Opera Learner’s Permit:! The Journey to Reims !

Training ! Manual!

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Summer 2013! TABLE OF CONTENTS!

Page! ! 3-4 !Meet the Characters on the Journey! ! 5-6 !Meet the Composer: Gioacchino Rossini! ! 7 ! !Meet the Filene Young Artists! ! 8 ! !About the Barns! ! 9 ! !What to Expect at the ! ! 10-11 !Voice Types! ! 12 ! !Other Opera People! ! 13 ! !Opera Terms! ! 14 ! !Opera Mad Libs! ! 15-16 !Think Like a Critic! ! 17 ! !Opera Learner’s Permit Crossword! ! 18 ! !Credits! Meet the Characters on the Journey!!

The opera takes place at the exclusive

GIGLI D’ORO (GOLDEN LILY) INN & SPA, which is expertly run by MADAMA CORTESE

The welfare of the guests is aended to by

DR. PRUDENZIO, the spa physician.

Nine internaonal travelers are staying at the spa, on their way to the coronaon of a king at the Reims Cathedral.

There’s a love quadrangle:

LA CONTESSA DI FOLLEVILLE, a ditsy, fashion-obsessed French Countess, is in a relaonship with

IL CAVALIERE BELFIORE, a French knight

Unfortunately, Belfiore is also interested in…

… the beauful Italian Poetess CORINNA…

… who is in turn being pursued by the very proper and reserved English LORD SIDNEY. There’s also a love triangle:

Both the hot-blooded Russian General CONTE LIBENSKOF

and the dashing Spanish Officer DON ALVARO

desire the exoc Polish widow MARCHESA MELIBEA.

Watching all of this with amusement are

DON PROFONDO, the Italian anques collector…

…and the treasurer and “cruise director” of the group,

the German BARONE DI TROMBONOK.

Things are prey complicated to begin with, and they get a lile worse when complicaons develop. Let’s just say that in spite of the tle of the opera, none of these people ever actually make the journey to Reims. No maer, for they have plenty of fun anyway, and they sing some prey spectacular ! Meet the Composer:! Gioacchino Rossini! A Musical Family!

Gioacchino Rossini was born on February 29, 1792. (Since he was born on Leap Day, he’s really only 55 years old!) His first music teacher was his father, a trumpet player. His mother was also a musician, and she earned the family extra money by appearing in local opera performances.

Lile Gioacchino made his opera stage debut when he was only seven (playing the horn), and he was a featured soloist at his church when he was ten. By the me he was fieen, Rossini was studying music seriously, and he wrote his first symphony at 17. Shortly aerward, he started wring . When he was 23, he married Isabelle Colbran, a famous singer. They traveled and performed together all over . (She was such a successful and popular performer that Rossini oen complained that he made more money as a piano accompanist for his wife than he did wring operas!)

Rossini at age 23!

Speed Demon!

Rossini wrote extremely quickly, and between the ages of 23 and 30 he wrote twenty operas. He boasted that he wrote in only thirteen days. He was a bit of a procrasnator, so when he finally started to compose, there was no me to waste! The were the last parts of the operas to be wrien, and Rossini said this about his procedure: “Wait unl the evening before opening night. Nothing primes inspiraon more than necessity.”

When he was composing, he barely took me to eat and sleep. He worked in his bedroom, oen not changing out of his pajamas. A friend remarked that it was funny that Rossini composed Barber without shaving for days on end, and Rossini replied that if he had le the house to get a shave, he never would have finished the opera. Rossini in Paris!

In 1824, Rossini moved to Paris to run the Italian theatre there, and one of his first assignments was to write an opera to celebrate the coronaon of the new King, . That opera was The Journey to Reims. It was very successful, but aer only four performances, the composer forbid it to be performed again. Why? He was a shrewd businessman, and he had a plan.

The Journey to Reims is a really difficult opera to perform because of the number of talented singers it requires. The typical of the me only had about six featured singers on contract, and Journey requires seventeen. Rossini was afraid that the great music in this opera would disappear because no one would have the resources to put it on their schedule. So he stopped the performances so that he could recycle the music in another opera. (He borrowed from himself prey frequently, pung bits and pieces of operas into later composions.) He did just that, and about half of Journey appeared a couple of years later in a called .

The cathedral in ! Reims, !

