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Home , Hanan Alattar, Il mondo della luna, Luigi Alva

BEHIND THE CURTAIN FALL 2009 Gotham Chamber is the nation’s foremost com- pany dedicated to pro- ducing rarely-performed chamber from the Baroque era to the pres- ent. Our mission is to pres- The National Endowment for the Arts With our inaugural newsletter, Gotham Cham- ent innovative, fully-staged recently awarded Gotham Chamber ber Opera intends to keep you – our loyal sup- productions of the highest Opera a $25,000 American Recovery porters and fans – current on the “pre-eminent quality in intimate venues. small opera company in New York” according to and Reinvestment Grant. Gotham was The New York Times. Starting with this semi-an- one of only 17 opera companies in the NEAL GOREN nual dispatch, we will broadcast the company’s ARTISTIC DIRECTOR country to receive this very special rec- news: our exciting upcoming productions; bios ognition, and one of just three in New of the fantastic artists scheduled to perform with York, along with us; reviews of our successes; and other relevant DAVID BENNETT developments. and Opera America. The NEA received MANAGING DIRECTOR While all performing arts companies endure tough stimulus funding under the American challenges these days, Gotham wants you to know Recovery and Reinvestment Act to sup- that our company also enjoys towering achieve- BOARD OF DIRECTORS port job retention in the performing arts ments. Read on to see what ambitious plans are sector. in our future. KAREN LERNER Thank you for your support! PRESIDENT EMERITUS “Because these grants go to support the or- ganizations themselves - rather than specif- ic programs or productions - this is a vote of TED TRUSSELL PORTER real confidence in Gotham as an institution,” PRESIDENT said Managing Director David Bennett. “This confirms that we now have an important na- tional presence within the field of opera.” DOMNA C. STANTON Please join the NEA in expressing con- VICE PRESIDENT fidence in by making a tax-deductible contribution. DONALD N. GELLERT Use the form enclosed or join online at: SECRETARY & TREASURER www.gothamchamberopera.org/support. html. Every gift makes a difference! ROBERT BAREUTHER BROOKE HAYWARD DUCHIN MICHELLE EDELMAN ANDREA K. FALLEK In January 2010, take a won- drous trip to the moon with a PAUL L. KING revolutionary new production of LOUIS MIANO ’s delightful opera JOHN L. MOORE I I I (The World WILLIAM OLIVER on the Moon). For the first time ever, the Hayden Planetarium at OLIVIA PIROVANO the Rose Center for Earth and ROBERT L. TURNER Space will be transformed into an intimate opera house. In an extraordinary collaboration with the American Museum of Natural

© AMNH\D. Finnin AMNH\D. © History and the American The Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History Repertory Theater, Gotham will fuse live opera and stargazing. Taking advantage of breakthroughs in laser and light tech- nology, the production will immerse the audience in a completely new kind of the- atrical event – an out-of-this-world experi- ence for opera lovers, science buffs, and I know of only one commer- theatergoers alike. cial recording of Il mondo del- Gotham Chamber Opera will literally take au- la luna, and it is no longer diences to the moon in this production of Il In the days before easy travel, operas in print. The recording was mondo della luna, Haydn’s personal favorite were often set in what would have been made in 1978 by Philips and of all his operas. Written in 1777, it’s the sto- exotic locales for their audiences: the Arab features a star-studded cast ry of a nobleman who refuses to let his daugh- world (Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio, conducted by Haydn special- ters marry their true loves. With the help of Rossini’s L’italiana in Algeri, Verdi’s Nabucco), ist Antál Dorati. In the role a fake astronomer and a sleeping potion, the the East (Bizet’s Pearl Fishers, Puccini’s of Buonafede, bass- daughters trick their father into believing he’s Turandot, Delibes’ Lakmé), and even the Alberto Trimarchi manages, been sent to the moon, where he discovers United States (Puccini’s La fanciulla del West). through his committed por- they do things differently, especially when it But nothing compares to the bizarrerie of set- trayal, to disguise the fact comes to courtship. On the moon, women are ting an opera on the moon, as Haydn did in Il the he’s singing a role that is allowed to choose their own husbands, and mondo della luna. The idea was so twisted I clearly written for a baritone. there it is even proper for a young lady to go found it irresistible