Opera and Beyond

WERTHER at Minnesota Opera

2012-01-29T08:21:00.001-06:00

Jules Massenet's operas are not amongst the most performed in the repertoire, so it was a treat to go to St. Paul to catch Minnesota Opera's upcoming production of WERTHER.

Goethe's 1774 novel, although wildly popular in its day, is not much on the reading lists today, so in some ways the opera has outlived its source. As adapted in the opera, the plot is simple: Artist/writer loves girl, girl can't marry artist; artist is despondent and shoots himself, eventually dies. All remaining are sad or hurt.

As a character Werther is a self absorbed and the bourgeois grownup in us makes us want to say to him "Grow up!" or "Get a life!" But everybody is fascinated by the youthful idealistic flameout--the Jim Morrisons, Kurt Cobains, or Christopher McCandlesses (the Into the Wild guy) who refuse to conform. There really is no other character like Werther in all of opera.

I am doing lots of tweaks on my own opera right now, so dramaturgy is on my mind. There are some "rules" that WERTHER breaks. A couple of them are: don't take too long to die and don't take too long to get to the good stuff. But those who are willing to wade through a bit of exposition are richly rewarded by the opera's third act.

At that point, newly married Charlotte has realized that she loves Werther and not her husband, Albert. She frets about him in a beautiful aria (the "Letter" aria) and later sings one of the mezzo national anthems--"Va! Laissez coulez mes larmes" which has the extra treat of the most important saxophone solo in all opera. He also sings the unforgettable "Pourqoui me reveiller." And by this time in the show, you care about the characters, particularly Charlotte who has been trapped by a promise she made to her dying mother to marry the rather drab Albert. The payoff is worth the wait--I think the third act of Werther is one of the best acts in opera--right up there with the second act of CARMEN, or the last act of RIGOLETTO. And if the act is done well, as it was Thursday evening, Werther's very long death later is made more compelling.

Dale Johnson, the opera's Artistic Director, has assembled a strong company, especially Werther (James Valenti), Charlotte (Roxana Constantinescu ), and her sister Sophie (Angela Mortellaro, one of their fine resident artists), who are are able to look their parts, act their parts, and sing their parts. That's not an easy trifecta to pull off.

Also hard to pull off is Massenet's music. It is often so spare that it has almost Mozartean delicacy. Pit/stage coordination can be challenging because sometimes the only person on the beat is the singer on stage. Conductor Christoph Campestrini was particularly fearless in creating little sister Sophie's youthful fun, and act one had a fine and phat bassoon solo.

Scenically, the nineteenth century drawing room of Charlotte's house and her bucolic yard is contrasted with a large black bridge and a black and white backdrop of an industrial riverside. This show is not Emmeline, or Oliver, or any other about humanity in the grip of the industrial revolution, so it seemed a tiny bit heavy handed, but the moving bridge certainly allowed for some quick scene changes and dramatic points of view.

Stick a fork in it (not quite)

2012-01-04T15:47:00.000-06:00

On New Year's Eve, I finished the piano vocal score to SLAYING THE DRAGON. In my process, this means the show is over 50% complete. Next comes the orchestration. Since the plan is to keep the orchestra small, it is going to be flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, harp, percussion/timpani, piano and synthesizer, and string quintet. My friend and fellow composer Craig Bohmler is a big fan of tuba in a small orchestra, so I have thought I'd give it a try. Since there is likely to be some aggressive brass writing in the show, it will be good for the brass section to have a "big bottom."

The next workshop for DRAGON is Saturday January 14th. In general, I wrote the music for the characters first and their conflicts last, so the music written since the fall workshop is more strident, angular, and dramatic. Too much of this turns an audience off, but the less tuneful music actually sets up the melodic parts so they can be enjoyed, otherwise too much sweet music ends up being like a too-large chocolate sundae, lovely at first, but then boring, and perhaps even too much to digest.

The dragon is almost slain...

2011-12-06T11:41:00.000-06:00

My opera with Ellen Frankel, SLAYING THE DRAGON, is 90% complete, at least according to the spreadsheet I am keeping on it. Center City Opera has taken great care of us, with a full music reading scheduled for January and a staged, off-book presentation in February. At least for me, operas get easier to complete as they move along. You already know your characters and you are filling in the large mural in the last few spots. The last challenging spot was a bit of "hate rock," something that sounds genuine and completely out of context. Hopefully it will not sound like a composer wrote it.

SILENT NIGHT at Minnesota Opera

2011-11-11T12:33:00.001-06:00

Minnesota Opera has much to be proud of about for its premiere production of SILENT NIGHT which plays November 12, 15 ,17, 19, and 20 at the Ordway Theatre in downtown St. Paul. I attended their final dress on November 10th. Given the complexity and size of the production it went so smoothly that it seemed like it could have been opening night.

SILENT NIGHT is about the World War I Christmas truce of 1914, when the opposing sides briefly put their guns down and shared the holiday together. It is the last gasp of fin-de-siecle gallantry before the horrors of mechanized modern war bring humanity to a much crueler plane. It is a story that deserves to be better known and is ripe for opera.

Everything works in this production. The set--sort of LES MIS on steroids--uses a turntable to switch efficiently between the French, German, and English (Scottish) sides. The no mans land in between is atop the turntable. The cast was uniformly compelling, and the orchestra played beautifully. Indeed, the orchestral interludes--of the opening battles of 1914 and the administering of last rites--were some of the high points of the show. Kevin Puts' magnificent music has the ability to move from prickly modern to beautiful tonal clouds that put me in mind of Ravel. Music and singing play a key role in bringing the sides together to celebrate Christmas and the emotional climax of the opera for me was the moment when a singer from the German side and a Scottish bagpiper come together for a musical entente that brings everyone out of the trenches. (I hope the bagpiper gets a bow!) Sometimes I wished Puts had paid a little less respect to librettist Mark Campbell's fine text and let the characters sing, but Puts is young and talented and will learn to bend the text to the musical will.

One of the things I was dreading was the monochrome effect of operas that have one voice gender--Britten's all male BILLY BUDD comes most to mind. The effect can be of too much chocolate or too much heat in a curry. Fortunately, the character of Anna Sorensen, a Norwegian opera singer is threaded throughout the piece. She reminded me of a much more sober and thoughtful version of Marie in DAUGHTER OF THE REGIMENT. Her high notes provide a welcome balance to the otherwise all male cast--the olive in the martini.

