Opera Scotland

Frank Corsaro Suggest updates

Born New York City, 22 December 1924.

Died Suwanee, Georgia, 11 November 2017.

American director and librettist.

Frank Corsaro is most closely associated with a lengthy period when he directed innovative productions at New York City Opera, beginning in 1958 with Susannah (Carlisle Floyd). He was one of the first directors to introduce video projection as part of the design concept. His stagings at NYCO included then unusual works such as Korngold's Die tode Stadt, as well as The Makropulos Case and The Cunning Little Vixen. But he also gave fresh treatments to standard repertoire including Madama Butterfly and La traviata. He worked on a number of new American pieces for NYCO, including Summer and Smoke (Lee Hoiby 1971). He directed premieres at other American companies, including Seattle (Of Mice and Men by Floyd, 1970) and Houston (The Seagull by Pasatieri, 1974).

His Opera Theater of St Louis production of Fennimore and Gerda (Delius) was featured on that company's Edinburgh Festival visit, but otherwise he did not work in Britain. He also staged a number of student productions in New York at the Juilliard. Outside the USA his guest appearances included Ottawa (Rinaldo), a staging that also appeared at the Met.

On Broadway he directed several dramas, as well as Scott Joplin's only opera, Treemonisha (1975). He also collaborated with several composers by preparing the librettos as well as directing. These included both Stephen Paulus (Heloise and Abelard) and Thomas Pasatieri (Frau Margot).