Prelude Winter 2011 by Canadian Opera Company

Prelude WINTER 2011 | VOLUME 18 | NUMBER 2

MYUNG HEE CHO CREATES MAGIC FOR THE FLUTE

SPECIAL

2011/2012 SEASON INSERT WEST MEETS EAST IN NIXON IN CHINA THE COC AND AGO MAKE BEAUTIFUL ART TOGETHER XSTRATA ENSEMBLE STUDIO SCHOOL TOUR TRAVELS TO NUNAVIK

HAPPY NEW YEAR! MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL DIRECTOR ALEXANDER NEEF Operas could not have survived if each work had remained bound by the conventions and strictures of the time in which they were written. It goes without saying that presenting an opera the same way in which the composer may have first seen it would not be possible today – cultural sensibilities, technical and scenic advancements, and singing, acting and directorial standards have all undergone (and will continue to undergo) a complete upheaval. The COC’s job – the job of any opera company – is to present our own view of a particular opera, and to try to find new and perhaps better ways to express the essential truths that lie at its heart. Ultimately, you decide whether a production is successful or not, but it is still our responsibility as a company of artists to explore and reveal many possibilities so that this living art form continues to flourish.

Photo: Michael Cooper

It is no secret that producing opera is a passion of mine; creating projects that combine the artistic inspiration of the past with the sensibilities of the present is immensely gratifying. The wonderful thing about producing opera is that you never really know what you will achieve until it is realized on stage, and because an opera is never performed exactly the same way twice, it is particularly susceptible to differing opinions. In fact, as I am fond of saying, each time we perform, we have 2,000 critics watching, all with passionate, valuable opinions. This is exactly the way it should be. Art should not simply be pleasing to the eye and ear, something to be seen and forgotten about the next day. Great art should inspire discussion and debate and become a permanent part of one’s being, to be pondered, relished and revisited over time. Most of the great operas have been performed thousands of times, in thousands of different ways all over the world, and they have endured because they express fundamental truths that lend themselves to interpretation and reinterpretation.

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The COC is now in a position of great artistic strength and good fortune; we have a world-class venue, an orchestra and chorus that are secondto-none, and some of the most important artists in the opera world today, working on and offstage, to deliver a thrilling and relevant theatrical experience to our audiences.

“GREAT ART SHOULD INSPIRE DISCUSSION AND DEBATE AND BECOME A PERMANENT PART OF ONE’S BEING, TO BE PONDERED, RELISHED AND REVISITED OVER TIME.” Each year we strive to expand our collective emotional and intellectual capacities with seasons that combine the introduction of new or yet-to-be discovered works with timeless classics. I invite you to join us through our ever-evolving, alwaysstimulating operatic journey.

WHAT’S NEW AT COC.CA Explore coc.ca for all of the latest information on the winter productions of Nixon in China and The Magic Flute:

Read our new blog Parlando and go behind the scenes to ﬁnd out how the sets and props for The Magic Flute are made, see costume ﬁttings, watch as baritone Robert Orth is transformed into Richard Nixon, and much more. Test your knowledge of the upcoming operas with our fun interactive quizzes. Not enough of a challenge for you? Send your own quiz to us at webmaster@coc.ca — we’ll put the best ones up! Listen to podcasts that explore the music and background to both operas as well as in-depth interviews with stars Isabel Bayrakdarian, Robert Orth and

Maria Kanyova discussing their roles and musical inﬂuences. Join us online for our 2011/2012 season announcement as we stream our press conference live from the Four Seasons Centre. Look for our new digital season brochure in your inbox, with all the information you’ll need to quickly and easily renew your subscription online. As an added incentive to renew online, all digital renewals will receive a year of access to free streaming of thousands of recordings through the Naxos Online Music Library. Visit coc.ca for complete details.

ALEXANDER NEEF RECOMMENDS… Nixon in China, The Week That Changed the World by Margaret MacMillan This winter, General Director Alexander Neef recommends Nixon in China by author Margaret MacMillan, former Provost of Trinity College at the University of Toronto, and current Warden of St. Antony’s College at Oxford University. In Feb. 1972, Richard Nixon became the ﬁrst American president to visit China. His historic one-hour meeting with Mao Tse-tung ended the breach between the United States and China that had lasted since the Communist victory in 1949. Just as signiﬁcantly, the visit changed the face of international relations from a bipolar Cold War to a three-sided struggle involving the Soviet Union, China, and the United States. Drawing on newly available material and interviews with all major survivors, MacMillan re-examines that fateful week. Nixon in China will also be the focus for this winter’s COC Book Club featuring the participation of the author, Margaret MacMillan.

To celebrate the opening of John Adams’ Nixon in China, join us for an intimate brunch with Margaret MacMillan. She’ll be joined by Globe and Mail columnist Marcus Gee who will take us through the history of this groundbreaking event, the story of the opera and speak with Margaret MacMillan about her book. Included in the price is a copy of the book. Join us as we celebrate Nixon in China with Margaret MacMillan. When: Feb. 6, 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Where: Verity, Toronto Room 111d Queen St. E., Toronto Cost: $65 + HST per person To order tickets, call COC Ticket Services or visit coc.ca.

Join us for online discussion at www.coc.ca/COCBookClub. The book is available at the Opera Shop. Penguin. $27.25 including tax.

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MYUNG HEE CHO CREATES MAGIC FOR THE FLUTE By SUZANNE VANSTONE

Myung Hee Cho, who makes her COC debut with us as set and costume designer for our brand new production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, was in Toronto for a few days to have meetings with various COC personnel to check on where things stood for our opening in January. It’s always a busy time when any of our

external artistic staff arrive at the company during pre-production. Cho is much in demand as she is scooped up by various COC staff for the brief time she is here. In addition to speaking with me, she darts back and forth between our scene shop, props, wigs and make-up, costumes and anyone else that needs her time.

Preliminary sketch of Papageno by Myung Hee Cho, set and costume designer for The Magic Flute.

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From Toronto she ﬂies to New York (where she grew up) for meetings with Flute director Diane Paulus, then returns to California to continue her busy schedule as a designer for opera, theatre and dance. Paulus, the Tony Award®-nominated director of Broadway’s Hair and artistic director of the American Repertory Theater, is also making her COC debut with this production. Cho and Paulus have collaborated before on a chamber music/jazz/opera show called Running Man (which won an Obie) and then on The Marriage of Figaro for Chicago Opera Theater. Whether Cho is designing for opera or theatre or dance her approach is similar. “It is really about storytelling. The details may vary with each work, but my approach is pretty much the same. It’s about how to evoke atmosphere.” Even though she grew up in New York City, Cho was not exposed to theatre until she was at college. She attended the prestigious Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. Her ﬁrst introduction to opera was attending Aida – a graduation gift from her sister. “I just fell in love!” Cho says. “I was working as a graphic designer at the time and involved in two-dimensional work – annual reports, corporate identity, etc. When I saw Aida I was visually taken with the three-dimensional design aspect. I loved the music, the theatricality – my eyes were sparkling. It was a

completely new experience. And I realized ‘someone has to design everything that’s happening on that stage.’ I knew that’s what I wanted to do.” So back to school she went – three years at Yale Drama School. Cho says the design of our new Flute comes from Paulus’ inspiration and desire for the audience to easily relate to what’s happening on stage. Cho says,

stranger, arrives with one of the colleagues of her father and then more guests arrive, including her aunt and uncle. Her aunt is the Queen of the Night and her uncle plays Monostatos. They bring their three daughters who are the Three Ladies. In terms of the costumes, they have their own world, a different, darker colour palette. Both worlds carefully eye each other.”

will still carry items across the stage on occasion, but we are now in the “meat” of the opera. Cho continues, “Imagination and reality sort of blur in Act II. We journey through the darkness, through the night and toward dawn – which is the end of the play as well as the opera. “Act II becomes a little more diffused and the characters are ‘living’ in the labyrinth that has

“IT IS REALLY ABOUT STORYTELLING. THE DETAILS MAY VARY WITH EACH WORK, BUT MY APPROACH IS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME. IT’S ABOUT HOW TO EVOKE ATMOSPHERE.” “She didn’t want it to be a journey about outer space, or for it to take place in other lands. She really wanted the audience to become thoroughly involved in it.” The set and costumes are wellrooted in the 18th century but incorporate elements of modern ﬂair to appeal to a contemporary audience. When the overture starts, the curtain rises to reveal a beautiful 18th-century estate garden where preparations are busily underway in celebration of Pamina’s name day. We soon come to realize that there is a play within a play – or should we say an opera within an opera? All the singers are in some way related to Pamina and gradually morph from participating in her party to becoming the characters in Mozart’s opera. “Guests are arriving and we see that there is a small theatre onstage,” Cho says. “Everyone is bustling about and you feel their excitement. Although the set is ‘real’ it has a storybook fairytale quality to it. It’s a special day for Pamina, the daughter of the household. Sarastro, her father, oversees the party and welcomes his guests, who include the priests. Tamino, a

