Composer Lee Hoiby, who died in March of this year, wrote operas and songs that were harmonically lush and loved by singers for their singability. Chelsea Opera found this to be the case when it produced his dramatic first opera, The Scarf, a one-act based on a Chekhov tale, which the composer confided that he had not seen in forty-eight years. Chelsea Opera was eagerly looking forward to working with this gentle and humble composer once again with its dual presentation of This is the rill speaking, based on the play of the same name by Lanford Wilson (who curiously died only three days before Hoiby), and Bermudas, a chamber piece with a text by 17 th Century poet Andrew Marvell. Presented in memory of both Lee Hoiby and Lanford Wilson, performances will be on June 9-11th at 7:30 pm and June 11th at 4:00 pm at St. Peter’s Church in Chelsea (346 West 20 th Street, between 8 th and 9 th Avenues). Tickets are $35 preferred, $30 general admission and $20 students/seniors purchased in advance (or $40, $35 and $25 at the door). Tickets may be purchased on-line (link through www.ChelseaOpera.org) or by calling 1-866-811-4111. T his production is supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and the Friends of Chelsea Opera, and is a WQXR Media Sponsorship recipient. For more information, visit www.ChelseaOpera.org or call 212-260-1796.
Wilson’s play, originally written for six actors to portray 18 roles was adapted by Hoiby’s librettist and partner, Mark Shulgasser, for six singers to sing 11 roles. Still, there are many challenges as, for example, when one of the baritones sings the “Father” and one measure later must become “Keith”, the skirt-chasing, teenage star of the high school basketball team! The story is actually a series of vignettes, brief slices of life from a sleepy mid-America town in 1950 depicting ordinary moments: a teenage girl sharing her dream of the house she wants to live in once she gets married; two teenagers challenging each other over the pool table; a boy chasing after his lost dog; a gossiping neighbor; a mother who reprimands her daughter for wearing a halter top; and Willy – the protagonist of the play/opera (and most likely Lanford Wilson himself) – who dreams of one day becoming a writer. The sultry warmth of an early-summer day can literally be felt in the music as each character lives his or her moment. Hoiby then brings them all together in a ravishing sextet, music that crescendos into a beautiful, lyric wave of emotion until at the end of the day, everyone turns out their lights and falls contentedly asleep. Directed by Lynne Hayden-Findlay, This is the rill speaking features sopranos Lynne Abeles and Danya Katok, mezzo sopranos Juli Borst, Julie DeVaere, Darcy Dunn and Erika Person, tenors Kirk Bangstad and Mike Faraci, and baritones Sámus Haddad, Brian Henry, Brad Lassiter and Justin Ryan.
This is the rill speaking premiered in a collaborative production between American Opera Projects and the Purchase College Conservatory of Music in April, 2008, along with Lee Hoiby’s new opera, The Tempest. Chelsea Opera has begun discussions with American Opera Projects regarding the pursuit of mutually beneficial collaborations in the future.
Also on the program is Bermudas, a chamber piece that Chelsea Opera originally performed on a 2009 concert. The poem by Andrew Marvell (author of To His Coy Mistress) describes a harrowing journey from England on the rough sea-monster infested waters and the mariners’ gratefulness to God for bearing them to such a “remote” island where lush, tropical fruits abound. Soprano Bernadette Fiorella and mezzo soprano Leonarda Priore will be accompanied by a quartet with Maestro Carmine Aufiero at the piano.
Chelsea Opera is a professional company presenting fully staged operas with chamber orchestra. The company provides a nationally recognized venue for professional singers to advance their artistry while making opera attractive, affordable and accessible to a broad spectrum of the community. The fine acoustics of the space provides excellent hearing, and the intimacy of the space allows the audience to feel involved in the opera’s story. The company is also committed to providing opportunities for young people to learn about and become interested in opera either as a source of entertainment or future employment. As music writer, Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times noted in June 2009: “With American opera companies large and small struggling financially and a few going under, [Chelsea Opera is] a patch of encouraging news…”
Formed in 2004 by two singers, Lynne Hayden-Findlay and Leonarda Priore, the company was launched with an all-volunteer production of Suor Angelica. Initially, Ms. Priore and Ms. Hayden- Findlay had only intended to produce this one opera. However, artist and audience response was so compelling that they agreed to move forward, incorporating Chelsea Opera and obtaining their non-profit designation from the IRS in a record eight days. They have since produced Cavalleria Rusticana, Amahl and the Night Visitors (three times), Pagliacci, Don Giovanni, Gianni Schicchi, The Ballad of Baby Doe, The Scarf, The Bear, a 5 th Anniversary production of Suor Angelica, and Le Nozze di Figaro. Their November production of Tom Cipullo’s Glory Denied garnered rave reviews from both The New York Times and Opera News.
Chelsea Opera, is a WNYC-FM *STAR* Incentive recipient, and has received support from The Banfi Vintners Foundation, The Bettina Baruch Foundation, The NYU Community Fund, The Barbara Bell Cumming Foundation, Meet the Composer – MetLife Creative Connections, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), and in-kind support from Wells Fargo Financial Advisors. JetBlue Airways is the official airline of Chelsea Opera.
For more information, visit www.ChelseaOpera.org.
Inquiries can be made by email at ChelseaOpera@aol.com
or by phone at
212-260-1796.
Tickets may be purchased on-line at OvationTix or by calling 1-866-811-4111.
|
