David Hamilton

David Hamilton, my colleague, tenor, teacher, and Artistic and General Director of Fargo-Moorhead Opera, is retiring. I am so grateful to him for our many collaborations! He sang in productions in my Opera Memphis days and brought me to Fargo several times to conduct. Even more important for me, he worked with me consistently as a composer. Back in 2007, he put together a group to tour CORPS OF DISCOVERY, my opera with librettist Hugh Moffatt about the Lewis and Clark expedition. I distinctly remember a traffic jam in the Theodore Roosevelt national park caused by buffalo and a host on the Missouri river who suggested I sleep under the stars that night by the river. (I took his suggestion.)

More recently, FM Opera has done a couple of productions of SPEED DATING TONIGHT! and commissioned some new dates, including this one which is lifted from David's life. 

Roger, I have news from Speed Dating Tonight! starring Holly Janz

During the pandemic FM Opera participated in the Decameron Opera Coalition, a consortium of opera companies that produced short online projects, including Dinner 4 3 (written with Deborah Brevoort) and This Perfect Gift (written with Reg Huston). 

David with Shana Blake Hill at an FM Opera fundraiser at the old Sarello's restaurant.

David with Stella Zambalis during a production of Hansel and Gretel at FM Opera

I'm about to go up to Fargo to conduct his last production at FM Opera, LA BOHEME. Running a regional opera company for 25 years is a huge accomplishment. The constant treadmill of fundraising is stressful. I can only imagine what it was like to keep a company afloat during the pandemic and divisive political environment of the past years. So Bravo to David and best wishes to David and Bernie in Fargo and beyond. 

  

Errata

 

I've been fortunate to conduct my opera BUOSO'S GHOST several times. The last time I got to do it, at OperaDelaware, was the first time since it was cleaned up and beautifully rereleased by EC Schirmer. Despite that, there's still an errata list of about 65 items after last week's Florida Grand Opera production. Fortunately, a good percentage of these are getting into cautionary accidentals and very small layout issues, and discrepancies with the piano vocal score. Still, I wouldn't be surprised that I still find some things the next time I do it!

  

Always nice to get a good review...

 

By Larry Budman from South Florida Classical Music Review

Savannah Voice Festival interview on Instagram

 Here's a link to an Instagram interview for Savannah Voice Festival about composing for voice. It was conducted by Jorge Parodi, SVF's artistic director, with me and fellow composer and Iowan, Jodi Goble. It's part of the Voices of the Festival interview series.

Buoso in Miami

It's thrilling to be in Miami to work on GIANNI SCHICCHI and BUOSO'S GHOST. Here's a promo shot of the cast. Photo by Eric Joannes.

 

BUOSO'S GHOST at Florida Grand Opera

Very excited to be going to Florida Grand Opera in January 2023 for GIANNI SCHICCHI and BUOSO'S GHOST. My first job was there back in the '80s. It was called Greater Miami Opera Association back then. I'll have more to say about it once I'm there. 

 

Dinner 4 3 in Singapore

Thanks to L'arietta Productions for doing DINNER 4 3 last month in Singapore. It was the first live production. DINNER 4 3 was first produced by Fargo Moorhead Opera as part of the Decameron Opera Coalition's first year project, TALES AT A SAFE DISTANCE. You can still see it online. D 4 3 was co-written with Deborah Brevoort.

Thanks to Reuben Lai at L'arietta for giving it a go! 

 

Another working photo from Bill Byrd

I don't have a lot of working photos. My friend (and longtime Amarillo Opera host) Bill Byrd is a talented photographer and I'm fortunate in being able to convince him to come to dress rehearsals to take photos. He took this at last fall's BARBER OF SEVILLE dress rehearsal and then toned down the keyboard I was using for recitatives which was all covered in brightly colored post-it notes. Thanks Bill! 

 

 

Chorus Rehearsal mp3s of Act II of LA BOHEME

 This post is strictly for folks in the business, so if you are looking to see what's up in my life, pass on by! 

For the upcoming 2023 production of LA BOHEME at Fargo Moorhead Opera, I have made rehearsal mp3s for the chorus. They are available for anyone to use at my soundcloud site. They don't include 100% of the chorus bits, but all of the major ones. Once you get to the soundcloud site, you'll want to hit the playlist tabs. There are usually six mp3s in each set--children, soprano, alto, tenor, bass, and tutti.

Of particular interest will be decisions I made at the beginning of the act and the end of it. The original has all sorts of sub groups of singers, with a large chorus creating the hustle and bustle of Paris at Christmastime. Most regional opera companies will do this same act with, maybe 30 choristers, and dividing the half dozen baritones and basses, for example, really will just thin them out too much. So the idea has always been to have folks sing as much as possible, call and response, antiphony be damned. 

One of the other challenges is the children's chorus. Traditionally, some of the female singers are assigned to double them. This has been worked into what's been done here so it can be learned in advance and with assurance. 

So if you are interested and in need, feel free to use these files at the soundcloud site AND download the pdf files for the opening and closing of the act.

Opening of Act II pdf 

Closing of Act II pdf

If you end up using these, I'd appreciate an email. 

DINNER 4 3, live

 

DINNER 4 3, my mini opera with librettist Deborah Brevoort, plays in Singapore on December third. It plays with Tony Solitro's SHE'S FABULOUS and Samuel Barber's HAND OF BRIDGE.

Commissioned by Fargo Moorhead opera as part of the Decameron Opera Coalition, DINNER 4 3 premiered online during the pandemic. This will be its first live production, which will be followed by a live version in Fargo later this year. 

Thanks L'arietta productions!