe”.\nWSNC will convene at an earlier time as our speaker is based on the East Coast. URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/author-larry-wolff-in-the-shadow-of-the-empress/ LOCATION:Zoom Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Z-Empress.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230408T010000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230408T153000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20230404T010925Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250322T013419Z UID:29284-1680915600-1680967800@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:A Preview of The Flying Dutchman at West Bay Opera with Ragnar Conde DESCRIPTION:HERE IS THE LINK TO AN ARCHIVAL RECORDING OF THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/LdPp_p5RHtA \nA native of Mexico\, Ragnar Conde is one of the most important Mexican opera stage directors. He has participated in over 150 performing arts projects in Mexico\, the United States\, France\, Switzerland\, Italy and Colombia. These projects include theatre\, opera\, musicals\, concerts and films\, with credits ranging from Stage Director\, Producer\, Writer\, and Acting Coach to Scenic\, Lighting and Costume Designer. Mr. Conde was the Apprentice Stage Director selected for the Merola Opera Program for 2011 at San Francisco Opera Center. \nIn this webinar\, Conde introduces the cast who will perform and also show us some of the designs created for the production of The Flying Dutchman will be performed in Palo Alto in May\, 2023. URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/webinar-a-preview-of-west-bay-opera-flying-dutchman-with-ragnar-conde/ LOCATION:Zoom Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Square-Rigger_2.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230325T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230325T150000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20230404T182825Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250321T224727Z UID:29289-1679749200-1679756400@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:100 Years at the San Francisco Opera with Jeffrey McMillan DESCRIPTION:We are very sorry that the video of this lecture wasn’t up to our usual standard. https://youtu.be/u35wbPBMB1s \nSan Francisco has had a love affair with opera for more than 168 years. In fact\, citizens during the Gold Rush were mad for it. Between 1851 and the earthquake of 1906\, nearly 5\,000 opera performances were given in San Francisco in 26 different theaters. San Francisco Opera was founded in 1923\, thanks to a young Neapolitan conductor named Gaetano Merola (1881–1953) who came to San Francisco in 1906. During this 100 year history\, the operas of Richard Wagner held a prominent place in the repertory. \nThe Wagner Society welcomes Jeffrey McMillan\, Senior Communications Manager for San Francisco Opera. McMillan will talk about the history of Wagner performance at the San Francisco Opera and the illustrious Wagnerians who are a part of this history. URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/100-years-at-the-san-francisco-opera/ LOCATION:Jewish Community Center – San Francisco\, 3200 California Street\, San Francisco\, CA\, 94118\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/SF-Opera.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230225T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230225T143000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20221025T211700Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250321T225019Z UID:46063-1677330000-1677335400@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:Wotan and Prospero - The Price of Power with Claudia Stevens DESCRIPTION:HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL RECORDING OF THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/Zrm688rX86k \nWhat is it about power? It fascinates\, it terrifies. Tyrants cling to it. Inevitably they fall\, and often their world collapses around them. That is the stuff of theater and of opera. In Claudia Stevens’ presentation\, she considers Wotan’s loss of power and stirring farewell to Brünnhilde in Die Walküre. She asks was this moving and powerful scene influenced by Shakespeare or even by the example of Beethoven under the spell of Shakespeare? Shakespeare and Beethoven often were cited by Wagner as deeply important\, affecting his life and work. She explores briefly what works of Shakespeare\, e.g. “King Lear”\, and what representations by Beethoven of characters or situations in Shakespeare plays\, Wagner likely knew and might have referenced. Lear\, in his tragic parting with Cordelia\, has been proposed by the critic Michael Halliwell as a model for Wotan in the farewell scene. But might the actual inspiration have been Prospero in “The Tempest”? The parallels between Prospero and Wotan are too significant to be coincidental. Both gained and wielded their power by acquiring arcane knowledge\, and both poignantly and memorably would relinquish their power. Stevens proposes that the relationship between Prospero with his daughter Miranda was a possible\, even likely\, model for that between Wotan and Brünnhilde. Wotan’s transgression and abuse of power caused his downfall. But what about Shakespeare’s Prospero? Shakespeare leaves us guessing about Prospero’s “dark backward.” The unusual ending of the play\, in which Prospero relinquishes power and asks to be set free by prayer\, suggests that\, like Wotan\, he was plagued by guilt. Focusing on the musical and dramatic representation of power\, its seductions\, its use and abuse\, she concludes with a preview of the new opera Prospero’s Island\, by Allen Shearer on her libretto\, which premieres at Herbst Theatre. In this provocative adaptation\, Prospero is an all-too-real man with complex motivations– a despotic and manipulative character with a dark past\, rather than Shakespeare’s more enigmatic benign wizard whose motivations are veiled. Her Prospero\, more closely resembling Wagner’s Wotan\, yields insights into the seductions of power\, the relationship between father and daughter\, master and servant\, that not only are psychologically potent: they are the stuff of opera. The talk will be illustrated with readings and musical excerpts\, several performed “live.” \nOur speaker is Professor Claudia Stevens\, who presented the talk “But of course\, the real villain is Wagner! – or\, Wagner in the novels of E.M. Forster” for the Society in 2019. Claudia Stevens is a summa cum laude graduate of Vassar College and holds graduate degrees from UC Berkeley and Boston University. Eight chamber operas she created with Allen Shearer have been produced to date (2023). URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/wotan-and-prospero-the-price-of-power-2880/ LOCATION:Jewish Community Center – San Francisco\, 3200 California Street\, San Francisco\, CA\, 94118\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Prospero and Miranda_0.