n e Issue 43, Summer 2012 NCO w s www.newchamberopera.co.uk

FORTHCOMING DATES & TICKET INFORMATION

Calendar Listing Those events marked with an asterisk * are University events

Recitals TICKET DETAILS April 27 - Edward Edgcumbe, countertenor May Lunchtime Vocal 4 - Ashley Francis-Roy, bass Recitals 11 - Tanya Sen, soprano 1.15pm 18 - Joshua Powell, bass 25 - Daniel Laking, countertenor New College Antechapel June £2/£1 concessions 1 - Charlotte Robinson, soprano on the door

Handel: Alexander’s Feast Handel Alexander’s Musical Director: Harry Sever Feast 6 June 2012 6 June 2012 8.00pm New College Chapel, 8.00pm New College Chapel

Tickets 8 - Guy Cutting, tenor £10 / £5 concessions 15 - Elizabeth Biddle, soprano on the door

Summer Opera Summer Opera 4 (Preview), 7 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15 July 2012 Wednesday 4 (Preview) The Warden’s Garden, New College Sunday 8 & Tuesday 10 New Please download forms from New Chamber Opera - N ew Chamber Opera Ensembl e h t tp : / / w w w. n e w c h a m b e ro p e r a . c o. u k The Band of Instruments - Phoenix - Cutting Edge Saturday 7 & Friday 13 Singing Pa t r o n James Bowman New College Development Office D i rector of Pro d u c t i o n s M i chael Burden (01865) 279 337 D i re c t o r, the Summer Opera S t even Devine Tuesday 10 . D i re c t o r, The Band of Instruments Roger Hamilton D i r e c t o r, Opera Studio Benjamin Holder OXPIP (01865) 778 034 . R epetiteurs Benjamin Holder, Harry Sever Company Secre t a r y C l a re Atkinson Wednesday 11 . C o m p t ro l l e r G raham Midgl ey Wa r d ro b e Diana Lintott, Fiona Hodge s Friends of the Botanic Garden . P roduction Administrator Jasmine Chin Recitals Administrator Daniel Laking (07722) 605 787 New Chamber Opera . 4 Mansfield Road . Oxford OX1 3TA Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 Tel: 01865 281 966 . Fax: 01865 279 590 . Email: info @ n ewch a m b e ro p e ra . c o.uk Friends of WNO (01865) 408 045 Web pages: http://www. n ewch a m b e ro p e ra . c o. u k C o m p a ny No 3502769 . Charity No 1095069 page 4 n The New Chamber Opera Newsletter e Issue 43, Summer 2012 NCO w www.newchamberopera.com New Chamber Opera s

Aminta: Kate Semmens; Elisa: Rachel Shannon; Tamiri: Merryn Gamba; Alessandro: Adam Tunnicliffe; Agenore: Tom Raskin

4 (Preview), 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15 July 2012 The Warden’s Garden, New College

hen is a shepherd not a shepherd? Macedonia, who has toppled the tyrant planning to wed. All four are distressed at the An easy question you might think, Stratone, and who now has interim power. proposed marriages, and finally, Tamiri and Wbut the answer - when he is really The price of (reluctantly) claiming his Elisa throw themselves at the mercy of the rightful King of Sidon - may surprise even throne, Aminta discovers, is that he has to Alessandro, who realizes he is about to members of the most hardened opera audience. wed Tamiri, the daughter of Stratone. commit an injustice, and agrees that the pairs Introduce a shepherdess, Elisa, as his devoted Consternation! What will happen to Elisa, of lovers can marry, and that Aminta can lover, with a father’s permission to marry him, the woman he loves? Counterpoint to this ascend the throne. One of Metastasio’s most and the confusions abound. Aminta goes to (now) unhappy situation, is Tamiri herself, engaging plots, was first claim his throne from Alessandro, the King of plus her own lover, Agenore, a local performed in 1751, and in Mozart’s version in aristocrat; they are also happily in love and 1775.

