NATIONAL CAPITAL OPERA SOCIETY • SOCIÉTÉ D'OPÉRA DE LA CAPITALE NATIONALE Newsletter • Bulletin Summer 2001 Été P.O. Box 8347, Main Terminal, Ottawa, Ontario K1G 3H8 • C.P. 8347, Succursale principale, Ottawa (Ontario) K1G 3H8 CALIXA COMES HOME!! by Tom McCool alixa Lavalée is best known as the composer many that is high praise indeed. (Lavalée was a con- of “O Canada” but this is not his only claim to temporary of Offenbach and lived in Paris for a time.) Cfame. Lavalée had a long and varied musical ca- Like Offenbach this opera has bouncy melodies, rous- reer as composer, performer and teacher in Canada, South ing choruses, the occasional soaring aria and some America, Europe and the United States. One of his lesser- truly funny moments. This production was enhanced known accomplishments is the comic opera, La Veuve, by the excellent playing of the orchestra and by a cast which was performed last month by Le Théâtre who could not only sing but had the ability to engage lyrique de Hull. the audience. Both the music and the libretto were well La Veuve received its premiere in New Orleans served by the performers. On top of that the costumes in 1881 and subsequently was successfully staged in Chi- were superb! On the down-side, while La Veuve is cago and a number of other American cities. The opera Offenbach-like it, alas, is not Offenbach. It does have then was billed as The Widow. This was entirely appro- the positive attributes mentioned above, but it does priate as the libretto was in English. Lavalée, born in not have the same sparkle that characterizes most of Verchères, Canada East (Quebec) in 1842, was living in the operas by the Parisian master. One major problem the United States at the time and, with La Veuve is that it has a in fact, died in Boston in 1891. plot so preposterous and so con- After initial success the opera voluted that even Gilbert & disappeared and was not redis- Sullivan might have rejected it. covered until some 20 years ago. But then, who goes to an opera Despite its English language ori- because of the plot! gins the piece has a definite This is the fourth time FrenchBrian feel, partly due to the fact in the last few years that I have that the setting is the south of attended a production staged by FranceLaw and the fact that there is Le Théâtre lyrique de Hull a ballet in the second act. Also, and each time it has been at a of course, the language is different location. Because of French! However, until this re- the high quality of their produc- cent production in June, the op- tions, including La Veuve, this era was never performed in company deserves a permanent French. Lavalée himself never home. Hopefully, the Maison heard the piece in his first lan- de Culture in Gatineau will guage! I think he would have serve this purpose. They also been pleased by the produc- deserve credit for offering a tion staged by Le Théâtre repertoire that is not otherwise lyrique de Hull. I know that accessible to opera aficionados the capacity audience enjoyed in the National Capital region. it immensely. Next year they plan to stage La Veuve has been de- Chabrier’s L’Étoile. I intend scribed as Offenbach-like and for to be there. Summer 2001 NEWSLETTER • BULLETIN Été 2001 PRESIDENT’S REPORT: National Capital Opera Society Annual General Meeting, June 10, 2001 he millenium year was one of hard work and retrench- The work being undertaken by Opera Lyra ment. With an eventually enlarged Board of Direc- Ottawa has grown in excellence. I’m sure we all Ttors it was an encouraging year that made us all feel enjoyed their offerings over the past year and that we could accomplish more. We continue to demonstrate many of us are private supporters. We advertise our devotion to opera in its many facets by concentrating on events in our Newsletter, and I know that you all the three major areas of the Society’s focus: the Brian Law read that great publication. Similarly, if other Opera Scholarship Competition; our support for opera in its events are brought to our attention where opera is many forms, whether they be, for example, Opera Lyra Ot- the focus, they find their way to the Newsletter. I tawa, Opera Breva, or the National Arts Centre; and third, applaud the work being done in making the News- our commitment to enhance the opera environment through letter a most enticing publication. activities for you, our members, and your friends and col- “Opera alla pasta” became a term associ- leagues. Unfortunately, our success in the generation of funds ated with a video showing of one of the world’s to finance our