A Florentine Tragedy/Gianni Schicchi House Program by Canadian Opera Company

C A N A D I A N O P E R A C O M PA N Y S p r i n g 2 0 12

Performance

A Florentine Tragedy/ Gianni Schicchi

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CONTENTS 4

EVIL UNDER THE SUN A FLORENTINE DOUBLE BILL BY GAVIN PLUMLEY

FANTASY AND HUMANITY JOHANNES DEBUS DISCUSSES THE TALES OF HOFFMANN BY SUZANNE VANSTONE

SEMELE TRANSFORMATIONS BY ERIC DOMVILLE

C A N A D I A N O P E R A C O M PA N Y

Top: The COC presents Semele, a co-production of Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Brussels and KT Wong Foundation. A scene from Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, 2009. Photo: Karl Forster

Spring 2012

Performance

Bottom: The COC presents The Tales of Hoffmann. Stephanie Houtzeel as Nicklausse (Vlaamse Opera, 2000). Photo: Kurt Van der Elst

n CANADIAN OPERA COMPANY EDITORS: Suzanne Vanstone, Senior Communications Manager, Editorial; Gianna Wichelow, Senior Communications Manager, Creative n RJ PERFORMANCE MEDIA INC.: PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER: Joe Marino n CEO: Frank Barbosa n SECRETARY TREASURER: Rajee Muthuraman n FINANCE: Gina Zicari n NATIONAL ACCOUNT DIRECTORS: Danny Antunes, Gary Bell, Tom Marino, David Thom, Heather Thom n ART DIRECTOR /DESIGN: Jan Haringa n GRAPHIC ARTIST: Glenda Moniz n Cover images: The Tales of Hoffmann – The COC presents The Tales of Hoffmann. Gerard Powers as Hoffmann (Vlaamse Opera, 2000). Photo: Kurt Van der Elst Semele – The COC presents Semele, a co-production of Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Brussels and KT Wong Foundation. A scene from Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, 2009. Photo: Karl Forster A Florentine Tragedy/Gianni Schicchi – Preliminary sketch of Bianca in A Florentine Tragedy by costume designer, Terese Wadden. Canadian Opera Company’s edition of Performance magazine is published quarterly by RJ Performance Media Inc., 2724 Coventry Road, Oakville, Ontario, L6H 6R1. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written consent is prohibited. Contents copyright © Performance Inc. Subscriptions available by contacting publisher. Direct all advertising enquiries to 2724 Coventry Road, Oakville, Ontario, L6H 6R1 or phone 905-829-3900, Ext. 222.

Catch up with blogs and enjoy COC Radio at coc.ca.

EVIL UNDER THE SUN A FLORENTINE DOUBLE BILL BY GAVIN PLUMLEY

he final pages of Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi are like a new dawn. Buoso Donati’s property has been transferred to its “rightful” owners and Lauretta and Rinuccio gaze out over Florence. The city “in the distance seemed to us like paradise!” they sing, as the orchestra celebrates their newfound freedom. They are not the only people to have fallen under Florence’s spell. From the pomp of the grand tour to the masses under the feet of Michelangelo’s David today, Florence has captivated generations. However E. M. Forster, perhaps the most outspoken fan of the Tuscan capital, knew that any city filled with 4

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

Preliminary set maquette for A Florentine Tragedy by set designer Wilson Chin.

statues of abduction and beheading was not totally without fault. Florence may be a dream to some, but its violent history proved a nightmare for others. In his Italian novels, Forster invites us to dig beneath that terracotta-clad surface. And it is that sadistic underbelly that runs through Oscar Wilde’s A Florentine Tragedy, which Alexander Zemlinsky set to music in 1917, the same year that Puccini began Gianni Schicchi. Compared with Europe’s cold and emotionally frigid north, the baking Tuscan sun provides a Dionysian break from normality. In his first Italian novel,

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EVIL UNDER THE SUN A Florentine Double Bill

Where Angels Fear to Tread, E. M. Forster celebrates that shift in temperament and temperature. “They travelled for 13 hours downhill, whilst the streams broadened and the mountains shrank, and the vegetation changed, and the people ceased being ugly and drinking beer, and began instead to drink wine and to be beautiful. And the train which had picked them at sunrise out of a waste of glaciers and hotels was waltzing them at sunset round the walls of Verona.” It was an expedition that Forster would repeat in A Room with a View. The culturally curious Lucy Honeychurch spends a day visiting the sites of central Florence – the Duomo, the church of Santa Croce and the vast Piazza della Signoria. But Forster interrupts her reverie with a sudden and brutal murder. Her idyll has been spoiled and the truly violent nature of the Italians exposed. Gazing up at the Palazzo Vecchio’s lofty tower, she feels it has lost “the reflection of the declining day, and joined itself to earth.” Everything beautiful has baser connotations. In writing his novels, Forster tapped into an august heritage of Florence’s splendour and sadism. In 1875, Oscar Wilde visited the city, wowed by the view from the monastery at San Miniato al Monte. But he remained acute to the cloud that lurks beyond such impressive silver linings. Although he never completed A Florentine Tragedy, his play remains a brilliant distillation of that paradise lost. Like the flash of violence that interrupts Lucy Honeychurch’s pilgrimage, Wilde’s fragmentary text provided a snapshot of the dangers of lust and sexual jealousy in otherwise stunning surroundings. Its stock characters – an impulsive wife, a young 6

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

Preliminary sketch of Bianca in A Florentine Tragedy by costume designer, Terese Wadden.

aesthete and a thoroughly average merchant – offer straightforward dramatic parameters. But they provide the springboard to great drama and, in the hands of the Viennese composer Alexander Zemlinsky, a virtuosic new opera. Zemlinsky was one of the leading talents within the Central European fin de siècle. He had taught Arnold Schoenberg, who later became his brother-in-law, and had been the lover of Alma Mahler (wife of composer Gustav Mahler). But he was a highly talented conductor and composer in his own right. Born in 1871, he died near New York in 1942. His life bridged a dizzying period in world history. Born into an empire that didn’t exist by the end of his life, Zemlinsky witnessed seismic shifts in politics, society and culture. An early fascination with lieder (German art song), brought him in direct touch with

EVIL UNDER THE SUN A Florentine Double Bill

the brute sexual honesty of literary Vienna. Provoked by Freud’s investigations into the human consciousness, the psychosexual frankness of contemporary poetry and prose provided the creative blueprint for the city’s avant garde. Zemlinsky’s proximity to Schoenberg and Mahler encouraged a complementary and increasingly heady musical vocabulary. His one-act opera A Florentine Tragedy (1917) – written while working in Prague – shows strong affinities with these intellectual and musical flavours, but Zemlinsky’s own experience in matters of the heart gave the work its unprecedented force. For Zemlinsky, Wilde’s story of evil under the sun provided a neat allegory. His sister Mathilde was married to Schoenberg, but she had a disastrous affair with the modernist painter Richard Gerstl. Mathilde eventually returned to Schoenberg and the couple were happily reunited, but Gerstl couldn’t stand the separation and killed himself.

Preliminary sketch of Zita in Gianni Schicchi by costume designer, Terese Wadden.

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

Zemlinsky’s confrontation with Alma Mahler, whose rejection of him in favour of Mahler was still raw after a decade – and stoked further by her affair with Walter Gropius shortly before Mahler’s death – provided a further catalyst to Zemlinsky’s fevered new opera. Mixing the violence of Wilde’s Florence with personal experience, Zemlinsky does not relent from the very first bars of the overture to Simone and Bianca’s erotic reconciliation. Taking his lead from Richard Strauss’s own Wildean tragedy Salome, Zemlinsky created a brutal and taut tone poem for the stage. Like Salome, Zemlinsky reveals his characters’ fatal flaw during the very last bars, when the musical meaning of central motifs and themes finally becomes clear. Having killed her lover, Simone asks Bianca, “Why did you not tell me you were so beautiful?” It is that obsession with surface beauty that ignores and then provokes a tragedy of horrendous power. It is only natural that the story unfolds in Florence, where beauty is prized but violence lurks beneath. That dichotomy was highly familiar to the Tuscan-born Puccini. He had shown himself particularly adept at portraying love and loathing side by side in his 1900 masterpiece Tosca. And, having composed Il Tabarro, another violent tragedy, for the opening section of his Il Trittico – a three-part evening premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1918 – Puccini chose black humour for the final panel of the triptych. Originally, Puccini had conceived the evening in two parts. He wanted a tragedy and a comedy, leaving out Suor Angelica. But for those who know Puccini’s other operas, comedy isn’t his immediate natural strength. There are certainly jovial passages in La Bohème for certain and the toddling Sacristan in Tosca provides amusement, but nothing really makes us laugh out loud. Nevertheless,

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EVIL UNDER THE SUN A Florentine Double Bill

Puccini wanted to pay homage to the great Italian comedies of the past and so Gianni Schicchi provided the amuse bouche after a particularly pungent entrée. Based on a passage from Dante’s Inferno, Puccini’s Florentine librettist Giovacchino Forzano created a highly amusing farce. Buoso Donati is one of the richest men in Tuscany and his relatives stand around his deathbed ready to pounce on their inheritance. Motivically sparse like Zemlinsky, Puccini moves swiftly from one plot point to the next. It is only very rarely that he pauses to lavish his considerable melodic gift on the characters. One such moment

Preliminary sketch of Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi by costume designer, Terese Wadden.

is the show stopping “O mio babbino caro.” Although now associated with James Ivory’s 1985 film version of A Room with a View, it is a deeply ironic aria. Lauretta may plead to her wily and witty father in an expressive fashion, but she is using that natural sincerity to win him round. Rinuccio, who wishes to wed Lauretta, is associated with the conspiratorial characters by relation, but his own candour and honesty are underlined in Puccini’s charming music. When he sings “Florence is like a tree in flower,” you cannot help but be won over. Despite the negativity around them, Puccini’s lovers provide a fitting antidote to Zemlinsky’s vicious twosome. Gianni Schicchi sees in Rinuccio a reliable heir and, over the course of the opera, the pithy motifs of embittered false mourners give way to the lovers’ glorious finale. Out of the waste of Zemlinsky’s bitter tragedy and the greed of Buoso Donati’s relatives comes a new happier era. Lauretta and Rinuccio have not been jaded by the passage of time and money. Just as Lucy Honeychurch wanders around the Piazza della Signoria blind to the violence of the Rape of the Sabine Women and Cellini’s Perseus holding Medusa’s severed head – still on view in the neighbouring Loggia dei Lanzi today – Puccini’s happy pair sees only a heavenly apparition. Through the violence of Zemlinsky’s lovers and the caustic humour of Puccini’s opera, we know that there is a darker side to paradise. n Gavin Plumley is a London-based writer, broadcaster and musicologist who specializes in the culture of the 19th and 20th centuries. You can read more of his work on his blog entartetemusik.blogspot.com.

FOR FURTHER INSIGHTS INTO A FLORENTINE TRAGEDY/GIANNI SCHICCHI, PLEASE SEE GIANMARCO SEGATO’S INTERVIEW WITH CATHERINE MALFITANO, “BORN INTO THE RIGHT TRUNK,” AS WELL AS JON KAPLAN’S INTERVIEW WITH ALAN HELD, “A DOUBLE BILL OF SUN AND SHADOW,” IN THE SPRING ISSUE OF PRELUDE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT COC.CA/PUBLICATIONS.

