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Home , Johanna Meier, Manon 70, Mihoko Fujimura, Tristan (Henze)

MARCH 2020

VOLUME 14

ISSUE 6

DESIRÉE MAYS: UND ISOLDE

INTRODUCTION TO , PART I THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 5:30PM SANTA FE WOMAN’S CLUB 1616 OLD PECOS TRAIL FREE FOR GUILD MEMBERS; $10 FOR NON-MEMBERS

In the words of a medieval troubadour: "If you would hear a tale of love and death, here is that of Tristan and Queen , how to their full joy, but to their sorrow also, they loved each other, and how at last they died of that love together upon one day." The back story to this tale, how Tristan and Isolde met in Ireland and how he came to bring her by sea to Cornwall, not for himself, but for his uncle King Marke, will be discussed as the introduction to 's great tribute to Love - and Death. Wagner wrote in 1854: "As I have never in my life tasted the true joy of love, I will raise a monument to this loveliest of all dreams." This statement from the heart of Wagner and Romanticism itself informs the soul of the work in music that is unsurpassed in terms of love and longing. Desirée will discuss the story, in her own inimitable style, and play music excerpts. “What is the phenomenon of Wagner and his transformative music?" Desirée’s lecture will provide some thought-provoking answers to this very complex question. Please register for Tristan und Isolde, Part I by clicking here or call 888-666-3430x503. This lecture is sponsored by the Santa Fe Guild on Thursday, March 26th, 5:30PM at the Santa Fe Woman’s Club. The : Digging Deeper, Part II is being held at Collected Works Bookstore, 202 Galisteo on Wednesday, April 29 at 6:00PM. There is No Charge for this event and all are welcome. Desirée will discuss different philosophical approaches quoting from Bryan Magee's book The Tristan Chord, along with exploring Wagner's chaotic domestic circumstances during composition. Personal comments from Johanna Meier, Bayreuth's 1981 Isolde, will be shared. Desirée Mays continues to lecture states-wide on opera, currently at The in New York, and to Wagner Societies in San Francisco and Los Angeles. She also gives talks at Collected Works before The Met: Live in HD screenings at The Lensic.

BACKSTAGE PREVIEW: REGISTRATION OPEN

BACKSTAGE PREVIEW SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 11:00AM – 1:00PM CHECK-IN, 10:30AM STIEREN HALL, THE SANTA FE OPERA MEMBERS OF THE SANTA FE CHAPTER OF THE OPERA GUILD ONLY

The Santa Fe Opera Guild presents its annual Backstage Preview on Saturday, April 18, featuring stage, costume, and prop designs for The Santa Fe Opera Festival season. This much anticipated, engaging and entertaining event takes place at Stieren Hall from 11:00AM to 1:00PM. Check-in begins at 10:30AM. Light refreshments will be served. The talented Santa Fe Opera production team department heads take center stage; Scott Schreck, Scenery, Missy West, Costumes and Randy Lutz, Props provide an exclusive first-look at the artistic elements that will make The Santa Opera Festival 2020 season magical. Discussions about the techniques of stagecraft, colorful costumes and innovative props, are interspersed with anecdotes about what can occur in the production of an opera before it reaches the stage. A must see event! Due to its enormous popularity and limited seating, it is wise to register NOW. To register click here or call Ken Hunt at 888-666- 3430x503. You will receive an email confirming your registration. Cost is $20.00. This event is only open to members of the Santa Fe chapter of the Opera Guild. Members at the $60.00+ level may bring a co-member or one guest.

VIVACE BOOK GROUP

MONDAY, MARCH 9, 6:15PM - 7:30PM PRE-DISCUSSION SOCIAL 5:45PM COLLECTED WORKS 202 GALISTEO STREET, SANTA FE COMPLIMENTARY FOR GUILD MEMBERS, NON-MEMBERS $5

Monday, March 9: Lescaut is a devastating depiction of obsessive love and a haunting portrait of a captivating but dangerous woman! When the young Chevalier des Grieux first sets eyes on the exquisitely beautiful and charming Manon they fall passionately in love. But his happiness turns to bitter despair when he discovers that Manon is mercenary and immoral, and has taken a rich lover to pay for their life of pleasure. A broken man, he swears to stay away from her, but cannot. Just as the Chevalier is helpless to end their relationship, so Manon is incapable of giving up the source of her income, and the lovers enter a destructive cycle that can only end in tragedy. The 2019-2020 Metropolitan Opera season includes two based on Prévost’s novel - Massenet's Manon and Puccini's . The novel is also the subject of two lesser- known operas – Manon Lescaut by Daniel Auber and by . And it’s even the subject of a film, Manon 70, starring Catherine Deneuve. We suggest that you read the Penguin edition, pictured here and available at Collected Works Bookstore & Coffeehouse. Monday, May 11: The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes, a fictionalized biography of Dimitri Shostakovich is the May book selection. Further details in the April Operagram. LECTURES ON SANTA FE OPERA 2020 SEASON

MARK TIARKS: THE SANTA FE OPERA 2020 SEASON THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 19, 26; APRIL 2, 9, 10:00AM-NOON RENESAN INSTITUTE FOR LIFELONG LEARNING ST. JOHN’S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 1200 OLD PECOS TRAIL

RENESAN is offering a five-session class on The Santa Fe Opera’s 2020 season repertory. The class will be taught by Mark Tiarks and it meets from 10:00AM – 12:00 noon on five consecutive Thursdays – March 12, 19 & 26, and April 2 & 9. Each session includes extensive video and audio excerpts, as well as wide-ranging visual imagery. Class members receive a special handout about each opera as well as a pdf of each class presentation Mark Tiarks was The Santa Fe Opera’s Director of Planning and Marketing for 11 seasons. His most recent RENESAN course was “The Music of Kurt Weill: From ‘Mack the Knife’ to ‘September Song’ ” in Fall, 2019. For more information or to register for this class, click here or call 505-982-9274.

SAVE THE DATE: SANTA FE OPERA SPRING TOUR

The Spring Tour opera will be Sweet Potato Kicks the Sun, by composer Augusta Read Thomas and librettist Leslie Dunton-Downer. The opera follows the galactic mishaps caused by the title character, Sweet Potato, and a journey to set things back on course. Featuring a cast that includes beatbox artist Nicole Paris, this work explores opera’s ability to intersect with other art forms, while also offering contemporary storytelling for today’s audiences. Sweet Potato Kicks the Sun, a project of Opera for All , was commissioned by a consortium of opera companies led by The Santa Fe Opera, in association with San Francisco Opera; the consortium includes Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Sarasota Opera and Seattle Opera. The Spring Tour public performances will be on May 3 in Santa Fe at The Lensic Performing Arts Center, and May 8 in Albuquerque at the African American Performing Arts Center. Further details in the April Operagram. Photo Credit Tira Howard

NEWS FROM THE SANTA FE OPERA

Opera Storytellers Camp for Kids: Opera Storytellers create original opera by activating their voices, bodies and imaginations, expanding their individual potential through creative exploration and discovery. Opera Storytellers is for children entering 3rd through 8th grades. Camps will be held in Santa Fe at The Santa Fe Opera, and in Albuquerque at the UNM Music Prep School. Registration is open now and space is limited. Santa Fe | The Santa Fe Opera June 1-12, 2020 / Monday through Friday, 9am-4pm For information and to register for the Opera Storytellers camp in Santa Fe, go to The Santa Fe Opera website.

Albuquerque Location | UNM Music Prep School July 20-31, 2020 / Monday through Friday, 9am-4pm For information regarding the UNM summer camp, tuition assistance and to register, please visit the UNM Music Prep School website.

LOS ALAMOS OPERA GUILD PRESENTS YOUNG VOICES CONCERT

Join the Los Alamos Opera Guild for a membership social and concert by Young Voices of The Santa Fe Opera on Sunday, March 2, at 3:00PM at the Los Alamos United Church. The church is located at 2525 Canyon Road, Los Alamos and doors will open at 2:30PM for a reception with punch and cookies. The reception will continue after the concert. Vocalists Eleanor Henderson, Alexander Waters, and Maya Rogers, and pianist Paul Roth will present operatic works. While The Santa Fe Opera is moving in new directions, so are The Guilds of The Santa Fe Opera — providing novel events, forging new partnerships, and bringing new energy and ideas into the Opera's endeavors. Guild members make things happen for the Opera. Since 1957, the Guilds’ year-round volunteer services and financial support have launched and expanded some of the Opera's most successful activities. POJOAQUE VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR

Congratulations to the Pojoaque Valley High School Choir for earning the honor to participate in the National Memorial Concert: Remembering 9/11 at Carnegie Hall in New York City on October 11, 2020. The choir competed with other schools nationally and this is the first time New Mexico is being represented. First responders from 9/11 will speak during the program about the significance of this devastating day in American history. The thirty-eight member choir is led by choral director Isabel Becker- Hudson who taught at PVHS for almost twenty years and has been a choral director for forty years. Isabel is the coordinator for The Santa Fe Opera’s Youth Nights, a former Santa Fe Opera Volunteer of the Year, and Past President of the Espanola Opera Guild. The impact of this recognition is profound. Not only are these students being honored for their vocal talent, they are being given the gift of travel, when many have never been on a plane or ventured further than Albuquerque. However, opportunity is not free and the cost for transportation, lodging and food for this memorable trip is approximately $2,000.00 per student. Estimated total costs needed for the six day trip to New York City is $50,000.00. To raise money for the trip, there is a Steak Benefit Dinner, a lollipop sale to students, and a Go Fund Me campaign. Click here to contribute online. If donating by check is preferable, please make the check out to PVHS Choir and mail it to the school: Pojoaque Valley High School Choir, attn.: Isabel Becker-Hudson, 1574 State Road 502, Santa Fe, NM 87506.

MARA: A CHAMBER OPERA

MĀRA: A CHAMBER OPERA THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 7:30PM DOORS OPEN AT 7:00PM UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF SANTA FE 107 W BARCELONA ROAD

Stephen Batchelor’s opera, Māra: A Chamber Opera, will be the topic of a panel discussion on Thursday, March 5, at 7:30PM at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Fe. The opera is about Siddhartha Gotama (the Buddha) and his encounters with the demonic and seductive Māra and her daughter, Tana who attempt to block his path to an awakened life. Don Fineberg, the moderator for the evening, is associated with The Santa Fe Opera. Panelists for the evening include Stephen Batchelor, Sherry Woods, Benjamin Woods and Ronn Smith. The evening will also include three scenes performed by singers affiliated with various, local opera companies, including The Santa Fe Opera.

This event is Free and open to the Public. Donations accepted. THE MET: LIVE IN HD

DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER │THE FLYING DUTCHMAN SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 11:00AM│ENCORE, SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 6:00PM THE LENSIC PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 211 WEST SAN FRANCISCO STREET

RUNNING TIME: 2 HRS 25 MINS

The Met’s first new staging in thirty years of Der Fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman) is directed by the acclaimed François Girard, director and award-winning screenwriter. The Set Director for this production is John Macfarlan, who creates the ghostly backdrop for the story of the cursed sea captain doomed to navigate his phantom vessel through treacherous waters, wandering for eternity. The Dutchman’s only hope for redemption is to find a woman who will sacrifice herself for the love of him. Russian Bass-baritone Evgeny Nikitin is the tormented Dutchman. Mr. Nikitin replaces Sir Bryn Terfel for all performances. German Soprano, Anja Kampe makes her Met debut as the faithful Senta, who falls in love with the tragic Dutchman. Bass Franz-Joseph Selig is Senta’s father, Daland; Erik, her former lover, is played by Tenor Sergey Skorokhodov. Japanese Mezzo-Soprano Mihoko Fujimura makes her Met debut as Mary. Tenor Daniel Portillo assumes the role of Steersman. The orchestra is under the direction of conductor . Tickets for all The Met: Live in HD performances are available at The Lensic box office or by calling (505)988-1234. To learn more about the production, cast, and to view videos of Der Fliegende Holländer, click here to reach The Met: Live in HD website.

BREAKFAST LECTURES

Don’t miss the Breakfast Lectures at Collected Works Bookstore & Coffeehouse before Saturday morning performances of The Met: Live in HD. The café opens at 8:00AM. Please plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before the lecture begins to secure a seat and purchase breakfast goodies. Breakfast Lectures precede every morning broadcast of The Met: Live in HD at the Lensic. The March talk begins at 9:30AM. On Saturday, March 14, Desirée Mays’s lecture will focus on background and context for Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer aka The Flying Dutchman. Desirée provides the following insight into the opera: “The Flying Dutchman, condemned to sail the seven seas, must find a woman who will sacrifice herself for him. He finds her, of course, thus setting in motion Wagner's over-arching motif of women who sacrifice themselves for love. The portrait of the tortured seaman comes to life for Senta and she falls in love with an illusion.”

There is a donation of $5 per person, check or cash. Collected Works is located one block from The Lensic at the corner of Galisteo and Water Street. Have your breakfast delivered to the Opera Talk! Menu items from Iconik’s Guadalupe Street location can be delivered to your table at the Opera Talk. Just email your name and food order to [email protected] by Friday morning, March 13. Click here to see the menu on Iconik’s website. The regular café menu of teas, coffees, pastries, and burritos will continue to be available at Collected Works.

APPRENTICE WATCH

Tenor Brandon Jovanovich starred as Dick Johnson in La Fanciulla del West at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich. Later in the year, he sang the title role in with . Continuing his mastery of Wagner’s repertory, he will portray Siegmund in Die Walküre, part of the 2020 Ring Cycle, at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Mr. Jovanovich was a Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Singer in 1996 and 1997, and was presented with the Anna Case Mackay award. To hear Brandon sing at a Richard Tucker Gala click here.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

With the greatest pleasure, we welcome Nora Arbuckle, Barbara Luboff, Linda Miller, Catherine & Douglas Thayer and Nadine Stafford to the Santa Fe Opera Guild. We look forward to meeting you at our programs and events and we thank you for joining us.

MARCH MEMBERS: IT’S TIME TO RENEW

When your renewal comes due, you will receive an email alert. Renew by clicking RENEW NOW! We accept four major credit cards and PayPal, or mail a check to The Santa Fe Opera Guild, Membership, P.O. Box 2371, Santa Fe, NM,87504 - 2371. You can renew at any of our upcoming events. Send membership questions via email to Leslie Veditz at [email protected], or telephone her at (888)666-3430 ext. 502. The Membership Committee will send your membership tax receipts and membership cards to you by email. Those of you without email will continue to receive these communications by US mail. If you do not have a printer at home or if you still prefer a hardcopy tax letter and membership card, you can get these at any of our education events.

DIVERSIONS

Note: If a performance is at The Lensic, call (505)988-1234 for tickets; for more information go to lensic.org/events. Theatre Santa Fe lists the following in March: Macbeth (3/1 – 3/8, The Swan); Tree of Life 2020 Spring Flamenco (3/5, Teatro Paraguas); The Aliens (3/5 – 3/22, Teatro Paraguas Second Space); The Other (3/1 – 4/12, The Swan), New Plays (3/26 – 3/29, Teatro Paraguas Second Space). The Santa Fe Jewish Film Festival presents The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer on Sunday, March 1 at 2:00PM at The Screen; Oliver Sacks: His Own Life on Sunday, March 15 at 4:00PM at The Screen; Jews and the Arab World on Tuesdays, March 31- April 7 at 1:00PM at St. John’s Methodist Church, Santa Fe. To reserve, email [email protected]. The New Mexico Performing Arts Society presents NMPAS Cantata Series 1 on Sunday, March 1 at 5:30PM at Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel (50 Mount Carmel Road), Santa Fe. The program is as follows: J. S. Bach’s Trio Sonata in D Major for Oboe and Keyboard, as well as his Cantata BWV 30, Freue dich, erloste (“Rejoice, redeemed flock”). For tickets go to https://nmpas.org/tickets/ or call (505)474-4513. The Santa Fe Community Orchestra presents its Mid-Season Concert on Sunday, March 1 at 2:30PM at the James A. Little Theater, New Mexico School for the Deaf. With the direction of SFCO’s Music Director, Oliver Prezant, the Orchestra will play Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2 and Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No. 1 (Jerry Weimer, soloist). In addition, there will be a Side-by- Side Performance of the SFCO with El Camino Real Academy Band. Admission is free, and donations are welcome. National Theatre Live presents Cyrano de Bergerac on Wednesday, March 4 at 7:00PM at The Lensic. James McAvoy stars in the title role.

