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If necessity is the mother of invention, the artistic and creative teams at Minnesota Opera were charged with a terrific challenge: presenting this work knowing that the Wagneriansized orchestra doesn’t fit in the pit of the Music Theater at the Ordway. Their solution, I believe, is not only a breathtaking triumph, preserving all the staged drama of the piece and incorporating our musicians into the action itself, but an option that makes presenting Das Rheingold possible for a wider complement of our sister organizations around the world.
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This production places Minnesota Opera Music Director and Das Rheingold conductor Michael Christie center stage — literally. The Minnesota Opera Orchestra’s integration into the scenic textures on stage enhances the music’s integral storytelling role, and creates a musical-visual fabric reflective of Wagner’s score. We are incredibly lucky to have as accomplished an ensemble as the Minnesota Opera Orchestra, and I couldn’t be more excited for them to tackle Wagner’s virtuosic orchestral music.
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It is with great excitement that Minnesota Opera presents our company debut of the first installment of Wagner’s epic Ring Cycle. Das Rheingold is as vital today as it was at its 1869 premiere in Munich, Germany. The work deals with timeless philosophical issues: the exploitation of nature, the consequences of greed, and the interrelation of law and power. Our inventive stage director Brian Staufenbiel brings a renewed pertinence to the opera by melding Wagner’s mythical realm with the technological era, raising questions about technology’s role in shaping our cultural identity.
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9 Das Rheingold
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About the Opera
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Richard Wagner
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Director's Notes
15 The Artists 19 Meet the Artist: Denyce Graves 20 Upcoming Events 20 Social Media 21 Opera Education 22 Diana's Garden Preview 22 The Nightingale
As we conclude our 2016 performances, we eagerly look forward to all that is yet to come this spring, and all to come the next season — our 55th anniversary! Exemplifying Minnesota Opera’s commitment to a wide range of operatic repertoire, the remainder of our season offers a new production of the rediscovered gem Diana’s Garden, the world premiere of composer William Bolcom and librettist Mark Campbell’s Dinner at Eight, and the hit San Francisco Opera production of La Bohème. Our 55th season, to be announced in January 2017, promises to continue Minnesota Opera’s celebration of a plurality of voices. We’re so glad that you are with us, and we look forward to sharing many more nights in song together.
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The sheer size and scope of Das Rheingold necessitates a massive investment of resources in order to stage the work. This production is only possible because of our generous community and their continued support of innovative, world-class lyric theater. Thank you for helping to bring this production to life. Your response and support for this production will help us determine the next steps for our plans for the rest of the magnificent Ring Cycle.
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The Richard Wagner Society (RWSUM) welcomes you to this performance of “Das Rheingold”. The RWSUM is an organization for people interested in the music of Wagner. See wagnertc.org for upcoming events in Minneapolis / Saint Paul. PO BOX 3804, MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55403 612.863.4319 • WAGNERTC.ORG
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| DAS RHEINGOLD
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
WITHOUT YOUR GENEROSIT Y, THERE IS NO MUSIC.
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SYNOPSIS
On the bed of the Rhine River
Three Rhinemaidens, Woglinde, Wellgunde and Flosshilde, swim in the river, guarding their gold, while Alberich admires from above. They tease and mock him, and repel his flirtations. He angrily spouts his revenge. His eye catches the Rheingold, and the maidens relay its magical powers — if fashioned into a ring, it would give its wearer power over the world if he would renounce love. Alberich boldly manages to steal the gold, to the Rhinemaidens’ protestations.
SCENE TWO
An open space on a mountain; a castle glimmers in the distance
Wotan marvels at the newly completed Valhalla, future home of the Norse gods. His wife, Fricka, urgently reminds them that the price for the giants Fasolt and Fafner to build the magnificent palace is her sister Freia, goddess of love and beauty. She tends the ever-so-crucial golden apple tree, whose fruit ensures the gods eternal youth. Freia also pleads for her fate, but Wotan is confident that the guile of an ever-slick and slithery Loge, god of fire, will solve her plight. Fasolt and Fafner arrive to claim their prize. Wotan is unsuccessful in breaking their agreement, and when they attempt to take possession of Freia, Froh (the god of joy) and Donner (god of thunder) intercede.
Loge arrives belatedly, and tempts the giants with thoughts of obtaining the Nibelung gold. As the brothers discuss the matter, Wotan confers with Loge — he must be the one to possess the mythical gold and its power. They all will be slaves to Alberich if it is not confiscated. Loge promises to find another way to get them out of the bargain. Fasolt and Fafner agree they will release Freia from the bargain if Wotan can get them the Rheingold — however, she will be held as a hostage until he does.
SCENE THREE
The subterranean caverns of the Nibelheim
Alberich taunts his brother Mime with the Tarnhelm, a magic helmet that renders its wearer invisible. Loge and Wotan enter his underground chasm and learn that Alberich has become a tyrant over the professional miners, the Nibelungs, as a result of the power of the ring. Relying on their past association, Loge does his best to con Alberich out of the ring, stating that it will not be safe as he sleeps — his slaves may rebel. Alberich is confident the Tarnhelm will protect him as it also has the power to make him any shape and size. Loge asks for a demonstration. The over-confident tyrant first changes into a large dragon and then a small toad, at which point Loge seizes the helmet. Alberich returns to his normal guise and is taken prisoner.
SCENE FOUR
An open space on a mountain
In exchange for Alberich’s freedom, Wotan demands all of his gold, including the ring on his finger. Alberich commands all the Nibelungs to gather the hoard and puts a curse on the all-powerful ring — it will bring misery and death to those who possess it. Fasolt and Fafner return with Freia and insist the gold, including the Tarnhelm, be piled high enough to obscure her beauty and make the parting easier. They demand the ring as well, but Wotan refuses. Erda, the goddess of the earth, rises and renders motherly advice — turn the ring over to them and avoid eternal doom and wretchedness. The other gods beg Wotan to give up the ring and reluctantly he concedes.
MUSIC A ND LIBR ETTO BY R ICH A R D WAGNER World premiere at the Königliches Hof- und Nationaltheater, Munich September 22, 1869
NOVEMBER 12, 15, 17, 19, AND 20, 2016 | ORDWAY MUSIC THEATER Sung in German with English translations projected above the stage
Cast
I N O R D E R O F VO C A L A P P E A R A N C E
WOGLINDE
The brothers then brawl over who shall keep the Rheingold, and Fasolt is killed. Loge eulogizes about the temptation and evil power of the ring — they would be better off without it. The gods then turn to admire their gleaming new Valhalla and cross the rainbow bridge over the river to its entrance. The Rhinemaidens lament the loss of their gold.
