2014 Opera Insider - Central City Opera

Opera Insider
Central City Opera
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2014 Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
Anschutz Foundation
Virginia W. Hill Foundation
Mabel Y. Hughes Foundation
JK Mullen Foundation
Marcia L. Ragonetti Arts Education Fund
The Schlessman Family Foundation
Schramm Foundation
Henry R. Schwier Charitable Fund
Galen and Ada Belle Spencer Foundation
The Weckbaugh Foundation
Anonymous
Earl D. and Julia A. Banks
Mr. and Mrs. Donald E. Beauregard
Marie Lindvall
Carl and Deborah Morrow
Ms. Emily Murdock
Carol and Ron Naff
Andrew and Karen Ritz
Erin Joy Swank
Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
So what IS opera?
Opera is telling a story. Take some interesting people, add in a little adventure, some love, or even
some hate; put it all in an interesting place, and maybe an interesting time, and you’ve got a story fit for an
opera.
Opera is drama. Take the story you’ve
chosen and put the words into dialogue for actors to
say. Tell the story in a creative way and add in some
heroes and heroines or queens and kings. Maybe a
monster—or four. Make sure there is a clear conflict in
the story that the characters must overcome. Put your
actors in costumes and makeup, and put them on a
stage with some great scenery in order to illuminate
the characters.
Opera is music. Write some fantastic music
for your play. Instead of having the actors speak, have
them sing…everything! When they get really happy or
mad, have them sing high and loud! When they are
trying to express an important emotion, let them sing
something longer to show off a little. Add in an
orchestra to accompany them and to help set the
mood of your show.
Opera is spectacle. Add a little razzledazzle! How about a parade of elephants? Or an
earthquake or a dragon! Have lots of capable people
backstage to help you manage all of that. The sky (and
your budget) is the limit!
Rosina, Count Almaviva, and Figaro in The Barber of Seville (2013)
Photo by Mark Kiryluk.
Add all four of these things together and you’ve got…
…an opera!
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Central City Opera
Etiquette for the Opera
Opera is a great opportunity to get dressed up and lots of people still do, although Colorado is known for being
comfortable and relaxed. You are going to be up pretty
high in the mountains, so make sure you bring your
jacket. Central City is also known for the occasional
short-lived downpour, so it’s wise to bring an umbrella
or rain jacket.
It’s important to be on time for the opera. Arrive early
to get in your seat and read your program. It would be
a shame to miss any of the opera if you are late.
Enjoy the opera! Turn off anything that rings or beeps,
put your program and other belongings under your
seat, and please, no chatting (or singing along!).
This is your time to make a little noise — finally! The
audience will usually applaud after the overture, at the
end of each act, and sometimes if one of the singers
sings a really spectacular aria, or solo. Show your
appreciation by clapping with gusto, and shouting
“Bravo!” (for a man), and “Brava!” (for a woman).
Singers really like the positive attention.
When exactly did people start shouting this particular
word at operas? Well, it first appeared as a cheer
meaning “well done!” or “brave!” in 18th century Italian
literature, and was adopted by English speaking opera
audiences sometime in the 19th century when Italian
opera was very popular in England. As a matter of fact, some singers would hire a claque (French for “applause”) to
applaud their performance wildly, hopefully convincing the rest of the audience of their greatness!
Oh yes, there have definitely been times when opera singers have been booed, though we at the Opera Insider
certainly think you will be shouting “Bravo” while sitting in the Central City Opera House! Showing operatic
disapproval in the form of a loud “Boo!” first appeared in the 19th century and was supposed to sound like oxen
lowing. Booing at an opera is much more likely to be found in Europe, where opera-going is treated more like a
sporting event. Some opera attendees, like the loggionisti at La Scala in Milan, are so fanatical about exactly how an
opera should be sung, they’ve managed to boo several famous singers off the stage, right in the middle of an opera!
In America, the singers are rarely booed, although at some of the larger opera houses, like the Metropolitan in New
York, opera-goers will boo the director, set and costume designers if they don’t like the way a new production looks.
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Central City Opera
Welcome to the 2014 Festival! As the company celebrates its 82nd year, we continue to look for innovative ways to
produce world-class performances in our intimate Central City Opera House and to more deeply connect with
communities throughout the Front Range.
In preparation for the 2014 Festival production Dead Man Walking, we entered new territory with the Prisons,
Compassion and Redemption Project that you can learn more about in the next section of the Opera Insider. This
series of thought-provoking events ranged from book signings to school visits to death penalty discussions. We
invited a wide variety of participants including Sister Helen Prejean, District Attorney George Brauchler and
Denver’s religious leaders.
As we look to broaden our community engagement, we will continue to create incredible productions in the Opera
House and bring the magic of songs and storytelling to communities throughout Colorado. With wide appeal to
families, musical theatre lovers, and the greater Front Range, Denver will come alive in August with the well-loved
classic, The Sound of Music, featuring Colorado Children’s Chorale members as the von Trapp children. After the
Festival, you can still experience Central City Opera year-round through events and performances throughout the
state, How Green Was My Valley, this August in Colorado Springs, as well as a very special production of Amahl and
the Night Visitors in early December at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Highlands Ranch.
The 2015 Summer Season will offer five productions including Verdi’s La Traviata, Leigh’s The Man of La Mancha,
Auerbach’s The Blind, Britten’s The Prodigal Son and Don Quixote and the Duchess by Boismortier. You can
experience them in Central City and also find them in unexpected spaces beyond the Opera House itself.
Thank you for joining us for the 2014 Festival! It promises to continue the tradition of delivering an experience like
no other, while at the same time surprising you with a rich cross-section of stories told through song.
Nancy Parker
Chairman of the Board
2014 Opera Insider
Pelham G. Pearce
General/Artistic Director
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Central City Opera
by Deborah Morrow, Director of Education & Community Engagement
Central City Opera has a long history of community partnerships and engagement. The company has toured
throughout Colorado since the 1970s, offering concerts, school programs and, occasionally, full productions,
partnering with local colleges, arts councils and recreation districts. Wyoming was added to the touring
territory in the 1990s and we enjoy an ever-expanding presence there. Year-round programs have been
offered in the Denver metropolitan area through our entire 82-year history: plays, full operas, concerts,
forums, lectures, workshops and thousands of school programs.
The Mizel Arts and
Culture Center, Central City Opera, Colorado
Symphony, Ballet Nouveau (now Wonderbound), the
Newman Center, Colorado Public Radio and Colorado
College came together in 2013 to create and present a
profoundly moving performance of opera, dance and
klezmer (a musical tradition of Jewish culture)
demonstrating the resilience of spirit during and after
heartrending tragedy (in this case, the Holocaust).
Reactions at the post-performance talkback revealed
what an exceptional artistic experience this
collaboration generated; nearly the entire audience
remained in their seats to participate in or listen to the discussion.
Jake Heggie (composer of Dead
Man Walking) and Sister Helen Prejean (whose book was the basis for the 1995 film
and the opera) came to Denver to participate in multiple community events in March
2014. Event partners included the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law, the
Glendale Chamber of Commerce, the Jewish Community Center, Colorado Springs
Conservatory and the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Denver. A symposium panel of
distinguished community members with Sister Helen and Mr. Heggie offered various
views on capital punishment and responded to questions from an audience of 150;
the 1995 film was screened followed by a talkback with Sr. Prejean; Mr. Heggie led a
master class for young performers at the Colorado Springs Conservatory; Heggie and
Sr. Prejean were interviewed for radio and television and met with students, donors,
and other interested parties in multiple settings.
Additional events April through June included an Interfaith Religious Round Table discussion, previews of the
opera, a panel discussion on sex, violence and language on the stage in partnership with Curious Theatre, and
book club discussions. Still to come is Central City Days: Divas and Desperados* – a lighthearted event on July
13 and 19 before performances of Dead Man Walking.
*www.centralcityopera.org/ccdays
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Central City Opera
August 14 and 15, Colorado Springs
World premiere of a new music theatre work by Roger Ames (Central
City Opera Composer in Residence) and Librettist Elizabeth Bassine
CCO partners with the Colorado Springs Conservatory, Chamber
Orchestra of the Springs and the Syracuse Pops Chorus to present this
beloved coming-of-age story of Huw Morgan— the youngest son in a
family of Welsh coalminers in the early 1900s. In a shifting world, as slag
and corruption cover his beloved Valley, he learns that courage, love and
family will always endure. Based on Richard Llewellyn’s beloved novel
(and the Academy-Award-winning 1941 film), this sweeping saga has
been now been turned into song.
The connection to Central City history makes this piece even more
relevant; Welsh and Cornish miners, who left Great Britain in similar
situations, were responsible for much of the development of Gilpin County’s mining interests, cultural
development and the building of the Central City Opera House.
December 5 and 6, Highlands Ranch
Beloved holiday opera by Gian Carlo Menotti
A young boy’s open heart brings on a miracle.
Stay tuned for more exciting community events in 2015.
Visit www.CentralCityOpera.org to see what we’re up to
next!
Ask THE O
Dear Octavio,
Why is there an opera about the death penalty? I’m not sure I want an opera
telling me how to think about crime and punishment.
—Apprehensive Audience member
Dear Apprehensive Audience member,
I hear your concerns and welcome them. But the opera Dead Man Walking is actually not about the death
penalty. In the words of the composer, Jake Heggie, the opera is really about human emotions and acts: love,
compassion, forgiveness and redemption. The death penalty serves as the catalyst and canvas for these
emotions. In fact, the inmate’s guilt is never in question because the very first scene in the opera is the crime
taking place on stage. This frees the audience to concentrate not on guilt or innocence, but rather on the
relationships playing out onstage between the murderer, the spiritual advisor, the murderer’s mother, and the
victims’ parents. Dead Man Walking is a fascinating, heart-wrenching drama that invites the audience to focus
on questions of humanity, not of crime and punishment.
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Central City Opera
Photo by Mark and Kristen Sink.
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte (after La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro by Pierre Beaumarchais)
Premiered in 1786, Vienna
America was already in the midst of revolution (and France was about to follow) when Mozart’s opera premiered. The
play upon which it was based was already banned in France and Austria; the playwright Pierre Beaumarchais had the
audacity to turn tradition on its head by creating servant characters who prevail over their masters. Kings and Emperors
didn’t take that kindly. Although Mozart and Da Ponte supposedly removed all of the “political” content from their opera
in deference to their patron, the Emperor Joseph II, the revolutionary plot of servant besting master remained. Not only
that, but women gained the upper hand (even more in the opera than the play) – revolutionary all around for 1786.
Couple Mozart’s brilliant music with a delicious and funny tale of intrigue and reconciliation, and you get one of the
greatest operas of all time, The Marriage of Figaro.
All of the action happens in one day in and around the Almaviva castle near
Seville, Spain.
Figaro— head servant in Count Almaviva’s household; he’s about to marry Susanna
Susanna – personal servant to the Countess; the Count also desires her but she
has refused him
Count Almaviva – a wealthy royal; he keeps delaying Figaro and Susanna’s wedding in order to pursue her
Countess – wife of the Count; she is well aware of and deeply unhappy about his womanizing
Cherubino – page to the Count (pants role*); a teenage boy who is in love with women – ALL women, but particularly the
Countess; the Count has caught him in several suspicious situations
Don Bartolo – a Doctor from Seville; Figaro outwitted him a few years back, enabling Bartolo’s ward, Rosina (now the
Countess) to marry the Count instead of Bartolo; Bartolo wants revenge
Marcellina – previously Bartolo’s housekeeper; she loaned money to Figaro and claims he hasn’t paid it back, so must
marry her
Don Basilio – music teacher in the castle; quite a gossip
Antonio – gardener for the castle; likes to drink
Barbarina – Antonio’s daughter; she has been playing around with Cherubino, but the Count also has an eye for her
Peasant girls; other servants and townspeople
* Check out “Words to know before you go” on page 50 to find out more about pants roles.
Opera Insider
Central City Opera
Shall I see one of my servants happy, while
I languish? And must he possess a treasure
which I desire in vain? - Count Almaviva
Conductor: Adrian Kelly
Director: Alessandro Talevi
CAST
Figaro: Michael Sumuel
Susanna: Anna Christy
Count Almaviva: Edward Parks
Countess: Sinéad Mulhern
Cherubino: Tamara Gura
Bartolo: Thomas Hammons
Marcellina: Claire Shackleton
Basilio: Joseph Gaines
Performance Dates:
Matinees at 2:30 pm: July 2, 4, 6, 8, 15*, 16, 20, 22, 26
Evenings at 8:00 pm: June 28; July 10, 12, 18
Performed in Italian with English supertitles.
Venue: Central City Opera House
*Nina Odescalchi Kelly Family Matinee.
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Central City Opera
Interviewed by Deborah Morrow
Soprano roles in many operas tend to be victims, either of death or circumstance. The Countess in The
Marriage of Figaro has to endure both the loss of her husband’s love, and his philandering. This is made
even worse by the fact that his newest target is her personal maid, Susanna. You are known for creating
strong and complex characters rather than simple tragic figures— so how do you approach the role of
the Countess?
