COLD MOUNTAIN Based on the National Book Award–Winning Novel by Charles Frazier
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THE SANTA FE OPERA WORLD PREMIERE COLD MOUNTAIN Based on the National Book Award–winning novel by Charles Frazier Jennifer Higdon, composer Gene Scheer, librettist Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor Live Recording 1 Content Cold Mountain Jennifer Higdon, Composer Gene Scheer, Librettist The Sante Fe Opera 6 The Santa Fe Opera’s production was co-commissioned and co-produced with Track Information 8 Opera Philadelphia and Minnesota Opera, in collaboration with North Carolina Opera Cast 10 THE SANTA FE OPERA Author’s Note 12 The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Conductor Composer’s Note 14 Librettist’s Note 16 Chorus – Members of The Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program for Singers Biographies 18 Susanne Sheston, Chorus Master Synopsis 22 Libretto 24 Leonard Foglia, Stage Director Robert Brill, Scenic Design Acknowledgements 103 David C. Woolard, Costume Design American Operas Series 104 Brian Nason, Lighting Design Premium Sound and Outstanding Artists 106 Elaine J. McCarthy, Projection Design Rick Sordelet, Fight Director This recording has been made possible, in part, by Jane Stieren Lacy and an anonymous donor. The world premiere production of Cold Mountain was underwritten by deeply appreciated grants from: Wyncote Foundation The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Carol Franc Buck Foundation 2 3 4 5 The Santa Fe Opera Track Information CD 1 ACT I (PTC 5186 524) CD 2 ACT II (PTC 5186 525) From the unlikeliest of beginnings — an programs for singers, technicians and arts 1 Scene One: Bill Owens’ farm 4. 33 1 Opening 0. 58 opera company located hundreds of miles administrators; and to foster and enrich an “Peaches In The Summertime” 2 Scene One: Lucinda and Inman duet 7. 08 from any major city, featuring American understanding and appreciation of opera 2 Scene Two: Confederate hospital, Raleigh, North Carolina 6. 08 “Is That All You Got?” singers in a wide-ranging and challenging among a diverse public. More than 2,000 “What Was His Name?” 3 Scene Two 1. 09 repertory, and treating theatrical and performances of 164 diff erent operas have 3 Scene Two: Inman’s aria 6. 09 “Interlude: Inman Walking” musical values as equally important in its been given here, including fourteen world 4 Scene Three : Ada and Inman duet 2. 46 “The Metal Age” productions — The Santa Fe Opera has premieres and 45 American premieres. “Orion” 4 Scene Three: A churchyard on Cold Mountain 4. 30 grown to become recognized as one of the 5 Scene Four: Stobrod’s campsite 6. 13 “I Don’t Like That Man” world’s leading cultural festivals. The company was founded by the late “Bless You, Ruby” 5 Scene Four: Black Cove Farm - Ada meets Ruby 4. 01 John Crosby, a young conductor from 6 Scene Five: Sara’s cabin 6. 31 “Who Ya’ Talkin’ To?” Every summer since 1957, opera lovers have New York, who had an idea of starting an “Your Baby Sick?” 6 Scene Five: A gorge along a river 6. 44 been drawn to the magnifi cent northern opera company to give American singers 7 Scene Six: Black Cove Farm 4. 31 “We Once Lived In A Land Of Paradise” New Mexico mountains to enjoy productions an opportunity to learn and perform new “Funny Lookin’ Scarecrow…” 7 Scene Six: Early morning, Black Cove Farm 2. 32 at The Santa Fe Opera. Here, the roles in a setting that allowed ample time 8 Scene Seven: Sara’s cabin 2. 32 “Sun’s Up. You’ll Eat Later…” company’s dramatic adobe theater blends to rehearse and prepare each production. “Get Up! Quick!” 8 Scene Six: Ruby’s aria 6. 34 harmoniously with the landscape. It is this Crosby was succeeded as founding General 9 Scene Eight: Quintet 2. 41 “My Only Teacher Was Hunger” fusion of nature and art that leaves such an Director by Richard Gaddes in 2000. During “I Should Be Cryin’ But I Just Feel Numb” 9 Scene Six: Ada and Inman duet 3. 35 enduring impression on all who visit. More his tenure in Santa Fe he implemented a 10 Scene Nine: Stobrod’s campsite 4. 51 “Why Can’t We?” “Howdy, Strangers... Keep Playin’...” than half the audience comes from outside wide range of new programming, including 10 Scene Seven: Cape Fear River 2. 36 11 Scene Ten: Walking up Cold Mountain 4. 17 New Mexico, representing every state in the community-based productions in the “Mister, How Much To Ferry Me Across?” “Our Beautiful Country” union as well as dozens of foreign countries, off -season and simulcasts to Albuquerque 11 Scene Eight: The next morning, along the banks of the river 6. 07 12 Scene Ten 4. 