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230114T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230114T133000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20230317T195148Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250321T225516Z UID:29220-1673694000-1673703000@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:Wagner the Conductor - With Professor Chris Walton DESCRIPTION:HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL RECORDING OF THIS EVENT:: https://youtu.be/HYiiyBfbHNE \nRichard Wagner was regarded as one of the leading orchestral conductors of his day\, even among those such as Eduard Hanslick who were highly skeptical of his aesthetic and his methods. Through his disciples Hans von Bülow\, Hans Richter\, Anton Seidl\, Felix Mottl\, Arthur Nikisch and their protégés in turn (most notably Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler)\, Wagner succeeded in making his art of interpretation the norm in Europe and America until well into the 20th century. He also committed his ideas about conducting to paper\, and these essays had a long-lasting impact on subsequent generations of conductors from Mengelberg to Furtwängler\, Böhm\, Scherchen and beyond. Even those conductors generally believed to have been antithetical to his ideas – such as Arturo Toscanini – adopted many of Wagner’s recommendations when performing the German Classics. \nIn 2021\, Chris Walton published the first complete\, modern English translation of Wagner’s essays on conducting\, along with an extensive commentary on their reception and impact. In this talk\, he  discusses Wagner’s conducting practices\, his innovations in tempo\, his art of transition\, his creation of a new vocabulary to describe his art\, and his success in establishing a school of conductors to promote his works and his aesthetic. Walton studied at the universities of Cambridge\, Oxford and Zurich. He has published widely on Central European music and is today an honorary professor at the University of Stellenbosch and lectures in music history in Bern and Basel. URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/wagner-the-conductor-with-professor-chris-walton/ LOCATION:Zoom Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Wagner-Conducting.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221211T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221211T150000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20230404T003509Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250321T230052Z UID:29273-1670756400-1670770800@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:2022 Cosima Wagner Birthday Celebration DESCRIPTION:The Wagner Society gathered at the beautiful Marine’s Memorial Club and Hotel\, Crystal Ballroom for our year-end champagne celebration. Our musical guests were mezzo soprano Kindra Scharich and her piano partner Jeffrey LaDeur. Ms. Scharich sang several of the Wesendonck Lieder and other German Lied. As is customary we had a drawing for prizes. \nIt was a delightful event enjoyed by approximately 70 revelers. \nHERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL RECORDING OF THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/svZTzU7zchY \n  \n  URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/2022-cosima-wagner-birthday-celebration/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/1_6.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221112T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221112T143000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20220615T191900Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250321T230344Z UID:46091-1668258000-1668263400@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:LvanB! with Scott Foglesong DESCRIPTION:HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL RECORDING OF THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/RA3y4JwaIn8 \nOur guest is Professor Scott Foglesong who presents: “LvanB!” which Scott describes as “a heartfelt tribute to Ludwig van Beethoven\, he who gave us Kunst with a capital K\, HE whose Ninth Symphony Wagner described as “the mystical goal of all my strange thoughts and desires about music.” While we’re (belatedly) celebrating LvanB’s 250th birthday\, we’ll try to keep the strange desires to a minimum. \nScott Foglesong is Chair of Music Theory and Musicianship\, Technology and Applied Musicianship at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Foglesong also teaches at U.C. Berkeley and the Fromm Institute. He annotates programs for the San Francisco Symphony\, California Symphony\, Philhamonia Baroque and the Las Vegas Symphony. URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/lvanb-with-professor-scott-foglesong-2875/ LOCATION:Jewish Community Center – San Francisco\, 3200 California Street\, San Francisco\, CA\, 94118\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Joseph_Karl_Stielers_Beethoven_mit_dem_Manuskript_der_Missa_solemnis-e1741669759759.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221015T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20221015T140000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20220922T222900Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250321T230725Z UID:46083-1665838800-1665842400@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:Who is the true hero of the Ring? - A Case for Siegmund DESCRIPTION:HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL RECORDING OF THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/HOfb9AVwY2s \nEmma Popek\, PhD\, presents this fascinating talk on the eternally unresolved topic – who is the true hero of the Ring of the Nibelung? The talk is based on her detailed studies of the The Ring of the Nibelung\, the poem that serves as the libretto for the opera. Words matter in the Ring as much as the music. The words uttered by the key characters Siegmund\, Wotan and Brünnhilde coupled with some psychological insights establish a logical basis for a case for Siegmund. \nEmma Popek is a retired analytical chemist\, environmental technical and quality assurance manager\, and author of an internationally-acknowledged textbook on environmental data collection and analysis. She is also a member of the WSNC Board of Directors as well as its Treasurer. In addition to music\, she has a lifelong passion is Classical literature and history. In retirement\, she applied her analytical skills and the power of deduction to Classics and comparative literature. In 2021\, she organized a Zoom conference\, Symposium Peregrinum\, for international Greco-Roman scholars where she gave a talk titled “A Journey of a Hero—Achilles\, Siegmund\, and the Choices They Make.” That same year she gave a presentation to the Classical Association of the Pacific Northwest titled “The Intersection of Classics and Late Romanticism—Homer\, Ovid\, and Richard Wagner”. URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/who-is-the-true-hero-of-the-ring-a-case-for-siegmund-2878/ LOCATION:Jewish Community Center – San Francisco\, 3200 California Street\, San Francisco\, CA\, 94118\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Sigmund for website_0-e1741656169302.