FRICKA
A RHINEMAIDEN
Mary Evelyn Hangley *
WELLGUNDE
Alexandra Razskazoff *
FAFNER
A GIANT
WOTAN
RULER OF THE GODS
FREIA
Nadia Fayad *
GODDESS OF YOUTH AND BEAUTY
ALBERICH
Karin Wolverton **
A NIBELUNG
PRODUCTION CONCEPT
Brian Staufenbiel
Costume Designs by Mathew LeFebvre
MIME
ALBERICH’S BROTHER
fasolt’s brother Julian Close
Dennis Petersen
FROH
GODDESS OF THE EARTH
GOD OF JOY
Christopher Colmenero *
ERDA
Denyce Graves
DONNER
Creative Team
PROJECTIONS AND VIDEO DESIGN
David Murakami
COSTUME DESIGN
WIG AND MAKEUP DESIGN
David Zimmerman
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Mathew LeFebvre
David Radamés Toro *
LIGHTING DESIGN
ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR
Nicole Pearce
Jonathan Brandani *
MINNESOTA OPERA RESIDENT ARTIST
SEASON SPONSOR
Richard Cox
Kyle Albertson **
CONDUCTOR
Brian Staufenbiel
LOGE
DEMIGOD OF FIRE
GOD OF THUNDER
Nathan Berg
STAGE DIRECTOR
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
Jeremy Galyon
Greer Grimsley
FLOSSHILDE
A RHINEMAIDEN
Michael Christie
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A GIANT
wotan’s wife Katharine Goeldner
A RHINEMAIDEN
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FASOLT
GODDESS OF DOMESTIC VIRTUE
MEDIA PARTNER
RÉPÉTITEURS
Jessica Hall * Lindsay Woodward *
PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER
Kerry Masek
ENGLISH CAPTIONS
Christopher Bergen
* RESIDENT ARTIST | ** FORMER RESIDENT ARTIST
LEAD PRODUCTION SPONSOR
ESTIMATED RUNNING TIME Running time is approximately 2 hours and 33 minutes, with no intermission.
Richard Wagner Das Rheingold | Reduced orchestration by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing Used by arrangement with European American Music Distributors Company, sole U.S. and Canadian agent for Schott Music, Mainz, Germany, publisher and copyright owner. This production will use theatrical fog and atmospheric haze. The appearances of Denyce Graves, grand prize winner; Kyle Albertson, national semifinalist; Alexandra Razskazoff, regional finalist; and Christopher Colmenero, district finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, are made possible through a Minnesota Opera Endowment Fund established for Artist Enhancement by Barbara White Bemis. The appearances of the Resident Artists are made possible, in part, by the Virginia L. Stringer Endowment Fund for the Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Program.
| DAS RHEINGOLD
SCENE ONE
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ABOUT THE OPERA
ABOUT THE OPERA
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
Spawned, if indirectly, from revolution, the Ring evolved from the European uprisings of 1848. Wagner became involved with Saxon incendiaries with his own beliefs on how the classical scene should be executed. He was attracted to the Poetic Edda, among other sources, in part because the Norse gods appeared to represent autocracy, while the Nibelungs could be described as the oppressed people. Typical of his other life experiences, Wagner was forced to flee Germany — many of his compatriots were not as lucky, as several were imprisoned for lengthy terms.
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Exiled in Zurich, the composer began to flesh out his conception. Siegfrieds Tod was the result, involving the death of the great hero by betrayal, the Valkyrie Brünnhilde’s immolation to purify humankind, the return of the Rheingold to its rightful owners, and the end of the gods’ rule. Having written this scenario, Wagner found that he needed a bit of a backstory. In Der junge Siegfried, he describes the young man’s adventures, his killing of the dragon Fafner (who first appears as a giant, but is later transformed, presumably by the Tarnhelm), and his meeting and love of Brünnhilde. Feeling the need to introduce the wayward Valkerie and her relationship to her father, Wotan, Wagner constructed Die Walküre, events surrounding the parents of Siegfried, unknowing siblings also sired by Wotan, and his eventual banishment of
One prominent aspect of the Cycle is the leitmotif. Remembrance melodies had been previously used in operas, especially in overtures (although not always), but Wagner was to harness them in a more codified manner. Certain uncomplicated phrases occur with frequency, associated with a particular character, thought, or thing. The orchestra ends up telling the story as much as any character on stage, enriching the dramatic action. (Incidentally, the leitmotif was not a term coined by Wagner.) Out of the many gods, Wotan becomes a curious figure in the entire Ring. Far from the thunderbolt-throwing Greek god Zeus, he acquires a more natural presence as he moves through the celestial world. In exchange for one of his eyes, he acquires knowledge, and carves his spear out of the World Ash Tree, a supreme force. We don’t exactly know Wotan’s youthful past, but in his search for humanity, he appears to seek wisdom rather than power. His antithesis, Alberich, ruthlessly attempts to achieve the reverse with no regard for others. As was his custom, Wagner doubly sold the rights to his endeavor. His most generous patron, Bavarian King Ludwig II, was eager to produce the Cycle, as he already had done with Tristan und Isolde and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. By then, Wagner had been exiled from Munich, thanks to his own machinations among other government officials. Without Wagner’s involvement, the monarch produced Das Rheingold in 1869 and Die Walküre in 1870. Not being
After this experience, Wagner delayed the completion of his third opera in the series, Siegfried, and moved on to other projects. He began to conceive a festival opera house to present his Ring tetralogy over several days. Ludwig offered to build him a theater to the composer’s specifications, but the politics in Munich were still rather uneasy. Wagner sought a “destination” locale and found Bayreuth to be ideal. The city had an old Baroque theater, unsuitable to Wagner’s vision, so he moved forward, stealing Gottfried Semper’s design for the proposed Munich theater (Semper also designed the Dresden venue that saw three Wagner premieres) and built his ideal venue. The theater had continental seating (with no aisles), gas lighting (still quite modern at the time), and a sunken orchestra pit (some commentators assert it was the first of its kind). The main focus was intended to be the action onstage. The first festival took place in 1876, starting August 13 with Das Rheingold. Over the next few days, nearly all of the musical intelligentsia of the day attended, with varying responses. Still, the influence had been great, as other composers began to incorporate “reminiscence” themes into their works, leading to accusations of being “Wagnerian.” Sadly, the enterprise was a financial failure, although Ludwig eventually funded him with 100,000 thalers in order to recover. Still, there wasn’t another Ring in Wagner’s lifetime. Wagner was able to use his unique festival hall for the premiere of Parsifal in 1882, then died the following year. The composer’s wife, Cosima, and her son Siegfried, took over Bayreuth, and revived the Ring in the following years. Both died in 1930, and the event fell to Siegfried’s British widow, Winifred, a Nazi sympathizer. The association with Adolf Hitler became a dark stain on the house’s future, only to be restored by innovative (and sometimes controversial) productions by future heirs. Bayreuth continues to be a pilgrimage for faithful Wagner aficionados across the world.
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D
er Ring des Nibelungen — a monumental opus in the canon of art and music. In spite of one’s personal opinion of Richard Wagner’s character, his epic saga speaks volumes and has inspired many notable composers since its premiere. The tetralogy poses both a challenge and a reward for any opera company.
Although the text of the Ring’s four parts was written by the composer in reverse order, Das Rheingold was the first to be composed, and the others (Die Walküre, Sieg fried, and Götterdämmerung) followed suit. The entire Ring lasts some 15 hours long and was composed over a 26-year period. The full cycle involves 36 characters, 34 scenes, and (if the orchestra can be large enough) as many as 124 players.
able to be physically present, Wagner made every effort to sabotage the productions in absentia, but there was little he could do. Ludwig rightfully owned the property.
The Daughters of the Rhine. ca. 1876. | Henri Fantin-Latour (1836–1904) | Hamburger Kunsthalle | bpk Bildagentur/Elke Walford/Art Resource, NY
Brünnhilde, to be imprisoned in a circle of magic fire. Finally, the composer felt it necessary to introduce the source of all discord — the cursed gold, stolen from the Rhinemaidens, forged into a ring of power, stolen from the original thief, and reluctantly given to the two brother-giants who have constructed Valhalla, one of whom kills the other in the name of greed. That became Das Rheingold.
