BAM 2003 Spring Brooklyn Academy of Music Brooklyn Philharmonic Alan H. Fishma n Robert Spano Chairman of the Board Music Director William I. Campbell Craig G. Matthews Vice Chairman of the Board President, Board of Directors Karen Brooks Hopkins Catherine M. Cahill President Chief Executive Officer Joseph V. Melillo Executive Producer present COS! fan tutte By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Approximate BAM Harvey Theater running time: Apr 24, 26, 28,30, May 2, 2003 at 7:30pm; May 4 at 3pm 3 hours with Brooklyn Philharmonic one intermission Conducted by Robert Spano Di rected by Jonathan Miller Soloists Alexandra Deshorties (soprano, Fiordiligi) Rinat Shaham (mezzo-soprano, Dorabella) Eric Cutler (tenor, Ferrando) Garry Magee (baritone, Guglielmo) Helen Donath (soprano, Despina) Thomas Allen (baritone, Don Alfonso) The New York Virtuoso Singers, Harold Rosenbaum, director Set and costume design by Anne Patterson Lighting design by Matthew Frey English titles by Chris Bergen Line producer/stage manager R. Michael Blanco Assistant costume designer Dawn Petrlik BAM Spring Season is sponsored by Altria Group, Inc. Leadership support for BAM Opera is provided by Alberto Vilar, Honorary Chairman, BAM Opera, and The Andrew W Mellon Foundation. Major support for BAM Opera is also provided by Isak and Rose Weinman Foundation Inc., The Eleanor Naylor Dana Charitable Trust, Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, and The Vincent Astor Foundation. Women 's costumes are provided courtesy of Eileen Fisher. The Brooklyn Philharmonic 2002-2003 season is sponsored by HSBC Bank USA. Cosl fa n tutte Brooklyn Philharmonic Flute Katherine Fink Robert Spano Music Director David Wechsler Erik E. Ochsner Assistant Conductor Seann Alderking Rehearsal Pian ist Oboe Matt Dine Violin Pedro Diaz Brennan Sweet Diane Bruce Clarinet Carlos Villa Steven Hartman Fritz Krakowski Paul Garment Claudia Hafer Ashley Horne Bassoon Harry Searing Deborah Buck Jeff Marchand Katherine Hannauer Shinwon Kim French Horn Sebu Sirinian Paul Ingraham Min Young Song Scott Temple Cecelia Hobbs Gardner Trumpet Viola Jim Stubbs Ah Ling Neu Tom Hoyt Alexander Rees Jessica Troy Timpani Monica Gerard Richard Fitz Cello Percussion Chris Finckel Wi lliam Trigg Lan ny Payki n Peter Rosenfeld Librarian Michael Finckel David Carp Bass Personnel Manager Joseph Bongiorno Jonathan Taylor Gregg August The New York Virtuoso Singers Tenors Harold Rosenbaum, Director A. Wright Moore Glenn White Sopranos Jacqueline Horner Basses Christine Sperry Jonathan Babcock L. Mark Wagstrom Altos Teresa Buchholz Choral contractor B. J. Fredricks Nancy Wertsch Program l\Iote By Jonathan Miller When a composer sets an opera in his own period there has to be a convincing reason for setting it anywhere else. In contrast to the romantic operas of the nineteenth century in which the action is all too often backdated to an implausibly 'historic' past, the three Da Ponte operas are set in a world with which the composer and librettist were immediately acquainted, so that the temptation to transpose them is not nearly so pressing. On the contrary, neither Figaro nor Don Giovanni make much sense in anything other than an eighteenth century context. The relationship between the characters is almost unintelligible in a world where social status determines the degrees of freedom enjoyed by the various protago­ nists. In both of these works the action is unarguably shaped by concepts of rank, title, and subservience. These constraints are less obvious in Cosl fan tutte, although the opera works perfectly well in its traditional Jonathan Miller. Photo: Gemma Levine setting, and in my four previous productions I was happy to present them more or less conventionally. All the same, Cosl differs from the other two in being relatively abstract, so that it's not recognizably disfigured by updating it. In fact when I decided to modernize it I was pleased to find that previously undisclosed themes became startlingly apparent, and that an action which is often criticized for sheer sill iness becomes surprisingly urgent and even tragic. It soon becomes apparent that the question of personal identity is much more significant than the plot seems to imply, and that by undertaking the morally doubt­ ful enterprise of disguise, the young men discover that when you pretend to be someone else the chances are that you will discover unsuspected versions of yourself and that infidelity is not, as Don Alfonso insists, confined to women' A word of warning though. When I conceived this production I had no reason to believe that its American premiere would coincide with an actual war and that the scene of two young men setting out for combat might look like a tastelessly opportunistic exploitation of political tragedy. But there's no getting away from the words and action we've inherited and I hope you'll make an allowance for the unavoidable circumstances in which this opera is now presented. March 2003 Who's \Nho Robert Spano, music director of the Brooklyn Sea Symphony which was recorded in Telarc's Philharmonic and the Atlanta