support, be they private dollars, corporate dol- opera classics at St. Anthony’s followed by a very lars or community dollars is a major part of this. good pasta dinner with all the trimmings and fu- The realization that a corporate fundraising campaign elled by the club bar. It makes for a pleasant Sun- to augment the Endowment Fund for the Brian Law Opera day afternoon and presently we are arranging the Scholarship has weighed heavily on the Board throughout next season. There is more and more going on in the year, and it is only into the year 2001 that we are starting the region to spice our opera lives, and these spe- to make slow progress on this undertaking. Our revised plan cial afternoons add much in their own way. from 1999 focuses the competition in “prime time”, presents The year was one of preparation for the a former winner in a short recital during the jury’s delibera- 2001 Brian Law Opera Scholarship with quite a tions, and follows the competition with an audience-wide few prospective entrants into the competition. It reception (with your help) – all serving to clearly say that takes several months of work to contact singers, this is a special event deserving of the attention of the music organize a preliminary competition and work on community. The $2000 scholarship is generous – though the plans for the final concert competition. Some not as rich as we might like. Through a series of private of us were dogged by illness and were grateful to donations over the years we have given each non-winner a other Board members who extended a hand and small honorarium of $100 to help reduce costs. The endow- sympathy. The best thing about this particular ment fund generates some interest returns, but at today’s year was that Gordon Metcalfe joined us as the interest rates you can imagine the magnitude of the inter- Society’s treasurer. A long search came to an end. est paid. This year of 2001 is getting to be an excit- We applaud the many positive developments at the ing one. The Christmas programming at the NAC National Arts Centre with its dynamic Conductor and Music features Brian Law as conductor of Handel’s Mes- Director. Excitement continues to pervade the place, and siah and among the soloists will be baritone Gerald one gets the feeling that the various programs rank far above Finley and counter-tenor Daniel Taylor. We have the concerns of buildings and the many elements that go into made inquiries and are in the process of setting up a the Centre. I try to attend the public meetings of the Board special “Meet Our Friends, The Stars” reception af- of Trustees under their dynamic Chair, Dr. David Leighton.. ter one of the performances. Brian has a lot of friends Unfortunately that type of meeting has ceased and meetings still in town and we would like to honour him and have turned into presentations by the Director-General and the other two singers with a fund raising event where various other Department heads. This approach presents they could see everyone and enjoy some goodies. useful information but lacks the input gained from planned We are planning a tribute to Canadian singers with discussions of facets of the Centre’s plans and ongoing busi- a dinner, music and silent auction as another fund ness. More about the NAC later. raiser in the new year.. 2 Summer 2001 NEWSLETTER • BULLETIN Été 2001 It was my pleasure to be invited by the NAC In this millenium plus one year let us all look to their launch of the summer “Great Composers’ Fes- to the future – all sharing our love of opera with our tival”. After the many announcements about the enthusiasm for all the arts in their many forms. Centre’s exciting program for young instrumental art- ists and aspiring conductors, Maestro Zuckerman took Thank you. the stage. After speaking about the summer schedule he started to muse about the future and said that he is working on seeing OPERA at the summer festival down the road. My clapped response, along with that of Hamilton Southam, was instant and prolonged. In N.C.O.S. Board of an ensuing conversation Maestro Zuckerman suggested that they must be given time, that it was very expen- Directors sive (as if we didn’t know), etc. I told him that we President Bobbi Cain primarily needed the music and the singers, that any Board Members elaborate staging was secondary, and that well-cho- Pat Adamo Renate Chartrand reographed concert encounters can be just as stirring. Murray Kitts Dan Levin He was quite interested. So, you never know what the Donald Metcalfe Peggy Pflug future may hold with a magician at the helm.