Acis and Galatea Music by George Frideric Handel Libretto by John Gay, Alexander Pope and John Hughes

Home , James Rolfe (composer), John Hughes (poet), Omar Daniel

Larry Beckwith, music director Isaiah Bell, concept and stage director Erik Thor, stage director

University of Toronto Collegium Musicum with guests

Saturday, October 19, 2019 at 2 pm Sunday, October 20, 2019 at 7:30 pm Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Avenue

The Historical Performance concerts are made possible in part by a generous gift from Ethel Harris.

Performances of Acis and Galatea made possible in part by a generous gift from the Richard Phillips Baroque Oratorio Fund.

We wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land. PROGRAM

Acis and Galatea, HWV 49a G.F. Handel (1685-1759)

The performance will last approximately 85 minutes without intermission.

CAST Anna Julia David, soprano Alexandra Delle Donne, soprano *Alexander Dobson, bass Jane Fingler, soprano *Simon Honeyman, alto *Robert Kinar, tenor Peter Koniers, alto Danielle Nicholson, alto Michaela O’Connor, soprano *Gabriel Sanchez Ortega, bass *Anthony Rodrigues, bass Kayla Ruiz, soprano Anna Sharpe, alto Nicholas Veltmeyer, tenor David Walsh, tenor Emily Wang, soprano Patricia Weber, soprano Jennifer Wilson, soprano

ORCHESTRA *John Abberger, cello Matthew Antal, violin *Larry Beckwith, violin and music director Peter Eratostene, double bass *Margaret Gay, cello *Gillian Howard, oboe *Alison Melville, recorders Kailey Richards, violin Adrian Ross, harpsichord Tatsuki Shimoda, recorders Joel Tangjerd, cello

* Guest artists BIOGRAPHIES

Centrediscs label, conducted by Beckwith. In September of 2018, Beckwith’s eclectic new company Confluence Concerts had its first event and has since been going from strength to strength. He and associate artists Marion Newman, Suba Sankaran, Patricia Larry Beckwith has been a O’Callaghan, Kathleen Kajioka creative contributor to Toronto’s and Andrew Downing present a musical life as a conductor, wide-ranging series of powerful violinist, singer, writer, educator musical presentations reflecting the and programmer for over 30 sumptuous diversity of Toronto’s years. He studied violin and cultural scene. In 2018, Beckwith musicology at the undergraduate conducted the successful premiere and graduate levels at the and subsequent Ontario tour of University of Toronto and has Sounding Thunder: The Song since performed and worked with of Francis Pegahmagabow by most of this city’s leading musical Timothy Corlis and Armand Garnet organizations. In 2003, Beckwith Ruffo. A committed educator, founded Toronto Masque Theatre, Larry Beckwith runs the celebrated which – under his tireless and voice and strings program at imaginative artistic leadership the arts-intensive Unionville High from 2003-2018 – presented School, as well as conducting the over 75 innovative programs of Mooredale Senior Youth Orchestra. interdisciplinary performing art, including a cycle of the major music theatre works of Henry Purcell. Through TMT, Beckwith commissioned and premiered new works by Canadian composers Abigail Richardson, James Rolfe, Omar Daniel, Juliet Palmer, Dean Burry and Alice Ho with texts/ libretti by James Reaney, André Isaiah Bell is a Canadian- Alexis, Steven Heighton, Anna American tenor, writer, composer, Chatterton and Marjorie Chan. and director. As a performer Ho’s The Lesson of Da Ji won the he recently created the role of 2013 Dora Mavor Moore Award Antinous in the world premiere for Best New Opera and was of Rufus Wainwright’s Hadrian at released in November, 2015 on the the Canadian Opera Company, where he appeared alongside also the composer of the touring Thomas Hampson and Karita drag-cabaret show Cocktales with Mattila. In the previous season Maria, and four operas, including he returned to Mark Morris’ two for young audiences set to acclaimed double-bill production original libretti. Isaiah Bell has of Curlew River / Dido & Aeneas at been directing since 2008, when the Brooklyn Academy of Music, he stepped in as a last-minute giving “a performance of exquisite replacement for the indisposed poignancy” (The New York Times) director of his student opera at the as the Madwoman in Britten’s University of Victoria. His ties to Curlew River, opposite Stephanie the voice program there continue Blythe as Dido. Upcoming today; the current production of engagements include a debut at Acis and Galatea was first staged Vancouver Opera as Almaviva in by the UVic voice ensemble in The Barber of Seville, a return to March 2019. Carnegie Hall for the premiere of A Nation of Others by Paul Moravec, and appearances with Opera Atelier, the Toronto Symphony, and Opéra de Montréal. As a creator, he premiered his “funny, poignant, thoughtful, raw, and honest” original solo show, The Book of My Shames, in 2019 as a co-production between Tapestry Opera and Pride Toronto. He is

Please note that photography and recording are strictly prohibited during the performance.