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

FANTASY AND HUMANITY JOHANNES DEBUS DISCUSSES THE TALES OF HOFFMANN

COC Music Director Johannes Debus. Photo: Rider Dyce

BY SUZANNE VANSTONE

or COC Music Director Johannes Debus, the joys of conducting are two-fold – conducting that which you know and is familiar to you, and conducting that which is new and introduces you to another work. This spring, he takes to the podium with Jacques Offenbach’s fantastical opera, The Tales of Hoffmann. After his recent inaugural experience conducting Saariaho’s acclaimed Love from Afar, he looks forward to adding another new work to his repertoire. “And,” as he says, “that’s always exciting. I’m curious! I want to explore new things. “One of the first challenges to negotiate is that there is no final version 12

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

of Hoffmann. Offenbach died before the opera was finished so you deal with many questions and no real answers,” he laughs. “And that makes it difficult for everybody – especially for Wayne [Vogan], our poor librarian! He is invaluable. Wayne joked to me, ‘I tried to retire before we did a Hoffmann!’ In the end we have to find and make our own version which does the piece justice. “Another challenge is to find the right stylistic approach. Initially Offenbach wrote opéra comique which included dialogue – different themes and different ways to conceive a drama. With Hoffmann he wanted to write his grand opéra. But

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FANTASY AND HUMANITY Johannes Debus Discusses The Tales of Hoffmann

Right: The COC presents The Tales of Hoffmann. Stephanie Houtzeel as Nicklausse, Vlaamse Opera, 2000. Photo: Kurt van der Elst

Opposite page: A scene from the Vlaamse Opera production, 2000. Photo: Kurt van der Elst

I’m not a hundred percent sure if that happened. First of all, there are so many elements which I would imagine as being part of opéra comique. Secondly, where are the heroes? Hoffmann is a hero, but maybe more of an anti-hero? It’s a hard opera to categorize and to find the exact way to play. There must be a certain lightness, and in other moments there must be something luxurious in the sound. “The recitative is another big question. There is a version with dialogue, meant for the performance at the Opéra-Comique theatre, but poor Offenbach never had the chance to hear or finish the work, so we don’t know what his final opinion was. 14

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

His pupil Guiraud, later made a recitativo version and put in some chords to fill the gaps – which is what we have in our version – and the orchestra accompanies the recitatives giving it a wonderful fullness.” Debus talks about the immediate familiarity of the music, most often exemplified with the frequent use of couplets. “All couplets somehow have the sense of ‘you hear it once, you already know the tune.’ I’m sure during Offenbach’s time people who heard his opera would immediately hum the tunes upon leaving the theatre! The musical structure – the tunes in these couplets – is so well-defined

that it triggers your memory. Nowadays people hear popular music and they know right away if it’s a good song. What happened when the Beatles started to take off? Why did they become so popular? Because everybody could sing their music!” Debus notes that there is a large element of parody and caricature in the piece. It is a work full of double entendres and often pokes fun at some of the composers of the day. “Sometimes it appears he’s making fun of Wagner or Gounod, and at other times he is mocking the evil characters in opera, or the heroic figures. When I saw it for the first time, I remember feeling that it was a clear counter, or anti-concept, to the megalomaniac concept of Richard Wagner and his view on mankind. It couldn’t Catch up with blogs and enjoy COC Radio at coc.ca.

be more opposite. But,” he adds, “I need both Wagner and Offenbach in my life! I’m glad that Offenbach had these extraordinary visions. He was called the Mozart des Champs-Élysées, because he has a Mozart quality that empathizes with the human soul and human being.” Debus knows we have the best performers to sing this wonderful music. “Hoffmann is one of the longest roles in operatic repertoire.” An extremely demanding role, Hoffmann “is a kind of lost soul, yet he is able to fantasize in such a marvellous way. And this is what makes this piece so popular; it’s an element that people can connect with. I know Russell [Thomas], and he’s a great colleague, very fun to work with. David Pomeroy, John Relyea, all the marvellous women – Andriana 15

FANTASY AND HUMANITY Johannes Debus Discusses The Tales of Hoffmann

Chuchman, Erin Wall, Keri Alkema, Lauren Segal – we have a wonderful cast! Every role must be cast with a great voice, and an intelligent singer. “It’s important that as a singer you have the capacity for self-irony. You can’t take yourself too seriously in the role. The French, in general, have this kind of quality. And in terms of Offenbach, he comes from a wonderful mixed background with many influences. He was a German-born French composer and the son of a synagogue cantor. I think there is an element of Jewish humour in this – an element of laughing at yourself. Yet within this humour there is also so much wisdom and dignity – so much love of life. That’s why this piece

speaks to an audience, and why they feel comfortable with it. Even if we are in a fantasy world, it always has a huge human element. “And that’s the great art you have to achieve. You must take it seriously, as the singer, and also as the conductor – but with a dash of clin d’oeil (a wink). You have these witty double entendres yet when you venture behind them, there is a lot to discover. What was it Woody Allen said? ‘Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering – and it’s all over much too soon!’” n Suzanne Vanstone is Senior Communications Manager, Editorial at the Canadian Opera Company.

FOR FURTHER INSIGHTS INTO THE TALES OF HOFFMANN, PLEASE SEE SUZANNE VANSTONE’S INTERVIEW WITH JOHN RELYEA, “FOUR VILLAINS, FOUR SIGNATURES,” IN THE SPRING ISSUE OF PRELUDE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT COC.CA/PUBLICATIONS.

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Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

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AleXAnder neef, General director

A FLORENTINE TRAGEDY by Alexander Zemlinsky Opera in One Act. libretto and translation by Max Meyerfeld, based on the play A Florentine Tragedy by Oscar Wilde By arrangement with european American Music distributors llC, sole U.S. and Canadian agent for Universal edition Vienna.

first performance: Stuttgart, January 30, 1917 new COC Production

Canadian Premiere

April 26, May 2, 5, 12, 15, 18, 20, 25, 2012 Sung in German with english SUrTITleSTM

The CAsT (in order of vocal appearance)

Simone, a merchant Bianca, his wife Guido Bardi, Prince of Florence Conductor: Director: Set Designer: Costume Designer: Lighting Designer: Stage Manager: SURTITLESTM Producer:

Alan Held Gun-Brit Barkmin Michael Kรถnig Sir Andrew Davis Catherine Malfitano Wilson Chin Terese Wadden David Martin Jacques Liliane Stilwell Gunta Dreifelds

Performance time is approximately 52 minutes. There will then be a 30-minute intermission, followed by the performance of Gianni Schicchi.

Production Co-sponsors:

This production of A Florentine Tragedy/Gianni Schicchi is being recorded for future broadcast on CBC radio Two (94.1 fM in Toronto) on Saturday Afternoon at the Opera. Program information is correct at time of printing. All casting is subject to change.

Please visit coc.ca for additional information

AleXAnder neef, General director

GIANNI SCHICCHI by Giacomo Puccini Opera in One Act. libretto by Giovacchino forzano, based on an episode from dante’s Inferno By arrangement with Hendon Music, Inc., a Boosey & Hawkes company. Sole agent in the U.S., Canada and Mexico for Casa ricordi/Universal Music publishing ricordi S.r.l., publisher and copyright owner.

first performance: Metropolitan Opera, new York, december 14, 1918 new COC Production last performed at the COC in 1996 April 26, May 2, 5, 12, 15, 18, 20, 25, 2012 Sung in Italian with english SUrTITleSTM

The CAsT (in order of vocal appearance)

Zita, Buoso Donati’s cousin Simone, Buoso Donati’s cousin Rinuccio, Zita’s nephew Marco, Simone’s cousin La Ciesca, Marco’s wife Gherardo, Buoso Donati’s nephew Nella, Gherardo’s wife Betto di Signa, Buoso’s brother-in-law Gherardino, Gherardo’s son Gianni Schicchi Lauretta, Gianni Schicchi’s daughter Maestro Spinelloccio, a physician Ser Amantio di Nicolao, a notary Pinellino, a shoemaker Guccio, a dyer Conductor: Director: Set Designer: Costume Designer: Lighting Designer: Stage Manager: SURTITLESTM Producer:

Barbara Dever Donato Di Stefano René Barbera Peter McGillivray^ Rihab Chaieb†* Adam Luther^ Gun-Brit Barkmin Craig Irvin Gabriel Gough˟ Alan Held Simone Osborne† Doug MacNaughton^ Philippe Sly†** Neil Craighead†*** Valerian Ruminski Sir Andrew Davis Catherine Malfitano Wilson Chin Terese Wadden David Martin Jacques Liliane Stilwell Gunta Dreifelds

A Florentine Tragedy and Gianni Schicchi are each approximately 52 minutes.

Production Co-sponsors:

This new COC production of A Florentine Tragedy/Gianni Schicchi has been generously underwritten in part by Riki Turofsky and Charles Petersen. sir Andrew Davis is generously sponsored by Robert sherrin. * Ms Chaieb’s performance is generously sponsored by Kathy schäfer. **Mr. sly’s performance is generously sponsored by Peter and hélène hunt. ***Mr. Craighead’s performance is generously sponsored by Catherine Fauquier. † Current member of the COC ensemble Studio ^Graduate of the COC ensemble Studio

˟ Member of the Canadian Children’s Opera Company

Program information is correct at time of printing. All casting is subject to change. Total performance time of the double bill is approximately two hours, 15 minutes with one 30-minute intermission.

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

Opera at its finest CIBC and CIBC Mellon are proud to co-sponsor the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Alexander Zemlinsky’s A Florentine Tragedy and Giacomo Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi

DIRECTORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTES The Evil That Lurks Behind Closed Doors, or To Err is Human

lorence is a city I was privileged to know intimately over several decades of my singing career. I lived in a Renaissance building of massive construction and infinite details of craftsmanship. It boasted a huge terrace overlooking the Arno, the Ponte Vecchio, and the ever teeming Florentine life below. Once inside the dwelling place, I felt an almost tomb-like sense of protective silence and tranquility. It was cosy and comforting. The generally dark, winding, narrow streets, opening up occasionally to brighter and airier squares, gave me the thrill of mystery, adventure and even danger. There was discovery everywhere. The weight of Renaissance history and artistry was revealed at every turn. The Florence of these two operas by Zemlinsky and Puccini were originally set in the Renaissance period. The decision to bring these operas closer to our times (1920s and the present day) came from the desire to allow us to see ourselves mirrored in a more familiar frame. These operas demand that we experience these dramatic situations more familiarly. They are sensationalist and shocking stories that we often read in our daily newspapers and hear on TV. Stories of murder fashioned out of adultery and jealousy, Ponzi schemes that benefit the clever trickster, in-fighting amongst families over contested wills,

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

marriages destroyed, and marriages about to happen are but a few of the events we witness in the news and also on our operatic stages. The themes of these two operas offer us a kaleidoscope of human behaviour that all of us can identify with. In the Zemlinsky we witness a crumbling marriage that finds it own renaissance through an act of purifying death. The Puccini story offers another take on how death can invigorate the blossoming of a perfect marriage. This story takes place under the blaze of the morning sun, while the other unfurls its grim self under cover of darkness and moonlight. Both take place behind the solidly built Florentine doors, wherein the deadly sins reign. These are familiar characters that permit us to admit that we too have erred in similar ways, or at the very least have contemplated such temptations. Both composers bring details of subtext through the use of tuneful, heart-rending, and soulful melodies and motifs. We fall in love with these people through their actions and their music. Both stories seem to be played out on a cosmic chessboard whereupon each move will determine their destinies in prosperity or poverty, love or hatred, life or death. Catherine Malfitano

SYNOPSIS A Florentine Tragedy Florence, circa 1920s In the house of a prosperous Florentine merchant, Bianca is entertaining the wealthy and politically influential Guido Bardi. Their embraces are interrupted by the unexpected return of her husband Simone. The head of the household tries to stifle his growing suspicion of the meaning of this new dalliance between his wife and her unexpected guest. He assumes that Guido could only be there to buy some of his precious wares. Simone shows him a Lucca damask and a Venetian robe of state. Simone tries to engage his wife in procuring Guido’s assent to purchase these valuable objets d’art. As their dialogue continues, Simone insinuates that Guido has cuckolded men before. Guido is offended by this bold accusation but then offers Simone a huge amount of money for his merchandise. Not to be outdone, Simone counters by offering his entire household. When Guido asks instead for Bianca, Simone is taken aback but jokingly suggests that she is only fit to do housework. Simone attempts to engage Guido in a political discussion, but the latter

pleads boredom with such conversation. While Simone pretends to leave them alone, Bianca confides in Guido that she hates her husband and wishes him dead. Simone has overheard their conversation and he now muses on death and adultery. In another attempt to lighten the mood, Simone asks Guido to play his lute. Guido refuses, preferring instead to hear Bianca’s melodious voice. His unreserved flirting with Bianca continues, and when Simone finally leaves the room, the lovers plan their next tryst. When Simone re-enters, he tells the story of a robber he met on the road, whose throat he slit. He further offers that those who dare to steal from him do so at their own risk. Guido tries to leave, but Simone challenges him to some playful sword fighting to see which of their blades is better crafted. Guido eagerly accepts. The fight ends as Simone grasps Guido by the throat and kills him with his bare hands. Over the dead body, Simone and Bianca marvel at their reawakened passion.

INTERMISSION

Gianni Schicchi Florence, present day Buoso Donati’s greedy family gathers around his bed as he draws his last breath. They are expecting to be awarded all of his possessions. Betto informs the relatives that a rumour has it that Donati actually left his vast fortune to a monastery. The

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family’s only hope is to find Donati’s last will and testament before a lawyer does. They start hunting, turning the room upside down. Rinuccio finds it first and hopes that some of the money will allow him to marry Lauretta, the dowry-less

SYnOPSIS

daughter of Gianni Schicchi. Feeling optimistic, he sends Gherardino to fetch Schicchi and his daughter. Zita opens the will and they all discover to their horror that Donati has indeed left his fortune to the monks. Rinuccio suggests that the only person who can now help them is Schicchi. Though Schicchi is a newcomer to Florence and not of their class, Rinuccio assures them that he is inventive and very crafty and will certainly find a solution. The family is reluctant. When Schicchi enters, a nasty argument ensues between him and Zita and for a few moments all seems lost. It is his own daughter that charmingly convinces him to put aside his bruised pride and help the young lovers. Assured that nobody outside the family knows that Donati is dead, Schicchi agrees to look at the will. He arrives at a scheme to pose as the ailing elder patriarch, and have the will rewritten. Maestro Spinelloccio pays a visit and is pleasantly surprised to find his patient feeling better. Schicchi then sends Rinuccio for a notary, so as to rewrite Donati’s will. The relatives argue over how to divide the fortune, but finally agree to leave it to Schicchi’s judgment. Each one tries to outdo the other with bribes to benefit themselves in the new will. Schicchi reminds all of them that it is forbidden by law to forge a will. If their deception is discovered the consequences will be dire. Rinuccio returns with the notary and two witnesses. As Buoso Donati, Schicchi bequeaths the bulk of the estate to himself. The relatives are outraged by his trickery, but can do nothing for fear of legal reprisal. When the notary leaves, they attack Schicchi and try to plunder the house before being angrily expelled. Seeing Rinuccio and Lauretta, blissfully happy now that they can marry, Schicchi asks the audience if Donati’s money could have served a better purpose. 6

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

MusiC sTAFF

Timothy Cheung (Ensemble Studio Intern Coach) Eric Weimer (Head of Music Preparation) LAnGuAGe COAChes

Adi Braun (A Florentine Tragedy) Manuela Scarci (Gianni Schicchi) AssisTAnT COnDuCTOR

Derek Bate AssisTAnT DiReCTOR

Marilyn Gronsdal AssisTAnT sTAGe MAnAGeRs

Tiffany Fraser Michael Lewandowski AssisTAnT LiGhTinG DesiGneRs

Jason Golinsky Wendy Greenwood Jason Hand FiGhT DiReCTOR

James Binkley unDeRsTuDies A FLORENTINE TRAGEDY

Simone Craig Irvin Bianca Ileana Montalbetti Guido Bardi Adam Luther unDeRsTuDies GIANNI SCHICCHI

Zita Simone Gherardo Nella Gherardino Gianni Schicchi Lauretta Guccio

Megan Latham Valerian Ruminski Michael Barrett Ileana Montalbetti Luca Morgante˟ Donato Di Stefano Mireille Asselin Niculae Raiciu

˟ Member of the Canadian Children’s Opera Company

At the Opera Shop this Spring... Tote this! This season we introduced the COC carry-all tote bag. Featuring a full COC-branded lining, two big pockets and leather handles, it’s big enough for shopping, picnics, overnight-ing and sturdy enough to carry several vocal scores. Featuring the exclusive “I HEART COC” keychain! $85 inc. tax.

