Robert Blocker, Dean

October 28–29, 2011

OPERA SCENES

Yale OperaDoris Yarick Cross, artistic director

marc verzattstage director

douglas dickson · timothy shaindlin musical preparation & direction

john carver sullivancostume design

william b. warfel · john chaselighting design

wendall k. harringtonprojection design supervisor

Projections designed by students of the Yale School of Drama projection design program

Yale Opera presents

Morse Recital Hall in Sprague Memorial Hall october 28 & 29, 2011 sat & sun · 7:30 pm

scenes from Così fan tutte, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Roméo et Juliette, Les Troyens, La Traviata, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Giulio Cesare, I Puritani, Iolanta, & La Bohème

OPERA SCENES

This is Mozart’s most sensitive work concerning relationships and the fragility of human nature, particularly the young and in love. Two sol- diers swear that their fiancées will remain faithful to them forever, but their mentor and friend, Don Alfonso, wagers that the girls are as human as the men themselves. The men deceitfully tell the women that they must leave for battle, but return disguised as new suitors. The two wo- men try to resist, but they are encouraged by their maid, Despina, to merely allow the new suitors the chance to spend some time with them. Dorabella falls for her sister’s fiancé, while her own lover desperately pursues her sister, Fiordiligi. The men come back as themselves, but all have changed and grown from this challenge, and have more mature ideas about themselves and each other.

brief pause

Cast, in order of vocal appearance

FiordiligiDorabellaDon AlfonsoGuglielmoFerrandoDespina

catherine affleck, sopranokelly hill, mezzo-sopranoandrew craig brown, bass-baritonenathan milholin, baritonejorge prego, tenorlisa williamson, soprano

Così fan tutteExcerpt from Act 1

Music by W.A. Mozart

Performed in Italian with projected English translationMusical direction by Douglas DicksonProjection design by Palmer Heffran

Friday, October 28

This is quite a different version of the Shakespeare story, based more closely on Shakespeare’s original source, The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet, a narrative poem by Arthur Brooke. Nothing is known of Arthur Brooke’s life except that he died in a shipwreck while en route to New Haven (!), in East Sussex, England in or before the year 1563.

In this extended duet, unlike Shakespeare’s (and Gounod’s) more familiar balcony scene, Romeo begs Giulietta to abandon her family on the evening of her wedding to Tebaldo (Tybalt), and leave with him. Giulietta invokes her family heritage and her honor, claiming that it is impossible for her to forget them.

intermission

I Capuleti e i MontecchiExcerpt from Act 1

Music by Vincenzo Bellini

Performed in Italian with projected English translationMusical direction by Douglas Dickson

Projection design by Paul Lieber

Friday, October 28

Cast, in order of vocal appearance

RomeoGiulietta

annie rosen, mezzo-sopranojenna siladie, soprano

In Verona, Italy, the rivalry and hatred between the Capulet and Montague families has become a threat to the peace of the city. The daughter of the Capulets, Juliette, and the son of the Montagues, Roméo, have fallen in love, and have been secretly married. In a street brawl, Roméo’s kins- man, Mercutio, is killed by Juliette’s cousin, Tybalt. Roméo, in turn, slays Tybalt, and Roméo is banished from Verona. To escape another marriage, Juliette is given a sleeping draught by the monk who married the couple. It gives Juliette the appearance of death, and her parents have buried her in the family vault. Roméo has not received word from the monk of his plan, and he believes Juliette is dead. He takes poison just a moment before Juliette awakens from her lethargy. Juliet stabs herself, and the lovers die together.

brief pause

Roméo et JulietteAct IV

Music by Charles Gounod

Performed in French with projected English translationMusical direction by Timothy ShaindlinProjection design by Hannah Wasileski

Friday, October 28

Cast, in order of vocal appearance

RoméoJuliette

roy hage, tenorlisa williamson, soprano

Queen Dido has been driven out of Phoenicia, and the king, her hus- band, has been murdered by his brother. She has founded a city on the north shore of Africa, and Carthage is thriving under her rule. Aeneas and his followers arrive from the city of Troy, destroyed by the Greeks. Dido and Aeneas fall in love, even though Dido has made a vow of celi-bacy and Aeneas’s destiny lies in Italy to re-found Troy in the Roman province. Dido’s minister Narbal expresses his concern for the inatten-tion Dido pays to the city. Her sister Anna, however, is overjoyed that Dido has found love again. Following an after-dinner entertainment, at which Iopas sings a ballad of his own composition, Dido and Aeneas are left alone, declaring their love for one another.