The Rossini Mystery!

One of the great mysteries of Rossini’s career is why he quit wring operas so early. He was wildly popular and successful when he rered from opera composion at age 37. He lived unl he was 76, and although he wrote a few other pieces, he never again wrote another opera.

Rossini at age 73 ! Meet the Filene Young Artists

“I was born in Thailand and lived “My major interests include reading, overseas (Nepal, Bolivia) unl I was cooking, playing tennis, watching six. I am a Disney enthusiast and anime and spending me with my have almost every classic on VHS in friends and two adorable dogs. From the big white plasc chunky boxes.” 2nd grade through 8th grade I was a compeve jump roper.” Andrea Carroll Juan José de Léon

“I was born in Ningbo, a coastal city in “I’ve played the game of golf since age southern part of China. I love travelling eight. I am an American history nerd, I and being in nature and am very love cooking, and I never give up an interested in photography. I’m also opportunity for the perfect pun.” obsessed with Shiba Inu dogs.”

Ying Fang Brenton Ryan

“I love animals, especially horses. “I’m a nave of Prairie Village, Kansas. I love travelling, languages, yoga, During my sophomore year of college skydiving, scrapbooking, and skiing. my voice teacher threatened to flunk I’m always in the mood for an me if I didn't audion for the opera – adventure and making new friends. “ and here I am.”

Kiri Deonarine Benjamin Bliss

“My childhood in Israel was full of I like spending me with friends, roller days by the beach, and dogs, blading, finding new restaurants, and bike rides and soccer games, ballet swimming. My main focus was on classes and . I was in the trumpet unl I got braces... (which did Israeli army for 2 years where I sang not enhance my trumpet playing) so I for the soldiers.” started voice lessons.” Maya Lahyani Brandon Cedel

“I was born and raised in Dallas, “My heart has always been in Texas. My first language was performing and baking- there is nothing Spanish. When I was in high school more thrilling to me than being on I made money singing with a stage or in a kitchen. I’m also a bit of a Mariachi band.” nature freak and love hiking.”

Stephen LaBrie Aaron Sorensen

I was strictly into track and field, “I am an avid lover of all things sci-fi basketball, science and and fantasy. Everyone who knows mathemacs. I began college with me calls me Speedo - I was born on dreams of becoming an aerospace April Fools Day, so my father decided engineer, but I started as a music to have some fun and name me aer major just for the scholarship. his favorite underwear!”

Norman Garre Ryan Speedo Green About the Barns! While our Barns might be casual, they sll have an awful lot of history behind them.

When Wolf Trap’s Founder, Catherine Filene Shouse, wanted to build a small theater, she sent a historian – Richard W. Babcock - to search for the perfect barn. He found these two in upstate New York

The German Barn serves as the theater. It was built in the German style – a cart and horses could enter into the main space and have room to turn around – no posts on the floor to get tangled around. It was originally built around 1730. (It’s been around longer than the United States of America has! That’s OLD!)

The English Barn is a lile smaller, and it is where the tables and eang area are located. It was built around 1791.

The barns were disassembled and the pieces were put into trucks and sent to Virginia in 1981. They were reassembled by hand, in the same style in which they were built.

When you come to Opera Learner’s Permit you can see pictures of the process in the hallway between the German and English Barns!

Aer the Barns were reassembled, a housing was built over them, to protect them from the elements and to hide the electrical and heang/cooling systems.

If you’re sing in the balcony, you’re actually sing in the old haylo!

There are about 350 seats in the theater. Regardless of where you’re sing, you should have an excellent view of the singers onstage.

What to Expect at the Opera!

You’re going to see an opera in a Barn! No need for tuxedos and ball gowns here! But we don’t allow animal behavior in, either, so good manners are expected.