40 creating a signifi cant impact on the and a park in downtown Santa Fe. He “Look At Me, I’m Floating” “Ada’s aria” economy of the State of New Mexico. retired following the 2008 season when 12 Scene Nine: Black Cove Farm 8. 08 13 Scene Eleven: Deep in the woods on Cold Mountain 3. 30 Charles MacKay became the third General “Listen” “I’m Lost” The Santa Fe Opera’s mission is to advance Director in The Santa Fe Opera’s history. 13 Scene Nine: Teague’s aria 3. 37 14 Scene Twelve: Ruby and Ada’s campsite 6. 31 the operatic art form by presenting Under MacKay’s leadership, the Opera has “A Fence Is A Good Thing” “You Just Need To Rest. We’ll Talk Later.” ensemble performances of the highest maintained a balanced budget through a 14 Scene Ten: The Chain Gang 2. 47 15 Scene Twelve: Chorus 11. 39 quality in a unique setting with a varied tumultuous economic period and continues “I Told You. I’m A Preacher!” “Tell Her” repertoire of new, rarely performed, and to present bold and innovative repertory. 15 Scene Ten: Ada and Inman duet 4. 58 16 Scene Thirteen: Black Cove Farm 2. 20 standard works; to ensure the excellence “Come Back To Cold Mountain” “Epilogue, nine years later” of opera’s future through apprentice Total playing time CD 1: 73. 10 Total playing time CD 2: 72. 30 6 7 8 9 Cast Back to Cold Mountain about W.P. Inman’s journey home and and the luminous physical presences and operas and novels are very his death at the hands of Teague’s of Nathan Gunn, Isabel Leonard, diff erent beasts; some bits of anatomy Charles Frazier, Author Teague Solomon Veasey Stobrod Thewes Charlie Home Guard near the end of the Civil Emily Fons, Jay Hunter Morris, Kevin are transplantable, but many are Jay Hunter Morris Roger Honeywell Kevin Burdette Daniel Bates Autumn 1989, I went to Jackson War. Within a week I abandoned the Burdette, and Roger Honeywell not. And as for control, I use that at Hole, Wyoming for a sort of writer’s previous book and started writing Cold brought Inman and Ada and Ruby, the very beginning. Somebody wants Owens Laura Lucinda Ethan retreat. I was working on a novel Mountain. In my original conception, Teague and Stobrod and Veasey back to adapt my work, I talk with them, Deborah Nansteel Robert Pomakov Robert Pomakov Andrea Núñez set in the contemporary world. The the book would have been brief, to me with a very simple feeling: Old and go by instinct. Yes or no. After main character drove a black Audi. intensely violent, and hopeless. But friends long parted, happily meet that, when artists like Higdon, Scheer, Owens’ Son Lila Pangle Thomas Sometime during that trip, the image that idea didn’t last long because Ada again under diff erent circumstances. and Anthony Minghella are engaging Adrian Kramer Bridgette Gan Anthony Michaels-Moore Tyler Putnam of two women appeared out of and Ruby stepped out of that painting, with my work to create something of W.P. Inm an Katie Reid Birch nowhere in my mind. It was like looking off that page of description to save me Leading up to the premiere, I was their own, I think my role is to answer Nathan Gunn Heather Phillips Roy Hage Nicholas Ottersberg at a painting. They stood together on and the book. often asked by journalists and others questions, ask a few, and off er support a cold day by a fi re in the backyard about my thoughts concerning and encouragement. And also to enjoy Sara Ada’s Daughter A Blind Man Olivia of an Appalachian farmhouse. Their Twenty-six years later, sitting in the adaptation for fi lm and opera. the adventure of learning more about Kevin Burdette Shabnam Kalbasi Chelsea Basler Cadence Dennis clothes suggested the nineteenth audience for the premiere of the opera A frequent assumption was that I the process of making art by watching century and that one woman was in Santa Fe, seeing and hearing that surely wanted as much control over other artists with diff erent tools than Ada Monroe Claire Isabel Leonard Megan Marino more refi ned than the other. I didn’t story and those characters through the the fi nal product as possible, and mine reimagine and revive these know who they were, and they had eyes and ears of artists as gifted and that I would particularly dislike any characters and scenes in wonderful Monroe Junior The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra nothing to do with the book I was accomplished as Jennifer Higdon and change, however minor, from my new ways. Anthony Michaels-Moore Daniel Bates Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Conductor working on, but I wrote a page Gene Scheer, was an overwhelmingly novel. People sometimes failed to Chorus – Members of The Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program for Singers describing that static scene.