brief pause

Friday, October 28

Les TroyensExcerpt from Act II

Music by Hector Berlioz

Performed in French with projected English translationMusical direction by Timothy Shaindlin

Projection design by Edward Morris

Cast, in order of vocal appearance

AnnaNarbalDidonIopasEnéeMercure

annie rosen, mezzo-sopranoalexander hahn, bassvivien shotwell, mezzo-sopranogaleano salas, tenorsamuel levine, tenoraaron sorensen, bass

Verdi’s most noble and self-sacrificing heroine, Violetta Valéry, lies dying of tuberculosis in her Paris apartment. Her lover, Alfredo, denounced her publicly as a prostitute, unaware that his own father had insisted Violetta leave him and her sojourn with him in the country to protect his family’s honor. Her protector, the Baron Douphol, has been injured in an illegal duel with Alfredo, who has left France to escape the law. As Violetta’s last moments draw near, Alfredo and his father return to her. Violetta gives Alfredo a miniature portrait of herself, telling him to marry again and that she will pray for him in heaven.

Friday, October 28

La TraviataAct IV

Music by Giuseppe Verdi

Performed in Italian with projected English translationMusical direction by Timothy Shaindlin

Projection design by Adam Rigg

Cast, in order of vocal appearance

ViolettaAnninaDr. GrenvilAlfredoGermont

jamilyn manning-white, sopranokelly hill, mezzo-sopranoaaron sorensen, bassjorge prego, tenorcameron mcphail, baritone

Rossini’s perennial comic gem concerns Count Almaviva’s wooing of Rosina, who is the ward of Doctor Bartolo. Bartolo himself intends to marry Rosina for her youth, beauty, and wealth. The barber, Figaro, acts as a go-between for Rosina and Almaviva. He informs Rosina of Bartolo’s marriage plans, and then introduces Almaviva – first as a drunken soldier looking for lodgings in Bartolo’s house, and then as Alonso, a substitute for Rosina’s music teacher, Don Basilio. A series of hasty cover-ups and switches collapses when Bartolo recognizes Alfonso as Almaviva.

brief pause

Saturday, October 29

Il Barbiere di SivigliaExcerpt from Act II

Music by Gioachino Rossini

Performed in Italian with projected English translationMusical direction by Douglas DicksonProjection design by Edward Morris

Cast, in order of vocal appearance

Count AlmavivaBartoloRosinaFigaroBasilio

galeano salas, tenoralexander hahn, bassvivien shotwell, mezzo-sopranonathan milholin, baritoneaaron sorensen, bass

This brilliantly beautiful bel canto opera plays fast and loose with English history: Elvira, the daughter of the Roundheads, led by Oliver Cromwell, has fallen in love with a Cavalier, Arturo, of the Royalist faction. Her father has betrothed her to the captain of the guard, Riccardo, but re- lents when his brother Giorgio pleads that Elvira will die if she is forced to marry him. Giorgio breaks the news to Elvira just moments before Arturo arrives at the fortress to claim his bride.

brief pause

Saturday, October 29

I PuritaniExcerpt from Act I

Music by Vincenzo Bellini

Performed in Italian with projected English translationMusical direction by Douglas Dickson

Projection design by Matt Otto

Cast, in order of vocal appearance

RiccardoElviraGiorgio

cameron mcphail, baritonejamilyn manning-white, sopranoaaron sorensen, bass

Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy are rivals for the regency of Egypt, newly conquered by Julius Caesar. As a token of flattery, Ptolemy sends Caesar the severed head of Pompey, whom Caesar had defeated in battle. This act repulses Caesar and causes him to distrust and disfavor Ptolemy. Pompey is mourned by Cornelia, his wife, and Sextus, his son, who swears revenge. Achilles, Ptolemy’s captain, falls in love with Cornelia and tries to woo her. As she repulses his advances, he condemns her and her son to prison.

