June Anderson, soprano and Alfredo Kraus, tenor Julius Rudel, conductor Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Sn Presented by the BOSTON OPERA ASSOCIATION Monday, March 11, 1991, at 8:15 p.m. Symphony Hall, Boston t f Benefactors, Patrons, and Sponsors for the Boston Opera Association Opera Gala at Symphony Mrs. Weston W. Adams Mr. and Mrs. Richard I. Johnson Mr. A. Samuel Adler Mr. and Mrs. Bela T. Kalman Mrs. Frank G. Allen* Mr. and Mrs. John M. Kucharski Mr. Frank G. Allen, Jr.* Mr. and Mrs. R. Willis Leith, Jr. Prof, and Mrs. Rae D. Anderson Mr. and Mrs. J. Peter Lyons Mr. and Mrs. David B. Arnold, Jr.| Hon. Charles Francis Mahoneyt Bierly-Drake Associates, Inc. Mr. Donald M. Manzelli 1 Mrs. Mary Louise Cabot Mrs. Barbara M. Marshall Mrs. Angelica Lloyd Clagett Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. Mr. David C. Crockett* Miss Les J. Miller* Mr. and Mrs. William R. Cuming Mr. and Mrs. Wells Morss Selectman and Mrs. Luster Delany Mr. and Mrs. Albert L. Nickerson Dr. and Mrs. Charles C. Dickinsonf Miss Mary-Catherine O'Neill* Miss Catherine-Mary Donovan Hon. and Mrs. Lawrence T. Perera Dr. Richard W. Dwight Mr. and Mrs. William J. Poorvu Dynatech Corporation* Ms. Mattina R. Proctor Dr. and Mrs. Dean S. Edmonds, Jr.* Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Rosenfeld Mr. and Mrs. George Ellison Dr. and Mrs. Russell J. Rowell* Mrs. Harris Fahnestockt Mr. and Mrs. James D. St. Clair Ms. Anna E. Finnertyt Mrs. George Lee Sargent Mr. Raymond C. Foster Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence T. Shields Mr. Martin Gantshar Mr. and Mrs. Norman Silverman Mrs. Lee Day Gillespie Ms. Rosalie A. Simeone Mr. and Mrs. George B. Gordon Mr. and Mrs. Ezra F. Stevens Dr. Howard B. Gotlieb Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Stewardf Mrs. Henry M. Halvorson* Dr. Raymond L. Taylot Mr. George B. Handron Tiffany and Companyf Ms. Emily C. Hood Mr. and Mrs. Carlos H. Tosi Mr. and Mrs. Walter Hunnewell Mrs. Reading Wagstaff-Callahan Mr. and Mrs. Horace H. Irvine Ilf Ms. Donna L. Wood Mr. and Mrs. Raymond D. Ivaska Ms. Doris Yaffe 1 * Benefactor tPatron Names listed as of March 5, 1991. ''"'.. c. mmm^M ' 1 The Boston Opera Association Mrs. Russell J. Rowell, President Vice-Presidents Hon. Charles Francis Mahoney 'Anthony D. Ostrom James D. St. Clair David C. Crockett Hon. Lawrence T. Perera Chairman, Board of Overseers Chairman, Board of Directors Robert L. Klivans Secretary Bruce R. Bengston Michael J. Puzo Assistant Treasurer Assistant Secretary Board of Directors Mrs. Frank G. Allen Mrs. Jacqueline Foster Mrs. Nancy Rice Morss Mrs. J.P. Barger Eugene M. Freedman Miss Mary-Catherine O'Neill John T. Bennett, Jr. Martin Gantshar John Ryan Mrs. Mary Louise Cabot Gerard A. Glass Mrs. George L. Sargent Robert M. Cahners Milton L. Glass Robert H. Scott William I. Cowin T. Howard Howell, D.D.S. Lawrence T. Shields, M.D. Dean Phyllis Curtin Miss Sally Hurlbut Charles A. Steward Miss Catharine-Mary Donovan Mrs. Myra Kraft Mrs. Lucius E. Thayer Dean S. Edmonds, Jr. Mrs. J. Peter Lyons Richard Van Pelt George H. Ellison Michael Lytton Mrs. Evelyn Wagstaff-Callahan Mrs. Harris Fahnestock Charles M. Manzella Robert E. Wise, M.D. Melvin D. Field, ScD. Donald M. Manzelli Board of Overseers Frank G. Allen, Jr. Mrs. Henry M. Halvorson Mrs. Frederic W. Schwartz Max Canter Robert D. Hilliard Mrs. Theodore C. Sturtevant Ron Delia Chiesa Mrs. Frank J. Kenney John Larkin Thompson Mrs. Polly F. Davidson Mark A. Langan Mrs. Byron G. Tosi Alfred L. Donovan Richard S. Milstein A. Raymond Tye Mrs. Melvin D. Field Denis Paiste John Hazen White Hirsh Freed Bertram B. Parker Ms. Doris Yaffe Mrs. Henry S. Hall, Jr. Miss Ann Sargent The Boston Opera Association Continues the Tradition For more than 100 years the Boston Opera Association has brought to this city the most distinguished artists of the operatic world for the enjoyment of Bostonians: Caruso, Flag- stad, Pinza, Milanov, Sills, Price, Corelli, Nilsson, Caballe, Pavarotti, Freni, and conduc- tors Mahler, Toscanini, Leinsdorf, Monteux, Bernstein, and many more. This evening the Association continues its tradition by presenting June Anderson and Alfredo Kraus — two outstanding artists from the Metropolitan Opera whose reputations are well-known here and abroad — in a bel canto program which is certain to delight the patrons of opera and symphony who join us on this occasion. This evening marks the second collaborative event between the Boston Opera Association and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, two of Boston's oldest cultural institutions, and there is a promise of more such ventures in the future with programs designed to contrib- ute to the enrichment of both opera and symphony audiences. We can look forward to the return of Mirella Freni next October in a semi-staged version of Tchaikovsky's Pique Dame first presented at Tanglewood in the summer of 1990 under the baton of Seiji Ozawa. This production was warmly received by critics and audiences alike. The B.O.A. takes pleasure in presenting Pique Dame next October 