Reflections an Opera Lafayette Newsletter FROM SAINT LOUIS TO SAN LUIS In 1976 as a student at a quartet seminar near Taos, New Mexico, I met the founding director of the Wurlitzer Foundation. The Foundation provided residencies for artists, much like MacDowell or Yaddo on the East Coast, and its director was a polymath with a larger-than-life personality who become a mentor to me for the next 20 years. As it happens, one of the books he had written was on the work of Agrippa D’Aubigné, the 16th-century French poet who was the grandfather of Madame de Maintenon, Louis XIV’s last and secret wife, and one of whose descendants was Adrienne de Noailles, the wife of the Marquis de Lafayette. It was not the first time French culture appeared unexpectedly in the southwest US, either historically, or in my own subsequent musical discoveries, as we’ll soon see with regard to Opera Lafayette’s featured opera next season – André Grétry’s 1770 Silvain. Silvain was one of Grétry’s many international “hits,” and a favorite not only of Marie-Antoinette, but of 18th-century audiences as far east as St. Petersburg and as far west as New Orleans, being the first recorded opera performed in this French, Spanish, and soon-to-be American city in 1796. In our polyglot American culture, Ceran St. Vrain, Charles (or Carlos) Beaubien, and Jean-Baptiste Lamy are not well-known names outside western historical circles, but they were 19th-century men who made an indelible mark on a region until then known and inhabited only by indigenous peoples and Spanish colonists. To that mix, these Frenchmen added their own ingredients, seeking fortunes and converts, and bringing ambition, trade, idealism, and greed to a place that was for them an unknown frontier. Whereas St. Vrain traded with indigenous peoples and was a key figure in establishing the Santa Fe Trail, and Lamy the wellknown archbishop of Santa Fe and the subject of Willa Cather’s Death Comes to the Archbishop, Beaubien was new to me. His family established settlements in Quebec along the St. Lawrence, and like his French colleagues, he set his sights on the Southwest, and traveled there via Saint Louis. An entrepreneur of huge ambition, Beaubien figured out how to finagle enormous land grants from the Mexican government in the 1840s totaling Photo by Lisa Mion. continued on the following page
Photo by Ryan Brown.
FALL 2021 The Blacksmith Page 2 Fête de la Musique – A Worldwide Event Page 3 Opera Starts with Oh! Expands its Roster and Embarks on a Season of Hybrid Learning! Page 4 Giving Thanks Pages 5-8 Ryan Brown, Artistic Director
continued from the previous page
The Blacksmith
Photo by Ryan Brown.
over a million acres in what is now northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. Like his family had done in Quebec, his planning for these tracts involved giving settlers small plots of land, and use of the large land grants for water, wood, hunting and grazing. He also oversaw the planning of villages, including that of San Luis. After his death, however, a succession of American owners challenged the traditional rights of the people of San Luis to use these large tracts of land. This same conflict, and an interwoven family estrangement and reconciliation, is the central drama of Grétry’s Silvain, which Opera Lafayette will produce in Washington and New York this coming season. To direct the opera and provide the images for its scenic projections, I was fortunate to meet the Mexican filmmaker Tania Hernández Velasco, whose own award-winning documentary Titixe explores issues of land and family in a poetic visual fashion. In June, Tania and Managing Director Lisa Mion and I visited both Taos and San Luis, to develop a spring residency at the Wurltizer Foundation and research information and images that will inform our staging of Silvain. While there we met several wonderful people: Nic Knight, the young director of the Wurlitzer Foundation; Sylvia Rodríguez, former director of the Ortiz Center at the University of New Mexico and an expert on common lands; and Arnie and Maria Mondragon Valdez, architects, farmers, historians, and lifelong residents of San Luis. We are thrilled to collaborate with these scholars, institutions, communities, and an international cast of French, Canadian, Caribbean, and American actor-singers, to bring Grétry’s Silvain back to America!
Photos by Paul Boyer.
