ShowTalk: Spotlight on Medea

Alexandra Deshorties in the title role of Medea.

Alexandra Deshorties in the title role of Medea.

The artists on the stage of the Alice Busch Opera Theater get the lion’s share of attention each summer, but some of the most distinguished guests of our 2011 festival appear in more intimate venues. Our “ShowTalk” series gives a new name to a long-standing Glimmerglass tradition: for many years, we have invited visiting scholars and artists to share their insights on topics related to the season. Last Saturday, in a morning devoted to American art and artists, we heard from Carol Troyen, Curator Emerita of American Paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and a noted expert on the works of Edward Hopper; Terrence McNally, award-winning playwright and librettist; and Arthur and Barbara Gelb, authors of O’Neill: Life with Monte Cristo (2002), a definitive life of the playwright.

This Saturday, we’ll be joined by classicist Gregory Nagy and musicologist Peter Bloom to discuss Medea. The morning will also feature live performance of excerpts from the play by Euripides and the opera by Cherubini. The August 6 ShowTalk takes place from 10:00 – 12:00 in the Thaw Pavilion, on the Glimmerglass Festival campus. The price is only $10 ($5 for youth under 18).

We hope to see you there!

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Kelley Rourke, August 4th 2011 | Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Medea

Quick Q&A: Young Artist Sarah Larsen

Sarah Larsen as Neris in Medea.

Sarah Larsen as Neris in Medea.

2011 Young Artist Sarah Larsen is an alumna of the program, returning this summer to perform the role of Neris in Glimmerglass’s new production of Medea as well as in the July 17 Arias and Asides concert on the mainstage. In Arias and Asides, Larsen joins with fellow Young Artists to present an engaging introduction to opera for music lovers of all ages.

Here is our Quick Q&A with Sarah:

 

What has been your favorite role so far and why? My favorite role this far has been Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible. Aside from having a powerful and thought provoking story, the opera contains some of the most gorgeous music I have ever heard. Elizabeth’s beautiful lines are supported by a lush and giant orchestration, and the character herself is extremely real and rewarding to portray.

What is your dream role? Queen Elizabeth I in Gloriana by Benjamin Britten 

Do you play golf or other sports? Not at all. I am not coordinated in the least!

Is your family involved in the arts as well and how? My grandfather, grandmother and mother are all singers, and my father plays the trumpet.

Are there any artists you feel particularly inspired by? Joyce DiDonato is one of my favorite singers – I admire her versatility and the amount of thought that goes into producing each and every note that she sings. My favorite painters are Artemisia Gentileschi and Eugene Delacroix, who both were visionaries in their own times, and whose work continues to be eye opening to this day. I am inspired by the actor Danny Kaye for his willingness to look like a fool, and simultaneously retain complete control.

What do you sing or listen to for fun? I LOVE to listen to NPR podcasts and Classic Rock.

What is your favorite meal? Do you cook it yourself or eat out? My favorite meal is anything without raisins in it. I LOVE food, in fact, you might say that it is my greatest passion, aside from singing J I love to cook and I love to eat out.

What are your interests or hobbies? I love to read historical fiction on my newly acquired kindle, and to try new and exciting foods I have never heard of before.

Why are you most looking forward to the 2011 Festival at Glimmerglass? I know its cheesy, but making music with some of the most fantastic musicians and friends that I know. Amazing colleagues are what make this job feel like it isn’t a job.

I feel very honored to portray Neris in Medea this summer.  Neris’s honest and protective love for Medea is translated beautifully in the music, with one of her highlights being the aria “Solo un pianto.” The aria is haunting in its melancholy, and fierce in its maternal instinct.

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Brittany Lesavoy, July 12th 2011 | Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Medea, Young Artists Program

Quick Q&A: Daniele Rustioni

Daniele RustioniItalian conductor Daniele Rustioni will make his U.S. debut with The Glimmerglass Festival’s summer production of Medea. His recent engagements include Aida at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, L’occasione fa il ladro at La Scala, as well as La bohème and The Elixir of Love with Teatro Regio. He has appeared with the St. Petersburg and Helsinki philharmonics, as well as La Fenice and Welsh National Opera. He was also recently featured in the Italian edition of Vanity Fair.

Rustioni will soon join us in Cooperstown to begin rehearsals for Medea, starring Alexandra Deshorties in the title role.

First, a quick Q&A:

What inspired you to become a conductor?

Conducting is a privilege. Since I was 8, singing in the Boys’ Choir at La Scala Theatre, Milan, I discovered the joy of making music together. It gradually became my main aim in life. After my studies in Organ, Piano, Violin, Cello, Band Instrumentation, Choral Conducting, Composition, and experiences in various chamber music ensembles as a pianist, I decided to study Orchestral Conducting. It seemed the right continuation of a long musical journey. Breathing together with many talented musicians: that‘s what inspired me to became a conductor.

Why are you looking forward to conducting Medea?

It is a masterpiece, and a great challenge for a conductor. The style presents French, German and Italian elements all together. It has a very “exposed” orchestration, with a perfection in the writing which will require a perfect performance technique. The piece’s vocal lines are of superb quality. The voice should seduce and suggest colors and nuances to the pit. The characters present a complex psychological profile, always underlined by Cherubini’s music. It’s a powerful and tremendous tragedy, as well as a delicate and refined musical jewel.