Firstly, the Countess...she is such a curious character because so often she comes across as spineless and
somehow trapped in a loveless marriage. For me, one has to begin with the glorious section at the end of
the opera where the Count expresses remorse with "Contessa, perdono...."* For me, Mozart has
underlined the love between the Count and Countess by giving both of them this beautiful, lyrical and very
touching musical line. We must understand the context of the period and the fact that it would have been
entirely acceptable for the nobility to participate in such extracurricular activity! We must also remember,
however, that the Countess was Rosina in The Barber of Seville and had not imagined that she would find
herself in this situation. She does feel humiliated and perhaps the timeless dilemma of her fading youth
makes her question her attractiveness. Cherubino's interest in her really boosts her ego which helps her
self-confidence immensely. It gives her the courage to move the plans forward on her terms to catch the
Count in flagrante. She is the most human of all the characters and yet I feel that very often she comes
across as weak. This is one of the things that I would most like to address in this interpretation.
Since you frequently perform both in Europe and the U.S., what are your observations about the
differences in the way opera is produced in Europe vs. the U.S.?
In general, the productions in Europe tend to be more cutting edge. Meaning, they take more chances on
trying something bold and taking the risk that it might not be successful. However, they are able to do so
because so much of their funding comes from governmental sources. It is much harder to take risks like
that in the U.S. because opera companies are so dependent on their sponsors and subscribers. Saying that,
I find it wonderful that there are so many premieres happening in the U.S. at the moment. This is very
uplifting and shows that opera companies are changing their strategies and this seems to be paying off in
terms of audiences and keeping the art form relevant.
*Learn more about “Contessa, perdono” in our section “What to Listen for in The Marriage of Figaro” on page 14.
Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
Sinéad Mulhern as The Governess in
The Turn of the Screw (2012).
Photos by Mark Kiryluk.
You participated in Central City Opera’s Artists Training Program when you were quite young, and later were a
member of the Paris Opéra’s young artist program, the Centre de Formation Lyrique. How did these
experiences impact your development and career?
Being a young artist at Central City was an experience that I will never forget, as it was the first time that I ever
performed a major role and the first time that I ever sang with orchestra! To add to it all, I went on as a cover
with two hours notice! It was incredibly exciting and I was given such support. It was unforgettable!
Going to the Paris Opera as a young artist was also a fantastic experience, it allowed me to experience firsthand
how a major opera house functions and how professional singers work within it. It also afforded me the
opportunity to sing small roles and cover major roles. It was very formative and introduced me to the musical
world in Europe.
You performed the role of the Governess in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw for Central City Opera in 2012 in a
production directed by Alessandro Talevi. He will also direct The Marriage of Figaro. Any thoughts to share
about working with Alessandro?
Working with Alessandro is an absolute treat and
one of the reasons why I was so drawn to this
production. He is a dream of a director for singers
for several reasons. Firstly, he has such strong ideas
about his concept but within that is very flexible
about adapting things to the singers' strengths. He is
tireless and has a level of energy in rehearsals which
is unparalleled and this keeps everybody very
focused. His attention to detail is phenomenal and
he is always looking to improve the smallest
moment or timing. He also understands music in a
way that is unusual for a director and he
understands its structure and how it affects both
singing and the drama. I am so interested to see
Another glimpse of 2012’s The Turn of the Screw: Ms. Mulhern
what he has in mind for this masterpiece that is Le
is pictured with Maria Zifchak (left) as Mrs. Grose; Ms. Zifchak
nozze di Figaro!
performs in both Dead Man Walking and The Sound of Music
this summer and is also featured on page 44 of this publication.
2014 Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
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Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
What to Listen for in
The Marriage of Figaro
by Emily Murdock
Ever since The Marriage of Figaro premiered at Vienna’s Burgtheater in 1786 with Mozart himself conducting from the
fortepiano, it has been a roaring success. Emperor Joseph II, while noting that he didn’t like how many times an aria
was encored because of how much the audience applauded, did request a special performance at the Hapsburg palace
just one month after the premiere. According to Operabase.com, it has consistently placed amongst the top 10 operas
most performed around the world. Clearly there is something special about this opera. Read on for a few suggestions
of what to listen for in The Marriage of Figaro.
The Plot is Always Moving Forward
Many people comment that the plot of The Marriage of Figaro is confusing. To this I say – remember the origins!
Beaumarchais titled his play The Mad [Crazy] Day, or The Marriage of Figaro, so it is bound to be a fast-moving,
complex plot. In order to keep up with the play, Mozart and Da Ponte threw away convention and wrote the opera so
the plot continues to move forward during the opera’s music, not just the recitative. Previously in opera, the recitative
(that part where the singer sounds like they are half speaking, half singing while accompanied by harpsichord,
fortepiano, or piano) was where all the action happened. The aria, duet, or larger ensemble numbers contained the
character’s emotional response to the action. So while the character was waxing poetic about their feelings, the
audience could take a deep breath and reflect on what had just happened. Not so in this opera! Mozart and Da Ponte
kept the action going throughout the opera, creating the Mad Day in music. For example, listen* to the Act I duet
between Figaro and Susanna, “Se a caso madama.” The whole conflict of the opera – the Count wants Susanna for
himself – is conveyed in this duet. Not all the music is bustling with fast energy, though. There are some beautiful
moments where we can pause for reflection, such as the Countess’s aria at the beginning of Act II, “Porgi amor.” But
because much of the opera’s music does move the plot forward, these more contemplative moments are even more
effective.
Music & Class Status
Mozart’s librettist for The Marriage of Figaro was Lorenzo Da Ponte. This was their first collaboration (of three), and
it’s often said that Mozart and Da Ponte were the Dream Team of opera. Da Ponte adapted Beaumarchais’s 1784 play
La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro into a tight, clever libretto. But since Da Ponte was well aware that
Beaumarchais had gotten into hot water over his politically charged play, he was careful to avoid any potentially
inciting scenes and lines in his libretto. Instead, this controversial content played out in Mozart’s music.
In the Classical era (as we now know it) of opera, it was conventional for the noble and upper class characters to sing a
recitativo accompagnato, or accompanied recitative, before their major aria. Recitativo accompagnato is recitative
that is accompanied by the full orchestra, not just the harpsichord and basso continuo (usually played by the cello). It
gives the impression that the singer is commanding the response of the orchestra or vice versa – very much a dialogue
*If you’re reading this from a printed copy, all website links are listed at the end of this article.
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Central City Opera
between the two musical entities. It was not conventional for a character of a lower class to sing this particular form.
But in The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart gave all four of his main characters – the Count, the Countess, Figaro, and
Susanna – accompanied recitative and arias. This put the servants on equal footing as their masters – an idea that was
blatantly obvious in the French play, but made more subtle in the opera. Consider also the order in which Mozart has
the characters singing their arias: the Count in Act 3, scene 4 (“Hai già vinta la causa”…”Vedrò mentre io sospiro”); the
Countess in Act 3, scene 8 (“E Susanna non vien”….”Dove sono”); Figaro in Act 4, scene 8 (“Tutto è disposto”…”Aprite
un pó quegl’occchi”); and Susanna finally in Act 4, scene 10 (“Giunse alfin il momento”…”Deh vieni non tardar”). Does
this order mean that the servants get the last word? And in addition to that, do the women get the last word over the
men? This is a possibility, and the idea very much underlines the themes in the play.
Another convention that Mozart broke is through his use of rustic meters in unexpected contexts. Rhythmic meter in
music is the organization of music into regularly recurring measures or bars of stressed and unstressed "beats.”
“Rustic” meters were those that had the feeling of triplets, like 6/8. They were to be used exclusively for lower class
characters in certain situations, like peasant dances or shepherds singing, for example. Possibly to put his two heroines
on more equal footing, Mozart uses the 6/8 meter in the famous duet between Susanna and the Countess,
“Sull’aria”…“Che soave zeffiretto,” when they are writing a letter together to deceive the Count.
It may be one of the most beautiful and serene-sounding duets of all time, yet it is in the meter of a lower class.
Mozart does this again in Susanna’s aria “Deh vieni non tardar” near the end of the opera. After singing her “noble”
accompanied recitative, Susanna sings a beautiful aria about anticipating love – set in a rustic meter while she is
dressed as the Countess. Conversely, Figaro’s aria “Se vuol ballare” in Act 1 is set to a noble dance meter, the courtly
minuet in 3/4.
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Central City Opera
Figaro sings the words “If he wants to dance, my dear little Count, I’ll play the guitar for him, indeed.” The fact
that a servant sings these impertinent words to a noble dance meter clearly turns the tables on who is in
control in this lower class/upper class relationship. These kinds of musical nuances may be lost on today’s
audiences, but they were certainly pushing boundaries in Mozart’s time.
Masterful Finales
The Act II and Act IV finales in The Marriage of Figaro are two of the most masterly crafted musical numbers in
all of opera. The Act II Finale is 25 minutes of non-stop music that is a whirlwind of activity. It starts as a duet
between the Count and Countess. Susanna joins in next to create a trio, to the Count’s great surprise. (You’ll
see why he is surprised when you watch the opera.) Then Figaro rushes in to get the wedding started, making it
a quartet. Suddenly the gardener Antonio comes onto the scene and it turns into a quintet for a while. The four
main characters succeed in getting rid of Antonio, but after a brief respite as a quartet again during which the
action stops and they each reflect on the situation, the trio of Marcellina, Bartolo, and Don Basilio march into
the room. Mozart pits the quartet against the trio until the very end when they all join together in a stormy
septet. Each character is integral to the success of this finale and brings something new to the table. This kind of
ensemble writing had never been seen before in opera and surely kept the audience at the first performance on
the edge of their seats, eager to return after intermission.
One of the most masterful aspects of the Act IV finale is how Mozart does the complete opposite of what we
are expecting by bringing the music almost to a halt near the very end. In a genius move, Mozart literally brings
the Count to his knees and has him humbly ask for the Countess’s forgiveness (“Contessa, perdono!”). He
changes the key from G minor to G major, accompanies the Count with strings and double reeds, and makes
both the Count and the audience wait for the Countess’s reaction. After she magnanimously forgives him, the
rest of the characters join them with a hymn-like ode to contentment and happiness. But instead of ending
there, Mozart snaps us out of it and finishes the opera with a grand flourish of activity, the musical transcription
of applause. Now that is a finale.
Carter, Tim. W.A. Mozart, Le Nozze Di Figaro. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1987. Print.
"Cultural Uprisings in Le Nozze Di Figaro." Academia.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.
De Acha, Rafael. "Mozart's Operas." Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
"Operabase." Operabase. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
Singher, Martial. An Interpretive Guide to Operatic Arias: A Handbook for Singers, Coaches, Teachers, and Students.
University Park: Pennsylvania State UP, 1983. Print.
"The Marriage of Figaro." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 04 Oct. 2014. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
"The Music of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro." San Diego Opera. Ed. Nicholas Reveles. San Diego Opera, n.d. Web. 18 Apr.
2014.
"Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 04 June 2014. Web. 09 Apr. 2014.
“Se a caso madama “ – Act 1, Figaro & Susanna. Sung by Bryn Terfel and Alison Hagley, conducted by John Eliot Gardiner.
http://youtu.be/zvnGzx61QBI
“Porgi amor” – Act II Aria, the Countess. Sung by Hillevi Martinpelto, conduted by John Eliot Gardiner. http://youtu.be/
Hl91eCSC5iQ
“Hai gia vinta la causa” – the Count’s accompanied recitative and aria, Act 3. Sung by Simon Keenlyside, conducted by
Riccardo Muti, Vienna, 2001: http://youtu.be/XzErPt-GKtk
“Giunse alfin il momento...Deh vieni non tardar” – Susanna’s accompanied recitative and aria, Act 4. Sung by Kathleen
Battle, conducted by James Levine, Metropolitan Opera, 1985: http://youtu.be/qUtVfUrr1rA
“Sull’aria…Che soave zeffiretto” – Duet with Countess and Susanna, Act 3. Sung by Carol Vaness and Kathleen Battle,
conducted by James Levine, Metropolitan Opera, 1985: http://youtu.be/mLIeW2StODA?t=34s
“Se vuol ballare” – Sung by Erwin Schrott, conducted by Antonio Pappano, Royal Opera House, 2006. http://youtu.be/
_i9H4HeiSGg?t=4s
Act 4 Finale “Perdono” – Featuring Rodney Gilfry (Count); Alison Hagley (Susanna); Bryn Terfel (Figaro); and Hillevi
Martinpelto (Countess), conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. http://youtu.be/BcB0Nb6_0qQ?t=2m23s
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Central City Opera
Word
Search
How many of the words below can you
find? Answers can be found horizontally,
vertically and diagonally. Stuck? The
solution can be found on page 49.
RECITATIVE
ARIA
OVERTURE
DEAD MAN
WALKING
THE SOUND OF
MUSIC
MOZART
DAPONTE
HEGGIE
MCNALLY
RODGERS
HAMMERSTEIN
EUREKA STREET
CENTRAL CITY
DUET
TRIO
ORCHESTRA
MAESTRO
SOPRANO
MEZZO
TENOR
BARITONE
BASS
DIRECTOR
COSTUME
WIG
PROPS
CURTAIN
LIGHTS
INTRIGUE
CONFLICT
DRESSING ROOM
PIANO
REHEARSAL
A F H U U R D I P B I N T R I G U E P V
M L D I J H E G G I E R N E Y V X T N Y
E I Y J Y M C N A L L Y J B B X E S I T
Z R T O U A L J H C E N T R A L C I T Y
Z D M M A E S T R O D I R E C T O R P Z
O T E K B A R I T O N E U H G Q L X G C
G H D A U E H T Z O V E R T U R E I R E
T E R Y D E U R E K A S T R E E T M T G
G S E M Y M V L I G H T S D Y C Y N R C
S O S D A H A M M E R S T E I N O J E O
O U S K X R F N Z L E W K F Z P J R H N
P N I I Z O R K W E C U R T A I N E E F
R D N Y T D R D Y A C P D D L M T C A L
A O G P E G P C N A L P I F B O R I R I
N F R I N E N O H O M K I O A Z I T S C
O M O A O R Z S J E O P I N S A O A A T
U U O N R S F T N Y S I R N S R D T L C
V S M O C R V U I W K T K O G T U I Z G
D I F Y X H K M A R I A R Y P G E V I O
I C Y Q Y H C E S N L G S A C S T E K Q
Ask THE O
Dear Octavio,
The Marriage of Figaro seems so confusing! How will I know what’s going on?
– Confused Consumer, Denver, CO
Dear Confused Consumer,
The plot of The Marriage of Figaro is confusing and complex – at first. But the opera is
basically about a few simple concepts: love and all its nuances; the power struggle between
men and women; and the lower class besting the upper class with their street smarts.
Fortunately, we have a superb supertitle system in place at the Opera House. Thomas Getty, a pianist on our music staff,
is also the supertitles creator and operator. He painstakingly goes through the score and translates the libretto into
English that is both simple to understand and is succinct enough to fit on our supertitles projection screen. But in order
to get the very most out of your opera experience, we encourage you to read our Opera Insider Study Guide to fully
educate yourself about The Marriage of Figaro before the curtain rises. Knowledge enriches every experience!
Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
Timeline: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Composer, The Marriage of Figaro
1756
Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus is born in Salzburg January 27 to
composer Leopold Mozart and his wife, Anna Maria. Their second surviving child, he later
adopts an abbreviated and translated form of his originally Latin name: Wolfgang
Amadeus (sometimes Amadé).
1761
The five-year-old writes his first composition, a minuet and trio for piano.
1762
Leopold begins a series of travels presenting Wolfgang and elder sister, Nannerl, in
concert. The children earn reputations as talented pianists.
1764-5
Wolfgang writes his first symphony in London.
1767
Wolfgang and Nannerl survive a bout with smallpox. Wolfgang’s first opera, Apollo et
Hyacinthus, is heard in Salzburg.
1769
His second opera, La finta semplice, debuts in Salzburg. Mozart – age 13 – is named third
concertmaster of the Salzburg Hofkapelle. The position carries no salary.
1770-1
During two lengthy concert tours of Italy, father and son visit numerous artistic centers.
Wolfgang is granted a papal knighthood and a private audience with the Pope. Several
operas, including Mitridate Rè di Ponto, date from these years.
1772
Hieronymus Count Colloredo becomes Prince Archbishop of Salzburg and Mozart’s
employer. Legend has it that he hated Wolfgang but he was, in fact, a major patron of
music. Perhaps he merely preferred stricter discipline than Wolfgang liked. In this same
year, Wolfgang’s opera Lucio Silla premieres in Milan.
1775
The operas La finta giardiniera and Il Rè pastore premier in Munich and Salzburg
respectively. Mozart also writes a series of five violin concerti. A talented violinist, he will
soon give up the instrument in favor of the piano.
1777
1778
1782
2014 Opera Insider
Chaperoned by his mother, Anna Maria, the 21-year-old composer embarks on a concert
tour to Mannheim and Paris. In Mannheim, he falls in love with Aloysia Weber, elder
sister of the woman he will eventually marry; in Paris, his mother dies of a fever. Mozart
writes to a friend in Salzburg, begging him to break the news to Leopold.
The opera Idomeneo premieres in Munich. After a violent quarrel with the Archbishop,
Mozart leaves his employment to seek independent fame in Vienna.
Mozart’s opera in German, Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the
Seraglio) opens at Vienna’s Burgtheater. Two weeks later, on August 4, he marries
Constanze Weber, younger sister of his former love, Aloysia. Leopold’s reluctant consent
arrives only after the event.
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Central City Opera
1783
Following the birth of their first child, Wolfgang and Constanze travel to Salzburg to see
Leopold. In their absence, their infant son, Raimund Leopold, left in Vienna with a nurse, dies.
1784
Another son, Carl Thomas, is born; he will be one of only two Mozart children to reach
adulthood.
1785
Mozart and his librettist, Lorenzo Da Ponte, begin work on their operatic adaptation of
Beaumarchais’ Le Mariage de Figaro, which had premiered the previous year.
1786
Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) opens May 1 at Vienna’s Burgtheater,
igniting great controversy for its scarcely disguised political content. In the fall, Johann Thomas
Leopold Mozart is born but lives only four weeks.
1787
Figaro is staged to great acclaim in Prague, resulting in a commission for Don Giovanni. In the
summer, Leopold Mozart dies. Don Giovanni premieres in Prague October 29. In December, the
composer is named to the post of Royal and Imperial Chamber Musician. Two days after
Christmas, he and Constanze welcome a daughter, Theresa.
1788
Don Giovanni reaches Vienna May 7. The composer completes his last three symphonies,
despite severe financial troubles and the death of six-month-old Theresa.
1789
Mozart embarks upon a concert tour to Berlin and Leipzig. Another Mozart child, Anna Maria, is
born but lives only one hour.
1790
Cosí fan tutte, the third of Mozart’s operas with Da Ponte, premieres at Vienna’s Burgtheater
January 26. Austria’s Emperor Joseph II, who had always been supportive of Mozart, dies one
month later.
1791
On March 4, Mozart makes his last concert appearance, playing his Piano Concerto
no. 27. His last child, Franz Xaver Wolfgang is born July 26; he later becomes a
composer of slim talent. Mozart completes his last two operas, Die Zauberflöte
(The Magic Flute) and La Clemenza di Tito, for premieres in September. In
the nine weeks before his death, he completes his Clarinet Concerto and
begins his Requiem at the request of an Austrian nobleman. The
legend that Mozart did not know for whom he was writing the
Requiem is incorrect. After a brief illness (an unidentified fever),
Mozart dies December 5. His burial – in a mass grave, not a
pauper’s grave – is attended by his student Franz Xavier
Süssmayr, his colleague Antonio Salieri, and several
other music lovers.
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―W
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Central City Opera
by Deborah Morrow
Mozart and his librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte took a contemporary
play by Pierre Beaumarchais as the basis for their first opera
together in 1786. Beaumarchais’ plays were famous throughout
Europe, as was the man himself. The first of the three plays that
guaranteed his fame as a playwright was Le Barbier de Séville (The
Barber of Seville). It premiered at the Comedie-Française in Paris in
1775 and quickly became a roaring success. He initially had no plans
to continue the Figaro story, but the popularity of the brash barber
created a demand for more. He began Le Mariage de Figaro in 1778,
but due to censorship issues it didn’t premiere until 1784 – again, to
huge success. So much so that Mozart gave it to Da Ponte to create
an opera libretto in 1785.
Beaumarchais lived an incredibly colorful life. In addition to the brilliant plays he contributed to the canon of great
literature, he invented a watch mechanism that changed the way watches were made. That invention plus
advantageous marriages (3 in all) made him a wealthy, titled man. His plays, particularly his Figaro “trilogy” (the third
play was titled La Mère coupable -The Guilty Mother) were considered revolutionary; lampooning the ruling class,
while glorifying the working class. What is frequently unmentioned in the discussion of his revolutionary ideas is that
he also spoke up for women; his plays abound in strong,
sympathetic female characters.
We often think that Mozart was the first one to
set an opera to a Beaumarchais play featuring
Figaro, and that Rossini wrote a prequel opera.
But for audiences back in Mozart and Rossini’s
time, the order was correct; today’s audiences
have forgotten about the opera by Italian
composer Paisiello in 1782. Here is a timeline to
clear up any confusion:
1775: Beaumarchais’ play Le Barbier de Séville
(The Barber of Seville) premieres in Paris
1782: Paisiello’s opera, Il barbiere di Siviglia (The
Barber of Seville) premieres in St. Petersburg,
Russia
1784: Beaumarchais’ play La Folle Journée, ou Le
Mariage de Figaro (The Mad Day, or The
Marriage of Figaro) has its first public
performance of the approved version in Paris
1786: Mozart’s opera Le Nozze di Figaro (The
Marriage of Figaro) premieres in Vienna
1816: Rossini’s opera Il barbiere di Siviglia (The
Barber of Seville) premieres in Rome
Considering that Beaumarchais, also an accomplished musician,
gave music lessons to the daughters of Louis XV, but supported
the French Revolution when it began, it’s easy to see why he
spent several years fearing for his own head, often in exile, as
France sorted itself out. There is one school of thought that calls
his most famous character, Figaro, the touchpoint of the French
Revolution. Louis XVI certainly saw danger in the plays, banning
The Marriage of Figaro and declaring “the Bastille would have to
be pulled down before such a play could be staged.” The Figaro
trilogy continued to be regarded as subversive well into the 20th
century. Mussolini and Hitler banned The Marriage of Figaro
during the Occupation of France and in Italy.
Beaumarchais also started an influential periodical, Le Courier de
l’Europe, spied for the French government, sent guns and funds
to the American revolutionary troops, gathered the works of
Voltaire into an encyclopedia, published articles on the viability
of flying machines and the advantages of cutting a canal through
Central America to connect the Atlantic and Pacific, and still
found time to write plays and influence the development of the
art of theatre. Quite a force for change!
De, Beaumarchais Pierre-Augustin Caron., and David Coward. The Figaro Trilogy: The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro, The
Guilty Mother. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. Print
"Pierre Beaumarchais." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 May 2013. Web. 28 May 2013.
Levin, Robert. The Marriage of Figaro. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc., 2005. Print.
2014 Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
Corbin Rugh (CCO’s 2014 Production
Scheduler/2013 Music Library Assistant) recently
visited Paris and Vienna and sent back some
great photos relating to The Marriage of Figaro.
Beaumarchais (who wrote the original play on which Mozart
based his opera) lived in the 4th arrondisement of Paris by
the Bastille. While he was writing the play, he lived in a hotel
(pictured to the left). Today, the hotel is no longer open, but
there is a hotel by his name just down the street (pictured
above and below) that is decorated as his quarters would
have been while he was writing the play.
LEFT: In Vienna, Gustav Mahler’s copy of Le
nozze di Figaro is on display. Mahler
conducted the opera a total of 49 times.
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Central City Opera
Photo by Mark & Kristen Sink.
Music by Jake Heggie
Based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J.
Libretto by Terrence McNally
Premiered in 2000, San Francisco Opera
Rated R (17+) - Mature Audiences Only: Violence, Language & Nudity
Based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean, which also inspired the award-winning movie, Jake Heggie’s powerful opera
follows the true story of a nun’s spiritual journey as she counsels a Louisiana death row inmate. Sister Helen struggles
with her own religious convictions as she leads the prisoner down a path to redemption.
Louisiana, early 1980s
Act I: Rural Louisiana; Hope House in New Orleans; Louisiana State Penitentiary
(known as “Angola”); a courthouse; Death Row Visiting Room
Act II: Louisiana State Penitentiary; Hope House in New Orleans; the Death
House at the prison
Sister Helen Prejean — a young nun from Louisiana who believes deeply in the
power of God’s love and forgiveness, but who struggles with her own
shock and horror about the crime
Joseph De Rocher — a death row inmate at Angola, convicted of rape and murder and who resists taking responsibility
for his actions.
Mrs. Patrick De Rocher — Joseph’s mother, who does not want to believe her son is a murderer
Sister Rose — co-worker and close friend to Sister Helen who helps Sister Helen find peace
George Benton — prison warden, a thoughtful and pragmatic man
Father Grenville — prison chaplain, who is not quite the forgiving father that Sister Helen expects
Kitty Hart — mother of the murdered girl
Own Hart — father of the murdered girl, whose anger is fueled by the conflict between overwhelming grief and his
long-held belief in forgiveness
Jade Boucher — mother of the murdered boy
Howard Boucher — father of the murdered boy
Motorcycle Cop— who stops Sister Helen on her way to Angola
Brothers of Joseph De Rocher; other nuns; prison guards and inmates; teenage victims; a paralegal; children at Hope
House
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Central City Opera
“You did a terrible thing, Joe…
but you are still a son of God.”
-Sister Helen Prejean
Conductor: John Baril
Director: Ken Cazan
CAST
Sister Helen Prejean: Jennifer Rivera
Joseph De Rocher: Michael Mayes
Mrs. De Rocher: Maria Zifchak
Sister Rose: Jeanine de Bique
George Benton: Thomas Hammons
Owen Hart: Robert Orth
Howard Boucher: Joseph Gaines
Jade Boucher: Claire Shackleton
Father Grenville: Jason Baldwin
Performance Dates:
Matinees at 2:30 pm: July 9, 13, 19, 23, 25
Evenings at 8:00 pm: July 5, 11, 17
Performed in English with English supertitles
Venue: Central City Opera House
Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
DEAD MAN
WALKING
to play –
a
r
e
p
o
o
t
o film
From book t
drama
e
f
i
l
l
a
e
r
y
b
Art inspired
by Emily Murdock
In the Beginning
In 1982, Sister Helen Prejean was asked by the Louisiana Coalition on Jails and Prisons to
begin a pen pal relationship with a death row inmate at the Louisiana State Penitentiary,
also known as Angola. She agreed, and her relationship with Elmo Patrick Sonnier began.
Sonnier had been convicted and sentenced to death for a horrible crime: he and his
brother Eddie abducted a teenage couple, raped the girl, then forced the two teens to lie
face down and shot them both in the head. Sister Helen did not know what she would say
to Sonnier, or what he would say to her. However, she had come to work in St. Thomas, a
New Orleans housing project, as part of a Catholic reform movement which sought to
connect religious faith to social justice. As a result, she agreed to communicate with
Sonnier because it fit in with that mission. After writing back and forth for several months,
Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ
the two met face-to-face in July 1982. Sister Helen became Sonnier’s spiritual advisor,
which meant she could appear on his behalf in court, offer him guidance and comfort, and be with him at his
execution. Sonnier was executed on April 5, 1984. Her experience with Sonnier solidified her life’s work as an activist
against capital punishment, and a few months after Sonnier’s execution, Sister Helen became spiritual advisor to
Robert Lee Willie, another death-row inmate at Angola. Willie was executed on December 28, 1984. Sister Helen has
continued this work and has now witnessed six executions.
Telling the Story
Sister Helen Prejean’s book
Dead Man Walking has now
been released in a 20th
Anniversary Special Edition.
2014 Opera Insider
In 1993, Sister Helen published her memoir of her experiences with Sonnier and
Willie, titled Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the
United States. The book was on the New York Times’ Best Sellers list for eight
straight months and started a national conversation about the death penalty. But it
wasn’t until 1995, when Tim Robbins wrote, directed, and produced a movie
starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn, that the nation’s attention was fully
focused on the death penalty debate. Dead Man Walking the movie was
nominated for several Academy Awards in 1996: Best Actress (Susan Sarandon –
who won the Oscar); Best Actor (Sean Penn); Best Director (Tim Robbins); and Best
Original Song (Bruce Springsteen for the song “Dead Man Walking”). The movie
fictionalized Sister Helen’s book by combining the two real-life death row inmates
and their crimes into one composite character, a fictional crime, and fictional
victims. But the gist of the book is there – Sister Helen serves as Matthew
Poncelet’s spiritual advisor and persuades him to take responsibility for his actions
while embodying the love and acceptance of God. The actors’ performances
highlight the main themes of love, compassion, redemption, and forgiveness.
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Central City Opera
Compare the Film and the Opera
Watch/Listen how similar scenes are told in film and
through opera, as the main character (Matthew
Poncelet in the film/ Joseph De Rocher in the opera)
finally confesses the truth about the murders and
rape:
Scene from 1995 Movie: “Reconciliation scene”
with Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon WATCH
ONLINE*
Audio from Opera: sung by John Packard and Susan
Graham at San Francisco Opera in 2000: LISTEN
ONLINE*
ABOVE: The publicity image from the 1995 movie; Michael Mayes as Joseph De Rocher in Madison Opera’s Dead Man Walking.
The Opera
Skip ahead a few years to San Francisco. Lotfi Mansouri, then General Driector of San Francisco Opera, took a leap of
faith and commissioned an opera from composer Jake Heggie to debut in the millennial year 2000. Heggie had never
written an opera before, but Mr. Mansouri wisely paired the composer with award-winning playwright Terrence
McNally, requesting a comedic opera. Little did he know that they would deliver something of a completely different
nature.
Terrence McNally – who, incidentally, had never written an opera libretto— had no interest in writing a comedy. He
had just seen the movie Dead Man Walking and was so moved by it, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. In one of their
first meetings, McNally suggested Dead Man Walking, and from there it took little work to convince Heggie that this
story needed to be told on the operatic stage.
What makes this story so operatic? Isn’t it about crime and punishment? Heggie has continually said that the opera is
not about the death penalty. In a 2002 interview with Jason Serinus for the online audio-video journal Secrets: Home
Fidelity High Fi, the composer said, “It’s not an opera about the death penalty. Everyone thinks immediately it’s an
opera about the death penalty, but nowhere in the opera is it even debated. It’s an opera about love and redemption;
the death penalty forms a backdrop to it because it tears at the core of it. It’s about parents and children. It’s an opera
about how love can transform and redeem your life. It’s a very intimate story with enormous forces at work behind it.
And it’s not an opera that preaches. It’s an opera that we hope takes people to a place of reflection where they can
make up their own minds about their response. It doesn’t tell you what to feel.” Dead Man Walking is a story with
bigger-than-normal-life emotions, plenty of suspense, and both inner and outer conflict – all the elements that creative
teams strive for when creating an opera.
The Opera’s Impact
Dead Man Walking has had unusually tremendous success for being a new work by a composer and librettist who had
never written an opera before. Since its premiere in 2000, it has been produced more than 35 separate times by
professional opera companies and universities. In 2014 alone, three companies will produce the opera: Central City
Opera, Madison Opera, and Staatstheater Schwerin in Germany. It isn’t just the sheer frequency of performances that
has impacted so many audiences. Often opera companies and universities will add a series of forums, art installations,
*For those reading this in print, weblink addresses can be found at the end of this article.
Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
or other reactionary events to accompany the production. More
often than not, Sister Helen Prejean and Jake Heggie travel to the
producers’ community and join the conversation. How many times
does an audience get the chance to ask questions of not only the
composer of an opera, but the person on whom the opera is based?
Can you imagine being able to talk to Mozart about The Marriage of
Figaro and how the themes in that opera were politically
controversial? Being able to discuss a work of art with its creators is a
highly effective way to engage audiences, and this kind of
engagement is crucial to the survival of art in general, and opera in
particular.
In keeping with this unspoken tradition of events surrounding the opera,
Central City Opera presented the Prisons, Compassion and Redemption Project
starting this spring. In March, we offered a screening of the film with a book
signing and discussion with Sister Helen Prejean, as well as performances of
excerpts from the opera by our Ensemble Artists. We also organized a
symposium about the death penalty with Jake Heggie, Sister Helen Prejean,
District Attorney George Brauchler of Arapahoe County, Defense Mitigation
Specialist Greta Lindecrantz, and victim survivor Dana Sampson. This
symposium drew a large audience and resulted in respectful in-depth discussion
amongst the panelists and audience. Jake Heggie held a master class with
students of the Colorado Springs Conservatory in Colorado Springs on modern
music and composition. We also arranged for a Religious Round Table in April
featuring interfaith religious leaders of our community discussing the morality
of the death penalty. All these events were held not only to generate interest
and ticket buyers for our production of Dead Man Walking, but also to help
make our community aware of the fact that art, and specifically opera, is
relevant to today’s society and is important in helping people process big
issues. This is the lasting impact of Dead Man Walking, and why it will continue
to be one of the most performed new operas of our time.
Check out additional events of the Prisons, Compassion and Redemption
Project continuing throughout the summer.
Pictured, events of Central City Opera’s Prisons, Compassion and Redemption Project (clockwise from top): Sister Helen Prejean
with students at Arrupe Jesuit High School ; she and Composer Jake Heggie at the Death Penalty Symposium (also available to view
online*) ; Heggie’s Master Class with Soprano Judeth Shay Comstock. Photos by Heather Brecl and Erin Joy Swank.
"An Interview with ‘Dead Man Walking’ Opera Composer Jake Heggie and Baritone John Packard - April, 2002." Interview by Jason
Serinus. Http://www.hometheaterhifi.com. N.p., Apr. 2002. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. <http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/
volume_9_2/feature-article-dead-man-walking-interview-4-2002.html>.
"Dead Man Walking." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
"Jake Heggie Composer & Pianist." Dead Man Walking. jakeheggie.com. 20 March 2014.
Prejean, Helen. Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States. New York: Vintage, 1994.
Print.
Scene from 1995 Movie: “Reconciliation scene” with Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon, in which the character Matthew Poncelet
finally confesses the truth about the murders and rape: http://youtu.be/xQyYa3DBhNA?t=1m05s
Audio from Opera: sung by John Packard and Susan Graham at San Francisco Opera in 2000: http://youtu.be/juVsnShYkfU?
t=1m46s
Central City Opera’s Death Penalty Symposium: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBP5Xa97IQT8fGe2BGYSmeh2cvHya5Nxw
Central City Opera’s Prisons, Compassion and Redemption Project: http://centralcityopera.org/project
2014 Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
Interviewed by Deborah Morrow
How do you prepare for an opera you haven’t conducted before?
Ideally, I like to see a live performance of it in order to experience it as an audience member. How do I feel
about the piece? Does it move me as theatre? Does it have moments of, well, languor, and can they be
overcome? Do I even like the music? (Not always.) Last year, I flew to Eugene to see Dead Man Walking
with Mike Mayes as Joseph. I had the luck to meet with the director and cast and spend some social time
with them as well.
I start looking at the score and doing my organizational “thing” to it, which is to highlight important tempi
changes (yellow), instrumental cues (blue or purple), rubati or ritardandi and the like (red), meter changes
(also red; this piece has a lot of them), etc. While doing that, I begin to notice specific things (“oh, the
second violins divide into four parts here….how will we accomplish that?”) and try to figure out why it was
written that way. Is there a point to this specific orchestration here? What will I/we need to do to keep
this from overwhelming the singer in these bars? You find
reoccurring themes (leitmotivs* and such). Dead Man
Walking has several challenges, many of which involve the
In 1992, Baril began as production coordinator
constant meter changes, starting with the very first bars,
and assistant conductor, progressing to
which are in 10/8. How, technically and physically, am I
associate conductor and music administrator in
going to show those (what patterns) to the pianist and
1996, and, as of the 2000 season, resident
orchestra so that they make sense and are economical and conductor, a post created for him.
clear—meaning involving as little conversation about it as
possible. Though it’s sometimes scary, I have to leave the
possibility open that I’m wrong—and accordingly change
1999—Street Scene
something entirely if it’s not working.
2000—La Traviata, Candide
On the last few works I’ve studied for the first time, I’ve
made a conscious decision to start with the scene/aria/
piece that I liked or knew least well when last I heard/saw
it. I tear apart that scene to find what my reticence is; thus
it becomes the first scene that I know really well! Doesn’t
necessarily mean I like it any better, but at least I know it!
One thing you’ll note I haven’t mentioned: play it through
on the piano. I can’t play so I have to learn things
differently; it’s a curse and a blessing. A curse in that I can’t
immediately sit down and figure something out in a tactile,
hands-on (literally!) manner. A blessing? Well, most
Opera Insider
2001—Little Women
2002—Carmen
2003—I Pagliacci/Goyescas
2004—Les Contes D’Hoffmann
2005—Madama Butterfly
2006—Don Giovanni, A Night in Naples concert
2007—Cendrillon
2008—West Side Story
2009—Lucia di Lammermoor
2010—Three Decembers
2011—Gianni Schicchi, Die sieben Todsünden,
Les mamelles de Tirésias
2012—La bohème
2013—Il barbiere di Siviglia
* Letimotiv and other “Words to know before you go” can be found on page 53.
27
Central City Opera
conductors are either pianists or violinists, certainly the former in opera. They started coaching and became
conductors because they could do it better than the symphonic conductor who was giving it a shot. Some, of
course, become really good, important conductors—people I admire. Some, because they never studied
conducting or orchestration, do not, although they can be really excellent musicians when playing the piano
and coaching. Since I don’t possess the [piano] skills, I have to constantly look at the whole picture.
Everyone is afraid to admit they listen to recordings in order to prepare. Recordings are all-important to me
and have always been, not only for reasons cited previously. When I was preparing Cavalleria, I listened to six
recordings and watched a couple of DVDs besides. There is a point when I stop; it’s usually a week or so
before the cast convenes and we have our first rehearsal. I know of conductors (have worked with some) who
have some kind of soundtrack in their head and therefore insist everyone does exactly what he/she wants,
leaving little or no room for singers to have any input or leeway. There’s no collaboration in that kind of
music-making and I find it, well, unmusical and dictatorial. I think, for instance, Mike Mayes* knows a lot
about his role in Dead Man Walking that I couldn’t possibly at this point. That doesn’t mean I can’t and won’t
make suggestions about some details, but I’m eager to share his knowledge.
An opera conductor not only waves the stick at performances to keep everyone together and in tempo, but
is the overall Music Director for the piece. What duties does that entail?