on first sight. Edith Mathis lends her pas- off with a man before marriage. It is a sign of When I delved further into the work, I was de- sionate voice to the role of respect! After much music and merriment, ev- lighted to discover that this setting had in- Clarice, while , erybody comes back to Earth, properly and spired Haydn to write some of his most var- as Flaminia, sings faultlessly, happily matched. ied and stupendous music. If you are looking if missing the sense of dev- The Hayden Planetarium is unlike any other. In for a super-virtuosic show-stopping il-may-care abandon that the top half of the Hayden Sphere, the Space aria, there is nothing in the entire repertoire the virtuosic role begs for. Theater uses the most advanced visual tech- that surpasses Flaminia’s Ragion nell’alma sie- As their suitors, nology to create shows of unparalleled sophis- de; for dreamy pathos, Clarice’s Quanta gente is clearly way past his prime tication, realism, and excitement. The Hayden che sospira has never been outdone; and if (though only 51 when the re- Planetarium is the largest and most power- you’re a fan of brilliant ensembles, the sec- cording was made), and con- ful virtual reality simulator in the world and ond-act finale of Il mondo is clearly the pro- tralto Lucia Valentini-Terrani is will provide a stunning and singularly apt en- totype for the glorious second-act finale for terribly miscast in a role much vironment for our production of Il mondo del- Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro – and loses noth- better suited to the baritone la luna. ing in the comparison. This is not only the voice. The newcomers on the The lift-off begins January 19, 2010, using a best of Haydn; this is the best of music. It is, recording are Frederica von 180-degree dome and projections courtesy however, no secret that there is a great deal Stade, with her unmistak- of NASA. The production will be directed by of chaff among the wheat of Il mondo della able lovely, dark-hued tim- Diane Paulus, whom Opera News calls one of luna. Were there not, the piece would be in bre, and the warm-voiced the top 25 names in U.S. opera, and whose the standard repertory of every opera house . In production of Hair has triumphed in Central today. So you will be pleased to know that the spite of all these fine talents, Park and on Broadway. Leading the 27-piece director Diane Paulus, her associate Andrew I find the recording incredi- orchestra is Neal Goren, Artistic Director and Eggert, and I have cut out the chaff, leaving bly boring, due to its languid founder of Gotham Chamber Opera. you the very choicest bits. tempi and turgid recitatives. So we hope you will get on board with Gotham, When planning the production in 2007, I noted Haydn, and the Hayden and join us as we fly Bass-baritone Thomas New York opera-lovers to the moon! “...the Space Theater uses Quasthoff included one aria and one duet from Il mon- the most advanced visual do della luna on his 2009 CD Performance dates and times: Gala technology to create entitled Haydn Italian Arias. Opening Performance and Reception: shows of unparalleled Quasthoff sings with his cus- Tuesday, January 19th, 7:30 pm. All oth- tomary rich middle and low er performances at 8:00 pm: Wednesday, sophistication, realism, notes and bright, tenori- January 20th, Monday January 25th, and excitement.” al top. His musical suavity is Tuesday, January 26th, and Thursday, that the orchestral forces for Il mondo, while very much in evidence here, January 28th. Gala opening night tickets not particularly large, were still too big to fit in music that calls for humor are $500 ($325 tax-deductible), and can in the pit of our home theater at the Henry above all else. The duet is be purchased by calling 212-868-4460. Street Settlement. As I began considering al- of such scant musical value VIP ($1,000) and Premium ($2,500) Gala ternative performance spaces, I happened to that we have cut it from our tickets are also available, with addition- take my nephew to the Hayden Planetarium production. al premium benefits; please call for more at the American Museum of Natural History. I information. soon realized there was no venue more suit- able (or more audacious) for an opera largely For tickets to other performances, please call set on the moon than the Hayden, where we Ticket Central at 212-279-4200 or order online could incorporate segments of the planetari- at www.ticketcentral.com. Ticket prices for all um’s amazing star show into our production, other performances are $125, $75, and $30. 