WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA ORCHESTRA HEINZ FRICKE, MUSIC DIRECTOR Violin I Cello Clarinet Bass Trombone Oleg Rylatko, Amy Frost Baumgarten, David Jones, Principal Stephen Dunkel Concertmaster Principal Lora Ferguson, Assistant Eric Lee, Associate Elizabeth Davis,Assistant Principal Tuba/Cimbasso Concertmaster Principal Stephen Bates Michael Bunn, Principal Zino Bogachek+** Ignacio Alcover+ Joan Cataldo Amy Ward Butler Bass Clarinet Timpani Michelle Kim Timothy H. Butler** Stephen Bates Jonathan Rance, Principal Karen Lowry-Tucker Igor Zubkovsky Greg Akagi, Assistant Susan Midkiff Kerry Van Laanen* Bassoon Principal Washington National Opera’s Board of Trustees Margaret Thomas Donald Shore, Principal Charlie Whitten Bass Christopher Jewell, Percussion presents Doug Dube* Robert D’Imperio, Assistant Principal John Spirtas, Principal Jennifer Himes* Principal Nancy Stutsman Greg Akagi Patty Hurd* Frank Carnovale, Assistant Bill Richards* A Live Broadcast from Agnieszka Kowalsky* Principal Contrabassoon John Ricketts Nancy Stutsman Harp The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Violin II Jeffrey Koczela* Susan Robinson, Principal Julia Grueninger, Horn Sunday, September 23, 2007 Principal Flute Gregory Drone, Principal ADMINISTRATION Joel Fuller, Assistant Adria Sternstein Foster, John Peiffer, Assistant Principal Principal Principal Orchestra Personnel & Richard Chang+ Stephani Stang-Mc- Robert Odmark Operations Manager Xi Chen Cusker, Assistant Peter de Boor Aaron Doty Jessica Dan Fan Principal Geoffrey Pilkington Martha Kaufman John Lagerquist Orchestra Librarian Timothy Macek Trumpet Shelley Friedman Victoria Noyes Piccolo Tim White, Principal Leslie Nero* John Lagerquist Christopher Tranchitella, MUSIC STAFF By Giacomo Puccini Linda Smith* Assistant Principal Oboe Michael Rossi Assistant Conductors Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica Viola Igor Leschishin, Principal Ben Malensek Shelley Coss, Principal Carole Libelo, Assistant Trombone Michael Baitzer Based on the novel Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henry Murger Evelyn Harpham, Principal Lee Rogers, Principal Assistant Principal Kathleen Golding Donald King, Assistant Philippe Chao+ Principal Production from Teatr Wielki-National Opera Warsaw Leon Neal English Horn Stephen Dunkel Elizabeth Pulju-Owen Carole Libelo Simulcast Presenting Sponsor Uri Wassertzug M&Ms® Chocolate Candies David Basch* Alexandra Van De Geijn* This production is made possible through the generous support of the + Begins the alphabetical listing of musicians who participate in a system of revolving within the string section. Eugene B. Casey Endowment. * Guest Musician ** On leave The performance is approximately two hours and ten minutes including one 20-minute intermission. In Italian with English supertitles www.dc-opera.org Patrons are requested to turn off pagers, cellular phones, and signal watches during the performance. The taking of photographs and the use of recording equipment is not allowed. FROM THE DIRECTOR MEET THE ARTISTS as Mehta, Maazel, Chailly, Salonen, Villaume, Cam- führung aus dem Serail) with Maryland Concert Opera, When, at the end of the 19th century, Puccini was composing La Bohème, he saw in it his peers— pa nella, Rizzi, Curtis, and Olmi. Future engagements in- Collatinus (The Rape of Lucretia) with Bal timore The- his 20-year-old contemporaries. His dream was to break the hieratic character of the opera and in- clude La Bohème (Novara), Aida (directed by Zeffirelli with atre Project and Bartolo (Le Nozze di Figaro) with Opera troduce real life to the stage. Then time stopped for over 100 years. Generations changed both on Teatro Stabile di Bolzano), L’Italiana in Algeri (Pisa), Bel Cantanti. As winner of Vocal Arts Society’s Discov- stage and in the audience while La Bohème, once an up-to-date, even documentary tale about the life Madama Butterfly (Teatro del Maggio Musicale ery Series, Mr. Tarr presented a recital program at the Fiorentino), and Simon Boccanegra (Opera de Oviedo). Kennedy Center. Upcoming engagements include Mes- of artists, became just a charming little story with beautiful melodies. siah with New Dominion Chorale and the title role in In order to reflect the freshness and originality of Puccini’s idea, I decided to give up fin-de-siècle American bass Jeffrey Tarr (Benoit) Maryland Concert Opera’s Giulio Cesare. made his company role debut as staffage and tell some thing about the contemporary world, about the lives of contemporary artists. the French Soldier in The Maid of Reject ing the historical point of view allows us to focus on the deep truth pervading this work of art, Orleans in 2005. During the 2006– which tells a story about the insignificance of human life—fragile, uncertain, exposed to continuous 2007 season, he appeared as Don shocks. Basilio (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) with Annapolis Opera, Osmin (Die Ent- The plot of this story takes place here and now, in a large city. The characters live in a photography studio, a spacious glass loft, which can be found today in Paris, New