WORLD PREMIERE A Minnesota Opera New Works Initiative Production 2011 – 2012 SEASON Visit TMORA’s new, enhanced website, now in English and Russian. Translation of the website was made possible by a grant from the Russkiy Mir Foundation. welcome Allan E. Naplan | President and General Director Welcome to the world premiere of Silent Night! It is a great honor for Minnesota Opera to share this very special event with you. During opera’s prolifi c bel canto era, Italian audiences could expect 20 to 30 opera premieres in a given year, composed by the likes of Rossini and Donizetti. By contrast, American opera audiences of 2011 can count this season’s opera premieres on one hand. Creating a new opera is hard; it’s expensive and often risky. Consequently, new works do not enjoy the same performance frequency as they once did. At Minnesota Opera, however, we are committed to the creation and production of new operas in order to ensure that our art form does not merely become a collection of museum artifacts, but remains an engaging, vibrant and relevant way for us to explore the ideas, emotions and stories that unite and confront us as humans. Through our New Works Initiative, we are invigorating the operatic repertoire with an infusion of contemporary works, and doing so with unstinting dedication. Our ambition is uniquely bold, but we believe that our efforts befit the occasion. We are, after all, creating opera history. Minnesota Opera has midwifed many new works over the course of its 49 years, and we are thrilled that Silent Night is our most recent achievement. Minnesota Opera is tremendously grateful to the generous supporters who made this commission possible. Most notably, we extend our heartfelt appreciation to Margaret and Angus Wurtele, opera America, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and The Ruth Easton Fund for their leadership support. We also thank you, our audience. Minnesota Opera could not maintain our commitment to new works if it were not for your embracing our efforts through your attendance. As we continue to break new ground in opera, we thank you for being our partners on this journey. Finally, it is also with great excitement that we announce the next commission of the Minnesota Opera New Works Initiative. For our 50th anniversary season, Minnesota Opera will produce the world premiere of Doubt, by composer Douglas J. Cuomo and librettist John Patrick Shanley, based on his Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning Broadway play. Th ank you for attending the world premiere of Silent Night. History awaits … Allan E. Naplan President and General Director contents 6 Synopsis 19 Minnesota Opera New Works Initiative 7 Silent Night 20 Tempo 8 Background Notes 22 Education at Minnesota Opera 10 Composer Kevin Puts 24 Upcoming at Ordway 11 Librettist Mark Campbell 25 Minnesota Opera Board of 12 The Artists Directors, Staff and Volunteers 16 Up Next: Werther 26 Minnesota Opera Annual Fund 18 2011–2012 Season Subscriptions SILENT NIGHT | Large-print and Braille programs are available at the Patron Services Office 5 synopsis prologue act ii Late summer, 1914 War is declared. At with Anna again aft er many months Scene one – December 25, dawn Jonathan a Berlin opera house, the announcement apart. Th e French soldiers receive crates tries to bury his brother. Two German disrupts the lives of international opera of wine and food. Ponchel, a barber sentries are about to shoot him when singers Anna Sørensen and Nikolaus by trade, cuts Audebert’s hair and Father Palmer and Lieutenant Gordon Sprink. In a small Scottish church, reminisces about having coff ee with intervene. Looking on, Horstmayer it inspires William to enlist with his his mother every morning, who lives proposes that it may be time to bury all of brother Jonathan as their priest, Father only an hour away on foot. Th e alarm the dead. Th e three lieutenants meet and Palmer, looks helplessly on. In the clock he carries next to his heart (which decide that the truce will be extended. Parisian apartment of the Audeberts, shielded him from a bullet in the last Scene two – December 25, late morning, it angers Madeleine who excoriates battle) rings at ten o’clock every morning early aft ernoon Father Palmer delivers last her husband for leaving while she’s to remind him of it. In the Scottish rites, and the soldiers form a processional pregnant with their fi rst child. With bunker, crates of whiskey have arrived. bearing the wagon of bodies away. Anna nationalistic songs in the background, Jonathan writes a letter to his mother, looks on with Nikolaus and promises that the men prepare for war. not mentioning his brother’s death. he will not suff er the same fate. Scene four – December 24, early evening act i Scene three – December 