There are some dos and don’ts for opera, even opera in a Barn: Please do… • Arrive on me. You should arrive 15-20 minutes before curtain to find your seats and get comfortable. Before the show is a great me to read the program, take a look around the theater, or use the restrooms/ get a drink from the drinking fountain. The show will start on me, and latecomers won’t be allowed into the theater unl a pause, so make sure you’re in your seat by 7:30 sharp! • Turn off your cell phones, iPods, and devices when the show starts. No recording or photos are allowed during the show: during intermission and aer the show you can get all those pictures of the set and even some with the arsts! • Applaud aer the arias. (We’ll cover special words for this in the Terminology secon) • Enjoy intermission. At the intermission, we’ll have some free refreshments in the English Barn. Onstage we’ll have some of the behind-the-scenes masterminds talking about what you can’t see happening from the audience, so grab your refreshments and head back to your seat quickly. You’ll know that the second half is about to start when the lights in the lobby start to flash – that’s your signal to get seated. • Look around. There are lots of things to take in, from the singing and the different voice types to the scenic design and the costumes. Take it all in, see which parts you like the best, and compare notes with your friends during intermission! • Sck around aer the show. Aerwards, if you’d like to meet the singers to ask them a queson or get a picture taken with them, head back into the English Barn to say hello! Please don’t… • Talk during the show. The theater is prey small, and the singers are working really hard to give you their best performance. You can help them by being quiet and aenve. (Not to menon it’s just good manners!) • Decide that you like or don’t like the show before it starts. Experience it – listen and watch - and make that decision on the way home aer the performance.

Other things to know… • Clothes. Please wear some. They don’t need to be super, prom-night fancy, as we like to keep things casual. But it can get chilly in the theater, so make sure that you’re covered and comfortable. • Parking. There’s a parking lot right next to the theater, and it’s free. • Tickets. You can pick up your ckets at the Registraon Table in the lobby. • Language. Although our opera will be performed in Italian, you will be able to understand every word thanks to the English supertles that are projected over the stage. Voice Types Some of you sing in choirs at school or church, and you’re already familiar with voice types. We have the same kinds of voice types in opera, but there are a few differences:

SopranOS are the highest female . In opera, they usually sing roles like the daughter, the girlfriend or wife. In this opera, we have a BUNCH of !

Corinna, Countess Folleville Madame Cortese, Italian Poetess French Socialite Inn Owner

Andrea Carroll Ying Fang Kiri Deonarine

Delia, Maddalena, Inn Employee Inn Employee

Anush Avesyan Shannon Jennings

Mezzo-sopranos are similar to your choral Altos. They oen play older women, somemes they play evil women, and somemes they even play young boys! (Opera is crazy.) In our story, we have two mezzo-sopranos.

Marchesa Melibea, Modesna, Polish Widow Inn Employee

Maya Lahyani Grace Newberry are the highest male voice type – they oen sing roles like the hero, the prince, the boyfriend. We have three tenors in our producon. Count Libenskof, Cavalier Belfiore, Zefirino, Russian General French Officer Inn Employee

Juan José de Léon Brenton Ryan Benjamin Bliss

Baritones fit in-between choir tenors and basses – not as high as the tenors, but not as low as the basses. They can play both good and bad characters: somemes they’re boyfriends or brothers, somemes they’re bad guys. They’re hard to keep track of. We have four baritones in our show.

Don Alvaro, Baron Trombonok, Antonio, Luigino, Spanish Officer Inn Treasurer Inn Employee Inn Employee

Stephen LaBrie Norman Garre Ben Edquist Brian Yeakley

Basses are the lowest male voice type – they oen play old guys, dads, and somemes evil geniuses. We’ve got three of ‘em! Lord Sidney, Doctor Prudenzio, Don Profondo, English Colonel Spa Physician Anques Collector

Brandon Cedel Aaron Sorensen Ryan Speedo Green Other Opera People! In addion to the singers you see on stage, there are many other folks who help bring the show to life!

Conductors are responsible for the musical excellence of an opera. During rehearsals they help the singers understand the music and singing style of the opera. They lead the and the singers during the performance so that everyone is in the same place in the music, at the same me, and at the same speed.

Stage Directors are responsible for the acon on the stage. They work with the designers to create the concept for the producon. He or she helps the singers understand why their characters would act in certain ways, and how the characters communicate with each other. Assistant Conductor/Coaches play the piano during rehearsals. They study different languages so they can help the singers pronounce the words they are singing clearly so the audience can understand. Technical Directors make sure that the lighng, scenery, costumes and props are all coming together on me. They make sure that the crews who will handle those elements know exactly what needs to be done during the performance.

Stage Managers make sure everything runs according to schedule. They take detailed notes about stage direcons, lighng cues and scenery changes. During the performance they are backstage, calling technical cues and making sure the show runs smoothly.

