Amphitheater Lecture Speakers - Post-Journal

Chautauqua 2012Opera At ChautauquaA Message From The DirectorBY JAY LESENGERGeneral/Artistic Director, Chautauqua OperaI’m often asked, “Why did you pick opera for a career? Whydo you love opera so much? Are you crazy?”To the first question, I answer: “I didn’t pick opera. Operapicked me!” I’ve been listening and attending opera since as farback as I can remember. For the second question, I answer:“There is just nothing like opera.” The emotional, musical anddramatic commitment is large scale involving massive and complexforces. Do you have any idea how much fun it is to be surroundedby that all day?As for the third question: “Yes, I admit it. I’m crazy foropera.” We are the last form of vocal performance that is completelyacoustic, that is naturally produced and not amplified.Seeing opera in a movie theater or on television is a wonderfulway to get close to the action, but there is simply nothing likehearing opera live, especially in Chautauqua’s historicAmphitheater and Norton Hall. The vocal sounds that fill thosevenues are produced by the singer alone, with no outside help. Itis truly visceral and uniquely exciting.Speaking of the madness of opera, our two heroines this summerare driven to distraction.Lucia di LammermoorLucia di Lammermoor finds herself torn between the man sheloves and her brother’s political ambitions. The results are violentand devastating, accompanied by some of the most passionateand vocally demanding music ever written by GaetanoDonizetti and including opera’s greatest “mad scene.”Our Lucia is the glamorous Australian soprano RachelleDurkin. Rachelle makes her Chautauqua Opera debut afterappearing this season in the Metropolitan Opera production andHD broadcast of Philip Glass’ Satyagraha. In 2011, at the lastminute, she took over the role of Norina for Anna Netrebko inthe Met’s national broadcast of Don Pasquale.Last summer, tenor Gregory Carroll (Edgardo) thrilled Chautauquaaudiences as Rodolfo in Verdi’s Luisa Miller. This pastwinter, he covered Placido Domingo in the Met’s elaborateEnchanted Island. He comes to us having just sung Radames inAida at both the Lyric Opera of Chicago and The NorwegianOpera.Baritone Todd Thomas (Enrico) is a Chautauqua opera successstory. Todd began his career as a Young Artist with thecompany and since then has sung many roles with ChautauquaOpera as well as with companies all over the United States,including the Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera and the LyricOpera of Chicago. Last summer, as the father of Luisa Miller,Todd shook the rafters of the Amphitheater.Bass-baritone Richard Bernstein (Raimondo) returns to ChautauquaOpera after his riveting performance of Olin Blitch inCarlyle Floyd’s Susannah and his terrifying Frank Maurrant inKurt Weill’s Street Scene. He has sung over 250 performancesin his 16 years at the Metropolitan Opera and performs regularlyat Seattle Opera, Los Angeles Opera and the Washington NationalOpera among others.Joseph Colaneri returns to lead the musical forces of Luica diLammermoor after conducting 10 previous Chautauqua Operaproductions. Maestro Colaneri has appeared regularly on thepodiums of Metropolitan Opera and New York City Opera withsuch notables as Renee Fleming, Bryn Terfel, Natalie Dessayand Juan Diego Florez. He has just been appointed artistic directorof the West Australian Opera in Perth.Manon LescautManon Lescaut is torn between her selfish desire for richesand her passion for the poor young man she adores. She too isdriven mad by her conflict. But what gorgeous music Pucciniwrote to accompany her downfall. Manon Lescaut immediatelypreceded La Boheme and is the opera that made Puccini famous.Our Manon is the beautiful soprano Barbara Shirvis makingher debut at Chautauqua in this challenging title role. Barbara hassung throughout North America, including New York CityOpera, Utah Opera and Edmonton Opera. Her many rolesinclude other Puccini heroines: Madama Butterfly, Tosca andLiu in Turandot.I am very happy to have Barbara join us this summer in thisspectacular opera singing the title role for the first time.Robert Breault (Des Grieux) has been a featured favorite atChautauqua many times, singing the tenor leading roles inWerther, La Boheme, Tosca, Stiffelio, La Traviata, La Rondineand our last production of Luica di Lammermoor. In addition, hehas sung at the New York City Opera, Portland Opera, UtahOpera among others and is in constant demand for concerts withorchestras all over the United States.Baritone Michael Chioldi (Lescaut) is another ChautauquaOpera favorite. Recent productions with us include CavalleriaRusticana/ Pagliacci, The Elixir of Love and The Marriage ofFigaro. He sings regularly with New York City Opera, Ft. WorthOpera, Washington National Opera, Hawaii Opera, the SaitoKinen Festival in Japan and the Opera National de Bordeaux.Kevin Glavin (Geronte) is one of the leading comic characterbasses in the opera world, and we are very happy to welcomehim to Chautauqua Opera for the first time. Kevin regularly singsin the leading opera houses of the world, including the MetropolitanOpera, The Spoleto Festival, Glimmerglass Opera, WashingtonNational Opera and L’Opera de Montreal. He is well knownfor the buffo roles in the Rossini and Mozart comedies.We welcome James Meena back to conduct Manon Lescaut.Maestro Meena has led our recent productions of Sister Angelica/GianniSchicchi and La Traviata and a number of ChautauquaOpera Young Artist concerts. As general director and principalconductor of Opera Carolina, Meena has made his mark withsuch productions as Nabucco, Turandot, Il Trovatore and theAmerican operas Cold Sassy Tree and Margaret Garner starringDenise Graves.PAGE 57