Nabucco Program | Opera Philadelphia

VERDI

NABUCCO S E P T. 2 7 , 2 9 M , O C T. 2 , 4 , 6 M , 2 0 1 3 | A C A D E M Y O F M U S I C

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CONTeNTS

PROGRAM INFORMATION

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Nabucco

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Program Notes

Synopsis and Running Time

Artists

Showcase is published by Kimmel Center, Inc. 1500 Walnut Street, 17th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19102 215-790-5800 / Fax: 215-790-5801 www.kimmelcenter.org

OPERA PHILADELPHIA GENERAL INFORMATION

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Letter from the Chairman Board of Directors Welcome from the General Director

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Leadership Support and Major Gifts

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Annual Fund Support Corporate Council Administration

For information about advertising in Showcase, contact Joe Ciresi at 215-790-5884.

Nabucco production photos by Scott Suchman for Washington National Opera.

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from

the c h a i r man Dear Friends, On behalf of the entire Board of Directors of Opera Philadelphia, I would like to welcome you to the Company Premiere of Nabucco. Verdi’s first great masterpiece is the ideal large-scale production to launch a big 2013-2014 Season of opera in our great city.

Over the past few years, the Board and management team have been working to create an opera company that extends past the walls of the opera house and into our community. And this season—our 39th season in existence—this work is really starting to hit the ground in the form of greatly expanded operatic offerings designed to thrill our current audience and bring new audiences into the fold. Our 39th Season is a blend of traditional and innovative opera, beginning with Nabucco in celebration of Verdi’s 200th birthday and concluding in June with the East Coast Premiere of a brand-new work, A Coffin in Egypt, from one of today’s hottest composers, Ricky Ian Gordon.

Along the way, we invite you to discover the U.S. Premiere of Svadba-Wedding, a Serbian a cappella opera staged outside of the traditional opera house (in this case, the intimate FringeArts theater); the Spanish-influenced rhythms of Ainadamar, which should sound wonderful in the Academy in February; the shocking, unforgettable Dialogues of the Carmelites presented with Curtis Opera Theatre in March in the Aurora Series at the Perelman Theater; Mozart’s classic Don Giovanni in April at the Academy, featuring a cast of young stars who trained right here in Philadelphia; and May’s operatic mashup of Salome with The Philadelphia Orchestra in Verizon Hall.

This is a big, bold season on the stages of Opera Philadelphia, with even more big happenings in the city and behind the scenes. We’ll once again welcome nearly 5,000 middle and high school students to the Academy this season for the award-winning Sounds of LearningTM program, and thousands of guests have registered to join us on Saturday, Sept. 28, for a Nabucco broadcast on Independence Mall. We’ll also continue to help shape the future of opera via our Composers In Residence program and the American Repertoire Council, a talented group of music professionals committed to helping us bring new American opera to the stage.

It is clear that opera in thriving in Philadelphia. And it is thriving because of you.

Thank you for joining us tonight for Nabucco. I look forward to seeing you often throughout the 2013-2014 Season.

Sincerely,

Daniel K. Meyer, M.d. chairman 4

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Board of dIrECTorS daniel K. Meyer, M.d., Chairman david B. devan*, President frederick P. Huff, Vice Chair Joel M. Koppelman, Vice Chair alice Strine, Vice Chair Scott f. richard, Secretary Thomas Mahoney, Treasurer Stephen a. Madva, Chairman Emeritus

Benjamin alexander

Gabriele Lee

James B. Straw

Sandra Baldino

Peter Leone

alice Strine

f. Joshua Barnett

Stephen a. Madva

Kenneth r. Swimm

Willo Carey

Thomas Mahoney

Maria Trafton

Nicholas Chimicles

daniel K. Meyer, M.d.

Charlotte Watts

Mark Hankin

agnes Mulroney

donna Wechsler

frederick P. Huff

Scott f. richard

Joel M. Koppelman

Harold rosenbluth

david Kutch

roberto Sella

Honorary Members

Beverly Lange

Stephen G. Somkuti

dennis alter

Ellen Berman Lee

Jonathan H. Sprogell

alan B. Miller

List as of August, 2013 *Ex officio

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WelcoMe Dear Friends, Welcome to Nabucco, an opera that has never before been staged by our company. Verdi’s landmark Italian opera about the struggle for independence certainly feels right at home here in the city where America first declared its independence.

On its surface, the opera is about the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar (or Nabucco), who conquered Jerusalem and exiled the Jews in the sixth century BC. But, when it debuted in 1842, Italians identified the captivity of the Israelites in the opera with their own dominance by Austrian rule. The patriotic chorus “Va, pensiero” quickly became a national anthem of sorts, and Verdi became a leading figure in the movement toward a free, united Italy. It is one of the great choruses in all of opera, and it beautifully showcases the collective talents of the 72 men and women in the Opera Philadelphia Chorus.

Nabucco is perfectly suited to the Academy of Music, which was modeled after Teatro all Scala in Milan, where the opera premiered in 1842. Tonight, you will see how director Thaddeus Strassberger has brilliantly incorporated the Academy’s architecture into the production. He has set the action in 1842, so that we are joined in the opera house by the Austrian guards and opera patrons of 19th century Milan. It is a thrilling way for us to become a part of that moment in operatic history, and to experience this power of Verdi’s musical metaphor.

Nabucco launches a very wide range of operatic experiences planned for our 39th season. The one thing they all have in common is what I believe to be an unprecedented level of artistic quality, exemplified by the great singing you will hear tonight. I want to thank Corrado Rovaris, the Jack Mulroney Music Director, and Artistic Advisors Mikael Eliasen and Nathan Gunn for helping me ensure that everything we do is of the highest artistic quality.

Thank you for joining us for the launch of a big season of Opera in Philadelphia.

D a v i D B . D e va n General Director & PresiDent @ddevan 6

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oPEra PHILadELPHIa

Nabucco Company Premiere New co-production with Washington National opera and Minnesota opera Music Giuseppe Verdi Text Temistocle Solera, after antonio Cortesi’s ballet Nabucodonosor and auguste anicet-Bourgeois’ play Nabuchodonosor (1836)

Conductor Corrado rovaris director & Set design Thaddeus Strassberger* Costume design Mattie Ullrich* Lighting design JaX Messenger* based on original Lighting design

by Mark McCullough

Chorus Master Elizabeth Braden Wig & Makeup design david Zimmerman

Nabucco is underwritten by Mrs. John P. Mulroney. *opera Philadelphia debut

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OPERA Curtis Opera theatre

The Emperor of Atlantis

www.curtis.edu/ Opera Explore the Curtis Opera Theatre’s Behind the Series to watch videos; read news, reviews, and program notes; and view details on all vocal performances.

OctOber 10–13

L’elisir d’amore

NOvember 21–24

Dialogues of the Carmelites

march 5, 7, 9

La Cenerentola

may 1–4

Plus, reserve your tickets for the new recital series, Curtis Presents.

This season’s recitals feature: A Celebration of Ned Rorem’s 90th Birthday curtis Opera theatre aNd mikael eliaseN, piaNO OctOber 23 at 8 p.m.

Ida Kavafian, violin, and friends February 2 at 3 p.m.

Dialogues of the Carmelites, part of the Aurora Series for Chamber Opera at the Perelman Theater, is presented in association with Opera Philadelphia and the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. This production is funded, in part, through support from the William Penn Foundation and the Wyncote Foundation.

2013–14 seasOn

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Alan Morrison, organ, and friends march 23 at 3 p.m.

Jeffrey Khaner, flute april 5 at 3 p.m.

www.curtis.edu/Curtispresents

FrOm ritteNhOuse square tO the WOrld

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Nabucco Cast

The

in order of vocal appearance

ZACCARIA High Priest of the Hebrews Morris Robinson

ANNA Zaccaria’s sister Angela Mortellaro

ISMAELE nephew of the King of Jerusalem Adam Diegel*

NABUCCO King of Babylon Sebastian Catana*

FENENA younger daughter of Nabucco Margaret Mezzacappa

HIGH PRIEST OF BAAL Musa Ngqungwana*

ABIGAILLE presumed daughter of Nabucco Csilla Boross*

ABDALLO Nabucco’s officer John Viscardi

*Opera Philadelphia debut Opera Philadelphia is grateful to the production and artist underwriters that made Nabucco possible. Please see the enclosed insert for special acknowledgments.

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Synopsis Approximate running time for Nabucco is three hours, including two intermissions.

Introduction Nabucco is an abbreviation of Nabucodonosor, or Nebuchadnezzar (605–562 BC), the king of Assyria who is remembered for the rebuilding of Babylon – and the creation of one of the wonders of the ancient world, its famous Hanging Gardens – as well as for the destruction of Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. Inspired by historical events recounted in the Bible and the philosophy espoused by the prophet Jeremiah, librettist Temistocle Solera based his text on them, including relevant Scriptural quotations to preface each act. The personal love story and surrounding intrigue are depicted by fictional characters, lending a human dimension to the larger geopolitical forces in play.

At the time of the opera’s premiere, the whole of northern Italy was suffering under an increasingly unbearable Austrian domination. Insinuating that the plight of the Israelites under oppression by the Babylonians was comparable to that of the Milanese, Verdi amplified the call for Risorgimento, literally a resurgence of the people’s will to achieve Italian unification. In the years following the opera’s premiere, the contemporary relevance of the ancient themes of foreign oppression only intensified.

Part One – Jerusalem Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. (Jeremiah 30:2) The Temple of Solomon – 587 BC. Seeking refuge in the Temple of Solomon, the Israelites are mustering their strength to resist the fearsome Nabucco (Nebuchadnezzar), king of Assyria, who has attacked and is desecrating the city. Amidst the chaos, Zaccaria, the Israelites’ spiritual leader, hurriedly seeks shelter from the warfare along with his sister, Anna. In an effort to negotiate an end to the siege, Zaccaria’s forces have kidnapped Nabucco’s younger daughter, Fenena, and now hold her hostage. He implores his people to be resolute (“Sperate, o figli”) in their defiance of the occupying armies. Ismaele, nephew of the king of Jerusalem and an Israelite military leader,

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breathlessly recounts the horrors of the street combat that is swiftly approaching their stronghold in the Temple. Zaccaria believes his hostage will prove a powerful negotiation tool with his enemy; he hands custody of Fenena over to Ismaele, as the Hebrews bravely face the turmoil of the battle outside the sanctuary of the Temple walls.

It is soon evident that Ismaele and Fenena are not strangers but rather former lovers, having met while Ismaele was in Babylon on a failed diplomatic mission. Their romantic reunion is interrupted when Abigaille, Fenena’s older sister, infiltrates the temple. She scornfully turns on Ismaele as a warrior weakened by love. She then confesses her own love for him, and implies that she has the power to call a truce, if only he will return her affection (“lo t'amava”). Unable to deny his devotion to Fenena, he offers to forfeit his life for his people. Hebrew refugees and wounded warriors are driven back into the Temple, fearing for their lives as the Assyrian forces overpower them.

When Nabucco appears, taking possession of their most sacred stronghold, Zaccaria condemns his arrogance and threatens to slay Fenena, but Ismaele prevents her brutal execution. As the Jews turn on Ismaele for his treachery, Nabucco orders the temple sacked and burned, and declares to his troops that it shall be a crime to show any mercy to the Hebrews.

- Intermission (20 minutes) Part Two – The Unbeliever Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. (Jeremiah 30:2) Several months later in Nabucco’s palace in Babylon Nabucco has left the palace to wage another war, leaving Fenena in charge as regent queen in his absence, infuriating Abigaille who believes that she, as the elder daughter, should have that right. Confirming her growing suspicion, she has found an official document proving that she is not Nabucco’s daughter but rather the child of slaves with no line of rightful succession to the throne. Angry and hurt at Nabucco›s deception, she swears vengeance on him and Fenena, mindful that her devotion to Ismaele could have changed everything for the better (“Anch’io dischiuso”) had he only returned her affection. The corrupt High Priest of Baal interrupts her musings to announce that Fenena, in a gesture of humanity and good will, has liberated the captive Israelites. To punish what they regard as Fenena›s treason, the priests have hastily arranged Abigaille’s ascension to the throne, falsely announcing that Nabucco has been slain in battle. Abigaille feels she is vindicated and that fate has now restored to her the honor she deserves (“Salgo già del trono aurato”).

A gallery in Nabucco’s Palace. Zaccaria, aware of the menace and danger that his people are in, prays that his faith will give him the resolve to continue fighting (“Tu sul labbro”). He believes he may prevail in the conflict by converting Fenena, who has shown compassion for the Hebrews› plight.

The Levites reproach Ismaele for his seeming treason, but Zaccaria reassures them that Ismaele has not betrayed them, since Fenena herself, in an act of conversion, has vowed to be faithful to the God of Israel. Abdallo, a Babylonian guard, rushes in with the false report of the king’s death, warning Fenena that she is now in danger.

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SyNoPSIS A Hall in the Palace. The High Priest of Baal, followed by Abigaille and her supporters, enters to proclaim Abigaille ruler; her first act as queen shall be to condemn the Hebrews to death.

When Abigaille demands the royal crown that Nabucco has entrusted to Fenena, the girl refuses to yield it. To the astonishment of all, Nabucco–very much alive, if mentally unstable–suddenly appears, seizes the crown and places it on his own head. Everyone cowers before the tyrant›s rage (“S’appressan gl’istanti”), but sensing that his power is slipping away, he brazenly announces that he is not only their king, but their God as well. As he commands them to prostrate themselves before him, his insanity becomes apparent to all. Abigaille seizes the moment of personal and political turmoil to usurp the crown from the deranged king.

- Intermission (15 minutes) Part Three – The Prophecy Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited forever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation. (Jeremiah 50:2) The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Abigaille, in collusion with the religious leaders, exults in the praise of her subjects. In an effort to suppress any further insurrection, the High Priest of Baal exhorts her to put the Hebrews to death. Nabucco, having descended further into madness, arrives to see his throne now occupied by his illegitimate daughter. Taking advantage of his confusion, she persuades him to give his approval to the death decree against the Hebrews. He wavers, but her venomous taunts soon convince him. When he asks what has become of Fenena, Abigaille replies that she has converted to the Jewish faith and will therefore be executed with the others. Horrified

by Abigaille›s intentions, he searches for the parchment that would reveal that she has no right to the throne. She produces and then quickly destroys the evidence. He cries out for his guards to assist him, but they are no longer loyal to him. As he begs Abigaille to show clemency for Fenena, the guards, following Abigaille’s orders, lead him off to prison.

The banks of the Euphrates River. Taking a moment of respite from their forced labor along the banks of the river, the Hebrew exiles bid their plaintive thoughts to fly “on golden wings” toward their beloved homeland (“Va, pensiero”). Zaccaria urges them not to despair, but to use the power of their anger to break the chains of their captivity and to strike their oppressors in brutal retaliation.

Part Four – The Shattered Idol Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces. (Jeremiah 50:2) A prison cell. Wracked with guilt and suffering from a worsening derangement, Nabucco is uncertain whether he is awake or trapped in a nightmare. He imagines Fenena being led away to the death to which he has doomed her. Losing the last shred of his faith, he prays the God of the Hebrews for forgiveness, pledging to convert his people (“Dio di Giuda!”). Attempting to intervene on his daughter’s behalf, he realizes that he is indeed a prisoner and powerless to help her. Though believing that he has been rescued by Abdallo and that his army is once again loyal to him, he sees the death decree being carried out before him. He hears Zaccaria hail Fenena as a martyr to the cause of the Israelites as she resigns herself to death (“Oh, dischiuso è il firmamento”). The distraught Nabucco renounces Baal and, as a sign of his conversion, orders the god’s idol to be destroyed. His senses failing him once again, he wonders if he sees Abigaille approaching. Having poisoned herself in horror at what her ambition has brought upon her kingdom, Abigaille confesses her crimes, hoping that it is not too late for Ismaele and Fenena to be reunited. Slipping in and out of consciousness, she prays to Jehovah for pardon (“Su me … morente”) as the Hebrews reaffirm that their God will always raise up those who are afflicted.

– Synopsis by Thaddeus Strassberger 14

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oPEra PHILadELPHIa arTISTIC Assistant Director.............Leigh Holman Assistant Conductor .........Vinay Parameswaran Principal Pianist...............Bénédicte Jourdois ProdUCTIoN/TECHNICaL Technical Director ............Christopher Hanes Costume Director..............Millie Hiibel Stage Manager ................Lisa Marie Lange Properties Coordinator ..................John Bryant Master Electrician ............david Cecil Properties .........................Paul Lodes Flyman ............................John damiani Assistant Electrician ........William Hennessy Assistant Stage Managers ......................Trevor regars Becki Smith

Musical Assistant.............Matthew Brower Supertitle Operator ...........Tony Solitro

Cutters/Drapers................Nell Unrath rachel ford Hair & Make-up Coordinators..................Glenna WilliamsonWeinberg amanda Clark Captain of Supernumeraries ...........Max Vasapoli

Production owned by Washington National opera, Minnesota Minnesota opera, and opera Philadelphia. Projected English Titles for this production provided by Washington National opera.

SUPERNUMERARIES: audrey abbott, Vincent ali, dominick Barnes, Joan Bernstein, aidan Brito, Jared Brito, Brendan Burns, Sean Cummings, Jarrett de Stouet, Jim fairburn, Peter flanner, Cameron flurry, Kate Graham, Tom Hann, abigail Hartwell, Cameron Higby-Naquin, aurica Hurst, Justin Ianelli, Elizabeth Kretschmer, Lynne Lechter, Catherine Logan, Grace Matwijec, Ethan McManus, Wyatt McManus, Michael rissinger, Valentino rudi, Cliff Sellers, Timothy Sheridan, Jennifer Shields, Bryanna Teagle, dave Tukey, ryan Tygh, Max Vasapoli, Jessica Wong, Sofia Woodruff opera Philadelphia performs at the academy of Music and the Perelman Theater, and is a resident Company of the Kimmel Center for the Performing arts. all photography and video or audio recording of this performance is strictly prohibited. a Commitment to Safety: The safety and comfort of visitors, artists, volunteers, and staff at the academy of Music and the Kimmel Center for the Performing arts are of paramount importance. In the event of an emergency, audience members will be advised of appropriate procedures by usher and security staffs. at this time, please take note of the exit nearest you. a red, illuminated EXIT sign should be visible, with an arrow indicating the direction of the exit door. Should an emergency arise, you will be directed to leave the auditorium and further instructions will be provided as to the safest and quickest way to exit the building. Patrons who need special assistance should contact an usher.

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PROGRAM NOTES Q&A with Director and Set Designer Thaddeus Strassberger

Q. At the time Verdi wrote Nabucco, opera was a political and social force that blanketed the culture, much like the Super Bowl or the Academy Awards do today.

Do you think opera has lost its cultural relevancy in this regard? How can it regain its prominence in popular culture?

In the 19th century, opera was often an intensely local phenomenon. Many new works were commissioned by Teatro alla Scala each season, and the public expected something new, spectacular, and engaging every time they went to the opera house.

There were favorite stars in both the opera and ballet companies that the audiences were eager to see in new roles—and since there was no recording technology at the time, of course, hearing and seeing an opera was by definition a social and participatory event. The ideas explored in each piece and the nuances of the performances were experienced by audiences collectively. There was plenty of time to interact socially as the performances were structured with more intermissions than is customary today, and often with an accompanying ballet or even another short opera in the same evening, meaning that you could arrive at the theater at six o’clock and still be there well after

midnight. Opinions and observations were shared right away and the ovations or criticisms hurled at the stage with an immediacy that seems rarer today.

In my productions, I strive to create an atmosphere conducive to starting a dialogue with the public about the themes presented by the opera. A discussion is more interesting to me than a diatribe, and I think that is something that is sorely lacking in other forms of media at the moment. The popular perception that opera is elitist and exclusive is simply wrong—sporting events and concerts often cost much more than an opera ticket—and the best way to overcome it is by encouraging (and funding!) access to the opera house to wider audiences.

Opera cannot be experienced in its full force anywhere but in a live performance. My first experience seeing an opera was through my elementary school music class working in conjunction with the local opera company to show a “behind the scenes” look at a dress rehearsal. If schools put as much time, money, and effort into arts education as they do sports, I believe our country would be richer and more productive in my senses of those words.

Q. Nabucco was only Verdi’s third opera.

What are the hallmarks of Verdi’s later classic style that are evident in this early work?

As a director and designer I find that his sense of scale throughout the arc of each opera to be really well thought out. Trusting his ability to create a huge background of sound and spectacle to set a scene—and then to pull it right down to the equivalent of an intimately whispered soliloquy—pays dividends to the singing, orchestra, and staging. The contours of the dynamics have to be reinforced and not flattened out to create their maximum effect, and this is as true with his earliest works as it is for Aïda or Otello, which he composed much later in his career.

Q. There are few operas in which the chorus plays such a centrally important role as in Nabucco. Verdi was even called “il

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padre del coro.” How does your production involve the chorus in new ways?

The characters in many of Verdi’s operas act in ways contrary to the social norms of their settings. The chorus serves as a living, breathing manifestation of the customs, habits, religious beliefs, and rituals of the world that is frequently inhospitable and even downright hostile to the hopes and desires of the protagonists. This opera depicts two warring nations, religions, and races, but Verdi and the librettist Solera give them some strikingly similar characteristics which I think is not a stylistic limitation, but rather an illustration that there must be more of a common humanity that unites them rather than focus on the superficial differences that seem to separate them.

Q. There’s a lot of mythology surrounding Nabucco’s role in the history of the unification of Italy. What does your production say about this?

The history of nation-building and cultural identity is never clear-cut and linear, whether in Europe, North America, Africa, or the Middle East. But discussion in hindsight does bring a desire to structure a certain narrative. There is no specific documented evidence that the opera’s ideas (or choruses!) actually sparked a revolution, but the seeds were certainly being sown by Verdi and his contemporaries, and not only in the streets and newspapers, but most definitely on the opera house stages as well. Certainly the power of music and the rebellious and defiant text of the “Va, pensiero” chorus suggests a poetic, if not historically accurate, association with Risorgimento, the unification movement that changed the political landscape in the decades throughout which Verdi was most prolific.

Q. How do you see the political issues of Nabucco, such as nation-building and identity politics, still playing out in the world today?

If human beings ever had any power to truly learn from our own mythology, history, and literature—the Iliad, the Bible, Shakespeare,

Verdi, Britten, etc.—I think we would have by now. The seemingly insatiable appetite for land, riches, sex, power, and control knows no cultural or geographic boundaries.

Vengeance and desire for retaliation against those who have wronged you are hallmarks of the reactions from both sides of the conflict in Nabucco; I fear Verdi and Solera were making candid observations of the world they saw around them and not offering a blueprint for a way forward.

Q. You’re also the set designer for this production—what can you tell us about the intricately painted set pieces?

A formative part of my training as an opera director and designer was spent at the Accademia Teatro alla Scala in 2000 and 2001. The theater there—as both a building and a company of artists—has existed largely unchanged since 1776 and of course has produced hundreds of world premieres including many of Verdi’s operas.

Though taste and aesthetics both musically and visually have changed over the centuries, there is a certain level of craftsmanship that is always present onstage there. In order to capture the essence of Verdi’s world of the 1840s for this production, the scenery that I designed for this production needed to be painted in a very specific style. One of the scenic artists I chose studied for many years under the same person whom I had the honor of working with at La Scala, so already there was an aesthetic connection to our training and development. This ‘master teacher’ of course had studied with the chief scenic painter of the theatre in the 1960s, who had studied under his predecessor, and so on, etc. all the way back of course to Verdi’s time.

This artisanal chain of knowledge allows for a stylistic continuity to be passed down from generation to generation. My fear is that some of this artisanal talent will be lost if it is not given enough opportunities to be practiced and honed, so I’m really eager to present this very-much-alive art form to an audience who may have never seen anything like it before.

-Reprinted with permission of Washington National Opera 19

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Artists CSILLA BOROSS Soprano (Székesfehérvár, Hungary) ABIGAILLE presumed daughter of Nabucco Opera Philadelphia debut.

Recent Activities: Lucrezia, I due Foscari, Rome Opera; Amelia, A Masked Ball, Australian Opera; Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, Savonlinna Opera Festival, Finland.

SEBASTIAN CATANA Baritone (Cluj, Romania ) NABUCCO King of Babylon Opera Philadelphia debut.

Recent Activities: Title role, Nabucco, Avenches Festival, Stuttgart Oper, Auckland Philharmonic, and Covent Garden (cover); Don Carlo, Ernani (concert version), Dortmund Festival; Conte di Luna, Il trovatore, Palaude les Arts Valencia.

ELIZABETH BRADEN (Easton, Pennsylvania)

ADAM DIEGEL Tenor (Memphis, Tennessee)

CHORUS MASTER

ISMAELE nephew of the King of Jerusalem

2004 The Grand Duchess

of Gerolstein 2006 Margaret Garner 2013 Silent Night (Partial Listing) Recent Activities: Director of Music, Wallingford Presbyterian Church; Chorus Master, The Cunning Little Vixen, Curtis Opera Theatre; Chorus Master, The Magic Flute, Opera Philadelphia.

Opera Philadelphia debut.

Recent Activities: BF Pinkerton, Madama Butterfly, Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre; Don José, Carmen, English National Opera and Opera Australia; BF Pinkerton, Madama Butterfly and Ismaele, Nabucco, Metropolitan Opera.

A MAgicAl-MusicAl MenAgerie Sunday, October 27, 2013, 3pm Main Line Reform Temple (MLRT) Thursday, October 31, 2013, 10am Girard Academic Music Program (GAMP) BiogrAphy in Music; BenjAMin Britten Sunday, November 24, 2013, 3pm The Academy of Vocal Arts love with A twist: A progrAM for those lucky At cArds (unlucky At love) Saturday, February 15, 2014, 7:30pm Lenape Valley Church (Bucks County) Sunday, February 16, 2014, 3pm The Academy of Vocal Arts deAr MArch—coMe in— AMericAn woMen poets in song Friday, March 28, 2014, 7:30pm Bryn Mawr College, Goodhart Hall, The Music Room Sunday, March 30, 2014, 3pm The Academy of Vocal Arts

connecting people through song

2013 2014

Founding Artistic Directors: Laura Ward, Randi Marrazzo, Suzanne DuPlantis

www.lyricfest.org

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Artists JAX MESSENGER (Erie, Pennsylvania) LIGHTING DESIGNER Opera Philadelphia debut.

Recent Activities: Oresteia, Bard SummerScape; Laurencia, Waltzpurgisnacht, and Majisimas, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo; Sleeping Beauty, Fluctuating Hemlines, Shoogie, and Shostakovich Concerto, The Washington Ballet.

$45.00 3-Course Menu BYOB - No Corkage

MARGARET MEZZACAPPA Mezzo-soprano (Euclid, Ohio) FENENA younger daughter of Nabucco 2010 Emilia, Otello Recent Activities: La voix del a tombs, The Tales of Hoffmann, San Francisco Opera; Soloist, Verdi’s Requiem, Lucca, Italy; Ulrica, A Masked Ball, Academy of Vocal Arts.

Live Piano Nightly

ANGELA MORTELLARO Soprano (Chicago, Illinois) ANNA Zaccaria’s sister 2012 Madeleine

Audebert, Silent

Night Recent Activities: Lucia, Lucia di Lammermoor, Opera North and Minnesota Opera; Despina, Così fan tutte, Minnesota Opera.

MUSA NGQUNGWANA Bass-baritone (Port Elizabeth, South Africa) HIGH PRIEST OF BAAL Opera Philadelphia debut.

Recent Activities: Soloist, recitals and concerts in July-August 2013, The Ravinia Festival; Soloist, Hamar and Olso concerts, Kirsten Flagstad Festival; Samuel, A Masked Ball, The Academy of Vocal Arts.

A community of creative thinkers and inspired leaders.

Fall Open Houses: October 5 & November 11 A Quaker Independent Day School for Grades K-12 31 West Coulter Street, Philadelphia, PA www.germantownfriends.org

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Artists MORRIS ROBINSON Bass (Atlanta, Georgia)

THADDEUS STRASSBERGER (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

ZACCARIA High Priest of the Hebrews

DIRECTOR & SET DESIGNER

2005

Opera Philadelphia debut.

The King of Egypt, Aïda

Recent Activities: Ramfis, Aïda, Cincinnati Opera; Joe, Show Boat, Washington National Opera; Commendatore, Don Giovanni, Houston Grand Opera.

CORRADO ROVARIS (Bergamo, Italy) CONDUCTOR 1999 The Marriage of

Figaro 2006 Cinderella 2013 Powder Her Face (Partial Listing) Recent Activities: Betulia liberata, Festival Wratislavia Cantans; La traviata, Teatro Regio Torino; Don Carlo, Opera de Oviedo.

TEACHER OF VOICE • GEORGYN GEETLEIN New York Opera

BM,MM,MM,DM

and Broadway Performer

Recent Activities: I due Foscari, Palau de les Arts, Valencia; The Oresteia, Bard Summerscape and Mariinsky Theater; The Marriage of Figaro, The Norwegian Opera.

MATTIE ULRICH COSTUME DESIGNER Opera Philadelphia debut.

Recent Activities: I due Foscari, Palau de les Arts, Valencia; The Oresteia, Bard Summerscape and Mariinsky Theater; Eliogabalo, Gotham Opera.

JOHN VISCARDI Tenor (Manhasset, New York) ABDALLO Nabucco’s officer 2012

Dancing Master & Lamplighter, Manon Lescaut

Recent Activities: Lensky, Eugene Onegin, Academy of Vocal Arts; Almaviva, The Barber of Seville, Academy of Vocal Arts; Prunier, La Rondine, Des Moines Metro Opera.

DAVID ZIMMERMAN (Mt. Pleasant, Texas) WIG & MAKE-UP DESIGN

Popular and Classical Study FOR FREE TEST L ESSON, CALL 215.923.7508 CENTER CITY PHILADELPHIA

2013 2013

Silent Night The Magic Flute

Recent Activities: Wig and Make-up Design for The Metropolitan Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Santa Fe Opera, Paris National Opera, and Opera Santa Barbara; Wicked, Rocky Horror, Show Boat, South Pacific and Evita, Broadway, New York.

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9/16/13 12:25 AM

ROY KAISER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

2013–2014 SEASON

GEORGE BALANCHINE’S

JEWELS OCT 17-27

Company Premiere

Music by:

Gabriel Fauré, Igor Stravinsky, and Peter IlyitchTschaikovsky

ACADEMY OF MUSIC

paballet.org JOIN US FOR OUR SPECTACULAR 50 TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON!

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Company Member Lillian Di Piazza | Photo: Alexander Iziliaev PABallet-Jewels Ad for Opera Showcase Bookle.indd 1 KC-OPERA_Nabucco.crw2.indd 23

9/16/13 9/17/13 4:49 3:20 PM

CELEBRATING 200 YEARS OF GIUSEPPE VERDI Two hundred years after his birth, we celebrate one of the most influential composers of the nineteenth century, Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901). As 2013 marks his bicentennial, the operatic world honors his contributions and achievements with hundreds of performances worldwide. By the time he was 40, Verdi was the most famous and most frequently performed Italian opera composer in Europe. But if not for Nabucco, he might have turned away from opera permanently while still in his late 20s.

In November of 1839 Verdi’s first opera, Oberto, conte di San Bonifacio, Portrait of Giuseppe Verdi by Giovanni Boldini. National Gallery of Modern Art, was accepted at La Scala. It ran for Rome. multiple performances and was well received, winning him a contract for three additional operas. Tragically, the composer’s wife, Margherita, and two young children all died shortly after the premiere, and as a result Verdi’s second opera, Un giorno di regno, was a complete failure. The despondent Verdi resolved never to compose again until the maestro at La Scala, Bartolomeo Merelli, forced the libretto for Nabucco on him. He was deeply moved by the Biblical story and the opera premiered two years later in 1842. Nabucco enjoyed glorious success and carried Verdi’s reputation across Italy, Europe, and the New World.

After the premiere of Nabucco, Verdi wrote 16 opera in 11 years. The pinnacle of these busy years came between 1851 and 1853 with three of Verdi’s most popular operas: Rigoletto, which was produced in Venice to huge success; Il trovatore, which premiered in Rome to great accolades; and just six weeks later La traviata opened in Venice. He enjoyed tremendous success with his final three operas; Aïda in 1871, Otello in 1887, and Falstaff in 1893. In all he wrote 26 operas, several in two different versions, and lived to the age of 87. He died in Milan on January 17, 1901. The composer had asked for a funeral with no music and no singing but, as two hundred thousand people lined the streets for his funeral, it is said that someone in the crowd started to sing “Va, pensiero,” and soon everyone softly joined in the famous melody.

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HOW NABUCCO TURNED VERDI INTO ITALY'S MUSICAL CONSCIENCE Verdi’s Nabucco is perhaps best known for “Va, pensiero (The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves),” which attained both musical and political significance when the opera premiered in 1842.

At the point in the opera when “Va, pensiero” is sung, the Hebrews are being held captive in Babylon. The Babylonians have threatened to kill them, which sparks an argument between the High Priest of Baal, Abigaille, and King Nabucco. Taking a moment of respite from their forced labor along the banks of the river, the Hebrew exiles bid their plaintive thoughts to fly “on golden wings” toward their beloved homeland. Legend has it that those early audiences demanded an encore of “Va, pensiero” at Teatro alla Scala in Milan.

“Va pensiero” became the Italians’ song of liberation, for, in the oppressed Hebrews, they found a symbol of their own longing for Risorgimento (resurgence or reunification) and an end to Austrian rule. The chorus became the underground revolutionary song for the Liberal Party, and the composer’s name became V.E.R.D.I., a slogan meaning Vittorio Emanuele Re D’Italia (Victor Emmanuel King of Italy), a reference to the sole native dynasty in Italy and the focus of nationalist hopes for unity. The phrase was scrolled on walls and spoken in public gatherings as a buzz-word openly expressing defiance of the occupying foreign powers.

“Va, pensiero (Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves)” ITALIAN

TRANSLATION IN ENGLISH

Va, pensiero, sull’ali dorate;

Fly, thought, on wings of gold;

va, ti posa sui clivi, sui colli,

go settle upon the slopes and the hills,

ove olezzano tepide e molli

where, soft and mild, the sweet airs

l’aure dolci del suolo natal!

of our native land smell fragrant!

Del Giordano le rive saluta,

Greet the banks of the Jordan

di Sionne le torri atterrate...

and Zion’s toppled towers...

O, mia patria, sì bella e perduta!

Oh, my country, so beautiful and lost!

O, membranza, sì cara e fatal!

Oh, remembrance, so dear and so fatal!

Arpa d’or dei fatidici vati,

Golden harp of the prophetic seers,

perché muta dal salice pendi?

why dost thou hang mute upon the willow?

Le memorie nel petto raccendi,

Rekindle our bosom’s memories,

ci favella del tempo che fu!

and speak to us of times gone by!

O simile di Sòlima ai fati

Mindful of the fate of Jerusalem,

traggi un suono di crudo lamento,

give forth a sound of crude lamentation,

o t’ispiri il Signore un concento

or may the Lord inspire you a harmony of voices

che ne infonda al patire virtù.

which may instill virtue to suffering.