Cho continues, “They are all taking part in this play within a play. And they’re putting on an opera that would have been popular in their own time period of the 18th century. As well as tending to the guests, the servants help operate the scenic elements on the little stage.” The second act is still a play within a play, but we journey farther into the garden starting at the entrance to a labyrinth and gradually become more engulfed in its thickly woven hedges. Although we are still within the play, the characters become much more invested in the story and everyone is fully in character. A few servants

Set and costume designer Myung Hee Cho

elements of a Masonic garden. There’s the idea of enlightenment – Pamina and Tamino go through the darkness of the gate and eventually journey to the centre of the labyrinth into the light – a rebirth. They go through their trials and emerge triumphant. And it mirrors the reuniting of night and day and Sarastro’s and the Queen’s world. At the end of the trials – and at the end of the party that has lasted through the night – the guests finally meet in the open space at the edge of the labyrinth to watch the sun rise.” Cho’s preliminary designs are exquisite – the animals in particular are beautifully imagined – and can be viewed on our website as well as in Flute posts on our blog Parlando. It’s a wonderful opportunity for patrons to see a work in progress. From the set maquettes (set mockups), to the singers’ costumes, to the sweet whimsy of the animal costumes, it’s a chance to see how initial design sketches flourish into the final elements we see onstage. “The costumes are very real and magical at the same time,” says Cho. “The animals have a certain Cont’d on page 20

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The COC presents Nixon in China. Maria Kanyova as Pat Nixon in the Opera Theatre of St. Louis production, 2004. Photo: Ken Howard

WEST MEETS EAST IN NIXON IN CHINA By SUZANNE VANSTONE

“News, news, news!” These ﬁrst utterances that the character Richard Nixon sings in John Adams’ opera Nixon in China set the stage. Literally.

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Having recently been with the COC as the set and costume designer for our signature production of The Flying Dutchman, Allen Moyer (Nixon set designer) discusses how

he and director James Robinson (Turandot, Elektra) conceptualized our COC production, which was ﬁrst mounted at Opera Theatre of St. Louis in 2004*.

There are certain key moments in history when we can immediately recall, almost with sensory awareness, exactly where we were when they occurred. For the majority of our opera audience, U.S. President Richard Nixon’s visit to China in 1972 represented one such event. His meeting with Chairman Mao Zedong was beyond simply a political foray. A decrier of communism, Nixon’s groundbreaking journey to Peking (now Beijing) set in motion a gradual shift in Cold War politics. Nixon in China, a COC premiere, is one of the most frequently performed 20th-century operas not only in the U.S., but around the world. In fact, the Met opens their production the same month as we do. The opera was ﬁrst staged in 1987 by director Peter Sellars, a close associate of John Adams. Moyer says, “The original production was almost a musical documentary of Nixon’s historic visit and was visually based on the actual event. They recreated the room where Nixon and Mao met. The plane landing was, of course, Air Force One, and was set up like the original photos.”

because it was such a specific, groundbreaking idea. So when we approached it in 2004, we wondered how we’d do a different version of it. Was the only option a documentary style? We thought it might be interesting to try something different.” A couple of considerations also factored in their wish to shake things up a bit. Firstly, the Opera Theatre of St. Louis is a much smaller space and has a thrust stage. Secondly, a fair amount of time had passed since the historic visit, and Moyer and Robinson did not feel as “tied” to the event. They decided to try something simpler, with the focus ultimately being on the clash of two cultures – west meets east. When Nixon steps off the plane, his first aria describes his growing awareness that every move he makes, every word he utters, is being broadcast throughout the world. So Robinson and Moyer latched on to that idea and decided to use televisions as one of the focal points of the opera. Instead of the plane flying in, televisions fly in! The Americans have landed.

What further emblazoned Nixon’s visit on the minds of the general public was the constant media attention. Almost every single moment of it was scrutinized on television. People remember the footage of the plane landing, the pictures of Mao and Nixon shaking hands, and the photos from the banquet. “In the original production, they may have felt that they did not have much choice about the ‘setting’ because it was so fresh in people’s minds,” Moyer continues. “But they probably also wanted to play on that too,

Moyer says, “Initially the televisions are not seen. We have a large, red stage fi lled with oversized, ancient Chinese terra cotta soldiers – the sort that used to be buried with emperors. We start out with a chorus of Chinese citizens wearing Mao jackets and doing T’ai Chi. There’s also a character that we added into the opera that represents an elderly Chinese person. At one point when it snows, we find her perched on a ladder, dropping snow gently from her bamboo hat. We see her in many scenes and she, too, is a further reminder of this ancient culture. “Then the televisions fly in, and replace the terra cotta soldiers. On the TVs are images of Air Force One flying through the sky and landing. As the televisions get closer, the images on the screens become larger. Some of the TVs are then removed from the pipes that they float in on and then are periodically moved around and re-arranged during the course of the opera. “We knew we wanted some sort of video work in the piece, and as we got further into it we thought ‘Why not project the videos right onto the TV screens?” Moyer stresses that it’s not crucial that the audience sees every single image being projected on the various screens, but rather it’s more atmospheric, with the idea that these TVs are constantly on, constantly fi lled with movement. He continues, “The other thing that works for us is that so many people are familiar with that footage. For example, if you Cont’d on page 21

Set designer Allen Moyer

*Co-production of Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Chicago Opera Theater, Opera Colorado, Houston Grand Opera, Minnesota Opera and Portland Opera.

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SPACE FOR THE SPELL JOHANNES DEBUS ON THE MAGIC FLUTE By SUZANNE VANSTONE

If you grow up in Germany and are at all associated with the theatre or opera world, chances are you are exposed to Mozart’s The Magic Flute at a very early age. And such was the case with COC music director Johannes Debus, who conducts our winter production. “It’s such a popular piece and it’s played everywhere because people love it,” he says. “It’s probably one of the most-performed operas in the world and there are reasons why. “This piece is for everybody – no matter how old you are or what social, educational or musical background you come from. It’s fascinating. It delights younger audiences and can lead older ones back to a beloved state of innocence. Flute is spectacular, enormously entertaining, and there is also such incredible wisdom to it. I’m guessing that when Mozart and Schikaneder (librettist) planned this piece, they enjoyed it immensely.”

all, Mozart is divine – he is so perfect. He has this incredible capacity to put light on the human soul. Mozart, to quote the title of an interesting book, is ‘the smile of reason.’ “Again I have to refer to painting and art. I was reading a book about Leonardo da Vinci and there was one chapter about the Mona Lisa and why it is so fascinating – why everyone in the world seems to be captivated by it. And the author started to compare other painters of the same period, for example a very famous painting by Raphael. If you compare the Mona Lisa to other images, it speaks to you in a totally different way. Why? The author explains: because Leonardo went into the head of the person he was painting, he was able to show the inner feelings, the emotional states. He was not just painting what

Our new COC production, directed by Tonynominated Diane Paulus and designed by acclaimed set and costume designer Myung Hee Cho, is ﬁlled with whimsy and playfulness. Johannes is thrilled that this is a family-friendly Flute. “You can take this work absolutely seriously, and you should, but it’s important not to push it into a certain area. You have to give some space for the audience to ﬁnd themselves in the piece and for the enchantment to unfold. And for that, of course, the magic of a fairytale story is most important.” Johannes stresses that while there is an element of darkness in Flute, it is by no means the sole colour. It is balanced with light – not only in the story, but in the score. Although we are exploring a part of Masonic tradition and there are trials to endure for our young characters, we also receive a healthy dose of mystery and awe. He continues, “The Magic Flute must be colourful. I always thought, ‘Ah, it’s a pity that Pablo Picasso did not make a set for this opera.’ Marc Chagall did and although I have not seen it, I can imagine his sensitivity.” Recently Johannes conducted the COC’s Aida and prior to that The Flying Dutchman and we spoke of what those composers had to offer. “First of

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Preliminary sketch of Monostatos by Myung Hee Cho, set and costume designer for The Magic Flute.

he could see; he got inside the person and made it visible. “And I think that is one essential thing with Mozart. He delves into the characters – inside the personalities – and lets the human soul wonderfully shine through with his notes. Every character is taken seriously, every ﬁgure – and it might be the smallest part in the opera – is kept enormously dear and shown in its full complexity. “In The Magic Flute a whole arsenal of characters comes across: Prince Tamino, a noble and audacious young man; his popular and more simplepatterned, straightforward companion Papageno (surely a great entertainer); Pamina, the adorably beautiful, pure and honest daughter of a quite hysterical, furious mother, called Queen of the Night; Sarastro, a severe but enlightened ‘highpriest’; the innocent, wise Spirits; Monostatos, the unhappy, cantankerous servant; and, the extravagant Ladies, etc. It’s a colourful and likeable zoo, as human life is a zoo! “And for this ‘zoo’ Mozart wrote a score which is so diversiﬁed and multifaceted. It’s a kind of patchwork in the tradition of the

