Mixon Masters Series
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Mixon The Cleveland Institute of Music Hall Opera Theater Masters presents Series A ROMANTIC OPERA GALA Order the featuring music from entire series now! Tickets are $50 Engelbert Humperdinck’s each recital. Call 216.791.5000 or HANSEL AND GRETEL online at cim.edu. Carl Maria von Weber’s Tue., Jan. 26 DER FREISCHÜTZ 8:00 p.m. ALISA WEILERSTEIN, cello Giuseppe Verdi’s Inon Barnatan, piano LA TRAVIATA Wed., March 24 8:00 p.m. YEFIM BRONFMAN, piano David Bamberger, Director JUST ANNOUNCED! Harry Davidson, Conductor Fri., April 9 Dave Brooks, Set & Lighting Designer 8:00 p.m. Alison Garrigan, Costume, Wig & Makeup Designer “An Evening of Jazz” ANDRÉ PREVIN, piano DAVID FINCK, bass Kulas Hall November 11-14, 2009 8:00 p.m. The CIM Opera Program is supported in part by a generous grant CIM applauds KeyBank Foundation for from the John P. Murphy Foundation being a top corporate donor to the 2008 –2009 Annual Fund! Bravo! Director’s Notes : ROMANTICISM – THEN AND NOW ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In the early 19th century, Romanticism was born - and it changed everything. Financial support for the CIM Opera Theater Program in 2009 has been provided by the following: Before the early 1800s, it was assumed that emotions in music would be Phyllis Donnelly-Ingold balanced by aristocratic standards of good taste. With Romanticism, Dr. Francis R. Gross and Dr. Jane Sembric emotions were permitted to reach new extremes. Ok-Sim Nam Kim ( A.D., 1987) and Dr. Chin-Tai Kim During the 1700s, the reigning philosophy of the Enlightenment was Mr. and Mrs. S. Lee Kohrman international. The Declaration of Independence spoke to this universal- Ronald and Barbara Leirvik ism with the statement that ―all men are created equal.‖ Musical styles Mrs. Sheldon S. MacLeod crossed all borders. With Romanticism, many writers and musicians John P. Murphy Foundation dedicated themselves to the tales and tunes that were particular to their Northern Ohio Opera League own countries. Before the French Revolution, the natural world was seen as an obstacle CIM Opera Theater gratefully acknowledges the assistance of: to transportation and migration. Nobles decorated their estates with magnificent gardens that were exquisitely designed, creating the perfect Terry Martin and Great Lakes Theater Festival order they felt nature had failed to provide. In the Romantic era, Nature Lisa Kish and Opera Cleveland in its pristine state became not only a source of meaning and inspira- Andrew Ferrel and the Cleveland Play House tion—but also a place of dangerous and mysterious beings. Aaron Benson and the CSU Theatre Department Romantic opera was launched in 1821 with Der Freischütz. A highly emotional work, it is based on German folklore. The title refers to a The CIM Opera Theater expresses its gratitude to: marksman who, through a pact with the devil, obtains a certain number All members of the CIM faculty and staff who have made possible of bullets which will always hit their target. The contract is made in a our expansion to two full productions each year. terrifying forest where demons roam. We realize that many of you have gone above and beyond Seven decades later, Hansel and Gretel still explored similar themes. your normal duties to make this happen. The story derives from the Brothers Grimm, who were linguists and collectors of folklore. (They were not the original authors of the ―fairy tales‖ which they published.) Again, the story is a traditional German tale in which the forest is a place where an evil being dwells. Giuseppe Verdi dealt with many aspects of Romanticism, his operas often proclaiming themes of nationalism (Nabucco, Macbeth) and the stormy-filled powers of nature (Rigoletto, Otello). With La traviata, however, he turned to a Romantic novel, the very personal, semi- autobiographical account of the affair of Alexandre Dumas the younger with a courtesan. Today, we are still living with the changes that Romanticism brought to us. Public display of emotion is a prime component of talk shows and Vocal Performance. His roles include Papageno (Die Zauberflöte), ―reality TV.‖ Our world is struggling with the conflict between univers- Ben (The Telephone), Paris (Roméo et Juliette), Demetrius (A Mid- alism and nationalism. We flock to national parks to be inspired by the summer Night's Dream), Melchior (Amahl and the Night Visitors) grandeur of nature, even as we are more than ever aware of natural and Marquis/Jailer (Dialogues of the Carmelites). Mr. Wanich has forces that are far beyond our control. been a member of Nashville Opera's Fellowship program and Opera Cleveland's Short-Term Residency, and has attended the AIMS in And many remarkably popular works – the Harry Potter novels, the Graz program and the Harrower Summer Opera Workshop. Star Wars saga, The Phantom of the Opera – continue to portray the John Gray Watson (baritone) is