2 thereby enabling our audience to make her success in moving back and forth be- the trip to the moon along with Haydn’s tween working in opera and musical theater protagonists. to growing up in Manhattan on 68th Street SINGERS When I floated the idea by Diane, who and West End Avenue, immersed from an Our cast of Il mondo della luna is head- is the artistic director of the American early age in all that was going on at Lincoln ed by the incomparable baritone Marco Repertory Theater at Harvard, the right- Center and on Broadway. As a youth, she Nisticò in the role of Buonafede. ness of the concept made her practi- studied classical piano, dance at New York cally giddy. I next proposed the idea to City Ballet’s school, and, eventually, voice. Ellen Futter, the president of the muse- Early on in her education, she was attracted He played the title char- um, who thought the concept intrigu- to the possibilities of working in both opera acter of Gotham’s produc- ing. That was in November of 2007, and and theater, and she is particularly pleased tion of Rossini’s Il signor after a three-year gestation period that to be at American Repertory Theater, which Bruschino. included acoustical tests and feasibili- has a distinguished history in both areas, Read more about Nisticò at ty studies, we bring you Il mondo della having offered some of Peter Sellars’ first http://www.randsman.com/ luna in a co-production of our three in- operatic productions. It is a tradition she is nistico.html stitutions: Gotham Chamber Opera, the eager to continue. American Museum of Natural History, Diane especially enjoys directing opera be- and the American Repertory Theater. It cause, among other things, the singers ar- was a journey nearly as unprecedented rive for rehearsal fully prepared in their roles as the one Haydn set to music in 1777. and immediately ready to begin work on staging, which is usually not the case in mu- sical theater. She finds challenging the fact that there are no previews in opera, so one goes right from rehearsals to opening night, with no opportunities to fine tune a produc- tion in the presence of audiences. We have assembled a remarkable team Although she is acclaimed for her produc- to bring this production to life. Diane tions of Mozart’s and Monteverdi’s master- Paulus, who received a 2009 Tony pieces, Diane recognizes that Haydn’s op- Award nomination for Best Direction of eras present special challenges, since they a Musical for her production of Hair, is are not always as coherent dramatically as not only staging Il mondo della luna, the major works of those composers. She but is responsible for all its visual el- and Neal are working closely together to ements. Read more about Paulus and shape and edit Il mondo della luna to high- Buonafede’s daughters are played by so- her work in opera and theatre at www. light both the power and charm of its mu- pranos Hanan Alattar and A l b i n a dianepaulus.net sic and the delights of its plot. Aiding in Shagimuratova. Paulus first collaborated with German this process is her long-time collaborator In 2005 Alattar sang the trou- video artist Philip Bussmann at English Philip Bussmann, a video artist whom she ser role of Alceste in Gotham National Opera, and felt that his tal- considers an extraordinary genius. Diane Chamber Opera’s production of ents and sensibility would be perfect also pays close attention to insuring that Handel’s Arianna in Creta. (More) for Il mondo della luna. Because of her casts understand every word of the text, and since then she has gone on the unique demands of this production, whatever the language. Further, she per- to sing with many of the world’s Bussmann will be acting as our video sonally translates and prepares the superti- great opera companies. Read designer, set designer, and lighting de- tles for all of her opera productions. more about Hanan here. signer. To read more about Bussmann, This distinguished director, whom we are Albina Shagimuratova won the visit his website. delighted to welcome to Gotham Chamber Tchaikovsky Competition gold Paulus’s frequent collaborator, Anka Opera, is convinced that Il mondo della medal in Moscow in 2007, sang Lupes, wil be designing the costumes luna at the Hayden Planetarium, with its vi- the Queen of the Night in the for the production, both moonwear and sual pyrotechnics, gorgeous music, and out- 2008 Salzburg Festival under earthwear. You can see more of her standing young cast, will make for a stun- Muti, and repeats the role at the work at ankalupesdesigns.com. ning show the entire family will enjoy. Met in April 2010. Learn more about this extremely impressive artist here. The daughters’ suitors are played by ten- or Nicholas Coppolo and baritone