COC Music Director Johannes Debus conducts the COC Orchestra at the Diamond Anniversary Concert, 2009. Photo: Michael Cooper

Wiener Volkstheater where many styles and forms of expression are put together. From the simple lied to the extended and complex

Members of the current COC Ensemble Studio will be appearing in their own mainstage performance of The Magic Flute on Feb. 17. Photo: Chris Hutcheson

ensembles and ﬁnales, every musical form and expression seems to appear. And with the dialogues in between, the constraints between opera and drama are nulliﬁed. The Magic Flute is a complete and universal theatrical experience.” As with Idomeneo last spring, the COC Ensemble Studio has another opportunity to perform the principal roles on the mainstage in this production. Two Mozart operas in a row for them. What are the advantages for young singers to have this kind of chance? Johannes says, “First of all, it’s performing Mozart’s divine and profound music. And Cont’d on page 21

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XSTRATA ENSEMBLE STUDIO SCHOOL TOUR TRAVELS TO NUNAVIK By KATHERINE SEMCESEN

On a hot day in June 2010, I received word that Ian Pearce, a member of the COC’s Board of Directors and CEO of Xstrata Nickel would be interested in exploring the possibility of bringing the Xstrata Ensemble Studio School Tour to Xstrata’s Raglan Mine in Northern Quebec. What’s the ﬁrst thing anyone would do upon hearing such news? Google the possible destination. Surprisingly, not even Google Maps was able to show the exact location of the mine. Where were we being sent? I was intrigued.

this reason, the Xstrata Ensemble Studio School Tour was invited to travel and perform for the children in two of these Inuit communities, Salluit and Kangiqsujuaq. For over 20 years, the COC has toured child-friendly operas sung in English for students in Kindergarten to Grade 6 through the School Tour program. We are accustomed to packing up a 12-seat passenger van with props, costumes, sets and cast members and travelling to schools across Ontario. We were soon to ﬁnd out that bringing the School Tour to Nunavik would offer us a new adventure, as there are no roads linking the Raglan Mine or the Inuit communities to the southern part of Canada. Travelling to Nunavik required highly detailed co-ordination with Xstrata staff. It was the ﬁrst time an arts group, let alone an opera company, would be staying at the mine complex and travelling to the remote communities of Salluit and Kangiqsujuaq. After only two intense months of planning, our itinerary included 10 plane rides and 10 bus rides (from the local airports to the mine complex and schools) over four days.

Rihab Chaieb, who performs the title role of the Xstrata Ensemble Studio School Tour production of Cinderella, sings to the children of Pigiurvik School in Salluit, Quebec, on Nov. 17, 2010. Photo: Michael Cooper

Xstrata Nickel’s Raglan Mine is situated on the 62nd parallel, 600 km north of the tree line, on the Ungava Peninsula, in Nunavik, Quebec, approximately 2,600 km from Toronto. The Raglan property consists of a series of high-grade ore deposits, with nickel and copper as the primary metals. It has the capacity to produce 27,000 tonnes of nickel-in-concentrate per year. In 1995, Xstrata Nickel signed the Raglan Agreement with local Inuit communities to support harmonized relations and foster opportunities between Xstrata Nickel and local populations. For

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On the morning of Monday, Nov. 15, 2010, a COC team consisting of the Xstrata Ensemble Studio School Tour’s production of Cinderella (tenor Michael Barrett, soprano Ambur Braid, mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb, pianist Andrea Grant, mezzo-soprano Heather Jewson, stage manager Michael Lewandowski, and bass Michael Uloth), Claudine Domingue (COC’s director of public relations), photographer Michael Cooper and I departed for the wild four-day tour of Nunavik. We were at the mercy of the weather, and despite having our travel plans sabotaged by severe snowdrifts and limited visibility, the COC successfully performed a recital of operatic arias for the employees living/working at the Raglan Mine and gave two performances of Cinderella in Salluit and Kangiqsujuaq.

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Clockwise from top left: 1. A scene from the Xstrata Ensemble Studio School Tour production of Cinderella, performed at Pigiurvik School in Salluit, Quebec, on Nov. 17, 2010. 2. Members of the Xstrata Ensemble Studio School Tour at the conclusion of a special program of operatic arias for the employees of Xstrata’s Raglan Mine on Nov. 16, 2010. 3. Members of the Xstrata Ensemble Studio School Tour prepare to board the plane that will take them to Salluit. Poor ﬂight visibility cancelled the scheduled ﬂight on Nov. 16, 2010. 4. Members of the cast and crew of the Xstrata Ensemble Studio School Tour on a tour of Xstrata’s Raglan Mine operation on Nov. 18, 2010. Photos: Michael Cooper

Salluit means “The Thin Ones” in Inuktitut, referring to a time when local inhabitants faced starvation as a result of lack of wildlife around for hunting. In 2007, Statistics Canada reported the population as 1,241. In Inuktitut, Kangiqsujuaq means “The Large Bay,” as the community itself is snuggled in a deep valley surrounded by majestic mountains on the southeastern shore of Wakeham Bay, 10 km away from the Hudson Strait. Its population is approximately half of that of Salluit with 605 inhabitants. The Xstrata Ensemble Studio School Tour performed the children’s version of the classic fairytale Cinderella for over 400 students in Kindergarten to Grade 6 at Pigiurvik School in Salluit and Arsaniq School in Kangiqsujuaq, reaching 21% of their combined populations. It was a very emotional and humbling experience to be graciously welcomed by the Inuit communities that engaged in and experienced opera for the ﬁrst time. The response

was astounding: in Salluit, the children were on their feet engaging in the opera ﬁve minutes into the performance, and the community in Kangiqsujuaq was so moved by the outreach initiative that a brief cultural exchange was organized between elders in the community and the COC team. A detailed diary of the experience was kept by members of the COC team and published on the COC’s blog Parlando. With such tremendous support from Xstrata Nickel, Ian Pearce and his staff at the Raglan Mine in particular, the School Tour was able to extend its reach well beyond the borders of the GTA. The experience has sparked a mutual interest between the northern communities and the COC to continue our relationship in the future. Atsunai Nunavik! (Until next time Nunavik!) Katherine Semcesen is Senior Manager, Education and Outreach at the Canadian Opera Company.

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DAVID’S BIRTHDAY GIFT TO US! By DAWN MARIE SCHLEGEL

On Sept. 25, 2010, friends, colleagues and staff gathered to celebrate Dr. David StanleyPorter’s 80th birthday. The afternoon paid tribute to an incredible force within the COC family. Through his opera tours and courses, David has raised and personally contributed more than $1.5 million to the Canadian Opera Company. General Director Alexander Neef; Past Chair of the Board of Directors David Ferguson; and Managing Director Rob Lamb all brought their birthday wishes. The 300 guests were treated to a captivating performance by mezzo-soprano Betty Waynne

Allison, accompanied by Susan Ball. And of course, there was birthday cake for all. Dr. Stanley-Porter spoke of his addiction – to opera, that is – and the role it has played in his life. His pride in the COC is made even stronger by his travels around the world experiencing opera in the most famous of opera houses and even those that are less so. “Without the Canadian Opera Company we wouldn’t be able to experience opera the way it was meant to be experienced – live and in-person with all the emotion and power and sound and energy that goes into a live performance.”

As a testament to the legacy David has established, over $21,500 was raised in his honour for the New Production Fund. Thank you to all who contributed to this important initiative of the COC. As the guest of honour said himself, “When you make a donation to the company, you aren’t just making it to the bottom line, you are directly contributing to the live experience that we create and provide. Just imagine a world without it!” Dawn Marie Schlegel is Senior Development Ofﬁcer, Individual Giving at the Canadian Opera Company.

