SFOG News:
The Santa Fe Opera Guild hosts its in-person Vivace Book Club featuring the selection Verdi With a Vengeance: An Energetic Guide to the Life and Complete Works of the King of Opera by William Berger, 2-3 p.m. (MDT), Tuesday, March 26 at the Santa Fe Main Library.
Dr. Bernadette Snider, the Guild’s President said, “We are excited about the selection of a William Berger title for our upcoming in-person Vivace. Berger is a noted opera expert and speaker, who writes about Giuseppe Verdi with passion, respect, and humor in Verdi With a Vengeance.”
Dr. Snider also notes, “The Vivace offerings are complimentary to both our members and non- members. We are pleased that we can make these events available to opera lovers throughout our community.”
Berger is a respected opera expert and frequent commentator on NPR who authored a much-lauded book, Wagner Without Fear: Learning To Love—And Even Enjoy—Opera’s Most Demanding Genius. His book titles belie his wicked sense of humor that makes his writing attractive to readers along a broad spectrum of knowledge and experience with Opera.
In Verdi With a Vengeance, Berger provides the reader with a comprehensive look at the composer’s life and times in fewer than seventy-five pages. The balance of the book is comprised of summaries and commentary of Verdi’s operas. Berger includes listings of films, recordings, books, and articles about Verdi and his operas, albeit in 2024 the entries are dated.
Overall, the book is a good primer regardless of your level of exposure to the genre.
Snider will lead the discussion. She saw her first opera, La traviata, at the Metropolitan Opera when she was 5 years old. The tragic love story of Violetta and Alfredo remains her favorite opera to this day. She is looking forward to experiencing the Santa Fe Opera’s production of La traviata this summer.
Santa Fe Opera Guild hopes the community will join them this month at 2 p.m., Tuesday, March 26 at the Santa Fe Main Library for its discussion of Verdi With a Vengeance: An Energetic Guide to the Life and Complete Works of the King of Opera by William Berger. There is no charge for this event, but registration is required.
Direct questions to events@santafeoperaguild.org.
Register for the Vivace: Verdi With a Vengeance here: https://bit.ly/49BABUP
About The Santa Fe Opera Guild
The Santa Fe Opera Guild is one of the five Guilds of the Santa Fe Opera, whose mission is to support the work and goals of the Community Engagement Department of the Santa Fe Opera through volunteering, fundraising, and community activities. The Santa Fe Opera Guild (SFOG) is under the direction of an all-volunteer Board of Directors and is operated under the non-profit umbrella of The Guilds of the Santa Fe Opera, Inc., a 501c3.
What We Do
Everything we do is with our members in mind. With the help of our dedicated volunteers, we offer both educational and social events throughout the year. Our events are designed for both the opera-curious and seasoned aficionados. We welcome everyone with an interest in opera and camaraderie to join us.