Timothy Kuhn. Coppolo is in his second year at the Juilliard Opera Center and has sung leading roles throughout the U.S. He will Fresh from the 2009 Tony Awards pre- be making his NYCO debut sentation, where her production of Hair in Handel’s Partenope in April was honored as the best revival of a 2010. musical, Diane Paulus shared with us Timothy Kuhn made his New York debut in the her enthusiasm for her 2010 collabo- role of Sid in Gotham Chamber Opera’s pro- ration with Gotham Chamber Opera duction of Albert Herring. Since then he has on Il mondo della luna. Diane traces gone on to sing the title role in with NYCO and Mozart’s Count Almaviva with Palm Beach Opera. Follow Georgia Jarman, who this YouTube link to hear sang the role of Fortuna him singing Don Giovanni’s i n G oth a m C h a m b e r Serenade under conductor Opera’s debut produc- Gustavo Dudamel. tion of Mozart’s Il sogno B u o n a f e d e ’s s e r v a n t di Scipione in 2001, has Lisetta is played by gone from strength to Gotham discovery mez- strength, singing the bel zo-soprano R a c h e l canto repertoire through- Calloway. She has sung with the Los out the world. Like Moore, she was fea- Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group tured in Opera News’s “Sound Bites”. and various Britten roles under Lorin In May she married Micah Fortson, the Maazel at the Castleton production director of New Orleans Festival. Calloway covered Opera. To hear a sample of her recent the leading roles in Gotham singing, follow this link. Most recently Chamber Opera’s produc- she sang Adina in L’elisir d’amore at the tions of Ariadne Unhinged Caramoor Festival in July. and Scenes of Gypsy Life. Lisetta’s suitor is sung by The four singers from our most recent Matthew Tuell in his New York production, Haydn’s L’isola disabita- debut. Tuell has covered ta, have sustained the momentum: the leading roles in Takesha Meshé Kizart Gotham Chamber Opera’s flew directly from our pro- productions of L’isola disab- duction to Berlin, where itata and Scenes of Gypsy she sang the title role in Life and was recently seen as Respighi’s Marie Victoire Maintop in Santa Fe Opera’s with the Deutsche Opera. Last February, Gotham Chamber Opera production of Billy Budd. She then went on to sing initiated its own observance of the bi- Leonora in Il Trovatore in centennial of Haydn’s death with the Stuttgart. New York City premiere production of L’isola disabitata. We want to share Vale Rideout sang the title role in with you Opera News’ review of this i n A p r i l w i th highly-acclaimed offering, featured on Opera Tampa, Britten’s our website: War Requiem with the http://www.gothamchamberopera.org/ New York Philharmonic news_lisola.html in June, and will sing You may also be interested in viewing I see Gotham as a springboard for the role of Edgardo the Channel Thirteen Sunday Arts video young singers, and the opera world in Lucia with Central from February 24th which shows foot- seems to share this view. I am of- City Opera in August. age from the opera, as well as infor- ten asked what became of this sing- Rideout made his debut with Gotham mation about Gotham Chamber Opera. er or that singer, and I would like in the chorus of Die schwarze Spinne http://www.thirteen.org/sundayarts/the-go- to report on a few of our alum- (as a drunk, slatternly transvestite) in tham-chamber-opera/245 ni in every issue of our newsletter. 2004.

David Adam Moore, whom we in- Va l e r i e O g b o n n a y a troduced to New just returned from Tulsa York audienc- Opera, where she re- es as Aeneas and c e i v e d r a v e r e v i e w s O r phé e in 20 02, f o r h e r p e r f o r m a n c e recently sang the of Gianetta in L’elisir role of Demetrius d’amore. Ogbonnaya is in Britten’s A marrying tenor Angus Wood in Midsummer Night’s in September. Dream at . Tom Corbeil sang the Since his debut with role of Colline in La G oth a m, h e h a s Bohème with Opera sung leading roles at the Châtelet Omaha and Sacramento in Paris, in Hannover, Mannheim, Opera. As a direct re- Seattle, and dozens of other compa- sult of our Haydn pro- nies and made a sensation in the ti- duction, Corbeil has been hired to sing tle role of Billy Budd in Tel Aviv and Leporello in Don Giovanni with Fort Pittsburgh. David and I were reunit- Worth Opera and has signed with ADA ed when I conducted Magic Flute at Artists. NYCO in 2003 and he was an athlet- Look for further updates on these and ic Papageno. other Gotham Chamber Opera alumni (http://www.davidadammoore.com/ ) in future issues.

410 West 42nd Street New York, NY 10036 tel: 212 868-4460 http://www.gothamchamberopera.org 4 where opera gets intimate