What opera or musical have you conducted that you would most like to revisit and why?

La bohème by Puccini. I adore it. It is full of passion and drama, but there is always something new to add in a performance thanks to its refined “impressionistic” orchestration. There is always a new “caress” and “finesse” to discover – other ways to deliver energy in Puccini’s music. I can’t wait to conduct it again!

Do you play golf or other sports?

Jogging and swimming.

Is your family involved in the arts as well and how?

My mother sings in a professional choir in Milan. My father is a business man supporting the arts.

Are there any artists you feel particularly inspired by and why?

Gianandrea Noseda and Antonio Pappano. I assisted them in many productions. I admire their musicianship and conducting style. They are volcanic personalities – charismatic figures, with tremendous energy, but always in control. They are hard workers, with great respect of the score and the composer’s will. Both are great human beings as well.

What do you listen to for fun?

Mahler Symphonies.

What are your interests or hobbies?

Read books (Russian novels), movies at cinema, travels in wild nature.

What is your favorite meal? Do you cook it yourself or eat out?

Lasagne cooked by my mother.

I cook myself.

Specialties: lasagne (trying to reach mom’s level), pasta puttanesca, chocolate cake….experiments! The kitchen is very close to music…

Why are you most looking forward to the 2011 Festival at Glimmerglass?

It will be my American debut, with an operatic masterpiece. I am looking forward to working closely with great artists in a fantastic environment with beautiful nature.

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Brittany Lesavoy, May 6th 2011 | Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Medea

Glimmerglass Announces Plans for 2011

Francesca Zambello, Glimmerglass Opera’s incoming General & Artistic Director, has announced her plans for the Central New York company.

Beginning with the 2011 season, Glimmerglass Opera will become The Glimmerglass Festival.  The company will continue its tradition of four new fully staged productions, now to include three operas and one piece of American musical theater, performed as intended with full orchestra, large cast and no sound amplification. These four productions will be supplemented by special performances, cabarets, concerts, lectures and symposiums throughout the season.

“Our new name – The Glimmerglass Festival – reflects our new breadth of activities and spirit of adventure,” Zambello said. “My goal is to have a variety of offerings, so you can come to a concert or reading in the afternoon, have a picnic, go to the opera, and then stay afterward for a cabaret.”

In 2011, The Glimmerglass Festival will present new productions of Bizet’s Carmen, Berlin’s American classic Annie, Get Your Gun and Cherubini’s rarely performed Medea. Additionally, a double bill of two new operas about American artists will feature the world-premiere production of A Blizzard in Marblehead Neck, a Glimmerglass-commissioned work by award-winning composer Jeanine Tesori and librettist Tony Kushner, and the professional premiere of John Musto’s and Mark Campbell’s Later the Same Evening, an opera based on five Edward Hopper paintings. 

The Festival will run July 2 through August 23, 2011. The four main stage performances will perform in rotating repertory.  Ancillary activities will include concerts, cabarets, lectures, question-and-answer events and performances by members of the Young American Artists Program, the company’s apprentice program for young singers. In August, The Glimmerglass Festival will also feature a Symposium Series, where visiting lecturers will explore topics related to the 2011 productions.

Another new feature will be The Glimmerglass Festival Artist in Residence. A major international artist will be fully integrated into the life of the Festival, with a leading role in a main stage production and special solo performances throughout the summer. The artist will work closely with members of the Young American Artists Program. Casting and production teams for the 2011 Festival will be announced in late July.

THE GLIMMERGLASS FESTIVAL 2011

Carmen (Bizet/Meilhac & Halévy, 1875)
July 2, 9, 11m, 15, 19m, 23, 25m, 31m; August 5, 8m, 11, 13m, 20, 23m

Medea (Cherubini/Hoffmann, 1797)
July 8, 10m, 23m, 28, 30m; August 1m, 6, 14m, 16m 

Annie, Get Your Gun (Berlin/Fields, 1946)
July 16, 18m, 22, 24m, 30; August 2m, 4, 6m, 9m, 12, 15m, 18, 20m, 21m

Double Bill:
world premiere: A Blizzard in Marblehead Neck (Tesori/Kushner, 2011)
professional premiere: Later the Same Evening (Musto/Campbell, 2007)
July 21, 26m, 29; August 7m, 13, 22m
m=matinee

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Francesca Zambello officially assumes the role of General & Artistic Director commencing September 1, 2010. She succeeds Michael MacLeod, who held the position for five years. The company is a professional and non-profit organization that offers approximately 45 performances of four productions that run in rotation during July and August. Since its opening in 1987, the company’s Alice Busch Opera Theater has been home to more than 85 productions. The 2010 Festival runs from July 9-August 24 and will feature four new productions: Puccini’s Tosca, Copland’s The Tender Land, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and the U.S. professionally staged premiere of Handel’s Tolomeo.  For additional information, call (607) 547-2255 or visit www.glimmerglass.org.

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Brittany Lesavoy, June 15th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Recent News