Having premiered last year in front of an historic barn in Mancos, Colorado, Opera Lafayette’s adaptation of The Blacksmith now finds itself at The Barns at Wolf Trap. “Cleverly restyled for the Plains, circa 1900,” (Opera News) this adaptation to the American West features the return of Joshua Conyers, Dominique Côté, Pascale Beaudin, Arnold Livingston Geis, and Frank Kelley each of whom will reprise their roles for this Washington, DC premiere. New to the cast and making her Opera Lafayette main stage debut is Emilie Faiella. The orchestra features Ryan Brown on fiddle, Grammywinner Dom Flemons and Denver-native Dylan Kober on guitar, and Doug Balliett, contrabass, previously heard with Opera Lafayette in An Evening of Monteverdi. Recapturing the humor and immediacy of the original, Nick Olcott and Ryan Brown have adapted Philidor’s opéra comique Le Marechal ferrant to the late 19th-century American West. Opéra comique originally integrated French vaudeville songs, allowing for audience sing-alongs. Honoring this, Brown has woven in popular American folk songs of the time. This fully staged production bridges country and city, celebrates rural themes, and invites the audience to participate by joining in singing familiar folk songs. Do not miss what Opera Canada dubbed, “Ninety welcome minutes of charm and cheer.”
The Barns at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts Wednesday, September 8th at 7:30pm For tickets and more information visit: https://bit.ly/Blacksmith08 Thursday, September 9th, 7:30pm For tickets and more information visit: https://bit.ly/Blacksmith09
Grammy Award winning musician Don Flemons
Join us on Thursday for a special, limited-capacity performance of The Blacksmith along with a special performance by Grammy-winner Dom Flemons. This evening concludes with a champagne and dessert reception and our 2021/22 season announcement.
Fête de la Musique – A Worldwide Event invented by an American, embraced by the French
Photos by Jennifer Packard courtesy of Tregaron Conservancy.
Thomas Dunford.
In the mid 1970s, an American musician named Joel Cohen spent two seasons producing programming for the French National Radio (France Musique). During that time, he conceived the idea of an all-day festival of music to be held on the solstices. This fledging notion became reality in 1982 when Jack Lang and Maurice Fleuret of the French Ministry of Culture hastily organized a day devoted to the celebration of music in the public spaces of France. The idea quickly caught on. Since that singular event in France in 1982, the Fête de la Musique has expanded to millions of musicians participating in more than 120 countries across the world. All of us at Opera Lafayette were pleased to have participated, for the first time, in this international phenomenon. Though we couldn’t take to the streets, we dug deep into our archives, pairing some of Opera Lafayette’s most beautiful music with the stunning photography of our long-time friend and photographer, Louis Forget. For me personally, it was a joy to revisit these treasures. Some of them, created during my tenure with Opera Lafayette, were a visit with old friends, whose familiar companionship brought me cheer. I discovered plenty of new music, too, both pieces from our archives and some created especially for our 12-hour musical celebration. We hope that you were able to join us for our online fête, but if you weren’t, we’d like to share with you this restorative Morning Meditation with Bach made in collaboration with our colleague Thomas Dunford. Many thanks to our longtime friend and board member, Susan Lynner, who made this project with the Tregaron Conservancy possible. As an Opera Lafayette supporter, you can access this clip at https://vimeo.com/565247691 Password: DonorsDoMore
Opera Starts with Oh! Expands its Roster and Embarks on a Season of Hybrid Learning! This season we are thrilled to reconnect in-person, beginning in September, with our Washington, DC families at workshops in the Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital and with our families nationwide online in Saturday morning Zoom sessions. In preparation for this extraordinary season, we are happy to welcome two new lead teaching artists to our Opera Starts with Oh! family: Tamrin Goldberg and Omar D. Cruz. Tamrin Goldberg, originally from Seattle, is a Brooklyn-based performer and choreographer. She is no stranger to Opera Lafayette, having served as associate movement director for our 2019 co-production of Stradella’s La Susanna with Heartbeat Opera. Tamrin was also a frequent guest artist on Opera Starts with Oh! Online this past season. Tamrin will lead our online and in-person sessions this fall. Omar D. Cruz is a bilingual (English, Spanish) actor and theater educator. Omar has taught with Shakespeare Theater Company, Washington Revels, Imagination Stage, Adventure Theater and will become an adjunct professor at American University in the fall of 2021. Omar will lead our online and in-person sessions in spring 2022. Opera Starts with Oh! was created in 2018 in collaboration with director, choreographer and educator, Emma Jaster. The goal was simple: deconstructing the larger-than-life art form that is Photo by Julia Discenza. opera into bite-sized pieces, making them more approachable and magical for families. Since then, we have held over 10 in-person workshops and 40 online sessions focusing on voice, dance, design, and instruments. We have expanded our reach nationwide, creating relationships with families in Kansas, Florida, California, and Missouri, and have been featured in The Washington Post and Washington Parent.
