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OPERAzzi
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May 7, 2008
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Welcome to May's OPERAzzi! This month, OPERAzzi turns the Opera Spotlight on Gaetano Donizetti's comic gem, The Elixir of Love. This light-hearted comedy is sure to entertain you this summer! Single tickets to this summer's productions of A Masked Ball, Regina and The Elixir of Love are flying out the door! More than two-thirds of all available seats have already been filled; in fact, waiting lists have already begun for some popular dates! Order online at www.desmoinesmetroopera.org (just click on the show you want to see) or you can call our box office at (515) 961-6221. It's just that easy!
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Mark Your Calendar:
May 31--Cabaret Night Live hits the stage at the Temple for Performing Arts. Now in its third year, this is one of DMMO's most popular events...you won't want to miss it!
June 11--Threads & Trills at the Wakonda Club in Des Moines gives you a sneak peek at the costumes and artists of this summer's operas.
June 12 and June 14--Peanut Butter & Puccini takes you on a tour behind the scenes at the opera theater including lunch and a kid-friendly performance.
July 10--Stars of Tomorrow at Drake University's Sheslow Auditorium gives the Apprentice Artists a chance to shine in a concert of arias and ensembles accompanied by the Festival Orchestra.
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Cabaret Night Live!
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DMMO's popular concert event Cabaret Night Live is back for its third year on May 31. If you've never seen our amazing Apprentice Artists in this showcase of show tunes, standards and torch songs, you won't want to miss it. The fun begins at 6:30 at the Central Library with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. At 8:00 the show begins in the Performance Hall at the Temple for Performing Arts with the inimitible Wicker Van Orsdel once again acting as Mistress of Ceremonies. Tickets are just $75 and include appetizers, drinks and the show! Click here to purchase your tickets today.
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Single Ticket Update
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Did you know that we had over 250 names left on waiting lists last season who were unable to experience the thrill of a live DMMO production? Don't let it happen to you this year! Many seating sections and even some entire dates are already sold out. Order your tickets today to get the very best available seats! The following performances and seating sections are SOLD OUT:
--Sunday, June 22, A Masked Ball--Sections B and C
--Saturday, June 28, The Elixir of Love--All sections
--Sunday, June 29, Regina--All sections
--Sunday, July 13, A Masked Ball--Sections B and C The following performances and seating sections have LIMITED SEATING:
--Sunday, June 22, A Masked Ball--Sections A1 and A
--Sunday, July 6, The Elixir of Love--All sections
--Friday, July 11, The Elixir of Love--All sections
--Saturday, July 12, Regina--All sections
--Sunday, July 13, A Masked Ball--Sections A1 and A
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Birdies for Charity
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The Principal Charity Classic, presented by Wells Fargo, is coming back to town and this year, DMMO will be part of the excitement with Birdies for Charity! This new initiative aims to raise money by encouraging fans to pledge a certain sum of money per birdie scored by the pros. When you make your pledge, you can direct your donation to go to Des Moines Metro Opera and DMMO will receive 100% of the funds raised on our behalf! Learn more on our website. If you're ready to tee off, make your pledge today! Click here for a pledge form. Every completed pledge form will be entered in a sweepstakes drawing for lots of great prizes, including a custom set of TaylorMade golf clubs!