Trunk shows Heather Campbell (silk scarves): Saturday, April 14 P. J. Bundy (jewellery): Saturday, April 21 Two A (jewellery): Sunday, May 6 and Saturday, May 12

This spring we recommend the following recordings from Universal Classics: The Tales of Hoffmann, Decca. L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Richard Bonynge, conductor. Plácido Domingo, Joan Sutherland, Gabriel Bacquier. In the title role, the young Domingo leaves nothing to be desired, singing with such careful attention to detail that he makes Hoffmann come alive. The great loves of his life find a supreme interpreter in Joan Sutherland. $52.75 inc. tax. Il Trittico, Decca. Orchestra and Chorus of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Bruno Bartoletti, conductor. Mirella Freni, Leo Nucci, Roberto Alagna. This sparkling version of Puccini’s comic Gianni Schicchi features Mirella Freni’s exquisite rendition of “O mio babbino caro.” Included are the other two operas which make up Il Trittico: Il Tabarro and Suor Angelica. $55 inc. tax. Semele, Decca. Orchestra la Scintilla, Ambrosian Opera Chorus, William Christie, conductor. Cecilia Bartoli, Charles Workman. Celebrated Canadian director Robert Carsen’s production from Zurich stars Cecilia Bartoli in the title role which suits her lithe, flexible voice like a glove. An irreverent take on Handel’s creation, famously labelled at its premiere as “no oratorio, but a bawdy opera!” $25.75 (DVD), $32.25 (Blu-ray) inc. tax.

Shop for much more at the Opera Shop or at coc.ca! The Opera Shop is a project of the Canadian Opera Company, in partnership with L’Atelier Grigorian and Decca – The Opera Label. All proceeds support the Canadian Opera Company.

ARTISTS’ BIOGRAPHIES RENÉ BARBERA Rinuccio

American tenor René Barbera makes his COC debut this season as Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi. Next season, Mr. Barbera returns to Lyric Opera of Chicago as Ernesto in Don Pasquale, and makes his debut at Seattle Opera and Los Angeles Opera as Don Ramiro in La Cenerentola. Last season with Lyric Opera, he was heard as Arturo, and sang one performance as Edgardo, in Lucia di Lammermoor, in addition to Tamino in Die Zauberflöte. Most recently, Mr. Barbera made his Vancouver Opera debut as Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville. Previous appearances include Carmen, La fanciulla del West and Lohengrin with Lyric Opera and Handel’s Messiah with the Apollo Chorus of Chicago. In the men’s world division of Plácido Domingo’s Operalia 2011, Mr. Barbera was the first prize winner, the zarzuela opera winner, and the recipient of the Audience Prize. GUN-BRIT BARKMIN Bianca/nella

German soprano Gun-Brit Barkmin is making her COC debut as Bianca in A Florentine Tragedy and Nella in Gianni Schicchi. Appearances this season include a return to Opéra national de Lyon to sing Bianca; the National Theatre in Prague for the title role in Gloriana; and, Opernhaus Zürich to reprise the title role in Salome. Past highlights include Chrysothemis in Elektra and Elsa in Lohengrin with Oper Leipzig, and Mimì in La Bohème with Seattle Opera. Future seasons will see Ms Barkmin’s debut with Wiener Staatsoper and Opéra national de Paris, and her return to Opernhaus Zürich to sing the role of 8

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

Katerina in a new production of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. She resides in Berlin, where she has had a close association with Komische Oper. RIHAB CHAIEB La Ciesca

Tunisian-born mezzosoprano Rihab Chaieb is a member of the Ensemble Studio. Recent COC credits include Tisbe in La Cenerentola, the Third Lady in the Ensemble Studio performance of The Magic Flute, Second Secretary to Mao in Nixon in China and the French Mother in Death in Venice. She understudied roles in Iphigenia in Tauris, Rigoletto, Love from Afar, The Magic Flute and Ariadne auf Naxos. Ms Chaieb is a winner of the New Discoveries Auditions (Ottawa Choral Society) and a grant recipient of the Canada Arts Council. A graduate of the Schulich School of Music (McGill), she sang the roles of Carmen, Dido, and Baba the Turk. Upcoming engagements include the title role in Carmen with the Highlands Opera Studio and Ino/Juno in the Ensemble performance of Semele this spring. NEIL CRAIGHEAD Pinellino

Bass-baritone Neil Craighead is a member of the COC Ensemble Studio and recently appeared with the COC as Sciarrone in Tosca, the Usher in Rigoletto, the First Priest on the mainstage and the Speaker in the Ensemble Studio performance of The Magic Flute, and Japanese Envoy 2 in the COC’s The Nightingale and Other Short Fables at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Other COC roles include a Youth and Russian Father in Death in Venice, the Oracle and a Trojan

ArTISTS’ BIOGrAPHIeS

Man in Idomeneo and the Official Registrar in Madama Butterfly. BARBARA DEVER Zita

American mezzo-soprano Barbara Dever returns to the COC after performing Mary in The Flying Dutchman, Geneviève in Pelléas et Mélisande and Filipyevna in Eugene Onegin. Ms Dever has performed in many international opera houses, including La Scala and the Vienna State Opera. In 19 seasons at the Metropolitan Opera, she has been heard as Azucena in Il Trovatore, Amneris in Aida, Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera, Eboli in Don Carlo, Herodias in Salome, Fricka in Die Walküre, and Grandmother Buryja in Jenůfa. Recent engagements include the title role in Menotti’s The Medium with the Spoleto Festival; Madame Podtochina in The Nose; and, Mistress of Novices in Suor Angelica with the Met. Ms Dever’s repertoire includes many of Mahler’s concert works, including Kindertotenlieder (Mineria Festival), Rückert Lieder with the Long Beach Symphony in California, and Das Lied von der Erde at Rutgers University. DONATO DI STEFANO simone

Italian bass Donato Di Stefano returns to the COC having made his debut in 1994’s Le Comte Ory, later singing Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola, and Dr. Bartolo in The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro. Last season, he made his Minnesota Opera debut as Don Magnifico and sang Dr. Bartolo (The Barber of Seville) in Munich/Hamburg and Don Pasquale in Aix-en-Provence. Other appearances include his role debut in Falstaff (conducted Please visit coc.ca for additional information

by Seiji Ozawa) at the Saito Kinen Festival; Don Magnifico at Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie and Opéra national de Lorraine; the title role of Gianni Schicchi with the Met; and, Don Geronimo (Il turco in Italia) at Teatro alla Scala. Future engagements include his San Diego Opera debut as Sulpice in La fille du régiment, Mustafa in L’italiana in Algeri (Nancy/Avignon) and Dr. Bartolo in The Barber of Seville (Dallas/Leipzig). ALAN HELD simone/Gianni schicchi

American bass-baritone Alan Held makes his COC debut as Simone in A Florentine Tragedy and the title role in Gianni Schicchi. Mr. Held has appeared in major roles in many international opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, Wiener Staatsoper, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Opéra national de Paris, Teatro all Scala, Teatre del Liceu, Hamburg State Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. His roles include Wotan in Der Ring des Nibelungen, Leporello in Don Giovanni, The Four Villains in Les contes d’Hoffmann, Jochanaan in Salome, and Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde. Mr. Held recently sang the title role in Wozzeck at the Met as well as the title role in Der fliegende Holländer with Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich. Next season with the COC, he sings Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde and Jochanaan in Salome. CRAIG IRVIN Betto di signa

American baritone Craig Irvin makes his COC debut this season in Gianni Schicchi, understudies the role of Simone in A Florentine Tragedy, as well as the role 9

ArTISTS’ BIOGrAPHIeS

of Luther in The Tales of Hoffmann. Highlights of Mr. Irvin’s 2011/2012 season include the Four Villains in The Tales of Hoffmann and Arlecchino in Le donne curiose (Wolf Trap Opera); and, Lt. Horstmayer in the world premiere of Silent Night (Minnesota Opera). He has recently performed in Aida (Pensacola Opera) and returned to Lyric Opera of Chicago as Angelotti in Tosca and Ashby in La fanciulla del West. Other credits with Lyric Opera include roles in Madama Butterfly and Lulu. Additionally, Mr. Irvin was heard as a soloist in Verdi’s Requiem with the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra. Next season he reprises his role in Silent Night with Opera Company of Philadelphia and sings First Nazarene in the COC’s Salome. MICHAEL KÖNIG Guido Bardi

German-Canadian tenor Michael König makes his COC debut as Guido Bardi in A Florentine Tragedy. Recent highlights include appearances in Fidelio and Ariadne auf Naxos with Opernhaus Zürich, Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 in Bamberg, Fidelio in Amsterdam and Das Lied von der Erde in Tokyo. In 2004 he made his Opéra Bastille debut as Pierre Bezukhov in War and Peace, returning in 2006 to perform Walther von der Vogelweide in Tannhäuser. Other performances include Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk in Paris and Madrid, Lohengrin with Oper Frankfurt and Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny in Madrid. Mr. König’s future engagements include Erik in Der fliegende Holländer with the Bayreuth Festival, Teatro alla Scala, Bayerische Staatsoper, and Royal Opera House Covent Garden; Der Freischütz in Dresden and Berlin; Lohengrin and Ariadne auf Naxos in Frankfurt; and, Boris Godunov and Lohengrin in Madrid.

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

ADAM LUTHER Gherardo

Canadian tenor Adam Luther is a former Ensemble Studio member whose previous COC credits include the Second Priest in the Ensemble Studio performance of The Magic Flute, the Steersman in The Flying Dutchman, Roderigo in Otello, and Le Remendado in Carmen. In 2011/2012, he understudies Guido Bardi in the COC’s A Florentine Tragedy and performs Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde at his alma mater Wilfred Laurier University. Mr. Luther recently made his Pacific Opera Victoria debut as Anatol in Vanessa and his role debut as Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus with Toronto Operetta Theatre. He also sang the tenor roles in Stravinsky’s Renard and Le rossignol with Opéra de Québec. Mr. Luther returns to the COC next season for appearances in Tristan und Isolde, Dialogues des Carmélites and Lucia di Lammermoor. DOUG MACNAUGHTON Maestro spinelloccio

Baritone Doug MacNaughton, a graduate of the Ensemble Studio, has performed with the COC as a Lackey in Ariadne aux Naxos, Elviro in Xerxes, the Philosopher in The Golden Ass, and also appeared in Madama Butterfly, Dialogues des Carmélites and Andrea Chénier. Recent performances include multiple roles in John Beckwith’s Crazy to Kill with Toronto Masque Theatre; King Leontes in Like an Old Tale with Jumblies Theatre; Ben Hubbard in Regina and Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte for Pacific Opera Victoria; and, Cervantes/Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha with the Stirling Festival Theatre. In concert recital, Mr. MacNaughton performs solo-pieces for baritone with his own guitar accompaniment

ArTISTS’ BIOGrAPHIeS

as part of his 21st Century Troubadour series, which includes works by Beckwith, Beauvais, Uyeda, Breau, Rutter and Swann. PETER MCGILLIVRAY Marco

Saskatchewan baritone and former Ensemble member Peter McGillivray last appeared with the COC as Dolokhov/General Belliard in War and Peace and as Schaunard in La Bohème. Other COC credits include Wagner in Faust, Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas, and Mr. Gedge/Sid in the Ensemble Studio production of Albert Herring. Mr. McGillivray recently participated in the Met productions of La Bohème and Capriccio; Messiah with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and Winnipeg Symphony; Die Fledermaus with Opera Hamilton; and, Manon, Pagliacci, Gianni Schicchi and the Canadian premiere of Moby-Dick with Calgary Opera. He has also premiered many works with Tapestry New Opera, notably starring in Omar Daniel’s The Shadow and Andrew Staniland’s Dark Star Requiem. Mr. McGillivray is a first prize winner of the CBC National Competition for Young Performers. SIMONE OSBORNE Lauretta

