the richard b. fisher center for the performing arts at bard college
Les Huguenots July 31 and August 2, 5, and 7, 2009
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The Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College Chair Jeanne Donovan Fisher President Leon Botstein
Presents
Les Huguenots Music by Giacomo Meyerbeer Libretto by Eugène Scribe and Emile Deschamps Directed by Thaddeus Strassberger American Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leon Botstein, Music Director Set Designer Eugenio Recuenco Costume Designer Mattie Ullrich Lighting Designer Aaron Black Chorus Master James Bagwell Principal Music Coach Curt Pajer Sung in French with English supertitles
Sosnoff Theater July 31 and August 7 at 7 pm August 2 and 5 at 3 pm
Special support for this program is provided by Emily H. Fisher and John Alexander with additional funding from the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
Cast (in order of appearance)
Count de Nevers, a Catholic nobleman
Andrew Schroeder
Raoul de Nangis, a Protestant nobleman
Michael Spyres
Marcel, a Huguenot soldier
Peter Volpe
Valentine, Saint-Bris’ daughter
Alexandra Deshorties
Urbain, a page
Marie Lenormand
Marguerite de Valois, Queen of Navarre
Erin Morley
Count de Saint-Bris, a Catholic nobleman
John Marcus Bindel
Catholic Noblemen Tavannes
Jason Ferrante
Cossé
Tracy Wise
de Retz
Alexander Dobson
Méru
Jason Switzer
Thoré
Andrew Garland
Maurevert
Marcus DeLoach
Leonard, valet to Nevers
Celine Mogielnicki
Bois-Rosé, a Huguenot soldier
Patrick Cook
Bohemiennes
Solange Merdinian, Celine Mogielnicki
Monks
Patrick Cook, Steve Hrycelak, David Huneryager
Young women
Martha Sullivan, Helen Karloski
Ladies-in-waiting
Teresa Buchholz, Laura Green
Archer
Steven Moore
Fighters
Adam James Gallo, Paul Peers
Dancers
Alexandra Berger, Ann Chiaverini, Kristin Draucker, Marjorie Folkman
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Chorus Soprano Wendy Baker, Eileen Clark, Kate Emerman, Laura Green, Julie Gregorio, Marie Mascari, Rosemarie Serrano, Martha Sullivan, Carla Wesby, Phyllis Whitehouse Alto Teresa Buchholz, Courtney Crouse, Kit Emory, BJ Fredericks, Helen Karloski, Mary Marathe, Martha Mechalakos, Guadaloupe Peraza, Tami Petty, Kirsten Sollek Tenor Matthew Deming, Mark Donato, Eric Dudley, Ethan Fran, Alex Guerrero, John Howell, John Kawa, Matthew Kreger, Eric Lamp, Mukund Marathe, Marc Molomot, David Schnell, Riley Soter, Michael Steinberger, Chris Thompson Bass Rod Gomez, Jim Gregory, Tim Hill, Steve Hrycelak, David Huneryager, Larry Long, Darren Lougee, Andrew Martens, Tom McCargar, Steven Moore, Mark Rehnstrom, John Rose, Josh South, Charles Sprawls, Peter Stewart Huguenot Children Paige Camisasca Cassandra LaBarbera Isabelle LaBarbera Kate McKeon David Milkis Abby Romm Sydney Satalof
Stage Manager
Lynn Krynicki
Assistant Stage Managers
Tom Mehan Whitney Martin
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Supertitle Creator
Cori Ellison
Supertitle Operator
Olivia Giovetti
Associate Director
Paul Peers
Associate Set Designer
Eric Dover
Assistant Lighting Designer
Michael Ferguson
Fight Choreographer
Adam James Gallo
Assistant Music Coach
Nino Sanikidze
Lights
Rentals from PRG
Some set pieces provided by Adirondack Studios
Scenes Act I
The chˆateau of the Count de Nevers
Act II
The court of Queen Marguerite
Intermission Act III
The Pré-aux-Clercs, along the banks of the Seine in Paris
Intermission Act IV
A drawing room in Nevers’ home in Paris, the Hˆotel de Néstle
Act V, Scene 1
Queen Marguerite’s ball
Act V, Scenes 2 and 3
The streets of Paris
Running time is approximately 4 hours and 15 minutes, with two 15-minute intermissions. The use of recording equipment or the taking of photographs during the performance is strictly prohibited.
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Synopsis
Les Huguenots culminates with a depiction of the 1572 St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, in which thousands of French Huguenots were slaughtered by Catholics in an effort to purge France of Protestant influence. Many of the characters are indeed drawn from historical accounts. The doomed romance between the fictional Catholic heroine, Valentine, and her Protestant lover, Raoul, personifies this particularly brutal historical conflict.
Act I The scene opens at the chˆateau of the Count de Nevers (a Catholic), who is entertaining his fellow noblemen. Raoul, sent by Queen Marguerite in an effort to foster better relationships between Catholics and Protestants, soon arrives. After a drinking song, the men cajole him into revealing his latest amorous conquest. Raoul tells of an unknown beauty he has encountered and fallen in love with. Raoul is accompanied by his confidant, Marcel, who is outraged at the impropriety of the gathering’s discourse. After absolving himself with a pious prayer, Marcel launches into an inflammatory battle song, with every intent to offend his pupil’s hosts.
A lady arrives incognito to meet with Nevers. Raoul recognizes her as his mysterious beauty. In fact she is Nevers’ intended bride, Valentine (daughter of the Catholic Saint-Bris), who has been instructed by the Queen to break off her engagement. Raoul, unable to hear their conversation, wrongly believes her to be flirting with Nevers. Urbain, a personal page of Queen Marguerite, arrives with a secret message for Raoul, daring him to come blindfolded to a secret rendezvous. Unsure of what to expect, but nonetheless curious, he accepts the invitation.
Act II The scene changes to the court of Queen Marguerite as she sets the mood with her virtuoso pastorale, “O beau pays de la Touraine.” While the ladies-in-waiting continue their ablutions, Valentine enters and reports that Nevers has agreed to break the engagement. Announced by Urbain, Raoul enters blindfolded, and the ladies
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tease him. At Marguerite’s command, her court reluctantly retires. Finally alone with him, the Queen herself is infatuated with Raoul, yet exhorts him to marry Valentine to cement relations between the Protestant and Catholic factions. In a final ensemble, while both Catholic and Protestant nobles swear friendship, Raoul, who mistakenly believes Valentine is the mistress of Nevers, refuses to comply with the Queen’s command. The Catholic nobles take offense, and Marcel reproaches Raoul for having accepted the invitation and consorting with the enemy.
Act III In Paris, the tensions between the Huguenots and Catholics have increased. The austerity of the Protestants’ lifestyle is juxtaposed with the opulence of Valentine and Nevers’ Catholic wedding ceremony. A band of gypsies briefly interrupts the ceremony. Raoul, enraged at the offense caused by the marriage, sends Marcel to deliver a challenge. Saint-Bris, Valentine’s father, accepts the duel, but secretly plots an ambush. Valentine overhears this vile plan and wants desperately to warn Raoul, her true love. After a watchman declares curfew, the scene empties and Valentine tells Marcel of the plot against his master. The duel is interrupted by rival factions of Protestants and Catholics. Only the arrival of the Queen averts total chaos. Raoul realizes that Valentine has saved him and that his suspicions of her were unfounded, but their future together is clearly doomed as she is now married to Nevers. Her new husband returns with the wedding party, accompanied by a lively offstage band, to take his bride away. Valentine, torn between love and duty, departs with her new husband, leaving behind a devastated Raoul.
Act IV Alone in a room in Nevers’ Parisian home, Valentine laments her situation: married to one man and in love with another. Raoul enters surreptitiously; he wants one last meeting with her. Distraught, she barely knows if this meeting is real or imagined. The sound of approaching men leads Raoul to hide, and he overhears the Catholic nobles plotting the night of terror against the Huguenots. Ominously, three clergymen arrive and ceremonially bless the weapons, condoning the carnage in God’s name. Only Nevers does not join in the oath, and he is led away as potentially trai-
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torous to the cause. After the nobles have departed, Raoul is torn between warning his fellow Protestants and staying with Valentine, but finally duty triumphs over love. Valentine faints as Raoul flees.
Act V, Scene 1 An orchestral entr’acte sets the lively atmosphere of a ball to which Queen Marguerite has invited Protestant nobles in an attempt to bridge the increasing gulf between her and the besieged minority. The tolling of a bell interrupts the proceeding, as does the entrance of Raoul, who informs the assembly that the second stroke signals the Catholic massacre of the Huguenots.
Act V, Scene 2 Chaos descends into the streets of Paris. Raoul and Marcel have both been wounded, and Nevers has been killed. Valentine, putting herself in great peril, searches desperately for Raoul. They fatefully reunite, and Valentine spontaneously agrees to become a Protestant to marry Raoul; Marcel carries out the nuptials against a backdrop of escalating mayhem. Catholic fanatics storm the scene and murder every Huguenot man, woman, and child they find. Valentine implores Raoul to place a white scarf around his arm to indicate he is a Catholic and thereby safeguard himself from attack, but he steadfastly refuses.
Act V, Scene 3 Saint-Bris approaches and, seeing the figures, demands to know their affiliation. When they declare themselves to be Huguenots, he orders his men to murder them, realizing too late that he has killed his own daughter. The violence surges as the Catholics repeat their justification that “God wants their blood!�
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Director’s Note
With an opera that enjoyed such enduring success and then seemed to drop almost completely from the repertory, it is easy to approach the piece first by looking for its flaws. However, asking “What went wrong?” is a dangerous place to start creating a new production—surely no one would attend an autopsy to learn more about how a person had lived! Once we simply accept the challenges of mounting such a work (cue the chorus: “Impossible to cast!” and “Too long!”), the focus must be on what the opera itself actually offers.
Meyerbeer specifically chose a distant historical setting for his story of religious conflict, unlike Verdi who later was often forced to veil his contemporary political statements by placing his dramas in almost randomly selected locales. Les Huguenots unfolds against a historical landscape with recognizable figures, dates, and places, but the production style in Meyerbeer’s time was hardly what we would consider to be of “documentary” quality. Likewise, we have chosen to depict a world inspired by the events of 1572, yet not one immune to the history that we have lived through since then. With such potent ideas of politics and religion being commingled, it’s tempting to start “mapping” the details of one people’s struggle to that of another. But drawing these explicit parallels might ultimately diminish the present impact of the opera.
In modern performance practice, there’s the ever-present pressure to make productions more “relevant.” But to a director who grew up in the Bible Belt singing hymns every Sunday in church, among them “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” the fervent events of the 16th century hardly seem cold or remote at all.