The libretto is based on the screenplay for the recent French film, Joyeux Noel. I could have wished for some more operatic pathos than it provided at the end but that probably is just from having seen too much Puccini. I was reminded of this when my favorite character in the opera, Ponchel, the French lieutenant's aide-de-camp, was mistakenly shot. He is shot, he sings, and dies. In the next opera of their season, WERTHER, the title character sings for a whole act before he dies from his self inflicted gunshot. If you have a chance, go see BOTH of them.

photo of dress rehearsal by Michael Daniel

Carlisle Floyd

2011-09-28T15:43:00.002-05:00

Florida State University celebrated Carlisle Floyd's 85th year with a concert of his works performed by faculty, students, and guest artists. George Darden, a former student of Mo. Floyd's tore up the piano in a wide range of excerpts, including pieces from most of Floyd's operas. I went down to see the concert with Craig Bohmler, an amazing composer and pianist who is a fellow student of Floyd. Craig studied both piano and composition with Carlisle.

I spent '80-'81 working with Floyd while at the Houston Opera Studio. At the time, I found it very trying. What he demanded was that one should find the most interesting part of a story, and not be afraid to manipulate it so that it is continually compelling. Otherwise, it should be abandoned. We spent most of the year creating synopses and adaptations of stories, abandoning one after another, so I wrote very little music that year. Although it took awhile to come to grips with this cycle of create/abandon/move on, in the end it turned me into a theatre composer.

Carlisle has a new project up his sleeve, which is great to see.

2011-09-22T16:19:00.001-05:00

A little excerpt beautifully sung by Center City Opera artist in residence Paul Corujo and pianist David Hsu from the first music workshop of our new opera, SLAYING THE DRAGON. From near the end of the show, when Rabbi Nathan Goodman tries to convince a skeptical crowd that Jerry, the Klan man, has truly renounced his path and deserves a fair hearing from the crowd. The setting is a Martin Luther King Day celebration at his synagogue. The musical references to the Berg Violin Concerto are intentional.

Ellen Frankel's paraphrase of the MLK words are:

Darkness cannot banish darkness,

Hatred cannot banish hate,

Vengeance cannot cancel vengeance,

Only love avails.

Workshop progress

2011-09-17T10:45:00.001-05:00

It's been an extremely productive few days in Philly. Because the singers at Crnter City Opera are so used to workshops and readings, they aren't afraid to make helpful suggestions.

Slaying the Dragon workshop in Philadelphia

2011-09-12T14:52:00.000-05:00

Today, Center City Opera began rehearsing for its reading of SLAYING THE DRAGON. Over half the music has been drafted. They will present one reading in Philadelphia, and another down in nearby Wilmington. A fully staged workshop takes place in February and the premiere in June. In this show, it seems that the "good guys" have been written first. This coalition of characters--the Rabbi and his wife, the Episcopal Priest, the Asian leader, the African American Reverend, the holocaust survivor--have had to be made into a believable group who are far from monolithic in their attitudes.

Excerpt from Psyche and Eros

2011-09-02T17:44:00.001-05:00

This is an excerpt from PSYCHE AND EROS written by Margaret Wolfson and myself and performed by us with the Marisa Polesky on violin. The piece is rather like a sort of PETER AND THE WOLF on steroids and not strictly a piece for kids. The original version was premiered by Barbara Day Turner at San Jose Chamber Orchestra, BB--before blogs.

Congrats to Robert Ward

2011-08-31T14:22:00.002-05:00

This year the National Endowment for the arts opera honorees include composer Robert Ward. They will be honored at a free concert and ceremony in Washington in October. Although Bob is primarily known for his adaptation of THE CRUCIBLE, he has written several other operas, and lots of instrumental music. Some of those operas-- MINUTES TIL MIDNIGHT--were not so successful, but others, such as ABELARD AND HELOISE, deserve another look. Although well into his nineties, he is still composing, though not so much opera any more. The other honorees include Speight Jenkins, Rise Stevens, and John Conklin.

I studied with Bob and consider him to be my principal composition teacher. The opera I'm writing now, SLAYING THE DRAGON, is kind of my Robert Ward opera. His operas have heroic characters who try to do the right thing, even when society is not looking kindly at them. Bob's musical style was tonal back when tonal wasn't cool and he kept to that style as serialism gave way to minimalism gave way to whatever it is we call what we do now. Bob's most important advice was that if I couldn't play and sing something I had written, it might not be truly honest writing. He was also a great example of a warm and mentoring colleague, something that I have tried (not always successfully) to emulate. And he's a great example of remaining engaged in one's work as long as one can. I plan to be there cheering for him when the NEA acknowledges him on October 27th.

Evolution of an Aria (long)

2011-08-25T15:01:00.000-05:00

One of the reasons I started this blog was to document the process of composition so that it might be useful to composers and librettists starting out on their journey. In the eight months that Ellen Frankel and I have been working on our opera, there have been eight versions of the libretto created. In the fifth scene, some of the supporting characters who have been harassed by the Klan Grand Dragon, Jerry, have gathered together with Nathan, the Rabbi and male lead of the opera. They all must decide if they should cancel their Martin Luther King Day Commemoration event because of Jerry’s threats. They are split on it. Nathan answers that they must go ahead with the ceremony, but it has taken us awhile to get to the best way for Nathan to convince the others. If you're not interested in process, take a brief look at versions 4,5,6 vs version 7.2. (Thanks to Ellen for helping to compile this)

The Evolution of an Aria

Nathan’s aria in Scene V, “Slaying the Dragon”

Version 3 stub

Nathan (aria):

We must slay the dragon--

The three-headed hydra

Of silence, indifference, and fear.

Version 4, 5 and 6

Nathan (aria):

We must slay the dragon--

The three-headed hydra

Of silence, indifference, and fear.

Where can we find this odious beast?

Don’t look in the dragon’s lair,

Far beyond the margins of town,

A place of ghosts and haunted dreams,

Nor root in the underworld,

Where monsters fete their evil deeds.

No, this dragon strolls our thoroughfares,

Tips its hat at passersby,

Kisses babies, donates alms, keeps us safe at home,

Soothes our fears with lullabies

Which numb us into sleep.

Nathan: We must gather to honor King’s legacy. It’s good for the community.

Emails between Michael Ching and Ellen Frankel (June 2, 2011):

MC: Ellen--Could we talk about this lyric? I think we need to clarify what we're trying to get at here.

EF: What I'm trying to get at with this lyric is that the "dragon" of the opera's title points not only to the Grand Dragon of the KKK and other obvious monsters that live in "lairs at the margins" of civilization but also to the more benign dragons which inhabit our neighborhoods and daily lives--people like Bud Connor and the Klansmen who wear hoods but also cheer their kids at football games and bake brownies at home.

If the metaphors drown the message, I can simplify, either by cutting the number of lines or by making the message more explicit. What precisely bothers you about it?

MC: Well this opening:

We must slay the dragon, The three-headed hydra--Our silence, denial, and fear.