Currently in her final year of the Ensemble Studio, soprano Simone Osborne recently appeared with the COC as Gilda in Rigoletto. Previous COC roles include Pamina in both the mainstage and Ensemble Studio performances of The Magic Flute and Naiad in Ariadne auf Naxos. This season Ms Osborne made important debuts with Vancouver Opera as Juliette in Roméo et Juliette, the TSO in Mozart’s Requiem and the Victoria Symphony in A Viennese New Year’s. Please visit coc.ca for additional information

She also toured Atlantic Canada in recital with the Debut Atlantic Recital Series. Next season, she makes opera and recital debuts across Canada, the United States and Europe. Ms Osborne is a grand prize winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and winner of the Marilyn Horne Foundation Competition. VALERIAN RUMINSKI Guccio

Bass Valerian Ruminski makes his COC debut this season as Guccio in Gianni Schicchi and as Luther in The Tales of Hoffmann. A graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, recent appearances include Don Pasquale (title role) and Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro (Hawaii Opera Theatre); Sarastro in The Magic Flute (Opera Lyra Ottawa); Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni (Calgary Opera); Banquo in Macbeth (Opera Ireland); Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor (Hawaii Opera Theatre); and, Nikitich in Boris Godunov and Lord Walton in I Puritani (Metropolitan Opera). Upcoming engagements include Colline in La Bohème (Nickel City Opera and Opera Lyra Ottawa) and Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola (Seattle Opera). PHILIPPE SLY ser Amantio di nicolao

A new Ensemble Studio member, bass-baritone Philippe Sly last appeared with the COC as a Scythian Man in Iphigenia in Tauris and as Hermann in The Tales of Hoffmann. This spring he sings Cadmus and Somnus in the Ensemble performance of Semele. Mr. Sly’s previous roles include Marcello in La Bohème and Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress at McGill University; Escamillo in Carmen at the Banff Centre; and, Doctor Bartolo in The Barber of Seville 11

ArTISTS’ BIOGrAPHIeS

with San Francisco Opera’s (SFO) Merola Opera Program. This season’s engagements include St. John Passion (Montreal Symphony Orchestra) and a concert with the Kuala Lumpur Philharmonic Orchestra. Next season, Mr. Sly will make his mainstage SFO debut as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte.

SIR ANDREW DAVIS Conductor

Celebrated conductor Sir Andrew Davis returns to the COC after conducting Ariadne aux Naxos. Sir Andrew has been music director and principal conductor of the Lyric Opera of Chicago since 2000. He is conductor laureate of the Toronto Symphony and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and was also music director of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera. He has conducted orchestras worldwide from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to the Berlin Philharmonic and the Royal Concertgebouw, as well as Teatro alla Scala and the Bayreuth Festival. In the 2011/2012 season Sir Andrew conducts with the Metropolitan Opera (Don Giovanni), Lyric Opera of Chicago (Boris Godunov, Ariadne aux Naxos and The Magic Flute), the Bergen Festival (La damnation de Faust) and Santa Fe Opera (Arabella). His concert engagements include London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, the Rotterdam Philharmonic and the opening of the Edinburgh Festival conducting the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. CATHERINE MALFITANO Director

American born director and singer Catherine Malfitano makes her COC directorial debut this season with a new double bill. Ms Malfitano has sung more than 70 roles in the leading opera houses of the world, including the principal roles 12

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

in L’incoronazione di Poppea, L’Ormindo, The Escape from the Seraglio, Fidelio, La Traviata, Carmen, Parsifal, Salome, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Jenůfa, and her Emmy award-winning Tosca. She has worked with international singers, directors, and conductors. Ms Malfitano’s directing credits include Madama Butterfly (Central City Opera), La voix humaine (Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie), Tosca (English National Opera), Rigoletto (Washington National Opera), and Don Giovanni (San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program). Engagements this season included a new production of Lucia di Lammermoor with Lyric Opera of Chicago and a revival of Tosca for English National Opera. WILSON CHIN set Designer

Wilson Chin joins the COC for the first time this season. His diverse work includes designs with some of North America’s leading opera companies and theatres. His work in opera includes Lucia di Lammermoor (Lyric Opera of Chicago), The Saint of Bleecker Street (Central City Opera), and Don Giovanni (San Francisco Opera Center). On Broadway, Wilson designed the award-winning play Next Fall and, off-Broadway, he has designed at Ars Nova, Second Stage Theatre, and Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre. Regionally, he has designed for the American Conservatory Theatre, Barrington Stage Company, Geffen Playhouse, Guthrie Theatre, Hartford Stage, The Old Globe, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Signature Theatre, Westport Country Playhouse and Yale Repertory Theatre. Mr. Chin received his masters in design at the Yale School of Drama and his bachelor in architecture from UC Berkeley.

ArTISTS’ BIOGrAPHIeS

TERESE WADDEN Costume Designer

Terese Wadden makes her COC debut this season. She most recently collaborated with director Christopher Alden on Così fan tutte and Don Giovanni (New York City Opera) and La clemenza di Tito (Chicago Opera Theater). Other highlights include Lyric Opera of Chicago and Central City Opera’s productions of Lucia di Lammermoor (director Catherine Malfitano), the documentary film Bill Wilson and the History of A. A., the short film The Getaway, and the world premiere of Asylum: The Strange Case of Mary Lincoln at the York Theatre. Ms Wadden has also collaborated with the architectural firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro on the exhibit, How Wine Became Modern, at the San Francisco MoMA. She returns to the COC in the 2012/2013 season for Christopher Alden’s La clemenza di Tito. DAVID MARTIN JACQUES Lighting Designer

David Martin Jacques’ COC lighting credits include Tosca, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Otello, and Tosca (2008 and 2012). He has designed worldwide for many prestigious opera companies including Royal Opera House Covent Garden, English National Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Teatro la Fenice, and the New National Theatre of Tokyo. Future productions include A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Teatro dell’Opera Roma, Tristan und Isolde for Teatro la Fenice, and La Bohème for Central City Opera. In addition to his design engagements, Mr. Jacques serves as professor of stage design at California State University, Long Beach.

Please visit coc.ca for additional information

LILIANE STILWELL stage Manager

Liliane Stilwell recently stage managed the COC’s 2011 production of Cenerentola and has served as stage manager at the COC for the past 17 years. Select COC credits include Maria Stuarda, Otello, The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro, Luisa Miller, Götterdämmerung as part of the complete Ring Cycle, Macbeth, L’italiana in Algeri, La Bohème, Eugene Onegin, Madama Butterfly, Pagliacci, Jenůfa and Oedipus Rex with Symphony of Psalms at the Edinburgh International Festival. Elsewhere she has served as stage manager for Carousel, Big River, Grease, She Loves Me, The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Me and My Girl, Cinderella, Robin Hood, Dirty Dancing at the Royal Alexandra Theatre and Hairspray at the Princess of Wales Theatre. DEREK BATE Assistant Conductor

At the COC, Derek Bate recently conducted performances of Rigoletto, Aida, Madama Butterfly and The Flying Dutchman and was the assistant conductor for Love from Afar, Maria Stuarda, Nixon in China and Cinderella. As the COC resident conductor, he has also led performances of Luisa Miller, Eugene Onegin, La Bohème, Carmen, Turandot, La Traviata, Die Fledermaus, the Ensemble Studio productions of Renard and Swoon, and was assistant conductor of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Fidelio, War and Peace, Pelléas et Mélisande, From the House of the Dead, Don Carlos, Elektra, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and the complete Ring Cycle. He conducts frequently with Toronto Operetta Theatre, and was musical director for Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera and Show Boat. 13

ArTISTS’ BIOGrAPHIeS

MARILYN GRONSDAL Assistant Director

Marilyn Gronsdal was the assistant director for the COC’s Love from Afar and Rigoletto as well as last season’s Aida, La Cenerentola and Robert Lepage’s production of The Nightingale and Other Short Fables at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Other credits with the COC include assistant director of La Bohème, associate director of Eugene Onegin, assistant director on several productions including Oedipus Rex with Symphony of Psalms (Edinburgh Festival), La Traviata (New Zealand), Siegfried (Opéra national de Lyon), and production assistant director for the COC’s Ring Cycle. Ms Gronsdal will remount the COC production of Der fliegende Holländer at Opéra de Montréal next season.

FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICE

We are pleased to offer, for the convenience of all of our patrons, a pre-order system for intermission purchases. Our pre-order system is designed to decrease your wait time at the bar during intermission and we invite you to make use of it at every COC performance. Bars are located throughout the Isadore and Rosalie Sharp City Room’s many levels. Food and beverages are not permitted in R. Fraser Elliott Hall.

Sign up for eOpera and stay informed on the latest news. You’ll receive the COC’s e-newsletter that features news and anecdotes on current and upcoming productions and the following extras: Advance Subscription and single-ticket purchasing Special ticket offers Notice of free concerts series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre Information on special events and educational and outreach programming And much more!

Shannon Mercer, Krisztina Szabó and Joni Henson in the COC’s Così fan tutte, 2006. Photo: Michael Cooper

Join us! Today’s performance has been made possible, in part, by the generosity and loyal support of the Friends of the COC. Our Friends also support our education and outreach programs and Ensemble Studio training program. Become a Friend of the COC* and you can join us in the Friends Lounge at all COC performances, enjoy special behind-the-scenes working rehearsals and events, receive our newsletter Prelude, as well as gain access to single tickets one week prior to the public. All gifts will be gratefully acknowledged with a charitable tax receipt. For more information, please stop by the Friends Lounge located on Ring 3, visit coc.ca, or call 416-847-4949.

*Friends of the COC give a charitable membership gift between $150 – $2,249 annually.

CANADIAN OPERA COMPANY ORCHESTRA VIOLIN I Marie Bérard, Concertmaster The Concertmaster’s chair has been endowed in perpetuity by Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Benjamin Bowman, Associate Concertmaster, on leave of absence elissa lee*, Acting Associate Concertmaster* diane Tait, Assistant Concertmaster Anne Armstrong Sandra Baron Bethany Bergman Pamela Hinman* Hiroko Kagawa* nancy Kershaw, on leave of absence dominique laplante Yakov lerner renée london* Jayne Maddison neria Mayer Aya Miyagawa VIOLIN II Paul Zevenhuizen, Principal Csaba Koczó, Assistant Principal James Aylesworth Christine Chesebrough* Andrew Chung* Corel Gemmell* elizabeth Johnston lynn Kuo* louise Tardif Marianne Urke Sonia Vizante* Joanna Zabrowarna

VIOLA Keith Hamm, Principal Joshua Greenlaw, Assistant Principal Carolyn Blackwell* Ivan Ivanovich* Valerie Kuinka* nicholaos Papadakis* rhyll Peel Angela rudden* Theresa rudolph Koczó, on leave of absence Beverley Spotton Yosef Tamir CELLO Bryan epperson, Principal Alastair eng, Associate Principal Paul Widner, Assistant Principal Maurizio Baccante Peter Cosbey* Olga laktionova elspeth Poole* elaine Thompson BASS Alan Molitz, Principal robert Speer, Assistant Principal Tom Hazlitt Andrew Horton* Paul langley eric lee* robert Wolanski* FLUTE douglas Stewart, Principal Shelley Brown Christine little* PICCOLO Shelley Brown

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

OBOE Mark rogers, Principal Jasper Hitchcock* lesley Young ENGLISH HORN lesley Young

BASS TROMBONE Herbert Poole TUBA/CIMBASSO Scott Irvine TIMPANI Michael Perry, Principal

CLARINET James T. Shields, Principal Marie-Julie Chagnon* Michele Verheul*

PERCUSSION Trevor Tureski, Principal ryan Scott* John Thompson*

Eb CLARINET Marie-Julie Chagnon*

HARP Sarah davidson, Principal

BASS CLARINET Colleen Cook

CELESTE Timothy Cheung*

BASSOON eric Hall, Principal William Cannaway* elizabeth Gowen

MANDOLIN Sandra Baron

CONTRA BASSOON William Cannaway* HORN Joan Watson, Principal Janet Anderson roslyn Black* Michele Gagnon* Bardhyl Gjevori Gary Pattison TRUMPET robert Grim, Principal Brendan Cassin Valerie Cowie* Andre dubelsten* TROMBONE rachel Thomas, Acting Principal* Ian Cowie

BACKSTAGE PERCUSSION Trevor Tureski

LIBRARIAN Wayne Vogan ASSISTANT MUSIC LIBRARIANS Capella Sherwood, on leave of absence Susan Ball (interim) STAGE LIBRARIAN Paul langley PERSONNEL MANAGER Ian Cowie * extra musician

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS Mr. Paul B. Spafford, Chair Mr. Philip C. deck, President Mr. Paul A. Bernards, Treasurer Mr. John H. Macfarlane, Secretary Mr. Alexander neef, General Director (ex officio) Mr. robert lamb, Managing Director (ex officio) MEMBERS Mr. Mark Appel Mr. H. Anthony (Tony) Arrell Ms nora Aufreiter Mr. Barry Avrich Mr. robert Brouwer Ms Marcia lewis Brown

Mr. Stewart Burton Mr. George S. dembroski Mr. William fearn (ex officio) Mr. david C. ferguson Mr. Adam froman Mr. Michael Gibbens Ms Merle Gobin (ex officio) dr. linda Hutcheon (ex officio) Ms Trinity Jackman Ms Pamela Jeffery Mr. Jeff lloyd Mr. Stephen O. Marshall Ms Judith Matthews Mr. Geoffrey Matus Ms Trina McQueen Mr. Jonathan Morgan Mrs. Sue Mortimer

Mr. nicholas Mutton Mr. Ian Pearce Ms frances Price Mr. John rothschild Mr. Arthur r. A. Scace, C.M. Ms Colleen Sexsmith Ms Michele leighton Symons Ms Sandra Simpson Mr. Philip S. W. Smith Ms Kristine (Kris) Vikmanis Ms Karen Walsh Mr. John H. (Jack) Whiteside Mr. Tom Woods HONORARY DIRECTORS Mr. Joey Tanenbaum, C.M.