Kindly turn off all electronic devices as a courtesy to the performers and your fellow patrons. PROGRAM NOTES

A note on Acis and Galatea warm choral writing, along with elements of concerto grosso style Written when Handel was in his early in the instrumental writing, French 30s, Acis and Galatea has been elegance and transparency in variously labelled a pastoral opera, the vocal writing and Germanic a serenata, a masque and even an counterpoint in some of the graver oratorio. It has elements of all of moments of the piece. This is no these genres, but is perhaps best stylistic hodgepodge, though. thought of as a unique composition It holds together as an organic from the imagination of a master whole and is a beautiful snapshot who possessed an encyclopedic of Handel’s particular priorities at facility with musical style. Born in a time where he was very much at 1685 in Halle, Handel spent his a crossroads. It became his most early life travelling, studying music performed work during his lifetime. and developing a sophisticated cosmopolitan compositional style Note by Larry Beckwith. that fused the best elements and aspects of German, French and A note on the concept – Acis Italian musical languages. In 1714, and Galatea his employer – Prince George, the Elector of Saxony – became King Since our production divides the George II of England, which was a music from Acis and Galatea’s four major factor in Handel’s decision roles between twelve vocal soloists, to settle in London for the rest of we’re treating our production as a his life. He held various positions, series of thematically interconnected including – in 1717 – the house vignettes. Each singer plays his composer for the Duke of Chandos or her own character, instead of, at Cannons in Middlesex. He wrote for instance, five soprano soloists Acis and Galatea the following representing one Galatea. year, for intimate, small-scale One of the things I find most performances at Cannons. compelling about this story is that Though clearly operatic and full it sharply delineates four distinct of Handel’s signature da capo human approaches to love. arias, the style of Acis and Galatea Acis engages with love actively, is reminiscent of great English searchingly, corporeally. Polyphemus music of the late 17th century; tries to take it by force when it isn’t music which Handel must have offered freely. Damon eschews it become acquainted with and entirely. And Galatea embodies what learned from. Throughout the could be called a Zen approach: piece, there are echoes of Purcell’s she has the strength to let love pass through her, with all its joys and its its power, we forgo any engagement sorrows. with it at all?

Our production takes this idea I’d like to think that we’re honouring further, with each soloist or group of the Baroque tradition (with which soloists exploring a different specific Handel was deeply familiar) of facet of human connectedness. reorganizing and re-purposing What happens when we first material based on the forces at discover love? What are the different hand. I hope you can open your ways we learn to share it? What mind to seeing today’s offering as happens when we yearn for love, the story of love itself, as it passes but that door does not seem to be through our lives. open? What about when we’ve tasted it and become terrified of Note by Isaiah Bell. losing it? Or when, overwhelmed by

Friends of Early Music The Early Music Program is grateful to the many donors who support us. We are pleased to acknowledge those donors who have made annual gifts of $500 or more between March 1, 2018 – October 1, 2019:

Anonymous Jerry and Joan Lozinski The M.H. Brigham Foundation Chris and Tracy Makris Caryl Clark Sue Mortimer Jean Patterson Edwards Michael Nairne Robert and Mary Gore Richard Phillips Ethel Harris Diana H. Reitberger William and Nona Heaslip Foundation Brent Rinaldi Kearns Mancini Architects Inc J. Barbara Rose Oliver Lennox-King Elizabeth Smyth Janet and Charles Lin Judith Tenenbaum William Acton and Susan Loube Larry Williamson