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oPEra PHILadELPHIa orCHESTra

CORRADO ROvARIS, JACK MuLRONey MuSIC DIReCTOR VIoLIN I Sophia Kessinger, Concertmaster Igor Szwec, Assistant Concertmaster Barbara Sonies Mei Chen Liao Barnes Elizabeth Kaderabek diane Barnett donna rudolph Charles Parker yan Chin Erica Miller alexandra Cutler-fetkewicz VIoLIN II Emma Kummrow, Principal dayna anderson, Assistant Principal Paul reiser Sarah duBois Pat adams Jennifer Lee Tamae Lee Lisa Vaupel Leah Kim

VIoLa Jonathan Kim, Principal Carol Briselli, Assistant Principal Ellen Trainer Julie diGaetani Elizabeth Jaffe ruth frazier Kathleen foster CELLo deborah reeder, Principal Vivian Barton, Assistant Principal Jennifer Lorenzo david Moulton Brooke Beazley-Cyzewski dane anderson Glenn fishbach BaSS Miles davis, Principal anne Peterson, Assistant Principal Steve Groat Jerrell Jackson

fLUTE adeline Tomasone, Principal Eileen Grycky Kim Trolier oBoE Geoffrey deemer, Principal Evan ocheret Steve Labiner

TrUMPET Brian Kuszyk, Principal frank ferraro TroMBoNE Brad Ward, Principal Ed Cascarella Phil McClelland CIMBaSSo Paul Erion

CLarINET Joe Smith, Principal allison Herz

TIMPaNI Martha Hitchins, Principal

BaSSooN Natalya rose Vrbsky, Principal Jacob Smith

PErCUSSIoN ralph Sorrentino, Principal Susan Jones

frENCH HorN John david Smith, Principal Karen Schubert Lyndsie Wilson ryan Stewart

HarP Sophie Bruno, Principal Mindy Cutcher

BANDA CLARINeTS: rob Huebner, rie Suzuki, Sherry apgar; FReNCH HORNS: angela Bilger, Todd Williams, adam Lesnick; TRuMPeTS: Steve Heitzer, Larry Wright, James McHala ; TROMBONeS: Brian Santero, Jon Schubert, Matt Gould; euPHONIuM: Barry McCommon; TuBA: Brian Brown; PeRCuSSION: Zachary Crystal.

oPEra PHILadELPHIa CHorUS SOPRANO Kelly ann Bixby Marissa Mae Chalker Veronica ChapmanSmith ruth ann Cunningham Katherine dufendach Jacqueline dunleavy Noël Graves-Williams Julie-ann Green Valerie Haber dawn Baker Hoffman Carole Latimer Christine Nass aimee Pilgermayer alexis rodda rebecca Siler Lisa Helmel Thomas rebecca Whitlow

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ALTO adrienne Bishop Margaret Caldwell Blanchard renée Cantwell Joanna Gates rebecca M. Hoke Eve E. Hyzer Chelsea Keane Heidi Kurtz Maren Montalbano Ellen Grace Peters Paula rivera-dantagnan Lauren Shriver Karina Sweeney Kaitlyn Tierney Teresa Washam

TeNOR Steven Bradshaw Jeffrey Chapman Matthew Cox Carl Ellinwood Jr. ryan fleming david y. Koh a Edward Maddison fernando Mancillas Toffer Mihalka Siddhartha Misra donLeroy Morales Taiwan L. Norris Ben Perkins George ross Somerville daniel Taylor Paul Vetrano Cory Walker John Werner Steven Williamson

BASS Ennio Brugnolo Matthew Campbell Gregory Cantwell Peter Christian Stephen dagrosa robert davidson dorian Payton Hall Christopher Hodges aaron Hoke John Krystyniak Mark Malachesky John david Miles frank Mitchell Garrett obrycki James osby andrew Thomas Pardini robert Phillips Lourin Plant daniel Schwartz Tim Stopper Jackson Williams

9/16/13 12:25 AM

Your Happily Ever After.

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9/16/13 12:25 AM

The Wyncote Challenge Building the New American Opera Company

In the spring of 2012, Opera Philadelphia was thrilled to announce the

Wyncote Challenge, a five-year, $10 million campaign in support of the ambitious artistic and community programming outlined in the Opera’s 2012-2015 Strategic Plan. The initiative was launched with a historic

$5 million commitment from the Wyncote Foundation at the direction

of Opera Philadelphia Chairman Daniel K. Meyer, M.D. and Frederick R. Haas.

The Wyncote Challenge seeks to garner an additional $5 million in new and increased gifts to fund:

Op e r a o n S ta g e Bringing artists and audiences from around the globe together in the spectacular Academy of Music and the intimate Perelman Theater.

Op e r a i n t h e C i t y Taking opera to the community through our Random Acts of Culture, our annual HD broadcast to Independence National Historical Park, and provocative productions in unexpected venues throughout the city.

Op e r a i n t h e L a b Leading the field in the development of new opera through our American Repertoire Program and Composer In Residence program.

GET INVOLVE D: operaphila.org/wyncote-challenge

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THE Chairman’s Council Opera Philadelphia’s Chairman’s Council is a passionate group of philanthropists committed to ensuring that the future of opera is right here in Philadelphia.

The Council’s collective generosity underwrites more than half of Opera Philadelphia’s artistic expenses each season, including productions in the Academy of Music, the nationally lauded Aurora Series for Chamber

F o r m o r e i n f o r m at i o n ,

Opera at the Perelman Theater, our

c o n t a c t:

annual Opening Night HD broadcast at Independence National Historical Park, and our award-winning programs for children.

Clockwise from top: Rita and Philip Harper.

American Repertoire Council Director Nathan Gunn and Keith Straw. Kenneth B. and Pamela R. Dunn. Composer Kevin Puts, Opera Philadelphia Chairman Daniel K. Meyer, M.D., and Barbara Teichert. Nick and Kathleen Chimicles.

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Annie Burridge, Senior Vice President, Institutional Advancement at 215.893.5906 or at burridge@operaphila.org.

Academy House 1420 Locust Street Suite 210 P h i l a , PA

9/16/13 12:26 AM

M a k e a d i f f e r e n c e b y pa rt i c i pat i n g i n t h e Op e r a’ s A n n u a l G i v i n g p r o g r a m w h i l e e n h a n c i n g y o u r o p e r at i c e x p e r i e n c e with exclusive donor benefits.

F riend s of t h e O p era Joan Goldstein, Chair Friends support the Opera with annual gifts between $25 and $1,999 and enjoy an enriched connection to the opera with behind-the-scenes opportunities including invitations to the General Director’s Backstage Tour, dress rehearsals, our Between the Notes lecture series, and more!

Pat ron Pro g ra m Donna Wechsler, Chair Members of the Patron Program directly support the company’s productions, artistic initiatives, and community programs through annual gifts beginning at $2,000. Patrons receive the above benefits, plus VIP privileges including personalized ticket service, a private coat check, champagne intermission receptions, meet-the-artist events, travel opportunities, and more!

For more information about Annual Giving or for a complete list of donor benefits, please contact Jennifer Dubin, Associate Director, Annual Fund and Development Services, at 215.893.5908 or dubin@operaphila.org OFFICIAL S P ONSOR OF O P ERA P HILA D EL P HIA’ S PATRON P RO G RA M

GET INVOLVED: OPERAPHILA.ORG/ANNUAL-GIVING

Photos (clockwise, beginning top right): Patrons James and Nancy Abbott with their children at a dress rehearsal; Patrons Robert V. Taglieri and Timothy Moir with Board Member Ellen Berman Lee; Chairman’s Council Member Barbara Augusta Teichert and tenor Thiago Arancam; Patrons Bruce and Robin Herndon at a meet-the-artists event.

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nabucco Sa t . 09 / 28 / 13 6:00 pre-show 7:00 broadcast

all for oper a. oper a for all.