I have to make sure everyone has the tools (read: music) to ensure a smooth performance— all the required
percussion equipment, sound cues, etc. I don’t do this alone, of course, but it’s my ultimate responsibility. I
have to give notes (usually written) to the orchestra at the next rehearsal/performance to try and fix or solve
a problem. Having music staff in place to take notes for me and for the singers and to fix problems is
key. There’s a lot of off-stage singing for the chorus—a talented assistant is important. I’m lucky to work with
some wonderfully talented colleagues in helping to shape performances of this important work.
What should the audience listen for in Dead Man
Walking?
by Emily Murdock
We’ve cued up some YouTube tracks to start right
at the moments John Baril discusses. Take a
listen!
Prelude, which is in 10/8 meter:
http://youtu.be/Uw2i8_Ie8d8?t=5s
Sister Helen’s theme:
 Clarinet solo: http://youtu.be/Uw2i8_Ie8d8?
t=1m4s
 Same theme in her aria, “This Journey to
Christ”: http://youtu.be/uRsTtz-dan8?t=3s
Sister Helen’s gospel hymn:
http://youtu.be/-GtSxcmh4As?t=3s
The 5-note Joseph De Rocher 9-5-2-8-1 theme:
 (Oboes and bassoons): http://youtu.be/
Uw2i8_Ie8d8?t=2m28s
 (Sung by Sister Helen): http://youtu.be/
uRsTtz-dan8?t=1m48s
 (Sung by Joseph): http://youtu.be/WFJvB9OJ3g?t=9m44s
2014 Opera Insider
Well, I mentioned meter changes. Helen is represented
by the number 2. A great deal of the music in Dead Man
Walking is written in alla breve time (half note gets the
beat). When you are working within two half notes, a lot
of possibilities arise for the micro-rhythms in-between
and Jake [Heggie] has exploited many of them. Similarly,
Joseph is represented by the number 5 (his prisoner
number; 9-5-2-8-1 and the syllables of his name: Jo-seph
-de-Ro-cher) and lots of 5/8 bars, which, of course, is a
jarring, odd, keep-you-on-your-toes meter. The two
meters combine at the very beginning and end of the
opera: a very slow 10/8, which is to be conducted in
two, slow beats, each beat having 5 eighths in it. So, 2
and 5, together.
A theme representing Helen is heard throughout the
opera in various guises and that is, of course, the gospel
hymn she sings a capella at the beginning and the end of
the opera (“He will gather us around, all around”). There
is also a 5-note theme (9-5-2-8-1) that gets bandied
*An interview with Michael Mayes can be found on page 30.
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Central City Opera
The game of Sudoku is usually played with the numbers 1 through 9. Try this musical spin instead! The
rules are quite simple — fill in the blanks so that each row, each column, and each of the nine 3x3 grids
contain one instance of each of the musical signs listed below. Hint: start with the flats or quarter
notes, then forte.
Solution is on page 49.
quarter note
Opera Insider
sharp
quarter rest
flat
bass clef
29
treble clef
repeat
forte
piano
Central City Opera
Interviewed by Emily Murdock,
transcribed from a phone conversation
This is your fourth production of Dead Man Walking as Joseph De Rocher. Does it get any easier, emotionally, to
portray this character?
Well, I mean, of course with anything, the more you do it….I don’t know if the word “easy” works or not, but it does
get easier to access those emotions and then leave them. Because it’s like a muscle, you know, you exercise that
emotional muscle. I’m able to go in and find these really intense emotions and show them onstage, whereas when I
first did the role, I had to live in that place the whole time. It was a dark time, a dark place. In order to have easy access
to those emotions, I had to live with them all the time. Now I’m able to get there quicker and get away quicker and
actually have a decent day instead of living in this terrible psychological landscape that this guy [Joseph De Rocher]
has. When I did it in Tulsa for the first time, it WAS— up until that point— the hardest thing I’d ever done onstage. Not
because of anything technical, just because of the emotional component. I had to really get inside this guy’s head…it’s
not a happy place. He’s not a nice guy.
Do you have any ways of coping with the emotional toll these performances take on you – meditation, a pet,
exercise?
Well you know, it’s funny…a natural component of this role is the physical component— you have to be in shape, go to
the gym, etc., and that does go the distance to sort of equalize things out, burning off
some of that energy. And when I can, I always have my dog Pete with me. He’s a 70-lb
rescue dog, and when I have him along with me when I’ve done these crazy roles, he’s
always been a nice thing to come home to. When I did this in Tulsa, he wasn’t with me,
and I would come home to this empty apartment and just sit there and brew and just
dwell on these terrible things. You know, the great thing about animals – I don’t know if
you have a dog or anything – but you understand that they sort of necessarily keep you
out of your head because they require a lot of attention and it’s like something you have
to take care of. So every morning, I have to get out of bed and go walk him, and have to
come home from rehearsals and walk him, and it has this really interesting side effect of
keeping me much more centered and much more out of myself and out of a role where
I’m just in another world and I’m going through all this crap. Having Pete with me, I
come home, and he doesn’t know anything about rape or murder or any of that stuff – At Madison Opera, Mayes
he’s just a dog! And just seeing his little face look up at you and be like, “Hey, you want shared his star dressing
room...with Pete. Photo from
to play today? Wanna go the dog park? What’s up?” You know that it’s kind of hard to
be miserable when you have this wonderful animal. He’s been a real great asset to me. Mayes’ Facebook fan page.
You were a Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Apprentice Artist with Central City Opera in 2000. What are you most
looking forward to upon your return this summer?
Oh, just walking down the streets of Central City again. I have to go to Dostal Alley again and get myself a beer for old
times’ sake. I think that was the first microbrew I ever had [in 2000]. I remember going there and getting a beer and
thinking, “Man, can’t you just get a regular beer in this place?” [laughs] You know, it was 2000 before the big
revolution in beer happened. It didn’t slow me down any once I discovered it of course. It will be good to go and see
2014 Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
the old house I stayed in when I was there, and to go check out the [Face] bar there where they did the Face
on the Barroom Floor because I was one of the baritones that did that opera when you guys were still doing it.
And, you know -- I think this could go on and on and on, because Central City was my first big sort of
professional opera experience where I wasn’t a chorister. Going to Central City and seeing everybody…it was
my first summer after getting my undergraduate degree. And being there, and understanding the whole world
and meeting these professional singers that I’d later go on to work with as a “grown-up” opera singer— it was
just really amazing. We did Candide and Traviata, and [Dialogues of the Carmelites and The Face on the
Barroom Floor]. That summer Will Burden was there, Jane Jennings, Grant Youngwood was there – a guy I’d
always looked up to, who I followed my whole career. I can’t tell you how excited I was when John [Baril*] told
me they were doing Dead Man and they wanted to bring me in…I’ve been waiting for YEARS to come back to
Central City. It’s a little bit like coming home. Going back to a place where you sort of had your first formative
experience as a little larval opera singer. I won the John Moriarty Award back then, so that was kind of a neat
thing...it showed me that they believed in me back then. It’s really cool. It’s a lot of things – I just can’t wait, I
just can’t wait.
What advice do you have for young singers trying to make the leap from young artist programs to fullfledged professional career?
You know, you go online right now, on Facebook, et cetera, and there’s a glut of advice being given to young
singers all the time by some people who think they’re experts or some people who ARE experts, or whatever.
And you know, the only advice I could ever give anybody doing this, is just to make sure you’re doing it for the
right reasons. And you know that you’re gonna have to sacrifice a lot of things, and it’s a long, long game. It’s
not something where you’re gonna work real hard for two or three years, or four or five years, become
established, and then you’ve got it made….And so, for young singers, you’ve got to know when to say when, to
know when to say, well, maybe this is not for me, because at some point, you’re gonna be making sacrifices,
and you’re going to start sacrificing quality of life. Surround yourself with really smart people, and really
knowledgeable people. So when you’ve come down and you’re asking yourself that question, you’re getting
really good input and really good advice from them. Because there were so many times throughout my life
when I wanted to quit. And I’m not talking about back when I was a kid – for me and the opera singers I know,
who I’ve surrounded myself with, you maybe wake up once or twice a week where you get up and think, why
am I doing this? It’s this question you keep asking yourself because you’re living out of a suitcase, and you’re
always on the road, and you miss your family, you miss your girlfriend, and you miss your dog because you
can’t take him with you. So you know, you have to make sure that the reasons you’re doing aren’t because
you like all the attention you get or all those things – you’ve
got to find a purpose, a reason that’s deeper than just, “I’m
doing this to get attention.” It really took me a long time to
find that in my life – it’s only recently that I’ve been able to
find where I fit in in the business and the story I’m trying to
tell. A lot it is due to Dead Man Walking….Dead Man Walking
is such an incredible piece and has such an important role to
play in the national debate about the death penalty. When
you become a part of that and you’re telling stories to people
and you’re changing lives in that way….Bohème can change
Michael Mayes as a
lives of course, but it doesn’t make you ask these really
Central City Opera
personal questions. The great thing about Dead Man
Apprentice Artist in
Walking, regardless of your opinion on the death penalty, is
2000 (above) and as
that it’s a piece that doesn’t take a position [on the death
Joseph De Rocher in
Madison Opera’s
penalty] – it just makes you ask the question. Regardless of
production of Dead
my position on this particular issue, why do I hold that
Man Walking (April
position? Is it cultural, is it something I’ve just always said, or
2014, left).
is it part of my family belief, my religious belief…this show
makes you ask those questions. And getting involved in that
*An interview with Conductor John Baril can be found on page 27.
Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
[as an opera singer] makes you feel like you’re making a difference. You’re not just singing pretty sounds,
you’re not just telling stories about dukes and princesses, but you’re actually out there changing hearts and
minds. The first time I did Dead Man Walking, in Tulsa, a woman posted on my Facebook fan page wall. You
get used to hearing the same things over and over again, you know, “Oh, that was so beautiful,” or “That
was so moving,” or “You’ve got great acting.” Not that you’re so great that you hear that all the time, but
you have a standard way to respond to those compliments. They’re nice to hear and it’s great. But this
woman wrote, “My daughter was murdered seven years ago. And your portrayal of Joseph De Rocher
changed the way I think about the man who murdered my
daughter.” Now that’s a very different sort of reason for doing this
business – when you hear that. Every time I do this show, I
encounter somebody who has been personally affected to the
point where – you know, people can be moved [by performances]
but they never get to the point where they feel like they need to
reach out and talk to that person who moved them. I don’t feel
even when I watch a particularly touching movie [the need] to go
to that actor and send him an email. But sometimes it happens.
For somebody to be that motivated, you realize the power of this
piece and the characters that you’re playing.
So I guess my advice for young singers – and this is not my advice that I’m coming up with, like I’m such a
“deep thinker” – this is advice that was given to me at Santa Fe Opera by a famous baritone you may have
heard of, a man named Mark Delavan. Mark’s a man of very passionate faith. But the thing that I respected
about him is that when I had my coaching with him and we were talking about life and the business, that’s
the one thing he told me. He said, “I happen to be a Christian and I believe in God and all that. And that’s
why I do what I do. I do what I do for my faith. I don’t care what you believe in, it doesn’t matter to me if
you believe in God or you believe in whatever, but you need to find a reason that you’re doing this outside
of just yourself. Because if you’re only doing it for yourself, you’ll never be a truly satisfied artist. To be able
to step out of yourself and do it for another reason, that’s what you’ve got to find, and when find that, you’ll
be a much happier and successful artist.” And I didn’t know that at that young age - that it wouldn’t happen
for many years. But when I found that reason for me doing this, which is to affect cultural change, to touch
people in a way, to shake people up, to get them out of their comfort zone, to make them question strongly
held beliefs and make sure they believe them because they actually believe them and not because that’s just
what they’ve always believed. For me, that’s the reason I get up in the morning and do this. It’s the reason I
travel across the country and give up a normal life. You know, I don’t even have an apartment any more.
Haven’t had one in two years. I travel all the time, and it’s a big price to pay. And if you’re paying that price
just for yourself, I just don’t know how fulfilling that is. But if I’m doing this because I’m part of a movement,
part of something larger than myself, it gives it a lot of meaning and makes it much easier to tolerate the
tough part of this business. It makes the joyful parts and the successes and all the wonderful things that
we’re allowed to do – you know, it is simultaneously the best and the
worst job in the world. Because we get to do these amazing things –
right now [during the interview, March 2014] I’m singing Rigoletto in
Boston, you know, a dream for me with this amazing cast and
amazing director and conductor and at a great company – to be able
to do that is just an enormous privilege and is so joyful, and then
when it’s bad, it’s really bad too. But doing it for a reason that’s not
just about yourself but is about something greater than yourself, just
makes it so much more rewarding and bearable at the same time.
The Michael Mayes, Baritone Facebook fan page can be found at https://
www.facebook.com/pages/Michael-Mayes-Baritone/149167905122686.
2014 Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
Photo © Cory Weaver/Portland Opera
Music and libretto by Leonard Bernstein
Premiered in 1952, Bernstein's Festival of the Creative Arts on the campus of Brandeis University
“More than 60 years after its premiere, Trouble in Tahiti still feels as relevant as the day it was written.
