L O N G I S L A N D O P E R A G U I L D

N E W S L E T T E R

 FALL  2015  

Stony  Brook  Opera  2015-­‐2016  Season  

A  letter  from  the  Artistic  Director  of  Stony  Brook  Opera  

We are pleased to announce our 2015-2016 season, which will include three events: a gala concert featuring famous

scenes from opera and operetta in November, a staging of a Handel cantata in February, and a semi-staged concert performance of Puccini’s La Bohème in April.   In the Fall, we will present a gala concert of famous scenes from opera and operetta, performed from memory, semi-staged and accompanied by piano, and sung in the original languages with projected titles in English. In view of our upcoming production of La Bohème in April, I thought it would be of great interest to feature an extended excerpt from Act III of the other La Bohème, by Ruggero Leoncavallo, who is most famous as the composer of I Pagliacci. Puccini and Leoncavallo composed their two operas at the same time, in competition with one another. Leoncavallo’s opera is truly in the verismo style, and represents powerfully the devastating effects of poverty on the love relationships between Rodolfo and Mimì on the one hand, and Marcello and Musetta on the other. The other longer excerpt on the program is the final trio of Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier, with the duet between Sophie and Oktavian that follows it and ends the opera. Rounding out the rest of the program are such show-stoppers as the Rodolfo-Marcello duet from Act IV of Puccini’s La Bohème, the quartet from Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, two short scenes from Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro and Così fan tutte, and the haunting song “Vilja” from Lehar’s operetta The Merry Widow. I will host and

conduct this exciting program, and Brenda Harris will stage it. In February, Stony Brook Opera will collaborate with the Stony Brook Baroque Players in a staging of Handel’s early cantata “O come chiare e belle,” a thoroughly operatic work for three singers. The first half of the program will feature other purely instrumental works by Handel. Arthur Haas will conduct, and Catherine Turocy, the foremost American authority on Baroque movement and gesture, will stage the cantata. In April, we turn to one of the most frequently performed and most beloved operas of the standard repertory: Puccini’s La Bohème As we did last year, we will produce the opera in a semi-staged concert performance, a solution that is increasingly common with many opera companies and symphony orchestras. The orchestra and chorus will be on stage, and the singers will perform from memory in front of them, with staging conceived especially for this production. There will be minimal props and furniture as well as theatrical lighting, but no sets or costumes. The opera will be sung in the original Italian language, with projected titles in English. Performing Artist-in Residence Brenda Harris will conceive and direct the show with lighting designed by Jeanette Yew. Timothy Long will conduct the Stony Brook Opera cast, chorus, and members of the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra. For the dates, times and locations of all our performances this season, see the Dateline column at the end of this Newsletter. We are very excited about this year’s programming, and we look forward to seeing you at our performances. Sincerely, David Lawton

 

Original playbill for the premiere of Original playbill for the premiere of Puccini’s La Bohème, 1896 Leoncavallo’s La Bohème, 1897

“A  Gala  Evening  of  Famous  Scenes  from  Opera  and  Operetta”  Our first program this season is a concert of famous scenes from Italian, English and German opera and operetta. This stirring program includes longer excerpts from Act III of Leoncavallo’s La bohème and Strauss’s Rosenkavalier. The  Leoncavallo  segment  includes  most  of  the  third  act,  and  has  no  exact  counterpart  in  Puccini’s  La  Bohème.  Leoncavallo’s  scene  begins  with  Musetta  writing  a  farewell  letter  to  Marcello,  because  although  she  still  loves  him  deeply,  she  can  no  longer  bear  the  poverty  in  which  they  are  living.  She  hands  the  letter  to  the  doorman  and  asks  him  to  give  it  to  Marcello  when  he  returns  home.  Just  as  she  is  leaving,  Mimì  arrives.  