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COMPOSER
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
R
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ichard Wagner’s paternity will always remain one of opera’s most tantalizing mysteries. His father, Carl Friedrich, had a passion for the theater (naming four daughters after heroines of Goethe and Schiller), and as a consequence took in an actor, Ludwig Geyer, to help defray the cost of raising a large family. It appears Geyer fancied Friedrich’s wife, Johanne, and may have been the real father of Richard — as it happened, Friedrich died shortly after Johanne became pregnant, and when Richard was born, Ludwig and Johanne soon married. As a result, Richard bore the surname Geyer for his first few years, and later in his life it was remarked that he looked more like a portrait of his stepfather than his supposed real one. Some have attempted to trace the name to possible Jewish roots (one of several unattractive aspects of the composer’s adult personality was his anti-Semitism) but have yet to put forth a firm case.
Wagner was mostly self-taught as a composer, though he did attend the University of Leipzig as a student of music. These months were spent drinking, dueling, and gambling — he had once bet his mother’s meager monthly pension. Brother Albert managed to find him a position as chorusmaster in the town of Würzburg. Richard quickly composed his first opera, Die Feen after Carlo Gozzi’s dramatic fairy tale, La donna serpente, and set to his own libretto (an attribute of all of his future works for the stage). Subtitled a “Romantic Opera in Three Acts,” it was imitative of the German fantastic style made popular by Carl Maria von Weber and Heinrich Marschner. Yet, the Stadttheater refused to mount the work, believing it would not meet the tastes of its public, who tended to show a preference for French and Italian works. A second opera, Das Liebesverbot (1836), based on Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure and written more in the Italian style, did receive a premiere in Magdeburg, albeit a tumultuous one. Nonetheless, the theater invited Wagner to become the music director of its summer season, and it was there he met his first wife, Minna Planer, an actress with the company. Unfortunately, the theater went bankrupt (which would be a common problem with Wagner’s successive appointments), and the marriage would prove to be a stormy one. After another short engagement in Königsberg, Wagner moved to Riga to assume the posting of music director. His bride of six months was already involved in an adulterous affair with a patron of
the previous theater and had since parted from her new husband. Sadly, the Riga appointment didn’t last, though Minna soon joined him, apparently forgiven. Debts had become critical, putting the couple in a precarious position. The escape plan involved traveling to Paris undetected in order to unveil the composer’s new grand opera, Rienzi — its success would eliminate all financial burdens. Their passports impounded, Richard and Minna slipped away in the dead of night to begin a long and dangerous sea voyage that would provide the impetus for Wagner’s fourth opera, Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman). The next two and one half years in Paris proved disappointing. Both Rienzi and The Flying Dutchman were completed but not accepted by any theater. He was by now gravely in arrears and threatened by debtors’ prison on more than one occasion. When Rienzi was accepted by the Dresden Court Theater the Wagners left France, and the opera’s successful premiere led to an appointment for the composer as the city’s kapellmeister. Wagner’s Dresden years were certainly better than those spent in Paris, yet the composer blanched at the notion of civil service as a court employee. Though The Flying Dutchman would also have its premiere there, the composer really had his sights set on the Prussian capital of Berlin. Still, he made do for the moment and focused on completing his fifth opera, Tannhäuser, which premiered at the court theater in 1845 to a baffled audience. The year 1848 brought political change around Europe, and Wagner took an active part. As a consequence of his revolutionary friends and his own ideas on theater reform, the composer found himself embroiled in a Dresden political coup, which led to his banishment from the Kingdom of Saxony. Finding refuge in Switzerland, he spent the next eleven years exiled from Germany. Lohengrin had just been completed,
confidante of Napoleon iii and his empress. Her influence led to the Emperor’s command performance of Tannhäuser in 1861 at the Paris Opéra, which would become one of the greatest theatrical scandals of the 19th century. Following a riotous premiere, initiated by the disenchanted legitimists of the Parisian Jockey Club, the opera was withdrawn after only three performances.
But Ludwig’s lavish attention and Wagner’s own theatrical machinations created an anti-Wagner faction among the court advisors. The cabinet threatened to resign if the composer was not removed, a condition to which Ludwig was forced to agree, and Wagner returned to Switzerland, although the king continued to pay his bills. That winter, after several years of separation, Minna Wagner died. In spite of their silent Wagner returned to Germany, having animosity, Richard had continued to provide achieved partial amnesty. His next objective support, and the couple did not divorce. was to get Tristan staged in Karlsruhe and Cosima soon joined him at Tribschen, his Vienna, but he had little luck. Over the new Swiss home, with her three children. By following years he continued to travel the 1867 the couple had produced another child, cities of Europe as plans for a new opera Eva, though christened “von Bülow,” was germinated inside his head, based on the song raised as a Wagner. The Ring Cycle was put on temporary contests of the legendary mastersingers. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg was premiered hiatus as Wagner turned to Tristan und By 1864 the composer had hit rock bottom, in Munich in 1868 and was an artistic triumph. Isolde. The opera was motivated in part by desperately in debt and his friends virtually But Ludwig, not completely blind to the a romantic entanglement the composer had tapped out. He had already sold the rights composer’s obstinate personality, began to cool with Mathilde Wesendonck, the wife of his to his completed operas (sometimes to their relationship. The scandal of Richard Zurich benefactor. She was impressed by his more than once) and mortgaged on the and Cosima’s adulterous affair hadn’t helped, genius, and he needed a woman who truly proceeds of his future works. The outlook though she was finally able to divorce her understood his artistry, something his more husband to marry Wagner after Minna died. custodial relationship with Minna had failed appeared bleak, yet a miracle was about to occur — Wagner had attracted the Von Bülow withdrew from the upcoming to provide. Minna discovered the affair, and Munich premiere of Das Rheingold, which he after an angry scene at the Wesendoncks’ villa attention of newly crowned King Ludwig ii of Bavaria. The young monarch had been had been engaged to conduct. Wagner turned (the Wagners were staying in a small house in awe of Wagner’s genius for some time, his attention to creating a festival devoted only on the property), she returned to Dresden and one of his first official acts was to send to his music in the city of Bayreuth, and the and Richard went to Venice, then Lucerne, for the 51-year-old composer, set him up in cornerstone was laid on May 22, 1872, his 59th where he completed Tristan in peace. a home close to the royal palace, and pay birthday. Surprisingly he was able to mend the But there was no real hope in seeing the opera off his most urgent liabilities. Ludwig then fence with Ludwig, who supplied a loan of staged, and Wagner realized he had to relocate gave him a generous allowance, and Wagner 100,000 thalers to save the project and later to a large city in order to recoup some of his turned to finishing his Ring Cycle. underwrote the festival’s deficit. financial losses. Germany was still hostile The more pressing issue was to mount the territory, so Wagner looked back to Paris. At The composer’s last project for the stage was first he approached Léon Carvalho, hoping to yet-unseen Tristan und Isolde, which Ludwig Parsifal which, in 1882, he programmed as the was quick to put into rehearsal. At about the festival’s only work. Ludwig put the artistic get Tannhäuser mounted at the impresario’s Théâtre Lyrique. Carvalho was clearly startled same time, the composer had struck up an resources of his Hoftheater at the composer’s amorous relationship with Cosima, daughter disposal. The opera’s completion took a heavy by the opera’s unusual score, but was not reluctant to promote Wagner’s cause in Paris. of Franz Liszt and wife of conductor and toll on the composer’s declining health. After The composer had the good fortune to attract Wagner disciple Hans von Bülow. It is the festival he and his family (which now commonly believed that Isolde, Cosima’s the notice of Princess Pauline Metternich, included a young son, Siegfried) took up third child, was fathered by Richard. wife of the Austrian ambassador and residence in Venice to recuperate, but it was too late — Wagner would succumb to his final heart attack in February of the subsequent year. but there was no place to have it suitably performed. Thus, he spent the years that followed extolling his philosophies and artistic ideologies on paper. It was also during this period that Wagner began to think about the Ring Cycle. Two of Wagner’s greatest achievements during his years in Zurich were the completion of Das Rheingold and Die Walküre. He also cultivated an auspicious friendship with Franz Liszt, whom he had first met in Paris. Liszt’s experiments in chromaticism would have a profound impact on Wagner’s future compositional style, and the famed pianist was helpful in getting Lohengrin staged at the Weimar Court Theater in 1850.
