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 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 semistaged 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 Stony Brook Opera 2015-2016 Season FALL 2015 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 Puccini s La Bohème, 1896 Original playbill for the premiere of 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. Long Island Opera Guild Newsletter Page 2
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. Long Island Opera Guild Newsletter Page 3
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 Long Island Opera Guild Newsletter Page 4
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 96 th 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 Long Island Opera Guild Newsletter Page 5