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220917T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220917T100000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20220615T193900Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231004T093637Z UID:46087-1663401600-1663408800@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:Global Wagner - From Bayreuth to the World DESCRIPTION:The Wagner Society of Northern California is delighted to present a screening of this new documentary “Global Wagner\, From Bayreuth to the World” by Axel Brüggemann. In this film Brüggemann examines the cult-like following Wagner has throughout the world.\nAs described on the DVD cover: “The film is a feature-length study of life with Wagner’s Legacy from one Bayreuth Festival to the next\, and we will travel the world to meet devoted Wagnerians and the most intimately involved in commenting on and producing his work today” \nThanks to Naxos and Kick! Films for permitting us to screen this intriguing documentary film. \nThis program is free to dues-paid Wagner Society Members.\nJCC-SF\n3200 California Street\nSan Francisco\,CA URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/global-wagner-from-bayreuth-to-the-world-2876/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Bayreuth Bird - small_1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220709T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220709T143000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20220615T184100Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250321T231058Z UID:46099-1657371600-1657377000@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:A Spotlight on Leitmotifs - Another Look at Wagner's Ring with Kip Cranna DESCRIPTION:HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL RECORDING OF THIS EVENT::\nhttps://youtu.be/MFBPFZPL04E \nThe leitmotifs in The Ring are an endless source of fascination. San Francisco Opera’s Dramaturg Emeritus\, Kip Cranna\, will use video and audio examples to explore the meanings\, transformations. and interrelationships of leitmotivs in The Ring to bring some new insights into Wagner’s genius. \nClifford (Kip) Cranna\, Dramaturg Emeritus of San Francisco Opera\, served on the staff for over forty years and was Director of Music Administration for over thirty years. In 2008 he was awarded the San Francisco Opera Medal\, the company’s highest honor\, and in 2012 he received the Bernard Osher Cultural Award for distinguished efforts to bring excellence to a cultural institution. In 2014 he received the Star of Excellence Award for outstanding service to the programs of the San Francisco Opera Guild. He holds a Ph.D. in musicology from Stanford University and teaches opera appreciation at the Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco and at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLI) at U.C. Berkeley\, San Francisco State University\, and Dominican University. URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/spotlight-on-leitmotives-another-look-at-wagners-ring-with-kip-cranna-2874/ LOCATION:Jewish Community Center – San Francisco\, 3200 California Street\, San Francisco\, CA\, 94118\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Festspeilhaus Interior_1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220618T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20220618T143000 DTSTAMP:20260404T060855 CREATED:20220615T182700Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250321T231729Z UID:46104-1655557200-1655562600@wagnersf.org SUMMARY:The Metropolitan Opera Career of Kirsten Flagstad with Paul Thomason DESCRIPTION:HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ARCHIVAL RECORDING OF THIS EVENT: https://youtu.be/WqbdJIrTHDo \nDuring Kirsten Flagstad’s career she enchanted millions of people\, and today her recordings are a touchstone that prove truly great singing can convey astounding depths of emotion while still remaining beautiful—even in the most strenuous roles written by Richard Wagner. But The Flagstad of Legend could very easily never have happened. Except for a series of fortuitous circumstances it is quite possible that Kirsten Flagstad would have always remained what she was before her Metropolitan Opera debut—a well-respected\, hard-working soprano virtually unknown outside of Scandinavia. In this talk\, Paul Thomason investigates the remarkable trail of events that eventually led to what is\, without a doubt\, the most astonishing debut in the history of the Metropolitan Opera—and we’ll hear some excerpts from that actual performance\, some recordings she made very early in her career\, and a couple of other live broadcasts from her first season at the Met. \nPaul Thomason has contributed commentary and program notes to opera publications worldwide. His work has appeared in the Metropolitan Opera Playbill for over two decades\, and he regularly writes for the San Francisco Opera\, Los Angeles Opera\, Chicago Symphony\, Aspen Music Festival\, and the Juilliard School. Thomason has taught at the San Francisco Conservatory Extension Division\, given pre-performance lectures at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC\, SF Symphony\, SF Opera\, Stern Grove Festival\, and produced radio programs for classical music stations in both New York City and San Francisco. URL:https://wagnersf.org/events/webinar-with-paul-thomason-the-metropolitan-opera-career-of-kirsten-flagstad-2873/ LOCATION:Zoom Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wagnersf.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Kirstn-small.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR