Yale Opera Scenes

OPERA

SCENES November 2-3, 2012

presented by

Yale Opera

Doris Yarick Cross, artistic director

Robert Blocker, Dean

Yale Opera presents

OPERA

SCENES friday: Il barbiere di Siviglia, Werther, Manon, L’elisir d’amore & Carmen saturday: La Bohème, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Otello, Les pêcheurs de perles & The Pirates of Penzance

Morse Recital Hall in Sprague Memorial Hall

november 2 & 3, 2012 fri & sat · 7:30 pm

douglas dickson · timothy shaindlin musical preparation & direction hans nieuwenhuis stage director valerie m. webster costume designer william b. warfel lighting designer wendall k. harrington projection design supervisor Projections designed by students of the Yale School of Drama projection design program

Friday, November 2

Il barbiere di Siviglia Excerpts from Act 1 Music by Gioachino Rossini Performed in Italian with projected English translation Musical direction by Douglas Dickson Projection design by Brian Dudkiewicz With Arash Noori, guitar Cast, in order of vocal appearance Figaro Count Almaviva Rosina Bartolo Basilio

brian vu, baritone nikhil navkal, tenor aleksandra romano, mezzo-soprano alexander hahn, bass-baritone david leigh, bass

Scene 1 Setting: A small town in Spain, early morning.

After his morning workout, Figaro heads to his barbershop.

Scene 2 Setting: Rosina’s room in the house of her tutor, Don Bartolo.

Friday, November 2

Werther Excerpt from Act III Music by Jules Massenet Performed in French with projected English translation Musical direction by Timothy Shaindlin Projection design by Michael Bergmann

Cast, in order of vocal appearance Charlotte Sophie

vivien shotwell, mezzo-soprano claudia rosenthal, soprano

Setting: Elegant house in France, Christmas Eve, 1875.

Charlotte has recently married Albert. She has not seen her former lover, Werther, for many months, but received many letters from him‌.

Friday, November 2

Manon Excerpt from Act I Music by Jules Massenet Performed in French with projected English translation Musical direction by Timothy Shaindlin Projection design by Benjamin Ehrenreich

Cast, in order of vocal appearance Lescaut Manon Des Grieux

stephen daniel, baritone jenna siladie, soprano esteban cordero, tenor

Setting: Hotel lobby in Amiens, France, 1875.

Young Manon is being sent to a convent and is waiting for her cousin to escort her.

intermission

Friday, November 2

L’elisir d’amore Excerpt from Act II Music by Gaetano Donizetti Performed in Italian with projected English translation Musical direction by Douglas Dickson Projection design by Oliver Wason

Cast, in order of vocal appearance Adina Dulcamara Nemorino

catherine affleck mcphail, soprano alexander hahn, bass-baritone galeano salas, tenor

Setting: Small town in Italy, late afternoon.

Adina, having previously ignored the farmer boy, Nemorino, is now smitten with him and vies for his affection. Therefore she seeks consultation from the “Doctor” Dulcamara, who promotes love potions…

Friday, November 2

Carmen Excerpt from Act II Music by Georges Bizet Performed in French with projected English translation Musical direction by Timothy Shaindlin Projection design by Christopher Ash

Cast, in order of vocal appearance Don José Carmen Zuniga Remendado Dancaïro Frasquita Mercédès Chorus

esteban cordero, tenor kelly hill, mezzo-soprano david leigh, bass galeano salas, tenor brian vu, baritone jenna siladie, soprano aleksandra romano, mezzo-soprano tutti

Setting: A cheap inn located in Seville, Spain, just before sunrise.

Carmen awaits the newly-freed soldier, José, whom she met some time ago. He had been imprisoned after helping Carmen to escape her own arrest.

Saturday, November 3

I Capuleti e i Montecchi Excerpt from Act II Music by Vincenzo Bellini Performed in Italian with projected English translation Musical direction by Timothy Shaindlin Projection design by Reid Thompson

Cast, in order of vocal appearance Giulietta Lorenzo Capellio Romeo Tebaldo

alison king, soprano david leigh, bass stephen daniel, baritone vivien shotwell, mezzo-soprano galeano salas, tenor

Scene 1 Setting: Giulietta’s room in Verona, Italy, 13 th Century.

Despite her betrothal to Tebaldo, Giulietta has fallen madly in love with Romeo, a member of the rival family. She is anxiously trying to devise a way to escape her wedding with Tebaldo that is to take place the following morning.

Scene 2 Setting: Outside Giulietta’s house, almost directly afterward Romeo awaits Lorenzo to bring word of Giulietta , but her father has prevented Lorenzo from delivering the message to Romeo. He is instead confronted by Tebaldo…

Saturday, November 3

Otello Act III Music by Gioachino Rossini Performed in Italian with projected English translation Musical direction by Timothy Shaindlin Projection design by Carmen Martinez

Cast, in order of vocal appearance Desdemona Emilia Gondolier Otello Doge Elmiro Rodrigo

claudia rosenthal, soprano kelly hill, mezzo-soprano galeano salas, tenor (offstage) nikhil navkal, tenor brian vu, baritone stephen daniel, baritone galeano salas, tenor

Setting: Bedroom of Desdemona in Venice, Italy, 16 th Century.

General Otello was falsely informed that his beloved Desdemona had been unfaithful. With premonitions of their doomed future, Desdemona awaits Otello who has been blinded by jealousy.

Saturday, November 3

La Bohème Act IV Music by Giacomo Puccini Performed in Italian with projected English translation Musical direction by Douglas Dickson Projection design by Nicholas Hussong

Cast, in order of vocal appearance Marcello Rodolfo Schaunard Colline Musetta Mimì

nathan milholin, baritone esteban cordero, tenor brian vu, baritone alexander hahn, bass-baritone jenna siladie, soprano catherine affleck mcphail, soprano

Setting: Rooftop in Paris, on a summer day in 1955.

The artists, Rodolfo and Marcello, discuss their lovers who have abandoned them for wealthier interests. Rodolfo and his ex, Mimi, had always had a very tumultuous relationship partly due to Mimi’s severe and fatal illness.

intermission

Saturday, November 3

Les pêcheurs de perles Excerpt from Act III Music by Georges Bizet Performed in French with projected English translation Musical direction by Timothy Shaindlin Projection design by Reid Thompson

Cast, in order of vocal appearance Zurga Leïla

nathan milholin, baritone alison king, soprano

Setting: Sri Lanka, present day, after midnight.

Zurga has convicted his friend, Nadir, to death after Nadir had broken an oath to avoid contact and intimacy with the priestess, Leïla.

Saturday, November 3

The Pirates of Penzance Excerpts from Act II Music by Arthur Sullivan, libretto by W.S. Gilbert Performed in English Musical direction by Douglas Dickson Projection design by Meredith Ries

Cast, in order of vocal appearance Mabel Frederic Major General Sergeant Policemen Edith Pirate King Ruth Pirates Daughters

catherine affleck mcphail, soprano nikhil navkal, tenor stephen daniel, baritone david leigh, bass esteban cordero, galeano salas, tenors claudia rosenthal, sopranos alexander hahn, bass-baritone kelly hill, mezzo-soprano nathan milholin, brian vu, baritones alison king, jenna siladie, sopranos aleksandra romano, vivien shotwell, mezzo-sopranos

Setting: A church ruin in England during the reign of Queen Victoria.

Young Frederic has celebrated his 21 st birthday and therefore the end of his apprenticeship as a pirate. He has returned home to see his beloved, Mabel, and her father, the Major General.

Biographies

Hans Nieuwenhuis Stage Director

Hans Nieuwenhuis studied law at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam before devoting his professional life to the theater as an actor, writer, and ultimately as a stage director. His international career started in 1981 with the staging the U.S. premiere of Philip Glass’s Satyagraha for the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Art Park Festival (Lewiston, NY). Since then, he directed more then 90 productions around the world. He has directed productions with L’Opera de Nice, the Canadian Opera Company, San Francisco Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera Omaha, Lincoln Center, Opera Studio Nederland, and Bangkok Opera. Mr. Nieuwenhuis has collaborated with many renowned conductors, including Richard Bonynge, Christopher Keene, Edo de Waart, Hans Vonk, Nicholas McGegan, Jean Fournet, and Ton Koopman. Recent projects included Dido and Aeneas for Opera Zuid in Holland and L’Opera Royal de Wallonie in Belgium, Le Nozze di Figaro for Hawaii Opera, Die Fledermaus for IOP Opera (Netherlands & Belgium) and Così fan tutte for Opera Studio Nederland.

During the last three decades, Hans Nieuwenhuis has devoted himself to aspiring young opera singers: he has taught and directed for the San Francisco Opera Merola and Adler Fellow Program, Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Yale University and Michigan University in the USA, the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble in Toronto and McGill University in Montreal, the music conservatories in Utrecht, Amsterdam and Maastricht in the Netherlands, the conservatories in Yinchuan and Chengdu in China, and the Tchaikovsky Conservatorium in Moscow. He is a regular guest teacher at the Opera Studio of the National Theatre in Tokyo. Hans previously directed Bluebeard’s Castle for Yale Opera.

Nieuwenhuis was founder and, from 1992 to 2011, General Director of Opera Studio Nederland.

The Opera Studio, funded by the Dutch government, offers an extensive training program for a select group of young singers from around the world. Currently Mr. Nieuwenhuis is General Director of the Orfeo Foundation, an international organization established to promote collaboration between young artists programs around the world and to advising young opera singers. Hans was recently appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands for his work in opera, theater, and music.

Douglas Dickson

Musical Direction and Accompaniment Douglas Dickson received his B.A. degree from Princeton University and his M.M.A. from the Yale School of Music. On various occasions the Washington Post has called him an “intelligent, sensitive” pianist with “superb technique,” a “skillful pianist,” and has praised him for the “finely integrated oneness” he achieves as an accompanist. Mr. Dickson has performed in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and South America in venues ranging from Japan’s Expo Hall to the Cincinnati Coliseum.

While still in college, he was the accompanist for the American Boychoir. As part of Duodecaphonia, a prize-winning piano duo, he has performed at the Kennedy Center and elsewhere. Mr. Dickson has been music director for productions at Quinnipiac University, the Yale School of Drama, Opera Theater of Connecticut, and Connecticut Experimental Theater. He was music director and conductor for Yale Opera’s production of Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, and he conducted a

Biographies

concert featuring Yale Opera with the Orchestra Verdi in Milan. He has taught at Quinnipiac University since 1993, and joined the Yale faculty in 1998. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in an all-Ives concert at Weill Recital Hall. For Naxos, he has recorded more than eighty Charles Ives songs.

Timothy Shaindlin

Musical Direction and Accompaniment A native of New York City, Timothy Shaindlin joined the Yale School of Music faculty in 2008.

After studies at The Juilliard School and Indiana University, he worked for the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, San Diego Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, and Pittsburgh Opera. He has also coached for Glimmerglass Opera, Sarasota Opera, and Hawaii Opera Theatre.

In Europe, he worked for Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu and played master classes for Tito Gobbi. He has played classes and coachings for such artists as Joan Sutherland, Birgit Nilsson, Beverly Sills, Marilyn Horne, Natalie Dessay, Ben Heppner, Luciano Pavarotti, Eleanor Steber, Samuel Ramey, Regine Crespin, Thomas Hampson, and Frederica von Stade.

Mr. Shaindlin’s work on the podium includes conducting engagements with the Wolf Trap Opera Festival, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Pittsburgh Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Chicago Light Opera Works, and Eugene Opera.

He has assisted such renowned conductors as Christoph Eschenbach, Sir Andrew Davis, Daniel Barenboim, Valery Gergiev, Richard Bonynge, Bruno Bartoletti, Donato Renzetti, Louis Langrée, Edoardo Müller, Yves Abel, Daniele Gatti, Antonio Pappano, and Paul Gemignani.

William B. Warfel Lighting Designer

William B. Warfel has done lighting design and production management for over 30 Yale Opera productions since 1978. He was Co-chair of Design and Professor of Lighting at the Yale School of Drama from 1967 to 1993 and is currently in private practice as a lighting designer and theater consultant in Hamden, CT. A graduate of both Yale College and the School of Drama, Mr. Warfel taught at Dartmouth College and Long Island University and worked in the lighting profession in New York City prior to returning to the New Haven area. He has lectured and taught in Finland, China, Egypt, Iceland and Sweden and has worked on consulting projects in Scotland, Nigeria, and Ecuador.

