overTure TO opera 1969
OVERTURE TO OPERA has grown in the last 8 years from an educational preview of the Metropolitan Opera's season in Detroit to the mounting of complete operatic productions. General Director Dr. David DiChiera describes Overture to Opera's purposes as threefold: To acquaint metropolitan Detroiters of all ages with opera; to give regional talent an opportunity to perform in a professional company; and to introduce works that would not otherwise be heard in the area.
Overture to Opera is sponsored by The Detroit Grand Opera Association together with Oakland University and the University Center for Adult Education.
DAVID DiCHIERA
Dr. David DiChiera, general director, is the motivating force behind OVERTURE TO OPERA'S growth and success. He came to Detroit from U.C.L.A., where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree with highest honors, a Masters degree in composition, and a Doctorate in musicology with the Atwater Kent and Gershwin awards as additional honors. In 1958 he received a Fu Ibright award.
Gordon Beaton Dr. DiChiera is chairman of the Music Department at Oakland University , and also makes frequent guest appearances as lecturer-recitalist.
"Certainly from the experience of the last years, Dr . DiChiera's Overture to Opera finally emerges as a full-fledged local opera company. " -Collins George (The Detroit Free Press) .. . "This was in every respect a professional evening , and a city would be proud to have such a company to call its own."-Plato Karayanis (Affiliate Artist , Inc.) . .. " Impressive theatrically as well as musically . . . operatic professionalism taking place in Detroit./I
-Jay Carr (The Detroit News)
CARL KARAPETIAN
Carl Karapetian joined OVERTURE TO OPERA this season as music di rector. A native Detroiter, he has held the posts of music director and conductor of the International Symphony, and musical director of the Grand Rapids Symphony . His conducting career encompasses the
international concert hall. In 1961 he was the American recipient of the Salzburg Mozarteum Stipendium and subsequently was accepted by Herbert Von Karajan as his student in Vienna . He conducted his Philharmonic Hall debut in 1965.
JOHN BROOME
Stage director, choreographer, and actor, John Broome gained wide recognition for his choreography of Stop the World, I Want To Get Off with Anthony Newley. He taught at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts for eight years and has for the past two years taught at the Academy
ROBERT COWDEN
Robert Cowden, stage director for OVERTURE TO OPERA, brings a wealth of professional experience and academic training to his new assignment.
Holder of degrees from Princeton University and the Eastman School of Music, Dr. Cowden has played leading
ITALO TAJO
Guest artist for the February 28th performance is the well known Italian bass italo Tajo. After making his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1948, he has since performed at La Scala and in other leading opera houses around the world.
Life magazine describes him as a
of Dramatic Art, Oakland University.
Mr. Broome joined the Overture to Opera Company in 1967 when he directed, choreographed, and played in the Michigan premiere of Cherubini's The Portuguese Inn. In 1968 he directed Menotti's The Medium, and played the role of Toby. This year Mr. Broome directs Kurt Weill's Der Jasager.
operatic roles with numerous companies in the United States and Europe.
Dr. Cowden, former Fulbright Scholar, is currently director of the graduate program in opera at Wayne State University and also serves as assistant director of the Chautauqua Opera Association where he directs the staging of several operas each year and heads the apprentice artist program.
"handsome, 6 foot 2-inch-tall basso with a velvety voice and an electrifying stage personality." His fame was further enhanced by three opera movies and a series of recordings. He has been acclaimed for many roles, including Mephistopheles in Faust, Dr. Dulcamara in Elixir of Love, and the title roles of Boris Godunov and Don Pasquale.