On Saturday, Sept. 28, thousands of Philadelphians will gather in the shadow of Independence Hall and the Liber ty Bell to enjoy a FREE, HD broadcast of Nabucco.

This marks the third year of Opera on the Mall, Opera Philadelphia’s community HD opening night viewing par ty, with open-air seating, open to all!

Thank You to our Sponsors and Partners!

Opera on the Mall is made possible through the generous support of the William Penn Foundation and the Wyncote Foundation.

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9/16/13 12:27 AM

Portraits In Giving

US Airways has been a loyal and consistent member of the Opera’s Corporate Council for more than twenty years. As the Official Airline of Opera Philadelphia, US Airways makes it possible for the company’s leadership and artistic staff to maintain the travel schedule necessary to audition singers, preview productions, and build the partnerships that ultimately lead to seasons of world-class opera.

The US Airways commitment to Opera Philadelphia doesn’t stop there. The US Airways Do Crew, a compassionate and dedicated corps of employee and retiree volunteers, assisted attendees at Family Day at the Opera last season and will be out in force at Opera on the Mall, the Opera’s free HD broadcast of Verdi’s Nabucco at Independence National Historical Park on Saturday, September 28.

Opera Philadelphia gratefully acknowledges the continuing support of US Airways and applauds its corporate culture of service, where every employee is encouraged, supported, and recognized for the active role they play in making their community a great place to live and work.

For more information about how your company can join Opera Philadelphia’s Corporate Council, please contact Derren A. Mangum, Manager of Institutional Giving, at 215.893.5924 or mangum@operaphila.org.

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How do we show our character?

Through our many acts of kindness.

Our 32,000 employees work hard to improve the quality of life where we live and serve. Through volunteerism and charitable giving, we strive to inspire imagination and encourage innovation in our communities. Together we can enrich the world. usairways.com

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uPcoMinG Donor events M e e t t h e arti st s Members of Opera Philadelphia’s Patron Program enjoy VIP benefits and privileges throughout the season. Meet the Artists is an intimate reception where members of the Patron Program mingle with the cast of a current production while enjoying hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. The 2013-2014 Meet the Artist event will feature the cast of Don Giovanni, which stars baritone Elliot Madore as Don Giovanni and soprano Michelle Johnson as Donna Anna.

General Director’s Council members Linda and David Glickstein with soprano Patricia Schuman (center) at the 2013 Meet the Artists event.

Bass Ben Wager and Chairman’s Council member Keith Straw at the June 2013 Meet the Artists, which was held at the home at of Patron Program Chair Donna Wechsler.

f ri e n D s vo cal r e c i tal & a P P r e c i ati o n r e c e Pti o n The Friends of the Opera are essential contributors to Opera Philadelphia and enjoy an enhanced connection to the Opera with behind-the-scenes opportunities, including backstage tours and enlightening educational programs. The signature event of the Friends calendar is the Friends Vocal Recital and Appreciation Reception. This season’s recital, which takes place on November 17, 2013, will highlight the talents of mezzo-soprano Margaret Mezzacappa and bass-baritone Musa Mgqungwana, both of whom are featured in Nabucco.

Soprano Sarah Shafer at the 2013 Friends Vocal Recital, held at the Curtis Institute of Music.

Photos by Dominic M. Mercier

Young Patrons Steve Oh and Patricia Blaho with Jack Mulroney Music Director Corrado Rovaris at the post-recital Appreciation Reception.

D On’ T MISS OuT On T HIS SEaS O n ’S E vE n TS To j oi n o r r e c e i v e m o r e i n f or mation , v i si t o pe rap h i l a . or g / a n n u a l - g i v i n g o r cal l 215.893.5934

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S VA D B A WEDDING

E AT, D R I N K , A N D BE M A R R I E D

— P RESENTE D B Y — AMERICAN PREMIERE

Pe r f o r m e d i n S e r bi an wit h E ng l i sh s u pe r t i t l e s — PRoduction from —

N o v. 2 , 3 , 6 , 7 , 2 0 1 3 at f r i n g e a rt s Tickets at FringeArts.com | 215.413.1318 Q U E E N O F P U D D I N GS M U S I C TH E AT R E

Ph o t o: J o h n La u e n e r

COMING IN NOVEMBER Opera Philadelphia Launches Opera in the City series with American Premiere of Svadba-Wedding In November, Opera Philadelphia is once again expanding its civic footprint by launching an annual series that will offer fully staged operas in unexpected venues around the city, diversifying operatic experiences for Philadelphia audiences.

Opera in the City, which brings the art form outside of traditional opera houses and into the community, will launch in November with the American Premiere of composer Ana Sokolovic´’s renowned Svadba–Wedding, in collaboration with FringeArts. On the night before her wedding, Milica (Jacqueline Woodley) and her five girlfriends (Shannon Mercer, Laura Albino, Virginia Hatfield, Andrea Ludwig, and Krisztina Szabó) prepare for her marriage in a raucous and intoxicating a cappella tour de force. Opera News called the work “dazzlingly inventive,” enthusiastically endorsing the opera as “a piece to appeal not just to new music enthusiasts but to those interested in the wider possibilities of music theatre in general.”

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The production, funded in part by the Knight Foundation, will offer audiences an immersive operatic experience, as ticketholders will join in an authentic Balkan wedding celebration after the performance, featuring traditional cuisine and live Balkan dance music from the West Philadelphia Orchestra.

The one-hour opera and its accompanying 90-minute wedding reception will be presented at the new home of FringeArts, at the corner of Race Street and Columbus Boulevard. The 1903 former pumping station is currently being transformed into a year-round center for contemporary performing and visual arts.

“Opera in the City is about getting outside of the usual and doing different things with opera, and to say this project is different would be an understatement,” said David B. Devan, General Director and President of Opera Philadelphia. “This series will be another transformative initiative for the company and the city, bringing new audiences to opera in new and unexpected places.”

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s at u r D ay, o c t o B e r 2 6 , 2 0 1 3 four seasons hotel PhilaDelPhia This year’s annual gala is DUENDE, a Spanish word describing artistic soul or passion. it celebrates this season’s production of Ainadamar, the story of the famed Spanish poet federico García Lorca. Lorca is credited with helping to def ine DUENDE, calling it a mysterious force that everyone feels and no philosopher can explain. it climbs up inside you f rom the soles of the feet. cocKtail recePtion incluDinG sanGria anD taPas flaMenco PerforMance luxury live anD silent auctions eleGant seateD Dinner Musical selections froM the 2013–2014 season

SuRREnDER to the

SPIRIT & feed your

SOuL rsvP by october 6th. for more information or to purchase tickets, go to operaphila.org/gala or call 215.893.5934 proceeds benefit Opera on the mall, Opera philadelphia’s annual broadcast to Independence National historic park.

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uP next at

AiNADAMAR (“fountain of tears”)

an opera in three images

Famed poet and playwright Federico García Lorca now stands as one of Spain’s greatest icons. But in 1936, he found himself standing in front of the Fascist firing squad at Ainadamar (“fountain of tears” in Arabic)—quite literally caught in the middle of the Spanish Civil War. With Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov’s Grammy Award-winning flamenco- and rumba-infused score, Ainadamar delivers a dreamlike passion play complete with everything from bullfighting and bravado to the artist’s struggle for love and free expression.