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“
Wagner was mostly self-taught as a composer ...”
| DAS RHEINGOLD
B. Leipzig, May 22, 1813 D. Venice, February 13, 1883
The family moved to Dresden and continued its close link to the theater — two sisters became actresses and his brother became an operatic tenor. Young Richard didn’t show promise for much of anything at first, school being of little interest, and piano lessons were infrequent. But at age 15 he unveiled an ambitious secret project, a five-act tragedy entitled Leubald und Adelaïde, drawn from works of Shakespeare and Goethe. Apparently this endeavor had substituted for his studies.
Richard Wagner in 1882 | Franz von Lenbach (1836–1904) | Richard Wagner Museum Bayreuth | Alfredo Dagli Orti/The Art Archive at Art Resource, NY
Richard Wagner
COMPOSER
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W
agner’s world of flawed gods, aspiring demigods, and power-mad dwarves presents a formidable challenge for modern sensibilities. So in mounting this production of Das Rheingold, I sought to connect Wagner’s mythical realm with the mysterious complexities of our technological era. The action takes place in a future where science and technology have caught up with nature, where the organic, the mechanical, and the digital have started to fuse. Indeed, the distinction between biological processes and industrial artifice has almost ceased to exist. Gods are partman, part-machine, and dwarves aspire to reign supreme by mining the technology of the past — semiconductors and computers. Technology permeates all aspects of existence and identity, and status is measured by one’s degree of technological assimilation.
THE ARTISTS In putting Rheingold on the stage, I was inspired by Wagner’s philosophy of Gesamtkunstwerk — total work of art — and that accumulative notion informed the concept for this new production. The Ordway gave us the opportunity to integrate the orchestra into the scenic textures onstage, with the orchestra’s physical
“
... I sought to connect Wagner’s mythical realm with the mysterious complexities of our technological era.”
presence creating a musical-visual fabric. This freed us to use the split-level pit to represent the Rhine and the underworld of Nibelheim. As you’ll see, the singers and orchestra will be immersed in luminous projections, images that create a framework of backstories and enhance Wagner’s expansive compositional technique — leitmotifs — to support and develop the storytelling.
Kyle Albertson
donner Kyle Albertson is renowned not only for his versatile voice, confidence, and style, but also for his ability to bring a character to life on stage. Of his recent role debut as Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia at Fort Worth Opera, The Dallas Morning News raved, “With a dropdead gorgeous bass-baritone, Kyle Albertson is younger than the usual Dr. Bartolo, but he’s no less delightful an object of mockery.”
Wagner considered Das Rheingold a prelude (vorspiel) to the three operas that followed, making the complete Ring Cycle. In Rheingold we see the creation of the magic Ring and are introduced to the salient elements that propel the entire cycle. It’s an epic story that very much has the power to speak to our time.
This season, Mr. Albertson makes several debuts, including that of Sharpless in Madame Butterfly at Northern Lights Music Festival; a house debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago for its production of Das Rheingold; Lieutenant Horstmayer in Silent Night with Opera San Jose; and DeGuiche in Cyrano with Michigan Opera Theatre. Recent operatic engagements include performances with the Metropolitan Opera as Masetto in Don Giovanni and in productions of Le nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte, Dialogues des Carmélites, and The Merry Widow; two productions of Manon with Houston Grand Opera as well as the Sacristan in Tosca and Mr. Rodriguez in Past the Checkpoints; and with Dallas Opera as Zuniga in Carmen, among others.
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BRIAN STAUFENBIEL Stage Director
Nathan Berg
alberich Hailed as “an extra-ordinary actor” (Forum Opéra), theatrically “cinematic” (Classique News) and with “impeccable” technique (Opera News) Canadian bass-baritone Nathan Berg’s career to date has encompassed a vast range of styles and repertoire, and he is in demand by some of the world’s most distinguished conductors and opera companies. In recent seasons, Nathan has added multiple dramatic roles to his repertoire, including the title role in Der fliegende Holländer in his Bolshoi Theatre debut; Alberich (Das Rheingold) with Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra; and the Doctor (Wozzeck) with the bbc Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2016, he performed in Bluebeard’s Castle for Teatr Wielki and the Water Sprite (Rusalka) for Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts. Later that season, he made his company debut for Semperoper Dresden as Zoroastro (Orlando) and the upcoming season includes his Salzburg Festival debut as the King in Handel's Ariodante, performing alongside Cecilia Bartoli.
FORMER MINNESOTA OPERA RESIDENT ARTIST
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fafner Noted as having “a rich voice that appears to come from the center of the earth,” as well as, simply “a voice to die for,” British Bass Julian Close has appeared at several esteemed opera houses throughout his career including the Royal Opera House – Covent Garden, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Opera North uk, Scottish Opera, and the Wexford, Buxton, Longborough, and English Bach Festivals in a wide range of roles. He has performed at Lincoln Center, Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Centre, and Bridgewater Hall.
Set design by William Boles Production concept by Brian Staufenbiel
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
Julian Close
A Wagner specialist, Mr. Close performs Hunding in Die Walküre and Hagen in Götterdämmerung with Saffron Opera (u.k.) and also returns to the Metropolitan Opera for productions of Rigoletto and Der Rosenkavalier. He later sings at Welsh National Opera in Der Rosenkavalier and From the House of the Dead. Recent engagements include a debut with Washington National Opera as Fasolt in Der Ring des Nibelungen, as well as a return to the Metropolitan Opera as the Theater Manager/ Banker in Lulu. He first joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera in 2011, singing in Prince Igor and has returned subsequently every season.
Christopher Colmenero
froh Tenor Christopher Colmenero begins his first season as a Minnesota Opera Resident Artist, singing Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet and Froh in Das Rheingold. He also covers the title role of Roméo, and later, Rodolfo in La bohème. Other engagements include performing Judge Danforth in Robert Ward’s The Crucible for Purchase Opera and Carlson in Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men for the Phoenicia Festival. Mr. Colmenero also sang Pablo Neruda in Daniel Catán’s Il Postino at Mannes Opera, as well as the Male Chorus in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, and the title role in Stravinsky’s Mavra. At the Purchase College Conservatory of Music, where he received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, he performed the roles of Prince Charmant in Cendrillon, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, and Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi. He was also a studio artist at Chautauqua Opera in 2014. Christopher has distinguished himself as a district finalist at the 2016 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. MINNESOTA OPERA RESIDENT ARTIST
Michael Christie
conductor Michael Christie became music director of Minnesota Opera in September 2012. Before coming to Minnesota, he served as music director of the Phoenix Symphony (2005– 2013), the Brooklyn Philharmonic (2005–2010), the Queensland Orchestra (Brisbane, Australia; 2000–2004), and the Colorado Music Festival in Boulder (2000–2013).
Recent opera engagements have included productions with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (Alice in Wonderland, The Ghosts of Versailles, and The Death of Klinghoffer), Wexford Festival Opera (Silent Night and The Ghosts of Versailles), Minnesota Opera (Roméo et Juliette, The Shining, Ariadne auf Naxos, The Magic Flute, and Rusalka, among others), and Aspen Opera Theatre (The Ghosts of Versailles and West Side Story). He has also conducted at Opéra de Montréal and Opera Philadelphia (Silent Night) and Lyric Opera of Chicago (Rising Stars). He made his San Francisco Opera debut with the world premiere of The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, and in 2017, he continues his symphonic conducting activities as well as making debuts at Washington National Opera (Dead Man Walking) and at Santa Fe Opera, leading the world premiere of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs.