Mailing Lists. Each hard copy and electronic mailing returns out of date addresses; it would be helpful if members of both mailing lists could keep their address up to date. Anyone who Mailing List would like to join the electronic mailing list - used for reminders of forthcoming events - please let us know? n e Issue 43, Summer 2012 NCO w s www.newchamberopera.co.uk

Joseph Volpe ... Humanitas Professor of Opera

Oxford University’s Humanitas Visiting Chair of Opera Events are free and open to the public

Thursday, 26th April 2012, 5pm Magdalen Auditorium Inaugural Address: ‘Whither opera in the 21st Century?’

Saturday, 28th April 2012 Magdalen Auditorium 2pm Joseph Volpe in conversation 4.15pm Round Table discussion: ‘Opera: past, present and future’

oseph Volpe has had a long and provides students from the music and Partners and then joined Theatre Projects distinguished career in the world of the departments with behind-the-scenes access Consultants, a leading theater design firm Jperforming arts. to the creative processes taking place in the in 2008. At TPC, Volpe advises clients on Joseph Volpe is best known for opera house. all aspects of a project, from conception being General Manager of the Metropolitan Volpe conceived and developed and design to daily operations and fiscal Opera from 1990 to 2006. In all, he spent 42 "Met Titles," an innovative titling system management. As their senior project years working at the Metropolitan Opera in introduced during the 1995–96 season advisor, he uses his diverse experience to various capacities, rising rapidly to opening night performance of Otello. This provide valuable insights to major arts managerial positions and was the first head system provides individual title screens on o rganizations as they move into new of the Met Opera to advance from within the the backs of the seats for those members of facilities or reorganize existing ones. ranks of the company’s management. the audience who wish to utilize them, but In addition to his project work, As General Manager, Vo l p e do not distract those who do not. Volpe provides his expert counsel to TPC’s expanded the Met repertory by reducing the Sound fiscal management and US operations as a general advisor in all number of operas repeated from prior fresh customer service initiatives facets of the organization - from guiding seasons and by increasing the overall length characterized Vo l p e ’s tenure. Vo l p e their strategic development to acting as a of the season. During his tenure, there were strengthened the Met's administration senior advisor to the board. 4 world premieres, 22 Met premieres, and through a re-organization and initiated the Volpe has been a guest lecturer four commissions – more new works than development of Tessitura, a management at Columbia University and the University under any other General Manager since software program for conducting targeted of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Giulio Gatti-Cassazza, who ran the marketing and fundraising appeals, which is Business. For five years he taught a course company from 1908-1935. He also now licensed to more than 200 opera entitled "Managing in the Performing expanded the Met’s international touring companies worldwide. Arts” at New York University's Stern activities. Labor relations under Vo l p e ' s School of Business. He has received In 1998, Volpe instituted an management were without contract disputes honorary degrees from numerous education project for young children in for over two decades, the longest period of universities, including Georg e t o w n cooperation with the City of New York labor peace in the company's history. In U n i v e r s i t y, Fordham University, and Department of Education. The program fact, Mr. Volpe's successor Peter Gelb hired Hamilton College. emphasizes direct experience with music him in February 2010 to represent the Met Mr. Volpe is the author of The and opera for students in New York City in its current negotiations with the labor Toughest Show on Earth, My Rise and schools. Volpe also established a partnership unions. After leaving the Met, Vo l p e Reign at the Metropolitan Opera, with the University of Connecticut that worked briefly as a consultant to Giuliani published by Random House in 2006.

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Upcoming ...

