Supplement to The Aspen Times
FESTIVALFOCUS | YOUR WEEKLY CLASSICAL MUSIC GUIDE
MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2019 3
FINAL SUNDAY: Bach’s “Actus tragicus,” choral singers Continued from Festival Focus page 1
Quigley of Seraphic Fire says the group is thrilled to have singers. The Colorado Symphony Orchestra Chorus will the opportunity to sing this Mahler work—an opportunity join Seraphic Fire for the work. not often afforded to a “Despite the topic, or choral group of their size. because of the topic, “Mahler’s Second Symphony is a “It’s a great honor for us, it’s offering hope and and we’re really looking light beyond our matewonderful marriage of one of the forward to working with rial world as a piece of everyone,” he says. “It’s a orchestral music,” says greatest orchestral composers, but massive work that leads Asadour Santourian, also a great choral element. It is very up to a really empowerAMFS vice president ing climax. I think the reafor artistic administraprofound and inspiring and uplifting son for its longevity is that tion and artistic advisor. and that makes it a great closer.” Mahler 2, like Beethoven “Mahler said that the 9, has left the realm of symphony must include simply being property of the world in it. It certainly Alan Fletcher AMFS President and CEO musicians and has come does in terms of forces to be a cultural treasure.” onstage. And it is not a The Aspen Festival Orchestra, Colorado Symphony Ordark view. It is actually a very hopeful and joyful view emchestra Chorus, and Seraphic Fire will also be joined by bracing resurrection.”
ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL AND SCHOOL BOX OFFICE HOURS
world-renowned soloists: soprano Mané Galoyan and mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor. “Mané Galoyan is a terrific soprano who is achieving international recognition,” Santourian says. “She is quickly moving into a special strata of leading ladies roles. She studied here in the summer of 2017 and made a deep impression. Kelley O’Connor is a terrific concert and operatic mezzo who has been muse to several composers to write her works. She’s an exceptional interpreter of text.” Fletcher says the Mahler piece, and the incredible musicians performing it, make for a perfect close to another AMFS season. “Mahler’s Second Symphony is a wonderful marriage of one of the greatest orchestral composers, but also a great choral element,” he says. “It is very profound and inspiring and uplifting, and that makes it a great closer.”
Harris Concert Hall: 9 am through the intermission of the evening concert, daily. Wheeler Opera House: 12 pm–5 pm M–F, 9 am–5 pm Saturdays, one hour prior to operas.
Family Concert for all ages Thursday FIGARO: hilarious, relatable, beloved music AMY OLDENBURG
Festival Focus Writer
With children home for the summer, it’s important for them to continue their learning development— especially within the musical arts. Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) has the perfect event that’ll bring your children a joyous learning experience. The free Family Concert on August 15 is set to provide aural and visual entertainment for all ages. The concert’s featured piece is Prokofiev’s classic Peter and the Wolf. The aim of this piece is to introduce children to an orchestra by having each character represented through an instrument or group of instruments. For example, the bird will be represented by a flute, the duck by an oboe, the cat by a clarinet, the grandfather by a bassoon, and the wolves by horns. As children follow Peter’s musical journey, they will be taught a lesson on obedience ELLE LOGAN and courage. Kids can explore music performance and instruments at the “Prokofiev produced a structure that young listen4 pm Kids Notes event, followed by the all-ages Family ers could easily follow—the plot-line as characters Concert in Harris Concert Hall at 5 pm on August 15. are associated with interactive tunes. It’s a simple piece to follow, yet written masterfully,” says Asawhere children can create different character masks dour Santourian, AMFS vice president for artistic ad- from Peter and the Wolf. The masks will be used later ministration and artistic advisor. in the concert as a physical component. “Kids will be Before families are taken on Prokofiev’s musical ad- led from the stage to hold up their masks at different venture, all are invited to Kids Notes in the Meadows points when the characters are represented by the Hospitality Tent at 4 pm. Here children are treated orchestra,” says Wiltgen. with pre-concert activities, including snacks, crafts, Once children feel energized and ready to give story time, and an instrument petting zoo, that are de- their full attention, families can head over to Harris signed to connect children with the repertoire they Concert Hall as Peter and the Wolf begins at 5 pm. are about to hear. Kids Notes is recommended most The program focuses on reaching the four main learnfor children seven-years-old and under. ing modalities—kinesthetic, visual, auditory, and tac“A lot of parents and grandparents are excited tile. Children will meet each orchestra instrument, be about this piece, but most young children aren’t fa- encouraged to physically engage with their crafted miliar with the piece or what a classical concert is. character masks, and listen to a professional narSo, if we can give children some background informa- rator. Focusing on a sensory-friendly program,“the tion and learning experiences, they are going to be lights stay on and the doors to the concert hall will be more prepared for the concert, allowing for it to be open,” says Wiltgen. a meaningful musical experience,” says Katie Hone The piece is led by last summer’s Aspen Conductor Wiltgen, AMFS director of education and community Prize winner, Johannes Zahn. The Family Concert has programming. welcomed children for years to make a deep, underOne featured activity is a mask-making station standing connection with classical music.
Continued from Festival Focus page 1
diences will love the balance between serious emotions and also just complete comic outbursts. It’s never comedy for the sake of being funny, it’s just a reflection of how hilarious life can get. It’s because it’s relatable that it’s so funny.” Boettcher says one of the reasons she loves this opera so much (she has sung two other parts over the years) is because of how Mozart writes his female characters. “I love it because it’s relevant subject matter—a woman who’s wronged by her husband and has to decide to keep trying or accept there’s no hope left for her marriage,” she says. “Countess Almaviva is very emotionally strong. I feel Mozart does an amazing job at encapsulating her warmth and strength. The women in this opera have a lot of power, and I admire them. Mozart was so observant and poignant in the way he wrote his women.” In fact, during the time of the opera’s premiere, the ending (with Count Almaviva on his knees begging the Countess for forgiveness) was quite radical and controversial. Today, it just feels relevant. Singing her partner is baritone Xiaomeng Zhang, who came to Aspen this summer for the first time specifically to sing the role of Count Almaviva. “I really wanted to do this role,” he says. “It’s been one of my dream roles for many years. I think it’s a very funny role; he makes people feel that he’s very open, vulnerable, noble, but inside of himself he’s still very ugly.” Zhang says the chance to sing Mozart is always one a young singer should take, and this was also a consideration when the AMFS programmed The Marriage of Figaro. “It is an opportunity for young singers to tackle these roles, and that’s one of the main purposes of our opera program, is to give young singers opportunities to sing complete roles,” Santourian says. “There are seven or eight complete roles, which they will encounter as long as they’re in the lyric voice category for the rest of their lyric lives in the professional’s view. This is not a student opera.” For audiences, and for singers, the most wonderful thing about Figaro may come down to the music—some of the most beloved and memorable that Mozart ever wrote for opera. “I love the music,” Boettcher says. “To me, there’s no music like it, and I think it’s genius the way Mozart puts it all together.”