Assistant to General Director and Personnel Manager ... Dean Amos; Assistant Music Director and Accompanist ... Naomi Amos; Coach-Accompanist ... John Landis; Costume Designer for II Campanello J. Michael Bloom; Costume Designer for Der Jasager ... Josephine Cox; Scenic Design and Stage Manager ... Tom A. Aston
STUDENT PERFORMANCES:
calenDar EVENING PERFORMAI\lCES: FEBRUARY 9 8:00 P.M . . . . ..... .. .. .Ticket Information : . .. . .. . . . .. Mrs. Mark Littler ........ . ..... TU 6-0438 Grosse Pointe War Memorial, Admission: $2 .50 Mrs. Wesley Johnson .... .. .... TU 5-0315 Fries Auditorium War Memorial ..... . .. . . . ...... 881-7511 FEBRUARY 28 8 : 30 P.M .. . . . . ... . . . . Ticket Information : .. ......... Detroit Institute of Arts .. . .. .... 832-2730 Detroit Institute of Arts Admission: $3.00 J. L. Hudson Company .... . . .. .. 223-5100 (Orchestra Performance) Rackham Building ... . .. .... . . .. 577-4669 Mrs. Harold Jaffe ...... . .. . .... 863-1353 MARCH 10 8:00 P.M .......... . . . . Ticket Information : . ... . .. . ... Mrs. Vern Severson ... .. ........ 651-1318 Pontiac Northern High School Admission: $2 .00 adults ; Grinnell ' s : Pontiac Mall. . . ......... 682-0422 (North Oakland) $1.00 students Birmingham . .... ...... MI 4-5135 LaBelle ' s, Rochester . . . . .. ....... 651-8570 Oakland University .... . ........ 338-7211 ext. 2167 MARCH 15 8 :00 P.M ...... .... ... Ticket Information : ..... . .. .... Mrs. Harold Stubbs ... ........ HO 8-6040 Clintondale Community Auditorium Admission: $2 .00 adults; Mt. Clemens Pub . Library ...... HO 3-0831 Sponsored by : Macomb $1.00 students Dr. Dale E. Cottrill .... ext. 380 .. 772-8000 Community College Tickets available at: Student Activities Offices .ext. 318.772-8000 MARCH 22 8:00 P.M .. .. . . . . . . ... Ticket Information: . ......... .. Mrs. B. A. Zayti . .. .............. 349-3400 Northville High School Admission : $3.00 adults; 349 - 3234 $1.50 students Mrs. Charles Wheatley .......... 349-0748
February 11 , 1 :30. P.M ., Wyandotte Roosevelt High School; February 14 , 10. :30. A .M. , Dearborn Edsel Ford High Scho o l ; February 25, 1 :0.0. P.M., Detroit Institute of Arts; Febwary 26, 10:0QA .M..,-D etr:oiLinstitute-O. Arts ;- Febw.arv 26., 1 :.0.0 P.M-.De troil.l.t ________ .....-
10:30 A.M., Pontiac Northern High School; March 11 , 1 :00 P.M ., Ponti ac Northern High School.
The Detroit Grand Opera Association wishes to gratefully acknowledge gifts from the Marie & Alex Manoogian Fund , and from the H a rry A. McDon a ld estate . Also , to the Music Performance Tru s t Funds, and Samuel Rosenbaun, trustee, for their generosity in funding the orchestra for the performance of February 25 .
MeTrOPOLITan opera COMPany
ALL PERFORMANCES AT THE MASONIC AUDITORIUM, DETROIT
MONDAY , MAY 26-RIGOLETTO (Benefit Performance) ...... Peters; Raimondi, MacNeil, Michalski, Curtain 8 :30 p.m . Giaiotti . Cleva conducting .
TUESDAY, MAY 27-ADRIANA LECOUVREUR .. . ... .... .... .. Tebaldi, Rankin ; Corelli, Colzani, Curtain 8:00 p.m. Meredith . Cleva conducting.
WEDNESDAY , MAY 28-DER ROSENKAVALIER (NEW) ..... .... Crespin , Raskin , Elias; Edelmann . Allers Curtain 8 :00 p.m . conducting .
THURSDAY, MAY 29-IL TROVATORE (NEW) ................ Tucci , Dalis; McCracken, Milnes, Curtain 8:00 p.m. Macurdy. Franci conducting.
FRIDAY, MAY 3G-FAUST .. . ... ..... , ... .... .. ... . . ... . ... . Moffo, Alexander, Bottcher, Giaiotti. Curtain 8:00 p.m . Lombard conducting.