The last line, "Our silence, denial, and fear" makes me think that the dragon is the GOOD GUYS’ unwillingness to stand up for what they believe.

If I understand your intention as expressed in the e-mail, one head of the hydra is the fire spewing Jerry Kriegs, another head is apparently friendly, but really is not. And the third?

I like your sentiment, but it strikes me as two arias here, and we should do only one:

One is we should slay the monster (or dragon) of our unwillingness to act. The other is we should slay the dragon of prejudice and intolerance in both its overt and covert forms.

You are suggesting that Nathan is about to sing about the second one, but it seems to me that it's really the first one that he's talking about here to motivate the particular crowd he's talking to. I'm wondering if that is the case, whether we should address it in some way other than "slaying a dragon."

EF: As usual, you are right on the money in spotting a problem, in this case, two different messages. And you're right that the primary message in this aria should focus on the indifference of the "silent majority" who allows intolerance to flourish--by keeping silent.

Emails between Michael Ching and Ellen Frankel (June 22, 2011):

MC: Ellen--I'm sorry to keep bringing us back to the drawing board on Nathan's text but I still don't think it's right. The focus of the aria, the hook, needs to be what he says in your text, right before the "aria"--"We must not let hate win!" That's what the song should be about.

Fear feeds the dragon of hate and cancelling the rally lets the forces of hate grow stronger. "Silence, denial, and fear" feed the dragon too, but the dragon itself is not "silence, denial and fear" is it? It is hate. So it's almost like "We mustn't feed the dragon of hate" (not that you'd put it that way).

Also, I think Nathan needs a few words of sympathy at the beginning. He's behaving like a man, launching into a lofty speech about a dragon, and not saying "I'm sorry this happened" to any of them.

EF: I couldn't be happier that you keep coming back to the drawing board about this piece! Second-best will simply not do. Clearly my metaphor is standing in the way of the message (or as the lit crit folks say--ask your wife--the vehicle is getting in the way of the tenor (and I don't mean singing voice). Let me meditate on the meaning of this scene more deeply so that I can move the narrative and emotional arcs forward effectively and give you the lyrical launch pad that you need for the music.

Never regret pushing me to higher and more valid focus.

Version 7.1

Silence--

Like a cancer in our blood,

Breeds on dirty, little lies--

“It’s not my place to say,”

“I haven’t heard all the views”--

And so we temporize.

Silence--

Like a cancer in your blood--

Breeds on dirty, little fears.

Clouds your eyes,

Clogs your ears

So you can’t hear your neighbor’s cries.

Silence like a cancer

Eats at your heart

And hollows your soul--

Till you burn it out,

Burn it out,

And shout the truth!

We must honor Doctor King's legacy tomorrow. For the good of the community.

Emails between Michael Ching and Ellen Frankel (August 11, 2011):

MC: Ellen--A suggestion for Nathan's aria in Scene V. It might be good if it was a little longer and here's a suggestion about how to make it so: Instead of focusing on a single word "Silence," perhaps we could add "Inaction" and "fear" (We kind of had something a bit like that when we were still fussing with the dragon idea)

Silence--

Inaction-- (or perhaps being passive) (not sure)

Fear--

And then he could sum it up--

We must not be silent, we must speak out!

We must not be passive, we must act

We must not be afraid, we must be brave

We must go ahead with the King program...

EF: Ah, so the three-headed hydra has reared her ugly head again...!

I went through the libretto and realized that there are several sets of three's:

Scene 1: "Honor, happiness, and life" vs. "Dishonor, disgrace and death"

Scene 2: (In "God, hear our prayer")--"hate, fear, and revenge" vs. "love, truth, and grace"

Scene 4:

"He has stolen my peace!"

"Will I ever know peace?"

"He has robbed us of peace!"

Scene 9:

Darkness cannot banish darkness

Hatred cannot banish hate

Vengeance cannot cancel vengeance

So there seems to be a motif of triplets, a sense that both good and bad things come in three's. Maybe that's why the mythological figure of the hydra popped into my head. (Maybe that's where the trinity comes from--who knows?) Three has always been a magical number in all cultures.

OK, enough with the anthropology lesson...

I'm going to see if I can foreshadow the signature song sung by Nathan in Scene 9, based on the words of Martin Luther King, by figuring out what human habits, when left unattended and unconscious, eventually blossom into full-fledged intolerance such as expressed by the KKK. I think you're onto these when you mention "silence, inaction, and fear" as creating the social climate that allows intolerance to flourish. Let me see what I can come up with.

MC: Well, I wasn't so concerned about a triad. Silence just didn't seem to cover it alone. But regardless, not bringing a god-damned dragon into it seemed to make it clearer! ;) MC

EF: Do I detect an intolerance toward dragons...?

Version 7.2

Nathan (aria):

Silence--

Like a cancer in our blood,

Breeds on dirty, little lies--

“It’s not my place to say,”

“I haven’t heard all the views”--

And so we temporize.

Inaction—

Like a wasting in our bones,

Reduces us in size,

It makes us small and mean,

Conveniently unseen

When we turn away our eyes.

Fear—

Like a blockage in our heart,

Takes us by surprise--

Though the signs have all been there

As we shrink from every scare,

And hide in sheep’s disguise.

Friends,

We must not be silent, we must speak out! We must act!

We must not be passive!

We must not fear but be strong! Be strong!

We must honor Doctor King's legacy tomorrow. For the good of the community.

MC: Nathan's lyric is working great. It's funny how when things line up they fit like a hand in a glove.

David Olney at Byron's in Pomeroy, Iowa

2011-08-22T13:46:00.000-05:00

Last night I drove 90 miles up to a little dot on the map, Pomeroy, Iowa, to hear an old friend, David Olney. Olney has made a career of combining blues rock and a variety of other styles with a wide range of subjects and points of view, including Van Gogh, Jesse James, and baseball players.

There was much to learn from his performance which was structured very much like a classical two act numbers opera. As he got into his second set, he started to run the songs together to build to his finish. He interspersed narration like recitative--sometimes serious and sometimes funny--to introduce his songs. His fellow performer, Sergio Webb, provided a wide variety of guitar styles and rousing solos. David is a master at holding the attention of a barroom concert, where most are listening, but some are not. He isn't afraid to throw in a daringly slow and contemplative song about Van Gogh in the midst of songs about love gone wrong, or men gone bad.

Byron's Bar has a great vibe. There is the usual Iowa and Iowa State memorabilia, and pictures of previous acts--and an extensive Grateful Dead shrine--but also a tie dye backdrop and a Buddha in the upstage corner of the little stage. Byron himself presides over a doorprize giveaway that included plungers, jump ropes, and koozies.