Thaddeus Strassberger June 2009 Annandale-on-Hudson, New York
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Notes on the Program
On the Music of Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots by Leon Botstein
Les Huguenots was the first work in the history of the Paris Opéra to be performed more than 1,000 times. The popularity of this opera rests on the finesse with which Meyerbeer commanded the various and sundry aspects of grand opéra. He provides music for spectacle, variety, virtuosity, and drama in everything from recitative and choruses to instrumental dance music. Listeners will quickly discover that the aesthetic of this work is markedly different from the sense of musical drama with which we have become accustomed. The shift in aesthetic away from the eclectic variety of Meyerbeer was due in large measure to Richard Wagner and to the changing tastes of the rapidly expanded reading public who sought in prose fiction a journey away from real time into a realistic illusion, absent a visible narrator.
Nonetheless, Wagner learned much from Les Huguenots. Indeed, in 1840 he wrote a glowing essay celebrating the work’s universality, its elegant simplicity and nobility, and its success in communicating both passion and beauty. The high point for Wagner was the famous consecration of the swords scene in Act IV and the placement of the culmination of the dramatic action not at the end of the act, but in the middle. The act closes not with massive forces but with music for individuals, duet and solo voices set against an ominous background signaling the onset of a massacre. Raoul’s love and uncertainty about what to do bring the act to a close with moments of intimacy, followed by only an orchestral flourish rather than highstrung, crowd-filled drama.
What Wagner admired was the unashamed theatrical eclecticism of Meyerbeer’s musical vocabulary. Wagner was also envious, and never tired of comparing his own Rienzi (1840) to Les Huguenots as superior. The confrontation with Meyerbeer did drive Wagner to the insight that musical drama needed to break away from the variety-show, number-based structure of grand opéra, away from the unabashed
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character of opera as entertainment. Wagner argued that opera needed an organic musical logic that could generate a realistic sense of the conduct of life and the passage of time in the framework of a narrative. He invented a coherent, constantly shifting, multi-layered, and continuous fabric of musical representation and depiction that seduced the audience in the way the 19th-century novel drew in its readers. A spellbinding plot enveloped in a seamless musical fabric robbed the listeners of an awareness of their own presence and place.
Meyerbeer, in contrast, never permitted the audience to lose its self-conscious awareness of the theatrical. Les Huguenots is made up of sequences of distinct moments, from ballet music to arias and ensembles complete with cadenzas designed to highlight the virtuosity of the singers. At moments there are affecting dramatic scenes that move the audience and evoke empathy. For the first time serious political and ethical issues find their way persuasively onto the stage within the presumed context of spectacle and entertainment. But at no time does the public forget that it is in a theater. The identity of the characters on stage remains consistently twofold: as distinct personalities of the present age—as stars—and as actors evoking through the artificiality of the theater and musical rhetoric fictional personalities, an invented mixture of history and fiction. Inconsistent shifts in mood, exaggeration, and explicit evocations of past theatrical models sustain this seemingly contradictory balance between the real and the invented. The action and emotions of the plot are conveyed alongside the celebration of the artifice and excitement of singing and stagecraft. The magic of the experience derives precisely from the clash of unabashed entertainment and admiration tied to the performers, with the power of music to evoke the emotions aroused by the characters these performers are playing.
While the music consists of distinct scenes marked by stops and starts, this multiplicity of strategies is unified by the overarching story line. Amidst an assemblage that includes comic elements, psychologically searing moments, and impressive dramatic high points involving chorus and orchestra, there is the intent on Meyerbeer’s part to use grand opéra to expose the political dangers of sectarian fanaticism. Censors in 1836 were careful to insist that Catherine de’ Médicis not
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appear in the opera lest the crown be linked to intolerance. Yet there is no doubt that the brutality of Catholic fanaticism is left exposed. The tragic personal and political consequences of violence inspired by religion overlap in Les Huguenots despite the ironic detachment that inevitably resides within Meyerbeer’s structure. At the same time, despite the political import of the work, Les Huguenots was written with a deep respect for the connoisseurship of the audience members: their capacity to fall in love with great melody, to admire the beautiful singing of the leading characters, to be swept away by dramatic gestures, and to be drawn into the counterpoint of ensemble writing. The provenance of Meyerbeer’s skill in all forms of operatic expression was left exposed, as was the composer’s genius for clarity, simplicity, and economy of form. As Wagner correctly pointed out in 1840, this opera represented the culmination of the history of musical art. Meyerbeer had absorbed the influence of Mozart, Beethoven, and Rossini.
For all Meyerbeer’s love of the artifice of the theater, the underlying effect of the musical and dramatic fabric may indeed not be organic in the sense of Wagner, but it transcends decorative entertainment. The impact is definitely cumulative. By the end of the opera, precisely on account of the variety of gesture and effect, the listener is struck by the recalcitrance of the ironic distance Meyerbeer has maintained. Within the opera and in his relationship with his audience, Meyerbeer never lets the audience off the hook, so to speak. By blocking the illusion of realism that we have come to associate with the sound film, the 19th-century novel, Wagnerian opera, and Puccini (and all verismo opera), Meyerbeer forces the audience to confront the distance between past and present. The maintenance of that distance (something also found in Mozart) exposes the conceits of the audience, not only of the 1830s, but of audiences today. As we witness a theatrical reenactment of how two religious groups, both of which claimed authority from the same divine source and accepted the divinity of Christ, are overcome with hatred, suspicion, and mutual enmity, do we emerge from the theater thinking that we are better and have progressed from the 16th century? Are we better than either the Catholic assassins or the pious Protestants, their victims? In Meyerbeer’s representation of religious strife and its tragic consequences in the lives of individuals through theater, do we emerge merely entertained or are we forced to reflect critically on modernity? Do
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we cherish individual identity over group identity more than the characters in the narrative? Do we now tolerate differences in religion and ethnicity? Has our aesthetic refinement run parallel with an ethical advance so that we are no longer capable of the sort of slaughter in the name of religious truth that frames the plot of this grand theatrical experience?
We are accustomed to conceding to Wagner philosophical profundity and assuming that Meyerbeer was probably, as Wagner later argued in his notorious essay on “Judaism in Music,� capable only of superficial entertainment. But this view is profoundly wrong. The sustained tension between real time and theatrical time in Les Huguenots forces audiences both to engage the action on stage and to remain aware of their own presence as spectators. By manipulating a huge variety of rhetorical devices, and by alternately cloaking and revealing the scaffolding of the theater, Meyerbeer may in fact have used the entire arsenal of the operatic to achieve a more honest and more searing critical dialogue concerning crucial moral and personal issues. Meyerbeer’s art represents a different idea of the power of music and the value of the theatrical. In the 21st century, the eclectic, self-critical, ironic critical distance and skill that Meyerbeer sustains may be once again germane to the predicament of modernity and a welcome antidote to the dangerous illusionism of the late Romantic musical realism of the 19th and early 20th centuries. At a minimum, over five acts, Les Huguenots provides an encounter with music of unusual beauty and power.
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The Historical Context of Les Huguenots by Karen Sullivan
It was with the premiere of Les Huguenots at the Paris Opéra on February 29, 1836, that Giacomo Meyerbeer consolidated his reputation as the foremost practitioner of grand opéra in Europe. Five years earlier, his opera Robert le Diable had proved a triumphant success. So great was the anticipation for Les Huguenots that the first performances were sold out months in advance. Those fortunate enough to have obtained tickets had to make their way to the opera hall through disappointed crowds. Once inside, members of the audience witnessed a spectacle that satisfied all the demands of grand opéra. The staging was both magnificent and realistic, featuring a wedding barque large enough to hold 30 people, a royal litter draped in paper lanterns, and gunfire sounded by a shooting machine. The music brought together enormous ensemble pieces and arias of virtuosic difficulty. The libretto (written primarily by Eugène Scribe) juxtaposed an important historical event, namely, that of the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, and a fictional love story, that between the Protestant Raoul de Nangis and the Catholic Valentine. Not only in Paris but at opera houses throughout the world, Les Huguenots became the major box-office sensation of the 19th century, dazzling audiences with its simultaneous epic grandeur and dramatic intimacy.
In August of 1572, when the events depicted in Les Huguenots took place, peace finally seemed to have been established in France after a decade of war between Catholics and Protestants (or Huguenots, as they were known to their opponents), thanks to the efforts of King Charles IX and his formidable mother, Catherine de’ Médicis. Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, the leader of the Protestants, had been readmitted to the king’s council and, indeed, was believed to be enjoying a considerable influence over the young monarch. Henry of Bourbon, the Protestant king of the small Pyrenean country of Navarre, had been promised the hand of the 19-year-old Marguerite de Valois, Charles’s sister. In order to celebrate the wedding that would unite the two religions, many of the most important Protestants had traveled from their strongholds in the center and south of France to Paris. Yet this reconciliation of the Catholic and Protestant factions was not without controversy.
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The House of Guise, probably the most powerful family in France at this time, affirmed that Protestants should be destroyed rather than appeased; Henry, the Duke of Guise (and Marguerite’s lover), especially resented Coligny, whom he believed to have ordered his father’s assassination nine years earlier. With the Parisian populace firmly allied with the House of Guise in its opposition to the Protestants, who were still filling their inns five days after the wedding, the stage was set for the violence that would soon erupt.
The massacre began on August 23, the eve of St. Bartholomew’s Day. The day before, Coligny had been returning from a conference with the king at the Louvre when he passed before a house owned by the Guise family and fell victim to shots, fired by a certain Maurevert, from an upstairs window. Wounded, Coligny was brought back to his house. There he was soon visited by the king, who promised to bring the Guise family to justice. Yet rumors were spreading that the Protestants were so outraged by the attack upon Coligny that they were planning a coup d’état. Catherine met with her Italian advisors, who recommended that she and her son take action against the Protestants to prevent such an uprising. The following morning, as the bells of Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois, the king’s parish church, rang out for matins, the Swiss Guard began to drag the Protestant leaders out of the Louvre and slay them on the streets. The Duke of Guise led a crowd to Coligny’s house, where they broke in, stabbed the admiral, and threw his body out of the window. As Catholics proceeded through the streets, they wore white bands around their left arms and white crosses on their hats in order to distinguish themselves from those destined to die. Whatever Charles’s and Catherine’s original intentions may have been, the violence soon spread beyond their control. For three days, Catholics slaughtered Protestants in such numbers that over a thousand bodies washed up on the banks of the Seine. The frenzy soon spread from the capital to the provinces, inspiring massacres in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lyons, Rouen, and Orléans that would continue until October of that year. As many as 30,000 Protestants were killed during these weeks, and countless others fled the country for sympathetic lands.
Beginning in the late 18th century, the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre constituted a defining moment of French history, illustrating the religious intolerance the mod-
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ern citizen now rejected. In the years surrounding the French Revolution, the government transformed the Enlightenment philosophes’ ideals of religious toleration into legislation. The Edict of Toleration of 1787 officially ended all persecution of Protestants in France, and a 1790 law invited exiled Protestants and their descendents to return to the country. At a time when the king was being deposed and the Catholic Church was being disestablished, Joseph Chénier’s 1789 play Charles IX blamed the horror of this massacre squarely upon the monarchy and the Church. With the Protestants reduced to a small and unthreatening minority, French audiences were prepared to deplore the violence that had once been visited upon them.
