Two Hundred Eighty-Eighth Program of the 2020-21 Season _______________________ Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Opera Theater presents as its 473rd production Xerxes An opera seria in three acts Music by George Frideric Handel Libretto by Silvio Stampiglia Kevin Murphy, Conductor & Piano Michael Shell, Stage Director Mark F. Smith, Set Designer Dana Tzvetkov, Costume Designer Ken Phillips, Lighting Designer Christian Claessens, Choreographer Walter Huff, Chorus Master Andrew Voelker, Harpsichord Continuo Cori Ellison, Supertitle Author Xerxes premiered on April 15, 1738, at the King’s Theatre, London. _________________ Musical Arts Center Friday Evening, March Fifth Saturday Evening, March Sixth Seven-Thirty O’Clock Indiana University prohibits the unauthorized recording, publication, and streaming of live performances. Please silence all electronic devices. Cast of Characters Friday, March 5 Saturday, March 6 Xerxes ...................Liz Culpepper Deepa Johnny Arsamene .................Shir Ordo Tal Heller Kaplan Amastre ..................Geneil Perkins Ashlyn Brown Romilda ..................Olivia Prendergast Hayley Abramowitz Atalanta ..................Adriana N Torres-Díaz Kate Johnson Ariodate ..................Edmund Brown Michael Colman Elviro ....................Bryan McClary Anthony Josep Dancers Alexis Breen Colin Canavan Jack Grohmann Morgan Jankowski Murray McCormack Mairead Moore Keith Newman Cameron Pelton Brandon Silverman Daisy Ye Opera Chorus Rebecca Achtenberg Jack Adkins Marvin Allen Elijah Bowen Joseph Canter Caroline Goodwin Libby Goodwin Olivia Gronenthal Maggie Kinabrew Regan Poarch Jake Spino Steven Warnock The Georgina Joshi Foundation, Inc. Handel Underwriting Through the vision of Georgina’s mother, Louise Addicott-Joshi, the Georgina Joshi Foundation, Inc., was established in 2007 as a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation to provide, among other things, educational and career development opportunities for young musicians and to encourage and support the public performance of music. – let music flow and surround the world let humanity be drowned in beautiful music – George Frideric Handel, a German-English baroque composer, was famous for his operas, oratorios, and concerti grossi. He was strongly influenced by the techniques of the great composers of the Italian Baroque period and English composer Henry Purcell. Handel’s music was well known to many composers, including Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. His body of work includes 42 operas, 29 oratorios, more than 120 cantatas, trios, and duets, numerous arias, chamber music, and 16 organ concerti. His most well-known works include Messiah, Giulio Cesare, Water Music, and Music for the Royal Fireworks. Because of the variety of musical styles, vocal ranges, and musical instruments used in Handel’s works, it is important for students preparing for a career in opera performance to be well versed in, and comfortable with, singing his music. The Georgina Joshi Fund, administered by the Georgina Joshi Foundation, Inc., and the Indiana University Foundation, was established to encourage and support the student performance of Handel’s operas and oratorios, as well as works by Handel’s contemporaries, such as Joseph Haydn. It is the goal of the Georgina Joshi Foundation, Inc., that Jacobs students be able to study and perform major works of the Baroque and Classic eras every year. Through the generosity of the Georgina Joshi Foundation, Inc., the Jacobs School of Music has been able to produce six fully staged Handel operas—Giulio Cesare in 2009 and 2019, Xerxes in 2013 and now in 2021, Alcina in 2015, and Rodelinda in 2017—as well as four Handel oratorios—Judas Maccabaeus in 2011, Esther in 2013, Messiah in 2016, and Alexander’s Feast in 2018—and Joseph Haydn’s The Seasons in 2020. The IU Jacobs School of Music remains grateful to the Georgina Joshi Foundation, Inc., for its friendship and continued support. A native of Indiana, Georgina Joshi had earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the Royal College of Music, London, where she studied with Harrhy. Notably, Joshi sang for the gala opera night at the Beaumaris Festival with the Welsh Chamber Orchestra conducted by Anthony Hose. She also performed the role of the first Harlot in Handel’s Solomon conducted by William Jon Gray for the Bloomington Early Music Festival. Joshi was pursuing her Master of Music in Voice Performance at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she studied with Alan Bennett. Her first role at IU was Clorinda in La Cenerentola. Synopsis by Elizabeth Elmi with additions by Michael Shell Act I Act I opens on a pastoral scene with Xerxes, king of Persia, singing a charming but ridiculous love aria to a tree (“Ombra mai fu”). Xerxes’ song is overheard by the beautiful Romilda, the beloved of the king’s brother Arsamene, who responds with an ironic song of her own. In hearing the sweet tones of Romilda’s