The room was full to capacity and everyone clearly enjoyed David and Sergio. I'll be back in Pomeroy again someday.

Psyche and Eros in West Memphis

2011-07-03T08:19:00.001-05:00

This past week, Margaret Wolfson and I gave two performances of PSYCHE AND EROS at DeltaARTS' Lincoln Center Institute. Memphis Symphony Assistant Principal violinist Marisa Polesky played with a great blend of fire and spot on accuracy. The Institute format allowed us to give two performances for the group of 40 teacher-participants. Follow up performances will be in November. Fortunately, we were also able to make a high quality archival recording with Shelby Johnson engineering.

A cappella recording almost done

2011-05-14T10:57:00.001-05:00

This weekend, Deltacappella, fabulous recording engineer Tony Huerta, and maestro Curt Tucker will finish up recording MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, opera a cappella, in Memphis. It's a time consuming process, recording a cappella, and I owe so much to all of these folks for their continued support and enthusiasm. Curt noticed that the a cappella parts come back into focus very quickly for the group--learning an a part takes a long time, but the retention is strong.

O beautiful for pilgrim feet?

2011-04-13T09:57:00.000-05:00

Most great contemporary songs have figured out that second and third verses are really important. But with old hymns and songs, they can become incomprehensible. Ellen Frankel and I are working on a kind of ecumenical hymn to be inserted in our opera, SLAYING THE DRAGON. We are working to make sure that the second and third verses do not degenerate. Take for example the second verse of this famous song which I was reminded of because my daughter is singing it in her children's choir.

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

When was the last time you thought about a pilgrim's foot? How is something stern and impassioned at the same time? You picture a bunch of pilgrims doing some kind of stomping dance. And "Confirm thy soul in self-control?" Does that mean "Let's be repressed, it's for the best?" And the first four lines are such a long thought that they are incomprehensible when sung.

By contrast, check out the words to Amazing Grace. Those lyrics make sense and tell a story.

A bit of Psyche and Eros

2011-04-07T15:42:00.000-05:00

Pasha, the violinist referred to in the last post, posted this little bit of video from the Psyche and Eros performance on facebook. You can link to it even if you aren't a facebook type. Try it here.

The music describes Aphrodite's anger as she flies off in her chariot.

More video is coming from Abu Dhabi after they finish their festival.

Have violin, will travel

2011-03-28T01:25:00.000-06:00

Margaret Wolfson and I got to work with two local musicians in Abu Dhabi. The remarkable violinist was Pasha Cazan, who played our PSYCHE AND EROS with a passion and conviction well beyond her years. She is one of a number of musicians who make their way mostly by playing for hotels, corporate events, weddings and parties in Abu Dhabi and neighboring Dubai, with an occasional more serious gig from time to time. The Abu Dhabi/Dubai scene not only takes solid musicianship, but a willingness to work in a variety of styles--from East to Middle East to West. It also takes marketing flair and some snazzy electric violins.

Although conservatory trained in her native Moldova, Pasha didn't want to be straight-jacketed in an orchestra and instead moved to the UAE to seek her fortune. It would seem that there is definitely a need for adventurous, entrepreneurial musicians there and those who are willing to adapt to the stylistic diversity and various performing conditions can be well rewarded for their efforts. Wow!

Chamber Music and Zaha Hadid

2011-03-22T21:04:00.001-06:00

Last night the Abu Dhabi Festival hosted the first of a series of performances at a wonderful portable theatre designed by Zaha Hadid. The concert featured classical chamber music by Carnegie Hall's Ensemble ACJW with a young soprano from the Emirates, Sara Al-Qaiwani. The theatre was set up on the grounds of the lavish and traditional Emirates Palace Hotel.

We were hoping to actually perform at this theater, but because of its intimacy Margaret and I we were moved to a different venue.

The portable theater plays off the acoustics of its surroundings. It doesn't look like it's made an appearance in the United States yet.

The setting was a remarkable accomplishment. A musical performance is very influenced by its surroundings and the wispy theater created an intimacy--almost feeling like you were hearing music in a tent.

Abu Dhabi festival

2011-03-17T19:24:00.000-06:00

Here's a little more context for what's going on with Abu Dhabi.

With Margaret Wolfson in Abu Dhabi

2011-03-15T20:38:00.000-06:00

About ten years ago, storyteller Margaret Wolfson and I wrote PSYCHE AND EROS for the San Jose Chamber Orchestra. This ambitious forty minute piece had a great premiere but unfortunately has languished on the shelf since then. Fortunately, we have gotten a chance to do it again, in a smaller version for Storyteller, Violin and Piano, which will premiere on the 25th at the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival. Stay tuned for posts from Abu Dhabi!

Slaying the Dragon

2011-03-08T11:57:00.005-06:00

A new project, SLAYING THE DRAGON, saw the first light of day last week at the Ethical Society of Philadelphia. Center City Opera's Andrew Kurtz had the inspiration to create an opera based on the true story of a rabbi and his wife who befriend and change the path of a Grand Dragon of the KKK.

It was a very intense day starting with a reading of Ellen Frankel's libretto under the supervision of dramaturg Albert Innaurato. That evening, the libretto, with many last minute revisions, was presented to a small audience along with a couple of minutes of music.

Ellen did an amazing job of writing on the spot while absorbing the suggestions!

In the studio

2011-02-22T08:38:00.007-06:00

Before they left town, the MIDSUMMER cast began the process of making a recording of the show. Pictured here are Jennifer Goode Cooper (Titania), Curt Tucker (Conductor), Tony Huerta (Engineer), and Toney Walsh (Peter Quince). They are at the famous Ardent Studio in Memphis. Amazingly, they will record the lead vocals first and then go back into the studio to lay the a cappella tracks underneath.

Feedback on Dream

2011-02-13T11:25:00.003-06:00

I stuck my e-mail address in my program bio for DREAM and asked for feedback. My favorite one so far has been from a high school student, Eric. Here's some of it:

"I had never been to an opera before, but I knew that I enjoyed the energy of a cappella groups (I had heard DeltaCappella before) and the catchiness of musical theatre. I feel that your opera brought out the best of all three worlds and combined it with wonderful staging and acting to create an enjoyable experience. I thought that Playhouse on the Square was the perfect place to perform your work because it created an intimate setting that a cappella groups thrive on. In particular, I liked it when characters emerged from the "voicestra pit."

One of the stereotypes that I held about opera in general before going to your show was that I would be unable to understand the words if it was in English (or the plot if it was in Italian, French, German etc.) I had no trouble understanding the words and the dialog felt natural and never seemed contrived. I liked how you were able to bring out the comedic elements in Shakespeare's play through clever staging and through the music. My personal favorite characters were Lysander (for his fantastic acting and great solos) and Puck (for his general mischief). I liked how you ended the opera with the main melody again after Puck gave his famous last monologue.