VOLUNTEER SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS COC OPERA GUILDS Brantford Opera Guild, David M. Cullen, President Kingston Opera Guild Grace Orzech, President london Opera Guild Ernest H. Redekop, President Muskoka Opera Guild Tom Anderson, President northumberland Opera Guild Thais Donald, President Oakville Opera Guild Margaret Parker, President Peterborough Opera Guild June Wilson Thexton, President Quinte Opera Guild Dorothy Temple, President Sudbury Opera Guild Mike Humphris, President Western new York Opera Guild Dorothy K. Piepke, President

ARIAS: Canadian Student Opera Development Fund Arija Stiver, Chair Merle Gobin & June Shaw, Co-Presidents Marina Mcdougall, Past President lisa Teskey, Vice President/Treasurer

CANADIAN OPERA FOUNDATION Mr. William fearn, Chair Mr. derek Brown Mr. J. rob Collins Mr. Philip C. deck (ex officio) Mr. david forster Mr. George Hamilton, Treasurer Mr. roy d. Hogg, fCA Mr. Ken Jesudian Hon. dennis lane Mr. Peter MacKenzie Ms Kathleen Mclaughlin Mr. david e. Spiro, Secretary

For more information on COC Guilds please visit coc.ca/Guilds

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ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF AleXAnder neef, General director Robert Lamb Managing Director Johannes Debus Music Director EXECUTIVE OFFICE Executive Assistant to the General Director Marguerite schabas (on leave) Laura Kelly ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION Roberto Mauro Artistic Administrator MUSIC sandra Gavinchuk Music Administrator

Assistant Librarian Capella sherwood (on leave) susan Ball (interim) COC Ensemble Studio Mireille Asselin Ambur Braid Rihab Chaieb Timothy Cheung neil Craighead Jenna Douglas Christopher enns Adrian Kramer ileana Montalbetti simone Osborne Philippe sly Jacqueline Woodley Production Assistants Morgan-Leigh hearty Ariel Martin-smith Gloria Tran PROGRAMMING

sandra horst Chorus Master Wayne Vogan Music Librarian, Coach

nina Draganić Director of Programming – Free Concert Series

Core Crew scott Clarke Terry hurley Paul Otis Chuck Theil Alex naylor Scene Shop Co-ordinator David Retzleff Head Scene Shop Carpenter Andrew Walker Assistant Scene Shop Carpenter Richard Gordon Head Scenic Artist Katherine Lilly Assistant Head Scenic Artists

Assisted By Adrienne Baker Marion schoeler haylee stolee-smith Millinery by Kaz Chopican Marilyn Rodwell Wardrobe Mistress Rafe Macpherson Wardrobe Assistant sharon Ryman Wig & Make-up Supervisor Cori Ferguson Head of Wig & Make-up Crew shawna Green Production Co-ordinator

scott Williamson Rehearsal Head Technician

Gunta Dreifelds SURTITLES™ Producer

Guy nokes Properties Supervisor

Zane Kaneps SURTITLES™ Editor

PRODUCTION elizabeth upchurch Head of the Ensemble Studio & Coach

Lee Milliken Production Manager

stephanie Tjelios Resident Properties Builder/Co-ordinator

John sharpe SURTITLES™ Assistant

Derek Bate Resident Conductor

David Feheley Technical Director

Kathy Frost Properties Buyer/ Co-ordinator

Supernumeraries Co-ordinators Analee stein elizabeth Walker

Music Staff Rachel Andrist esther Gonthier stephen B. hargreaves Anne Larlee Ben Malensek Christopher Mokrzewski Kinza Tyrrell Felice Venanzoni eric Weimer

Barney Bayliss Associate Technical Director

Assistant Technical Directors Melynda Jurgenson Wendy Ryder

Olwyn Lewis Company Manager

Janice Fraser Head Electrician

Chloe Anderson Costume Co-ordinator

Kathryn Garnett Scheduling Manager

Joel Thoman Assistant Electrician

Costume Assistants Kiyomi hidaka Lina Marques

Michael Barrs Assistant Scheduling Manager

Al Merson Head of Sound

Karen Olinyk Administrative Assistant, Music

Wendy Greenwood Lighting Supervisor

Paul Watkinson Head Carpenter Mike Gelfand Assistant Carpenter

Birthe Joergensen Archivist, Joan Baillie Archives

Rupert Baker Head Flyman

ian Cowie Orchestra Personnel Manager

Alison Potter Head of Properties

Tracy Taylor Properties Builder/ Co-ordinator Properties Builders Carolyn Choo Wulf sandra Corazza Costume Supervisor

sue Furlong Resident Tailor Assisted By Marianne Alas Deniz Cakin Karen hancock ilana harendorf Carolyn Kasperski Additional Costumes by Christine Audet Karen Rodd industry Costumes

FSCPA – Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

DEVELOPMENT Christie Darville Director of Development Jill Planche Associate Director, Individual Giving Dawn Marie schlegel Senior Development Officer, Individual Giving & Donor Programs LeeAnne Rorabeck Senior Development Officer, Individual Giving natalie sandassie Senior Development Officer, Annual Programs Andrea Lauzon Foundations and Government Relations Officer

stephen Radbourn Donor Relations Officer

Cecily Carver Social and Interactive Media Co-ordinator

CALL CenTRe sarah Frankel Call Centre Manager

Aisha Talarico Development Officer, Friends of the COC

eldon earle Marketing Co-ordinator

Call Centre Representatives Atanas Bozdarov elaine Gault Alex Gladwell stephen Kreuger Richard Paradiso Tomasz smereka Adriano sobretodo Jr. Margaret Terry Mauro Victoriano

Kevin sean Pook Individual Giving Co-ordinator, Friends of the COC stephanie hunt Development Officer, Individual Giving & Ensemble Circle

Michelle hwu Retail Co-ordinator Olga Kwak Digital Marketing Co-ordinator Gianmarco segato Retail and Editorial Co-ordinator

Adriana Formusa Individual Giving Co-ordinator

Maria Lioutaia Publicist

nikita Gourski Development Communications Assistant

Amanda hadi Communications Assistant

Carlie Weppler Senior Development Officer, Corporate Development

John Kriter Volunteer and Creative Assistant

sybil Choles Development Officer, Corporate Programs

eDuCATiOn AnD OuTReACh Katherine semcesen Associate Director, Education

Peggy Lau Co-ordinator, Corporate Development

Carly Anderson Manager, Child and Youth Programs

Tracy Briggs Manager, Special Events

Vanessa smith Manager, School Programs

Christine Tizzard Co-ordinator, Special Events

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION Lindy Cowan, CA Director of Finance and Administration Ray Gooden, FCA (u.K.) Finance Manager General Accountants Florence huang Zoran Orlić (fSCPA) Payroll Accountants Jovana Bojovic Jeanny Won steven sherwood Manager, IT Services Tony sandy IT Services Assistant nick Mitropoulos Computer Services Assistant

TiCKeT seRViCes Alan Moffat Patron Relationship Manager

Katarina Božović Receptionist/ Switchboard

COMMUNICATIONS

Andrea salin Associate Manager, Ticket Services

Branka hrsum Mailroom Clerk/ Courier

Claudine Domingue Director of Public Relations

nikki Tremblay Assistant Ticket Services Manager

BUILDING SERVICES

Jeremy elbourne Director of Marketing

David nimmo Group Sales Co-ordinator

Phil stephens Senior Manager, Sales and Customer Service

Ticket Services Supervisors erin Cook Lilian Fung Victor Widjaja

Olena Moldovan Data Processing Co-ordinator

suzanne Vanstone Senior Communications Manager, Editorial Gianna Wichelow Senior Communications Manager, Creative Jennifer Dougall Digital Marketing Manager (on leave) Jennifer Pugsley Media Relations Manager

Ticket Services Representatives Terry Bursey ernest Cayemen holly Coish Danielle D'Ornellas Anna Kay eldridge Peter Genoway Keith Lam ian McDonnell Mary Porter Mitch Yolevsky

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Joe Waldherr Associate Director, Facilities Management Piro Milo Assistant Building Services Manager Security Supervisors Videsh Dookhu Dave samuels

Security Officers George Balyasin Joel Grannum Tammy hill natalia Juzyc usman Khalid Kathleen Minor heather Reid Building Operators Dan Bisca Radu Chereji Dan Popescu Paula Da Costa Resident Supervisor – Eurest Service FOUR SEASONS CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS Alfred Caron Director, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts elizabeth Jones Associate Director, Business Development Megan Valde Business Services Assistant Jefferson Guzman Associate Director, Patron Services Kim hutchinson-Barber Assistant Manager, Front of House Brigitte Lang Assistant Manager, Food & Beverage Patron Services Supervisors Kelly Bailey stuart Constable enrique Covarrubias Cortes Jamieson eakin Melissa Lapczynski Adam Orr Brynn Pearson Rebecca Riddell Ashley Westlake Kimberly Wu Carianne hill Patron Services Lead

Maintenance Assistants Ryszard Gad (COC) Branislav Peterman (COC) Julian Peters (COC) Tymen de Vries (FsCPA) James esposito (FsCPA) Piotr Wiench (FsCPA)

!S .AMING $ONOR OF THE &OUR 3EASONS #ENTRE FOR THE 0ERFORMING !RTS WE ARE PROUD TO BE A LIFELONG FRIEND OF THE FINE ARTS EXPERIENCE FOR PATRONS HERE AND FROM AROUND THE WORLD

E. LOUISE MORGAN SOCIETY The e. louise Morgan Society was created to reflect the vision and commitment of its founder and the members who have created a legacy of leadership, passion and philanthropy in support of the goals of the Canadian Opera Company. each of these donors has contributed a cumulative total of more than one million dollars over the past 15 years. Their support is critical to the company’s success and we are forever indebted to their commitment and generosity. dr. larry M. Agranove

Kolter Communities

ArIAS: Canadian Opera Student development fund

The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen foundation

The Gerard & earlaine Collins foundation

e. louise Morgan

The late John A. Cook

Joey & Toby Tanenbaum

roger d. Moore

The estate of Horst dantz and don Quick

Major Gifts & Special Projects

every year, the Canadian Opera Company has unique projects operating beyond regular annual activities, each of which relies on private funding to ensure its success. These include: transition and endowment funding, production underwriting, artist and performance sponsorship as well as training, education and outreach programs.

$1,000,000+ The estate of Horst dantz & don Quick‡ $500,000 – $999,999 The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen foundation $100,000 – $499,999 Anne & Tony Arrell Paul Bernards david G. Broadhurst Jean davidson & Paul Spafford Philip deck & Kimberley Bozak George S. dembroski Gail & Bob farquharson estate of ethel Berney Jackson‡ Judy & Wilmot Matthews Trina & don McQueen Tim & frances Price Colleen Sexsmith Sandra l. Simpson The Slaight family riki Turofsky & Charles Petersen Jack Whiteside Anonymous‡ $25,000 – $99,999 estate of daphne Bell earlaine Collins ethel Harris & the late Milton e. Harris ronald Kimel & Vanessa laPerriere Marjorie & roy linden estate of Aldo & Anita Maggiorotti

Jill & Geoff Matus roger d. Moore Wendy J. Thompson and the late Samuel A. rea The Stratton Trust françoise Sutton William & Phyllis Waters Anonymous (1) UP TO $24,999 Cecily & robert Bradshaw Marcia lewis Brown Ian & June Cockwell Catherine fauquier david & Kristin ferguson Peter & Hélène Hunt Hon. Henry n. r. Jackman‡ Patrick & Barbara Keenan J. Hans Kluge Jo lander Peterson family foundation david roffey & Karen Walsh Katalin Schäfer robert Sherrin dr. david Stanley-Porter & dr. Colin McGregor Mailer Kris Vikmanis & denton Creighton Samara Walbohm estate of Hugh Victor Wallace Anonymous (2)

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INDIVIDUAL ANNUAL SUPPORT GOLDEN CIRCLE GOLD, $50,000 + Anne & Tony Arrell**** david G. Broadhurst* In memory of Gerard H. Collins**** Jerry & Geraldine Heffernan**** The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen foundation**** roger d. Moore**** Arthur & Susan Scace**** Colleen Sexsmith** Sandra l. Simpson* SILVER, $25,000 – $49,999 Andrew Peller limited Mark & Gail Appel*** Paul Bernards*** Cecily & robert Bradshaw Stephen Clarke & elizabeth Black* Philip deck & Kimberley Bozak*** George & Kathy dembroski**** Mr. & Mrs. W. Humphries*** ronald Kimel & Vanessa laPerriere**** Susan loube & William Acton* BRONZE, $12,500 – $24,999 dr. & Mrs. Hans G. Abromeit**** Philip & linda Armstrong* Ms nora Aufreiter Melissa & Barry Avrich John & Claudine Bailey**** 21

Christian Franz as Siegfried (back to camera) in the COC’s Siegfried, 2005. Photo: Michael Cooper

The President’s Council and Golden Circle programs help make possible many of the company’s activities. New productions, the COC Ensemble Studio program, our education and outreach initiatives – these are just a few of the reasons why President’s Council and Golden Circle gifts are so crucial to our future. President’s Council and Golden Circle members share in the excitement of opera in new ways through events and activities, receive personalized service for ticket purchases and exchanges, and enjoy exclusive use of the Henry N. R. Jackman Lounge at all opera performances. For further information, contact us at presidentscouncil@coc.ca or call 416-363-5801.