Mr. Warfel is a founding member of the International Association of Lighting Designers.

Valerie M. Webster Costume Designer

Valerie M. Webster’s work has been seen at many regional theaters, in film, and on television. Her design credits include Giasone, Scipione afficano, La finta pazza (Yale Baroque Opera Project); Our Town (Yale Dramat); Into the Woods, Rhinoceros, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Caucasiona Chalk Circle, Godspell, and The Other Shore/The Serpent (ACES ECA); Sylvia, Black Nativity (Long Wharf Theatre); My Way, Fully Committed (Arkansas Repertory Theatre); Romeo and Juliet, Histoire du soldat (Arkansas Symphony Orchestra); Arkansas Alive, Heroes and Villains (ART Arts in Education Tour); and the feature film Solas 9. Valerie makes her home in West Haven but can be found full-time in New Haven as the costume shop manager at Long Wharf Theatre and an elective teacher in the theatre department at ACES ECA. Valerie previously designed costumes for Yale Opera’s production of Dido and Aeneas and The Scarf.

Biographies

Wendall K. Harrington

Projection Design Supervisor Wendall K. Harrington’s career has embraced diverse disciplines including projection design for theatre, publishing, and video production.

Broadway designs include: Driving Miss Daisy, Grey Gardens, They’re Playing Our Song, The Elephant Man, My One and Only, The Heidi Chronicles, The Will Rogers Follies, Having Our Say, Company, Racing Demon, Ragtime, John Leguizamo’s Freak, The Capeman, Putting it Together, and The Who’s Tommy. Off-Broadway work includes: Angels in America, Hapgood, A Christmas Carol at the Paramount; Merrily We Roll Along (three times!), and the ill-fated Whistle Down the Wind. Opera design: Julie Taymor’s The Magic Flute in Florence, Italy; A View from the Bridge at Chicago Lyric and the Met, Die Gezeichneten at L.A. Opera, The Photographer at BAM, Transatlantic, Grapes of Wrath, Rusalka, and Wuthering Heights for Minnesota Opera.

Ms. Harrington is the recipient of the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the American Theatre Wing Award, the TCI Award for Technical Achievement, and the Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Projections. Ms. Harrington has been lecturing on Projection Design for the Yale School of Drama since the early ’90s.

Student Profiles

Catherine Affleck McPhail soprano B.A. Bishops University; M.M. University of British Columbia; Artist Diploma, The Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music

Esteban Cordero tenor

Nikhil Navkal tenor B.M. Indiana University; M.M. Mannes College of Music; Young Artist Programs: Central City Opera

Aleksandra Romano mezzo-soprano

B.M. Conservatoria de MĂşsica de Puerto Rico

B.A. Bard College; Young Artist Programs: Aspen Music Festival, Wolf Trap Opera

Stephen Daniel baritone

Claudia Rosenthal soprano

B.M. Westminster Choir College of Rider University

Alexander Hahn bass B.M. Mannes College of Music; M.M. Yale University; Young Artist Programs: Chautauqua Opera

Kelly Hill mezzo-soprano

B.A. Yale College; B.M. Hartt School; M.M. Mannes College of Music; Young Artist Programs: Wolf Trap Opera

Galeano Salas tenor B.M. University of Houston; Young Artist Programs: Wolf Trap Opera, Central City Opera

B.M. University of Northern Iowa; M.M. Yale University; Young Artist Programs: Santa Fe Opera, Central City Opera

Vivien Shotwell mezzo-soprano

Alison King soprano

Jenna Siladie soprano

B.M. University of Southern California; Young Aritst Programs: Music Academy of the West

David Leigh bass B.A. Yale College; M.M. Mannes College of Music; Young Artist Programs: Chautauqua Opera

Nathan Milholin baritone B.M. University of North Carolina School of the Arts; Young Artist Programs: Central City Opera