The melodies were fantastic and catchy especially the opening/main melody! I feel that you really did combine "very accessible melodies" with "serious music." My friend and I agreed that Helena's main, recurring melody had the catchiness of a pop song melody. "

The sweetest music to my ears is his comment about being able to understand the words!.

Lucia review

2011-02-13T11:05:00.003-06:00

A nice review of Hawaii Opera's LUCIA.

From the a cappella world

2011-02-08T13:14:00.004-06:00

Check out the Mouth Off Podcast this week which features an interview with TeKay, our second tenor and Flute/Thisbe. Mouth Off is a major voice in the a cappella world.

Lucia set is tried and true

2011-02-07T11:13:00.007-06:00

Back in the early 1980s, I was on the staff of Greater Miami Opera, now called Florida Grand Opera. We did Lucia on this very set, designed by Robert O'Hearn. Obviously the set has been touched up and refurbished, but it still works very well.

Bloody good

2011-02-07T11:12:00.001-06:00

Here's Lucia, Nancy Allen Lundy, covered with Arturo's blood.

Lord T and Eloise

2011-01-31T13:08:00.003-06:00

For something a bit different, check out Lord T. and Eloise. Click on the song Ch-Ching which I cowrote with them. Talented musicians and cultural commentators.

Lucia in Honolulu

2011-01-30T12:03:00.001-06:00

Lucia rehearsals in Honolulu, here with Nancy Allen Lundy (Lucia) and Valerian Ruminski (Raimondo).

A few more MIDSUMMER reviews

2011-01-29T13:15:00.002-06:00

Thanks to Chris Blank for a nice review of DREAM in the COMMERCIAL APPEAL. Although opera folks would sometimes complain about him, I always thought his reviews were honest and fair, and now that I'm not running Opera Memphis, I can admit that he was occasionally right about a lousy show! Chris now has a group called the performance club. Operating out of WKNO, the group attends various arts events in the Memphis area and then has discussions about them.

Midsummer Review

2011-01-26T11:19:00.003-06:00

I don't think the Wall Street Journal keeps these things so you can link to them forever, but here's a really nice review. Having gone on to Hawaii and LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, it was a little surreal tracking the actual paper down. When I picked it up, the guy at the Borders behind the counter shouted at me "You have to buy the paper, you can't just look at it!"

Preview article, Memphis Commercial Appeal

2011-01-21T16:37:00.002-06:00

A piece written by Christopher Blank for the Go Memphis section of the COMMERCIAL APPEAL.

Live Lunch Broadcast Today on WKNO-FM

2011-01-20T06:57:00.004-06:00

Today on WKNO at Noon Central time there will be a preview "Live Lunch" about MIDSUMMER.

Rehearsal Clip from Act III scene ii of DREAM

2011-01-16T13:27:00.002-06:00

A clip from a rehearsal of Act III scene ii in which the lovers, Hermia, Helena, Demetrius and Lysander quarrel. Oberon chastises Puck for having confused his instructions. Scene has Laura Stracko, Emily Bodkin, Robert Legge, and John Dooley in it as the lovers, and Kyle Huey and Jeremiah Johnson as Puck and Oberon. Directed by Gary John LaRosa.

It's always challenging but important to create ensembles in opera...

A cappella lessons

2011-01-15T12:49:00.003-06:00

When we first set about creating an a cappella opera, one of the concerns was that the voicestra would tire out. I may be speaking too soon, but this has turned out not to be the case. We have had two very long work throughs (four hours each) and the group is still going strong. So it appears that as long as the registers are reasonable for the voice types, an a cappella group has a lot of stamina.

The way the piece was written, I put lots of breaks in it--places for people to rest out. Sometimes, I have alternated sections--sopranos for a bar, then echoed by mezzos, for example. This actually creates learning confusion. With a cappella it appears that "the more the merrier" is the best policy. If everyone is singing frequently, it enhances the intonation and everything sounds more assured.

Live and learn. And edit. Edit!

Back at rehearsal

2011-01-13T08:16:00.002-06:00

After several snow delays, it is good to be able to be back watching rehearsal. Director Gary John LaRosa has been wonderfully collaborative with the cast and also very detailed in getting the text to work just right. For example, he made the useful suggestion that we change lanthorn to the modern lantern.

We had our first rehearsal with both the cast and voice orchestra present (except for getting ready for the preview). Although it might have been a bit scary in a handful of spots, it is clear that the opera acappella concept is going to work well, even spectacularly in some spots.

Preview

2011-01-05T17:28:00.002-06:00

A nice blog post from Chris Davis at Memphis Flyer about last night's preview of DREAM in Memphis.

Midsummer set

2010-12-31T18:23:00.005-06:00

Director Gary John LaRosa and Designer Nick Mozak have been encouraged to create a design that has some nod to traditional elements--a beautiful, evocative forest. A musical setting of Shakespeare already provides quite an adventure.

Music Music Music!

2010-12-30T14:25:00.002-06:00

Last night, we had music rehearsal with the "rude mechanicals." They are performers from Deltacappella and Riva who are in the voice orchestra and they will come up from the pit for their entrances.

In the picture, TeKay (Flute), Toney Walsh (Quince) and Charles Ponder (Bottom).

Weather outside is frightful...

2010-12-28T08:31:00.002-06:00

The rehearsal period for MIDSUMMER has a holiday break in it. Back here in Memphis, it is lovely southern winter, but a heavy snow on the east coast has made it so the director, Gary John LaRosa and several cast members are stuck, waiting for an available flight to come or come back to Memphis. So the first day after break--scheduled for a major music run thru--is now going to be meagre.

I have a widow aunt

2010-12-18T15:46:00.005-06:00

This is a demo of Laura Stracko (Hermia) and John Dooley (Lysander) singing "I have a widow aunt," from the first act of MIDSUMMER. We are now near the end of the first week of music rehearsals. It doesn't have Deltacappella and Riva in it, but it gives a good idea of how the acappella opera will sound like. Laura is a musical theater singer and John comes more from the opera world, but they sound great together! (Note the mp3 player shouldn't autoplay--it shouldn't play until you click it.)

A music rehearsal

2010-12-17T21:03:00.005-06:00

Today was the first reading of the MIDSUMMER, or at least the first one where any continuity was attempted. Here is a section from the end of the first act of the play with Helena (Emily Bodkin), Hermia (Laura Stracko), Lysander (John Dooley), conductor Curt Tucker and pianist Stephen Carey. I need a better video camera!

Readthru with the voicestra

2010-12-14T17:47:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we had an extensive rehearsal of MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM opera a cappella with the Deltacappella and Riva singers. We the first two acts with comparatively few stops. The singers singing roles in the opera don't have the hardest parts--those are in the voicestra.