Set Designers work with the director to create the physical environment that helps tell the story. They know about color and space and furniture and architecture and history.

Crew and Stagehands includes carpenters and electricians. They assist with the installaon of the set, and during the performance they are responsible for set and lighng changes.

Lighng Designers help create the mood of each scene with light and shadow and color. They work with the set designer and the director to decide how to best paint a picture with light that helps tell the story of the opera.

Costume Designers create the look of the characters with clothing. They choose the fabrics and supervise the construcon of the costumes, or they go to stores to purchase just the right ready-made items. They know about fashion through the ages, paerns, draing, fabric and sewing.

Wardrobe Managers make sure all the costumes are clean and coordinates all the costume changes. Dressers help the change their costumes during the show, somemes very quickly and in the dark with a flashlight between their teeth.

Properes Masters (Props) are responsible for objects that the singers touch that are not part of their costumes. They research to find the perfect period newspaper, set of glasses or bouquet of flowers. They make arficial things look real on stage. Wig and Make-Up Designers create the hair and make-up styling for the producon. They learn about historical periods to make intricate wigs and hairpieces, including beards and mustaches. They make sure that the audience can see the singers’ expressions very clearly from far away. They are also responsible for any special effects make-up like scars, wounds or blood.

Company Manager helps take care of the arsts while they are performing with the company. They arrange for any flights, hotels or work visas the vising arsts may need and they make sure they are paid on me. They help make the opera company a home away from home for all the arsts who have come together to create the show.

Opera Terms!

Now that you’re in on the nomenclature (that’s an SAT word for ‘names’), there are a few other terms that might come in handy:

Aria – A solo piece for voice. These solos oen clue the listener into the inner state of mind of the character.

Bravo! – Italian for “nicely done!” This is appropriate to call out when you’ve enjoyed an aria or chorus. (Bravo is for guys, Brava is for women, and Bravi is for a crowd!)

Coloratura (or Melisma)– groups of many notes, strung together on one syllable. (Pop & R&B singers use them, too – but they’re in a very different style. Rossini wrote this in 1825, so you could say that our singers are performing like the Beyoncés of 1825!

Libretto – the text/lyrics of the opera, the words. The Journey to Reims is completely in Italian, otherwise known as Il viaggio a Reims.

Opera Buffa – A comedic opera

Opera Seria – An opera with an intense dramac plot.

Orchestra – a group of musicians who play together on various musical instruments.

Recitative – like the spoken parts of a musical, recitave advances the plot, and sounds more speechlike than an aria. Supertitles – paraphrased English translaons of the libreo, which are projected above the stage.

Technique – opera singers pracce for years to be able to use their bodies to project their voices so they don’t have to use microphones on stage

Opera Terms Mad Libs!!

Think you’ve got it? Fill in the blank to find out!

Use each of the following words once. (“Wild Card Word” means you can substute a word not found on the list.)

Soprano Orchestra Aria Libreo Recitave Supertles Opera Buffo

I didn’t know that, in an ______, there are jokes in the

______! Some of them were really funny! Before the first act, the ______took their places and played an______.

I recognized the to the ______’s aria when I heard it in the second act! The words went by so quickly in that ______: first they were singing about love, and then they were hiding! Without those projected

______, I wouldn’t have known that they were hiding from a

(WILD CARD WORD – NOUN). The ______forgot to eat before the performance, and I swear I heard her sing about (WILD CARD WORD - FOOD) during her______.

Make up your own fill in the blank; include a Wild Card Word, and ask the person to your le to solve it! THINK LIKE A CRITIC!!

Reviews of performances are important to every opera company. They help the company know how the performance was enjoyed in the outside world, and get other people excited about coming to see the show! To write your own review, you can focus on two different elements – what you SAW and what you HEARD.

WRITING ABOUT WHAT WE SEE: ! FACTS AND OPINIONS!

A review oen combines two things – facts and feelings. It is a piece of straight reporng in which the reviewer tells the reader what he or she saw (facts), and an opinion piece in which the reviewer tells the reader what they liked or didn’t like about those elements (feelings).