David Stanley-Porter cuts his birthday cake, which was created by former COC publicist Nisha Lewis. Photo: Grant Murphy

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FALL 2011

IPHIGENIA IN TAURIS (IPHIGÉNIE EN TAURIDE)

Susan Graham Makes Her Toronto Operatic Debut heralded for its “nobility and vibrant vocal beauty” (Chicago Tribune) as well as its “continuous dramatic power and musical mastery” (Chicago Sun-Times). She enthusiastically returns to Carsen’s staging this fall in Toronto: “I can’t stress enough how visually exciting the piece is,” she says, “And I think the star dressing room should be given to the dancers and the lighting designer! The dancers are a kind of Greek chorus who tell the story – they play the Priestesses on stage, they tell the ‘back’ story, they are the nightmare – they’re everything.” The COC presents Iphigenia in Tauris. Susan Graham as Iphigenia in the Lyric Opera of Chicago production, 2006. Photo: Dan Rest

The season opens with the company premiere of Gluck’s classical lyric tragedy, Iphigenia in Tauris, starring renowned mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, the world’s leading Iphigenia, making her much-anticipated COC debut. Graham leads a dream cast which includes baritone Russell Braun as Iphigenia’s brother Orestes, and Ensemble Studio graduate, tenor Joseph Kaiser as his best friend, Pylades. Robert Carsen, who will stage our Orfeo ed Euridice this spring, returns to direct a production that has already played to great acclaim in London, Chicago and San Francisco. Ms Graham triumphed as Iphigenia in each of those cities in a portrayal

Facing imminent death at the hand of her own father, Iphigenia is rescued by the goddess Diana and transported to the island of Tauris. There, she is made a priestess who must sacriﬁce any stranger who appears on the island. In a tragic twist of fate, one of the potential victims is her long-lost brother, Orestes. The two siblings are victims of a longstanding ancestral curse, and it is their love for one another that ﬁnally overcomes it. With Iphigenia in Tauris, Gluck took many of the operatic reforms he had pursued throughout his career to their logical conclusion. Its arias were no longer selfcontained opportunities for vocal display, but instead were more integrated into complete scenes whose function was to portray particular emotions. Even the

dance movements, which are part of the French tragédie lyrique tradition from which Iphigenia is derived, were almost entirely absent. For Gluck, it was most important to pare down any unnecessary distractions in order “to keep the music to its proper function, which is to serve the text.” Carsen’s directorial vision highlights the opera’s searing emotionality, setting the tale in an enormous room of black rectangular mats that serve as a kind of giant chalkboard. Powerful shadow images are projected onto this solid canvas with light entering dramatically from the wings. The young Spanish conductor Pablo Heras-Casado, who is leading our winter 2011 performances of Nixon in China, returns to conduct. In addition to being a champion of contemporary music, Heras-Casado also performs and records with the Compañía Teatro del Príncipe in Aranjuez, an early instrument group which he co-founded.

Russell Braun

Joseph Kaiser

NEW IN 2011/2012 — We’ve added more pricing options on the Orchestra level. Tickets are now available at almost every price with more seats added at lower prices.

II 2011/2012 Season Insert

FALL 2011

RIGOLETTO Verdi’s Musical and Dramatic Masterpiece Giuseppe Verdi, arguably opera’s most beloved composer, was one of the first of his contemporaries to be as concerned with the libretto of an opera as with the music. Knowing that intense dramatic expression was his forte, he worked closely with his librettists to seek out stories that suited his talents. In Victor Hugo’s play Le roi s’amuse, Verdi found the basis for his masterpiece Rigoletto. By stripping away all superfluous characters and detail, he was able to concentrate on the ruthlessness and passionate struggles of his main characters. Verdi wrapped them in some of opera’s most memorable music. After hearing the Duke’s cavalier “La donna é mobile,” Gilda’s innocently shimmering “Caro nome,” Rigoletto’s heart-wrenching “Cortigiani” as well as the magnificent quartet “Bella figlia dell’amore,” it would be impossible to leave a performance of Rigoletto without being accompanied by these familiar melodies. Johannes Debus, our charismatic Music Director, is back at the helm with the world-class COC Orchestra. Christopher Alden, who directed the COC’s highly acclaimed production of Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman last season, brings his singular vision to this new production. “Often people are dulled to what the true intent of a piece is by decades of seeing it done in a

comfortable way,” he says. “I try to get at something which gets back to the original kick that the piece had when it was ﬁrst performed.” The Canadian Opera Company’s new production of Verdi’s Rigoletto will be set in the rich, ribald surroundings of a 19thcentury gentleman’s club. In this patriarchal world, the desires of powerful, aristocratic men are given free reign over the women whose bodies and very lives are at their mercy. Rigoletto, who delights in the cuckolding of these gentlemen and facilitates his master’s debauchery, pays the ultimate price with the sacriﬁce of his own most precious and hidden love. The production design is by award-winning Canadian designer, Michael Levine. Levine is responsible for the design of several of the COC’s most renowned productions, including the internationally acclaimed double bill Bluebeard’s Castle/ Erwartung, Oedipus Rex with Symphony of Psalms and of course our Ring Cycle, in which he also directed Das Rheingold. A theatrical design by Michael Levine always promises to be visually arresting.

Preliminary sketch by set and costume designer Michael Levine.

INTRODUCING the new Weekday Rush Subscription – Choose a week night, pay one low price and we’ll move you into the best available seats the day of the performance!

2011/2012 Season Insert III

WINTER 2012

TOSCA Starring Adrianne Pieczonka, one of the Finest Toscas of our Time Adrianne Pieczonka

The role of Tosca, a passionate and strongwilled artist, is one of opera’s hallmark “diva” roles, and the internationally renowned Canadian diva Adrianne Pieczonka will be singing it. “Tosca was always a dream role for me,” she says. “Maria Callas was my idol and I never dreamed I, too, would sing her signature role. Tosca is so passionate, so visceral, so alive, and she is very different from many of my

Wagner or Strauss roles.” Pieczonka, a member of the Order of Canada, is a regular performer at the world’s greatest opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera and the Vienna State Opera, where she has won great acclaim. Following her performance this spring in Ariadne auf Naxos, we’re very excited to be bringing Pieczonka back to the COC as Tosca, a role that she is rapidly

making her own. Her debut as Tosca in Los Angeles drew high praise from the LA Times: “Adrianne Pieczonka sang the role for the ﬁrst time Saturday. The Canadian soprano will surely be singing it for a long time. She was radiant.” The OC Register proclaimed her a “Diva-In-Full” with “power to burn.” A resident of Toronto, she tells us that she is “just thrilled to be singing Tosca ‘at home’ in Toronto with the COC.”

Tosca is one of the most popular operas of all time, and for good reason: its fast-paced plot is full of romance and intrigue and it features some of Puccini’s most deeply felt melodies. Set in Rome in the year 1800, its heroine, Tosca, is a famed opera singer whose lover has revolutionary sympathies. In her struggle to protect the man she loves from the corrupt and bloodthirsty Chief of Police, she is forced to make a terrible choice. The cast, led by Pieczonka, will inhabit our lavish 2008 production, featuring Empire-era costumes and stunning sets depicting the churches and palaces of Rome. Combining an opulent production with a renowned cast, this wellloved Puccini classic will be brought to the stage in grand style.

Alan Opie as Scarpia (front, on ground) and Eszter Sümegi as Tosca in the COC’s Tosca, 2008. Photo: Gary Beechey

IV 2011/2012 Season Insert

Paying the HST is more than enough, so BASE TICKET PRICES WILL NOT BE INCREASING in 2011/2012. Some seats have even been reduced in price.

WINTER 2012

LOVE FROM AFAR (L’AMOUR DE LOIN)

Cirque Director Brings Dazzling Visuals to Sumptuous Score prince and troubadour of the 12th century. In his work, La vida breve, Rudel tells of his obsessive love for an ideal, unattainable woman, and wonders whether such a love is best preserved from afar as opposed to dealing with it face to face.

The COC presents Love from Afar. Phillip Addis (right, on swing) as Jaufré Rudel and Rachel Harnisch (below in red) as Clémence in the Vlaamse Opera production, 2010. Photo: Annemie Augustijns

The winter of 2012 marks the COC and Canadian premiere of Kaija Saariaho’s Love from Afar (L’amour de loin), which debuted at the 2000 Salzburg Festival and has since gone on to become one of the most performed operas of its time. It will be presented in a new staging by Daniele Finzi Pasca, best known for his work with Cirque du Soleil. As the Swiss director has remarked, “Saariaho’s music is absolutely sensual and fluid… I want to make the production dance with this ﬂuidity.” To that end, he employs innovative “cirque” skills to extend the range of effects possible on stage. Acrobats dressed in headless garb “swim”

in the air against a background of silk and coloured lights. Huge planes of blue silk billow onto the stage apron, released from the upper balconies. Cutout transparencies and panels create illusions of space. Even the costumes are dynamic. Sleeves made with endless silken extensions are manipulated by actors, so it seems as if the singers are surrounded by huge, winged beings. These elements combine to conjure a dreamlike atmosphere in which reality isn’t quite as it appears. Composer Saariaho drew her inspiration from the life and song texts of Jaufré Rudel, a French

As Clémence, we welcome in her COC debut one of the most exciting young sopranos on the current operatic scene, Calgaryborn, Toronto resident Erin Wall. Her list of opera and concert engagements is impressive and includes the Metropolitan Opera; Lyric Opera of Chicago; Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris; and, Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich. Company favourite, baritone Russell Braun returns to the COC as Jaufré, the troubadour, while the enigmatic Pilgrim is sung by talented COC Ensemble graduate, mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó, who most recently appeared with us as Idamante in last season’s Idomeneo. COC Music Director Johannes Debus presides from the pit. Production Sponsor:

THE 2011/2012 SEASON FEATURES four of the most popular melodypacked operas in the repertoire and four COC premieres in stunning productions from four brilliant artists.