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She  had  abandoned  Rodolfo  some  time  ago,  and  has  been  living  with  a  Viscount  who  supports  her  in  luxury.  In  a  literary  magazine  she  has  read  a  poem  by  Rodolfo  that  mourns  the  end  of  their  former  love,  and  she  is  so  moved  that  she  has  decided  to  return  to  him.  Musetta  tries  to  dissuade  her  by  warning  her  of  the  hardships  of  living  in  such  dire  poverty.  Marcello  returns,  and  confronts  Musetta  with  her  letter.  She  tells  him  how  painful  her  decision  is,  and  in  a  passionate  duet  almost  seems  to  give  in  to  his  demand  that  she  stay,  but  in  the  end  she  tells  him  that  her  decision  is  final.  He  curses  her  in  a  violent  aria,  and  when  she  starts  to  leave  he  attempts  to  detain  her  by  force.  Mimì,  who  has  been  hiding  during  their  confrontation,  comes  out  and  tries  to  protect  Musetta.  Marcello  calls  Rodolfo  from  across  the  hall,  telling  him  that  Mimì  has  found  a  new  lover  for  Musetta.  Mimì  denies  the  charge  and  desperately  implores  Rodolfo  to  take  her  back,  but  he  coldly  dismisses  her.  Marcello  asks  Musetta  to  take  all  of  her  things,  and  once  she  has  gathered  them,  she  leaves  with  Mimì.  Left  alone,  he  pours  his  heart  out  in  a  searing  aria  lamenting  the  loss  of  the  great  love  of  his  life.   From Der Rosenkavalier we will perform the final trio for the Marschallin, Sophie and Oktavian, and the little duet for Sophie and Oktavian that concludes this gorgeous scene. The Marschallin, who has been having an affair with Oktavian, graciously, and with great dignity steps aside, so that the two young lovers Sophie and Oktavian, who have fallen in love during the course of the opera, may follow their hearts unencumbered. Strauss’s vocal writing, and the wonderful overlapping effects of the three female voices (two sopranos and a mezzo soprano) are truly ravishing. The program also includes two shorter scenes from Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro and Così fan tutte. From Figaro we offer the charming duet in Act III, in which the Countess dictates to Susanna a letter offering the Count a tryst with Susanna later in the evening. This charming duet,”Sull’aria” will be familiar to movie-goers from its prominent use in the film The Shawshank Redemption. From Così fan tutte we present the Sextet from Act I, in which Ferrando and Guglielmo return, disguised as Albanians, and, prodded by Don Alfonso and Despina, start to court their outraged sweethearts Fiordiligi and Dorabella, who do not recognize them. From Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, based on Shakespeare’s play, we will perform the quartet, in which Helena, Hermia, Demetrius, and Lysander awake from their slumber and are reunited in their original pairing. The program will end with the nostalgic song “Vilja” from Lehar’s The Merry Widow, in which all of the singers involved in the program will sing the chorus parts that alternate with the solo soprano. Performing our opera gala program are some of the singers who sang leading roles in our highly successful semi-staged concert performance of Lucia Di Lammermoor last season: mezzo soprano Kristin Starkey, who sang the role of Alisa, tenor David Guzman, who portrayed Edgardo, and baritone Joseph Han, who performed the role of Enrico. Joining these fine singers are three very exciting vocalists who are new to our program: Janani Sridhar, a wonderful soprano with a thrilling voice and charismatic stage presence, Zen Kuriyama, a fine lyric baritone, and Alexander Hahn, a superb bass-baritone. The program will be sung in the original languages, with projected titles in English. Our accomplished pianists Miles Massicotte and Bowei Chen, both doctoral students in piano performance, will accompany the singers. I will be the conductor and music director for this gala program, and my colleague Brenda Harris will stage the scenes. There will be two performances at different locations: Wednesday, November 18 at 12 noon at Berkner Hall, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Friday, November 20 at 8 p.m. at the Recital Hall, Stony Brook.

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Bass-baritone Christian Van Horn (class of 1998) “Van Horn's intelligent, self-possessed performing style is consistently striking...” –Paul Driscoll, Opera News

Fund-raiser for Stony Brook Opera, with Christian Van Horn Christian received his AB from Stony Brook University in 1998, and performed his first operatic roles with Stony Brook Opera: he sang the parts of Benoit and Alcindoro in Puccini’s La Bohème. Currently he is enjoying a major international operatic career. In December he will be in New York performing the role of Colline in La Bohème at the Metropolitan Opera. He has graciously agreed to return to his alma mater as a fund-raiser for Stony Brook Opera. Don’t miss this wonderful event, which will take place in the Recital Hall on Monday, December 7 at 8 pm. On the first half of the program, Christian will work with three of our doctoral students in a master class format. After a short intermission, the evening will conclude with some performances. He will sing King Philip’s heart-breaking aria “Ella giammai m’amò” from Verdi’s Don Carlo and the Broadway song “Without a song” by Vincent Youmans, which Christian describes as “a huge hit with the audience.” In addition, he will perform with some of our advanced students the “Toreador” song from Carmen, and the opening scene from Le nozze di Figaro, including the two short duets for Figaro and Susanna, ending with Figaro’s aria “Se vuol ballare.” Timothy Long will accompany all the singers in this exciting evening. More information will be forthcoming in a separate announcement

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Stony Brook Opera Dateline 2015—2016

Save the dates! I. “A Gala Evening of Famous Scenes from Opera and Operetta”

(Two performances) Wednesday, November 18, 2015 at 12 noon, Brookhaven National Laboratory Friday, November 20 at 8 p.m., Staller Center Recital Hall, Stony Brook University II. Fund-raiser for Stony Brook Opera, with a master class and performances by our alum, bass-baritone Christian Van Horn, currently enjoying a major international operatic career Monday, December 7, 2015 at 8 pm, Recital Hall, Stony Brook III. Chamber Opera production of Handel’s O, come chiare e belle

(Two performances) Friday, February 12, 2016 at 8 p.m., Second Presbyterian Church, West 96th Street and Central Park West, New York City Sunday, February 14 at 3 p.m., Recital Hall, Stony Brook IV. Semi-staged concert performance of Puccini’s La Bohème

(Three performances) Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at 12 noon: preview at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Berkner Hall Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 8 p.m.: Staller Center Main Stage, Stony Brook Sunday, May 1, 2016 at 3 p.m.: Staller Center Main Stage, Stony Brook

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