Bernstein created a concise yet piquant character study, both satirical and poignant. His bittersweet depiction
of a 1950s American suburban couple trying to find happiness still rings true in a day and age when success is
often viewed as synonymous with materialistic gain and wealth.” – Director Michael Ehrman
1950s suburbia
Dinah — a young, frustrated housewife
Sam — her successful businessman husband
Trio —A contemporary “Greek Chorus” of sorts who paint a picture of a perfect suburban life, in contrast to
the couple’s domestic conflict
Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
“trouble in
Tahiti, indeed!”
Music Director: Thomas Getty
Director: Michael Ehrman
CAST
Dinah: Claire Shackleton
Sam: Isaac Bray
Trio: Leah Bobbey
James Dornier
Nicholas Ward
Performance Dates:
Matinees at 1:00 pm: July 20 & 23
Performed in English.
Venue: Williams Stables Theatre,
Central City
2014 Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
Interviewed by Deborah Morrow
The role of Max in The Sound of Music will be your second American musical theatre role for Central City Opera
(Fredrik in A Little Night Music was the first), and we hear that you will return next summer as Don Quixote in The
Man of La Mancha. How are these roles different from operatic roles? Do you prepare any differently?
First of all, musicals and opera are more similar than different in that they both tell a story with music. In fact Paul
Rudnick is quoted as saying, “Musicals are a gateway drug to opera.”
I did musicals before I’d ever heard an opera. I love doing musicals! There is a difference. For one thing, musicals are
all in English, and I love singing in English. Then there’s all that dialogue. I love dialogue, because I get to decide how
I will speak it—how fast or slow, how high or low, what words to emphasize, where to pause. For the singer/actor, it
involves a different kind of creativity than singing because, in a sense, we get to compose the “music” for the
dialogue. As for the singing, the style of singing is different than opera. Many roles in musicals may require slightly
"less" voice than most roles in operas do. In other words, Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady just wouldn’t sound right
with the same full voice that one would use as Germont in La traviata, and vice versa.
You will also be portraying Owen Hart, the father of a murdered teen, in Dead Man Walking this season. We
understand that this role was actually written with you in mind; you performed it in the premiere production in
San Francisco in 2000. Have other roles in new operas been created specifically for you? What draws you to new
operas (and/or what draws composers to write for you)?
Yes, Jake Heggie wrote Owen Hart with me in mind. He also wrote Mr.
Parkis in The End of the Affair and Stubb in Moby-Dick for me. And he’s
writing another role for me to be premiered in 2016. Ricky Ian Gordon
wrote Uncle John in The Grapes of Wrath, Terence Blanchard wrote
Howie in Champion, and Steven Stucky wrote L.B.J. in August 4, 1964
for me. You’d have to ask them why. I can tell you that I couldn’t be
more grateful that they did! Doing a brand new opera is enormously
exciting, rewarding, and humbling. To be involved so intimately with
that creative process is fascinating. Working with a living composer has
many advantages. Even when they did not write the role specifically
for the current performer, they will change things for that singer so
that he or she— and consequently their opera— will sound better. It’s
also very nice to be singing a role that can’t be compared to hundreds
of recordings and performances by other people.
Opera Insider
35
1983 – Belcore in The Elixir of Love
1984 – Dandini in Cinderella
1986 – Figaro in The Barber of Seville
1987 – Dr. Malatesta in Don Pasquale
1990 – Danilo in The Merry Widow
1991 – Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus
1994 – Lescaut in Manon
2006 – Horace Tabor in The Ballad of Baby Doe
2009 – Fredrik in A Little Night Music
Central City Opera
Left: Sarah Jane McMahon and Robert
Orth as a husband and wife yet to
consummate their marriage in
A Little Night Music (2009).
Below: Robert Orth (far left) in
Cinderella (1984), when he
“brought down the house.”
You have performed for Central
City Opera many times. Do you
have any favorite stories about
summers here, roles, or incidents
on or off-stage?
The productions I’ve done in
Central City are among the
absolute best I’ve done anywhere.
It’s been such an important place for so many singers for so many years. I’m always amazed at how much
great opera happens on that tiny stage.
Favorite story: In 1984 in Cinderella, I had just finished singing my entrance aria containing the
words, “Our little comedy will become a tragedy before the evening ends,” when there was a crash out in
the theater and people began screaming and running away. My first thought was, “I wasn’t that bad!” The
show came to a complete halt and the stage manager told me, from the wings, to tell the audience to
leave calmly, so I did. It turned out that a large piece of the thick plaster ceiling had fallen. All of us—
singers and audience—went down and filled the Teller House Bar where we sang everything we could
think of. The ceiling was replaced that winter, and I have a cherished plaque given to me by Dick and Betty
Veit. It contains three little painted chunks of the original opera house ceiling with the inscription, “In
memory of the night you brought down the house.”
You have had a long (can we say that?) and varied career as an American opera singer. Do you care to
share any reflections?
You’re right. I HAVE had a long and varied career. You may say that. Each singer has his or her own story. I
taught music in public schools until I was thirty. That gave me my summers to do plays and musicals in
summer stock and then opera apprenticeships at Wolf Trap.
Apprenticeships, like those in Central City, provide an invaluable start for young singers. I never intended
to do this for a living until I was doing it. Although I felt like an impostor for years, the rewards of a life in
opera have been enormous. Opera has made me so much better than I am. I’ve spent my life striving to be
as good as opera is – to live up to Rossini and not do damage to Mozart. I’ve been blessed to be part of
this Golden Age of new American opera, which is sort of a hybrid of the American musical and the
European art form, a hybrid which suits me fine. The people I’ve worked with for the last 40 years – many
of whom have become very dear friends – are extraordinary. It’s a great life. I can’t believe I’m still doing
it. And I am tremendously grateful for it.
2014 Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
Photo by Mark & Kristen Sink.
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Premiered in 1959, New York
Book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse
Suggested by "The Trapp Family Singers" by Maria Augusta Trapp
The Sound of Music was Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II’s last musical as a team – Oscar died soon
after it opened. They were intrigued by the memoir of Maria Von Trapp, an Austrian nun-to-be who left the
convent in the 1930s to marry a widowed naval captain with seven children, then escaped with her family
from the Nazis to settle in New England. Although the show had a good run on Broadway in 1959 starring
Mary Martin, it took the 1965 film version starring Julie Andrews to make it the megahit that we know today.
Salzburg, Austria, just before World War II—Nonnberg Abbey,
Von Trapp villa and Kalzberg Concert Hall
Maria Rainer – a postulant nun when we meet her, a bit of a free spirit,
becomes governess to the Von Trapp children
Mother Abbess – head of the Abbey, a wise woman who advises Maria to
search for her dream
Captain Georg Von Trapp – a widower with seven children, runs his home in military fashion
Von Trapp Children
Liesl – sixteen going on seventeen, fancies herself in love with Rolf
Friedrich – fourteen
Louisa – thirteen
Kurt – ten
Brigitta – nine
Marta – almost seven
Gretl – five
Rolf – messenger, member of Nazi Youth, Liesl’s heartthrob
Elsa Schrader – wealthy baroness and Georg’s soon-to-be fiancée
Max Detweiler – Elsa’s friend, a bit of a freeloader, music agent and producer
Nuns; Nazis; party guests; contest participants
Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
“How do you
solve a problem
like Maria?”
Conductor: Craig Kier
Director: Ken Cazan
CAST
Maria: Katherine Manley
Mother Abess: Maria Zifchak
Captain von Trapp: Troy Cook
Max Detweiler: Robert Orth
Elsa Schraeder: Lucy Schaufer
Rolf: Ian O’Brien
Leisl: Julie Tabash
Performance Dates:
Matinees at 2:00 pm: August 3, 6, 9, 10
Evenings at 7:30 pm: August 2, 7, 8
Performed in English.
Venue: Ellie Caulkins Opera House,
Denver Performing Arts Complex
2014 Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
by Erin Joy Swank
If you’ve seen the iconic film The Sound of Music, you may think you know the story of Maria von Trapp and her
musical family. However, the “facts” vary depending on whose version of history you read, and many people
have taken artistic license with the story along the way.
According to her autobiography, the real-life Maria von Trapp (née Maria Augusta Kuschera) was raised as an
atheist and socialist. She “accidentally” attended a Palm Sunday service during college, thinking it was a concert
of Bach music. Years later she recalled how her encounter with the priest had affected her. “Now I had heard
from my uncle that all of these Bible stories were inventions and old legends, and that there wasn’t a word of
truth in them. But the way this man talked just swept me off my feet. I was completely overwhelmed.” After
college, Maria entered the Benedictine Abbey of Nonnberg in Salzburg. She was teaching a 5th grade class when
the Mother Abbess assigned her to be a tutor for one of Georg von Trapp’s children, also named Maria,
recovering from scarlet fever. Maria Kuschera, the 26th in a line of nurses, governesses and teachers for the von
Trapp family, was sent to live with them for 250 days. She
was just four years older than the oldest son.
While music had been present in the von Trapp family
prior to Maria’s arrival, it had certainly decreased with the
death of the von Trapp children’s mother Augusta. Maria
brought a guitar to the home and was working on threepart harmony with the children when Georg came home
from one of his long trips. He arrived to see his children
sitting on the floor with Maria, which others feared he
would think was undignified – instead he loved what he
heard and saw. Von Trapp had proposed to a woman
named Princess Yvonne three years previously and was
determined to finally get a positive answer from her, but
some pert correspondence from Maria one day changed
his mind. He realized he was in love with Maria instead,
who was due to return to the Abbey within a month’s
time. Through what would now be considered a modern
game of “Telephone,” the children miscommunicated
messages between Maria and Georg and the two ended
up engaged. Maria returned to the Mistress of Novices for
advice, and eventually Mother Abbess agreed she should
marry. Maria is quoted as telling Georg, “Th-they s-s-said I
have to m-m-m-marry you!” Eventually, she did grow to
love him, but stated she loved the children first.
Opera Insider
The real-life Maria did enter this Abbey as a
postulant— intent on becoming nun— but she did
not grow up nearby as depicted in stage and
screen. The Abbey exterior was used for the film
(though they cheated with the angles* a bit), but
the interior was created in a Hollywood studio.
The wedding scene was filmed in a completely
different church about 15 miles from Salzburg.
*If you’re reading this from a printed copy, all website links are listed at the end of this article.
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Central City Opera
After the marriage, the timeline gets quite
condensed in the stage and film versions.** In
reality, more than a decade passed before the
von Trapps escaped Austria. (It’s approximately a
month in the musical.) Georg and his family lost
money from investing in Austrian banks, so they
began to take in boarders as well as host a chapel
on site. A visiting priest, Father Wasner, heard
them singing and began to teach them intricate
harmonies and madrigals, becoming their choral
manager – quite a different character from the
fictional Max Detweiler. A few years later,
Soprano Lotte Lehman, in town for the Salzburg
Festival, heard the von Trapps and convinced
them (despite Georg’s objections) to enter the
group singing competition. She placed a personal
telephone call herself to get them a spot with
From left, members of the von Trapp family Eleonore, Agathe,
Maria, Georg von Trapp, Johanna, Martina, Hedwig, Maria, and
such late notice. Their subsequent win led to a
Johannes at a rehearsal in 1946. Also seen are Werner, playing the
radio broadcast which was heard by Austrian
viola da gamba, and Father Franz Wasner on the spinet. Photo
Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg, and soon the
from The National.
von Trapps were touring throughout Europe. A
year and a half later (March 12, 1938), the
Anschluss occurred, the Nazi occupation of Austria. Georg von Trapp was technically of Italian birth so the Nazis
were a bit lenient with him, but they did question that the Reich’s flags were not yet displayed two months into
the occupation. Soon, the von Trapps declined three Nazi invitations in one week (two appointments in the Third
Reich for Georg and his son Rupert, as well as an invitation to sing for Hitler’s birthday), and they assumed their
luck was running out. They escaped in broad daylight on a train to Italy - not the picturesque hike over the Alps,
which would have actually landed them at Hitler’s summer retreat. The von Trapps eventually made it to America,
continuing their performance tours. Family members are often irritated that they were depicted in the musical
and film singing “lightweight music,” as in reality they performed madrigals in multiple languages.
In 1949, Maria von Trapp published her autobiography, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. She sold the film
rights to a German production company for a mere $10,000 (accepting $9,000 as a lump sum), and inadvertently
lost all rights to additional royalties. The resulting film, Die Trapp-Familie (1956), and its sequel were viewed by
Broadway director Vincent J. Donehue who envisioned it as a musical starring Mary Martin. He approached Maria
von Trapp about producing the musical, soon
realizing he really needed to get permission from
the German filmmakers. Howard Lindsay & Russel
Crouse (whose previous work included Arsenic and
Old Lace) were chosen to write the book for the
musical, with the original plan to incorporate the
madrigals the family sang. Mary Martin asked if
Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II could
write one or two new numbers for her, but the
composer and lyricist felt that would be a mistake;
the songs should either all be authentic or all new.