2011/2012 Season Insert V

SPRING 2012

THE TALES OF HOFFMANN (LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN)

Offenbach Fantastique will hear soprano Andriana Chuchman sing the famous “Doll Song,” designed to showcase her virtuosic coloratura talents. In the second tale, the liquid sensuality of “La Barcarolle” is sung by soprano Keri Alkema as the courtesan Giulietta. And to complete Hoffmann’s trilogy of unforgettable ladies, soprano Erin Wall will sing the role of Antonia, the gentle artist whose fragility threatens her very life. She sings the powerful ﬁnal trio with the satanic Dr. Miracle and the spirit of her deceased mother.

The COC presents The Tales of Hoffmann. Stephanie Houtzeel as Nicklausse in a scene from the Vlaamse Opera production, 2000. Photo: Kurt Van der Elst

Jacques Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoff mann contains a richness of timeless music that is in turn playful, haunting, raucous, eerie and deeply emotional. It takes a special group of singers to embody this cast of unforgettable characters, and the COC has them! As Hoffmann, we’re fortunate to have two tenors sharing the role who can carry its high tessitura and dramatic demands: rising American star Russell Thomas and COC favourite and Ensemble Studio graduate David Pomeroy,

VI 2011/2012 Season Insert

who recently made his Met debut singing Hoffmann. The tales Hoffmann spins centre around three failed loves, but each story is imbued with supernatural and fantastical elements. At the heart of each of the three tales is a woman, and we have three outstanding North American sopranos taking these roles. The ﬁrst is Olympia, the exquisite doll-like girl, whose eerily mechanical obedience makes a fool of Hoffmann’s devotion. COC audiences

The villain of the piece is actually a four-role extravaganza. Canadian bass John Relyea makes his long-awaited COC debut as Lindorf, Coppélius, Dr. Miracle and Dapertutto. When he played the parts in Seattle, Opera News raved: “If I were casting Hoffmann anywhere, Relyea would be my unhesitating ﬁrst choice for the villains.” Canadian mezzo-soprano, and COC favourite, Lauren Segal sings the role of Hoffmann’s faithful companion Nicklausse (a pants role), and also the role of his muse, ultimately his greatest love. Our magniﬁcent cast will be led by COC Music Director Johannes Debus.

RENEW BY FEB. 28 to win one of hundreds of prizes from Penguin and Decca.

SPRING 2012

A FLORENTINE TRAGEDY (EINE FLORENTINISCHE TRAGÖDIE)

GIANNI SCHICCHI Double the Delight The spring of 2012 continues at the Four Seasons Centre with a double bill of darkly witty, one-act operas. Zemlinsky’s A Florentine Tragedy and Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi are both set in Florence and their themes of love and avarice are told through gloriously melodic music. Most fans of Puccini are more familiar with his heartbreaking tragedies, but in this rare comic work, they’ll discover the composer’s lighter touch, set to a luscious score. Gianni Schicchi is a furiously paced comedy about a family who has discovered that their deceased relative has kept them out of his will. The nouveauriche Gianni Schicchi is who they need to help them out of their oldmoney dilemma. He is reluctant, until his beloved daughter Lauretta pleads with him, singing her famous aria “O mio babbino caro” (“Oh, my darling Daddy”). Audience members who are unfamiliar with this delightful opera will certainly recognize this exquisite melody, another moment of Puccini perfection. Less familiar is Zemlinsky’s A Florentine Tragedy, a threecharacter story based on Oscar Wilde’s unﬁnished play. A Florentine merchant suspects his wife of having an affair with a prince of the city. He enfolds them in a cat-and-mouse game, which ends with a shocking

twist. The language is ﬂorid and clever, as you would expect from Wilde, and the story is set to an almost Straussian score, redolent of lush, cinematic romanticism. This is the ﬁrst time the COC has presented A Florentine Tragedy. It’s a rare gem, and one which deserves to be discovered again and again.

Sir Andrew Davis, conductor

Sir Andrew Davis, conductor laureate of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, as well as music director and principal conductor of Lyric Opera of Chicago, returns to conduct. He says, “We have the Viennese late-Romantic Zemlinsky with this huge orchestra and very sensuous music and then the wonderful wit of Puccini, who also uses the orchestra in the most extraordinary, imaginative way. People forget how great an orchestrator he was because they’re too busy listening to the tunes!” Catherine Malﬁtano is one of the world’s most acclaimed sopranos. Her deep artistry continues to evolve as she is now a busy opera director, making her debut at the COC directing this new production. Lush music, seething wit and the romance of Florence... our double bill is doubly delicious. Production Co-sponsors:

Catherine Malﬁtano, director Photo: John Swannell

ORDER ONLINE and receive free access to thousands of recordings in the Naxos online library.

2011/2012 Season Insert VII

The COC presents Semele. A scene from the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Brussels production, 2009. Photo: © Forster

SPRING 2012

SEMELE Seduction, Beauty and Delight in a Ming-era Temple This stunning production of Semele, directed by famed Chinese visual artist and performance artist Zhang Huan, blends Handel’s elegant and lush music with a Chinese setting that is by turns whimsical, fantastical, and grandiose. An actual Ming Dynasty ancestral temple, made out of carved wood and salvaged by Huan from a small town outside Shanghai, serves as the backdrop for the entire opera. He told the Telegraph that he wants the production to be “70 per cent beautiful, 15 per cent surrealistically beautiful, and the rest so beautiful that nobody can bear it.” Toward this end, he employs dazzling and innovative visual effects involving enormous mirrors, puppetry, a spectacular Chinese dragon, and artists that sing as they move suspended through the air. The setting emphasizes the opera’s mythic underpinnings, while the costumes blend the European baroque of Handel’s time with colourful Chinese splendour. The New York Times described

the production as “scenically stunning, theatrically absorbing, musically rewarding… a feast for the eyes.” The tale of a love affair gone awry between the god Jupiter and Semele, a human princess, is brought to life in a sophisticated English libretto by William Congreve with music of great beauty and sensuality. Semele, unsatisfied with a luxurious but dull life as Jupiter’s mistress, asks him to make her immortal. Her ambition leads to her undoing, however, when she falls victim to a scheme concocted by Jupiter’s angry wife involving gods in disguise and a magic mirror. Nova Scotia coloratura soprano Jane Archibald, who “can toss off Handel’s florid ornaments with furious ease,” (San Francisco Chronicle) leads the cast in the first performance of this work in the COC’s history. With beautiful music combined with dazzling visuals, this production will be a wonderful introduction to the sensuality, wonder, and playfulness of Semele. Production Co-sponsor:

DID YOU KNOW that Premier subscribers save up to 50%, enjoy all seven productions from the same great seats and can exchange tickets free of charge?

Cover: The COC presents Love from Afar. Rachel Harnisch (centre) as Clémence in a scene from the Vlaamse Opera production, 2010. Photo: Annemie Augustijns

COC OPERATOURS The COC Operatours for the 2011/2012 Season – FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT Salzburg – the most prestigious summer festival for opera in the world! Seven nights in the beautiful baroque city of Mozart’s birth – August 17 – 26, 2011 Three new productions

Two MOZART-DAPONTE revivals

STRAUSS Die Frau ohne Schatten

Le nozze di Figaro

VERDI Macbeth

Don Giovanni

˘ JANÁCEK The Makropulos Case Fabulous casts including Simon Keenlyside, Genia Kühlmeier, Marlis Petersen, Erwin Schrott, Stephen Gould, Anne Schwanewilms, Michaela Schuster, Evelyn Herlitzius, Željko Lu˘ ci´ c, Angela Denoke, Brandon Jovanovich, Gerald Finley, Dorothea Röschmann Maurizio Pollini, piano – all-Beethoven recital To receive complete tour and booking information, please e-mail operatours@golden.net or send a separate, self-addressed, stamped envelope (business-size) to: COC Operatours c/o Merit Travel, 114 – 101 Cherryhill Blvd., London ON N6H 4S4 Please Note: All COC Operatours for the current 2010/2011 season are now sold out. Wait-listing for possible cancellations is available.

12th ANNUAL FINE WINE AUCTION On Thursday, April 7, 2011, the Canadian Opera Company will host our 12th Annual Fine Wine Auction at Crush Wine Bar. Stephen Ranger, Toronto’s

best known auctioneer will lead the charge with an impressive collection of exquisite and hard-to-ﬁnd ﬁne wines from private collections. Guests can

indulge in tasting wine as well as an incredible array of culinary delicacies and cheeses while browsing the fantastic packages in the silent auction.

For more information on the Wine Auction or Golf Classic, please contact Tracy Briggs, Special Events Manager at 416-306-2305 or tracyb@coc.ca.

17th ANNUAL OPERA GOLF CLASSIC On Monday, June 6, 2011, Canada’s top corporate executives and their guests will gather at the Scarboro Golf and Country Club for the 2011 Opera Golf Classic. This event is the COC’s largest annual fundraiser, and has raised almost $2 million for the Canadian Opera Company. For just $5,000

you and three other guests can partake in this fun-ﬁlled day as a foursome! Participants will enjoy a full lunch before an invigorating day on the course, followed by gourmet cocktails and dinner. This event will feature a spectacular silent auction plus an incredible gift bag.