York, or Berlin. There is noth- WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA CHORUS ing in this tale to specify where it takes place. The style of life in contemporary bohemia is different. Tim Augustin W. Paul Edson Katherine Keem Sarah B. Richey The notion of poverty does not, in fact, exist. Sometimes you have money, other times you don’t. You Ruth Bailis Harvey D. Fort David Kozisek Howard Scott spend it all on hijinks during one night and then wait for fortune to smile on you. We tend to show Shawnee Ball J. Alan Garcia Tricia Lepofsky Hyun-Oh Shin Dorothey Bodner Grace Gori Adrienne Mandley Aaron Silverman feelings in a different way, hiding them under a coat of irony. The customs seem to be different today, as Patricia Boyd Prince Edward Havely Jennifer Mathews Margaret Stricklett are the clothes, but the inner truth of the world remains the same. Angela Butler Ling Ling He Milagros Matos Jonathan Woody Luciana Cecille Richard C. Hoffheins, Jr. Samantha McElhaney Suzanne S. Chadwick Kurt B. Hoffman Joan Morton La Bohème is a story about maturing, about youth, gaining a new dimension through contact with Chenlin Chang Nicholas Houhoulis Seong Won Nam love and death. It becomes full and mature. In this world of appearances, false glitter, and somewhat Connie Coffelt Annadaire Ingram Matthew Osifchin Keith Craig Jennifer Jellings Sheryl Perry gushing artists, the most important character is Mimì, who dominates intellectually over the rest of Raoul J. Daggett William Jones Alan T. Reed the company. The sacrifice of her love, the depth of her feelings, and the death she is carrying in her reverse all the values completely. What is characteristic is that even Puccini’s music, which accom- DANCERS panies Mimì, is totally different. When she appears on stage, time seems to stop. A new perspective Troy D. Brown Sara Elena Jerez Maureen MacNeill Luis Torres Lourdes P. Elias Lisae C. Jordan Amir Raissi and depth of feeling, previously unknown to us, opens to the audience and to the characters of the story. Dying Mimì, when parting, leaves a strong mark on the characters of the opera; she leaves MIMES them a gift which is responsible for the fact that, from now on, nothing will remain the same. When Michal Ciecka Tomasz Nerkowski Tomasz Wygoda in the finale Rodolfo cries out the unforgettable word “Mimì,” a new man is born. SUPERNUMERARIES I have changed the stylistics of my work on stage especially for this tale, making cinema one of the char- Victoria Gregg Andrea McPherson Stacee Prigmore Monroe Jessica Roman acters of the story. This method of narrating or framing resembles film editing; video clips and pro- jections appear on stage. Being a filmmaker by profession, I have tried to convey the experiences of PRODUCTION STAFF my own youth as a student, a time when we light-heartedly played at art and life, when we used to Assistant Stage Managers. Lynn Krynicki, Diane Lin, Constance Dubinski speak about love by means of a camera. Apprentice Stage Manager . Rich Ching Associate Technical Director . Christy Blackham Or…when we even declared falling in love by means of a camera. Assistant Lighting Designer . Jeff Bruckerhoff Costume Coordinator. Timm Burrow Supertitles Operator . Catheryn Dowd —Mariusz Trelin´ski (Translated from Polish by Mariusz Brymora) The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), the The technicians at the union of professional singers, dancers and production Kennedy Center are personnel in opera, ballet and concert, affiliated with the represented by Local #22 AFL-CIO, represents the Artists and Staging Staff for the I.A.T.S.E. AFL-CIO-CLC, 22 purposes of collective bargaining the professional union of 2 theatrical technicians. 7 MEET THE ARTISTS La Bohème Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo Golden Gala. He recently debuted at the Metropoli- By Giacomo Puccini (Rodolfo) makes his company tan Opera as Curio in Giulio Cesare and will soon debut with this production. He was make his Glyndebourne Festival debut in productions Sunday, September 23, 2007 chosen as a soloist of the Sistine of L’Incoro nazione di Poppea and Eugene Onegin. He CAST Chapel Choir and debuted at 13 as will next appear as Masetto in WNO’s production of (In order of vocal appearance) Pastorello in Tosca. Soon after, he Don Giovanni, as well as in the title role of the Young was singing for major operatic in- Artist performance of Don Giovanni here at WNO Marcello . Hyung Yun± stitutions under Riccardo Muti, and in Monte Carlo. Rodolfo. Vittorio Grigolo* Daniel Oren, Myung-Whun Chung, and Lorin Colline . Paolo Pecchioli Korean baritone and former Maazel in works by Rossini, Mozart, Bellini, Shaunard. Trevor Scheunemann±† Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Donizetti, Verdi, and Puccini, among others. At 23 Benoit. Jeffrey Tarr Hyung Yun (Marcello) made his he became the youngest tenor to open a season at Mimì . Adriana Damato*† company debut as a Trojan Soldier in Teatro alla Scala singing in a commemorative concert Musetta . Nicole Cabell* Idomeneo in 2002, returning in 2003 for Verdi. He returned to open another season at La Alcindoro.