*The COC recognizes donations from all individual giving programs with a charitable tax receipt for the maximum amount allowable under the Canada Revenue Agency guidelines.

Barbara Black* Mr. Philip J. Boswell†**** Walter M. & lisa Balfour Bowen**** Susanne Boyce & Brendan Mullen*** rob & Teresa Brouwer* Marcia lewis Brown Stewart & Gina Burton* Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Christ**** dr. John Chiu in memory of Yvonne Chiu, C.M.**** The Max Clarkson family foundation**** J. rob Collins & Janet Cottrelle**** Sydney & florence Cooper* Mr. & Mrs. leslie dan** Jean davidson & Paul Spafford**** david denison & Maureen flanagan* david & Kristin ferguson**** George fierheller**** Margaret & Jim fleck* lloyd & Gladys fogler*** four Seasons Hotels & resorts** Adam & Sharin froman roger & Kevin Garland** Michael & lora Gibbens Ira Gluskin & Maxine Granovsky Gluskin*** James & Joyce Gutmann**** ethel Harris & the late Milton Harris**** dr. W. P. Hayman & dr. M. l. Myers*** William & nona Heaslip foundation**** douglas e. Hodgson**** Michael & linda Hutcheon**** William Ip & Kathleen latimer* Jeff lloyd & Barbara Henders* Mr. & Mrs. J. S. A. Macdonald**** Bobby & Gordon Macneill* Judy & Wilmot Matthews* Jill & Geoff Matus* John & esther Mcneil*** don McQueen & Trina McQueen, O.C.* John McVicker & B. W. Thomas**** Johanna Metcalf*** delia M. Moog** Jonathan Morgan & Shurla Gittens* Sue Mortimer**** nicholas & rosemary Mutton Mrs. & Mr. Christl & Karl niemuller** donald O’Born** Peter M. Partridge**** Ian & Michelle Pearce Tim & frances Price**** Ms r. raso**** david roffey & Karen Walsh***

Barrie rose & family*** John A. rothschild* Philip & Maria Smith** Stephen & Jane Smith**** Marion & Gerald Soloway** david e. Spiro*** david Stanley-Porter**** ryerson & Michele Symons Ms Kristine Vikmanis & Mr. denton Creighton**** Jack Whiteside** Tom & ruth Woods*** PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL COMMITTEE Mary-Catherine Acheson diane Adamson-Brdar Thomas J. Burton Gladys fogler Sue Mortimer Katalin Schäfer Colleen Sexsmith (Chair) Kristine Vikmanis Karen Walsh Trustee, $7,500 – $12,499 à la Carte Kitchen Inc. laurie & fareed Ali* Margaret Atwood & Graeme Gibson** Mr. & Mrs. Avie Bennett**** Mrs. A. ephraim diamond & family**** Andrew fleming** The Hon. William C. Graham & Mrs. Catherine Graham**** Al & Malka Green* rainer Hackert**** Maggie Hayes** Trinity Jackman Bernhard & Hannelore Kaeser**** J. Hans Kluge* Murray & Marvelle Koffler**** Mr. Gurney Kranz*** Anne lewitt* Jerry & Joan lozinski**** John Macfarlane* The Hon. Barbara Mcdougall*** Mrs. louise O’Shea**** rogan foundation Mr. & Mrs. r. T. ruggles**** françoise Sutton** dr. david Shaw* Carol Swallow*** Anonymous (1) PATRON, $3,750 – $7,499 Clive & Barbara Allen**** Mr. Peter Allen* Sue Armstrong*** ron Atkinson & Bruce Blandford*** Mrs. n. A. Balciunas**** Mona H. Bandeen, C. M.** Karen & Bill Barnett

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l. H. Bartelink in memory of Oskar & Irmgard Gaube** dr. Thomas H. Beechy**** Mr. doug & Mrs. Alison Bell Mr. & Mrs. eric Belli-Bivar*** dr. Catherine Bergeron** Mr. roland Bertin**** Tom Bogart & Kathy Tamaki* William & Anna Maria Braithwaite* dr. david & Constance Briant**** dr. Jane Brissenden & dr. Janet roscoe**** Mrs. donna Brock** Margaret & derek Brown**** Murray & Judy Bryant** Sharon & Howard Campbell* Joe & laurissa Canavan Cesaroni Management limited** Paul G. Cherry & dean C. noack**** Peter & frances Chiddy* frank Ciccolini**** The rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson Marilyn Cook* Mr. & Mrs. William J. Corcoran** lindy Cowan† & Chris Hatley** Mrs. ninalee Craig*** norman Curtis**** raul Werneck de Castro** Jill denham & Stephen Marshall* dr. Jeanne deinum**** Carol derk & david Giles* Bernard & francine dorval** Peter & Anne dotsikas** Vreni & Marc ducommun*** Bud & leigh eisenberg*** Joseph fantl & Moira Bartram* Graham farquharson** fleur-de-lis Interior design Kimberley fobert & robert lamb†*** The fraser elliott foundation**** dr. & Mrs. Wm. O. Geisler** The Hon. Alastair W. Gillespie**** Ben & Sarah Glatt**** Peter & Shelagh Godsoe* rose & roger Goldstein *** Michael & Anne Gough**** ronald & Birgitte Granofsky**** douglas & ruth Grant John & Judith Grant** John Groves*** Gudrun Hackert*** Hampton Securities ltd. Scott & ellen Hand** Mr. & Mrs. William B. Harris*** Hon. & Mrs. Paul Hellyer**** Ava Marion Hillier* Prof. Michiel Horn**** Scott Irvine† & Joan Watson†** The Jackman foundation*** Victoria Jackman*** dr. Peter Janetos* Mr. robert C. Jefferies****

dr. Joshua Josephson & Ms elaine lewis**** lorraine Kaake**** Patrick & Barbara Keenan**** dr. Joel Keenleyside**** Jim & diane King* Joseph Kerzner & lisa Koeper**** Jean V. Kramar* The Hon. dennis lane, Q.C. & Mrs. Sandra lane**** Harold & larraine langer**** Mr. Philip lanouette* John B. lawson, Q.C.**** Paul lee & Jill Maynard**** Mr. J. levitt & Ms e. Mah* daniel & Janet li* Anthony lisanti** Vincent & Helene lobraico* Angelo & Grace locilento** Tom C. logan* Jonathan & dorothea lovat dickson* Mrs. J. l. Malcolm* dr. & Mrs. M. A. Manuel* Hon. Margaret & Mr. Wallace McCain** Christa & robert Mcdermott* Paul & Jean McGrath**** Kathleen Mclaughlin & Tim Costigan* June Mclean**** Mr. Ulrich Menzefricke**** dr. Thomas & Mrs. Catherine H. Millar dr. Judith A. Miller*** Bruce & Vladka Mitchell* Professor david J. Murray*** eileen Patricia newell** Mrs. Sally-Ann noznesky**** e. Oliana & A. Iu*** Keith & Brenda Ottaway*** dr. & Mrs. William M. Park**** douglas l. Parker**** John & Gwen Pattison* Polk family Charitable fund** Julian Porter, Q.C.* Mary Jean & frank Potter*** Margrit & Tony rahilly**** Wendy J. Thompson and the late Samuel A. rea**** Mrs. Gabrielle richards** rob & Penny richards*** Margaret A. riggin* Gordon robison & david Grant* Joseph l. rosenmiller** Maxwell l. rotstein & nancy-Gay rotstein**** Annie & Ian Sale Ms Sharon Cookie Sandler*** Judy & Hy Sarick**** Sam & esther Sarick*** Helen & John Scott* dr. ralph Shaw & June Shaw**** Allan & Helaine Shiff**** david & Hilary Short*** Judy & Hume Smith*** dr. Harley Smyth & Carolyn McIntire Smyth*

dr. John Stanley & dr. Helmut reichenbächer** drs. Wayne Stanley & Marina Pretorius* doreen l. Stanton**** dr. richard & Jane Stoneman* Mr. & Mrs. Michael Tatham* Kathryn J. Thornton**** Anthea Thorp**** Vincent Tovell, O.C.*** Ian Turner** rosalind & dory Vanderhoof donald & Margaret Walter**** Hugh & Colleen Washington* William r. Waters*** ruth Watts-Gransden**** dr. Virginia Wesson** dr. Jack Williams & dr. dorothy Pringle** Mr. & Mrs. richard Wookey*** linda Young* Tricia Younger The Youssef-Warren foundation*** Helen Ziegler** Sharon Zuckerman**** Helen & Walter Zwig**** Anonymous (7) MEMBER, $2,250 – $3,749 Mr. Herb Abramson** The Acheson family foundation** d. C. Adamson-Brdar**** dr. & Mrs. larry M. Agranove**** donna & lorne Albaum* Mr. & Mrs. roberto & nancy Albis** Mr. Thomas & Mrs. Claire Allen* Mr. & Mrs. Howard Alpert** dr. d. Amato & Ms J. Hodges**** rod Anderson & Merike lugus**** Andrée Appleton & Alexander leman* Anne-Marie H. Applin*** Valerie Armstrong**** Philip Arthur* Virginia Atkin*** John Bailey* James C. Baillie* Marilyn & Charles Baillie**** Andrew & Cornelia Baines**** Janice A. Baker**** richard J. Balfour*** Schuyler Bankes & family*** lindy Barrow** Ms roxanne Bartel dr. frank Bartoszek & Mr. daniel O’Brien**** florence Sharpe Barwell**** Julia Bass & david Hamilton** Alice & Tom Bastedo** rene Beaulieu dr. Gail Beck, O. Ont. & Mr. Andrew fenus Mr. & Mrs. Peter & Sondra Beck

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

Ms Marie Bérard†** dan Bereskin, Q.C. & rhoda Gryfe** nani & Austin Beutel**** John n. & Miranda A. H. Birch J. Bismillah* Anneliese and Walter Blackwell**** Susanne Blake*** lynn Blaser & John van Ogtrop**** Ian & Janet Blue** John & Ila Bossons* Mr. W. Bowen & Ms S. Gavinchuk†*** Mrs. Carolyn Bradley-Hall & Mr. William Bradley*** Mrs. richard Bradshaw*** Sylvia Brander**** Peter Brieger & Beverley Hamblin* Brian Bucknall & Mary Jane Mossman**** Alice Burton** Thomas J. Burton* Barrie & Betty Cade** Maureen Callahan & douglas Gray* Margaret Harriett Cameron**** della H. Campbell**** Brian & ellen Carr**** Gail Carson**** Wendy M. Cecil**** dr. & Mrs. Albert Cheskes** Birte von Chlumecky-Bauer** John d. Church dr. Howard M. Clarke** edward Cole & Adrienne Hood** Brian Collins & Amanda demers* Tony & elizabeth Comper* Murray & Katherine Corlett*** Harold & Anita Corrigan*** dr. lesley S. Corrin**** Margaret Couch** Gay & derek Cowbourne* Irene & Keith Croot*** ruth & John Crow*** Andreas Curkovic Mary Beth Currie & Jeff rintoul Carrol Anne Curry*** Ms lindsay dale-Harris & Mr. rupert field-Marsham**** doris J. daughney dr. & Mrs. Michael & Ute davis** Brian J. dawson** Michael & Honor de Pencier*** Mrs. rosario de Wit-farro*** Mrs. leonard G. (Anne) delicaet & Mrs. Kendra Anne delicaetAlmasi**** Mary-Kathleen delicaet & John Young Perry & rae dellio*** Angelo & Carol delZotto*** Mr. & Mrs. elvio delZotto* Mr. & Mrs. A. J. diamond*

