BAM 2013 Winter/Spring Season Brooklyn Academy of Music Alan H. Fishman, Chairman of the Board William I. Campbell, Vice Chairman of the Board Adam E. Max, Vice Chairman of the Board et Karen Brooks Hopkins, David President Joseph V. Melillo, Executive Producer Jonathas By Marc-Antoine Charpentier Les Arts Florissants An Aix-en-Provence Festival production Conducted by William Christie Directed by Andreas Homoki BAM Howard Gilman Opera House Apr 17, 18 & 20 at 7:30pm Apr 21 at 2pm Approximate running time: two hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission Scenic design by Paul Zoller Costume design by Gideon Davey Lighting design by Franck Evin BAM 2013 Winter/Spring Season sponsor: Performed in French with English titles Co-produced by Opéra Comique and Théâtre de Caen Leadership support provided by Ronald P. in association with Les Arts Florissants with the Stanton and The Delancey Foundation, the support of The Selz Foundation Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and The Florence Gould Foundation Les Arts Florissants receive Financial support from the Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication, the Ville de Major support provided by Aashish & Dinyar Caen and the Région Basse-Normandie. They are artists in Devitre, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and residence at the théâtre de Caen. IMERYS and ALSTOM are The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation with The Evelyn Principal Sponsors of Les Arts Florissants Sharp Foundation and Mary Sharp Cronson Additional support provided by The Grand Marnier Foundation, The Francena T. Harrison Foundation Trust, Charles and Mildred Schnurmacher Foundation, and Iconic Artist Talk: William Christie, moderated by John Heilpern Susan L. Baker & Michael R. Lynch Sunday, April 21 at 11am, Fishman Space. $20; $10 for Friends of BAM David et Jonathas Pascal Charbonneau Ana Quintans Neal Davies Kresimir Spicer Frédéric Caton Dominique Visse Pierre Bessière Photo: Denis Rouvre William Christie Andreas Homoki Gideon Davey Franck Evin Paul Zoller David et Jonathas Photo: Ana Quintans and Pascal Charbonneau, by Artcomart/P. Victor CAST David PASCAL CHARBONNEAU, high tenor Jonathas ANA QUINTANS, soprano Saül NEAL DavIES, bass Joabel KREšiMIR šPICER, tenor Achis FRÉDÉRIC CATON, bass La Pythonisse DOMINIQUE VISSE, high tenor L’Ombre de Samuel PIERRE BESSIÈRE, bass Un de la suite de Jonathas GEOFFROY BUFFIÈRE, bass Un guerrier ARNAUD RICHARD, bass Bergères ÉLODIE FONNARD, JULIETTE PERRET, VIRGINIE THOMAS, sopranos Captifs MAUD GNIDZAZ, RACHEL REDMOND, sopranos; REINOUD VAN MECHELEN, high tenor; BENJAMIN ALUNNI, tenor Un du peuple BENJAMIN ALUNNI, tenor Un de la suite de David REINOUD VAN MECHELEN, high tenor Young David WILLIAM LACH Young Jonathas KIVLIGHAN DE MONTEBELLO Understudy for young David and young Jonathas ANDREW APPEL David et Jonathas—Synopsis Before the opera begins suspicions. He sets off in pursuit of David while Saul, King of Israel, welcomed David into his Joabel basks in self-congratulation at the success palace, the shepherd who defeated the giant Go- of his calumny. liath and singer who possesses a voice capable of soothing the King’s distress. But he soon grew Intermediary Scene* suspicious of David, suspecting the shepherd Doubtful of God’s support for his war against the of wanting to depose him. The deep friendship Philistines, dressed incognito Saul visits a Witch the young man developed for his son Jonathas and asks her to invoke the ghost of Samuel, his seemed to confirm Saul’s doubts. One day, in a illustrious predecessor. In response to the Witch’s fit of rage he hurled his javelin at David, who es- incantations, Samuel’s ghost appears and reveals caped from the court and found refuge with the that the Heavens have abandoned Saul and will enemies of Israel, the Philistines, and their King take back all that was bestowed on him. Achis. But the Philistine army chiefs, jealous of his achievements, chased him away. Act IV Conscious that the truce has been broken, David Act I prays to God. Jonathas finds him and reproaches After David defeats the Amalekites, the Philis- him for having fled. Disconsolate, the two friends tines recall him to their camp. Warriors, shep- know they must part. Then left alone, Jonathas herds, and prisoners, liberated by David, sing is torn: should he follow his friend and abandon his glory. Alone later the young man is agitated: his father? But the sounds of combat call him he fears that his return among the Philistines into battle. He resolves to protect David. Spewing will take him to war against the Israelites and invectives at Achis, Saul breaks the truce and his friend Jonathas. King Achis prepares to meet Joabel relishes the King’s decision to engage in with Saul to negotiate a truce. He places the final combat. decision in David’s hands, who pleads for peace. Act V Acte II At the height of the battle, Jonathas is seriously Joabel, head of the Philistine army, attempts to wounded. When Saul finds him, he first turns provoke David to take