With many sponsors returning year after year, the Opera Golf Classic is one of the more popular events on the circuit, and known to be a high quality, true golfer’s tournament. Participants play their own ball, and the lighthearted competitiveness makes for a fun and enjoyable day.

Prelude Magazine 13

THE OPERA EXCHANGE: MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO OPERA The COC, in partnership with the Munk School of Global Affairs and the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto, presents the second of three half-day symposia on operas performed in the COC’s 2010/2011 season. Local and international academics lead in-depth explorations on operatic themes, music, and dramatic interpretations of stories. The winter session of The Opera Exchange explores John Adams’ Nixon in China.

Nixon in China: Giving Voice to Our Own History Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Henry N. R. Jackman Lounge*, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts

10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. William Germano, The Cooper Union, New York, “Opera as News: Nixon in China and the Contemporary Operatic Subject” 10:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.

Louis W. Pauly, Munk School of Global Affairs, “Political Resonances of Nixon in China”

11 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Break

11:15 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Robert Fink, Department of Musicology, University of California at Los Angeles “Rhythm and Representation: The Musical Style(s) of Nixon in China”

The event concludes with a backstage tour of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

Tickets $20 (Student & Faculty discounts available; free for U of T Faculty of Music students with valid student card and photo ID) Contact Ticket Services at 416-363-8231 or purchase online at coc.ca. *Please note the change in location.

Presented in partnership with: FAC U LTY OF M U S I C

YOUTH OPERA LAB Youth ages 16 to 21 are invited to attend special rehearsals of the mainstage operas for FREE! See the ﬁrst rehearsal on stage with orchestra and discover the work that goes into putting on an opera. A pre-rehearsal interactive workshop provides context for the opera. An informal meet-and-greet with a member of the cast or creative team over a light dinner offers insight into the production. Participating youth receive two free tickets to the BMO Financial Group Student Dress Rehearsal of the opera.* For program and registration details, visit coc.ca or call 416-306-2392. *To be eligible for the BMO Financial Group Student Dress Rehearsal tickets, youth must attend both components of the Youth Opera Lab (workshop and ﬁrst rehearsal).

14 Prelude Magazine

Nixon In China Adams Workshop: Thursday, Jan. 27, 2011 Dress Rehearsal: Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011 La Cenerentola Rossini Workshop: Saturday, April 9, 2011 Dress Rehearsal: Tuesday, April 19, 2011

(l – r) Olga Peretyatko as The Nightingale and Ilya Bannik as The Emperor in the COC’s The Nightingale and Other Short Fables, 2009. Photo: Michael Cooper

CANADIAN OPERA COMPANY:

ON THE ROAD AGAIN The COC’s music director, orchestra, chorus, soloists, acrobats, trunks of puppets and one very large pool of water have all been invited to the prestigious Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) to perform the U.S. premiere of our spectacular production of Robert Lepage’s The Nightingale and Other Short Fables. This is the only U.S. engagement to date, and is scheduled for four performances on March 1, 3, 4, and 6, 2011. “We are incredibly honoured to have been invited to take part in BAM’s fantastic spring season, and to present such a beautiful and original production at the festival,” says Alexander Neef, General Director of the COC. “Over the last 20 years, BAM has cultivated a rich history with Robert Lepage, presenting groundbreaking and luminous works together,” says Joe Melillo, BAM’s Executive Producer. “We’re thrilled to continue his extraordinary vision with The Nightingale and Other Short Fables.”

The opera, set to the music of Stravinsky, is directed by Robert Lepage and will be conducted by COC Music Director Johannes Debus. The Nightingale and Other Short Fables features an unprecedented fusion of traditional Asian and modern puppetry techniques, and an inversion of the operatic norm by placing the singers in an orchestra pit ﬁlled with water and the orchestra on stage. The production was a sensation when it opened for our Toronto audiences in October 2009, and we added an extra performance to accommodate the overwhelming demand for tickets. It has since journeyed to the acclaimed Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and Opéra national de Lyon, and will arrive in Amsterdam in 2012. Spectacular reviews have followed it everywhere. As captive audiences have witnessed, Lepage dramatically transforms the conventional theatre landscape with The Nightingale and Other Short Fables. The orchestra pit is

used as a performance space by turning it into a water-ﬁlled pool where the singers perform and manipulate puppets. The evening consists of Stravinsky’s short vocal and instrumental pieces: the jazz-tinged Ragtime, Pribaoutki, The Cat’s Cradle Songs, Two Poems by Constantin Balmont, Four Russian Peasant Songs, and Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet. The program continues with two short operas; the folkbased barnyard fable The Fox and, in the second half of the program, The Nightingale. The COC has been proud to have the opportunity to showcase several of its productions worldwide including performances at BAM, the Edinburgh International Festival, Hong Kong and Melbourne Festivals, and has garnered numerous accolades and several awards in the process. If you wish to travel with us to New York and attend this outstanding production, single tickets for The Nightingale and Other Short Fables may be purchased online at BAM.org or by contacting BAM Ticket Services at 718-636-4100. The tour of The Nightingale and Other Short Fables is made possible, in part, by grants from the Ontario Arts Council’s National and International Touring program and the Canada Council for the Arts. This COC production and tour at BAM is generously made possible in part by Anne & Tony Arrell, Bruce Bailey, Cecily & Robert Bradshaw, Robert & Gail Dorrance, David & Kristin Ferguson, Tom & Sarah Milroy, Colleen Sexsmith, Sandra L. Simpson, David Roffey & Karen Walsh, Donald & Gretchen Ross, and an anonymous donor. The Nightingale and Other Short Fables is a co-production with the Canadian Opera Company, Festival d’Aix-enProvence, Opéra national de Lyon and De Nederlandse Opera in collaboration with Lepage’s Ex Machina.

Prelude Magazine 15

NEXT TIME YOU’RE AT THE FOUR SEASONS CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (FSCPA), TAKE SOME TIME AT INTERMISSION FOR A CLOSER LOOK AT THE NEWEST ADDITION. EUSTACHE DE SAINT-PIERRE, A PIECE BY AUGUSTE RODIN, CURRENTLY RESIDES ON THE SECOND-FLOOR LANDING, WHERE HE WILL REMAIN UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2012. EUSTACHE DE SAINT-PIERRE IS THE THIRD IN A SERIES OF LOANS FROM THE ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO, PART OF A GRATIFYING COLLABORATION THAT BEGAN IN 2006. HERE IS A CLOSER LOOK AT THE THREE PIECES THAT HAVE APPEARED AT THE FOUR SEASONS CENTRE.

THE COC AND THE AGO MAKE BEAUTIFUL ART TOGETHER By VANESSA SMITH

Eustache de Saint-Pierre, Auguste Rodin The sculpture, conceived in 1887, is a gift from Joey and Toby Tanenbaum given to the AGO in 1992. Eustache de Saint-Pierre is one work in a series of six of Rodin’s most well-known sculptures. It serves as a monument to an incident during the Hundred Years’ War when Calais, a significant French port on the English Channel, was cut off by the English in 1347 for more than a year. Without the Channel, starvation took over the city’s population and the people of Calais were forced to surrender. The King of England offered to spare the citizens if any six of Calais’ principal leaders would surrender themselves to him for execution. Eustache de SaintPierre, one of the wealthiest town leaders, was the first to volunteer and the other five soon followed. The pregnant Queen persuaded her husband to have sympathy for these men, as she believed their deaths would be a bad omen for her unborn baby. Eustache de Saint-Pierre was installed in the FSCPA this past September, where it will remain for two years. Eustache de Saint-Pierre, Auguste Rodin. Photo: Karen Reeves

16 Prelude Magazine

Mother and Child II, Jacques Lipchitz Jacques Lipchitz’s Mother and Child II was conceived in 1941 and cast in 1945. It was a gift to the AGO from Sam and Ayala Zacks. Lipchitz conceived the piece shortly after his arrival in New York, where he had ﬂed from Occupied France. Completing the sculpture helped him to recover a repressed memory from a visit to Russia in 1935, when he’d heard a woman singing and had turned to see, in his own words, “a legless cripple in a little cart, with both arms raised and with her wet hair streaming down her back as she sang.” Mother and Child II was cast in an edition of seven bronzes, and the AGO’s piece was loaned to the FSCPA from fall 2008 to summer 2010.

Mother and Child II, Jacques Lipchitz. Photo: COC

Warrior with Shield, Henry Moore Henry Moore’s Warrior with Shield was conceived in 1954 and donated to the AGO by the Junior Women’s Committee Fund in 1955. The piece’s tense, deﬁant pose and mutilated limbs express the dark urges in our world to dominate and destroy – a dramatic theme familiar to opera! The piece was installed in the Four Seasons Centre in the summer of 2006, where it remained until summer 2008. Though the AGO frequently lends out pieces of its collection, this was the ﬁrst time such a long-term loan had been organized with a cultural centre. The Canadian Opera Company is fortunate to be a part of such an exciting partnership, and thankful to the AGO for making this collaboration of art and music possible. We look forward to installing further masterpieces in the future for the enjoyment of all who pass through our doors.