Photo by Joseph Moran.
We are extremely grateful to Emma for her vision in shaping this series. This season we continue our journey of exploration with three exciting new operas whose stories will serve as the basis for more singing, dancing, and learning. Know someone who might be interested in learning about opera with a child in their life? Join us online or in-person! Tickets go on sale Monday, August 30.
“It has been such a pleasure to build and lead the Opera Starts with Oh! Program with Opera Lafayette over the past three years. I could not be happier now to be passing it on to the leadership of Tamrin Goldberg and Omar D. Cruz. Tamrin and Omar are both artists and educators whom I have had the pleasure of working with in a variety of settings and whom I admire as deeply attentive, caring, and talented individuals. They bring all the characteristics key to running this program with its signature ingenuity and engagement. In addition to being infinitely creative and skilled artists and collaborators, they are both capable and gracious educators, ready to work in any environment. I know they will each enrich the program with their own unique expertise, and I cannot wait to see how it grows in their hands.” – Emma Jaster
FALL DATES In person: Saturday, September 11, 2-4 p.m. – Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital Online: Saturdays (September 25; October 9 & 23; November 6 & 20; December 4 & 18). 11 a.m. EST – Zoom bit.ly/OperaSWO11 In the meantime, check out our Play On materials at: https://operalafayette.org/play-on
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Make a Difference for Years to Come Sow and grow your love of Opera Lafayette! A bequest is a gift specified in your will, including gifts from a variety of estate planning arrangements for which Opera Lafayette can be named a beneficiary. At present, Opera Lafayette can be named as a beneficiary on these bequest instruments: l “payable on death” or “transfer on death” arrangements in a last will and testament; l beneficiary designations under retirement plans, such as IRAs, 401(k) plans, and 403(b) plans. An example of a bequest to Opera Lafayette would be, “I give to Opera Lafayette, now having its principal offices at 921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20003, [a percentage of the estate or specific dollar amount] to be used for its general support and charitable purposes without restriction.” Although Opera Lafayette does not provide legal advice, we invite you to contact us to discuss bequests and other legacy giving opportunities. Visit OperaLafayette.org/Donate for more information.
ACCELERANDO
ac·cel·er·an·do (noun): a gradual increase in tempo PATRONS OF ACCELERANDO – YEARS 1 AND 2 Thank you for your collective generosity in helping us meet the $100, 000 match provided by our wonderful benefactors David Frederick and Sophia Lynn. A Anonymous (4) Barry Abel Arthur R. Abright Alan Agle Mr. and Mrs. Ross Ain Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Allen Wilma and Stuart Antman Walter Arnheim and Marsha Rehns Jean W. Arnold Thomas L. and Yoko N. Arthur Mehdi Reza Asef B Elizabeth Baer Wallace K. Bailey Violet E. Baker Annette Barchat Eric Bash Mr. Richard Beams Mr. Norton Belknap * Peter Bell Stephanie Bernheim and Ralph Wharton Ms. Carole Berglie Virginia M. Bland Christopher Bone Joseph and Carmen Bredie Todd Breitbart Corrick and Norma * Brown Derek Brown and Deborah Hellman Laura Brown Ryan Brown and Christine Healey Natalie Burr C Avis Bohlen Calleo and David Calleo Michael and Judith Canning Vickie D. Carlson Mr. Hector Carrero Dr. Eve Chauchard Lloyd Chesley Merritt Chesley Mr. and Mrs. Jerald L. Clark Martin and Janet Cohen John M. Cross and Benjamin Diamond Mr. Seán Curran D Mr. Walter Denny and Ms. Alice Robbins Mrs. Janet Desforges JoAnne and Duane DeVries Doris Dixon Mr. John Driscoll Dorsey and Susan Dunn