Today's rehearsal gave me (and Jay Mednikow, Deltacappella's founder and Artistic Director) the confidence that this project definitely can work!

Opening night

2010-10-30T19:30:00.006-05:00

It was a strong opening performance. It was nice to run across an old colleague, Stephen Sulich, who had just come up to the area to work for a few weeks with students at Concordia.

Hansel and Gretel on the prairie

2010-10-29T09:11:00.002-05:00

After a very windy, rainy, and slightly snowy couple of days a very respectable H&G will open tonight in FARGO! The technical staff made enormous strides between the dress rehearsals and the audience should be charmed.

Apropos de H and G

2010-10-25T07:52:00.007-05:00

Sets for the Hansel are being created by Apropos Studio in Minneapolis. The production is moved from a German forest to the prairie. Apropos also designed FM Opera's production of my CORPS OF DISCOVERY which they did back in '07.

School Previews of Hansel and Gretel

2010-10-24T09:21:00.006-05:00

Last week started with four school presentations in the Fargo Moorhead area. Pictured are FM Opera General Director David Hamilton, Hansel (Holly Wrensch) and Gretel (JoEllen Miller).

Critters in Hansel and Gretel

2010-10-22T08:28:00.002-05:00

The production of H&G has a lot of dancers in it of all ages. Some of them play little critters--a beaver, a mouse, a rabbit family. There are two cats and they also play crows (shown here). And there are fourteen angels.

Hansel in Fargo

2010-10-15T09:48:00.005-05:00

Fargo Moorhead Opera is opening its season with Hansel and Gretel. Here in an early staging rehearsal, Hansel (Holly Wrensch) is behing held captive by a pretzel, or more properly a rehearsal pretzel.

AIDA Makes its budget

2010-10-11T09:40:00.002-05:00

I am also pleased to report that AIDA exceeded its single ticket goal. In this economy that is almost better than getting good reviews and standing ovations!

AIDA on Saturday October 9th

2010-10-11T09:07:00.001-05:00

The October 9th AIDA had a flow to it that was exceptional. Every now and then you have a performance where everything goes right and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Frankly it doesn't happen very often. I can recall a few times--a TURANDOT at Opera Festival of New Jersey, a night of SCOTT JOPLIN AND TREEMONISHA, a performance long ago in North Carolina of PAGLIACCI outdoors when the confetti that the villanous Tonio threw flew upwards into the wind and a flock of birds flew over when Nedda referred to the flight of swallows in her aria. The AIDA performance had that feel--particularly in the second act when every cast member was in fine voice and absolutely performing at their best. You live for these special performances and they keep you going on.

As the 2010-2011 season was the last one that I planned at Opera Memphis, this AIDA was a great way to finish! And now on to H&G in Fargo.

Aida in Memphis

2010-10-08T21:35:00.003-05:00

Memphis' AIDA has been a success. Frankly, my luck at pulling off the heavier Verdi in Memphis has had mixed results--uneven casts. However, this group--Kishna Davis, Hugo Vera, Galina Ivannikova, and Eric Greene made a great quartet of leads. And as the Commercial Appeal review indicates, the Chorus, prepared and recruited by Stephen Carey had a powerful sound, certainly a more powerful sound than I have ever heard out of the Memphis group. What a way to go!

Addida

2010-09-19T11:53:00.004-05:00

A friend heard yesterday on a Memphis radio station that I was back in town to conduct ADDIDA. Shoe 'nuf!

Aida in Memphis

2010-09-16T08:12:00.003-05:00

This week, Opera Memphis started rehearsals for AIDA. Here is Radames, tenor, Hugo Vera. Hugo makes his MET debut this year and this is his first turn at Radames. AIDA starts with a tenor aria "Celeste Aida" and Hugo says this turns out to be perhaps the most difficult thing in the whole show. The pianissimo high Bb at the end of the aria is always a challenge, but Hugo has figured out how to do it.

Surviving the Crunch

2010-08-24T06:50:00.002-05:00

Dan Belcher did an article for Opera News which has come out. It talks about how five companies--San Diego, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Tulsa, and Memphis have reacted to the recession. I don't remember saying "furniture" instead of "scenery" but it's still a good piece.

John Douglas

2010-07-22T07:46:00.003-05:00

We are sorry to note the passing of opera conductor, coach, and producer John Douglas. John had one of the best ears of any musician I have ever met. He was meticulous--when he listened to a singer, he made very careful lists of issues. Sometimes the list was overwhelming, but John was able to communicate in a very level headed and helpful manner. Although I don't know the full list of singers with whom John worked,I know there were some great ones, including Denyce Graves, William Stone, and Victoria Livengood. John was also willing to delve into the area of contemporary opera--including works by opera composer Bruce Trinkley.

State Fairs and Opera Programming

2010-07-22T07:39:00.002-05:00

Here's a weird confluence of challenges--state fair programs and opera seasons. Opera companies struggle between balancing the familiar tried and true--the BOHEMES, CARMENS, and FIGAROS--with more adventurous programming. If you program too many of the old standbuys, then some of the audience is truly tired of them and won't come back. On the other hand, innovation is costly and might scare away the traditionalists. Apparently state fairs like Iowa's have the same problem--as the Des Moines Register says, balancing the "wows with the butter cows."

Small is challenging, but worth it

2010-06-15T13:59:00.003-05:00

Two different articles about the challenges of small organizations. One, by Terry Teachout, says that smaller regional orchestras might be dinosaurs if they limit their programming to the tried and true. Another, by Michael Kaiser, says that adventurous programming is not just for large organizations. Both articles, of course, are agreeing with each other. It is somewhat amusing that Kaiser's example of a "small organization" is the Glimmerglass Opera, one of the nation's most important summer opera festivals.

Exhausted?

2010-05-18T19:45:00.004-05:00

Here's Michael Kaiser's take on how the recession has worn out arts administrators. I can relate to some degree, but I for the most part I never felt worn down by the board or by artists. The board felt I was doing the best I could and the artists were grateful for the work. It was really more from within--we expect to be able to pull off a miracle, to get a dollar's worth of art for fifty cents. When it gets cut to forty cents, you still expect to be able to pull it off and when you can't it gets to you.

Opera Memphis' Violetta in 1957

2010-04-28T16:24:00.002-05:00

Today I received a beautiful photo from Joy Jemison who sang Opera Memphis' first production, a TRAVIATA in 1957. Joy was one of the many Memphis based singers who sang in the company's early productions.