Symphony new Super Audio Compact Disc format (SACD). Orchestra, is recognized internationally as one In addition to his commitments in both of the brightest, most talented, and imaginative Brooklyn and Atlanta, Spano makes his New York conductors of his generation. In addition to Philharmonic debut this season and returns to these prestigious posts, Spano was recently conduct the Cleveland Orchestra and the appointed director of the 2003 and 2004 Cincinnati and St. Louis Symphonies. In Europe, Festivals of Contemporary Music at the Boston Spano appears with the BBC Symphony in the Symphony Orchestra's Tanglewood Music British premiere of Saariaho's L'Amour de loin, Center. In this position he will be responsible with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, for artistic programming and conduct many of City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and the works performed during the Festival. Orchestre National de Lyon. In summer 2003 Spano's list of achievements also includes two he conducts two programs with the Chicago Grammy awards (Best Classical Album, Best Symphony Orchestra at the Ravinia Festiva l. Choral Album) for his magnificent account of Born in Conneaut, OH and raised in Elkhart, IN, Vaughan Williams' A Sea Symphony with the he is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus on Music, where he studied conducting with Telarc. Music director of the Brooklyn Robert Baustian, and continued his studies at Philharmonic since 1996, Spano has renewed the Curtis Institute of Music with the late Max his contract through the 2003-04 season. He Rudolf. Spano has been featured on CBS' Late has designed a series of unique programs for Show with David Letterman, CBS Sunday the Philharmonic's 2002-03 season, which Morning, A&E's Breakfast with the Arts, and celebrates the healing powers of faith, magic, PBS' City Arts. He resides in Atlanta. invention, laughter, and literature as depicted in music. It includes an unprecedented three co­ The Brooklyn Philharmonic, under the artistic productions with BAM: the New York premiere vision of Music Di rector Robert Spano, has of La Pasi6n Segun San Marcos by Osvaldo emerged as one of the nation's premier music Golijov, Mark Morris' The Hard Nut, and Cos! ensembles and continues to be a vital presence fan tutte. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's in the cultural life of the New York metropolitan 2002-03 season marks Robert Spano's sec­ area . For nearly five years, the Brooklyn ond as music director, and it showcases what Philharrnonic has played a leading role in the promises to be a legacy of creative program­ presentation of innovative and thematic pro­ ming and continued excellence from this gramming, receiving nineteen ASCAP Awards renowned ensemble. Under his baton, the out of the last 21 years for "Adventurous Orchestra premieres his first commission as Programming of Contemporary Music." Since music director, a major new work by celebrated its inception in 1954, audiences have young composer Jennifer Higdon. Other high­ embraced the Brooklyn Philharmonic's lights include semi-staged performances of cornmitment to the concept of the orchestra as John Adams' acclaimed oratorio, EI Nino, and a contemporary performance ensemble, concerts featuring Golijov's Last Rounds and ernphasizing, as in the decades of Beethoven selections from David Del Tredici's Child Alice. and Brahms, important present-day music. The Spano programmed six works of living Philharmonic has premiered more than 150 composers throughout the season. He has works, including 60 commissions. The 2002- interviewed each composer on tape, which 2003 season , Transformations: The Healing audiences will view prior to the corresponding Power of Music, explores music and its power performances. He has also helped spearhead a by invoking faith , magic, invention and litera­ chamber music initiative, "ASO Connect," ture in five innovative programs. The season which brings concerts to the greater Atlanta opened with the New York premiere of Osvaldo community, and played a central role in the Golijov's La Pasi6n Segun San Marcos, a co­ ongoing growth and expansion of the Orchestra's production with BAM, and part of BAM 's 20th education and outreach projects. Spano's first Next Wave Festiva l. Called a "work of genius" recording with the Atlanta Symphony was by the Boston Globe, "a magnificent triumph" Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, joined by A by the Los Angeles Times and "a great popular \ALho's Who masterwork" by The New York Observer, the He has also worked at many of the world's concert performances featured soprano Dawn leading opera houses-the Maggio Musicale, Upshaw and the Schola Cantorum de Caracas. Florence; La Scala, Milan; the Metropolitan Additional season highlights have included The Opera, New York; Deutsche Staatsoper, Berlin; Hard Nut, a collaboration with the Mark Morris and Bayerische Staatsoper; Vienna Staatsoper; Dance Group; "American Lollapalooza" at the Salzburg Festival, and the Royal Opera featuring the Brooklyn Philharmonic debut of House, Covent Garden .