The Philadelphia Civic Grand Opera Company (PCGOC) was an American

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

company located in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

that was actively performing at the Academy of Music between 1950 and 1955. Fausta Cleva served as the company's first General Director and conductor, and Chevalier L. Jackson was the governing board's first president. The company's first performance was of Camille Saint-Saëns's ''

Samson et Dalila ''Samson and Delilah'' (french: Samson et Dalila, links=no), Op. 47, is a grand opera in three acts and four scenes by Camille Saint-Saëns to a French libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire. It was first performed in Weimar at the (Grand Ducal) Theater ( ...

'' on January 24, 1950 with

Giovanni Martinelli Giovanni Martinelli (22 October 1885 – 2 February 1969) was an Italian operatic tenor. He was associated with the Italian lyric-dramatic repertory, although he performed French operatic roles to great acclaim as well. Martinelli was one of t ...

as Samson, Blanche Thebom as Dalila,

Martial Singher Martial Singher (August 14, 1904 – March 9, 1990) was a French baritone opera singer born in Oloron-Sainte-Marie, Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Initially singing only as a hobby, he was encouraged by then French education minister Édouard Herriot ...

as The High Priest of Dagon, and John Lawler as Abimélech. Other operas presented that season were ''

Cavalleria rusticana ''Cavalleria rusticana'' (; Italian for "rustic chivalry") is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from an 1880 short story of the same name and subsequent play ...

'', ''

L'amico Fritz ''L'amico Fritz'' () is an opera in three acts by Pietro Mascagni, premiered in 1891 from a libretto by P. Suardon ( Nicola Daspuro) (with additions by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti), based on the French novel ''L'ami Fritz'' by Émile Erckmann a ...

'', and '' Carmen''.

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, is located in Manhattan, New York City, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side, between the Metro ...

: ''Folder: Philadelphia Civic Grand Opera Company'' Cleva left the PCGOC after its first season and Giuseppe Bamboschek took over the role of General Director and conductor for the remainder of the company's history. Bamboschek had previously served as musical director of the PCGOC's rival company, the

Philadelphia La Scala Opera Company The Philadelphia La Scala Opera Company (defunct) was an American opera company located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that was actively performing at the Academy of Music (Philadelphia), Academy of Music between 1925 and 1954. In 1955 the company m ...

(PLSOC). Bamboschek's first conducting assignment with the company was ''

Aida ''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 Decemb ...

'' for the opening of the second season on October 11, 1950 with Herva Nelli in the title role,

Kurt Baum Kurt Baum (March 15, 1900 – December 27, 1989) was an Austria-Hungary born American operatic tenor. He is best remembered for his 25 seasons spent with the Metropolitan Opera, between 1941 and 1966. Life and career Born ethnic German-Jewish ...

as Radames, Margaret Harshaw as Amneris, and Lawler as the King of Egypt. The company mounted a total of 45 opera productions at the Academy of Music during its history, with its last production being Giuseppe Verdi's ''

Rigoletto ''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play '' Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had co ...

'' on October 13, 1955 with

Frank Guarrera Frank Guarrera (December 3, 1923 – November 23, 2007) was an Italian-American lyric baritone who enjoyed a long and distinguished career at the Metropolitan Opera, singing with the company for a total of 680 performances. He performed 35 differe ...

in the title role, Lisa di Julio as Gilda, and

Eugene Conley Eugene Conley (March 12, 1908 – December 18, 1981) was a celebrated American operatic tenor. Born in Lynn, Massachusetts, Conley studied under Ettore Verna, and made his official debut as the Duke of Mantua in ''Rigoletto'', at the Brooklyn Acad ...

as the Duke of Mantua. In 1955 the PCGOC merged with their rival, the PLSOC, to form the

Philadelphia Grand Opera Company The Philadelphia Grand Opera Company was the name of four different American opera companies active at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the twentieth century. The last and best known of the four was founded in November 195 ...

(PGOC) under General Director Anthony Terracciano. Bamboschek continued on with the PGOC as one of their primary conductors.

References

External links

Frank Hamilton's Database of Opera in Philadelphia
{{authority control Musical groups established in 1950 Musical groups disestablished in 1955 Culture of Philadelphia Pennsylvania opera companies Musical groups from Philadelphia