Madame Butterfly

2010-04-24T06:29:00.004-05:00

We had a great experience with Jun Kaneko's colorful and creative BUTTERFLY production. Originally created for Opera Omaha, Kaneko's sensibility, at once modern and Japanese brought out the essence of the opera and was a kind of visual amplifier for Puccini's musico-dramatic sensibility. The audiences reacted warmly to the production with many indicating it was a "top five" in their experience with Opera Memphis.

This picture, by Sean Davis, is of Pinkerton (Stephen Mark Brown) and Sharpless (Kenneth Overton)

Bust of Virginia Clark

2010-04-24T06:15:00.002-05:00

Earlier this week, we unveiled a bust of the late Virginia Clark at the opera center. Virginia's pledge of a million dollar gift from the Adams Foundation launched the drive to build Opera Memphis' headquarters, which was named after her and her husband Henry Clark. Picture is with Renee Guibao, Virginia's daughter--also a great supporter of O.M.

Butterfly Preview on WKNO-FM

2010-04-06T12:56:00.002-05:00

Madame Butterfly preview is tonight on WKNO-FM. We are doing lots of Act I and our friends Delta Cappella are performing.

Is La Traviata hard to conduct?

2010-04-02T16:43:00.005-06:00

There have been many articles and blogs about Leonard Slatkin at the MET, including this one by Anne Midgette. Is TRAVIATA hard to conduct? Mostly, the answer is no. But the orchestration of the show is very naked and faulty coordination shows up very easily. Things like the famous "Libiamo" have some tricky breaths that must be agreed upon and the worst is Alfredo's second act aria, "De' miei bollenti spiriti." Coordinating any kind of tempo variance with strings playing pizzicato is difficult, but at the pace of sixteenth notes as it is in this aria, it really requires some finesse, rehearsal, and a sense of agreement about what is going to happen.

I remember early in my career a production of COSI FAN TUTTE at Florida Grand Opera where a group of very well known professionals ate a director alive. He was an experienced director, but instead of coming in with a clear vision, he simply was intending to see what the cast was used to doing. Given all the hard work it takes to prepare a role--the hours and hours it takes to learn it, memorize it, shape it--the cast didn't appreciate it at all.

In the fountain

2010-03-31T12:51:00.002-06:00

Photo by Lance Murphey for an article in THE DAILY NEWS. If I ever am involved with another building project, it will NOT have a fountain!

Time to go

2010-03-13T07:54:00.002-06:00

It is time to go. It's going to take awhile to summarize 18 years at Opera Memphis, so I won't try it quite yet.

Boheme Review

2010-03-01T11:49:00.002-06:00

At least one of the reviews is in from LA BOHEME. Both the Friday and Sunday performances were well attended. The orchestra played beautifully and the cast was strong. This BOHEME is a tearjerker and I think it is actually because the comic scenes are so madcap. On Sunday, it was very clear that our Canadian Marcello, Etienne DuPuis, had extra adrenalin at the performance due to Canada's victory in Olympic Hockey.

Cafe Momus

2010-02-22T17:02:00.001-06:00

Cafe Momus (Act II) looks pretty good from the pit at Piano Dress rehearsal.

Hawaii Opera T-Shirt Quilt

2010-02-22T16:52:00.002-06:00

Every year, Hawaii Opera displays t-shirts designed by Phil Hidalgo backstage. One of the longtime choristers, Fred Cachola had some of his spares made into an artful quilt.

Lori Phillips as Brunhilde

2010-02-17T21:47:00.002-06:00

While we are rehearsing BOHEME, Hawaii Opera opened DIE WALKURE. The Brunhilde was Lori Phillips. Amongst her many credits, Lori appeared twice at Opera Memphis as Turandot and Amelia in THE MASKED BALL.

La Boheme at Hawaii Opera

2010-02-10T02:12:00.007-06:00

While it is by no means polished, all of LA BOHEME has been staged. These pictures include director Karen Tiller, soprano Olga Chernisheva (Mimi), tenor Derek Taylor (Rodolfo), baritones Etienne Dupuis (Marcello) and Leon Williams (Schaunard) , and bass John Marcus Bindel (Colline).

Time crawls and then lurches

2010-02-08T02:29:00.003-06:00

Returning to Hawaii once a year as a guest artist usually creates a feeling of time not having passed. You see the same folks and pick up where you left off with your friends. Someone is a little greyer; someone has shed a few pounds, but things are basically the same. Having been in productions together, you get a shared history. This season has been bittersweet--one person has lost his father, another his wife, another his mother. This time, time has lurched forward into new realities. In some years they could be joyous changes--engagements, weddings, births--but this year they are not.

From Ice to Nice

2010-02-05T11:36:00.003-06:00

The second weekend of ORPHEUS proved challenging. Friday's performance was rescheduled and Saturday's was cancelled due to icy roads. Sunday ended up being an afternoon performance followed by an evening one.

While this was happening, I got a last minute call to do LA BOHEME in Honolulu. This will make for an all Puccini spring--with BUTTERFLY back in Memphis and a visit to Amarillo to see GIANNI SCHICCHI/BUOSO'S GHOST in between.

Ladies who Bluff

2010-01-25T16:49:00.002-06:00

Turns out that Opera Memphis has a group that has been coming up from Pine Bluff, Arkansas to see the shows. I finally got a chance to meet them after the Sunday performance. Pine Bluff is two and a half hours away from Memphis.

Picture is in the lobby of the East Memphis Hilton.

Cheers to three Orpheuses

2010-01-25T16:48:00.002-06:00

Our opening weekend of Orpheus was a success, with strong houses and strong audience reaction.

Picture is Marc Schreiner, our Saturday Night Orpheus, backstage at Clark Opera Memphis Center.

Dance of the Blessed Spirits

2010-01-21T12:16:00.002-06:00

Gluck's ORPHEUS has much ballet in it, including the famous "Dance of the Blessed Spirits." This photo of dancers from the New Ballet Ensemble.

It is choreographed by their founder and director, Katie Smythe.

Orpheus stage management book

2010-01-21T11:56:00.002-06:00

Ever wonder what the stage management book for an opera looks like? Our stage manager, Erin Whipkey has her light cues for the show marked with post-it notes so they can be moved around as changes happen. She has to follow the music precisely--opera is cued from the piano vocal score.

Orpheus in the Daily News.

2010-01-19T22:20:00.002-06:00

An article on ORPHEUS by Jonathan Devin in the Memphis Daily News and a post in a fun blog, I Love Memphis.

Masks for Orpheus

2010-01-16T19:30:00.002-06:00

Our Wigmaster, Elizabeth Harris Berglund, and our Director of Production, Erin Whipkey, have worked some lovely magic on the masks for the production

What is the plural of Orpheus?