Warrior with Shield, Henry Moore. Photo: COC

Vanessa Smith is the Communications Assistant at the Canadian Opera Company.

Prelude Magazine 17

SAVE TIME, SAVE PAPER… and save the COC mailing and printing costs! The Canadian Opera Company offers you the option to receive your Prelude newsletter exclusively online. All the information you normally receive in a regular hard copy of Prelude will be available online at coc.ca/publications.

Sign up at coc.ca/prelude online with your Patron Number no later than March 18, 2011, to indicate that you no longer wish to receive a hard copy of Prelude. While you’re there, we invite you to subscribe to eOpera, the COC’s free e-newsletter

service, to receive information on the current season’s operas, exclusive offers, updates on website enhancements and much more. If we do not hear back from you, we will mail your regular issue of Prelude in mid-April 2011.

TAKE HOME AN OPERATIC SOUVENIR For the operatically inclined on your gift list, visit the Opera Shop (and don’t forget Valentine’s Day!). The Opera Shop, located on the main ﬂoor of the Isadore and Rosalie Sharp City Room offers a ﬁne selection of opera recordings on CD and DVD, opera-related books and giftware, COC souvenirs, and – perfect for Valentine’s Day – one-of-a-kind jewellery. On Sunday, Feb. 13 and 20, meet P. J. Bundy who presents a trunk show of her designer jewellery, utilizing vintage pieces! This winter we recommend the following recordings from Universal Classics:

With Uwe Heilmann, Ruth Ziesak, Michael Kraus, Sumi Jo and Kurt Moll. Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna State Opera Chorus, Sir Georg Solti, conductor. Decca, 2 CDs, $52.75 including taxes.

With Kathleen Battle, Francisco Araiza, Manfred Hemm, Luciana Serra and Kurt Moll. Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, James Levine, conductor. Deutsche Grammophon DVD, $25.75 including taxes.

The Vienna Philharmonic has this music in their blood, and Sumi Jo’s singing of the Queen of the Night is dazzling and spectacular, while exhibiting incredible precision.

An all-star cast in a classic, whimsical production by artist David Hockney makes this a ﬁrst choice among The Magic Flute DVDs!

Shop for much more at the Opera Shop or online 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.

18 Prelude Magazine

(l-r) Lauren Segal as Molly Brown, Victor Micallef as Professor Hornsby and Peter Barrett as David Sands in the COC's Xstrata Ensemble Studio School Tour production of Dean Burry's Isis and the Seven Scorpions. Scorpions. Photo: Gary Beechey

Xstrata is proud to sponsor the Canadian Opera Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Xstrata Ensemble Studio School Tour

www.xstrata.com

COC ORCHESTRA AND ANGELA GHEORGHIU On Thursday April 7, 2011, renowned Romanian-born soprano Angela Gheorghiu will be joined by the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra with guest conductor Steven White as she makes her long-awaited Toronto debut at Roy Thomson Hall. The COC Orchestra will join Ms Gheorghiu for a program of beloved opera arias. “We are very pleased to showcase our wonderful COC Orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall,” said COC General Director Alexander Neef. “It’s no secret that it is one of the best in the country, and we welcome every opportunity for the orchestra to perform on stage. To accompany Angela Gheorghiu, one of the world’s great sopranos, is a privilege.”

two performances of Verdi’s La Traviata, starring Gheorghiu and Thomas Hampson. “We are proud to present the great Angela Gheorghiu together with the COC Orchestra, our musical neighbour and a company for which we have great respect,” commented Charles Cutts, President and CEO of The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall. “With such an outstanding conductor and orchestra, it’s certain to be a memorable event." The concert will take place on Thursday, April 7, 2011, at Roy Thomson Hall. Tickets are on sale now online at roythomson.com, by calling 416-872-4255 or in person at the Roy Thomson Hall box office at 60 Simcoe St. This concert is part of Roy Thomson Hall’s 2010/2011 International Vocal Recitals Series and is sponsored by RBC.

Ms Gheorghiu is widely considered to be among the greatest singing actresses of her time. A mega-star at the world’s great opera houses, she is known for her electrifying performances as Violetta and Tosca, and for her many award-winning recordings and live telecasts from La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera. Leading the COC Orchestra is American conductor Steven White, who recently made his highly successful Metropolitan Opera debut conducting

Angela Gheorghiu

MYUNG HEE CHO CREATES MAGIC FOR THE FLUTE Continued from page 5 aesthetic. There is a homemade, very naïve quality to them and the images we chose for the animals are very iconic and simple. But they will pop against the evening. They are black and white against the greenness of the garden and the deep blueness of the night sky. And again they will evoke the quality of a fairytale, a children’s book.” And speaking of children, Cho continues with a little story about when she was designing The Marriage of Figaro. “At that time I was pregnant with my ﬁrst daughter and I was listening to Figaro over and over. After she

20 Prelude Magazine

was born I could tell that when I would listen to Mozart, she would recognize it immediately. She would stop what she was doing, lean back and close her eyes – she did this until she was about two. It seemed she recognized his music. So it’s been such a pleasure for me to come back to Mozart again.” While she was designing The Magic Flute Cho, of course, listened to Mozart’s magniﬁcent work. “The overture is so beautiful; there’s a simplicity in the music and the quietness. But when it comes to the Queen’s aria, it’s quite stunning. I couldn’t think, I couldn’t draw – I just

stopped everything because I was so drawn into it. The emotional quality of the voice, the singing and the music is very powerful and beautiful at the same time. It’s a glorious piece of music.” Suzanne Vanstone is the Senior Communications Manager, Editorial at the Canadian Opera Company. For further insights into The Magic Flute, please read the article by Jon Kaplan in the COC winter house program, also available online at coc.ca. This new COC production of The Magic Flute has been generously underwritten in part by the Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation.

WEST MEETS EAST Continued from page 7 showed the famous TV clip of J. F. Kennedy being shot in Dallas, you don’t need to see that full stage. If you see something that reminds you of it, your brain ﬁ lls in the rest. And that’s how we use the images in this piece. “The other interesting thing we discovered,” Moyer adds, “was that those who travelled with the president – the entourage – were all provided with movie cameras. For instance H. R. Haldeman (Nixon’s chief of staff ) had his own movie camera and film, and was encouraged to take as much footage of anything he wished.” One of the fascinating opportunities that arose right at the time Robinson and Moyer were working on the production was that the national archives released all of the Haldeman ﬁ lms to the public domain. Wendall K. Harrington, the

projection designer for Nixon in China, had started her research at the national archives. One day her contact there mentioned that in six weeks the ﬁ lms would be released and therefore could be used in the opera. And used they are. What luck! Moyer comments on why he feels this opera is so widely accepted. “I am not an expert, but it could arguably be one of the greatest American 20thcentury scores. It’s a remarkable piece of contemporary music. Sitting in that theatre and listening to the beginning of the piece is so exquisite, and then the landing of the plane? You’re glued to your seat – it’s purely theatrical music. “In some ways not a lot happens dramatically in the piece, yet the drama is in the music. There are so many beautiful scenes: when Pat Nixon tours China;

the wonderful banquet scene; the moments when they are watching the ballet – it’s really exciting. The Madame Mao scene is outrageous with wonderfully powerful dynamics. And the third act is ﬁlled with mysterious and moving music as the characters reﬂect on past memories. So many people who have seen this are totally converted, as far as their possible misconceptions about 20th-century music. It’s an amazing piece and I look forward to working on it again with the COC.” Suzanne Vanstone is the Senior Communications Manager, Editorial at the Canadian Opera Company.

For further insights into Nixon in China, please read Eric Domville’s article in the COC winter house program and join the COC’s online Book Club with acclaimed author Margaret MacMillan to read her book, Nixon in China.

SPACE FOR THE SPELL Continued from page 9 even if it’s so pure and ‘simple’ that you feel from time to time extremely exposed and somehow naked as a performer, it is so enormously well written for the voice that we can consider it the best medicine we can have. Singing Mozart is a spa for the voice and a great experience for the mind.

out the other side more truly formed, more mature. They go through strange events but in the end have gained wisdom. They get rid of the unnecessary elements nature gave them at the beginning. It’s a bit like pruning a great tree which is well rooted in the ground – cutting it and giving it shape. And then letting it grow again.”

“And this piece is about youth – it’s ﬁlled with life. Tamino is a young man who is undertaking a journey. Pamina a young girl. They come together, and they journey together, from darkness to light. We move from youth – with all the battles we ﬁght against ourselves, against our personality – to come

What is it like to return to a work that Johannes has performed so many times before? “I’m so happy to do it again. And I just opened a brand new score. So I restudy it completely. I always discover something new in The Magic Flute. You can turn it around and you can see it from one angle, and

then you turn it differently and see another. It’s just fascinating. Of course this happens with all great works of art. But it’s such a joy and pleasure to study this piece again and again. It’s a huge playground!” Suzanne Vanstone is the Senior Communications Manager, Editorial at the Canadian Opera Company. For further insights into The Magic Flute, please read the article by Jon Kaplan in the COC winter house program, also available online at coc.ca. This new COC production of The Magic Flute has been generously underwritten in part by the Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation.