Mr. david S. dick J. diGiovanni* Olwen & frank dixon* James doak & Patricia Best** Sandra Z. doblinger* Ms Petrina dolby** dr. James & Mrs. ellen downey* John duffy & Jill Presser* Marko duic**** H. I. dunlop*** Judy dunn* Mr. Albert d. dunn* ron dyck & Walter Stewart*** William & Gwenda echard**** Jean edwards* Wendy & elliot eisen*** Mr. & Mrs. John J. elder**** Genia & Stan elkind**** robert elliott & Paul Wilson* dr. & Mrs. John evans** Virginia evans* fabris Inc. George A. farkass* Gail & Bob farquharson Catherine fauquier*** Bill fearn & Claudia rogers*** fraser & Margot fell**** lee K. ferrier*** William & rosemary fillmore** Mr. & Mrs. Cosimo & Christina fiorenza** dr. Sidney M. fireman* Mrs. lois fleming**** david & elizabeth forster** robert & Julia foster** Margaret & david fountain**** Mr. Michael A. french* Judith Ann fullerton* robert fung** John & rita Gagliano rev. Ivars Gaide & rev. dr. Anita Gaide** Tom & Helen Galt**** Ann Gawman** dr. Barry A. Gayle**** Martin & Mindy Gerskup* The Honourable Irving Gerstein & Mrs. Gail Gerstein* Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Giancamilli * Ann J. Gibson**** Mary & lionel Goffart dr. eudice Goldberg dr. fay Goldstep & dr. George freedman* deanna A. Gontard**** Tina & Michael Gooding** Wayne A. Gooding**** Goodman family* david & Janice Gordon** dr. noëlle Grace & The Shohet family*** Jane Greene* Mr. finn Greflund & Mrs. M. Ortner* Mr. Carmen & Mrs. Vittoria Guglietti* ellen & Simon Gulden**** Anna l. Guthrie****

Mr. & Mrs. Henry Hackenspiel**** dan Hagler & family** Ms francess G. Halpenny**** Mr. Adrian J. Hamel George & Irene Hamilton**** John & ruth Hannigan Beverly Hargraft* Michael Harris & Carol rak* Valerie & Brian Harris**** Mr. d. Harrison & dr. e. fischer* Paul & natalie Hartman* david Harquail & Birgitta Sigfridsson* Jenny Heathcote**** Mr. Thomas G. Heintzman & Ms Mary Jane Heintzman** Caroline Helbronner** Jacques & elizabeth Helbronner** Ann & lyman Henderson**** Thea Herman & Gregory King** William e. Hewitt*** Mr. Tom Higgins** Sam & libby Ho** Chris Hoffmann & Joan eakin* richard & donna Holbrook**** Sally Holton & Stephen Ireland*** emmy & Walter Homburger** Mr. roland Hoy** drs. Walter & Virginia Hryshko* Ken Hugessen & Jennifer Connolly* Anthony C. J. Humphreys**** Gillian Humphreys* Peter & Hélène Hunt**** Mrs. Wilma Hysen*** Infonex Inc.* Prof. Christopher Innes & Brigitte Bogar* William Innes* dr. Melvyn l. Iscove** elliott Jacobson & Judy Malkin* lynne Jeffrey*** laurence Jewell* The norman & Margaret Jewison Charitable foundation**** Mrs. e. Patricia Johnson** Ms elizabeth Johnson* dr. Albert & Bette Johnston* Joyce Johnston** Peter Kalen* Joseph & Maureen Katchen david W. & Sheryl l. Kerr* Inta Kierans**** Peter Kingsmill* ellen & Hermann Kircher**** Mr. douglas Klaassen** dr. elizabeth Kocmur**** Michael & Sonja Koerner** robin Korthals & Janet Charlton* dr. robert Kosnik**** richard J. Kostoff** Valarie Koziol William & eva Krangle****

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richard T. la Prairie* elizabeth & Goulding lambert*** leslie & Jo lander**** robert & Judith lawrie dr. Connie lee** linda lee & Michael Pharoah**** neal lee & dominique lee* dr. richard lee & Mr. Gary Van Haren* Alexander & Anna leggatt*** Joy levine** Mr. Peter levitt & Ms Mai Why** Cheryl lewis & Mihkel Voore** l. liivamagi Justin S. linden Marjorie & roy linden**** dr. & Mrs. W. G. lindley**** Janet & Sid lindsay** dr. Vance logan*** A. Benson lorriman**** douglas l. ludwig & Karen J. rice** dr. robert G. luton**** Ms Jane loughborough* Mary lu & Bruce Macdonald**** James & Connie Macdougall**** Mr. Jed MacKay**** dr. & Mrs. richard Mackenzie**** Mrs. r. MacMillan**** Tom & Catharina MacMillan**** Macro Properties ltd.* Susan & Scott Maidment** dr. Colin McGregor Mailer**** r. Manke**** Mr. & Mrs. r. Gordon Marantz**** Gerald & Helen Marr**** Kenneth & Kathleen Mathieson* Pauline and dipak Mazumdar at the Toronto Community foundation**** Mrs. ettore Mazzoleni** dr. & Mrs. John A. McCallum**** Wendy & Chris Mcdowall* dr. & Mrs. donald C. McGillivray**** ronan McGrath & Sarah Perry darcy & Joyce McKeough* don Mclean & diane Martello Guy & Joanne Mclean**** M. e. Mcleod**** Jean M. Mcnab**** Margaret C. Mcnee Mark & Andrea McQueen*** Shawn Mcreynolds & elaine Kierans* Mr. Ian McWalter* dr. don Melady & Mr. rowley Mossop** eileen Mercier**** MI9 Business Intelligence Systems Ingrid & daniel Mida* Marvene (Cox) & Gordon Miller** lee Milliken† & doug Macnaughton* Patricia & frank Mills** Ms Kamini Milnes* Audrey & david Mirvish**

dr. david n. Mitchell & dr. Susan M. Till*** Mr. donald Mitchell robert & Janet Mitchell* eva Mocarski* dr. & Mrs. S. Mocarski* Anne Moore**** Mr. robert Morassutti**** Alice Janet Morgan*** Ada & Hugh G. Morris* Ms rosalind Morrow* drs. Christopher & Pippa Moss** Gael Mourant & Caroline Hubberstey Mr. noel Mowat** Mr. Joseph Mulder* Taketo & Vija Murata* ethel Myers**** david & Mary neelands*** dr. Shirley C. neuman* dr. John & Pamela newall**** dr. emilie newell* dr. Steven nitzkin*** Simon & Marlene nyilassy dr. James & Mrs. Valda Oestreicher** Janice Oliver** Benson Orenstein*** Martin & Myrna Ossip* Julia & liza Overs*** John Pahapill* dr. & Mrs. n. Pairaudeau**** Isabel Pargana & raimondo Maltese lee Parsons Mrs. Margaret Ann Pattison**** John & Penelope Pepperell* dr. r. G. Perrin* Mr. William Perry* John & Carol Peterson** M. J. Phillips**** June C. Pinkney**** Johann C. Pinto robin B. Pitcher*** Wanda Plachta*** Jill† & ron Planche Georgia Prassas**** C. edward rathé**** Stephen ralls & Bruce Ubukata** The Carol & Morton rapp foundation**** Kenneth f. read**** Grant l. reuber*** Carolyn ricketts*** Ms nada ristich emily & fred rizner* Clara robert* Ms Virginia robeson Sidney robinson & linda Currie**** dr. Michael & Mary romeo**** John & Hannah rosen* Ken & Helen rotenberg* rainer & Sharyn rothfuss**** drs. Orest & Maureen rudzik**** david A. ruston*** Mallory Morris Sartz & John Sartz****

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Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

elizabeth Wilson & Ian Montagnes**** Jeffrey Stewart Wilson* dr. Jackson Wu & dr. Viviana Chang erik Yeo Morden Yolles**** Marina Yoshida*** dr. Howard & Sybil Young**** Tricia Younger* George Zeman Susan Zorzi** Anonymous (25) FRIENDS OF THE COC As of February 29, 2012 SUSTAINING FRIENDS $1,600 – $2,249 In memory of M. Baptista** dody Bienenstock* Iivi Campbell**** Jayne & Ted dawson**** J. e. fordyce**** Mr. A. Mafrici**** Mrs. Annette Oelbaum* Clarence & Mary Pace** dr. roger d. Pearce*** dr. norbert V. Perera**** Go Sato**** Jim Stewart & deborah Swail* Mr. Alex Tosheff Mr. & Mrs. Vernon & Beryl Turner*** Gordon Waugh*** Ms June Yee** Anonymous (2) ASSOCIATE FRIENDS $1,100 – $1,599 Ms I. M. Allen**** Howard A Back Michael & Janet Barnard* Michael Benedict & Martha lowrie**** don Biderman**** dr. Wendy C. Chan Patricia Clarke** Cogeco data Services Mr. John A. Crocker & Mrs. Mary Crocker*** elaine & Michael davies**** Mr. darren day** Prometheum Institute*** dr. domville** r. dalton fowler**** John H. Galloway**** dr. Gabriela Gohla Aviva & Andrew Goldenberg** Mr. Henry Gooderham** Suzy Greenspan** Jean & Bill Heaslip**** lawrence & Beatrice Herman*** Mr. david Holdsworth & Ms nicole Senecal* Mr. Josef Hrdina* donald Hughes*** James Hughes**

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dr. Peter Voore*** rick & Virginia Walker* Mr. John M. Welch**** James and Margaret Whitby**** Mr. and Mrs. Karl Wildi david B. & Virginia Wortman** Ms Iris Zawadowski* Anonymous (17) THE ENCORE LEGACY The encore legacy is the planned giving program of the Canadian Opera Company. Planned giving is making the decision today to provide a gift for the Canadian Opera Company that may not be realized until after your lifetime. Planned giving also allows many people to make a significant gift without altering their current lifestyle. Gifts planned today, that will ultimately affect your estate, allow you to make a statement of support that will become a lasting legacy to the COC. In addition, gift planning may provide significant tax benefits for your estate. The Canadian Opera Company gratefully acknowledges and thanks the following individuals who have included the COC in their estate planning: dr. larry M. Agranove Isobel Allen renata Arens & elizabeth frey Mrs. rosalen Armstrong ron Atkinson & Bruce Blandford Mr. l. H. Bartelink J. linden Best & James G. Kerr david Bowen Marnie M. Bracht Walter Carsen earl Clark Brian Collins & Amanda demers earlaine Collins david H. Cormack Ann de Brouwer Helen drake rowland d. Galbraith douglas G. Gardner Ann J. Gibson Michael & Anne Gough l. A. Grover George & Irene Hamilton Joan l. Harris James Hewson John r. Higgins Mr. Kim Yim Ho & Walter frederic Thommen douglas e. Hodgson Matt Hughes

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Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

John & esther Mcneil*** Mr. Alex Moraru dr. robert e. Munn Ms H. M. Murata** dr. Ago Peters dr. Krystyna Prutis-Misterska Peter & lili rechnitzer Joan l. reid Mr. Stanley and Mrs. loretta Skinner**** Paul & Maria Szasz**** Marion Wilson**** Ms June Yee** Anonymous (3) CORPORATE MATCHING PARTNERS The Canadian Opera Company gratefully acknowledges the following organizations that have matched gifts by their employees: Canadian Tire Corporation limited IBM Canada ltd. Ivanhoe Cambridge Inc Goodman & Company, Investment Counsel ltd. fM Global foundation Ketchum Canada Inc. The above Individual Support Gifts were made as of March 12, 2012. * ** *** **** † ‡

five to nine years of support 10 to 14 years of support 15 to 19 years of support 20 or more years of support COC administration, chorus or orchestra member endowment

despite the staff’s extensive efforts to avoid errors and omissions, mistakes can occur. If your name was omitted, listed incorrectly or misspelled, we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. We would appreciate being notified of any errors at 416-847-4949.

Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Photo: Sam Javanrouh

Corporate Sponsorship The Canadian Opera Company welcomes financial support from corporations that appreciate the advantages of partnering with one of Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier performing arts companies. A variety of sponsorship opportunities can be customized to meet branding, marketing and corporate entertainment needs including production, performance, official orchestra and chorus sponsorships, as well as official supplier partnerships at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Corporate sponsorship offers exciting privileges that you and your company can enjoy all year long. For further information, please contact Carlie Weppler at 416-306-2321 or carliew@coc.ca.

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Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

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GOVERNMENT SUPPORT The Canadian Opera Company gratefully acknowledges the generous support of these government agencies and departments.

OPeRATinG suPPORT

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts which last year invested $26.3 million in music throughout Canada. nous remercions de son soutien le Conseil des Arts du Canada, qui a investi 26,3 millions de dollars l’an dernier dans la musique à travers le Canada.

enseMBLe sTuDiO

sPeCiAL PROJeCT FunDinG for the many programs and special initiatives undertaken each year by the Canadian Opera Company, we gratefully acknowledge project funding from: department of Canadian Heritage Human resources and Skills development Canada Ontario Arts Council Ontario Cultural Attractions fund

CREDITS & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Canadian Opera Company would like to thank all those who volunteer both on a daily basis and for special events with the company. Michael Cooper: Official photographer The COC is a member of Opera America and Opera.ca. The COC operates in agreement with Canadian Actors’ equity Association. The COC operates in agreement with I.A.T.S.e., local #58, local #822, local #828.