intermission

Saturday, October 29

Giulio Cesare in EgittoExcerpt from Act I

Music by George Frideric Handel

Performed in Italian with projected English translationMusical direction by Douglas DicksonProjection design by Kristen Robinson

Cast, in order of vocal appearance

CorneliaSestoTolomeoCesareAchilla

kelly hill, mezzo-sopranoannie rosen, mezzo-sopranoalexander hahn, bassvivien shotwell, mezzo-soprano andrew craig brown, bass-baritone

King René’s daughter Iolanta has been blind from birth, but he and his court have kept this a secret from her. Now in her very early teens and approaching womanhood, Iolanta wonders about the world around her and suspects that there is more to life than she has been led to believe. Prince Vaudémont comes upon her sleeping in her garden. He praises her as a vision and angelic appearance, but she tells him she doesn’t un- derstand what he means by such words that connote sight. He asks her to pick him a red rose, but when she gives him a white rose, he realizes she is blind. He tells her that she is missing God’s light in the universe, but she assures him that she has no need to see God’s light from the outside, since she experiences it from within.

brief pause

Saturday, October 29

TolantaExcerpt from Act I

Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Performed in Russian with projected English translationMusical direction by Douglas DicksonProjection design by Kristen Robinson

Cast, in order of vocal appearance

IolantaKing RenéVaudémont

jenna siladie, sopranoandrew craig brown, bass-baritonesamuel levine, tenor

Based on the popular novel Scenes of the Bohemian Life, the mid-1850s precursor to Rent is the story of young love amongst artists and young female factory workers in the Montmartre section of Paris. The story focuses on the lovers Mimi and Rodolfo and on the relationship bet- ween Musetta and Marcello. In this scene from Act III, Mimi walks miles to a remote inn to ask Marcello’s advice: she and Rodolfo have had another huge quarrel. Marcello tells her that he and Musetta work at the inn, and that Rodolfo showed up late the night before and immedi- ately fell asleep. He advises her to leave so that he can confront Rodolfo, but Mimi remains and overhears Rodolfo’s conversation with Marcello. Rodolfo knows that she is extremely ill, although she is in denial about it, and he wants her to find someone better off financially than he is to support her. Hearing Mimi weeping and coughing uncontrollably, he tries to comfort her, but she bids him farewell and asks that he send the concierge to return her few possessions. Musetta is heard entertaining a guest, which puts Marcello into a rage. Musetta leaves Marcello as Mimi and Rodolfo pledge to wait until springtime to separate, for “no one is alone in April.”

Saturday, October 29

La BohèmeExcerpt from Act III

Music by Giacomo Puccini

Performed in Italian with projected English translationMusical direction by Timothy ShaindlinProjection design by Solomon Weisbard

Cast, in order of vocal appearance

MarcelloMimìRodolfoMusetta

cameron mcphail, baritonecatherine affleck, sopranogaleano salas, tenorlisa williamson, soprano

Biographies

Marc VerzattStage Director

A stage director and acting coach, Mr. Verzatt maintains an active career directing opera, ope- retta, and musical theater throughout the United States, South America, and Europe. He made his professional directing debut with a production of Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann with Opera Colum- bus. He has since directed productions with the Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires, Chicago Lyric Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Florida Grand Opera, and the opera companies of Fort Worth, Lake George, Madison, Arizona, Toledo, Atlanta, Kansas City, Baltimore, Idaho, and Mississippi. For the Austin Shakespeare Festival, he directed Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Recent stagings have been Toledo Opera’s Candide and concert stag-ings of Verdi’s Macbeth and Mozart’s Don Giovanni for the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Verzatt has taught and directed at Philadel-phia’s Academy of Vocal Arts, Indiana University, Ohio State University and Notre Dame University. He has directed many Yale Opera productions, including Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Orchestra Verdi in Milan, as well as five one- act operas in Sprague Hall, and Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Suor Angelica, Strauss’s Die Fleder-maus and Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte at the Shubert Theater. In 2005 he returned as guest artist to the Metropolitan Opera for an acting role in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos. In 2006 he was named Out-standing Stage Director of the Year by Classical Singer magazine.

He joined the Yale School of Music faculty in 2002 where he teaches acting and movement. At Bard College’s Vocal Arts Program he is the Director of the Acting and Movement Workshops and is on the Graduate Advisory Board.

