ENCHANTING PUCCINI

Giacomo Puccini, (born December 22, 1858, Lucca, Tuscany [Italy]—died November 29, 1924, Brussels, Belgium), Italian composer, one of the greatest exponents of operatic realism, who virtually brought the history of Italian opera to an end. His mature operas included La Bohème (1896), Tosca (1900), Madama Butterfly (1904), and Turandot (left incomplete).

A performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida, which he saw in Pisa in 1876, convinced him that his true vocation was opera. In the autumn of 1880 he went to study at the Milan Conservatory, where his principal teachers were Antonio Bazzini, a famous violinist and composer of chamber music, and Amilcare Ponchielli, the composer of the opera La gioconda. In 1883, he entered Le villi in a competition for one-act operas. The judges did not think Le villi worthy of consideration, but a group of friends, led by the composer-librettist Arrigo Boito, subsidized its production, and its premiere took place with immense success at Milan’s Verme Theatre on May 31, 1884. He also commissioned Puccini to write a new opera for La Scala and gave him a monthly stipend: thus began Puccini’s lifelong association with Giulio Ricordi, who was to become a staunch friend and counselor.

His last opera, based on the fable of Turandot as told in the play Turandot by the 18th-century Italian dramatist Carlo Gozzi, is the only Italian opera in the Impressionistic style. Puccini did not complete Turandot, unable to write a final grand duet on the triumphant love between Turandot and Calaf. Suffering from cancer of the throat, he was ordered to Brussels for surgery, and a few days afterward he died with the incomplete score of Turandot in his hands.

INSIDE OPERA TOSCA RECREATING A ASTERPIECE M

The sets and costumes of Opera Carolina’s peformances of Tosca are based on the original designs by Adolf Hohenstein, created for the world premiere of the opera at the Teatro Costanzi, today the Rome Opera House, on January 14,1900. This recreation was realized by New York City Opera with the collaboration of the Archivio Storico Ricordi. The Archivio Storico Ricordi houses one of the most important music collections in the world. The archive includes the estate of the Ricordi publishing house, which was founded in Milan in 1808. Over the course of two centuries, the archive has preserved a highly valued collection of Italian music and history of Italian theater.

(Adolph Hohenstein, Original sketch Act I)

Enjoy Opera, then relax.

Uptown Charlotte

TOSCA MEET THE RTISTS A INSIDE OPERA

JAMES EDER, Sacristan Acclaimed as having a “robust” and “resonant” voice of “ample quality and quantity,” bass, James Eder, has performed in a variety of concerts and roles across the operatic repertoire. His dramatic interpretations have been hailed as “inspired,” “laugh-out-loud funny,” “a comic delight” and “marvelously sinister and threatening.” James has worked with companies including Sarasota Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Opera Southwest, Opera Columbus, Knoxville Opera, Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Cleveland Opera Theater, Chattanooga Symphony & Opera, and Opera Theater of Pittsburgh. During summer of 2022, James performed multiple roles with Chautauqua Opera. He was Angelotti in Puccini’s Tosca and Anthony Comstock in a production of Virgil Thomson’s The Mother of Us All. Hew also performed in an aria and ensemble concert with the Chautauqua Symphony performing works by Verdi, Mozart and more. In the 2021 season, despite restrictions, James performed the role of Ormondo in Rossini’s L’inganno felice with two companies, Opera Southwest and Sarasota Opera. For Sarasota Opera’s 2020 season, James was the cover for Frère Laurent in Romeo et Juliete and for Alcindoro in La bohème. In 2019, James performed as the High Priest of Baal in Nabucco and the 2nd Armored Guard in Die Zauberflöte with Sarasota Opera. In summer of 2019, following a successful run as Dr. Grenvil in La traviata in 2018 with Cincinnati Opera, James returned to Cincinnati as Truffaldino in Ariadne auf Naxos. During 2019, James also performed the familiar roles of Dr. Grenvil in La traviata and Colline in La bohème with Cleveland Opera Theater. A native of Cleveland, James received his M.M. in Vocal Performance at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville studying with Andrew Wentzel and his B.M. in Vocal Performance from The Ohio State University studying with Robin Rice.