SATURDAY, MATINEE, MAY 31-IL BARBIERE 01 SIVIGLlA .. .. .. Peters; Alva, Sereni, Siepi, Corena . Curtain 1:30 p .m. Lombard conducting.
SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 31-LA BOHEME ........ . . . ..... . Bakocevic; ·Raimondi, Guarrera , Tozzi. Curtain 8 :00 p.m Franci conducting
High
prOGraM
Der JaSaGer
(THE CHOI OPERA IN TWO SCEN
Text Bertolt Brecht, . , Music by Kurt Weill. ,Directed Broome
English Translation by H. M, Potts, . , Music by arrangement with Theodore Presser Company
WhHe on a mountain with his fellow students and h'::lrh,>r a young boy becomes ill and cannot journey further, The group is faced with a dilemma! which they solve an ancient sacrificial custom, Kurt Weill wrote Der in Berlin in 1930 in collaboration with Brecht, the team which nn:,rlll,rprl The and Weill the idea of the title Der laS,a!2E;rThe of that "yes" are and the audience asked to consider what value is to one human life in relation to the deman'ds of group, the or the state.
THE BOY, . "
THE MOTHER, .................................. Elsie Inselman, Suzanne La Croix
THE TEACHER .............................
1ST STUDENT .......................
2ND STUDENT ........................
..... Peter Bickelmann, Russel Smith
Nancy Hoover, Martha Woodhouse
Dean Richard Roytek
3RD STUDENT ."."."."",. ,.,""', ........ Gerald Nathan Jones
Text by arrangement with Bertha Case for the Brecht Estate
Il caMPanellO (THE NIGHT BELL) IC OPERA IN ONE ACT
Music and Libretto by Gaetano Donizetti, Directed Robert Cowden
Music by arrangement with International Music Company, .. English translation by Robert Cowden
. , .. , .. , .. ,. , , .. , .. ,................. Vortriede
,
, ., ,. , , .
, , , , , , , , . , . , .
Ine marnage or an elderly Neapolitan apothe ca ry ana a young girl IIILUI::' lilt::: vel15CctilLC VI II'C:I IVIIII\,..1 .•h """
Throughout the wedding night, the young man rings the apothecary's night bell , each time in a different disguise. Thus the frustrated bridegroom is kept awake until dawn when he must leave on a business trip . /I Campanello , composed in 1836, is filled with the cha rming melodies typical of Donizetti's more familiar .operas, such as Don Pasquale and The Elixir of Love.
CAST
DON ANNIBALE PISTACCHIO (an elderly druggist) . .. . . . . .... . . . . .... . ........... . . . ..... .. . . .... Italo Tajo* Robert Denison, Keith Dearborn**
SERAFINA (his young wife) ... . .... .. ... . ........ " . ...... Judy Johnston, Dolores Martin
MADAME ROSA (her mother) ..... . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . ..... ... Leslie Eitzen, Suzanne La Croix
ENRICO (a young man) ... . ...... .. .. .. . . ..... .. ...... Philip Zaugg, Peter Bickelmann**
SPIRIDIONE (servant of Don Annibale) ... ........... ... . . ...... . ... . . ... ..... Joseph Ryan,
Mel Thompson
DON ANNIBALE ' S RELATIONS AND WEDDING GUESTS .
·Guest Artist, February 28 , 1969-Detroit Institute of Arts
··Understudies
ENSEMBLE, APPEARING IN BOTH OPERAS :
Nancy Hoover , Helen Joseph , Beverly Stief, Barbara Kondelski , Christine Lypeckyi , Pamela Pyles, Richard Roytek, Kenneth Banes, Melvin Thompson, Conwell Carrington , Joseph Brown, Kenneth Young
DETROIT GRAND OPERA ASSOCIATION officers, 1969 season: Mr. Frank W. Donovan , Chairman; Mr . Wilbur H . Mack, PreSident ; Mrs Ralph T. McElvenny, General Chairman; Mrs. Ernest A. Jones , General Co-Chairman
overrure TO1969opera
UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR ADULT EDUCATION (w .s.u . - U . of M . - E.M.U .) 60 Farnsworth Avenue Detroit, Michigan 48202