Richard Cox
loge American tenor Richard Cox possesses a remarkable voice that combines lyric and heroic qualities, and is equally suited to opera, concert, and recitals. This season, he makes his role debut as Loge in Das Rheingold with Minnesota Opera and North Carolina Opera; joins I Musici de Montréal Chamber Orchestra for Das Lied von der Erde; and makes his Hawaii Opera Theatre debut as Mitch in A Streetcar Named Desire.
Recent opera engagements have included Laca in Jenufa for Des Moines Metro Opera; a semi-staged Peter Grimes with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra; a debut with Washington National Opera in Der Ring des Nibelungen; Kalaf in Busoni’s Turandot for the Bard SummerScape Festival; and Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos, Sergei in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, and Tichon in Káta Kabanová at the Teatro Municipal de Santiago; Froh in Das Rheingold, Malcolm in Macbeth, the First Armored Man in Die Zauberflöte, and the Celebrant in Nico Muhly's Two Boys at the Metropolitan Opera; Don José in a student performances of Carmen at the Lyric Opera of Chicago; and the title role in Samson et Dalila at the New Orleans Opera.
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DIRECTOR'S NOTES
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THE ARTISTS
flosshilde Mezzo-soprano Nadia Fayad is quickly gaining recognition for her rich and earthy sound, with expressive musicality in her lower register.
Ms. Fayad was recently an apprentice with Santa Fe Opera, where she covered the role of the Baroness in Barber’s Vanessa and sang in Roméo et Juliette. In 2015, Ms. Fayad was a studio artist with Wolf Trap Opera, appearing as the Woman with Hat in Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles and La Zia in Madame Butterfly. Nadia recently received a Master of Music from Rice University, where she performed the leading role of Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel, Melantho in Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria, and Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She received her bachelor’s degree at the Eastman School of Music, where she sang the roles of Madame de Croissy in Dialogues des Carmelites, Mrs. Jones in Street Scene, and Medoro in Orlando. As a Minnesota Opera Resident Artist this season, Nadia sings Gertrude in Roméo et Juliette, Flosshilde in Das Rheingold, Cloe in Diana’s Garden, and Tina in Dinner at Eight.
Jeremy Galyon
fasolt Applauded for his “robust and charismatic performances” by the San Francisco Chronicle, Jeremy Galyon continues to impress audiences and critics alike in both the bass and bass-baritone repertoires. His 2016–2017 season includes Morosus in The Silent Woman with Opera Theater of Pittsburgh; Il Commendatore and Masetto in Don Giovanni with New Orleans Opera; Osmin in The Abduction from the Seraglio with Dayton Opera; Sarastro in The Magic Flute with the Rapides Symphony Louisiana; and Sparafucile in Rigoletto with Western Plains Opera as well as covering in Salome and Der Rosenkavalier at the Metropolitan Opera.
Other recent operatic roles include Fafner in Das Rheingold with Pacific Opera Victoria; Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte with Dayton Opera; La Roche in Capriccio, Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh; Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte in Kaosiung, Taiwan; Zuniga in Carmen with Opera Grand Rapids; the Bonze in Madama Butterfly, Blitch in Susannah, and Ramfis in Aïda with Berkshire Opera; and the Fifth Jew in Salome with Opera San Antonio.
MINNESOTA OPERA RESIDENT ARTIST
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
Denyce Graves
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erda Recognized worldwide as one of today’s most exciting vocal stars, Denyce Graves continues to gather unparalleled popular and critical acclaim in performances on four continents. USA Today identifies her as “an operatic superstar of the 21st century,” and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution exclaims, “If the human voice has the power to move you, you will be touched by Denyce Graves.” The mezzo-soprano’s career has taken her to the world’s great opera houses and concert halls, and she has become well-known for the title roles in Carmen and Samson et Dalila. These signature roles have brought Ms. Graves to the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, Royal Opera House – Covent Garden, Opéra de Paris, Bayerische Staatsoper, Arena di Verona, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opernhaus Zürich, Teatro Real, Teatro Colón, the Festival Maggio Musicale, and to the cities of San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, Houston, Dallas, and Los Angeles.
Greer Grimsley
wotan Bass-baritone Greer Grimsley is internationally recognized as an outstanding singing actor and one of the most prominent Wagnerian singers of our day. Continuing his reign as a leading interpreter of Wotan, he has sung the role for the Met’s Der Ring des Nibelungen as well as for Seattle Opera, his third complete cycle for the company in the last decade. His interpretation of Wotan has also brought him to opera houses around the world, including Deutsche Oper Berlin, Gran Teatre del Liceu, and Nikikai Opera.
Other great Wagner roles include the Dutchman with Seattle Opera and Ravinia Festival; Telramund in Lohengrin at the Met, Royal Danish Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and in Seattle; Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde with Prague National Theatre, Royal Danish Opera, the Ópera de Bellas Artes in Mexico, the Lyric, During the 2016–2017 season, Ms. Graves returns and in Seattle; and Amfortas in Parsifal with the Met. This season, Mr. Grimsley will also reprise to Washington as Emelda Griffith in Champion, Wotan in Die Walküre and Siegfried in Tokyo, appears in Eugene Onegin as Filipyevna with Florida Grand Opera, and takes part in the world and Don Pizarro in Fidelio and Jokanaan in Salome at the Met. Future roles include those in premiere of Daniel Sonenberg’s The Summer King with Pittsburgh Opera. She was last seen at Houston, San Francisco, and Barcelona. Minnesota Opera as Mrs. Miller in Doubt.
Katharine Goeldner
fricka The New York Times has praised her voice as “excitingly radiant and agile.” Newsday applauded her “liquid plangent tones … crystal-clear diction and contained, but simmering, intensity.” With an elegant combination of warm, rich vocal tone, and assured artistry, Katharine Goeldner has established an international reputation as one of today’s finest mezzo-sopranos.
Katharine’s most recent appearances include Das Lied von der Erde with the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden; Amneris in Aida at Utah Opera; the title role of Carmen at Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Savonlinna Festival; Jacqueline Onassis in the world premiere of JFK at Fort Worth Opera; and Peggy Ophuls in the world premiere of Shalimar the Clown, based on the Salman Rushdie novel, at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Later this season, Katharine joins The Orchestra Now at Carnegie Hall in Shostakovich’s Songs from Jewish Folk Poetry; she returns to Lyric Opera of Chicago as Mme. Larina in Eugene Onegin; she sings Ma Joad in The Grapes of Wrath for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis; and she makes her role debut as Dalila in Samson et Dalila for Virginia Opera. Katharine debuted at Minnesota Opera as Queen Gertrude in Hamlet.