Los Alamos Concert Association presents Gil Shaham & Akira Eguchi on Sunday, March 8 at 4:00PM at Duane Smith Auditorium (1300 Diamond Drive), Los Alamos. Violinist Shaham will bring his Countess Polignac Stradivarius to the stage where he will join his long-time duo partner, pianist Eguchi, in the following program: Kreisler’s Praeludium and Allegro (In the Style of Pugnani); Wheeler’s Sonata No. 2 for Violin and Piano (“The Singing Turk”); Dorman’s Sonata No. 3 (“Niqunim”); J. S. Bach’s Partita No. 3 in E Major for Solo Violin, BWV 1006; and Franck’s Sonata in A Major. Tickets may be purchased through The Lensic, at Smith’s Santa Fe, or at losalamosconcert.org. Violet Crown Theater presents the following Essential Performances: 3/1 (J. Kaufmann, V. Kasarova); 3/8 Giselle (T. Rojo); 3/15 (J. Kaufmann, E. Magee); 3/22 La Bohème (S. Yoncheva, C. Castronova); 3/29 The Cellist/Dances at a Gathering (Royal Ballet); 4/5 La Clemenza Di Tito (J. Kaufmann, E. Mai). All performances are at 11:00AM on Sundays. Order advance tickets at violetcrown.com. The Lannan Foundation Readings and Conversations series presents Terrance Hayes and Tim Seibles on Wednesday, March 11 at 7:00PM at The Lensic. Both are widely published, award-winning poet/authors. The Santa Fe Symphony and WildEarth Guardians present Hope for the Planet on Sunday, March 15 at 4:00PM at The Lensic. A first-time collaboration for these institutions, their program will explore, through music and multi-media visuals, the wonders of our planet Earth as well as the future of its children. On the bill: Debussy’s La Mer and Rutter’s Mass of the Children, performed by The Santa Fe Symphony and Chorus and renowned soloists. The Russian Film Society presents a screening of Rasputin on Wednesday, March 18 at 1:00PM at Teatro Paraguas. Einojuhani Rautavaara’s 2003 opera tells the story of the “mad monk” of Russia, Grigori Rasputin, and his relationship with the Romanov Tsar and his family. Rautavaara composed this opera for the Finnish bass Matti Salminen, who stars in this film. Reservations are available via email at [email protected]; a $5 contribution is requested. The Santa Fe Conservation Trust presents Banff Mountain Film Festival on Monday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 17, both at 7:00PM at The Lensic. With different films each night, the touring festival is an exhilarating and provocative exploration of The Mountain and outdoor world as it travels to exotic locations and remote cultures. The Lensic presents The New York Philharmonic String Quartet on Thursday, March 19 at 7:30PM at The Lensic. The program will include works by Mozart, Shostakovich and Ravel. Santa Fe Pro Musica presents The Borromeo String Quartet on Sunday, March 22 at 3:00PM at Saint Francis Auditorium, New Mexico Museum of Art. On the program: Mozart’s Quartet in G Major, K. 387; Ligeti’s Quartet No. 1 (“Métamorphoses nocturns”); and Beethoven’s Quartet in A Minor, Op. 132. For tickets, call (505)9880-4640 or The Lensic website. Opera Southwest presents La Traviata on Sunday, March 22 at 2:00PM; Wednesday, March 25 at 7:30PM; Friday, March 27 at 7:30PM; and Sunday, March 29 at 2:00PM. All performances are at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque. Verdi’s sweeping love story is set against the backdrop of Parisian high society where the celebrated courtesan, Violetta, eschews her wealthy suitors for a simpler life with Alfredo. Sarah Asmar sings Violetta, Kirk Dougherty sings Alfredo; Christian Capocaccia conducts; Octavio Cardenas directs. For tickets call (505)243-0591. Santa Fe Institute Community Lectures presents Life is What? on Tuesday, March 24 at 7:00PM at The Lensic. Astrobiologist and physicist Sara Walker guides us through approaches aimed at developing a new theory for understanding life, based on the idea that life is fundamentally about information and how it interacts with the physical world. The Lensic presents Anne Frank Parallel Stories on Wednesday, March 25 at 7:00PM at The Lensic. A retelling of Anne Frank’s life by Helen Mirren, this film documentary looks at the lives of several young women who survived concentration camps. The New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus presents Unbreakable: The Untold Stories of our Community on Thursday, March 26 at 7:30PM at The Lensic. This is the New Mexico premiere of Andrew Lippa’s (I am Harvey Milk) emotional history lesson about the gay experience over the last century. Performance Santa Fe presents Yefim Bronfman on Friday, March 27 at 7:30PM at The Lensic. Considered one of the finest pianists of our time, Grammy-award-winning Bronfman will play an all-Beethoven program: Sonatas No. 1-3 (Opus 10), and Sonata No. 23, Opus 57 (“Appassionata”).

THE GUILDS OF THE SANTA FE OPERA, INC. P.O. Box 2371, Santa Fe, NM 87504-2371 Find us on the internet at GuildsofSFO.org/SF. Operagram Editor: [email protected] Santa Fe Opera Guild President: Martha Baker, [email protected] (888) 666-3430, Ext. 501 VP for Membership: Leslie Veditz, [email protected] (888) 666-3430, Ext. 502