By the time Meyerbeer was writing Les Huguenots, in the wake of the 1830 Restoration of the monarchy, the political climate had shifted, so that he was prevented from featuring Catherine de’ Médicis as the instigator of the massacre, but he still condemns the religious intolerance the king’s mother had incited. Though he highlights the confessional differences between the Catholic and the Protestant populations, contrasting the Catholic litany “Vierge Marie, soyez bénite” and the Lutheran chorale “Ein’ feste Burg ist unser Gott,” he emphasizes, even more, the temperamental similarity between the extremists of both faiths. Catholic monks bless the weapons that will be used to slaughter Protestants, urging the assassins, “Neither mercy, nor pity! Strike all without cease!,” yet the Protestant servant Marcel is no less sanguinary. To the “piff, paff” of bullets, evoked by drums and cymbals, he sings, “The papists! Crush them, strike them! … But mercy, never!” When Catholics and Protestants face off against each other in Act III, both camps employ the same refrain: “Death, death to whoever resists! God wishes it, it must be!” As Meyerbeer envisions them, both Catholics and Protestants advocate violence against the other, and both perceive God as championing that violence.
Even as the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre appalled 19th-century Frenchmen with its religious intolerance, the Renaissance court at the center of this historical event delighted them, especially in its fictionalized forms. The memoirs of Marguerite de Valois and Pierre de Bourdeille, the seigneur of Brantôme, had represented a world where, as Madame de Lafayette had observed, politics was always affected by love and love was always affected by politics, in a way that made court life both fasci-
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nating and dangerous. It was this world that Prosper Mérimée had represented in his 1829 novel Chronique du règne de Charles IX, that Stendhal had alluded to in his 1830 novel Le rouge et le noir, and that Ferdinand Hérold had referenced in his 1832 opera Le pré aux clercs. Even after Meyerbeer’s opera, Alexandre Dumas père would celebrate the scandalous intertwining of political and amorous bonds during this era in his 1845 novel La Reine Margot (transformed into a film most recently by Patrice Chéreau, with Isabella Adjani as Marguerite de Valois). As much as French audiences were ready to deplore the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, they were even more ready to celebrate love affairs pursued during those violent days.
In Meyerbeer’s opera, while the austere Catholic monks and Protestant servant oppose those who deny their faiths, the more sybaritic court characters unite those divided by religion through their common appreciation of pleasure and love. The Catholic Nevers invites Raoul to join his companions and himself in drinking and recounting their love affairs, proposing to convert him, not to the Catholic faith, but “to the cult of the true gods: love and pleasure.” Like Nevers, Marguerite de Valois attempts to replace hatred with love by joining Raoul and Valentine in marriage. When Valentine initially objects to marrying outside her faith, Marguerite replies, “Oh! Love knows neither gods nor ranks.” The frivolity of the scenes of drinking, dancing, and bathing offer not merely relief from the scenes of interreligious violence, but an alternate ethos to that violence, ultimately pacifistic in its hedonism. If, thematically and musically, Meyerbeer contrasts the epic events of this massacre with the dramatic events of this love story, it is, in part, because he sees the amorous values of that fictional romance as the best answer to the bloody values of that true history.
Karen Sullivan is a professor of literature at Bard College.
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Who’s Who
Thaddeus Strassberger Director Thaddeus Strassberger, winner of the 2005 European Opera Directing Prize, recently directed new productions of La fanciulla del West at l’Opéra de Montréal and Ariadne auf Naxos at Wolftrap Opera. His production of the rarely heard La Gazzetta, at the Rossini in Wildbad Festival in Bad Wildbad, Germany, which was recorded by Naxos for release on DVD, garnered nominations from Opernwelt for Best Production as well as Best Direction in 2008. Other new productions he has directed, for which he also designed the scenery, include La Cenerentola (Opera Ireland, Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden), Ambroise Thomas’s Hamlet and Aida (Lyric Opera of Kansas City), Orfeo ed Euridice (Theater Augsburg), and La traviata (Arizona Opera). His widely acclaimed production of Die Zauberflöte has been produced by Utah Opera, Madison Opera, and Arizona Opera. His upcoming new productions include company debuts with the Norwegian National Opera, Washington National Opera, and Opéra Les Azuriales in Cap Ferrat, France. Strassberger received his degree from the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City. His further studies were supported by a Fulbright Fellowship to complete the Corso di Specializzazione per Scenografi Realizzatori at Teatro alla Scala in Milan in 2001.
Leon Botstein Conductor Leon Botstein is the founder and coartistic director of the Bard Music Festival. He is also music director and principal conductor of the American and the Jerusalem
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Symphony Orchestras. This summer, Botstein and the JSO opened the Leipzig Bach Festival with a performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah; last fall, they toured the West Coast. Last season, Botstein appeared with BBC Symphony at
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Royal Albert Hall to conduct John Foulds’s A World Requiem, recorded live and released by Chandos. Other recent releases include Paul Dukas’s opera Ariane et Barbe-bleue, with the BBC Symphony (Telarc), and Bruno Walter’s Symphony No. 1 with NDR–Hamburg (CPO). He has made a number of recordings of works by Chausson, Liszt, Bruckner, Bartók, Hartmann, Reger, Glière, and Szymanowski for such labels as Telarc, New World Records, Bridge, Koch, and Arabeseque. With the American Symphony Orchestra he has recorded Richard Strauss’s Die ägyptische Helena with Deborah Voigt, and Die Liebe der Danae with Lauren Flanigan; music by Copland, Sessions, Perle, and Rands; and discs of Dohnányi, Brahms, and Joachim, among others. Botstein’s recording with the London Symphony Orchestra of Popov’s Symphony No. 1 received a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Orchestral Performance. Among the orchestras he has conducted are the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, NDR–Hannover, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, and Budapest Festival Orchestra. He is the editor of The Musical Quarterly and the author of numerous articles and books. Since 1975 he has been president of Bard College.
Eugenio Recuenco Set Designer Eugenio Recuenco, a native of Madrid, Spain, is considered one of the world’s most creative fashion photographers. He studied fine arts, concentrating on painting, before he became a professional photographer. He has worked with the magazines Madame Figaro, Vanity Fair, Wad, Spoon, Planet, Stern, and Zink as well as Spanish Vogue, View, and Vanidad. His advertising campaigns include work for prestigious brands such as Boucheron, Baby Phat, Caramelo, Carrera y Carrera, Cimarrón, Diesel, Festina, Lavazza, Loewe, Mágnum, Mango Adorably, Nina Ricci, and Rammstein. He received V ABC’s Photography National award in 2006. His work has been featured in exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art at Madrid’s Reina Sofía, Barcelona’s Arte Contemporáneo and Circuit 8, and the Parisian gallery BertinToublanc, among other venues. Recently he has become interested in film and video; his short film Esencia de una seducción won first place in its category at the Mexico International Film Festival.
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Mattie Ullrich Costume Designer Mattie Ullrich designed the costumes for the SummerScape 2007 production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Sorcerer. She has spent much of her career designing cutting-edge theater in New York City for companies such as the New Group and Vineyard Theater. Her recent opera work includes a production of Ariadne auf Naxos (with Thaddeus Strassberger as stage director), Così fan tutte, and Alcina. In 2006 she was awarded the European Opera Prize for her collaboration with Strassberger in the Opera Ireland production of La Cenerentola. Her Off-Broadway work includes Fault Lines (Naked Angels); From Up Here (Manhattan Theater Club); Liberty City (New York Theater Workshop); Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island (Vineyard); Things We Want (New Group); Election Day (Second Stage); Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, 9 Parts of Desire, and Bad Dates (Playwrights Horizons); and The Mysteries (Classic Stage). Her regional work includes productions at the Old Globe, Asolo Repertory, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Goodspeed Musicals, Huntington Theatre Company, Dallas Theater Center, Delaware Theater Company, and New York Stage and Film. Her work in film includes Year of the Fish (Sundance 2007), Sovereignty (an award-winning short), and Shoplifting Chanel.
Aaron Black Lighting Designer Aaron Black’s opera credits include The Beggar’s Opera for the Royal Opera House; La fanciulla del West for Opera Montreal; A Flowering Tree, Orlando, Don Giovanni, and The Return of Ulysses for Chicago Opera Theatre; Philip Glass’s Orphée for Glimmerglass Opera; L’ile de Merlin and Louise for the Spoleto Festival USA; The Abduction from the Seraglio for Opera Omaha; Aida for Lyric Opera of Kansas City; Der Freischütz for Opera Boston; Madama Butterfly for Opera Bilbao, Spain; The Turn of the Screw for Pittsburgh Opera; Mirandolina and Risers to the Sea/A Dinner Engagement for the Manhattan School of Music; and, at the Fisher Center in 2003, A Diary of One Who Vanished for the 17th Bard Music Festival, Janáˆcek and His World. Black’s upcoming appearances include La bohème for Minnesota Opera; Carmen and The Magic Flute for Canadian Opera Company; and The Turn of the Screw for Boston Lyric Opera. He has a certificate from the Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts, a B.F.A. from the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Webster University in St. Louis, and an M.F.A. from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.
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James Bagwell Chorus Master James Bagwell maintains an active schedule throughout the United States as a conductor of choral, operatic, musical theater, and orchestral literature. Since 2004 he has been director of choruses for the Bard Music Festival, in which capacity he conducts and prepares chorus works for the summer festival. He has served as conductor for productions in the last three SummerScape festivals: Copland’s The Tender Land in 2005, which received unanimous praise from the New York Times, New Yorker, and Opera News; three Offenbach operettas in 2006; and the Of Thee I Sing sold-out run in 2008. In December 2006 he conducted the Jerusalem Symphony in two concerts in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, which were broadcast throughout Israel. In March 2007 he led a subscription concert with the Tulsa Symphony, and returned in November 2008 to guest conduct a sold-out performance at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. His next appearance with the orchestra will be in May 2010 conducting Manuel de Falla’s Three-Cornered Hat. He recently completed his 11th season as music director of both Light Opera Oklahoma and the May Festival Youth Chorus. Since 2005 he has been music director of the Dessoff Choirs, which recently appeared with the New York Philharmonic. As music director of the Concert Chorale of New York he has prepared choruses for performances with the American Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Mostly Mozart Festival (broadcast nationally in 2006 on Live from Lincoln Center), all in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. He is currently the Music Program Director at Bard College.