However, they were busy creating Flower Drum
Song and couldn’t commit to the project. The
producers agreed to postpone the project until they
were available, but had Lindsay & Crouse get a
From the original Broadway production, left to right: Oscar
jumpstart creating the book for the musical,
Hammerstein II, Mary Martin, Russel Crouse and Richard Rodgers
working to keep the story believable and not
** See page 42 for a comparison of timelines between fact, stage and screen versions of The Sound of Music.
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Central City Opera
Left to right: Maria von Trapp’s autobiography, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers; the German film Die Trapp Familie, Mary
Martin and the children of the original Broadway cast of The Sound of Music; Julie Andrews in the 1965 film (with an arrow
pointing to the real-life Maria von Trapp, her daughter and granddaughter in a cameo appearance during “I Have Confidence”)
turning it into an operetta. As a result, The Sound of Music debuted a mere six months after Flower Drum Song.
During production, Oscar Hammerstein was diagnosed with cancer and given six months to live. Everyone knew
he was sick during rehearsals, but the truth about his cancer was kept from all but Rodgers. “Edelweiss” was the
final song Hammerstein wrote, and he died nine months after the musical’s premiere.
The von Trapp family story was adjusted once more with the iconic 1965 film starring Julie Andrews. Screenwriter
Ernest Lehman, who had previously moved the placement of “Gee, Officer Krupke” in the film West Side Story,
took liberties with the ordering of songs and scenes of the stage musical. Among other changes, “The Lonely
Goatherd,” originally the song Maria sang to soothe the children during the storm, became a marionette
performance. Richard Rodgers also wrote two new songs (including the lyrics this time, as Hammerstein had
passed), “I Have Confidence” and “Something Good,” which are often re-incorporated into the stage musical.
As you watch The Sound of Music on stage this summer, you’ll probably notice some of the differences from the
film if you’re a big fan. Just imagine if you were a member of the von Trapp family trying to recognize your own
story!
"Agathe Von Trappe: Inspiration for The Sound of Music | The National." Agathe Von Trappe: Inspiration for The Sound of
Music | The National. N.p., n.d. Web. http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/agathe-von-trappe-inspiration-for-thesound-of-music
Bronson, Fred. The Sound of Music Family Scrapbook. Milwaukee, WI: Applause Theatre & Cinema, 2012. Print.
"Filming Locations for The Sound Of Music (1965)." The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations. N.p., n.d. Web. http://
www.movie-locations.com/movies/s/soundmusic_1.html#.U36OFXJdWSo
"Maria Von Trapp." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_von_Trapp
"Mis Cosas Favoritas." La Mula. N.p., n.d. Web. https://lamula.pe/2014/02/28/mis-cosas-favoritas/el_arandano/
Nolan, Frederick W. The Sound of Their Music: The Story of Rodgers and Hammerstein. New York: Walker, 1978. Print.
"NYPL Digital Gallery." NYPL Digital Gallery | Home. N.p., n.d. Web. http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/index.cfm
"The Real Maria." Maria Von Trapp. N.p., n.d. Web. http://www.trappfamily.com/story/maria
"The Real Story of the Von Trapp Family." National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records
Administration, n.d. Web. http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2005/winter/von-trapps.html
"The Sound of Music." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 25 May 2014. Web. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
The_Sound_of_Music
Trapp, Agathe. Memories before & after The Sound of Music: An Autobiography. Franklin, TN: Hillsboro, 2003. Print.
Trapp, Maria Augusta. The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1949. Print.
Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
The Sound of Music: Comparing Timelines
by Erin Joy Swank
REALITY
MUSICAL
Georg von Trapp is born 1880, Maria Augusta Kutschera
is born 1905
Dec. 12, 1937*; “until September” - Maria Rainer is
Around 1924 or 25 - Maria enters convent, after
Six Weeks Later [Jan. 23, 1938] - Elsa arrives
sent to von Trapps
graduating college [age 19? - was there for 2 years]
One Week Later [Jan. 30, 1938] - Party; Brigitta tells
Around October 1926 - Maria is sent to von Trapps
Maria that Captain is in love with her, Maria runs away
until June - he is 46, she 21, just four years older than
eldest son
Three days later [Feb. 2, 1938]- Maria Returns, she and
Georg are engaged
March 1927 – Princess Yvonne arrives (distant relative
Two weeks later [Feb. 16, 1938] – Wedding
of Georg’s first wife), Yvonne tells Maria that Georg’s in
love with Maria but will still marry Yvonne
One month later [March 16, 1938] - von Trapps return
May 1927 – von Trapp is determined to be engaged to
from honeymoon and receive news of the new
commission (we are told Anschluss was four days ago—
the Nazi occupation of Austria on March 12, 1938)
Princess Yvonne but gets pert note from Maria, calls off
proposal to Yvonne; thirteen days before Maria is to
leave he uses children to ultimately propose (a bit of a
modern game of “Telephone”)
Three days later [March 19, 1938] - Kaltzberg Festival
and Escape [Depicted in film as being the same night
November 26, 1927 – Wedding
they return from their honeymoon]
1933 - von Trapps lose money investing in Austrian
* NOTE: Musical “Dates” above are based off the historical date
of the Anschluss in Act Two, adjusting other dates by the days
and weeks mentioned between scenes.
banks, began to take in boarders
Easter 1935 - Father Wasner comes to villa, becomes
choral manager
August 1936 – Soprano Lotte Lehman hears singing,
insists they do concerts, enter the Salzburg Festival for
group singing, which they win; then invited to radio
broadcast, heard by Austrian Chancellor Kurt von
Schuschnigg who invites them to sing in Vienna; soon
the von Trapps are touring the whole map of Europe
1937 - First European tour
March 12, 1938 - Anschluss, the Nazi occupation of
PICTURED: Georg & Maria
von Trapp in real life
(above) and as portrayed in
the original Broadway
musical by Theodore Bikel
and Mary Martin (right)
Austria
May 1938 – Nazis notice they’re not hanging flags
June 1938 – Decline Germans three times in one week,
Escape in broad daylight on train to Italy
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Central City Opera
By Erin Joy Swank
The story of the von Trapp family has changed quite a bit over the years. There were even differences between the
autobiographies written by Maria von Trapp and her stepdaughter Agathe (portrayed as Liesl in The Sound of Music).
Can you guess where the following situations first appeared? Fill in the blank with A, B, C or D. Answers can be found
on page 49.
Your choices are:
1. Georg von Trapp uses a whistle to summon his
children.
______
2. Maria creates clothing for the children out of
old curtains.
______
3. Maria sings “I Have Confidence” while leaving
the Abbey for the von Trapp villa.
______
4. Maria and Georg return from their honeymoon ______
a few days after the Anschluss (Nazi
occupation.)
5. It is the von Trapp boys’ idea to enter the music
______
festival competition.
6. Max Detweiler acts as the family’s manager.
______
7. The von Trapps hide in the Abbey before
escaping to Switzerland.
______
8. Brigitta von Trapp is ten years old.
______
9. Maria discusses warm wool mittens.
______
10. Louisa can reportedly climb the trellis with a
toad in her hand.
______
A. Real life
B. The 1956
German film
Die TrappFamilie*
C. The 1959
Broadway
musical The
Sound of Music
D. The 1965 film
The Sound of
Music
*You can watch the German film on YouTube (including English subtitles
if you choose closed captions) at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?
list=PL4Hm5koJj_f3xO0HZQaD71jze1G0XdQpk.
Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
Interviewed by Emily Murdock
Maria Zifchak last appeared at Central City Opera in 2012 as Mrs. Grose in The Turn of the Screw. Other Central
City Opera credits include Bianca in The Rape of Lucretia (2008), Mrs. McLean in Susannah (2008), and
Cinderella’s Stepmother in Cendrillon (2007). Central City Opera had the opportunity to interview Maria in April.
You are playing two maternal characters who are in very different circumstances. Please explain how you’ve
prepared these roles, Mrs. Patrick De Rocher and the Mother Abbess. Do you find any common ground
between them?
These two characters are very different and very similar! I think of Mother Abbess as a kind gentle peaceful
leader, who shows of course true commitment to her calling and her position. She understands youth and what
it feels like to be young and she doesn't deny Maria any of that. She encourages her to explore life and to make
the right choices.
Mrs. De Rocher seems to me to be smart and instinctual yet innocent and disbelieving at the same time. She
loves her boys and does all she can to support them and raise them right. She believes in the simple good
sometimes only mothers see in their children. I think she knows the truth of what her son did deep down, but
he's still her son.
It will be very tough for me to play this character. How does one ingest something done that is so horrific, by
someone that you created and raised and "molded"? Yet you don't want to lose him, even though if he stays
alive, you've already lost so much of him? Tough…
We noticed that you sang the role of Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance with
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis last season. What do you enjoy the most about
singing classic musical theatre pieces and/or operetta? Is it any different
than singing opera?
I enjoyed so much singing Ruth! It was fun to sing something more comedic
for a change! For me this operetta is fun because it is in English, and the show
offers more equal character participation. Everyone gets a chance instead of
just two or three characters hogging up the whole show!
As for treating it differently than performing opera, I will say that I sang as I
always do, but maybe with a little more chest voice! One must of course still
be a good singer to really do any show justice. And operetta, even though it
has "etta" on the end of it, is not an easy sing!
2014 Opera Insider
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Maria Zifchak as Ruth in
The Pirates of Penzance for
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
Central City Opera
We consider you one of the “Best Supporting Actresses” of opera. What do you like most about singing
these types of roles?
As for your kind compliment, I'll take it, with much appreciation and humility!
I have been a supporting role performer for a long time. I find it can be just as demanding as singing a
leading role, just in different ways. For instance, you must try to make a strong impression and establish
your character in less time. You have to create scenarios and background for what happens before and
after the scenes that you are actually in. This helps in solidifying that character, since you don't have time
to evolve and grow within a show, like a lead character does.
Also a supporting character should be exactly that — a strong support for all characters in the show. Help
as much as you can, whether with staging or logistics or whatever that particular moment entails. And
LISTEN. Listening and engaging helps everybody involved, performers and audience members alike.
This will be your fourth festival with us. What are a few of your favorite things (pun intended!) about
Central City?
I love the mountains, Colorado beauty, the family atmosphere, the enthusiasm, the history of the town,
the quality of work, and the gambling!!
Maria Zifchak in Central City Opera
productions (clockwise from upper right):
Cendrillon, 2007; The Turn of the Screw, 2012;
and The Rape of Lucretia, 2008
Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
POST-OP CHATTER
Have fun sharing your thoughts with friends during some post-opera chit chat.
What did you think of the performance you just saw? Here are a few
questions to get the get the juices flowing:
One of the themes in The Marriage of Figaro is the
struggle between social classes. How do you think this
work paved the way for social uprising in history? Are
struggles like this still happening?
Do you think the Count really learned his lesson at the end of the opera, or should his
punishment have been harsher?
What role does art play in helping society work out big issues?
Did you find yourself changing your mind about any of the characters over the course
of the opera?
Were you surprised by your reaction to the opera?
Do you think it was important for the crime to be played out onstage at the beginning
of the opera?
Did your stance on the death penalty change at all and if so, why?
If you're familiar with the classic 1965 film starring Julie Andrews, you probably
noticed some differences in the stage musical. What did you think about the changes?
Do you feel differently about any of the characters in this version?
If you had lived in Austria during the Anschluss (Nazi occupation), do you think you
would have reacted like the von Trapps, Max or Elsa? What are the pros and cons of
each person's decision?
What are a few of your favorite things about musical theatre and opera?
The Marriage of Figaro, Dead Man Walking and The Sound of Music all are based on
literary works (the first from a play by Beaumarchais, the other two from
autobiographies). What book or story would you like to see made into an opera? How
would you adapt it for the stage and what would the music sound like? Note: You can
use the “Write Your Own Libretto” activity on page 48 for a guideline.
We also offer some Post-Op fun in person on July 11, 12 and 18! After the evening operas, join us for
impromptu performances in the Little Kingdom Room of the Teller House (just down the street from the
Opera House).
2014 Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
Central City Opera has partnered with the Denver Art Museum’s Education Department for the last few years to
present Opera and Art, sponsored by the CCO Guild. One of our favorite Art components of Opera and Art is a fun
Create-and-Take Activity of creating your own stage scene in a box. This activity will be available again at the DAM
by the beginning of October.
Starting in Fall 2014, this activity takes place in and around Fox Games, an
art installation located on the third floor of the Hamilton building in the Modern &
Contemporary Art galleries of the Denver Art Museum.
Led by a DAM Facilitator, visitors will have a rich experience looking at and thinking about Sandy
Skoglund’s installation Fox Games. Like Skoglund, visitors can immerse themselves in the process of creating a
whimsical, imaginative, and otherworldy scene, taking inspiration from the basic components of Fox Games.
First, the DAM Facilitor invites visitors on a walk through the installation and leads a discussion:
Take a visual inventory — there are lots of elements to discovery. What do you see? What else? How
many?
 What do all these things have in common? Do you see anything that looks different? Can you spot the
one thing that is a different color?
 This installation is like a freeze-frame picture of a story! Look at the foxes suspended in mid-air as they
jump onto the tables! What might have happened before this frozen moment? Why might have the
foxes entered this room? Where might they have come from?