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Opera Spotlight: The Elixir of Love
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by Michael Egel L’Elisir d’amore, or The Elixir of Love, has long been one of Donizetti’s most popular operas, perhaps because of its unending and enchanting melodies which seem to flow like the wine in Adina’s vineyard. Rooted in the opera buffa tradition, the story contains all of the prerequisite characters and situations of the Italian stock-comedy genre, but here they are given a lyrical and human quality that is characteristic of the greatest works of this type. It has certainly fared much better than most of Donizetti’s other operas (he wrote over 70!), and was the most frequently performed of his works during his lifetime. After a short period of neglect, it was revived by Enrico Caruso in the early years of the 20th century. It is said that Caruso’s primary reason for interest in the score was the opportunity to sing the hero’s second act aria, “Una furtive lagrima.” In our own time, Elixir and the role of Nemorino, perhaps more than any other, became a signature role of Luciano Pavarotti. Unlike most comedies of the bel canto period, which often start better than they conclude, Elixir grows more and more remarkable as the opera progresses. Characters, particulary Adina and Nemorino, evolve and mature as the story unfolds. These changes are reflected in the text, but are illustrated with even greater acuity in Donizetti’s remarkable music. One can’t help but notice the musical difference between Nemorino’s two arias. In “Quanto e bella” early in act one, Nemorino gives voice to his infatuation with Adina in a typically heartfelt yet simple song. By the end of the opera, his youthful hesitancy has given way to adult confidence, expressed in the full-blown lyricism of “Una furtiva lagrima.” The same may be said to apply to other numbers--most notably Adina’s latter two arias “Quanot amore” and “Prendi per me.” The story told in Elixir is simple and is as old as time. Nemorino, a peasant boy, is madly in love with the beautiful vineyard-owner, Adina. He merely lacks the courage and the wisdom to give voice to his ardent love for her. Although initially cruel to him, Adina eventually comes to realize that she returns his affections...but not without some comic tribulations along the way. First a regiment, led by Sergeant Belcore, arrives in town. Then, a quack-doctor called Dulcamara arrives with his wagon of magical potions and cure-all elixirs to peddle on the unsuspecting villagers. In order to compete with Belcore for Adina’s affections, Nemorino buys a bottle of love potion, supposedly made by Queen Isolde, that will make whomever drinks it irresistible to the opposite sex. Along the way, military recruitments, financial destitution, sudden inheritances and hilarity ensue before we reach our happy ending. Perfect for the first-time opera goer, The Elixir of Love serves up a delightfully happy and infectious tale of love with a generous helping of comedy! For the seasoned opera fan, DMMO's production offers a fresh take on a perennial classic that will make you glad you revisited this timeless tale.
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Getting To Know You: Jeremy Little
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by McB Smith Jeremy Little, fresh from debuts at the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Opera and last seen with DMMO as Fenton in 2003’s Falstaff, makes a role debut as Nemorino in our production of Elixir. Jeremy will also join the cast of Regina as the title character's nephew, Leo Hubbard. You've just had your debut at the Metropolitan Opera. How exciting! Tell us about what it was like.
I had the fortune of a sort of double-debut. My actual debut was as the Croupier in Prokofiev's Gambler, which is a marvelous work, brilliantly orchestrated. The gambling scene is extremely complex and challenging, so everyone has to constantly be on their feet. My main job was to walk out on stage and loudly sing a line of high notes at Paul Plishka, the casino's manager. What I enjoyed most of all was sharing the stage (and rehearsals) with Vladimir Galouzine, whom I consider to be one of the most talented lyric spinto tenors in the world today. Every experience with him was a lesson in and of itself. Meanwhile, Ernani was being performed with Thomas Hampson, Marcello Giordani, Ferruccio Furlanetto, and Sondra Radvanovsky. I was covering the role of Riccardo, who is Hampson's equerry. I received a call at 3pm one Saturday, letting me know that I was to be performing the role at 8pm that evening; I subsequently performed the next and final show, as well. While both roles were relatively small, simply being on that stage, surrounded by living legends, people whose recordings I own and have listened to for years--it was an unforgettable experience and an inspiration. Nemorino's aria "Una furtiva lagrima" is one of the pillars of the tenor repertory. How do you put your own stamp on a piece that so many have sung before?
I believe that every note, every word that is sung by a singer should be their own. A truly great artist is recognized by the fact that they have found their own voice, and I believe that this search, this journey, should be of the utmost importance to artists. Otherwise, why do this? The spark that is in each of us, allowing us to create using our own individuality, makes for one of the most gratifying and fulfilling endeavors. This spark to design and create can be used by every person in whatever they do; and I believe that utilizing this is always accompanied by true happiness. One of the pitfalls of opera (or any aged art form) is interpreting the re-creation of a creation. It can be easy (and tempting) to listen to Bergonzi's recording of Elixir and copy his amazing characterization. But, there is a story to be told, both of the opera, and of the individual characters. If ten people experience the same event, there will be ten different stories. Performing an operatic role should be no different. My life experiences, my pains and joys, my dreams--both shattered and realized--all combine to create my understanding and interpretation of a specific role and situation. The notes and rhythms will be the same, but I will strive to make the meaning, the intensity, the shading, and the colors all my own. You'll be singing the role of Leo in Regina in addition to Nemorino. How do you balance the demands of the two?
The two roles are quite different, but that is one of the things that makes me love singing opera. No day is the same. Ideally, we should be challenging ourselves, our minds, as artists until the day we die. Having the opportunity to sing two different roles, sometimes back-to-back, I see as more of a blessing than a demand, and a chance to stretch myself and not become stagnant or stale. When did you know you wanted to be an opera singer? What was the path of your training?
My original love was sacred choral music. I had planned on focusing on choral conducting and composition, when I met Gerald Claxton, my voice teacher at Mississippi College. He had been teaching there for nearly 40 years, and he "tricked" me into liking opera. He would tell a few of us to come over for extra voice lessons on Saturday, then he would put on these old records, of Wunderlich, Gedda, Kraus, Corelli, Gigli--all of the old greats. The next thing I knew, I was choosing to do a master's in voice instead of going to seminary. I made a great decision to study with Kyle Marrero at LSU, who got me interested in coming to DMMO as a young artist. It was at DMMO that Arnold Rawls and Carroll Freeman both took a deep interest in helping me find and work toward my potential. Dr. Larsen brought me back the next summer to do Fenton, then a summer with Merola (the San Francisco Opera's young artist program) and an artist diploma at the Juilliard Opera Center followed. While every program had things to offer me, I am being 100% honest when I say that the two summers at DMMO did more good for me, pushed me harder, and taught me more than anywhere else--Dr. Larsen has established and maintained a phenomenal training ground for young singers. What is your dream role?
The role of Des Grieux in Massenet's Manon has for many years been my dream role. French opera--the language, the music--I love all of it, and this opera is the most French of all. The arc of Des Grieux's character is so intriguing to me. From the naive dream aria, to the exhilarating St. Sulpice scene, where he turns from God to Manon, I have yet to find a role that interests me so much. What is on your iPod right now (in addition to opera)?
That's a funny question and demands a lengthy answer, because right now I'm putting together several CDs for my 7 year old son, Myles, and am constantly listening to stuff for him. He just got a CD player for Christmas, and I'm trying to expose his ears to as many different sounds as possible, so he doesn't build a wall and consider some things "weird." Right now it's everything from Yma Sumac's Mambo! album, to parts of Lucia di Lammermoor (he likes the swords clashing in the Bergonzi/Sutherland recording), to electronic music such as Röyksopp (you would recognize them from one of the Caveman Geico commercials), to Herbie Hancock's Gershwin's World. And of course, there are the two essentials: the LSU marching band playing the fight song, and the theme song from The Transformers cartoon. When it's music for me, I try to keep the opera listening to a moderated level--my favorite tenors still stay on the shuffle, though, including Wunderlich, Gedda, Giacomini, and Bergonzi. There are so many great artists out there right now, and we as opera singers can, I think, learn alot from what's happening. I've always loved Rufus Wainwright, especially his use of words and his communication of text. I get a lot out of Radiohead, especially since Johnny Greenwood's (Radiohead's guitarist) There Will Be Blood soundtrack, which was unbelievable; I'm also enjoying the new Gnarls Barkley album. A seemingly odd collection, but I think they're all doing great things to move forward and use their own "voice"; which brings us full circle, back to the purpose and goal of becoming a truly great artist.