John Carver SullivanCostume Designer

John Carver Sullivan returns to Yale Opera, where he has designed the past two seasons’ opera scenes productions, as well as La Tragédie de Carmen and Le Rossignol. His long association with Colin Graham and Opera Theatre of St. Louis has in-cluded designs for world premiere productions of The Woodlanders, The Village Singer, and The Postman Always Rings Twice, among many others. He has also designed the Broadway production of Moose Murders, off-Broadway productions at the York Theatre of The Musical of Musicals – The Musical, Little By Little, and The Jello is Always Red, and multiple productions for the Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music. His theatrical work includes productions for Goodspeed Opera, the Alley Theatre, Berkeley Rep, and the Folger Library Theatre. Mr. Sullivan currently serves as the Chair of the Theatre Department at Southern Connecticut State University.

William B. WarfelLighting Designer

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

Douglas DicksonMusical Preparation and Accompaniment

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

While still in college, he was the accompanist for the American Boychoir. As part of Duodecaphonia, a prize-winning piano duo, he has performed at the Kennedy Center and elsewhere. Mr. Dickson has been music director for productions at Quin-nipiac University, the Yale School of Drama, Opera Theater of Connecticut, and Connecticut Expe-rimental Theater. He was music director and conductor for Yale Opera’s production of Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, and he conducted a concert featuring Yale Opera with the Orchestra Verdi in Milan. He has taught at Quinnipiac University since 1993, and joined the Yale faculty in 1998. He made his Carnegie debut in an all Ives concert at Weill Recital Hall. For Naxos, he recorded more than eighty Charles Ives songs.

Timothy ShaindlinMusical Preparation and Accompaniment

A native of New York City, Timothy Shaindlin joined the Yale School of Music faculty in 2008. After studies at The Juilliard School and Indiana University, he worked for the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, San Diego Opera, Wolf Trap Opera and Pittsburgh Opera. He has also coached for Glimmerglass Opera, Sarasota Opera and Hawaii Opera Theatre. In Europe, he worked for Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu and played master classes for Tito Gobbi. He has played classes and coachings for such artists as Joan Sutherland, Birgit Nilsson, Beverly Sills, Marilyn Horne, Natalie Dessay, Ben Heppner, Luciano Pavarotti, Carlo Bergonzi, Eleanor Steber, Samuel Ramey, Regine Crespin, Thomas Hampson and Frederica von Stade. Mr. Shaindlin’s work on the podium includes conducting engagements with the Wolf Trap Opera Festival, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Pittsburgh Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Chicago Light Opera Works and Eugene Opera. He has assis-ted such renowned conductors as Christoph Eschenbach, Sir Andrew Davis, Daniel Barenboim, Valery Gergiev, Richard Bonynge, Bruno Barto-letti, Donato Renzetti, Louis Langrée, Edoardo Müller, Yves Abel, Daniele Gatti, Antonio Pappano and Paul Gemignani.

Biographies

Wendall K. HarringtonProjection Design Supervisor

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

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

Biographies

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

Andrew Craig Brown bass-baritoneB.M., Millikin University; M.M., Yale School of Music

Roy Hage tenorB.M., Oberlin College Conservatory of Music; Young Artist Programs: Chautauqua Institution Voice Program, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

Alexander Hahn bassB.M., Mannes College of Music; Young Artist Programs: Chautauqua Opera

Kelly Hill mezzo-soprano B.M., University of Northern Iowa; Young Artist Programs: Santa Fe Opera, Central City Opera

Samuel Levine tenor B.M., Oberlin College Conservatory of Music; Young Artist Programs: Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Aspen Music Festival

Jamilyn Manning-White soprano B.M., Utah State University; M.M., Arizona State University; Young Artist Programs: Glimmerglass Opera

Cameron McPhail baritone B.A., University of British Columbia; Artist Diploma, University of British Columbia

Student Profiles

Nathan Milholin baritone B.M., University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Jorge Prego tenor B.M., Vigo Conservatory (Spain); M.M., Hartt School of Music; Artist Diploma Roosevelt University; Young Artist Programs: Santa Fe Opera, Chicago Opera Theater

Annie Rosen mezzo-soprano B.A., Yale College; M.M., Mannes College of Music; Young Artist Programs: Central City Opera, Glimmerglass Opera