SUPERNUMERARY Jim lucas

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

SEMELE

TRANSFORMATIONS BY ERIC DOMVILLE

The COC presents Semele, a co-production of Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Brussels and KT Wong Foundation. A scene from Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, 2009. Photo: Karl Forster

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

he greatest strength of myths is their enduring relevance, whereby each human generation may re-interpret them in light of its own needs and challenges. The gods of Greek mythology are only too human in their foibles, weaknesses and rivalries. The main difference from mankind (apart from magical powers) is that the gods are immortal. For Handel (1685 – 1759) and the early 18th century – the Age of Reason – these myths offered a treasure trove of ultimately

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Fri Apr 20,

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A recital of highly dramatic and passionate French, German and English songs, including selections from Poèmes, her latest CD. Sponsored by

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SEMELE Transformations

The COC presents Semele, a co-production of Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Brussels and KT Wong Foundation. (l – r) Nathan Berg as Cadmus, David Hansen as Athamas and Ying Huang as Semele, Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, 2009. Photo: Zhang Huan Studio

reassuring models. The age disliked unhappy endings, since they contradicted its belief in the eventual triumph of good over evil. “Whatever is, is right,” as Handel’s admirer Alexander Pope expressed it in his Essay on Man (1734). Handel had established his reputation as the leading composer of works in the opera seria tradition: musical settings of Italian texts presenting stories from classical mythology and history. The form was severely restricted: a succession of da capo arias (built on an ABA structure) with very few ensembles and a chorus limited to the opening and closing moments. Handel displayed his greatness in his resourceful handling of such restrictions. Operas would be performed at various times of the year, but especially in the period from December 26 to Shrove Tuesday. 22

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

Theatres closed the following day, Ash Wednesday, for the penitential season of Lent. During that period performances of oratorios took place in churches or concert halls. Handel had created the English tradition of oratorio in 1718 with Esther. Oratorios mainly treated biblical or other religious subjects, although a few dealt with mythological stories. This is where Semele comes in. Handel composed it at his usual high speed, in a month from June 3 to July 4, 1743. The original libretto was drafted by the Restoration playwright William Congreve in 1707 as part of a vain effort to protect opera in English against the tidal wave of Italian works. Handel retained much of Congreve’s text, although the best-known number, “Where’er you walk,” is taken from Pope’s Summer.

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Adventures Adven ntures in Wonderland W d Returnss Novembe November er 2012! national.ballet.ca national.ba allet.ca 416 416 345 3 45 9595 95 595 Greta G re t a H Hodgkinson, odgkinson, R Robert obert S Stephen tephen a and n d JJillian illian V Vanstone a n s t o n e iin nA Alice’s l i c e ’s A Adventures d v e n t u r e s in i n Wonderland. W o n d e r l a n d . Photos P h o t o s by b y Christopher C h r i s t o p h e r Wahl. Wa h l .

SEMELE Transformations

The work was first performed “in the manner of an oratorio” on February 10, 1744, as part of the Theatre Royal’s Lenten concert series. However, early audiences were shocked at the frank sexuality of much of the work, particularly at such a holy time of year. It is difficult today to appreciate the outrage felt by many opera enthusiasts at what now seems very tame. They also expressed reservations at the devious manner in which Handel slipped in an opera under the excuse of “oratorio.” One of his other collaborators, Charles Jennens, who had compiled the text of Messiah a couple of years earlier, noted

snarkily about Semele: “No Oratorio, but a bawdy Opera… An English Opera, but called by fools an Oratorio, and performed as such at Covent-Garden.” Call it what you will, Semele is one of those works on an English text which permitted Handel to move away from the rigid conventions of opera seria towards the greater fluidity of operatic form more familiar to us. The heroine still has a string of da capo arias, each evoking a different aspect of her personality, but there are also more ensembles (duets, quartets) and greatly increased involvement for the chorus.

The COC presents Semele, a co-production of Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Brussels and KT Wong Foundation. A scene from Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, 2009. Photo: Karl Forster

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

SEMELE Transformations

Semele herself often suffers from bad press. Commentators tend to call her vain and empty-headed as she allows herself to be destroyed by Juno’s jealousy. Yet she is in love with Jupiter, head of the gods. It’s no wonder she is swept off her feet and fantasizes about living with him. She is carrying his child, a boy later to become the powerful god Bacchus. For his part, Jupiter, whose favourite form of exercise is to seduce mortal women through very peculiar disguises – a swan, a bull, a shower of gold – seems genuinely in love with her. His anguish strikes home as he realizes her fate when he is to appear before her in his full godhead. Juno, the wronged wife, is goddess of the home and marriage as well as protector of women in childbirth. Her jealousy is completely understandable, although one may consider her vengeance a shade too extreme. The mandatory “happy ending” dictates that Semele’s fiancé, Athamas, should marry her sister, Ino. The deus ex machina, Apollo, god of reason and equilibrium, resolves all problems and commands that Semele’s baby will be plucked, Phoenixlike, from her ashes to be raised by Jupiter and to become the future god of the dark side, Bacchus. Zhang Huan – a Chinese sculptor, photographer and performance artist – directs the COC’s Semele. Zhang has directed this production at Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels in 2009 and then in Beijing in 2010. He is an extraordinarily prolific and successful visual artist, working mainly in New York and Shanghai, where he employs 100 assistants. Initially he would often use his body as a form of theatre wherein he tried to unite the physical and the spiritual. His deepening interest in Buddhism lends extra emphasis to his use of the basic elements of life, notably earth, dirt and incense ash. 26

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

The COC presents Semele, a co-production of Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Brussels and KT Wong Foundation. Ying Huan as Semele, Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, 2009. Photo: Zhang Huan Studio

Passion. Pride. Performance.

All the Right Moves The same strong focus and discipline that took Geon van der Wyst to the top of his profession as principal dancer, has taken his career in real estate to award winning levels. His level of skill and service has clients saying: “I successfully sold my house in Lawrence Park in a quiet market, thanks to Geon van der Wyst’s expert guidance that eased the complicated process from beginning to end. I could not be happier with the experience and the result.” – L. Hertzman “It was a pleasure listing my Forest Hill Town House with Geon. It sold within 24 hours of the Agents’ Open House at above asking... Geon was most professional throughout and created outstanding PR materials for the listing as part of his service. I look forward to working with him again.” – John Theo

Geon van der Wyst Passion. Pride. Performance.

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SEMELE Transformations

The extra-large heads he sculpts consist mainly of steel and ash; permanence and transience. In 2012, two of Zhang’s several exhibitions are “Swept Away: Dust, Ashes and Dirt in Contemporary Art and Design” in New York and “Buddhism in Art” in Hong Kong. In an interview on YouTube, he remarks that “a good artist has to be illogical” and goes on to claim that he likes to take two completely different things and make something new out of them. Contradicting himself, Zhang proves quite logical in this production, which unites so many of his diverse concerns. He fuses Handel’s Baroque masterpiece with traditional Chinese theatrical practices. Dominating the set is a genuine temple, about 450 years old, of the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644). Zhang bought the structure, had it disassembled and transported to his Shanghai studio, where it was patiently reassembled and restored. It has now been brought, piece by piece, to Toronto. This shrine replaces the palaces of the Greek gods. As the overture plays, a black and white documentary film traces the recent history of the temple, with the result that Handel’s music becomes a soundtrack. During the excavation of the temple, Huan discovered several personal mementoes including the diary of a man who lived in the temple 20 years ago. The diary disclosed that the man’s beautiful wife, Ruan Jinmei, was unfaithful to him. Ultimately, the man murders one of her lovers, resulting in

his incarceration and execution by firing squad. During the main action, Zhang offsets the stately dynastic ritual of the drama with such whimsical elements as a “stage donkey” and a huge inflatable puppet on the roof during the comic interlude between Juno and Somnus, the god of sleep, as she initiates her revenge. Yet the prevailing mood is one of tragedy (“Whatever is, is wrong”). This production finishes with the incineration of Semele and the sweeping away of her ashes as a funeral procession exits. We may be denied the consolation of Apollo’s prophecy, but perhaps Semele will be reincarnated in accordance with Buddhist teaching. Visually, the production is sumptuous. Han Feng has designed costumes combining Chinese and European Baroque features. Each main character has a distinctive colour scheme, which plays off against the saffron robes of the monks. Rudyard Kipling wrote: East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet… But there is neither East nor West When two strong men stand face to face, though they come from the ends of the earth! Whatever the outcome, Handel’s glorious music is sure to carry the day. n Eric Domville is a Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Toronto. He lectures and broadcasts on opera, and is a member of the COC Volunteer Speakers Bureau.

FOR FURTHER INSIGHTS INTO SEMELE, PLEASE READ CARLY ANDERSON’S “MYTH MANIFEST: ZHANG HUAN’S SEMELE” IN THE SPRING ISSUE OF PRELUDE, AVAILABLE ONLINE AT COC.CA/PUBLICATIONS.

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

Perfect Match

Talk about a perfect match: every dollar you contribute to the COC until June 30, 2012 will be matched in value by an anonymous donor and directed to our prestigious Ensemble Studio training program. That means your gift goes twice as far in developing the next generation of Canadian opera singers, directors and conductors. And that means opera of superlative quality will continue flourishing in Canada. To learn more about participating in the Year-End Matching Appeal, please visit coc.ca or call us at 416-847-4949.

* The COC recognizes individual donations with a charitable tax receipt for the maximum amount allowable under the Canada Revenue Agency guidelines. Carlo Ventre as Cavaradossi and Adrianne Pieczonka as Tosca in the Canadian Opera Company production of Tosca, 2012. Photo: Michael Cooper

PATRON INFORMATION AND POLICIES Etiquette Patrons are reminded that R. Fraser Elliott Hall is an extremely lively auditorium and that all audience noise will be accentuated and will be audible to other patrons. Turn off all electronic devices, avoid talking, coughing, humming, moving loose seats, kicking the backs of seats, rustling programs, and unwrapping candies or cough drops. In consideration of patrons with allergies please avoid wearing strongly perfumed beauty products and fragrances. Please remain in your seat until the performance has completely ended and the house lights have been turned on. Electronic Devices The use of mobile and smartphones and all other electronic devices is extremely disruptive and is strictly prohibited during performances. If a patron has an emergency and needs to be contacted during a performance, he or she should contact Patron Services for assistance before the performance. Cameras/Recording Devices The use of cameras, video cameras or sound-recording devices of any kind is prohibited in R. Fraser Elliott Hall during performances. Any person using an unauthorized recording device while the performance is in progress will be required to surrender or erase any recordings, photographic or digital images and may be asked to leave. No refunds will be issued. Latecomers In the interest of safety and for the comfort of all patrons and performers, latecomers may not enter the auditorium or be seated unless there is a suitable break in the performance (usually intermission). Patrons leaving the auditorium during the performance or returning late after intermission may not be readmitted or will be accommodated in an alternate viewing location. Children and Babes-in-Arms All patrons, including children, must have a ticket for the performance. All children must be seated next to an accompanying adult. Young children should be able to sit quietly throughout the performance. If unable to do so, children and their accompanying adult will be asked to leave the auditorium. Babes-in-arms will not be admitted. Patron Services Located in the Lower Lobby, the following services are available: coat and parcel check, booster seats, back supports, infrared hearing-assistive devices and rental of binoculars, on a first-come, first-served basis. Medical Emergencies and First Aid A house doctor is present at all performances. Please contact an usher if medical services are required. Lost and Found During performances please speak with an usher or visit Patron Services at the Coat Check in the Lower Lobby. Following performances, all lost and found items will be stored at the security desk at Stage Door. Please call 416-363-6671 for information.

Canadian Opera Company 2011/2012 Season

Ticket Services Canadian Opera Company subscriptions and individual tickets are available through COC Ticket Services ONLINE: www.coc.ca BY PHONE: 416-363-8231 or long distance 1-800-250-4653 Monday to Friday – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. IN PERSON: Four Seasons Centre Box Office 145 Queen St. W. Monday to Saturday – 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. or through first intermission Sunday (performance days only) – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. or through first intermission The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts Box Office also services ticketing needs for The National Ballet of Canada and all other Four Seasons Centre events. Group Sales Groups of 10 or more enjoy savings on regular individual ticket prices. For more information or to reserve seats call 416-306-2356. Parking There is parking on a first-come, first-served basis for about 200 vehicles underneath the Four Seasons Centre. The entrance is located on the west side of York Street, south of Queen Street. Additional parking is conveniently located just steps away in the Green P lot underneath Nathan Phillips Square. For directions visit www.greenp.com. Four Seasons Centre Facility Tours Tours of the Four Seasons Centre now include backstage access! For more information, visit fourseasonscentre.ca. BMO Financial Group Pre-Performance Opera Chats The Canadian Opera Company Volunteer Speakers Bureau offers free, insightful chats about the stories, music and background of all COC performances, 45 minutes prior to each performance in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre. Food and Beverage Service A pre-order system for intermission refreshments is available at all bars throughout the Isadore and Rosalie Sharp City Room. Food and beverages are not permitted in R. Fraser Elliott Hall. Special Events and Catering The Four Seasons Centre is available for rental for all of your presentation, meeting or special events needs, with spaces accommodating from 20 to 2,000 people and full catering services. For further details visit www.fourseasonscentre.ca or call 416-363-6671. The Opera Shop Located on the orchestra level of the Isadore and Rosalie Sharpe City Room, the COC's Opera Shop offers a fine selection of opera recordings on CD and DVD, as well as opera-related books, giftware and COC souvenirs.

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