up arms but the young against the guards accompanying his son and man resists. Envious of the shepherd’s glory, then, consumed with wrath, he attempts to Joabel seethes with rage and plots to fuel assault David. As the Philistines claim victory, Saul’s suspicions in the hope that the truce will David rushes to Jonathas who declares his love fail. Meanwhile David seeks out Jonathas and one last time and dies in friend’s arms. David together with the shepherds they celebrate the is overcome with despair. Mortally wounded, beauties of peace. in vain Saul makes one last dive at him. Achis arrives on the scene and pronounces David the Act III new King of Israel. But in the midst of the victory During his consultation with Achis, Saul divulges celebrations, the victor is devastated: “I have lost his suspicions about David and instructs him to all that I love / All is lost for me.” execute the young man. Achis refuses. When David presents himself to the King, Saul accuses * This scene constitutes the prologue to the original opera. him of treason and orders Jonathas to take re- Through common agreement, the artists working on this production decided to insert it between acts III and IV to venge. When Jonathas declines, the King’s rage ensure the clarity and coherence in the storyline. increases further. Horrified by the scene, David steals away and seemingly confirms Saul’s David et Jonathas—Synopsis Photo: Artcomart/P. Victor Photo: Artcomart/P. CHORUS Chorus master François Bazola SOPRANOS TENORS Solange Añorga, Benjamin Alunni (Un Captif, Un du peuple) Nicole Dubrovich Édouard Hazebrouck Élodie Fonnard (Une Bergère) Thibaut Lenaerts Maud Gnidzaz (Une Captive) Nicolas Maire Violaine Lucas Jean-Yves Ravoux Brigitte Pelote Michael-Loughlin Smith Juliette Perret (Une Bergère) Rachel Redmond (Une Captive) BASSES Isabelle Sauvageot Pierre Bessière (L’Ombre de Samuel) Ysaline Staniszewski Justin Bonnet Virginie Thomas (Une Bergère) Geoffroy Buffière (Un de la suite de Jonathas) Fabrice Chomienne HIGH TENORS Laurent Collobert Camilo Angarita Christophe Gautier Sean Clayton Arnaud Richard (Un guerrier) Bruno Renhold Marduk Serrano Lopez Marcio Soares Holanda Renaud Tripathi Reinoud Van Mechelen (Un de la suite de David, Un Captif) David et Jonathas ORCHESTRA VIOLINS DOUBLEBASS Florence Malgoire (violin solo) Jonathan Cable (basso continuo) Catherine Girard (second violin solo) Jean-Paul Burgos Flutes Bernadette Charbonnier Serge Saitta Myriam Gevers Charles Zebley Sophie Gevers-Demoures Christophe Robert RECORDERS Michèle Sauvé Sébastien Marq Michelle Tellier violas I Galina Zinchenko OBOES Simon Heyerick Pier Luigi Fabretti Kayo Saito Michel Henry violas II BASSOONS Deirdre Dowling Claude Wassmer (basso continuo) Gabriel Grosbard Rhoda-Mary Patrick Michel Renard TRUMPETS cellos Jean-François Madeuf David Simpson (basso continuo) Philippe Genestier Elena Andreyev Emmanuel Balssa Timpani, PERCUSSIONS Paul Carlioz Marie-Ange Petit Alix Verzier THEORBO Viola da GAMBA Brian Feehan (basso continuo) Anne-Marie Lasla (basso continuo) HARPSICHORD, ORGAN, CHEF DE CHANT Béatrice Martin (basso continuo) Who’s Who WILLIAM CHRISTIE (music director) was born won the Prix Georges Pompidou in 2005 as in Buffalo, NY, and studied at Harvard and Yale, well as the Prix de chant choral Liliane Betten- before settling in France in 1971, where he court awarded by the Académie des Beaux- founded Les Arts Florissants in 1979. Harpsi- Arts in 2004. chordist, conductor, and musicologist, he taught at the Conservatoire de Paris between 1982 and ANDREAS HOMOKI (director) was born in 1960 1995 and pioneered the rediscovery of baroque in Germany to Hungarian musicians and studied music in France. He has collaborated with music and German in West Berlin. While at the renowned directors in theater and opera (J.-M. university he sat in on Harry Kupfer’s produc- Villégier, R. Carsen, A. Arias, J. Lavelli, G. Vick, tions at the Komische Oper in East Berlin, and A. Noble, A. Serban, L. Bondy, and more): at the later assisted him on productions, including at Paris Opera (Hippolyte et Aricie in 1996, Les the Salzburg Festival. From 1987 to 1993, Ho- Indes galantes, Alcina in 1999, and Les Boré- moki worked with Willy Decker at Cologne Opera ades in 2003), at the theater of Caen (Médée in as a director’s assistant and evening supervisor. 1993, Il Ritorno di Ulisse in patria in 2002, Les From 1988 to 1992, he also lectured in sce- Boréades in 2003, Serse and Les Paladins in nography at the opera school of the Musikhoch- 2004, Il Sant’Alessio by Stefano Landi in 2007), schule Köln, where he created his first produc- at the Opéra du Rhin (Die Entführung aus dem tions. In 1992 Homoki’s first guest production Serail in 1993), at the Théâtre du Châtelet (King took him to Geneva, where his interpretation of Arthur in 1995, Les Paladins in 2004), and Die Frau ohne Schatten attracted international at the Aix-en-Provence Festival, where Les Arts attention, and was performed at the Théâtre du Florissants presented many shows including Cas- Châtelet in Paris.