For further information, please contact Tyler Greenleaf, Alumni Development Officer, at 416-946-3580 or [email protected]. Thank you for your support! The Faculty of Music gratefully The William and Nona Heaslip James E. K. Parker# acknowledges the generosity of Foundation Annalee Patipatanakoon# the individuals, foundations, and Paul T. Hellyer Steven Philcox# corporations who gave annual Dianne W. Henderson Richard D. Phillips gifts of $1,000 or more between Richard and Donna Holbrook Adrianne Pieczonka* and Laura March 1, 2018 and September 1, Jo-Anne Hunt Tucker# 2019, in support of our students and The K. M. Hunter Charitable Brett A. Polegato* programs. Thank you for the part you Foundation Terry Promane# are playing in advancing the cause of Michael and Linda Hutcheon Stephen Ralls and Bruce Ubukata music education in Canada. Jackman Foundation Paul E. Read* Heather Jackson Diana H. Reitberger Mark Abbott JAZZ.FM91 Jeffrey Reynolds# William Acton and Susan Loube The Norman and Margaret Jewison Brent Rinaldi Clive and Barbara Allen Charitable Foundation Rodney and Evette Roberts Dominick Amato and Joan Hodges Prabhat Jha O.C. and Varsha E. A. Robinson Raymond C. K. Ang Malhotra Shauna Rolston# and Andrew Shaw Anonymous (4) Ann Kadrnka J. Barbara Rose Hilary J. Apfelstadt* Marcia and Paul Kavanagh Maureen E. Rudzik Ann H. Atkinson Kearns Mancini Architects Inc Mark Sallmen# Neville H. Austin* Keith Foundation Chase Sanborn# Gregory James Aziz Ken Page Memorial Trust Annette Sanger and James Kippen John and Claudine Bailey Arthur Kennedy Longinia Sauro David Beach Carol D. Kirsh June Shaw John Beckwith* and Kathleen Hans Kluge Nora Shulman McMorrow Ingeborg Koch Stephen and Jane Smith Lynn Bevan Midori Koga# Peter N. Smith Bruce Blandford# and Ron Atkinson Vic Kurdyak David Smukler The estate of Harald and Jean Bohne Carolyn and Robert Lake Elizabeth Smyth Harvey Botting Leslie and Jo Lander Joseph K. So Walter M. and Lisa Balfour Bowen Sheila Larmer The Sound Post Eliot Britton# Sherry Lee# Darrell Steele* Ruth Budd Mary Legge* The Stratton Trust Melissa Campbell Jim Lewis# Janet Stubbs* CHIN Radio-TV International Janet and Charles Lin Barbara Sutherland Caryl Clark# Roy and Marjorie Linden Ann D. B. Sutton Terence Clarkson and Cornelis V. Lobodowsky Françoise Sutton van de Graaff Jerry and Joan Lozinski Edward H. Tait*# Earlaine Collins Gillian MacKay# Almos Tassonyi and Maureen Sheila Connell Gordon MacNeill Simpson Marilyn E. Cook Chris and Tracy Makris Judith Tenenbaum Denny Creighton and Kris Vikmanis Manulife Financial Richard Iorweth Thorman Simone Desilets Ryan McClelland# Peter Timbrell Neil and Susan Dobbs Robert McGavin Riki Turofsky* and Charles Petersen Vreni and Marc Ducommun Donald R. McLean*# and Catherine Ukas Sheila Margaret Dutton Diane M. Martello Sandra K. Upjohn Jean Patterson Edwards Douglas H. McNabney* Ruth Watts-Gransden Robin Elliott*# Esther McNeil Mary-Margaret Webb Foundation Brigid Elson Merriam School of Music Melanie Whitehead David Fallis*# Irene R. Miller Jack Whiteside Michael F. Filosa Modica Music Ltd Larry Williamson Gladys and Lloyd Fogler Delia M. Moog Nora R. Wilson Gordon Foote# Kit Moore Thomas A. Wilson Anne Geddes Sue Mortimer Women’s Art Association of Canada George Gibbons Mike Murley# Women’s Musical Club of Toronto Rachel Gottesman Paul and Nancy Nickle Lydia Wong*# The estate of Morton Greenberg Gordon Nimeck Marina Yoshida Dawn Haberman Reg Nimeck Micki Zafer A Wallace Halladay*# Phillip Nimmons# Nancy E. Hardy* Cristina Oke *Faculty of Music alumnus Ethel Harris Naomi Oliphant* #Faculty of Music faculty or staff member

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