16 here at Symphony Hall for our friends in the Boston area. Meanwhile the collateral educational and artistic programs of the Association continue: the Young Artists Award Program, baritone Haijing Fu being the first recipient in 1988 and, most recently, mezzo-soprano Mary Ann McCormick in November 1990; and the highly acclaimed educational outreach program "Opera-tunity," which helps develop audi- ences of tomorrow through workshops, in-school instruction, and performances conducted by professional artists. Study materials emphasize the acquisition of basic skills and con- tent related to the art of opera. Participating schools include the following in Boston: Boston Latin, Boston Technical, and Madison Park High Schools; Grover Cleveland, Phyllis Wheatley, Dearborn, and Wood- row Wilson Middle Schools; The Ohrenburger, James Curley, Elihu Greenwood, Winship, Eliot, The Agassiz, Alexander Hamilton, Hugh Roe O'Donnell, Rafael Hernandez, Mather, Beethoven, and Mattahunt Elementary Schools. Suburban schools include the John F. Kennedy and Woodrow Wilson Middle Schools in Natick, and the Chestnut Hill Elemen- tary School. This evening's Gala is made possible by the underwriting of the Boston Opera Associa- tion with the support of Dynatech, Jordan Marsh, Merrill Lynch, The Ritz-Carlton, Tif- fany, and loyal friends of the Association to whom we are deeply grateful. Our thanks also to our friends at Symphony Hall who make our new cooperative partnership a pleasurable experience and assist the Boston Opera Association to continue its tradition of artistic excellence. Dedham Choral Society 'and Orchestra Brian Jones, Director GREAT OPERA CHORUSES Bizet- Puccini Verdi-Mussorgsky Laurie Stewart Otten, soprano Victoria Livengood, mezzo-soprano Thomas Barrett, bass-baritone SYMPHONY HALL, BOSTON Sunday, April14,1991, 3:00 PM Tickets: $20, $15, $10 GOOD VIBRATIONS 7-/CJ<{=f///isaST(=^y& TOWER RECORDS AMD MORE CALL-FORTIX (617)931-2000 The Boston Opera Association presents A Gala Evening of Bel Canto Monday, March 11, 1991, at 8:15 p.m. JUNE ANDERSON, soprano ALFREDO KRAUS, tenor JULIUS RUDEL conducting MEMBERS OF THE BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ROSSINI Overture to R barbiere di Siviglia DONIZETTI "Depuis l'instant ou dans mes bras," Duet from La Fille du regiment, Act I Ms. ANDERSON and Mr. KRAUS WOLF-FERRARI Two Intermezzi (Introductions to Acts II and III) from The Jewels of the Madonna DONIZETTI "Ah, mes amis, quel jour de fete . Pour mon ame," Tonio's aria from La Fille du regiment, Act I Mr. KRAUS DONIZETTI Lucia di Lammermoor, Act I: "Regnava nel silenzio . Quando rapito in estasi" Ms. ANDERSON "Lucia, perdona . Sulla tomba . Verranno a te" Mr. KRAUS and Ms. ANDERSON Intermission THOMAS "A vos yeux" (Ophelia's mad scene), from Hamlet, Act IV Ms. ANDERSON GOUNOD "Ah! leve-toi soleil," Romeo's aria from Romeo et Juliette, Act II Mr. KRAUS program continues . 9H «*-: MASSENET Ballet music from Le Cid Aragonaise Aubade Castillane Andalouse Navarraise GOUNOD "Va! Je t'ai pardonne . Nuit d'hymenee," Bridal chamber duet from Romeo et Juliette, Act IV Ms. ANDERSON and Mr. KRAUS The Boston Opera Association is deeply grateful to the following, whose special generosity has helped to underwrite this evening's gala performance: Dynatech Corporation; Dr. Dean S. Edmonds, Jr.; Jordan Marsh; Hon. Charles Francis Mahoney; Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.; Hon. Lawrence T. Perera; The Raytheon Company; The Ritz-Carlton Hotel; Tiffany and Company. Patron Committee Chair: Mrs. Reading Wagstaff-Callahan Corporate Committee Co-Chairs: Mr. Charles Manzella and Mr. Anthony Ostrom Program notes, Texts, and Translations Notes by Steven Ledbetter, copyright ©1991, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc. GIOACCHINO ROSSINI (1792-1868) Overture to The Barber of Seville Rossini was both remarkably fluent as a composer and notoriously lazy. He frequently recycled musical ideas between one work and another, especially if he thought he wouldn't be found out! In his day, operas were composed the way TV sitcoms are written today— fast, for a specific occasion and a specific group of performers. As little as a month might elapse from the signing of the contract for a new opera to opening night! Every possible means of streamlining the production was called for, and if Rossini had to write an opera in February for Naples and another one in October for Milan, he might be tempted to include some of the same music in both, since neither audience would ever be likely to hear the other work. This is exactly what happened with an overture that Rossini composed in 1813 for La Scala. It was connected to the opera Aureliano in Palmira, which treated of imperial Roman history. The opera premiered in Milan on December 26. All through 1814 Rossini was composing for the Milanese audience, but as soon as he had a commission from Naples — in the fall of 1815 — he re-used the overture to Aureliano as the overture to his new historical opera — now set in 16th-century England— Elisabeth, Queen of England.