Curt Pajer Principal Music Coach Pianist Curt Pajer has been head of the music staff of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis since 2004, and he was recently appointed to the same post at the Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland. In recent seasons, he has served on the music staffs of several prestigious opera companies and festivals, including the Baltimore, Boston Lyric, Dallas, Houston Grand, New York City, San Diego, Santa Fe, and Toledo operas and Opera Colorado, as well as Bard’s SummerScape. Last season he made his European debut with the Czech National Theater Opera in Prague, and he also served as James Conlon’s assistant with the New York Philharmonic. Between his operatic engagements, he maintains a busy coaching studio in New York City. Those recent engagements included Salome (Toledo Opera and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis), Der fliegende Holländer (Opera Colorado), and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Snegurochka (Wexford
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Opera Festival). This fall he will work on the Wexford Festival Opera production of The Ghosts of Versailles.
John Marcus Bindel Saint-Bris Bass-baritone John Marcus Bindel has performed with Washington National Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Florida Grand Opera, Nashville Opera, Florentine Opera, New York City Opera, and the Spoleto Festival. His repertoire includes the title role in Don Giovanni, Ramfis in Aida, Claggart in Billy Budd, Escamillo in Carmen, Zaccharia in Nabucco, Iago in Otello, Ferrando in Il trovatore, Blitch in Susannah, Jochanaan in Salome, Hagen in Götterdämmerung, Klingsor in Parsifal, and Hunding in Die Walküre. This past season he debuted at both Dallas Opera and Baltimore Opera as Lord Cecil in Maria Stuarda, at Hawaii Opera Theatre as Frère Laurent in Roméo et Juliette, and at New Orleans Opera as Monterone in Rigoletto. In 2001, he sang the role of Don Marco in The Saint of Bleecker Street with the Spoleto Festival. The performance was recorded on the Chandos label and received a Grammy nomination. He was a regional finalist in the 1995, 1997, 1998, and 1999 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a semifinalist in Plácido Domingo’s Operalia Competition in 1999. Bindel has a master’s degree in music from Northwestern University. His upcoming engagements include a return to Hawaii Opera Theatre as Hunding in Die Walküre and Colline in La bohème.
Marcus DeLoach Maurevert SummerScape audiences may remember baritone Marcus DeLoach’s rousing performance as the French Ambassador in last summer’s production of the satirical Gershwin musical Of Thee I Sing. His recent appearances include singing the role of Jean in Philippe Boesman’s Julie at Teatro Comunale di Bolzano in Italy and EbnHakia in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta at Kentucky Opera. From 1999 to 2006, at New York City Opera, he performed Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Satyr/Citheron in Mark Morris’s production of Platée, Slim in Of Mice and Men, Don Alvaro in Il viaggio a Reims, and many other roles. He has received acclaim for his performances as Joseph De Rocher in Dead Man Walking at Opera Ireland, Schaunard in La bohème at Seattle Opera, and Nilakantha in Lakmé with Tulsa Opera. In concert, DeLoach has appeared regularly with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. In 1997 he was unanimously voted first-place
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winner of the inaugural Wigmore Hall International Song Competition in London. DeLoach has performed lead vocals on tour with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in their rock opera Christmas Eve and Other Stories at Madison Square Garden and the Fleet Center, among other venues.
Alexandra Deshorties Valentine Soprano Alexandra Deshorties has appeared with the Metropolitan, San Francisco, Houston Grand, Seattle, and Cincinnati opera companies; and at the Aix-enProvence and La Coruña festivals, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, and Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. Her roles have included Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, Elettra in Idomeneo, Musetta in La bohème, Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare, and the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor. She has worked with many of the world’s finest conductors, including David Atherton, Edward Gardner, Daniel Harding, René Jacobs, James Levine, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Robert Spano, Michael Stern, and Patrick Summers. She is also active on the concert stage, and has appeared with the Munich Philharmonic; Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl; Met Chamber Ensemble in Weill Hall; the Seattle, Milwaukee, Baltimore, Kansas City, and National symphony orchestras; and at the Salzburg Festival. Deshorties studied at the Marseille Conservatory, where she earned a gold medal for her performances.
Alexander Dobson de Retz British-Canadian baritone Alexander Dobson’s recent performances include the lead role in Wozzeck, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin; Winterreise, also accompanied on the piano by Nézet-Séguin; Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, conducted by Boris Brott; Handel’s Messiah with the McGill Chamber Orchestra, Elmer Iseler Singers, and the Grand Philharmonic Choir; Marcello in La bohème for Saskatoon Opera; Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette for l’Opéra de Montréal; and Bach’s Johannes Passion for both the Toronto Bach Consort and the Amadeus Choir. In the 2008–09 season, he sang Sonora in La fanciulla del West for Opéra de Montréal, Harlequin in Ariadne auf Naxos for Calgary Opera, Marchese d’Obigny in La traviata for Edmonton Opera, and Silvio in Pagliacci for Opéra de Québec. Dobson is an alumnus of the Music Academy of the West, the Steans Institute for Young Artists, and the Atelier Lyrique
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de l’Opéra de Montréal. Upcoming engagements include Don Giovanni with both Calgary Opera and Orchestre Metropolitain.
Jason Ferrante Tavannes The American tenor Jason Ferrante has been heard in concert and recital on five continents. In the 2008–09 season he appeared with the Madison Opera as Goro in Madama Butterfly, Jacksonville Symphony as Pang in Turandot, and Toledo Opera in multiple roles in Candide, and he made his European debut at Teatro Comunale di Bologna and Teatro Comunale Luciano Pavarotti in Modena as Beadle Bamford in the Italian premiere of Sweeney Todd. His other recent performances include the role of Monostatos in Thaddeus Strassberger’s acclaimed production of The Magic Flute at Arizona Opera, Eumete in Il ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria with the Greenwich Music Festival, the First Nazarene in Salome at the Kennedy Center (starring Deborah Voigt), and Tybalt in Roméo et Juliette and the Beadle in Sweeney Todd with Wolf Trap Opera. Ferrante holds B.M. and M.M. degrees from Juilliard. His upcoming engagements include a return to Italy to perform in Sweeney Todd at Teatro Comunale di Bologna and Teatro Municipale di Piacenza. A native of Baltimore, he serves on the voice faculty of the New World School for the Arts in Miami.
Andrew Garland Thoré This season, American baritone Andrew Garland has performed as Dandini in La Cenerentola with both Fort Worth Opera and Opera Company of North Carolina, as Hermann in Les contes d’Hoffmann, and as the Gamekeeper in Rusalka with Boston Lyric Opera. He also made his Carnegie Hall solo recital debut, and performed Handel’s Messiah with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and Handel’s Samson with the Dartmouth Handel Society. Garland’s previous seasons have included roles with the Opera Company of Philadelphia, Utah Symphony and Opera, and the Dayton, Boston Lyric, Seattle, Cincinnati, Fort Worth, Nevada, and Lake George opera companies, as well as concert performances with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, National Philharmonic, Dayton Philharmonic, Delaware Symphony, Washington Master Chorale, and the New York Festival of Song at Caramoor and Carnegie Hall. Garland also works with classical songwriters to program concerts throughout the United States.
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Marie Lenormand Urbain Marie Lenormand began the 2008–09 season with concert performances as Dorabella in Così fan tutte in Rouen, followed by her debut with Boston Baroque as Arsamene in concert performances of Handel’s Xerxes. She then returned to Houston Grand Opera to sing Hermia in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In the spring, she sang Annio in La clemenza di Tito in Avignon, Siebel in Faust in Madison, and Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro with Cincinnati Opera. Her other recent notable engagements include Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Dallas Opera and Opéra de Bordeaux; Lapak in The Cunning Little Vixen with Seiji Ozawa at the Saito Kinen Festival; Siebel in Faust with Houston Grand Opera, Cincinnati Opera, and Opéra de Bordeaux; Penelope in Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria with Chicago Opera Theater; Siegrune in Die Walküre at the Chatelet; and Nicklausse in Les contes d’Hoffmann with New Orleans Opera. For her San Francisco Opera debut, she sang the Fox in the Rachel Portman opera The Little Prince, a role she sang at the world premiere at the Houston Grand Opera.
Erin Morley Marguerite Soprano Erin Morley has been a member of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program since the 2007–08 season. At the Met she has sung the Second Niece in Peter Grimes, Masha in The Queen of Spades, and Frasquita in Carmen for the company’s 125th Anniversary Gala. For the Met’s 2009–10 season she will sing Echo in Ariadne auf Naxos, the Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel, and the Daughter in The Nose, and she will cover Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier. With New York City Opera Morley has sung Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier for the 2006 Gala Benefit, and Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore. For Wolf Trap Opera Company, Morley sang Laoula in Chabrier’s L’étoile and Frasquita in Carmen and debuted the role of Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos. She recently performed a televised recital at Shanghai Grand Theatre with Shen Yang, Brian Zeger, Ken Noda, and Julie Boulianne. Morley has been featured as a soloist with the New York and Rochester philharmonic orchestras; the Chicago, National, and Utah symphony orchestras; the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Her upcoming orchestral engagements include Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Bernard Haitink and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
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Andrew Schroeder Nevers Baritone Andrew Schroeder has sung with major opera companies in the United States, France, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Canada, and Australia in a repertoire ranging from Monteverdi, Purcell, and Mozart to Verdi, Shostakovich, and Adams. Among his many roles are the title roles in Eugene Onegin, Billy Budd, Don Giovanni, Nixon in China, Der Prinz von Homburg, Le roi Arthus, Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria, and Il barbiere di Siviglia as well as Escamillo in Carmen, Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, the Count in Capriccio, Falke in Die Fledermaus, Oreste in Iphigénie en Tauride, Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress, Valentin in Faust, Tarquinius in The Rape of Lucretia, the Captain in The Death of Klinghoffer, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas, Kovalyov in Le Nez, Mandryka in Arabella, Agamemnon in Iphigénie en Aulide, Marcello in La bohème, and Germont in La traviata. Schroeder has recorded the title role in Le roi Arthus; he has also recorded Pia de’ Tolomei, Roberto Devereux, and Le Nez.
Michael Spyres Raoul This spring Michael Spyres, who hails from Mansfield, Missouri, made his successful debut at La Scala in Milan, as Belfiore in Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims in a production by Luca Ronconi. Spyres will return to Milan as Rodrigo in La donna del lago in 2011. His upcoming engagements include his debut with the Salzburg and Ravenna festivals as Ozia in Mozart’s Betulia Liberata with Riccardo Muti; Bernstein’s Candide for the Vlaamse Opera in Ghent and Antwerp; Britten’s Billy Budd in Bilbao, Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette in Dublin; Roméo et Juliette at the Salzburg Festival; Die Zauberflöte in Liège; and La donna del Lago for the Royal Opera Covent Garden. During the 2008–09 season he was a member of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, where he made his debut as Tamino in Die Zauberflöte; and he sang Rossini’s Otello at the Wildbad Rossini Festival/Germany. Spyres’s other recent engagements include his U.K. debut in London as Fernand in a concert performance of La Favorita, and the Duke in Rigoletto in Springfield, Missouri. He is a regular guest in St. Petersburg and Moscow for concerts with Konstantin Orbelian.