B.A., Williams College; M.A., University of Iowa; Young Artist Programs: Calgary Opera

B.M. Stetson University; Young Artist Programs: Franz Schubert Institute, Baden bie Wien

Brian Vu baritone B.A. UCLA; Young Artist Programs: Chautauqua Institution Voice Program, Wolf Trap Opera

Yale Opera Production Staff

hans nieuwenhuis Stage Director

melissa erdman Properties Master and Designer

valerie webster Costume Designer

doug harry Master Electrician

william b. warfel Lighting Designer

caitlin headley Wardrobe Manager

erika niemi Manager

nicholas hussong Projection Programmer and Operator

katrina lynn olson Production Coordinator

jill brunelle Surtitle Operator

richard a. leigh Stage Manager

kelly hill, galeano salas, jenna siladie Student Assistants

Special Thanks

John Roach Yale School of Drama Long Wharf Theatre Southern Connecticut State University Wendall K. Harrington and her projection design students Rick Sordelet

Yale Opera 2012-13 Season

Liederabend december 4 Morse Recital Hall | Tue | 8 pm An evening of Russian song featuring the rising stars of Yale Opera. Free admission.

I Capuleti e i Montecchi february 15-17 Shubert Theater | Fri & Sat, 8 pm | Sun, 2 pm Yale Opera announces a new production of Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi, conducted

by Speranza Scappucci and directed by Marc Verzatt. Tickets available at www.shubert.com or 203 562-5666.

Master Class with Alan Held february 27 Morse Recital Hall | Tue | 7 pm The renowned bass-baritone from the Metropolitan Opera works with students in the Yale Opera program. Free admission.

Iolanta may 3 & 4 Morse Recital Hall | Fri & Sat | 8 pm Yale Opera presents a new production of Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta, with stage direction by Michael Gieleta and musical direction

by Timothy Shaindlin.

Tickets available through the concert office.

Doris Yarick Cross, Artistic Director presents

music by VINCENZO BELLINI

SPERANZA SCAPPUCCI, CONDUCTOR MARC VERZATT, STAGE DIRECTOR WITH THE PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA OF YALE

February 15-16, 2013 | 8:00 p.m.

February 17, 2013 | 2:00 p.m.

Tickets $19–41 Shubert Theater |

247 College Street, New Haven

203-562-5666 | 800-228-6622 www.shubert.com | Robert Blocker, Dean | music.yale.edu

Upcoming Events

Lunchtime Chamber Music

Yale Schola Cantorum

november 7

november 10

Morse Recital Hall | Wed |12:30 pm Music for a colorful variety of ensembles.

Free admission.

Christ Church Episcopal | Sat | 5 pm Institute of Sacred Music Bach Cantatas. Masaaki Suzuki, conductor; with members of the Yale Baroque Ensemble.

Free admission.

Boris Berman, piano november 7

Members of the Yale Baroque Ensemble

Morse Recital Hall | Wed | 8 pm Horowitz Piano Series A Hundred Years Back: music written 1912–1913

by Scriabin, Prokofiev, and Debussy.

Tickets $12–22 | Students $6-9

Jian Liu, piano

november 13 15 Hillhouse Avenue | Tue | 5:30 pm Collection of Musical Instruments Featuring Holly Piccoli, violin, and David Fung, keyboards. Free admission.

Yale Brass Trio

november 8 Morse Recital Hall | Thu | 8 pm Doctor of Musical Arts Recital Musical fantasies by C.P.E. Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven, and Liszt.

Free admission.

november 14 15 Hillhouse Avenue | Tue | 5:30 pm Faculty Artist Series Music of the Italian Renaissance and by Plog, Francaix, Jongen, and Gabaye. Free admission.

Concerts: Krista Johnson, Carol Jackson, Julie Blindauer Communications: Dana Astmann, Monica Ong Reed, Austin Kase Operations: Tara Deming, Chris Melillo Piano Curators: Brian Daley, William Harold Recording Studio: Eugene Kimball WSHU 91.1 fm is the media sponsor of Yale Opera and the Yale School of Music.

P.O. Box 208246, New Haven, CT · 203 432-4158

Robert Blocker, Dean

music.yale.edu