Mary Evelyn Hangley
woglinde As a first-year Resident Artist, soprano Mary Evelyn Hangley appears as Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet, Woglinde in Das Rheingold, Miss Copeland in the world premiere of Dinner at Eight, and Musetta in La bohème. Most recently, she spent her summer as part of San Francisco Opera’s prestigious Merola Opera Program, singing #2 in Conrad Susa’s Transformations and performing scenes as Atalanta in Serse and as the title role in Arabella. Previously, Ms. Hangley was an apprentice artist at Sarasota Opera, performing scenes from the roles of Nedda in I pagliacci, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Lida in La battaglia di Legnano, Giselda in I Lombardi, Fioretta in I Medici, and Margarita in Mefistofele. She also performed Frau Fluth in Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor in Weimar. Ms. Hangley has been seen at the Janiec Opera Company, singing Micaëla in La tragédie de Carmen and Steampunk in the world premiere of Michael Ching’s Speed Dating Tonight!. Ms. Hangley received her Master of Music in vocal performance from Florida State University. MINNESOTA OPERA RESIDENT ARTIST
Mathew LeFebvre
costume design Off-Broadway – Signature Theatre Company: Two Trains Running; New York Theatre Workshop: Bach at Leipzig. Minneapolis – Minnesota Opera: La fanciulla del West; Guthrie Theater: more than 25 productions since 1998 including A Christmas Carol, Roman Holiday, When We Are Married, The Importance of Being Earnest, 1776, She Loves Me, The Night of the Iguana, A School for Scandal, Sweeney Todd. Regional – Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, American Players Theatre, Penumbra Theatre, The Old Globe, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Acting Company, Arizona Theatre Company, Geffen Playhouse, Children’s Theater Company, Theatre de la Jeune Lune; Great American History Theatre; and Mixed Blood Theatre. Awards – 2014–2015 McKnight Theater Artist Fellow, Ivey Award, 2012 tdf-Irene Sharaff Young Master Award, audelco award nominee. Teaching – Professor of Costume Design at the University of Minnesota.
Dennis Petersen
mime Hailed by the Chicago Tribune as a “wonderfully natural singing actor,” through his innate sense of style, command of languages, and superior acting abilities, tenor Dennis Petersen is sought after for a variety of operatic roles. More recently he is being noted for his foray into some of the most eminent dramatic tenor roles in the repertoire, such as Tristan in Tristan und Isolde, Florestan in Fidelio, the Captain in Wozzeck, Aegisth in Elektra, Canio in Pagliacci, and the title role in Peter Grimes. He has sung several previous roles with Minnesota Opera, most recently Herod in Salome.
His debut with the Seattle Opera as Mime in both Das Rheingold and Siegfried brought the highest accolades from Ring fans and critics alike. He returned in 2013 and was once again praised by Opera News for his superb “tone, technique, expressivity, [and] diction.” This season saw an appearance as Beadle in Sweeney Todd with Mill City Summer Opera, and he further sings Nick in La fanciulla del West with Michigan Opera Theatre and several roles in The Grapes of Wrath with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. He will also take part in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of Die Zauberflöte.
David Murakami
projections and video design David Murakami is a projection designer, screenwriter, and film director focused on integrating emerging technologies with traditional stage performance. Past designs include Dead Man Walking, Champion, Peter Pan, The Little Prince, Heart of Darkness, and Trouble in Tahiti, along with the American premieres of Anya 17, Heart of Darkness, and the world premiere of Luis Valdez’ Valley of the Heart. In addition to his work with Minnesota Opera, David is currently designing Zoot Suit at the Mark Taper Forum, Flight with Opera Parallèle, and directing his sixth feature-length film Morningstar. WWW.DAVIDMURAKAMI.COM
Nicole Pearce
lighting design Nicole Pearce has previously worked for Milhaud Opera with Mark Morris and designed sets of The Magic Flute for City Opera Education. Selected dance credits include work with choreographers Mark Morris, Jessica Lang, Aszure Barton, Robert Battle, Andrea Miller, John Heginbotham, Brian Brooks, Alexander Ekman, Kyle Abraham, and Annabelle LopezOchoa, and companies such as the American Ballet Theater, Joffrey Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet, Finnish National Opera, Gallim, Mark Morris Dance Group, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Nederlands Dans Theatre. Selected theater credits include work with directors Edward Albee, Leigh Silverman, Trip Cullman, Pam MacKinnon, Maria Mileaf, Jade King Carroll, and Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, as well as with companies such as The Cherry Lane, The Play Company, LAByrinth Theater Company, Long Wharf, Hartford Stage, Philadelphia Theater Company, and Two Rivers Theater. WWW.NICOLEPEARCEDESIGN.COM
Alexandra Razskazoff
wellgunde Originally from Minneapolis, soprano Alexandra Razskazoff joins Minnesota Opera this season, singing Wellgunde in Das Rheingold, Britomarte in Diana’s Garden, Miss Alden in William Bolcom and Mark Campbell’s world premiere of Dinner at Eight, and Musetta in La bohème, while covering Juliette in Romeo and Juliet. This past summer, she was an apprentice artist at Santa Fe Opera for a second season. Credits include the First Lady in Die Zauberflöte and the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro at Juilliard Opera Theater, where she has pursued a Master of Music in vocal performance. At the Peabody Conservatory, where she received her bachelor’s degree, she sang Blanche de la Force in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Abigail Williams in Robert Ward’s The Crucible, and L’Écureuil in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges. In 2014, Ms. Razskazoff was awarded second place for the Mid-Atlantic Region of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, has won third place in the Houston Grand Opera's Eleanor McCollum Competition, and received the Juilliard Novick Career Advancement Grant. MINNESOTA OPERA RESIDENT ARTIST
Brian Staufenbiel
stage director and production concept As the creative director and stage director for San Francisco-based Opera Parallèle since 2007, Brian Staufenbiel works across a wide range of artistic disciplines. His innovative approach to stagecraft has garnered a steady stream of critical acclaim for the company’s productions, which have included Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, the American premiere of O’Regan’s Heart of Darkness, Harbison’s The Great Gatsby, Glass’ Orphée, Golijov’s Ainadamar, Gorb’s Anya 17, Berg’s Wozzeck, Davies’ The Lighthouse, and Blanchard’s Champion (in collaboration with the SFJazz Center). This season, Staufenbiel will helm two new productions for Opera Parallèle, Dove’s Flight and Glass’ Les enfants terribles.
Besides his work with Opera Parallèle, Brian is also a frequent collaborator with arts organizations around North America. Upcoming engagements include designing a new production for odc Dance in spring 2017; directing a world premieres of Today It Rains by Laura Kaminsky, Mark Campbell, and Kimberly Reed for spring 2019; and another world premiere by Lembit Beecher and Hannah Moscovitch. • BIOS CONTINUE ON NEXT PAGE
| DAS RHEINGOLD
Nadia Fayad
THE ARTISTS
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THE ARTISTS
MEET THE ARTIST
freia Soprano Karin Wolverton has been described by Opera News as “a young soprano to watch” having “a lovely warm tone, easy agility and winning musicality.” She took on the role of Anna Sørensen in the 2011 world premiere of Silent Night with the Minnesota Opera for which wqxr acclaimed “… soprano Karin Wolverton, whose diamond-edged soprano shone in a sublime Act i ‘Dona Nobis Pacem’ during Mass, and sliced through the top notes of a second-act aria full of emotional turbulence.” Continuing her passionate involvement in new works, Ms. Wolverton returns to Arizona Opera in the 2016–2017 season for the world premiere of Riders of the Purple Sage by Craig Bohmler, sings the Mother in Hansel and Gretel for the Jacksonville Symphony, and debuts with Opera Santa Barbara as Magda in La rondine. The 2015–2016 season saw a return to Tulsa Opera as Mimì in La bohème, a debut with Arizona Opera as Micäela in Carmen, Mimì in South Dakota, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in Jacksonville. She was last seen at Minnesota Opera as Mimì for Opera Under The Stars.