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

Vivien Shotwell mezzo-soprano B.A., Williams College; M.A., University of Iowa; Young Artist Programs: Calgary Opera

Jenna Siladie soprano B.M., Stetson University; Young Artist Programs: Franz Schubert Institute, Baden bei Wien

Aaron Sorensen bass B.M., University of Nebraska at Omaha; M.M., University of Houston; Young Artist Programs: Glimmerglass Opera

Lisa Williamson soprano B.M., Peabody Conservatory; Performer’s Certificate, University of Connecticut; Young Artist Programs: Chautauqua Opera, Connecticut Opera

Yale Opera Production Staff

Special Thanks

marc verzatt Stage Director

john carver sullivanCostume Designer

william b. warfel Lighting Designer

erika niemiManager

theresa starkProduction Coordinator

laura lynne gonzalezStage Manager

Yale School of Drama

Long Wharf Theatre

Southern Connecticut State University

Ivoryton Playhouse

The Foote School

Wendall K. Harrington and her projection design students

Nick Romano

Linda Clark

jim clarkProperties Master

mark krasnovMaster Electrician

melissa mattoWardrobe Manager

laura eckelmanProjection Programmer and Operator

jill brunelleSurtitle Operator

kelly hillStudent Assistant

Yale Opera 2011-12 Season

Master Class with Alan Heldnovember 7

Morse Recital Hall | Mon | 7 pm The renowned bass-baritone from the

Metropolitan Opera works with students in the Yale Opera program.

Liederabenddecember 12

Morse Recital Hall | Mon | 8 pm An evening of German art song

featuring the rising stars of Yale Opera.

Liederabendmarch 22

Morse Recital Hall | Thu | 8 pm An evening of French art song

featuring the rising stars of Yale Opera.

The Rape of Lucretiaapril 27 & 28

Morse Recital Hall | Fri & Sat | 8 pm Yale Opera presents a new production of

Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, with stage direction by Vera Calabria and

musical direction by Douglas Dickson and Timothy Shaindlin.

Tickets $10–$15, Students $5.

Così fan tuttefebruary 10, 11, 12

Shubert TheaterFri & Sat at 8 pm | Sun at 2 pm

Yale Opera announces a new production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte, conducted by

Speranza Scappucci and directed by Justin Way. Performed in Italian with English

translations. Tickets $19–$41, available at www.shubert.com or 203 562-5666.

Upcoming Events

Linden String Quartet

october 31

Morse Recital Hall | Mon | 8 pm The graduate quartet-in-residence

performs Schubert’s Quartettsatz in C minor; Berg’s String Quartet, Op. 3;

Kelly-Marie Murphy’s Dark Energy; and Ravel’s String Quartet in F major.

Free Admission

Yale Brass Trio

november 1

Morse Recital Hall | Tue | 8 pm Faculty Artist Series

Allan Dean, trumpet; William Purvis, horn; Scott Hartman, trombone. Music from the Renaissance to today by Dufay, Schumann, Rachmaninoff, Ezra Laderman, and Astor

Piazzolla. With Mihae Lee, piano. Free Admission

Kyung Yu & Elizabeth Parisot

november 2

Morse Recital Hall | Wed | 8 pm Faculty Artist Series

Kyung Yu, violin, and Elizabeth Parisot, piano. Mozart: Violin Sonata in B-flat major,

K. 378; Respighi: Violin Sonata in B minor; Ravel: Violin Sonata in G Major; and

music by Fritz Kreisler.Free Admission

New Music New Haven

november 3

Morse Recital Hall | Thu | 8 pm Featuring music by two faculty composers. Ingram Marshall: September Canons, with violinist Todd Reynolds; Martin Bresnick:

Going Home - Vysoke, My Jerusalem, with the Double Entendre music ensemble.

Free Admission

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

Robert Blocker, Dean

Concerts & Public Relations: Dana Astmann, Danielle Heller, Dashon Burton

New Media: Monica Ong Reed, Austin KaseOperations: Tara Deming, Chris Melillo

Piano Curators: Brian Daley, William HaroldRecording Studio: Eugene Kimball

WSHU is the media sponsor of the Yale Opera at the Yale School of Music.