E Matthew Easley Joan L. Elliston F Sheila ffolliott Alan and Hannah Fisher John Fitzgerald John and Patricia Forelle Louis and Marie-Hélène Forget David M. Fountain Margaret Frances Dwight Frankfather Elisabeth R. French G Dennis Gallagher and Carol Barthel Bruce A. Garetz and Anne Eisenberg Alice B. Gausch Karen Gerstbrein Dr. Karen Gilmore Susan Ginsburg Mr. Richard Glass and Dr. Sally Findley Ms. Paula Goldman Mr. and Mrs. Robert Goode Mark Goodman Cheryl Gorelick Gabriel Gorenstein Bill and Cari Gradison John and Roberta Graziano Joan Greenberg Mr. and Mrs. Arvind Gupta H Dorothy Haase June Hajjar Mr. Douglas Roy Hamilton Sheridan Harvey Richard Hardy Ms. June Hargrove Spencer Harper Prof. Rebecca M. Harris-Warrick Louise Healey * Kimberley Heatherington Tom Helinski and Bob Miller Dr. Samuel and Marcia Hellman Mr. and Mrs. Basil W. Henderson, Jr. Marifé Hernández and Joel Bell Jessica Honigberg Paul J. Horowitz and Ruth E. Jaffe Larry and Ann Hossack Ms. Annie Houston Mr. Michael Humphreys Michelle Humphreys
J Adrienne Jamieson and Patrick Chamorel Parker H. Jayne William Guy Jegl John Jernigan Robert V. Jones Margaret C. Jones Mr. Winfield P. Jones Peter Judd K Geoffrey D. Kaiser Mr. John L. Kattler Mr. Thomas Kerst Dr. Walter L. Kirchner Mary Sue Kitchen Stephen E. and Mary Sue Kitchen Noël Klapper Andrea Knutson James Kolb L Mr. and Mrs. Steven Lauterbach Emily Lemer Robert Lerner and Pam Hines Julia Liebeskind Diane Lin Mr. and Mrs. John Lipsky Ronald Lorentzen Daniel Lozier Elisabeth Lynn Tiffany Lynn Susan A. Lynner M Dr. Myron Magnet Laverne Mahoney Pamela Manice Mr. William Theo Mann Daniel and Maeva Marcus Ms. Carol Marsh Mary Lynne Martin Ms. Wendy A. McCain Donogh McDonald and Susan Kneller Kate McElhenny Joan E. McFarland Michael and Cynthia McKee McMurphy Family Mr. and Mrs. David A. Mead Ishtar Méjanès Ingrid Meyer Timothy Milford and Liza Velazquez Mr. and Mrs. Edward Clark Miller Merri Moken Gregory Moomjy Nancy Morgenstern
Mr. Gerald Murphy Kristina Muxfeldt N Benjamin Nathan Brian Naylor Camilla Nilles and Richard J. Metzger O Dianne and Chris O’Flinn Katherine Offutt Amy Orr David L. Osborne Ms. Geraldine Ostrove P Lois C. Padawer and Oscar A. Jaeger Michael Parent Robert Parker and Nancy Gordon Lynn Parseghian Marylyn Pauley John Percy Martha Perry Dorothy Prats Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth B. Prouty Elizabeth Prince de Ramel Q Mr. and Mrs. Robert Quinlan R Leonard and Annemarie Ralston Sandra Ray Mr. Anthony Rayner Naomi W. Reddert * Dr. Annette Reilly Mr. and Mrs. Robert Reischauer Emilija Miljkovic Renke Mark and Helen Rice Mary S. Riebold Denise Ringer Harriet Rogers Ms. Joan Rosasco Linda and Duncan Rose Steven Rosenberg J. Brinton Rowdybush Michael Ryan S Morris Schapiro Robert and Pamela Schmidle Mr. and Mrs. David Schraa Betty and Al Scott Dr. and Mrs. Thomas P. Sculco Anne Shine Yann Siberil Michelle Sikora
Daniel and Sybil Silver Angela Silverman Mr. Richard Sime Joel and Joan Simon Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sinclair Matthew Slater and Faith Roessel Karen P. Smith Nancy Jo Snider Richard and Athena Tacha Spear Steven Steinbach Edward and Shelley Stewart Janet M. Storella and Andrew T. Karron Donald and Mary Street Jason Strudler Alexander Swindle T Mr. and Mrs. Michael Tanner Bev and David Therkelsen Dr. and Mrs. Daniel M. Thys U Takemi Ueno Barbara B. Uhlrich V Barbara Van Woerkom Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Viscusi Voce di Meche W Ms. Patricia Waddy Wage Fondation Ms. Stefanie Walker Arete Warren Baird Webel Larry Wehr Ms. Deborah Weinberger Cheryl West Douglas Wheeler Robin White and Nat Breed Alan and Cynthia Wilkinson JoAnn Willis and Charles N. Kahn III Patricia Winston Elizabeth A. Witt Wolf Instruments/ Thomas and Barbara Wolf Edith C. Wolff Y Susan Yamada Irving and Carol Yoskowitz Z Florence Zwerdling *deceased
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