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Opera Spotlight: The Cast
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Jane Redding, Jan Opalach and David Small
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Des Moines Metro Opera’s production of Elixir promises to unite a great cast with this entertaining score. Audience favorite Jane Redding returns to us as Adina--you won't want to miss this performance, it's one of her signature roles! Another audience favorite, David Small, a master of the bel canto comedies and last seen in 2004’s La Cenerentola as Dandini, returns to sing the role of Belcore. In an interesting quirk of fate, bass-baritone Jan Oplach returns to DMMO to sing the role of Dr. Dulcamara. It's interesting because Jan last appeared with DMMO in the 1982 production of Elixir in the exact same role! Jan returns to us after having carved out a remarkable career for himself in many important theatres in this nation and abroad. Rounding out the cast is Lindsay Ohse, a remarkable member of our 2008 OPERA Iowa troupe, as Gianetta.
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Opera Spotlight: Recordings
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There are a number of great recordings of Elixir available to those who want to become more familiar with the opera before seeing it live. On CD, we recommend the excellent 1990 recording featuring Luciano Pavarotti and Kathleen Battle as Nemorino and Adina, with Dawn Upshaw, Leo Nucci, Enzo Dara, and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus under the direction of James Levine (Deutsche Grammophon). There are two great DVDs available as well. Pavarotti fans should look for the production featuring the tenor together once again with Kathleen Battle, Enzo Dara and James Levine (Deutsche Grammophon). For those who wish to see opera's current stars, there is an excellent DVD featuring Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón in the lead roles in a production from the Vienna State Opera. Conducted by Alfred Eschwé, Leo Nucci and Ildebrando D'Arcangelo join the cast as Belcore and Dulcamara (Virgin Classics).
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Updates from DMMO's Guild
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Save the date for the annual Threads & Trills luncheon and costume show on June 11 at the Wakonda Club in Des Moines. Hosted by the Guild Council, Threads & Trills offers opera fans a chance to get a sneak peek at the costumes from the upcoming season’s operas while enjoying arias and duets sung by principal artists from each show. Lunch is included with the purchase of a ticket. Click here to reserve your tickets now. The Des Moines Chapter will hold its next preview on Monday, May 12 at 7:00 p.m. at Central Presbyterian Church, 39th and Grand in Des Moines. DMMO's Artistic Administrator Michael Egel will preview The Elixir of Love. There are a number of the Des Moines Chapter's fundraising parties in the coming weeks, including a Pool Party, a May Wine Party, a South of the Border Fiesta, and a Garden Party. The prices range from $20-$40 per person and run from April through June. If you are interested, you can click on the party's name to buy tickets online or contact Joan Burke by phone at 274-3473 or by email at joaneo59@aol.com. We would love to see you at any of our events. The Ames Chapter will meet on Tuesday, May 13 at 7:30 pm. ISU Music faculty member Don Simonson will present a preview of The Elixir of Love at St. John's Episcopal Center. The Indianola Chapter will meet on Thursday, May 22 at 7:00 pm for a wine and cheese tasting at Ardene Downing's home. Members will also assemble gift bags for this summer's artists. The Indianola Chapter is also hard at work planning for the ever-popular Peanut Butter & Puccini on June 12 and June 14...order your tickets for the annual Family Opera Adventure today! Click here to learn more about joining the Guild.
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All the excitement of the Festival Season begins this month, building to a crescendo when performances open in just seven weeks! Stay tuned for next month's OPERAzzi which will have lots more info about Threads & Trills, Peanut Butter & Puccini, dining in The Tent and more. We love to hear from you! Share your thoughts, questions and comments with us. Just send an email to McB Smith at msmith@dmmo.org. Don't forget...DMMO's development office is always open online! Visit http://www.desmoinesmetroopera.org/support.htm to make a donation to the Company any time of the day or night.
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