| The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Lukas Foss | |
 Mark Twain in 1867 | |
| Librettist | Jean Karsavina |
| Language | English |
| Based on | "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" by Mark Twain (1865) |
| Premiere | 18 May 1950 East Hall, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana |
The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County is an English language American comic opera in one act and two scenes. It was composed by Lukas Foss with a libretto by Jean Karsavina, based Mark Twain's 1865 short story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County". The opera was commissioned for television by Roger Englander.[1] It was first staged by Indiana University Opera Theatre at Indiana University's East Hall in Bloomington on May 18, 1950.[2][3]
The short opera—around forty-five minutes running time–quickly gained notice: it was work-shopped fifteen times in its first three years and received at least eighteen productions in the six years after its premiere.[4][5] It is a popular production for small opera companies and student productions.[6][7]
- ^ Greissle, Felix (September 1949). "Publisher vs. Composer: Can They Agree?". Musical America. Vol. 69, no. 11. p. 25. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ Griffel, Margaret Ross (2013). Operas in English: A Dictionary. Vol. 1. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 253. ISBN 9780810883253. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ Tobias, Marianne Williams; Calder, George (2010). Opera for All Seasons: 60 Years of Indiana University Opera Theater. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. p. 327. ISBN 9780253353405.
- ^ Parmenter, Ross (March 22, 1953). "The World of Music: Norma and Pelleas Revivals and Return of Rake and Boris Likely for Met". The New York Times. p. X7. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ Eaton, Quaintance (1961). Opera Production: A Handbook. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. p. 193. ISBN 9780306706356. LCCN 61-16843. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ Wlaschin, Ken (2024). Encyclopedia of American Opera. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 185. ISBN 9781476612386. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ Meyers, Eric (April 2004). "Opera at Land's Edge". Opera. Vol. 55, no. 4. London. pp. 396–399.