Miah Persson soprano
InternatIonal artIst serIes
Use promo code RHEINGOLD to save 10% on the following concerts: Augustin Hadelich, violin Joyce Yang, piano
DENYCE GRAVES
Nov 29 & Dec 1, 2016
Gil Shaham, violin Jan 8, 2017
Miah Persson, soprano Florian Boesch, baritone Malcolm Martineau, piano Mar 29 & 30, 2017
Alexandre Tharaud, piano Apr 27 & 28, 2017
FORMER MINNESOTA OPERA RESIDENT ARTIST
▴ Photo credit: Devon Cass ◂ Denyce Graves makes her role debut in the titular role of Minnesota Opera's 1991 production of Carmen.
schubert.org
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
MINNESOTA OPERA ORCHESTRA
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SUPERNUMERARIES TRUMPET
Gabriel al-Bochi
Michele Frisch Bethany Gonella Amy Morris double piccolo
John G. Koopmann Christopher Volpe Jonathan Brandt
Maddie Anderson *
BASS TRUMPET
Lainey Donoghue
OBOE
John Tranter
Elif Dregni *
VIOLIN I
VIOLA
FLUTE
Allison Ostrander Concertmaster Julia Persitz Asst. Concertmaster David Mickens Angela Waterman Hanson Heidi Amundson Brian Krinke Troy Gardner Carol Lebovic Colin McGuire Julia Bartsch Emilia Mettenbrink Holly Ager
Emily Hagen Susan Janda Laurel Browne James Bartsch Coca Bochonko Valerie Little Matthew Williams Justin Knoepfel Matthew Mindeman
VIOLIN II Conor O’Brien Elizabeth Decker Stephan Orsak Melinda Marshall Elise Parker Huldah Niles David Block Alastair Brown Miriam Moxness Griffiths Anne Strasser
CELLO Jim Jacobson Teresa Richardson Rebecca Arons Dale Newton Diane Tremaine Benjamin Osterhouse Charles Asch Jane Cords-O’Hara
BASS John Michael Smith Constance Martin Charles Block Jason C. Hagelie Ian Berg
Michael Dayton Robert McMannis Jeffrey Marshak double English horn
CLARINET
TROMBONE Phillip Ostrander Richard Gaynor David Stevens
Karrin Meffert-Nelson Jennifer Gerth Nina Olsen double bass clarinet
Itai Agmon
BASSOON
Kory Andry
Coreen Nordling Laurie Hatcher Merz Matthew Bertrand
HORN Charles Hodgson Rebecca Jyrkas Michael Alexander Ronald L. Beitel * Logan Arndt * William Eisenberg * Greg Beckwith *
TUBA TIMPANI PERCUSSION Matthew Barber Paul Hill
Gemma Cooper Nora Donnelly *
Otto Dregni * Peter Finneran-Flyckt * Maggie Hayes Merideth Jolstad * Cassie Klinga * Carrie Liu * Jessica Lysne Lexie Modica Alice O'Brien * India Pelster-Wiebe * Morgan Peterson Aniya Spears Kadie Steiner *
HARP
Max Steiner
Min Kim Phala Tracy
Ellie Tiede Zel Weilandgruber *
This is your first time back at Minnesota Opera since 2013 when you appeared in the world premiere of Doubt. Are you excited to be back? What have you enjoyed about working with Minnesota Opera? I'm thrilled to be back in Minnesota. This house has been very important to my career. I love the people here and love the brave productions that Minnesota Opera produces. They're innovative, imaginative, and very forward thinking. This is your first time performing a Wagnerian role. What have you found to be unique about singing Wagner? What I've found unique about singing Wagner is the idea of the voice being part of the entire orchestral fabric. Working on this material has made me a better and more anchored singer, without a doubt.
Fletcher Zavadil * * double Wagner tuba
* member of Project Opera
Denyce Graves' biography appear on page 16.
You’ve performed in several world premieres. What is it like performing a role that is new to the world versus a role, such as Erda, that is completely new to you? I have created many new roles in my career. It’s been such a gift and a privilege to have the opportunity to put my personal signature on these roles and to have my interpretation become the standard for that particular role. I’ve also had the great fortune of not having to compare the premiere performance with anything else. The challenge of performing a role like Erda, which has been sung and portrayed by the greatest artists of our musical pantheon, is like endeavoring toward a mountain the height of Valhalla. It’s daunting! What is the strangest or most surprising thing that has ever happened to you during a performance? During a performance at San Francisco Opera, I broke my foot in the last act of the opera. It was definitely one of my more memorable performing experiences!
Describe your character in two words. Wise and formidable. As an internationally acclaimed singer, you travel quite a bit for your work. How do you maintain vocal health while travelling? Getting enough sleep and staying hydrated are vital for staying in great health and in great vocal health. Sleep has always been difficult for me after years of constant travel and changing time zones. Over scheduling and overextending myself have forced me to carve out alone time. I am learning every day how to demand balance in all areas of my life, and to make time to be still and center myself. I also continue to have coaching sessions and to go to my voice lessons. What music do you never get tired of singing? I never, ever tire of singing Christmas carols.
| DAS RHEINGOLD
Karin Wolverton
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UPCOMING EVENTS
OPERA EDUCATION
Project Opera at Orchestra Hall
Opera Insights
Ring in the holiday season by joining Minnesota Opera’s Project Opera in the Orchestra Hall lobby as a wonderful prelude to the Minnesota Orchestra’s concert of Handel’s Messiah.
Come early and enjoy free, fun, and informative half-hour sessions, hosted by Minnesota Opera's artistic staff in the Ordway’s mezzanine lobby one hour prior to each performance. Join us for Opera Insights and get an overview of the characters and music, historical and cultural context for the opera, and highlights to watch for during the show.
Behind the Curtain: Diana’s Garden JAN. 11, 7pm
At the historic Minnesota Opera Center, get the inside scoop on Diana’s Garden as opera experts and members of the cast and creative team lead discussions exploring the music, history, and design of opera. MNOPERA.ORG/BTC
The Magic Flute Broadcast JAN. 18, 8pm
Minnesota Public Radio broadcasts Minnesota Opera’s 2015 production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute, which features Julien Behr, Christie Conover, and Andrew Wilkowske. Michael Christie conducts. MNOPERA.ORG/LISTEN
Social Media Preview Night JAN. 19, 6:30pm
Minnesota Opera hosts a pre-screened group of press members, bloggers, and social media influencers to attend the Diana’s Garden final dress rehearsal at the Ordway. We encourage live tweeting, blogging, note-taking, and illustrating.
JAN. 21–29
MNOPERA.ORG/OPERA-INSIGHTS
Diana’s Garden Live Broadcast JAN. 26, 7:30pm
Minnesota Public Radio broadcasts Minnesota Opera’s production of Vicente Martín y Soler’s Diana’s Garden, which features Leah Partridge, Adriana Zabala, Craig Cloclough, Alek Shrader, and David Walton. Michael Christie conducts. MNOPERA.ORG/LISTEN
Project Opera performs Imant Raminsh’s The Nightingale FEB. 10–11
The Nightingale, based on the famous Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, is the story of a Chinese Emperor who prefers the tinkling of a bejeweled mechanical bird to the song of a real nightingale. Sung in English with English captions projected above the stage. Presented at the Lab Theater, 700 North First Street, Minneapolis (next to the Minnesota Opera Center). MNOPERA.ORG/THE-NIGHTINGALE
MNOPERA.ORG/PREVIEW
Diana’s Garden
Dinner at Eight at the Trylon FEB. 10–12
Diana, the goddess of chastity, is the target of Cupid’s interference as he brings unwelcome love to her sacred garden. This opera is a sparkling comedy filled with witty social commentary on freedom and power.
Join us at the Trylon Theater for a screening of the motion picture, Dinner at Eight, starring Marie Dressler and John Barrymore, and based on the original Broadway play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber. Trylon Microcinema – 3258 Minnehaha Avenue
MNOPERA.ORG/DIANAS-GARDEN
TRYLON.ORG
JAN. 21–29
Tempo Happy Hour + Behind the Curtain MAR. 1, 5pm
Tempo members and friends will gather at Parlour in the North Loop for happy hour before heading to Behind the Curtain for Dinner at Eight. All are welcome.