Here are some examples of a reviewer reporng what they saw:

“The town plaza is suggested by Paul Steinberg’s dizzyingly colorful set, with a mosaic “The costumes are modern. Violetta floor and walls and piñatas appears at the party in the opening hanging from above.” scene in a short blazing red dress, and all the guests, male and female choristers alike, wear black tuxedos, making the crowd look androgynous and threatening.”

For the first part of your review briefly describe the facts what you saw on stage – report what the sets, costumes and lights looked like.

Next, give your opinions about whether you liked these choices. Did you think they helped tell the story effecvely?

WRITING ABOUT WHAT WE HEAR: ! THE ART OF THE ADJECTIVE! ! Crics need to have a great vocabulary of descripve words when they write about what they hear so that the people reading their reviews can imagine what it was like to be there. People use lots of different adjecves to describe the voices of opera singers. Here are some examples:

“The French countertenor Christophe temptations, the tenorbut “As Jim Mahoney,Mahagonny’s the simple lumberjack Dumaux steals every scene he is in as the corrupted by lightness of color calculating Ptolemy. His voice is Aaron Short sang with. He was simultaneously clear confident solidity in his defiant Act III and strong shattering athletic . bright subtle and , he is a natural onstage.”Tall , , trim aria.” and

And here’s a review that’s chock-full of adjecves:

“The light, smoky baritone of George Gagnidze only hints at ’s outsize emotions, and the sweet, pure of Lisette Oropesa keeps Gilda sweet but inert. The handsome, hyperactive tenor Vittorio Grigolo has two registers, bellowing and crooning, and the conductor, Marco Armiliato, has his hands full trying to keep up with Mr. Grigolo’s wayward tempos.”

Write a few sentences about the character you liked best and why. How did the music help tell you who the character was? Think of five adjecves to describe the way that person’s voice sounded to you. How did it made you feel to listen to them? SUM IT ALL UP! ! Somemes it is very hard to describe the way music makes us feel. It can be very personal and private. While there are definitely objecve facts we can evaluate when we listen to music (qualies like loud or so, fast or slow) most of the me we listen subjecvely. This means that every opinion is valid – you don’t have to know anything about opera to be moved by someone’s singing or a beauful instrumental solo. ! In your opinion, what did you like best about the producon? What did you think could use some improvement? Would you recommend that other people come see this opera and why? Opera Learner’s Permit Crossword!!

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ACROSS DOWN

2 The crew often includes electricians and 1 This middle male voice type plays both good and ______. bad guys. 3 The name of the Greek Poetess. 2 The Golden Lily is run by Madama ______6 The words for an opera 3 This person is responsible for all musical aspects of 8 The Barone di Trombonok is the group's ______the opera. 12 Groups of many notes strung together. 4 Conte Libenskof is from this country. 14 This female voice type is like a choral alto. 5 The Barns were originally built in which U.S. state? 18 Rossini wrote this opera for the Italian theatre in this 7 Name of the spa (English translation) where the French city. travelers get stuck 19 Number of days it took Rossini to write BARBER OF 9 Helps the characters communicate and works with SEVILLE the designers to create the "look" of an opera. 21 This is what Don Profondo collects. 10 This low male voice type often plays bad guys. 23 Rossini's first name 11 The spa doctor 24 What you shout when you really like an aria. 13 This person calls the technical cues during the 25 The English translations projected above the stage performance. 26 This male voice type often sings boyfriend roles. 15 This is the highest female voice type. 27 Number of featured singers in JOURNEY TO REIMS 16 The part of the opera that sounds the most like regular speech. 17 What the French Contessa di Folleville is obsessed with. 20 These people help the singers do quick costume changes! 22 Rossini was born on a ____ day Opera Learner’s Permit:! The Journey to Reims! ! Tuesday, June 25 at 7:30 pm! The Barns at Wolf Trap! 1635 Trap Road, Vienna, VA!

Kim Pensinger Witman! !Director, Wolf Trap Opera Company! Lee Anne Myslewski ! !Director of Artistic Administration ! Grant Loehnig! !Music Administrator! Robert H. Grimes ! !Production Manager, The Barns! Susan Weinsheimer ! !Assistant and Housing Coordinator! Cory Lippiello! !Manager of Community Development! Zackery Hayhurst! !Company Manager!

Find us online!! Facebook.com/WolfTrapOperaCompany! Twitter.com/WolfTrapOpera! Instagram.com/WolfTrapOpera!