Jason Switzer Méru Baritone Jason Switzer recently made his professional debut with Central City Opera singing Hel Helson in Paul Bunyan and the Bonze in Madama Butterfly. He then
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went to both Utah Opera and Opera Tampa to perform the role of Capulet in Roméo et Juliette. These engagements followed the completion of his studies at the Academy of Vocal Arts, where he performed many roles including the Count in Le nozze di Figaro, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Orest in Elektra, and Schaunard in La bohème. Switzer was also an apprentice artist at Central City Opera in 2004, where he performed the Four Villains in Les contes d’Hoffmann. He was a two-time national semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He has also won other prestigious competitions, including the Bel Canto Vocal Scholarship Competition and the Sullivan Foundation Competition.
Peter Volpe Marcel Bass Peter Volpe made his Metropolitan Opera debut in a new production of Prokofiev’s War and Peace, and has subsequently returned to the Met to perform in new productions of Les Troyens, Salome, Boris Godunov, Falstaff, Gianni Schicchi, Carmen, Aida, I vespri siciliani, Cyrano di Bergerac, and Andrea Chénier, among others. At New York City Opera he has performed the title role in Don Giovanni, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, and Colline in La bohème. He has appeared with San Francisco Opera in productions of Salome, Nabucco, and Roméo et Juliette; with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in Falstaff; with Washington National Opera in Billy Budd and The Maid of Orleans; with Palm Beach Opera and Vancouver Opera as Mephistopheles in Faust; with Portland Opera as Sparafucile in Rigoletto and as Banquo in Macbeth; with the Michigan Opera Theatre and Opera Company of Philadelphia as De Guiche in the world premiere of Cyrano; with the Florentine Opera of Milwaukee in the title role in Don Giovanni; with Vancouver Opera and Opera Lyra Ottawa as Gremin in Eugene Onegin; and in Verdi’s Requiem at Carnegie Hall. He has also performed extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and South America. Volpe’s upcoming engagements include the title role in Boito’s Mefistofele at the Michigan Opera Theatre, Idraote in Arminda at the Metropolitan Opera, and Silva in Ernani and Mephistopheles in Faust at Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Tracy Wise Cossé Tenor Tracy Wise’s performances this season include Dr. Blind in Die Fledermaus and Don Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro, both with Dallas Opera, as well as Gastone in La
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traviata and Pong in Turandot with Opera Birmingham. His recent work also includes Peter Quint in Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s production of The Turn of the Screw, the role of the Servants in the student cast of Les contes d’Hoffman with Dallas Opera, the Tanzmeister in Dallas Opera’s mainstage production of Ariadne auf Naxos, Monostatos in Die Zauberflöte, and the Tanzmeister in Ariadne auf Naxos with Utah Symphony and Opera. He was last seen at SummerScape in 2004 as Punin and Zoschenko in The Guest from the Future. Next season he will sing Spoletta in Tosca with Nashville Opera and Scaramucchio in Ariadne auf Naxos with Boston Lyric Opera. Wise trained in ballet with the Boston Ballet, in commedia dell’arte movement at Scuola Internazionale dell’Attore Comico, and as a theatrical clown with Dell’Arte International.
American Symphony Orchestra The American Symphony Orchestra (ASO) was founded in 1962 by Leopold Stokowski. Its music director and principal conductor is Leon Botstein. As part of Lincoln Center Presents Great Performers at Avery Fisher Hall, the ASO has pioneered the performance of thematically organized concerts linking music to the visual arts, literature, politics, and history. In addition, the ASO performs in a lecture/concert series with audience interaction called Classics Declassified at Peter Norton Symphony Space. It is also the resident orchestra of The Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College, where the American Symphony performs an annual concert series as well as in Bard’s SummerScape Festival and the Bard Music Festival. The ASO’s music education programs are presented at high schools throughout New York, New Jersey, and Long Island. Among the American Symphony’s recent recordings are music by Copland, Sessions, Perle, and Rands (New World Records) and music of Ernst von Dohnányi (Bridge Records). Its recording of Richard Strauss’s opera Die ägyptische Helena, with Deborah Voigt, and Strauss’s Die Liebe der Danae were made for Telarc. Other recordings with Leon Botstein include Franz Schubert: Orchestrated (Koch International) and, on the Vanguard Classics label, Johannes Brahms’s Serenade No. 1 (1860). The ASO inaugurated São Paolo’s new concert hall and has made several tours of Asia and Europe. It has performed with the Peer Gynt Theater Company of Norway in Central Park and has a long history of appearing in charitable and public benefits for such organizations as Sha’are Zedek Hospital, the Jerusalem Foundation, and PBS.
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American Symphony Orchestra Leon Botstein, Music Director
violin i
viola d’amore
percussion
Erica Kiesewetter, Concertmaster Yukie Handa Patricia Davis Ragga Petursdottir John Connelly Ann Labin Yana Goichman Mara Milkis Elizabeth Nielsen David Steinberg
Anne Black
Kory Grossman, Principal Javier Diaz Matthew Beaumont Charles Descarfino
violin ii
clarinet
Robert Zubrycki, Principal Wende Namkung Lucy Morganstern Ashley Horne Alexander Vselensky Ann Gillette Lisa Steinberg Lisa Tipton
Laura Flax, Principal Marina Sturm Amy Zoloto, Bass clarinet
flute Laura Conwesser, Principal Elizabeth Brown Diva Goodfriend-Koven, Piccolo
Sara Cutler, Principal Victoria Drake
oboe Laura Ahlbeck, Principal Alexandra Knoll
bassoon Charles McCracken, Principal Maureen Strenge Gilbert Dejean Damian Primis
viola Nardo Poy, Principal Sally Shumway John Dexter Martha Brody Adria Benjamin Debra Shufelt-Dine
harp
horn Zohar Schondorf, Principal Theodore Primis Chad Yarbrough Kyle Hoyt
off-stage clarinet Shari Hoffman Christopher Cullen
off-stage horn Adam Krauthamer Leise Ballou David Peel Jacquelyn Adams
off-stage trumpet Dominic Derasse Gareth Flowers Lorraine Cohen Peter Ajemian Michael Blutman
off-stage trombone Keith Green David Read
trumpet cello Eugene Moye, Principal Roberta Cooper Sarah Carter Tatyana Margulis Lanny Paykin Anik Oulianine
bass Jacqui Danilow, Principal Jack Wenger Louise Koby Lou Bruno John Babich
John Sheppard, Principal Thomas Hoyt Alex Holton Jason Covey
assistant conductors
trombone
Teresa Cheung Christian Capocaccia
Kenneth Finn, Principal Thomas Hutchinson Dean Plank
librarian
ophicleide
personnel manager
Kyle Turner, Principal
Ronald Sell
timpani Benjamin Herman, Principal
Daniel Bassin
We honor the late Richard B. Fisher for his generosity and leadership in building and supporting this superb center that bears his name by offering outstanding arts experiences. We recognize and thank the following individuals, corporations, and foundations that share Dick’s and our belief in presenting and creating art for the enrichment of society. Help us sustain the Fisher Center and ensure that the performing arts are a part of our lives. We encourage and need you to join our growing list of donors. (The list reflects donations received in the last 12 months.)
Donors to the Fisher Center Leadership Support The Educational Foundation of America Jeanne Donovan Fisher Emily H. Fisher and John Alexander Martin and Toni Sosnoff Foundation Mr. and Mrs. James H. Ottaway Jr. Richard B. Fisher Endowment Fund Martin T. and Toni Sosnoff
Golden Circle Anonymous Carolyn Marks Blackwood Stefano Ferrari and Lilo Zinglersen FMH Foundation Linda Hirshman and David Forkosh The Marks Family Foundation Millbrook Tribute Garden, Inc. Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland
National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpieces: Dance New England Foundation for the Arts Senator Stephen M. Saland Thaw Charitable Trust Thendara Foundation Felicitas S. Thorne Tiffany and Co. True Love Productions
