The first few seasons consisted of standard works such as
La boheme,
La traviata,
Tosca,
Lucia di Lammermoor and
The Barber of Seville, all presented in the 1975 to 1976 period. Many standard works are still performed, but each season typically contains a variety of operatic styles from different eras. Added to these have been productions of
American musicals such as
Man of La Mancha (1987),
West Side Story (1994),
Carousel (1996)
Oklahoma! (1997),
Sweeney Todd (September/October 2014) as well as several comic operas by
Gilbert and Sullivan such as
The Pirates of Penzance (1999 and 2022),
The Mikado (2001) and
HMS Pinafore (2014). While many of productions have focused on the standard repertory of popular operas which are frequently performed by most companies, Virginia Opera is also noted for its innovative programming of rarer or new works. These are noted below.
Works performed in the non-standard repertoire The company has produced notable world and American premieres of new works, including most recently American composer
Ricky Ian Gordon's
Rappahannock County, a Civil War song cycle co-commissioned by Virginia Opera, the Virginia Arts Festival, the Modlin Center of the University of Richmond, and the University of Texas at Austin.
Rappahannock County premiered in Norfolk on April 12, 2011, the 150th anniversary of the firing upon Fort Sumter, South Carolina. Earlier world and American premieres included operas by Scottish-American composer
Thea Musgrave, including
Mary, Queen of Scots (1975—77),
A Christmas Carol (1978—79),
Harriet, The Woman Called Moses (1984), and
Simon Bolivar (1992). Amongst some of the more unusual operas performed over 40 years were the double bill of Mozart's
The Impresario along with the popular
Pagliacci in March/April 1977. The baroque era has been well represented by Handel's
Giulio Cesare in early 1997, his
Rodelinda in February 2000 and
Agrippina in early 2007. Stagings of some
bel canto classics not so often performed in the 1980s such as Bellini's
I Capuleti e i Montecchi in Spring 1981,
Norma in October 1983 and again in January 1994, along with Donizetti's
Anna Bolena in January 1989 reflect a broad approach to the repertoire. Amongst several of Wagner's operas,
The Flying Dutchman entered the repertory in January/February 1996, while
Die Walküre followed in the fall of 2002 and again in early 2011. Richard Strauss is represented by
Ariadne auf Naxos in 2014, although it was given several times over the earlier years, and there have been several productions of
Salome, the next appearing in January/February 2015.
Elektra was given in early 2002. In addition to the Musgrave premieres, other 20th century American works have included
Porgy and Bess several times beginning in 1980; Menotti's
Amahl and the Night Visitors in December 1982 and his
The Medium in early 1992; Andre Previn's 1998
A Streetcar Named Desire was seen in February/March 2013;
Aaron Copland's
The Tender Land appeared in early 1998; and Carlisle Floyd's
Susannah was staged in November 2006. ==References==