In Memoriam | peter ebert (1918–2012)
P
eter Ebert, who died on 25 December 2012 aged ninetyfour, played a significant role in establishing the reputation of Wexford Opera Festival during its early years. He directed fourteen operas at Wexford between 1952, which was only the second year of the Festival, and 1965; works by Donizetti, Bellini, Rossini, Verdi, Ponchielli, Stanford and Mozart. In 1965 he directed Verdi’s La Traviata and Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera, for which the costumes and sets were designed by his daughter Judith Ebert. The 1965 Festival also included Massenet’s Don Quichotte, which was produced by Peter’s father Carl Ebert (1887–1980). Carl Ebert was asked by John Christie, founder with Audrey Mildmay of the Glyndebourne Festival in 1934, to produce its first opera, Le Nozze di Figaro, with Fritz Busch as conductor. Carl was Artistic Director at Glyndebourne until 1959. Peter wrote a moving book about his father, called In This Theatre of Man’s Life. Jim Golden was a voluntary worker in the props department at the early Festivals in Wexford and recalled how ‘a producer like Peter had to work with practically a total voluntary workforce. Nevertheless, they all worked to the highest professional standards. This was the atmosphere and setup in which Peter worked, and he thrived on it, winning the loyalty and trust of all who worked there.’ Eithne Scallan also remembers Peter Ebert at Wexford and the indelible impression he made on the Festival. He had a natural charm and the ability to get on with everybody without ever sacrificing his artistic commitment to producing the best with the material to hand. She said Ebert ‘was clearly happy in Wexford and I could see that Artistic Director Dr Tom Walsh and he were, after several successful years, really good friends. His smiling and gracious manner did not prevent him from being a meticulous, strict and inspired director and he must have learned much of the skill which took him through his long career in world opera from the challenge of handling splendid opera
productions in the opera house conditions at Wexford, which were almost primitive.’ Peter Ebert was born in Frankfurt and moved to Britain with his family in 1933. Although his work for the fledgling opera festival in Wexford is held in high regard, he is perhaps best-known as one of the founders of Scottish Opera in 1962, with Alexander Gibson and Peter Hemmings. Ebert was director of productions at Scottish Opera from 1965 to 1976 and was general administrator until 1980. In retirement he lived in Umbria and then in Sussex, near Glyndebourne. He had ten children, eight with his second wife, the dancer Silvia Ashmole.
Peter Ebert (with Bryan Balkwill) addressing the cast of Don Pasquale, 1953
Don Pasquale, 1953
La Figlia del reggimento, 1957
I Puritani featuring Mirella Freni, 1957 124
In Memoriam