Anne and Harvey Brown Mr. and Mrs. Gonzalo de las Heras Barbara and Richard Debs Michael J. Del Guidice and Jaynne Keys Tambra Dillon Dirt Road Realty, LLC Gordon Douglas Elizabeth W. Ely ’65 and Jonathan K. Greenburg Alan and Judith Fishman Peter C. Frank GE Foundation Gideon and Sarah Gartner Foundation of the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Andrew Goffe and Jeffrey Levin Sally and William Hambrecht Eliot D. and Paula K. Hawkins HSBC Philanthropic Programs Mr. and Mrs. George A. Kellner Peter ’66 and Barbara Kenner Jane and Daniel Lindau Chris Lipscomb and Monique Segarra John McNally W. Patrick McMullan and Rachel McPherson Stanley and Jane Moss Kathleen O’Grady Quality Printing Company Drs. M. Susan and Irwin Richman Don and Natalie Robohm Ruth Ketay and Rene Schnetzler David A. Schulz Karen and Robert G. Scott Denise S. Simon and Paulo Vieira da Cunha Michele Sodi Andrew Solomon and John Habich Sarah and Howard Solomon The Harkness Foundation for Dance, Inc. Barbara and Donald Tober Margo and Anthony Viscusi
Sponsor Frank and Mary Ann Arisman Harriet Bloch and Evan Sakellarios Sarah Botstein and Bryan Doerries James S. Brodsky and Philip E. McCarthy II Richard D. Cohen Patricia Falk R. Mardel Fehrenbach Mary Freeman Carson Glover and Stephen Millikin Carlos Gonzalez and Katherine Stewart Dr. Eva Griepp Helene L. and Mark N. Kaplan Demetrios Karayannides Kassell Family Foundation of the Jewish Communal Fund Martin Kline Bryce Klontz John Knott Laura Kuhn Geraldine and Lawrence Laybourne Cynthia Hirsch Levy ’65 Stephen Mazoh Barbara L. and Arthur Michaels Andrea and Kenneth L. Miron Samuel and Ellen Phelan Chris Pomeroy and Frank Frattaroli Melanie and Philippe Radley William Ross and John Longman Carol York and Gerard Conn
Friends of the Fisher Center Producer Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation Fiona Angelini and Jamie Welch Chartwells School and University Dining Services Barbara Ettinger and Sven Huseby The Ettinger Foundation, Inc. Alex Fisher ’96 and Jennifer Hodges Fisher Catherine C. Fisher and Gregory A. Murphy R. Britton Fisher The Jerome Robbins Foundation Key Bank Foundation The Kosciuszko Foundation Annie Leibovitz Harvey and Phyllis Lichtenstein Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation The Maurer Family Foundation, Inc. Millbrook Vineyards and Winery National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) New England Foundation for the Arts New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Dimitri B. and Rania Papadimitriou Polish Cultural Institute Drs. M. Susan and Irwin Richman Rudolf Nureyev Dance Foundation David E. Schwab II ’52 and Ruth Schwartz Schwab ’52 Matthew Patrick Smyth Allan and Ronnie Streichler Patron Helen and Roger Alcaly Kathleen and Roland Augustine Mary I. Backlund Anne Donovan Bodnar and James L. Bodnar
Supporter Lucy and Murray Adams Marina Arfwidson and David Weiss Charles Blyth Phyllis Braziel Kay Brover and Arthur Bennett Gary Capetta and Nick Jones Eileen and Michael Cohen Virginia Corsi
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Anne Cotton Dr. Robert Crowell Emily M. Darrow and Brendon P. McCrane George and Marsha Davis Abby H. and John B. Dux K. F. Etzold and Carline Dure-Etzold Martha J. Fleischmann Len Floren and Susan Regis Helena and Christopher Gibbs Gilberte Vansintejan Glaser and William A. Glaser Adrien Glover and Michael Kelly Stanley L. Gordon Nan and David Greenwood Alexander Grey and David Cabrera Rosemary and Graham Hanson Janet and William Hart Sue Hartshorn Lars Hedstrom and Barry Judd Hedstrom and Judd, Inc Mel and Phyllis Heiko Dorothy and Leo Hellerman Dr. Joan Hoffman and Syd Silverman Susan and Roger Kennedy Harold Klein Seymour and Harriet Koenig Danielle Korwin and Anthony DiGuiseppe Ramone Lascano Helena Lee Fred and Jean Leventhal Mimi Levitt William Li and James Oates Charles S. Maier Mark McDonald Bibhu Mohapatra Sybil Nadel Elizabeth J. and Sevgin Oktay Mark Podlaseck Arlene Richards Nicole Ringenberg Ted Ruthizer and Jane Denkensohn Mish Tworkowski
Barbara Jean Weyant Earnest Wurzbach Desi and Ben Zalman Friend Anonymous John J. Austrian ’91 and Laura M. Austrian Sybil Baldwin Alvin Becker Richard L. Benson Dr. Marge and Edward Blaine Timothy Bonticou Walter Brighton Alfred M. Buff and Lenore Nemeth MaryAnn and Thomas Case Daniel Chu and Lenore Schiff Mr. and Mrs. John Cioffi Irwin and Susan Cohen Jean T. Cook David Ebony and Bruce Mundt Christine Fasano Mary and Harvey Freeman Edward Friedman Catherine Fukushima Frances A. and Rao Gaddipati Ann Marie Gardner Joseph W. and Joyce Gelb Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Glinert Judy R. and Arthur Gold Rosalind Golembe Sheryl Griffith Elise and Carl Hartman James Hayden Delmar D. Hendricks Neil Isabelle Ryland Jordan John Kalish Eleanor C. Kane Nathan M. Kaplan Linda L. Kaumeyer Rose and Josh Koplovitz James Kraft Robert J. Kurilla
Michael and Ruth Lamm Jeffrey Lang Gerald F. Lewis Hermes Mallea and Carey Maloney Florence Mayne Marcus de Albuquerque Mello ’04 Dr. Naomi Mendelsohn Edie Michelson and Sumner Milender Milly Sugarman Interiors, Ltd. Arvia Morris Joanne and Richard Mrstik Martha Nickels Robert M. Osborne David Pozorski and Anna Romanski Leopold Quarles van Ufford Serena Rattazzi Yael Ravin and Howard Sachar George and Gail Hunt Reeke Harry Reingold Barbara B. Reis Edward and Marion Scott James E. Scott Susan Seidel Frank Self William Shum Elisabeth A. Simon Joel Stein Dr. Sanford B. Sternlieb LuRaye Tate Janeth L. Thoron Linda Steinitz Vehlow Dr. and Mrs. Stanley Weinstock Barbara K. and Roger H. Wesby Naomi J. Miller and Thomas M. Williams Robert and Lynda Youmans Mike and Kathy Zdeb Rena Zurofsky Current as of June 8, 2009
Donors to the Bard Music Festival Events in this year’s Bard Music Festival are underwritten in part by special gifts from Bettina Baruch Foundation Jeanne Donovan Fisher Mimi Levitt James H. Ottaway Jr. Felicitas S. Thorne Festival Underwriters James H. Ottaway Jr. Opening Concert Mimi Levitt Opening Night Dinner Guest Artists
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Joanna M. Migdal Panel Discussions Margo and Anthony Viscusi Preconcert Talks Furthermore Foundation Festival Book Roger and Helen Alcaly Festival Program Homeland Foundation Bard Music Festival Preview at Wethersfield New York State Council on the Arts National Endowment for the Arts
Leadership Support Mimi Levitt The Mortimer Levitt Foundation Mr. and Mrs. James H. Ottaway Jr. Golden Circle Bettina Baruch Foundation Jeanne Donovan Fisher Jane W. Nuhn Charitable Trust Denise S. Simon and Paulo Vieira da Cunha Felicitas S. Thorne Millie and Robert Wise
Friends of the Bard Music Festival Benefactor Helen and Roger E. Alcaly The Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation Leonie F. Batkin Joan K. Davidson Mr. and Mrs. Gonzalo de las Heras John A. Dierdorff Elizabeth W. Ely ’65 and Jonathan K. Greenburg FMH Foundation Eliot D. and Paula K. Hawkins Linda Hirshman and David Forkosh Homeland Foundation, Inc. HSBC Philanthropic Programs The J. M. Kaplan Fund, Inc. Peter ’66 and Barbara Kenner Amy and Thomas O. Maggs Marstrand Foundation Joanna M. Migdal National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Dimitri B. and Rania Papadimitriou Peter Kenner Family Fund of the Jewish Communal Fund Ralph E. Ogden Foundation, Inc Drs. M. Susan and Irwin Richman Santander Central Hispano David E. Schwab II ’52 and Ruth Schwartz Schwab ’52 H. Peter Stern and Helen Drutt English Thorne and Tucker Taylor Margo and Anthony Viscusi Dr. Siri von Reis The Wise Family Charitable Foundation Betsey and E. Lisk Wyckoff Jr. Patron ABC Foundation Edwin L. Artzt and Marieluise Hessel Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Atkins Kathleen and Roland Augustine Gale and Sheldon Baim Alexander and Margaret Bancroft Elizabeth Phillips Bellin and Marco M. S. Bellin Helen ’48 and Robert Bernstein Sarah Botstein and Bryan Doerries Constance and David C. Clapp Michelle Clayman J. T. Compton Arnold J. ’44 and Seena Davis Michael Del Giudice and Jaynne Keyes Rt. Rev. Herbert A. and Mary Donovan Amy K. and David Dubin Robert C. Edmonds ’68 George L. Steiner and R. Mardel Fehrenbach Alfred J. Law and Glenda A. Fowler Law Carlos Gonzalez and Katherine Stewart
Helen and Robert Bernstein Philanthropic Fund of the Jewish Communal Fund David and Nancy Hathaway Barbara K. Hogan Frederic K. and Elena Howard Anne E. Impellizzeri Susan Jonas Rachel and Dr. Shalom Kalnicki Belinda and Stephen Kaye Edith Hamilton Kean Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Keesee III Mr. and Mrs. George A. Kellner Susan and Roger Kennedy Kenner Management, Inc. Ruth Ketay and René Schnetzler Seymour and Harriet Koenig Edna and Gary Lachmund Alison L. and John C. Lankenau Amala and Eric Levine Barbara and S Jay Levy Cynthia Hirsch Levy ’65 Patti and Murray Liebowitz Martin S. Lippman Martin and Toni Sosnoff Foundation Martin Kline and Stephen Mazoh W. Patrick McMullan and Rachel McPherson Dr. James G. McMurtry III Metropolitan Life Foundation Matching Gift Program Martin L. Murray and Lucy Miller Murray Alexandra Ottaway Cynthia H. and Leon B. Polsky Dr. Gabrielle H. Reem and Dr. Herbert J. Kayden Drs. Morton and Shirley Rosenberg Dr. Miriam Roskin Berger ’56 Blanche and Bruce Rubin Ines Elskop and Christopher Scholz Sarah and Howard Solomon Martin T. and Toni Sosnoff Edwin Steinberg Stewart’s Shops Allan and Ronnie Streichler Barbara and Donald Tober Drs. Katherine and Richard Tobey Elizabeth Farran Tozer and W. James Tozer Jr. Tozer Family Fund of the New York Community Trust Mark Trujillo Aida and Albert Wilder Mrs. Beverley D. Zabriskie William C. Zifchak Sponsor Anonymous Beth and Jerry Bierbaum David C. Brown Melva Bucksbaum and Raymond J. Learsy Lydia Chapin Craig and Gloria Callen Everett and Karen Cook