Golijov’s opera, with a libretto by David Henry Hwang, dramatizes the life of Spanish actress Margarita Xirgu (1888–1969), muse to Lorca (1898–1936).

In real life, Xirgu created the role of Mariana Pineda, an Andalucian historical figure who was executed for her commitment to liberal causes, in Lorca’s play of the same name. The 90-minute opera shows Xirgu in the moments at the end of her life, preparing to go onstage in a production of Mariana Pineda, remembering her relationship with Lorca in a series of rousing flashbacks and visualizing the circumstances of his execution. The opera concludes with Xirgu’s own passing and transfiguration.

Photo by carlos choin

f e B ru a ry 7 –16, 2014 | the aca DeMy o f Mus ic

Golijov, who earned his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania, premiered Ainadamar in 2003 at the Tangelwood Festival. The opera was hailed by New York Magazine as “an astonishing demonstration of how an opera can sound completely contemporary yet still convey its message in very potent lyrical song,” and The New York Times declared, “Like his fellow Argentinean Astor Piazzolla, Mr. Golijov does not harness popular music; he liberates it.” This production of Ainadamar comes to Philadelphia after a three-city tour of Spain conducted by Opera Philadelphia Music Director Corrado Rovaris.

Ainadamar marks two important Opera Philadelphia debuts. Catalan soprano Maria Hinojosa Montenegro, described by opera News as a “luminous stage presence,” sings the role of the Catalan actress Xirgu, while mezzo-soprano Marina Pardo sings the trouser role of Lorca. Maestro Rovaris leads the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra in a production that features the Antonio Gades Flamenco Dance Company.

ticKets Go on sale on octoBer 26 oPeraPhila.orG | 215.893.1018

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OPERA PHILADELPHIA PATRONS ENJOY THE WORLD PREMIERE OF OSCAR IN SANTA FE In July 2013, members of Opera Philadelphia’s Patron Program joined Board Chairman Daniel K. Meyer, M.D. and General Director & President David B. Devan on a Patron Travel Program trip to one of America’s premier summer opera festivals, The Santa Fe Opera.

A highlight of the trip was the World Premiere of Oscar, composer Theodore Morrison’s opera about the life of Oscar Wilde, co-commissioned by Opera Philadelphia and The Santa Fe Opera. The group of 23 donors had prime tickets to Oscar and attended the Opening Night Dinner prior to the performance, where they were recognized from the podium by Santa Fe Opera General Director Charles MacKay. Other highlights included dinner on the Santa Fe Opera grounds with the cast of Oscar and dinner at one of Santa Fe’s most spectacular private homes.

Dancer Reed Luplau (Bosie in Oscar) with Patrons Lois Brodsky and Hal Marryatt

Board Chairman Daniel K. Meyer, M.D. and Oscar Director Kevin Newbury

Chairman’s Council Member Barbara Teichert, General Director’s Council Member Al Hirsig, and Patron Julian Brodsky

Tenor William Burden (Frank Harris in Oscar) with Patron and Encore Society Member Sheila Kessler

Patrons David Richards and Nancy Zambelli with Bass Kevin Burdette (Col. Isaacson in Oscar)

After dinner on the grounds of the Santa Fe Opera with the cast of Oscar

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Photos by Christina Deemer

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oPera PhilaDelPhia encore society if the opera has played a significant role in your life, we invite you to pay it forward to future generations by including opera Philadelphia in your estate plans. opera Philadelphia’s encore society acknowledges the generosity of those individuals who have included the company in their estate plans as an important philanthropic commitment to opera’s future in Philadelphia, and the society is our way of honoring members today for the legacy they will leave tomorrow. not only do members enjoy exclusive

to Join or to receive M o r e i n f o r M at i o n : Go to OpERAphIlA.ORg/ENCORE-sOCIEtY OR

contact rachel Mccausland, Manager, research and special Gifts, at 215.893.5909 or at mccausland@operaphila.org. * Please consult your financial and/or legal advisors to determine which type of gift is best for you and for the legal requirements and tax advantages specific to these gifts.

access to events that allow them to celebrate the impact of their commitment to the organization’s continued artistic growth, but these gifts have the potential to provide valuable tax and income benefits now and in the future.*

Photo caption: Encore Society members Ben Alexander (left) and Sheila Kessler with baritone Mark Stone at the annual Encore Society Luncheon.

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adMINISTraTIoN David B. Devan General Director & President Corrado Rovaris Jack Mulroney Music Director

Mikael Eliasen Artistic Advisor

Nathan Gunn Director, American Repertoire Council

Gary Gansky Chief Financial Officer & Senior Vice President

Annie Burridge Senior Vice President, institutional Advancement

David Levy Senior Vice President, Artistic Operations

Michael Bolton Vice President of Community Programs

MUSIC Michael Eberhard Artistic Administrator Kyle Bartlett New Works Administrator Elizabeth Braden Chorus Master J. robert Loy Director of Orchestra Personnel & Orchestra Librarian Colleen Hood Music Staff Assistant Lembit Beecher Composer in Residence Missy Mazzoli Composer in Residence PRODUCTION alexander farino Production Manager drew Billiau Technical Production Manager Christopher Hanes Technical Director Millie Hiibel Costume Director Elizabeth Larsen-Silva Production Coordinator

INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT Christina deemer Director of Annual Giving ryan Lewis Director of Marketing frank Luzi Director of Communications Lucy Clemens Director of Audience Services adele Betz Director of Events Jennifer dubin Associate Director, Annual Fund & Development Services derren Mangum Manager of institutional Giving Lauren ancona Manager of Marketing Technology rachel McCausland Manager, Research & Special Gifts Michael Knight Assistant Director, Audience Services and Group Sales Kevin Gifford Donor Services Coordinator

ADMINISTRATION Ken Smith Assistant to General Director & Board Relations Coordinator Maurice Marietti Personnel Manager COMMUNITY PROGRAMS adrienne Bishop Community Programs Assistant FINANCE Maureen McHale Senior Accountant COUNSEL Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & rhoads LLP General Counsel fox, rothschild, o’Brien & frankel Special Counsel

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D av i d B . D e va n General Director & President C o r r a d o R o va r i s Jack Mulroney Music Director

S VA D B A WEDDING

S O K O L O V I c´

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Presented with FringeArts

“ F o u n t a i n o f Te a r s ” F eb . 7 – 1 6 , 2 0 1 4 A c a dem y of M u si c

S VA D B A WEDDING

No v. 2 – 7 , 2 0 1 3 O per a i n the Cit y a t F ri n g eArts

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D on g iovanni Apr . 2 5 – M ay 4 , 2 0 1 4 A c a dem y of M u si c

C ur t i s O p era T h ea t re

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DIALOGUES OF TH E C A R M E L I T E S In association with Opera Philadelphia and the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Mar. 5–9, 2014 P erelm a n T he a ter

s t rau s s

g ordon / fo g l ia

salome

Produced by The Philadelphia Orchestra and Opera Philadelphia

m ay 8 & 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 v eri z o n h a ll

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Jun. 6–15, 2014 P erelm a n T he a ter

The Aurora Series for Chamber Opera at the Perelman Theater is underwritten by the Wyncote Foundation

o p era p h i l a . or g | 2 1 5 . 7 3 2 . 8 4 0 0 facebook.com/operaphila

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@operaphila

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The Plaza at King of Prussia (610) 992-9730 Hermes.com

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