Harry Sever introduces Alexander’s Feast entertained by the musician Ti m o t h e u s , playing his lyre and singing. Alexander is so Music by moved by Timotheus’ music that he is Libretto by Newburgh Hamilton driven to burn the city to the ground, seeking vengeance for the death of his Hear how Timotheus’ various lays surprise, soldiers. And bid alternate passions fall and rise! On one level, the story deals with the While, at each change, the son of Libyan personal drama of the king and his desire to Jove exact revenge on the Persians. On a broader Now burns with glory, and then melts with level, however, this is a piece that addresses love; the power of music itself, and it serves as an Now his fierce eyes with sparkling fury glow, ode in honour of St. Cecilia, the patroness of Now sighs steal out, and tears begin to flow; musicians. Handel, playing the role of Persians and Greeks like turns of nature Timotheus, presents us with an array of found, d i fferent styles and moods: dramatic And the world’s victor stood subdu’d by choruses; instrumental movements; virtuoso sound! arias (including the famous ‘Revenge, revenge, Timotheus cries’); and even short This passage from Pope’s ‘Essay on Criticism’ concertos for harp and organ, imitating – which appeared on the title page of the events onstage. We, the audience, are programme at the first performance in 1736 – encouraged to play the role of Alexander – summarises the enormous variety of colours ‘the world’s victor...subdu’d by sound’ – and emotions that Handel presents us in his allowing alternate passions to ‘fall and rise’ great Ode, Alexander’s Feast. Based on John with the rich variety of Handel’s music. Dryden’s poem of the same name, it tells the 6th June 2012 A l e x a n d e r ’s Feast is an astonishing (if story of a royal banquet held in Persepolis, the 8.00 pm underappreciated) showcase, not only of Persian city captured by the Greeks. Alexander singers and instrumentalists alike, but of the the Great and his mistress Thaïs are New College Chapel power of music itself.

Orpheus, as reviewed by Daniel (‘Down with nectar – vive la révolution’). the first violin). The opportunities for comic Malcolm from Oxford Theatre Review Jupy (Jupiter’s pet name) keeps his tousled s o u n d - e ffects weren’t exploited often head of hair but loses his dignity as his enough by instrumentalists content to rpheus in the Underw o r l d i s lovers’ panties are paraded across stage (one remain in the background and support the unusually a spoof of the same genre of which ended up hanging from the singers. A notable exception was the use of of which it is a classic; New Chamber conductor’s music stand). For all the fun he the trombones’ slides to simulate turbulence O has with myth, Offenbach’s real target was of Opera’s production is a tribute to both its during the delightfully anachronistic flight satirical and the artistic merits. The original course opera. And as Orpheus’ smug of Orpheus to Olympus wearing a Biggles- butt of Off e n b a c h ’s satire may be long commentary on the key changes indicates - style flying helmet. But Pluto’s f o rgotten, but his ironic perversion of he’s the embodiment of the tradition under melodramatic revelation of his divine antiquity’s most tragic romance is funnier and attack. identity to Eurydice called for a bit more Frencher than ever (though there are a hell of Indeed, there is as little love lost pyrotechnics from the brass - the lights went a lot of very English puns about the between Offenbach and the musical down on cue, but the volume didn’t quite underworld too). The only time sullen establishment as between the philistinic rise to the occasion. The whole orchestra Orpheus - who, with his groomed goatee and Eurydice and the pretentious Orpheus. The did however muster gusto for the cravat, looks like he’s been plucked from irony is of course that Eurydice (the sublime rumbustious can-can romp – the only time Montmartre - shows any affection for Julia Sitkovetsky) is - like Offenbach - more the pit really outshone the stage. Eurydice is when he mistakes her for his musically masterful than the man she mocks. New Chamber Opera’s fresh take lover-shepherdess Cloe; meanwhile, Eurydice One moment she is literally buzzing up and on such baggage-laden scenes as the can- loathes her husband - especially his whining down the operatic scales in an attempt to can showed that they are no more overawed violin. Her shoulders coquettishly wiggle seduce a fly (Jupiter in a most peculiar by tradition than Offenbach himself (though (ooh-la-la) not for him but for the devilishly disguise), the next she’s shaking the Jupiter’s attempts at contemporary dance dapper Pluto. Sheldonian with a high-pitch outpouring of left much to be desired). The It’s not just the terrestrial scenes bathetic passion. imaginativeness and irreverence of the which are so faithful to French infidelity (and At times the orchestra ended up whole performance was epitomised by the unfaithful to myth). Heaven too seems a touch playing second fiddle - and not just to three heads of Cerberus during the curtain- Parisian as the gods start a revolution over Orpheus (whose melodramatic mimes of call when they lifted their back legs like a their Olympian diet of nectar and ambrosia playing the violin are indeed accompanied by dog about to piss.

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