Phillip S. Cooke Dasein Foundation Willem F. De Vogel Cornelia Z. and Timothy Eland Shepard and Jane Ellenberg Ellenberg Asset Management Corp. Field-Bay Foundation Deborah and Thomas Flexner Donald C. Fresne Francis Finlay and Olivia J. Fussell Samuel L. Gordon Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Jay M. Gwynne Martin Holub and Karen Kidder Elizabeth D. and Robert Hottensen Pamela Howard John R. and Joyce Hupper I.B.M. Matching Grants Program Edith and Hamilton F. Kean Fernanda Kellogg and Kirk Henckels John and Karen Klopp Nancy and Robert Lindsay Clara F. and David J. Londoner Renee Petrofes and Gerry McNamara Andrea and Kenneth Miron James and Purcell Palmer Mr. and Mrs. Frederick P. Payton Ellen and Eric Petersen John and Claire Reid Alfred J. and Deirdre Ross Dr. Paul H. Schwartz and Lisa Barne-Schwartz James and Sara Sheldon Andrew Solomon and John Habich David and Sarah Stack Richard C. Strain Timothy and Cornelia Eland Fund of the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Helen and Michiel van der Voort Caroline A. Wamsler Arete and William Warren Jack and Jill Wertheim Serena H. Whitridge Julia and Nigel Widdowson Peter and Maria Wirth Supporter Munir and Susan Abu-Haidar Barbara J. Agren Leora and Peter Armstrong John K. Ayling Irene and Jack Banning Didi and David Barrett Karen H. Bechtel Dr. Susan Krysiewicz and Thomas Bell Carole and Gary Beller Mr. and Mrs. Andy Bellin Mr. and Mrs. David Bova Mr. and Mrs. William B. Brannan Kay Brover and Arthur Bennett Dan F. and Nancy Brown Kate Buckley and Tony Pell Peter Caldwell and Jane Waters Miriam and Philip Carroll Constance and David C. Clapp Frederick and Jan Cohen
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Emily M. Darrow and Brendon P. McCrane Dorothy and Seth Dubin Ruth Eng Ingrid and Gerald Fields Emily Rutgers Fuller Helena and Christopher Gibbs Mims and Burton Gold Mrs. Janine M. Gordon Nan and David Greenwood Mortimer and Penelope C. Hall Sally S. Hamilton Juliet Heyes Susan Hoehn and Allan Bahrs Jay Jolly Karen Bechtel Foundation of the Advisor Charitable Gift Fund Robert E. Kaus Charles and Katharine King Dr. and Mrs. Vincent Koh Lowell H. and Sandra A. Lamb Debra I. and Jonathan Lanman E. Deane and Judith S. Leonard Walter Lippincott Lynn Favrot Nolan Family Fund Jeanette MacDonald and Charles Morgan Philip and Tracey Mactaggart Charles S. Maier Claire and Chris Mann Elizabeth B. Mavroleon Samuel C. Miller Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Mudge Bernadette Murray and Randy Fertel Jay H. Newman Mr. and Mrs. William T. Nolan Marta E. Nottebohm Dr. Bernhard Fabricius and Sylvia Owen Susan Heath and Rodney Paterson David B. and Jane L. Parshall Eve Propp Eve Propp Family Foundation, Inc. Elizabeth J. and Sergin Oktay John Royall Dagni and Martin Senzel Nadine Bertin Stearns Mim and Leonard Stein Ms. Carole Tindall
John Tuke Dr. Elisabeth F. Turnauer Monica Wambold Taki and Donald Wise John and Mary Young Friend Anonymous Rev. Albert R. Ahlstrom Lorraine D. Alexander Artscope, Inc. Antonia Bakker-Salvato Phebe and George Banta James M. Barton Mr. and Mrs. Francis D. Bartow II Saida Baxt, M.D. Richard L. Benson Dr. Marge and Edward Blaine Eric and Irene Brocks David and Jeannette T. Brown Mr. and Mrs. John C. D. Bruno Alfred M. Buff and Lenore Nemeth Peter Edelman Peter Elebach and Jane Robinson Jim and Laurie Niles Erwin Patricia Falk Harold Farberman Arthur L. Fenaroli David and Tracy Finn Luisa E. Flynn Patricia and John Forelle Samantha Free Stephen and Jane Garmey Anne C. Gillis Mr. and Mrs. Harrison J. Goldin Dr. Joel and Ellen Goldin Stanley L. Gordon Thurston Greene Ben-Ali and Mimi Haggin David A. Harris Sy Helderman Nancy H. Henze Gary Herman William Holman Dr. and Mrs. Gerald Imber Patricia H. Keesee Diana Niles King Thea Kliros Sharon Daniel Kroeger
Beth Ledy M Group, LLC John P. MacKenzie Hermes Mallea and Carey Maloney Annette S. and Paul N. Marcus Harvey Marek Alexander R. Marshall The McGraw-Hill Companies Matching Gift Program Millicent O. McKinley Cox Marcus Mello ’04 Carol Henken Philip Messing Deborah D. Montgomery Kelly Morgan Hugh and Marilyn Nissenson Harold J. and Helen C. Noah Gary S. Patrik Peter and Sally V. Pettus Dr. Alice R. Pisciotto David Pozorski and Anna Romanski D. Miles Price Sheila Sanders Klara Sauer Frederick W. Schwerin Jr. Danny P. Shanahan and Janet E. Stetson ’81 J. Kevin Smith Dr. Thomas B. Sanders Polly and LeRoy Swindell Jessica and Peter Tcherepnine Gladys R. Thomas Janeth L. Thoron Cynthia M. Tripp ’01 Laurie Tuzo Elizabeth van Diepen Illiana van Meeteren Andrea A. Walton Jacqueline E. Warren Victoria and Conrad Wicher Mr. and Mrs. John Winkler Robert and Lynda Youmans Current as of June 8, 2009
Donors to the Mrs. Mortimer Levitt Endowment Fund for the Performing Arts Bettina Baruch Foundation Helen and Kenneth Blackburn Leon Botstein Dr. Richard Brockman John A. Dierdorff Robert C. Edmonds ’68 Elizabeth W. Ely ’65 and Jonathan K. Greenburg Ines Elskop and Christopher Scholz Jeanne Donovan Fisher Gideon I. Gartner Helena and Christopher Gibbs Katherine Gould-Martin and Robert L. Martin
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Samuel and Ronni Heyman Anne E. Impellizeri Rosalind G. Jacobs Peter ’66 and Barbara Kenner Louise Kerz-Hirschfeld Mr. and Mrs. Roger Leifer Mrs. Mortimer Levitt Frayda B. and George Lindemann Amy and Thomas O. Maggs Metropolitan Life Foundation Matching Gift Program Joanna M. Migdal Martin L. and Lucy Miller Murray Florence F. Moffitt
The Mortimer Levitt Foundation, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. James H. Ottaway Jr. Debra R. Pemstein and Dean Vallas David E. Schwab II ’52 and Ruth Schwartz Schwab ’52 Raissa St. Pierre ’87 Ted and Voda Stanley Joanne M. Stern Thorne and Tucker Taylor Felicitas S. Thorne Margo and Anthony Viscusi Dr. Siri von Reis Irene Zedlacher
Major support for the Fisher Center’s programs has been provided by: Anonymous Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation Helen and Roger E. Alcaly Fiona Angelini and Jamie Welch The Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation Ms. Leonie F. Batkin Bettina Baruch Foundation Carolyn Marks Blackwood The Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation Chartwells School and University Dining Services Joan K. Davidson John A. Dierdorff Robert C. Edmonds ’68 Educational Foundation of America Elizabeth W. Ely ’65 and Jonathan K. Greenburg Barbara Ettinger and Sven Huseby Stefano Ferrari and Lilo Zinglersen Alexander D. Fisher ’96 and Jennifer Hodges Fisher Catherine C. Fisher and Gregory A. Murphy Emily H. Fisher and John Alexander Jeanne Donovan Fisher R. Britton Fisher FMH Foundation Eliot D. and Paula K. Hawkins Linda Hirshman and David Forkosh Homeland Foundation, Inc. HSBC Philanthropic Programs Anne E. Impellizzeri
Jane’s Ice Cream Jane W. Nuhn Charitable Trust The Jerome Robbins Foundation The J. M. Kaplan Fund, Inc. Peter ’66 and Barbara Kenner Key Bank The Kosciuszko Foundation, Inc. Annie Leibovitz Harvey and Phyllis Lichtenstein Lucy Pang Yoa Chang Foundation Mimi Levitt Amy and Thomas O. Maggs Magic Hat Brewing Company The Marks Family Foundation Marstrand Foundation Martin & Toni Sosnoff Foundation Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Joanna M. Migdal The Millbrook Tribute Garden Millbrook Vineyards & Winery Andrea and Kenneth Miron The Mortimer Levitt Foundation Inc. National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpieces: Dance National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Mr. and Mrs. James H. Ottaway Jr. The Overbrook Foundation
Ralph E. Ogden Foundation, Inc. Dimitri B. and Rania Papadimitriou Polish Cultural Institute Drs. Gabrielle H. Reem and Herbert J. Kayden Richard B. Fisher Endowment Fund Drs. M. Susan and Irwin Richman Rudolf Nureyev Dance Foundation Senator Stephen M. Saland David E. Schwab II ’52 and Ruth Schwartz Schwab ’52 Denise S. Simon and Paulo Vieira da Cunha Matthew Patrick Smyth Martin T. and Toni Sosnoff H. Peter Stern Ronnie and Allan Streichler Thaw Charitable Trust Thendara Foundation Thorne and Tucker Taylor Felicitas S. Thorne Tiffany & Co. True Love Productions Margo and Anthony Viscusi Dr. Siri von Reis Rosalind C. Whitehead Millie and Robert Wise The Wise Family Charitable Foundation Elizabeth and E. Lisk Wyckoff Jr.