JOHNATHAN STANFORD WHITE, Spoletta

Tenor, Johnathan Stanford White began his opera studies at the College of Charleston while working on his BA in Vocal Performance. In 2011, he was selected to sing at the Jussi Bjorling Centennial Celebration at Gustavus College at the Jussi Bjorling Concert Hall. Since moving to Charlotte in 2013, Johnathan has become a staple in the classical music scene. After making his Opera Carolina debut in Turandot as the Emperor in 2015, Johnathan has performed numerous roles in productions with Opera Carolina, Toledo Opera, and Opera Grand Rapids including Carmen, I Dream, Eugene Onegin, Le Nozze di Figaro, Rigoletto, Cyrano de Bergerac, La Fanciulla del West, Cosi fan Tutte, La Canterina, Fidelio, Lucia di Lammermoor, and Turandot. In addition to his operatic performances, Johnathan is also an accomplished concert soloist and has performed in Messiah, Saint Saens Christmas Oratorio, and The Seven Last Words of Christ with the Charlotte Symphony, and in 2018, he made his Anchorage Symphony Orchestra debut as tenor soloist for the Andrew Lloyd Webber Requiem. He most recently, he made his debut as Ferrando in Cosí fan tutte with Opera Grand Rapids. Johnathan is a member of Opera Carolina’s growing Resident Company and makes his principal role debut as Don Ottavio.

KENDRICK WILLIAMS, Sciarrone

Baritone, Kendrick D. Williams, holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC and a Master’s Degree in Music Performance from Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana. To date, Williams has performed several roles in operas ranging from the classical works of Mozart to the verismo operas of Puccini. He has appeared in leading roles with Claflin University Lyric Opera, Loyola University Opera, New Orleans Opera, Opera Creole, and Opera at USC. Kendrick has debuted roles in Porgy & Bess, Die Zauberflote, La Boheme, Les Contes d’Hoffman, Carmen, Gianni Schicchi & Minette Fontaine. While making appearances with the Charleston Chamber Orchestra and the Louisiana Philharmonic for oratorio works that include Handel’s Messiah and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. More recently, Williams was seen in Bernstein’s MASS with Opera at USC, soloist of debut work “GLORY”, composed by Grammy nominated flutist Valerie Coleman and soloist for Brahms Requiem, Op. 45 with Columbia Choral Society. Since then, Kendrick has relocated to Charlotte, NC where he is on resident artist with Opera Carolina, studying with Victoria Livengood.

TOSCA MEET THE RTISTS A INSIDE OPERA

JOHN FORTSON, Jailer

Basso John Fortson celebrates his third decade performing with Opera Carolina. Among his many appearances with his home company, John has performed the roles of Nouabad in Les pecheur du perls, the Mandarin in Turandot, Montano and Lodovico in Otello, and The Bonze in Madama Butterfly. He has also performed with Opera Southwest in New Mexico, Piedmont Opera Theater in Winston- Salem, Central Piedmont Opera Theatre, and The Charlotte Symphony, and will be returning to Opera Carolina in the spring as The Marquis in La Traviata.

EMILY JARRELL URBANEK, Director of Music Preparation Emily Jarrell Urbanek has been Opera Carolina’s Director of Music Preparation for 15 seasons, serving as chief coach, pianist and chorus director. She is also an extra keyboardist with the Charlotte Symphony. She frequently performs chamber music with area musicians. Recent performances include Franz Schubert’s “Trout” Quintet and Fanny Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio Op. 11 with the Bechtler Ensemble, and Dvorak’s Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81, with the principal strings of the Charlotte Symphony in a collaboration with the Charlotte Ballet entitled Ibsen’s House. Emily recently conducted a joint production of Derrick Wang’s Scalia/Ginsburg for Opera Carolina and Opera Grand Rapids, as well as Opera Carolina’s March 2022 performances of Zach Redler and Jerre Dye’s new opera, The Falling and the Rising. Since 2007 Emily has been on the musical staff of the Chautauqua Opera, and she has also served as repetiteur for a variety of companies, including New York City Opera, San Diego Opera, Austin Opera, Fort Worth Opera Festival, New Orleans Opera, and Kentucky Opera.

MICHAEL BAUMGARTEN, Director of Production/ Resident Lighting and Video Designer Opera Carolina’s Director of Production and Lighting Designer since 2005, Michael Baumgarten has designed lighting for more than 400 opera productions at regional and international opera companies, including, New York City Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Opera Lyra Ottawa, Manitoba Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Austin Opera, Arizona Opera, Lyric Opera Kansas City, Palm Beach Opera, Toledo Opera, Opera Grand Rapids, Michigan Opera Theater and Virginia Opera. A graduate of the Yale School of Drama and member of United Scenic Artists-Local 829, Mr. Baumgarten has also served as Director of Production and Resident Lighting Designer for Chautauqua Opera since 1999. Equally at home with digital design and innovative technologies, he has designed and created new digital imagery for over fifteen Opera Carolina productions including Turandot, Les pêcheurs de perles, Nabucco, Macbeth, Roméo et Juliette, La fanciulla del West, and I Dream.

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