Newsletter • Bulletin Spring 2013 Printemps 2013
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
NATIONAL CAPITAL OPERA SOCIETY • SOCIÉTÉ D'OPÉRA DE LA CAPITALE NATIONALE Newsletter • Bulletin Spring 2013 www.ncos.ca Printemps 2013 Opera Lyra Ottawa's La Traviata by Murray Kitts What do you get when you attend a concert perfor- well, but most of the time their actions and reactions mance of Verdi’s La Traviata? Only the music of added to the story line. the most popular opera ever written. You get to see There were moments when I wished that the and hear the orchestra, in this case our own NAC conductor, Tyrone Paterson, had been more atten- Orchestra, augmented for this score in the brass and tive to the intentions of the composer. For example, percussion sections. Out of the pit and on the stage in Act 1 after the brindisi Libiamo an orchestra strikes the orchestra seemed so large and yet the strings, up from a room offstage to which all the guests go which predominate in the preludes to Acts 1 and 4 save Violetta and Alfredo. Productions I have seen and in the most poignant moments of the drama, have don’t use a separate “banda” as it was called in Verdi’s never sounded so beautiful. The great chorus under day but the music from the orchestra becomes much the expert direction of Laurence softer in volume to suggest that it is be- Ewashko is present on stage for Acts 1 ing performed in this other room. There and 3 and off-stage briefly in Act 4 and was no change in volume that I could generally added excitement and gaiety detect. I’m not saying that the singers to the grim story of a young woman with could not be heard over the loud music a fatal disease. As Violetta, Corinne but that the music intruded on the real Winters is young, beautiful and proved importance of the scene, the awakening capable of singing one of the most diffi- attraction of Alfredo for Violetta. Verdi cult roles in all opera. Tenor Eric expert Julian Budden characterizes this Magloire, as Alfredo, is ideal physically music as “a string of commonplace and vocally to portray a young man captivated by waltzes” and points out that “as usual Verdi does not and devoted to a star of the Parisian demi-monde specify the instrumentation”. The off-stage music but capable of violent emotion when rejected. His should not be prominent. I also feel that too much father is sung by Gregory Dahl, familiar to Ottawa volume of brass was used from time to time espe- audiences for his appearance in Lucia di cially in the final act. Of course the orchestra playing Lammermoor. The great duet with Violetta in Act was superb, especially the strings and woodwinds. 2 was followed later by his aria Di Provenza il mar, It was gratifying to hear that ticket sales for il suol... which did not calm Alfredo but was obvi- these performances had exceeded expectations. It ously appreciated by the audience. was a very fine concert performance. Still and all I The minor roles were all well done. Brian can’t forget the Met’s touring performance of this Law finalist Jonathan Estabrooks as Baron Douphol opera many years ago in Minneapolis with a dream was deprived of an opportunity to shine when the cast of Anna Moffo, Richard Tucker, and Robert gambling scene was cut completely, as unstaged, Merrill. And, oh yes, there was the performance at such a series of incidents would be awkward to the Baths of Caracalla in Rome with the guests ar- present. All the singers attempted right from their riving in horse-drawn carriages and a young tenor first entrances to add movement and gesture to ac- from Modena called Luciano Pavarotti just on his company their singing. Sometimes this didn’t work way up. Spring 2013 NEWSLETTER • BULLETIN Printemps 2013 President's Message We can certainly be proud of our past Brian Law something right and your interest and contributions will Competition winners. Here is a partial update on allow us to continue to assist aspiring young singers. some of them. Busiest is Joshua Hopkins: Count There is more opera trouble in The Big Apple. Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro at The Met is cutting ticket prices by $25 in every cat- Glyndebourne in June and July; Marcello in COC’s egory and is cutting back on the number of opera si- La Bohème in October; Schaunard in The Met’s mulcasts from twelve this season to ten next season. La Bohème in January; and Papageno in Wash- Three of the ten, namely Tosca, La Bohème and La ington National Opera’s Magic Flute. Joyce El- Cenerentola are productions seen previously but with Khoury will be singing Violetta in De Nederlanse different star singers in the main roles. New produc- Opera’s La Traviata in May; Desdemona in the tions include Eugene Onegin, Falstaff, Prince Igor Castleton Festival’s Otello in July and as Musetta, and Werther with great casts. The remaining operas alternating with Mimi, in COC’s La Bohème along are Cosi fan tutte, Rusalka and The Nose. I am re- with Joshua in October. We will get to see and ally excited to be able to see a production of Borodin’s hear Arminè Kassabian in two productions by great opera - wonderful music, spectacular ballet and Opera Lyra Ottawa - Mercedes in Carmen in Sep- those great Russian basses as soloists and in the cho- tember and Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly rus. The Nose should be fun. What at first sight looks in April 2014. Also Arminè will sing the Composer lack-lustre may turn out quite dazzling. See you at the in Ariadne auf Naxos for Pacific Opera Victoria opera. in February 2014. As part of the Adler Fellowship On a more sombre note, in the last few months Program, Philippe Sly sings Guglielmo in San Fran- we have lost two of our long time members - Rhoda cisco Opera’s Cosi fan tutte in June. After a suc- Baxter and Adele Kline. Our condolences go out to cessful tour of European festivals Pascal their families and friends. Charbonneau will appear in April as David in the Marc-Antoine Charpentier opera David et Jonathas at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. It certainly seems to me that we have been doing ToNCOS Board of Directors 2012-2013nio President Murray Kitts Publicity Renate Chartrand Past President Bobbi Cain Lesley Robinson Vice President Ute Davis Events Peggy Pflug Secretary Jean Saldanha Pat Adamo Membership Vera-Lee Nelson Elizabeth Meller Treasurer Mark Robinson Sandra Graham Newsletter Editors David Williams Tom McCool Webmaster Jim Burgess Website: http://www.ncos.ca 2 Spring 2013 NEWSLETTER • BULLETIN Printemps 2013 Opera Lyra Ottawa - 2013-2014 season After this year's success Opera Lyra Ottawa is back in full production and will present two fully staged operas in the coming season. Bizet’s Carmen: September 7,9,11,14. NAC Southam Hall. Carmen will be sung by Alessandra Volpe, with David Pomeroy as Don Jose, Lara Ciekiewicz as Micaela, Arminè Kassabian as Mercedes, Ben Covey as Dancairo and Alain Coulombe as Zuniga. Carmen will be staged by director Bernard Uzan and conducted by Tyrone Paterson. Puccini’s Madama Butterfly: April 19, 21, 23, 26, 2014, NAC Southam Hall. Madama Butterfly features Chinese soprano Shu-Ying Li who was Liu in OLO's Turandot. She sings Cio-Cio San and will be joined by Wallis Giunta as Suzuki and Arminè Kassabian as Kate Pinkerton. Tyrone Paterson will conduct. Gilbert & Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance: October 19 & 20, Arts Court Theatre. Pirates will be presented in an abridged version for families. Opera Lyra Ottawa Guild The annual Joy of Opera Luncheon and Con- On May 14, 2013 at 6.00 p.m. a Fashion Funraiser cert, this year featuring young artists from the Uni- will be held at Shepherd’s store in the Trainyards. This is versity of Ottawa, will take place on Sunday, April a new undertaking for the Guild, offering an opportunity to 7, 2013 at the Canada Room, RA Centre. 12:00 raise money for Opera Lyra and to shop at Shepherd’s p.m. Reception and Luncheon; 1:30 p.m. Concert when the store is closed to other customers. Performance. The Master of Ceremonies will be Rob Clipperton. Tickets must be purchased in ad- In October 2013, Murray Kitts has again agreed to vance - contact Melinda at 613- 236-9442 ext. host High C and High Tea. Further information will 137 or Judy Burrows at 613-224-9638. be available closer to the date of this event. 3 Spring 2013 NEWSLETTER • BULLETIN Printemps 2013 Overcoming the Bleak Midwinter in Toronto by Shelagh Williams On the day of Toronto’s worst snow storm in five years, we travelled down - thankfully, by train! - for our winter fix of Canadian Opera Company (COC) operas - Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde and Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito. As we had not seen Tristan und Isolde since a lovely traditional production many years ago at the Montreal Opera - where an elderly gentleman gently snored in my ear through much of it! - I was really look- King Marke ing forward to this much-vaunted production, as Peter Sellar’s COC directorial debut. It was the first time this production had been fully recreated since its premiere at the Paris Opera in 2005. It involved a major collabo- ration with artist Bill Viola who provided a huge video photo by Michael Cooper backdrop for the complete five-hour opera, with the screen for Acts I and II horizontal, but vertical for Act by Ben Heppner, returning to the COC after 17 III.