completing a Bachelor of Music world as a place filled with strange, demonic forces. degree at CIM where he studies with Clifford Billions. Mr. Watson has sung in Austria, Italy and Slovakia. He attended the American Institute We of CIM Opera Theater hope you will enjoy our presentation of of Music Studies in Graz, Austria. In the U.S., he has sung Antonio in three of the works which helped enshrine Romanticism as part of Le nozze di Figaro with the Duke Symphony Orchestra. His roles at our heritage. CIM include Papageno (Die Zauberflöte), Frank in Die Fledermaus, -- DB Somarone in Béatrice et Bénédict and the Poet in Salieri’s Prima la Attention Patrons: As a courtesy to others, please reduce the volume on hearing aids and other devices that may produce noise that would detract from the performance. musica poi le parole. Infrared Assistive Listening Devices are available for performances in Mixon Hall. Kelsey Wood (mezzo-soprano) is a sophomore from California, study- ing with Jung Eun Oh. She has performed as Yum-Yum in The Mikado, the 5th Sprite in Cendrillon, and in the choruses of Suor Angelica, The Merry Widow, L'enfant et les sortilèges, L'elisir d'amore and Béatrice et Bénédict. She has been the alto soloist in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasie, soprano soloist in Schubert’s Mass in G and Britten’s Ceremony of Carols and the soloist in Mozart’s Laudate Dominum at the Mainzer Dom Cathedral in Germany. She has won first place in the Intimate Opera Competition, and her division of the NATS Competition. Xiaohan Wu (soprano) is in her first year of the Professional Studies Program at CIM, studying with Clifford Billions. Born into a family of music teachers, Xiaohan has been performing Chinese folk songs since the age of four in the cities of the east coast in China. She received a bachelor’s degree from Shanghai Teacher’s University in 2003 and master’s degree in Vocal Performance from the University at Buffalo in 2009. Last summer she performed ―Now again‖ by Bernard Rands in Ariadne auf Naxos the June in Buffalo Festival, and the title role in Suor Angelica in the “Richard Strauss in his most concise and impish mood” Colorado College Vocal Arts Symposium. CIM OPERA THEATER Helen Mattison Wyatt (soprano) is a junior from Flushing, Michigan. FEB. 24 –27 Her roles include the title role in Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience, The Monitor in Puccini's Suor Angelica, Lily Craven in The Secret Garden, A delightful romantic comedy, featuring some of Strauss's most delectable music. Maria in West Side Story, and Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music. She has also performed as the soprano soloist for The Whiting Audito- As always at CIM, a projected translation keeps you in on all of the action. rium's Christmas production of Handel's Messiah in Flint, Michigan. Ms. Wyatt is a student of Mary Schiller. Tickets: $15 adults, $10 students/seniors/groups of 10 or more Call 216.791.5000 or buy online at cim.edu. Casts (in order of singing) Adina (L'elisir d'amore), and sang selections as Fiordiligi (Cosi fan * Wednesday/Friday # Thursday/Saturday tutte), Suor Angelica (Suor Angelica) and Nerone (L'incoronazione di HANSEL AND GRETEL (1893) Poppea) with the Italian Operatic Experience program in Urbania, Italy. Previous full roles include First Touriere (Suor Angelica), and Pernille Music by ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK (1854-1921) (Captain Lovelock). Partial roles include Hermia (A Midsummer's Text by ADELHEID WETTE Night's Dream), Empress Ottavia (L'incoronazione di Poppea), English translation by CONSTANCE BACHE, revised by HAMILTON BENZ Gianetta (L'elisir d'amore), Elisetta (Il matrimonio segreto) and Prelude and Act 1 Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro). GRETEL Heather Engebretson * Pamela Torrey (mezzo-soprano) is a freshman at CIM studying with April Martin # Jung Eun Oh. Her performance credits include Yum-Yum in The Mi- HANSEL Chelsea Coyne * kado, Constance in The Sorcerer, Tiny Tim in A Gilbert and Sullivan Christmas Carol, The Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods, Adela in The Elizabeth Marie Tredent # House of Bernarda Alba, Gwendolen in The Importance of Being Ear- THE MOTHER Sarah Gardner nest, The Jester in Once Upon a Mattress, and Sister Robert Anne in Kjira Robinson (Thursday only) Nunsense. She was a finalist in the Rochester Philharmonic League Competition and was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Barbara THE FATHER John Gray Watson Staropli Voice Competition at Nazareth College in 2009. The action takes place in the hut which is home to Hansel and Gretel. Elizabeth Marie Tredent (mezzo-soprano), a junior studying with Mary Schiller, is from Ashtabula, Ohio. Ms. Tredent spent her summer (By arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc. publisher and copyright owner.) at the Aspen Music Festival where she studied with Vinson Cole.