Board and Administration of Bard College Board of Trustees David E. Schwab II ’52, Chair Emeritus Charles P. Stevenson Jr., Chair Emily H. Fisher, Vice Chair Elizabeth Ely ’65, Secretary Roland J. Augustine, Treasurer Fiona Angelini Leon Botstein, President of the College+ David C. Clapp Marcelle Clements ’69* The Rt. Rev. Herbert A. Donovan Jr. Honorary Trustee Asher B. Edelman ’61 Robert S. Epstein ’63 Barbara S. Grossman ’73* Ernest F. Henderson III, Life Trustee Marieluise Hessel John C. Honey ’39, Life Trustee Charles S. Johnson III ’70 Mark N. Kaplan George A. Kellner Cynthia Hirsch Levy ’65 Murray Liebowitz Marc S. Lipschultz Peter H. Maguire ’88
James H. Ottaway Jr. Martin Peretz Bruce C. Ratner Stanley A. Reichel ’65 Stewart Resnick Roger N. Scotland ’93* Martin T. Sosnoff Susan Weber Patricia Ross Weis ’52
Mary Backlund Vice President for Student Affairs and Director of Admission
Administration
Mary Smith Director of Publications
Leon Botstein President Dimitri B. Papadimitriou Executive Vice President Michèle D. Dominy Vice President and Dean of the College Robert L. Martin Vice President for Academic Affairs; Director, Bard College Conservatory of Music James Brudvig Vice President for Administration Debra Pemstein Vice President for Development and Alumni/ae Affairs
Norton Batkin Dean of Graduate Studies Erin Cannan Dean of Students Peter Gadsby Registrar
Ginger Shore Consultant to Publications Mark Primoff Director of Communications Kevin Parker Controller Jeffrey Katz Dean of Information Services Judith Samoff Dean of Programs + ex officio * alumni/ae trustee 33
Board and Administration for The Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College Advisory Board
Administration
Jeanne Donovan Fisher, Chair Leon Botstein+ Stefano Ferrari Harvey Lichtenstein Peter J. Linden, M.D. James H. Ottaway Jr. Dimitri B. Papadimitriou+ David E. Schwab II ’52 Martin T. Sosnoff Toni Sosnoff Felicitas S. Thorne
Susana Meyer Associate Director
+ ex officio
Robert Airhart Production Manager Debra Pemstein Vice President for Development and Alumni/ae Affairs Mark Primoff Director of Communications Mary Smith Director of Publications Ginger Shore Consultant to Publications Kimberly Keeley-Henschel Budget Director Paul LaBarbera Sound and Video Engineer
Stephen Dean Stage Operations Manager Mark Crittenden Facilities Manager Jeannie Schneider Administrative Assistant Elena Batt Box Office Manager Austin Miller ’06 Assistant General Manager and House Manager Ray Stegner Assistant to the General Manager Doug Pitcher Building Operations Coordinator Kelly Spencer Managing Editor
Board and Administration of the Bard Music Festival Robert C. Edmonds ‘68, Chair Roger Alcaly Leon Botstein+ Michelle Clayman John A. Dierdorff Jeanne Donovan Fisher Christopher H. Gibbs+ Jonathan K. Greenburg Paula K. Hawkins Linda Hirshman Anne E. Impellizzeri Peter Kenner ‘66 Mimi Levitt Thomas O. Maggs Robert Martin+ Joanna M. Migdal Lucy Miller Murray Kenneth L. Miron Christina A. Mohr James H. Ottaway, Jr. David E. Schwab II ‘52 Denise Simon H. Peter Stern Tucker Taylor Felicitas S. Thorne Anthony Viscusi Siri von Reis E. Lisk Wyckoff
Artistic Directors Leon Botstein Christopher H. Gibbs Robert Martin
Development Debra Pemstein Andrea Guido Stephen Millikin
Executive Director Irene Zedlacher
Publications Mary Smith
Associate Director Raissa St. Pierre ’87
Consultant to Publications Ginger Shore
Scholar in Residence 2009 Thomas S. Grey Program Committee 2009 Byron Adams Leon Botstein Christopher H. Gibbs Thomas S. Grey Robert Martin Richard Wilson Irene Zedlacher Administrative Assistant Christina Kaminski ’08
Public Relations Mark Primoff Eleanor Davis 21C Media Group Director of Choruses James Bagwell Vocal Casting Consultant Susana Meyer Stage Manager Stephen Dean Cynthia Baker Transportation Director Edward W. Schmidt + ex officio
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Board and Administration of the American Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors Danny Goldberg, Chair Eileen Rhulen, Vice Chair Dimitri B. Papadimitriou, Treasurer Mary F. Miller, Secretary
Michael Dorf Jan Krukowski Jack Kliger Peter J. Linden, M.D. Shirley A. Mueller Thurmond Smithgall Eve Stuart Felicitas S. Thorne Joel I. Berson* L. Stan Stokowski* Chairmen Emeriti Joel I. Berson Robert A. Fippinger Jan Krukowski
* honorary
Administration Lynne Meloccaro Executive Director Oliver Inteeworn General Manager Allison Derusha Director of Development Anne Johnson Director of Marketing
Clifford J. Brooks Education Advisor Michael Blutman Education Advisor 21C Media Group Public Relations Karen Walker Spencer Graphic Design
Sebastian Danila Library Manager
James Bagwell Principal Guest Conductor
Marielle MĂŠtivier Production Associate
Teresa Cheung Assistant Conductor
Micah Banner-Baine Development Assistant
Susana Meyer Artistic Consultant
Katrina Herfort Marketing Assistant
Richard Wilson Composer-in- Residence
Daniel Bassin Orchestra Librarian Ronald Sell Orchestra Personnel Manager Ann Gabler Manager, Music Education and School Outreach
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SummerScape Staff Administration Susana Meyer Associate Director Debra Pemstein Vice President for Development and Alumni/ae Affairs Mark Primoff Director of Communications Kimberly Keeley-Henschel Budget Director Jeannie Schneider Administrative Assistant Kelly Spencer Managing Editor
Michael Zally Master Carpenter, Sosnoff Theater Joseph Puglisi Roger Mann Todd Renadette Dan Gibbons Jake Goldwasser Amy Jonas Sean Maloney Emil Byrne Steve Lorrick Adam Spencer Kelley O’Donnoghue Glenna Broderick ’09 Carley Matey ’11 Anthony Santora Elaine Nelson
Production Robert Airhart Production Manager
Electrics
Bonnie Kate Anthony Assistant Production Manager
Andrew Hill Lighting Supervisor
Stephen Dean Stage Operations Supervisor
Brandon Koenig Master Electrician, Sosnoff Theater
Kelly Wood Spiegeltent Production Coordinator
Joshua Foreman Master Electrician, T2
Alexandra Paull Shopper / Buyer
Walter Daniels Master Electrician, Spiegeltent
Carl Kranz ’09 Production Assistant
Paul Frydrychowski Morgan Blaich Stephanie Shechter Claire Moodey Jeremy Lechterman Jeremiah McClelland Chris Petillo Sarah Bessel ’11 Mike Kauffman ’10 Mike Porter ’11 Nora Rubenstone ’11
Student Production Assistants Valerie Ellithorpe ’09 Jesse Brown ’10 Quinn Olbrich ’09 Grace Schultz ’10 Grace Converse ’09 Sean Christensen ’11 Amanda Warman ’09
Carpenters Vincent Roca Technical Director, Sosnoff Theater Kent Cyr Technical Director, T2 Christian Crum Master Carpenter, T2
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Costumes Mary Cyr Costume Shop Director Deana Luetkenhaus First Hand Brie Furches Wardrobe Supervisor Christopher Schramm Draper Molly Farley Alice Broughton Dale Gibbons Jennie Jefferson Allegra Barlow ’09 Yvonne Martinez ’10 Karyn Rice Jennie Jefferson Tessa Samuelson Arden Kirkland Alyson Parise
Hair and Makeup Jennifer Donovan Hair and Makeup Supervisor Christal Schanes Makeup Supervisor
Properties Brian Kafel Prop Supervisor, Sosnoff Theater Megan Simmons Prop Supervisor, T2
Spiegelmaestro Nik Quaife
Sound and Video
Company Management
Paul LaBarbera Sound and Video Engineer
Kate Pfeffer Company Manager
Sharlene Shaylan David Kelly Duncan Scott Hoskins Matt Cameron Sebastian Schinkel Phillip Meir Siblo-Landsman ’09 Thom Patzner
Company Management Assistants Jack Byerly ’10 Katy Kelleher ’09 Jake Nabel ’07 Jane Pfeffer
Front of House
Box Office
Facilities
Austin Miller ’06 Assistant General Manager and House Manager
Elena Batt Box Office Manager
Mark Crittenden Facilities Manager
Kate Motzenbacker ’09 Assistant Box Office Manager
Ray Stegner Assistant to the General Manager
Christopher Hazenbush Senior Assistant House Manager Christina Reitemeyer ’07 Senior Assistant House Manager Lesley DeMartin ’11 Assistant House Manager Nicholas Friedman ’09 Assistant House Manager Emily Gildea ’11 Front of House Assistant Amy Strumbly ’11 Front of House Assistant
Doug Pitcher Building Operations Coordinator Box Office Tellers Caitlyn DeRosa Cristeena Chitraker ’12 Adena Rivera-Dundas ’10 David McColloch ’09 Claire Weber ’08 Anatole Höcek ’12 Thomas Corrado Emilie Ruscoe ’11 Marlies Staples ’11
Housekeeping Vicki Child Anna Simmons Melissa Stickle
Assistants to the Facilities Manager Chad Cole Walter Tauvalt
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BECOME A FRIEND OF THE FISHER CENTER TODAY! Since opening in 2003, The Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College has transformed cultural life in the Hudson Valley with world-class programming. Our continued success relies heavily on individuals such as you. Become a Friend of the Fisher Center today. Friends of the Fisher Center membership is designed to give individual donors the opportunity to support their favorite programs through the Fisher Center Council or Bard Music Festival Council. As a Friend of the Fisher Center, you will enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at Fisher Center presentations and receive invitations to special events and services throughout the year.
Friend ($100–249)
Patron ($1,000–4,999) All of the above, plus:
• Advance notice of programming • Free tour of the Fisher Center • Listing in the program ($5 of donation is not tax deductible)
• Opportunity to buy tickets before sales open to the general public • Exclusive telephone line for Patron Priority handling of ticket orders • Invitation for you and a guest to a pre-performance dinner at a Hudson River Valley home ($150 of donation is not tax deductible)
Supporter ($250–499) All of the above, plus: • Invitation for you and a guest to a season preview event • Invitations to opening night receptions with the artists • Invitation for you and a guest to a select dress rehearsal ($5 of donation is not tax deductible)
Sponsor ($500–999) All of the above, plus: • Copy of the Bard Music Festival book • Invitation for you and a guest to a backstage technical demonstration ($40 of donation is not tax deductible)
Producer/Benefactor ($5,000+) All of the above, plus: • Seat naming opportunity • Invitations to special events scheduled throughout the year • Opportunity to underwrite events ($230 of donation is not tax deductible)
Please return your donation to: Stephen Millikin Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts Bard College PO Box 5000 Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504
Enclosed is my check made payable to Bard College in the amount of $ Please designate my gift toward: ❑ Fisher Center Council ❑ Bard Music Festival Council ❑ Where it is needed most Please charge my: ❑ VISA ❑ MasterCard ❑ AMEX in the amount of $ Credit card account number
Expiration date
Name as it appears on card (please print clearly)
Address
City
State
Zip code
Telephone (daytime)
Fax
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About Bard College Bard College, in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, is an independent, nonsectarian, residential, coeducational college that offers a four-year B.A. degree in the liberal arts and sciences and a five-year B.S./B.A. degree in economics and finance. Bard and its affiliated institutions also grant the following degrees: A.A. at Bard High School Early College, a New York City public school with two campuses; A.A. and B.A. at Bard College at Simon’s Rock: The Early College, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts; M.S. in environmental policy and M.A. in curatorial studies at the Annandale campus; M.F.A. and M.A.T. on multiple campuses; and M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in the history of the decorative arts, design, and culture at The Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design, and Culture in Manhattan. The Bard College Conservatory of Music grants a five-year dual degree, a B.Music and a B.A. in a field other than music; and an M.Music degree in vocal arts. Internationally, Bard offers dual B.A. degrees at Smolny College of Saint Petersburg State University, Russia, and Al-Quds University in Jerusalem. For more information about Bard College, visit www.bard.edu.
Published by the Bard Publications Office ©2009 Bard College. All rights reserved. Cover: The Assassination of Brion, Tutor to the Prince of Conti at the Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in 1572, 1833, Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury. ©Louvre, Paris/The Bridgeman Art Library
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SAVE THE DATES
Join us at the Fisher Center during the UPCOMING FALL, WINTER, AND SPRING for more extraordinary performing-arts experiences. Some highlights of our 2009-10 programming: AMERICAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Beethoven's Symphonies 1 through 5 Conducted by Leon Botstein, music director October 16-17, February 5-6, and April 23-24 AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE THREE WORLD PREMIERES October 2-4 NEW ALBION MUSIC WEEKEND Minimalist pioneer Terry Riley and friends October 9-10 JOHN CAGE AT BARD COLLEGE: A Symposium Cage's percussion works performed by Nexus October 31 CONSERVATORY SUNDAYS Orchestra and chamber music Performed by Conservatory students and faculty Sundays at 3 pm, September through April (check website for dates) TWO ONE-ACT OPERAS Specially commissioned to benefit Bard's Graduate Vocal Arts Program February 26 (Gala) and 28 Subscriptions and group discounts available.
TICKETS AND INFORMATION: fishercenter.bard.edu Box Office 845-758-7900