voice, Xerxes falls in love with her and vows to take her as his wife. He tells the dismayed Arsamene of his plan and orders him to go to Romilda to convey his hopes and affections. When Arsamene tells Romilda of this development, both lovers swear fidelity to each other, while Atalanta, Romilda’s cunning sister, mocks her sister’s infatuation and plots to win over Arsamene in the wake of her sister’s impending misfortune. When Xerxes comes to propose to Romilda, he realizes that his brother stands in his way and banishes him into exile unless he promises to renounce his love for Romilda, which he refuses to do. Ariodate, military general and father of Romilda and Atalanta, reports his victories. Congratulating him, Xerxes coyly reveals that his daughter Romilda is to have a spouse of royal blood, equal to Xerxes himself. Meanwhile, Amastre, a princess who is betrothed to Xerxes, disguises herself as a man and becomes enraged when she hears Xerxes singing about his new love. The act ends with Arsamene asking his servant Elviro to deliver a letter to his beloved Romilda upon his departure into exile. Romilda remains faithful to Arsamene even while her sister plots to steal him away. Act II In a piazza, Amastre laments Xerxes’ betrayal. Meanwhile, a disguised Elviro attempts to deliver Arsamene’s letter to Romilda in secret. Amastre encounters Elviro in this state and is further enraged when he explains to her the situation between Romilda, the King, and his brother. Elviro then comes across Atalanta and gives her the letter to deliver to Romilda; however, she deceives him by saying that Romilda is in her room writing about her love for the king. After Elviro has left in upset, Atalanta encounters Xerxes while in the midst of reading Arsamene’s letter to Romilda. In her cunning, she lies to the king, saying that his brother’s amorous words are meant for her and not her sister. Xerxes is overjoyed by this news and promises that she will have Arsamene as her husband. He reveals this letter to Romilda, who laments her beloved’s betrayal but still vows to love and be faithful to him. Elviro happens upon Amastre, preventing her suicide attempt. She decides, instead, to confront the king and his betrayal. Arsamene finds Elviro and is told the erroneous “truth”—that Romilda loves the king. In despair, he wanders away. Xerxes, along with Ariodate, presides over a celebration of the bridge at Hellespont that connects Asia and Europe. Afterwards, he sees Arsamene and tells him that he has permission to marry his beloved Atalanta. Arsamene takes this offer as an insult and sings of his determination to have Romilda. All the while, Amastre has suffered over Xerxes’ betrayal and confronts him in disguise about his wrongdoing. Romilda steps in to protect her, reigniting her desire to stay resolute in her pursuit of true love. Act III The final act begins with Romilda and Arsamene fighting about the letter. Atalanta reveals that she was dishonest about the true recipient of the letter, and the two lovers reconcile. Xerxes then seeks out Romilda and insists that she accept him as her husband. Feeling the pull between duty and passion, she buys time by insisting that Xerxes first seek her father’s approval. Only then will she comply with his wishes. After Xerxes leaves, Arsamene comes out of hiding, and the two lovers argue over Romilda’s promise to obey her king if her father approves the marriage. Xerxes goes to ask for Ariodate’s approval without, once again, revealing that Romilda will marry one of royal blood—without saying that this man is Xerxes himself. Ariodate misunderstands, assuming that Xerxes means for his brother, Arsamene, to marry Romilda, and the general rejoices at the news. Romilda and Arsamene continue to do everything in their power to avoid the marriage, but ultimately, Arsamene is sentenced to death and Romilda’s wedding moment arrives. When Romilda enters for the ceremony, Xerxes is not yet there, but Arsamene is, and Ariodate explains that the king has decreed that she marry Arsamene. The two are wed immediately much to their astonished delight. Xerxes arrives and is horrified that the two lovers have been joined against his orders and without his knowledge. He confronts a bewildered Ariodate, but then receives a letter from Amastre, written in anger at his betrayal. He realizes that he has strayed from his betrothed when Amastre reveals her disguise. Xerxes repents and the two reconcile. They all ask for a return to the state of peace and joy they began their journey with. Artistic Staff Conductor/Piano Pianist Kevin Murphy is professor of music in collaborative piano and director of coaching and music administration for Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Opera Theater at the IU Jacobs School of Music. A leading figure in the world of classical vocal music, he has served as Jacobs faculty since 2011. He recently joined Professor Anne Epperson at the Jacobs School in creating a new collaborative piano program.