French Opera in the Age of Manet: Massenet le Magnifique

Are you a seasoned opera aficionado, new to or just plain curious about opera? Either way, join our fascinating talk and enjoy learning about this theatrical art form.  

As the Fine Arts Museums mount the first major exhibition dedicated to the artistic exchange between French Impressionists Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot, let’s dive even deeper into French culture by visiting the world of opera in France in the late nineteenth century.  

San Francisco Opera’s Dramaturg (Scholar in Residence) Emeritus Kip Cranna will use video examples (with English subtitles) to illustrate the oh-so-French operas of Jules Massenet, including works like Manon, Le Cid, Werther, Thaïs, Cendrillon (Cinderella), and Don Quichotte (Don Quixote.) 

Clifford (Kip) Cranna, is the Dramaturg Emeritus (Scholar in Residence), with the San Francisco Opera. He is an Opera Appreciation Lecturer, at the Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLI) at University of California Berkeley, San Francisco State University, and Dominican University, and at Stanford Continuing Studies.   

This month the JCCSF is featuring three connected presentations highlighting French art and music.  

Please join us on Thursday, 10/23 for a look at the French Jazz Scene by local jazz expert Dave Radhauer. 

And on Tuesday, 10/28, don’t miss a docent lecture at the JCCSF on the Legion of Honor’s Manet and Morisot exhibition.