Prelude Magazine 21

CALENDAR OF EVENTS WINTER AND SPRING 2011 JANUARY 2011 Fri

Tue

Wed

Thu

Sat

6 p.m. Opera 101, The Magic Flute. Duke of Westminster (77 Adelaide Street West) 12 p.m. Humber Contemporary Jazz Ensemble*, Don Thompson, director 5:30 p.m. David Occhipinti, guitar; and Mike Murley, saxophone* 12 p.m. Jacques Israelievitch, violin; Shauna Rolston, cello; and Michael Israelievitch, percussion* 10 a.m. Opera for a New Age tickets for The Magic Flute and Nixon in China available

FEBRUARY 2011 Tue

Tue

Wed

7:30 p.m. The Magic Flute 12 p.m. Artists of the COC Ensemble Studio and COC Orchestra* 12 p.m. Claudia Chan, piano*

Thu

7:30 p.m. The Magic Flute

Sat

4:30 p.m. Nixon in China Opening Performance

Sun

11 a.m. Margaret MacMillan Brunch, Verity

Sun

2 p.m. The Magic Flute

7 March Break and Summer Opera Camp registration open

Tue

Wed Thu

9 10

12 p.m. Artists of the COC Ensemble Studio; Anne Larlee, piano* 7:30 p.m. The Magic Flute 7:30 p.m. Nixon in China

Tue

Wed

Thu

Sat

7:30 p.m. Nixon in China Working Rehearsal

Sat

7:30 p.m. The Magic Flute Opening Performance

Sun

Tue

Wed

Thu

12 p.m. Peggy Baker, dancer/choreographer*

10 a.m. The Opera Exchange, Nixon in China. Henry N. R. Jackman Lounge, Four Seasons Centre 2 p.m. Nixon in China 12 p.m. Robert Gleadow, bass; Sandra Horst, piano* 7:30 p.m. The Magic Flute 12 p.m. Adam Sherkin, piano*

Fri

7:30 p.m. The Magic Flute Ensemble Studio Performance 7:30 p.m. The Magic Flute

Sat

7:30 p.m. Nixon in China

Sun

Tue

Wed 23

2 p.m. The Magic Flute 12 p.m. Wendy Wen Zhao, pipa; Lucas Harris, lute; Bassam Bishara, oud* 7:30 p.m. Nixon in China 7:30 p.m. The Magic Flute

7:30 p.m. The Magic Flute 7:30 p.m. Nixon in China

Thu

12 p.m. Artists of the UofT Faculty of Music* 12 p.m. Alumni of the COC Ensemble Studio; John Adams, host* 5:30 p.m. Bill McBirnie, ﬂute; Don Thompson, piano/bass* 7 p.m. Opera Talks, Design in Opera: Bringing the Story and Music to Life. North York Central Library 10 a.m. Tickets on sale for La Cenerentola, Ariadne auf Naxos and Orfeo ed Euridice 12 p.m. Alexander Seredenko, piano*

Tue

Wed

Tue

Wed 23

12 p.m. Winona Zelenka, cello*

12 p.m. Levon Ichkhanian Quartet; Mark Korven, duduk* 12 p.m. Tandem Duo* 12 p.m. Humber Brazilian Jazz Project*, Gordon Sheard, director 12 p.m. Blue Ceiling Dance/Tiger Princess Dance*

Thu

12 p.m. Wendy Nielsen, soprano; Liz Upchurch, piano* 12 p.m. Chris Donnelly, piano*

Tue

12 p.m. Fern Lindzon Quartet*

Thu

12 p.m. Artists of the Toronto Symphony and Canadian Opera Company Orchestra*

Mon

Tue

12 p.m. Artists of Opera Atelier*

5:30 p.m. Serenade Ensemble*

Thu

12 p.m. Li Wang, piano*

12 p.m. Artists of the COC Ensemble Studio and Atelier lyrique de L’Opéra de Montréal* 7:30 p.m. COC Fine Wine Auction at Crush Wine Bar

Sat

Mon

Tue

APRIL 2011 Tue

MARCH 2011

Mon

Fri

12 p.m. Ensembles of the Glenn Gould School*

Sat

4:30 p.m. The Magic Flute

Fri

Thu

7:30 p.m. Nixon in China

Sat

7:30 p.m. Nixon in China

Thu

Thu Tue

Thu

12 p.m. Humber Mainstream Jazz Ensemble, Pat LaBarbera, director* 7:30 p.m. The Magic Flute

Wed

Thu

12 p.m. Artists of the COC Ensemble Studio* 7:30 p.m. Opera 101, Nixon in China. The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street West) 12 p.m. Pam Hinman, violin; Garrett Knecht, cello; and Jean Desmarais, piano* 7:30 p.m. The Magic Flute Working Rehearsal

Fri

Thu

Tue

Wed

12 p.m. Arnold Choi, cello; Wonny Song, piano*

Thu

Mon

Tue

12 p.m. GGS New Music Ensemble*

8 p.m. Angela Gheorghiu with the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra. Roy Thomson Hall. (60 Simcoe St.) 10 a.m. Opera for a New Age tickets for La Cenerentola, Ariadne auf Naxos and Orfeo ed Euridice available Youth Opera Lab: La Cenerentola

Wed 20

7:30 p.m. La Cenerentola Working Rehearsal

Youth Opera Lab: Ariadne auf Naxos 7:30 p.m. Ariadne auf Naxos Working Rehearsal 12 p.m. Stephen R. Clarke*

Thu

7:30 p.m. Opera 101, Ariadne auf Naxos. The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St. W.) 12 p.m. Artists of the COC Ensemble Studio*

Sat

7:30 p.m. La Cenerentola Opening Performance

Thu

7:30 p.m. La Cenerentola

Fri

Youth Opera Lab: Orfeo ed Euridice

*These performances are part of the Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, presented by National Bank

22 Prelude Magazine

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

Operating Grants

MAJOR CORPORATE SPONSORS 2010/2011 SEASON Sun Life Financial Accessibility Program Encompassing SURTITLES™, Wheelchair Seating, Hearing-Assistive and Vision-Impaired Devices

Ofﬁcial Automotive Sponsor of the COC at the FSCPA

Major Supporter, Ensemble Studio Production Sponsor Mozart’s The Magic Flute

Xstrata Ensemble Studio School Tour

BMO Financial Group Pre-Performance Opera Chats and BMO Financial Group Student Dress Rehearsals Aida Opening Night Sponsor

Presenting Sponsor Opera for a New Age and Operanation VII

Production Co-sponsors Adam’s Nixon in China

Presenting Sponsor, Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre

Ofﬁcial Canadian Wine of the COC at the FSCPA

Preferred Fragrance Sponsor

Preferred Medical Services Provider

Preferred Hospitality Sponsor

Ofﬁcial Media Sponsors

Digital Marketing Sponsor

The COC Ensemble Studio is Canada’s premier training program for young opera professionals and provides advanced instruction, hands-on experience, and career development opportunities. The Ensemble Studio is generously supported by the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage, ARIAS, In loving memory of Mr. George R. Bishop, from his family & friends, The John A. Cook Young Artist Development Fund, In honour of Earlaine Collins, In honour of Ninalee Craig, Estate of Horst Dantz and Don Quick, Michael & Lora Gibbens, Ethel Harris, The Audrey S. Hellyer Charitable Foundation, Peter & Hélène Hunt, Patrick & Barbara Keenan, The Hal Jackman Fund at the Ontario Arts Foundation, Jo Lander, Ruby Mercer Fund, George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation, Roger D. Moore Ensemble Studio Endowment Fund, RBC Foundation, Katalin Schäfer, In honour of Colleen Sexsmith, The Slaight Family, The Stratton Trust, William & Phyllis Waters, and an anonymous donor.

Prelude Magazine 23

The COC presents Nixon in China. Robert Orth as Richard Nixon in the Opera Theatre of St. Louis production, 2004. Photo: Ken Howard Cover: Preliminary sketch of the GrifďŹ n by Myung Hee Cho, set and costume designer for The Magic Flute.

Prelude A gift to our friends Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses To:

Canadian Opera Company 227 Front St. E., Toronto, ON, Canada M5A 1E8 t 416-363-6671 f 416-363-5584 e info@coc.ca w coc.ca

Editorial Board: Robert Lamb, Managing Director Roberto Mauro, Artistic Administrator Marion York, Chief Development OfďŹ cer Jeremy Elbourne, Director of Marketing Claudine Domingue, Director of Public Relations Editors: Suzanne Vanstone, Senior Communications Manager, Editorial Gianna Wichelow, Senior Communications Manager, Creative Design: Endeavour