25, all day In At the chalet, Anna and Nikolaus the meantime, news of the cease-fi re has In and around a battlefi eld, near the perform. Aft erwards, they steal a few reached headquarters, and the British French border, before Christmas moments on a terrace outside. Anna Major, the Kronprinz and the French is saddened by Nikolaus’ broken Scene one – December 23, late aft ernoon General declare that they will punish the spirit. She vows to accompany him soldiers for their betrayal. A skirmish between the Germans back to the battlefi eld. and the French and Scottish: corpses Scene four – December 25, evening pile up in no-man’s land between Scene fi ve – December 24, night In the When the truce is over, Nikolaus the three bunkers. When William is French bunker, Gueusselin volunteers to ridicules Horstmayer for his allegiance shot, Jonathan must leave his brother infi ltrate the German bunker and sidles to the Fatherland; Horstmayer arrests behind to die. onto no-man’s land. Th e Scottish soldiers him for insubordination. Anna takes drink whiskey and play a bagpipe that Nikolaus’ hand and leads him across Scene two – December 23, evening In another unit has sent them, as Father the Scottish bunker, Lieutenant Gordon no-man’s land as Horstmayer orders Palmer sings a sentimental ballad. Th e his men to shoot. Reaching the French assesses the casualties while Father men in the other bunkers hear the song. Palmer off ers solace to Jonathan. In the bunker unharmed, Nikolaus demands Nikolaus arrives; his fellow soldiers greet asylum for Anna and himself. French bunker, Lieutenant Audebert him with cheers and amazement at discovers the French General waiting to seeing Anna with him. Nikolaus sings a Scene fi ve – December 26, late morning reprimand him for surrendering. Th e rousing Christmas song; midway through, Th e British Major berates the Scottish General leaves and Audebert laments the the bagpiper begins to accompany soldiers for the truce and announces loss of his wife’s photograph to his aide- him. Emboldened, Nikolaus stands that they will be transferred to the de-camp, Ponchel. Alone, he tallies the atop the bunker raising a Christmas front lines. When a German soldier is casualties in the last battle, while missing tree as a gesture of friendship. Against seen crossing the battlefi eld, the Major Madeleine and their child whom he has the protestations of their superiors, the orders him killed. Jonathan shoots the not yet seen. He sings of needing sleep, soldiers from all bunkers stand. Nikolaus man. Th e French General tells Audebert a sentiment echoed by all of the soldiers. moves to the center of no-man’s land. that he will be transferred to Verdun As it starts to snow, covering the corpses Eventually, the three lieutenants, waving a as punishment for the truce. Audebert in no-man’s land, the soldiers slowly white fl ag of truce, agree to a cease-fi re … informs the French General – his begin to sleep. Alone in the German but only for Christmas Eve. Th e soldiers father – that he has learned he has an bunker, Nikolaus reveals his despair slowly and cautiously move toward each infant son named Henri. Th ey vow to about war to an imagined Anna. other. Th ey share their provisions, their survive the war for the child’s sake. Th e Scene three – December 24, morning photos, their names. Anna appears and Kronprinz angrily announces that the mnopera.org In the German bunker, crates have the soldiers are awed. Father Palmer holds German soldiers are to be deployed to arrived – and little Christmas trees from mass for the men, while Jonathan fi nds Pomerania. Th e soldiers are taken off in a the Kronprinz. Lieutenant Horstmayer his brother’s body and vows revenge. boxcar. Th e battlefi eld is now completely receives a directive that Nikolaus has When the mass is fi nished the men are empty. Snow begins to fall again. ❚ been ordered to sing at the nearby chalet urged to “go in peace;” bombs explode of the Kronprinz, along with one Anna menacingly in the distance. MINNESOTA OPERA MINNESOTA Sørensen. Nikolaus departs for the | 6 chalet, excited that he will be reunited • intermission • Music by Kevin Puts Libretto by Mark Campbell based on the screenplay by Christian Carion for the motion picture Joyeux Noël produced by Nord-Ouest Production commissioned by Minnesota Opera a Minnesota Opera New Works Initiative Production World Premiere November 12, 15, 17, 19 and 20, 2011 Ordway, Saint Paul Sung in English, French, German, Italian and Latin with English translations cast the german side the french side Nikolaus Sprink William Burden Lieutenant Audebert Liam Bonner Anna Sørensen Karin Wolverton Ponchel, Lieutenant Horstmayer Craig Irvin his aide-de-camp Andrew Wilkowske Kronprinz, French General Ben Wager son of Kaiser Wilhelm ii A.