2010-01-16T19:26:00.006-06:00

Director Patrick Hansen, Countertenor Nicholas Tamagna, Mezzo soprano Kathryn Cowdrick, our Euridice, Kearstin Piper Brown, and tenor Marc Schreiner

Preview Thursday Night

2010-01-12T06:47:00.002-06:00

On Thursday night, January 14th, we will be on WKNO-FM for a preview of ORPHEUS. If you aren't in the area, you can catch it on the web from 7-8pm.

Staging Furies

2010-01-11T06:37:00.007-06:00

Yesterday we participated in the public opening of the new theater complex at Playhouse on the Square. We used one of their new rehearsal rooms and staged the section of the opera where Orpheus is harassed by the Furies. Our director, Patrick Hansen, taught the ensemble some memorable moves, including the "shifting hunchback" and the "backwards monkey."

Euridice in her mask

2010-01-09T13:19:00.001-06:00

Euridice (Kearstin Piper Brown) in her mask.

Orfeo ed Euridice staging rehearsals

2010-01-07T21:01:00.006-06:00

We have had several days of staging on our ORFEO ED EURIDICE in Memphis. We have cast three different singers, countertenor Nicholas Tamagna, tenor Marc Schreiner, and mezzo soprano Kathryn Cowdrick. We have one Euridice, Kearstin Brown--so she's a busy one. Each singer will get to sing the opera twice.

Why do it with three different leads? Gluck's opera was originally done by a castrato (approximated by a countertenor today) and then by a tenor. Later it was taken up by mezzo sopranos. So all three voice types are part of the performing tradition of the piece. I'm sure it's been done this way somewhere before, but it's rare.

Orfeo ed Euridice

2010-01-06T08:19:00.002-06:00

We are starting rehearsals for ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE.

Orchestra Doodles

2009-12-22T08:19:00.004-06:00

Our colleague Paul Barrett has suffered through the financial trials of the Honolulu Symphony. He has created some greeting cards. Some of the cards are based on doodles made during rehearsals as Principal Bassoon in Honolulu. Rehearsals do have down time, so it is tempting to doodle. While editing and cleaning up the parts to BUOSO'S GHOST, I came across this doodle in the French Horn I book. Since the parts have been used many times, it is hard to say which talented Horn player did this, with BUOSO changed to BOZO.

BUOSO'S GHOST playing to the West

2009-12-16T09:00:00.002-06:00

My opera BUOSO'S GHOST is going to play this spring at Amarillo Opera and the University of Southern Utah. I'll post more about this soon.

Lights of Christmas

2009-11-25T23:02:00.004-06:00

This is a concert song (2003) with lyrics by Hugh Moffatt. The pdf is over on the right side for download. This performance is by Mark Walters

Lights of Christmas frame the houses,
Welcoming the dawn of winter.
I remember as I struggle like the new born sun to rise.

Long ago a star came shining,
In the night and dawn of winter,
Beckoning to us to follow through the darkness to the light.

Lights of Christmas still they shine on
As the day begins to break.
There is still a star that guides us,
lighting ev'ry step we take.

Mary's child laid in the manger,
In that hopeful dawn of winter,
Given by the Lord of all a son of peace to light our way.

How we've fought and how we've failed him.
Darkening the dawn of winter.
Can't we see that all are welcome in by the light of Christmas day.

Still we hope and still we name him,
Light of love for Light of love for ev'ry nation.
Ev'ry man and ev'ry woman,
Jew and Gentile, Christian, Muslim
All are one and all are are welcome
In the light of Christmas day.
In the light of Christmas day.
In the light of Christmas day.

Under Review

2009-11-18T08:50:00.001-06:00

It's a sad sign of the state of newspapers, but we didn't get a review for our production of COSI FAN TUTTE in the Commercial Appeal. We did get nice coverage before the show, and I suppose if one were to have to choose, before is better than after.

Robert Ward

2009-11-04T21:20:00.002-06:00

Composer Robert Ward is in his nineties and still going strong in his and living in Durham, NC. He is still writing music and thinking about big issues like world peace, the environment, and how humanity can get along better. It is going to be great to catch up with him while attending SoJam, an a cappella conference.

I owe to Bob much of my compositional sensibility--write music for audiences and performers--and my sense of collegiality--to be willing to mentor and to be frank without being cruel. An added plus was to get to meet his friends Phil and Georgia Nelson, both former Deans at Yale.

Cosi Fan Tutte is done

2009-11-04T21:18:00.002-06:00

The second of two performances of COSI went well. In general the audience liked the set up with the orchestra onstage and upstage of the singers. The sets and costumes did the trick and all in all it was the liveliest COSI I've ever been part of. I think we will try GPAC and the orchestra setup again sometime!

Cosi Fan Tutte Final Dress

2009-10-30T15:30:00.003-06:00

We had a good final dress and are ready to open. Pictured here in their twenties garb are Matthew Lau (Don Alfonso) and Carol Sparrow (Despina).

Cosi Fan Tutte "Albanians"

2009-10-29T12:21:00.002-06:00

Ferrando (Jonathan Tuzo) and Guglielmo (Joseph Flaxman) in their "Albanian" mustaches.

Cosi in the theatre

2009-10-28T15:15:00.001-06:00

We have moved into the Germantown Performing Arts Center and have had a piano tech/dress.

Cosi Fan Tutte set

2009-10-23T14:26:00.001-05:00

Finishing the set in our rehearsal room on the cast's day off.

Mozart Piano Competition winners

2009-10-19T12:03:00.003-05:00

On Friday night, we had a get together honoring the winners and participants in our Piano Competition. Last year, we did Joplin in coordination with SCOTT JOPLIN AND TREEMONISHA. This year we did Mozart to go with COSI FAN TUTTE. Stephen Carey, our Assistant Artistic Director, pulls this event off with great enthusiasm and dedication.

Cosi Fan Tutte Costume

2009-10-14T17:43:00.001-05:00

Our costumer, Sona Amroyan, is designing and building '20s costumes for the show.

Rehearsing on the stair

2009-10-13T21:01:00.002-05:00

Today, our Technical Director, Robert New, finished the large step unit and rolled it into the rehearsal room so we could rehearse on it. Our headquarters was always planned for this sort of thing, so it was very exciting.

Building the steps

2009-10-12T18:50:00.002-05:00

As you can see in the set model in this earlier post, one of the major parts of the little COSI set is a large set of stairs. Our technical director, Robert New, says these stairs are challenging cause they not square--broader at the bottom than the top.

Cosi Fan Tutte Scene i

2009-10-12T18:37:00.003-05:00

In our production of COSI FAN TUTTE, it begins with the three men fishing together. The cast happens to have two New Yorkers who don't do much fishing so much comedy ensues as the whole process of fishing is explained. Our Director relates it to the cast like teasing a cat.