After walking through the installation, visitors are invited to dream up their own imaginary scene and
animal invasion and create the scene in a box! To get started, complete this sentence, which also becomes the title
of the artwork:
__________________ take over a ______________
(Animal, plural)
(color)
___________.
(place)
Animals: Monkey, butterly, fish or dog (paper dye-cut shapes)
Places: Library, airport, museum, candy store, ice cream shop, stadium, barber shop, kitchen, bedroom, shoe store
or cafeteria.
Colors: Green, blue, fushia, red, orange, yellow or purple (tissue paper)
Pipe cleaners, other dye-cut shapes like triangles, swirls, dots,
rectangles, etc; puff balls and clear tape to secure materials
We encourage you to visit our friends at the Denver Art Museum
this fall and make your OWN scene-in-a-box. Or you can create
a scene from one of the operas you see this summer at Central
City Opera. Have fun creating!
Opera Insider
47
For the Fox Games installation at the Denver Art
Museum, you could fill in the blanks of the phrase
above with “Foxes take over a red café.”
Photo from http://millefiorifavoriti.blogspot.com
Central City Opera
WRITE YOUR OWN LIBRETTO
Where does your story take place?
How many characters are in your opera?
What are the names of your characters?
What is the conflict of the story?
What is the resolution of the story?
2014 Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
Word Search
(p. 17)
(p. 43)
1.
A; Agathe defended her father, saying it was a
large house and the only way they could hear
him.
2.
B
3.
D; while the song was created for the 1965 film
adaptation, it is now often retro-fitted into the
stage musical as well.
4.
C; the Broadway musical is where the timeline
really started to condense. In reality, the von
Trapps had two children of their own by the time
the Nazis occupied Austria.
5.
B; in real life it was Soprano Lotte Lehman’s idea;
in both musical versions it is Max’s.
6.
C; the German film kept the character as Father
Wasner.
7.
C; in real life they walked out their back door
and took a train to Italy.
8.
D; in the musical she’s nine, in real life there was
no daughter named Brigitta. The German film
kept most of the children’s original names but
adjusted their ages and swapped one name with
the actual name of a child Maria had with Georg
after they were married.
9.
A; in her autobiography, Maria tells how she
requested that Georg purchase “warm wool
mittens” for the children for Christmas, which he
did.
(p. 29)
10. C; in the 1965 film, it was switched to spiders
and a scene was added with Maria finding a frog
in her own pocket.
Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
Words To Know Before You Go...
Part One: In the opera score…
The libretto contains all of the words of an opera. Italian for
“little book,” a libretto is usually shorter than the script for a
play because it takes longer to sing lines than to say them,
and because music is also a very important part of telling
the story of an opera. The person who writes the words for
an opera is often a playwright or poet and is called a
librettist.
The composer writes the music for the opera. All of the
music, both vocal (for singers) and orchestral (for
instrumentalists) is written in the score with separate lines for each instrument and each singer’s vocal part. The score,
as a piece of music, reflects the mood, events and emotions of the characters in the story.
Characters are the people in the story. Singers perform the parts of the characters, also called roles.
A synopsis is a short written summary of the story.
The overture is a piece of music played by the orchestra to begin the opera. It usually, but not always, contains some
of the musical themes from the opera and sets the mood for what the audience is about to see.
Recitative, pronounced re-chi-ta-TEEV, is sung dialogue that propels the action of the story. The singing is generally
faster with a rhythm more like regular speech.
An aria is an extended musical passage sung as a solo (by one person). It is often very lyrical and accompanied by the
orchestra, conveying the emotions of the character at a particular point in the story. The action usually stops while an
aria is sung.
A duet is an extended musical passage for two singers, a trio is sung by three singers, a quartet is a piece for four
singers, and so on.
An ensemble is an extended musical passage for four or more singers. Very often each performer in an ensemble is
singing different words and different musical lines.
Chorus scenes usually feature the principal and secondary cast members with the chorus. The sheer number of voices
on stage is usually reserved for moments of high drama and spectacle. Dancers might also be featured in a big choral
scene.
The finale is the last number in an act. It usually involves many singers and is very dramatic.
Supertitles or surtitles are the translation of the words of an opera projected above the stage at the same time a
character on stage is singing them. When an opera is in a different language, supertitles help people understand what
is going on. Even if an opera is performed in English, supertitles are often used to help the audience follow the story.
2014 Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
Words To Know Before You Go...
Onstage and in the pit…
The Music Director is responsible for the interpretation of the
score. The Music Director is also usually the conductor, who is
responsible for the musical interpretation and coordination of
the performance. The conductor stands at the front of the
orchestra pit and uses a baton (a short white stick) and his/her
arms and body to interpret the music, cue singers and
instrumentalists and keep the beat so everybody stays
together. Maestro (maestra for a woman) is the Italian word
for conductor (literally “master”) and is a term of great
Curtain call for the family matinee production of Carmen (2011)
respect.
Soprano is the highest female voice. She is often the heroine of the opera and frequently she is in love with the tenor.
A star soprano is often referred to as the "prima donna."
Mezzo-soprano, or just mezzo, is the second highest, or middle, female voice. The mezzo sound is typically darker and
warmer than the soprano. The mezzo usually plays the older female character (like the mother), a villainess (like a
witch), a seductress or a young man or boy. When the mezzo plays a male character, she will be dressed in men's
clothes, thus it is called a pants or trouser role. This convention became popular in the 17th century, as a woman’s voice
is stronger than a boy’s voice.
Alto, also called contralto, is the lowest female voice. The alto often plays an old woman, who can either be wise and
good or an old witch.
The tenor is the highest male voice and is usually the hero of the opera and generally in love with the soprano.
Baritone is the next lowest, or middle, male voice. The baritone is often a villain but can sometimes be a hero who
sacrifices himself for the tenor and/or soprano. In a comedy, the baritone is usually the one pulling all kinds of pranks.
The baritone is often in love with the soprano but usually loses her to the tenor.
The bass has the lowest male voice. He very often plays a wise old man or sometimes a comic character (basso buffa).
Basso profundo describes the lowest bass voice.
Supernumeraries or "supers” appear on stage in costume in non-singing and non-speaking roles.
The orchestra is the group of instrumentalists who accompany the singers. They play under the stage in the orchestra
pit where they will be less likely to overpower the singers and detract from the physical action on stage. Even though
the orchestra is not on stage, the instrumentalists are equal partners with the singers in performing an opera.
The chorus is a group of singers who function as a unit on stage. Choruses can be for mixed voices, men only, women
only or children. They are usually featured in crowd scenes where they can represent townspeople, soldiers, pilgrims,
etc.
Dancers are often included in an opera. They are usually part of large crowd scenes but can be featured in solo roles as
well. Many operas include a short ballet.
Opera Insider
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Central City Opera
Words To Know Before You Go...
Backstage and behind the scenes…
Where do you start if you want to put on a production of an
opera? Usually the General Director, Artistic Director or Music
Director will pick the repertoire, or what operas will be
performed. The performance is conceived by the Production
Team, which consists of the Music Director/Conductor, Stage
Director, Choreographer, Scene Designer, Costume Designer,
Lighting Designer, Props Master and Technical Director. These
people meet frequently to trade ideas and work together to
ensure a cohesive interpretation of the piece from a visual,
dramatic and musical standpoint.
A member of the electrics crew
adjusts a lighting instrument.
The Stage Director (sometimes simply called the director) is
responsible for the overall look or concept of the production.
The director determines how the opera will be interpreted and tells everyone on stage when and where to move,
creating "stage pictures" that enhance the story.
The Choreographer designs movement for the dancers and sometimes for chorus and other characters.
The Costume Designer designs and creates the clothes singers wear to reflect aspects of the character played by the
singer and their significance in the story.
The Scene Designer creates the visual background and set pieces for the opera. He or she creates a small scale model
of the set and detailed blueprints which serve as the instructions for building the set. He or she also works closely with
the props master on hand props, furniture and set decoration.
The Props Master purchases, rents or makes the props for a show. Props are generally items that performers carry or
use on stage (books, dishes, etc.), furniture and also the set dressing (added elements to make the scenery more
believable like curtains, plants or things on shelves).
The Lighting Designer creates a lighting plan that emphasizes the drama of the moment. Lighting design is an
important visual element that contributes to the ambience of the stage setting and adds depth to the appearance of
people, costumes and props on stage.
The Technical Director supervises everyone who is implementing the concepts of the designers. He or she works with
carpenters, painters, electricians, sound designers and stagehands and oversees the building of sets and props and
hanging of lights.
The Stage Manager is present for rehearsals and performances and helps coordinate the technical requirements from
the Production Team with the action taking place on stage. During a performance, he or she is responsible for calling all
the cues for the cast and crew. This means the stage manager warns the cast and crew when acts are about to begin
and end, tells the conductor when to start, cues cast members for entrances and follows hundreds of detailed notes in
the score to tell the crew when to change lighting, scenery, sound effects, and raise or lower the curtain.
The Crew (stagehands) works behind the scenes and is responsible for setting up and running all of the technical
elements for a performance, including changing sets, placing and maintaining props, operating the lights, opening and
closing the curtains, operating trap doors, sound effects, and assisting performers with costumes and makeup.
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Central City Opera
Words To Know Before You Go...
Other opera terms…
Bel canto, literally “beautiful singing,” describes the musical style of an
opera that is lyrical and often very flowery.
Bravo, literally “brave” or “courageous,” is a form of applause when
shouted by members of the audience at the end of an especially pleasing
performance. Strictly speaking, bravo is for a single man, brava for a
single woman and bravi for more than one performer.
A cadenza is a brilliant passage in an aria often improvised by the singer,
usually in such a way as to best display his or her vocal talents. Cadenzas
are virtuosic (difficult and showy) and rhythmically free.
Coloratura describes a voice that possesses unusual flexibility, able to
sing many notes quickly over a wide range. This term is most often used
to describe female voices, i.e. coloratura soprano or mezzo, but
occasionally men will have this same ability.
The concertmaster or concertmistress is the first violinist who leads the
orchestra in tuning at the beginning of each act and coordinates the
strings section, deciding on the bowing so that all the bows move in
unison.
Diva, literally “goddess,” refers to an important female opera star. The
masculine form is divo.
Leitmotiv, “light-mo-teef,” is a short musical phrase associated with a particular character or event. These repeated
musical themes can signal the entrance of a character, foreshadow an event, or help reveal what a character is feeling
or thinking.
The prima donna is the leading female singer, or “first lady,” in an opera. Because of the way opera stars have
behaved in the past, it often refers to someone who is acting in a superior and demanding way. Diva (or the male
divo) can have the same connotation.
Tempo (plural tempi) refers to how fast or slow the music is performed. The conductor reads the composer’s
markings and sets the speed of the music.
An understudy is someone who learns a main role in an opera in case the lead singer can’t perform for some reason.
This is also called a cover, i.e. Miss Trill is covering the role of Buttercup.
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Central City Opera
Music! Words! Opera! (grades 3-12)
provides extended artist residencies
for students to engage in creating and
performing musical stories.
Eureka Street (grades K-6) brings
students into the fascinating world of
opera characters, great stories,
history, music and rhythm. Curricular
resources available online.
Music! Words! Opera! Workshop,
a 5-day workshop for K-12 teachers
intending to enroll their schools in
creative projects prepares teachers for
incorporating opera music and stories
into curriculum. Offered biennially.
Graduate or Continuing Education
credits available.
Mozart & Company (grades K-6)
introduces the basics of opera – song,
story, costumes and props – in arias
and short vignettes. Curricular
resources available online.
The Great Opera Mix-Up (grades K-6)
invites student participation in a miniopera to create a deeper
acquaintance with story and
character. Curricular resources
available online.
Performing Arts Intensive,
for students 14-19, is a multi-week
summer residency in partnership with
the Colorado Springs Conservatory.
Selected by audition, students teamcreate a short opera, study and
rehearse scenes from opera and
musical theater, attend operas and
classes and perform as a part of the
CCO summer festival.
How the West Was Sung (grades 3-8)
Frontier history comes alive as real
and imaginary characters from the
past react to today’s new-fangled
notions. Curricular resources
available online.
Family Matinees, for children ages 6
to 18 and their companion adults, are
special performances of Festival
operas (performed by participants in
the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists
Training Program) with tickets at
significantly discounted prices.
En Mis Palabras (In My Own Words)
(grades 6-12) is a bilingual opera that
follows 15-year-old Ana Maria as she
tries to balance the conflicting
influences of her family cultural
traditions vs. the expectations of her
peers. Bilingual study guide provided.
Central City Opera engages in
Performance Partnerships with such
organizations as the Colorado
Symphony, Inside the Orchestra, the
Denver Art Museum, the Colorado
Springs Conservatory and the
Colorado Children’s Chorale.
Smooth Operator, Saints and
Sinners, Opera on the Go and Love
Notes integrate scenes from opera
and classic musical theatre in 45-90
minute shows for family audiences.
Available for booking by schools,
private parties, concert venues, arts
councils and recreation districts.
Visit www.centralcityopera.org/education for more information or call 303.331.7026 to schedule a program at your school. Scholarships available.
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Central City Opera