Behind the Curtain: Dinner at Eight MAR. 1, 7pm
At the historic Minnesota Opera Center, get the inside scoop on Dinner at Eight as opera experts and members of the cast and creative team lead discussions exploring the music, history, and design of the opera. MNOPERA.ORG/BTC
Taste of Opera: Dinner at Eight MAR. 18
Enhance your opera-going experience with a delicious pre-show dinner at the Saint Paul Hotel and casual conversation with the experts of Dinner at Eight. Leave the logistics to us and enjoy an all-inclusive night out at the opera. For more information, call Brian at 612-342-9563.
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“Music creates happiness and hope in a community” says Joseph Abreu, founder of El Sistema, a music education and social development program that originates from Venezuela. It is from this inspiration that Minnesota Opera started Music Out Loud, the first opera-based El Sistema-inspired program of its kind in the United States. The initiative builds community by engaging middle school students in music, theater, acting, and stage production. About to start its third year, Music Out Loud currently operates at two sites in Minneapolis, Folwell Elementary and Venture Academy Charter School, working with children after school Mondays–Thursdays. Photo 1: Julia Gallagher, Assistant to the Production Director, explains the process in which sets are designed and built for the main stage. Photo 2: Venture Academy students attended the final dress rehearsal of Tosca last season. Photo 3: Teaching Artist Sara Sawyer rehearses students in choreography for music of Carmen.
MNOPERA.ORG/TASTE
Resident Artist Cabaret at the Metropolitan Ballroom APR. 8
5
Join the fun! Step back in time with the Resident Artists to the 1940s and experience the entertainment that supported our troops. The event supports the Resident Artist Program and will be an evening to remember. MNOPERA.ORG/CABARET
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OPERA AROUND THE STATE
Building on the success from last fall’s The Magic Flute tour to Duluth, Teaching Artist Alisa Magallón returned to northern Minnesota to spend two weeks to reach new audiences and reconnect with longtime opera fans. Alisa led a series of talks, performances, masterclasses, and discussions at 20 libraries and four schools, ranging from International Falls, Duluth, Ely, Virginia, Hibbing, and beyond. More than 1,450 people participated ranging in age from 3 to 85, and from opera novice to seasoned opera veteran. Photo 4: Alisa leads a master class at Virginia High School. Photos 5 and 6: Story time at the Babbit library.
SOCIAL MEDIA PREVIEW NIGHT Do you tweet? Post on Facebook? Instagram your entire life? Join us on THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 6:30 pm for DIANA'S GARDEN SOCIAL MEDIA PREVIEW NIGHT Get a behind-the-scenes look at the final dress rehearsal for Diana's Garden. Inside the theater, using your phone, taking photos, and sketching is encouraged! Event is free, but please apply at mnopera.org/preview. SHOW US YOUR MN OPERA STYLE
#DIANASGARDEN @MNOPERA
F L X : I I
VOICES OF OPERA
In August, Minnesota Opera received funding from Aroha Philanthropies to launch Voices of Opera, a new Artful Aging initiative. The program offers singers 55+ the opportunity to perform operatic choral repertoire. The program will coordinate multiple rehearsals in multiple locations, and each location will have a final culminating performance for the public. Partners include the Sheldon Theater in Red Wing and Artistry in Bloomington. Additional information and other details will be announced soon!
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DEC. 10, 7pm
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Vicente Martín y Soler was a very popular Spanish composer during the late 18th century. He was often compared very favorably to Mozart during that time and often preferred the opera buffa form. He moved to Vienna in 1785 and began a fruitful collaboration with librettist Lorenzo da Ponte, who was also collaborating with Mozart at that time. His most famous opera is Una cosa rara, which is often credited with introducing waltzes to Vienna in 1786. Of an interesting note, a melody from that same opera is quoted by Mozart in the banquet scene in Act Two of Don Giovanni.
T
he opera art form is more than four hundred years old but these days in the 21st century, most opera companies rely on the same 10 to 15 operas over and over. Here at Minnesota Opera we feel this leads to repertoire fatigue. One of our greatest strengths and joys is to find new and interesting operas to present to our patrons. In many cases we are also presenting pieces to the entire operatic industry. Diana’s Garden (L’arbore di Diana) is one of those kinds of pieces.
In the case of Diana, you will hear a delightful score, perfect for a light frolic during January in Minnesota. The opera was very popular during its day but has since fallen out of the repertoire. It is full of witty and playful music which I am sure will be sung brilliantly by our soprano Leah Partridge, making her Minnesota Opera debut. Also debuting is tenor Alek Shrader. These two fast-rising Americans will thrill you with their elegant coloratura and beautiful classical style. Peter Rothstein returns to Minnesota Opera after his triumphant Così fan tutte a few years ago, and will bring his humor and light touch to this rediscovered comedy.
Diana‘s Garden
Thank you for attending
DIANA'S GARDEN PREVIEW
Diana, the goddess of chastity, is the target of Cupid’s interference as he brings unwelcome love to her sacred garden. This opera is a sparkling comedy filled with witty social commentary on freedom and power.
“
One of our greatest strengths and joys is to find new and interesting operas to present to our patrons.” We are also excited for Project Opera to present The Nightingale, a beautiful and melodic score that is based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale. The music highlights the voices of these talented young singers in a manner that is quite effective. Minnesota Opera continues to bring you all the favorites and hopefully some new favorites as well.
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Dinner at Eight
Service charges and other restrictions may apply.
DALE JOHNSON Artistic Director
Mar. 11–19, 2017
Manhattan socialite Millicent Jordan plans a dinner party for guests linked by business intrigues and romantic entanglements. Composer William Bolcom and librettist Mark Campbell successfully wed American musical comedy and opera in this winning new work based on the play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber.
Add two or more operas for savings and benefits! • Save up to 25% • Flexible exchanges • Discounts for family and friends • And more...
Jan. 21–29, 2017
La Bohème
May 6–21, 2017
Lose your heart to La Bohème’s captivating blend of music and theater as we follow the story of Parisian artists, surviving on only friendship and the promise of love.
For more information or to upgrade your order call 612-333-6669 (M–F, 10am–5pm)
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
The Nightingale, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale, celebrates the natural over the artificial and the power of song over death.
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Sung in English with English captions projected above the stage.
FEBRUARY 10 –11, 2017 THE LAB THEATER 700 NORTH FIRST STREET MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55401
Imant Raminsh, music James Tucker, libretto
Matt Abernathy, music director Heidi Spesard-Noble, stage director
PERFORMANCES: Friday, February 10 at 6pm and 8pm Saturday, February 11 at 1pm and 3pm TICKETS: $15 Adults $5 Students (available by phone only)
A rediscovered gem from Mozart’s era. SOLER / Jan. 21–29
BUY TODAY!
mnopera.org
612-333-6669
STAFF, BOARD, AND VOLUNTEERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MINNESOTA OPERA STAFF
OFFICERS
ADMINISTRATION
Chair | Margaret Wurtele
President and General Director | Ryan Taylor
President and General Director | Ryan Taylor
Director of Board Relations | Theresa Murray
Vice Chair | H. Bernt von Ohlen
Finance Director | Jeff Couture
Secretary | Nadege Souvenir
Human Resources Director | Jen Thill
Assistant to the Production Director | Julia Gallagher
Treasurer | John C. Junek
Facility Manager | Steve Mittelholtz
Production Assistant | Lorely Dedrick
Richard Allendorf Patricia Beithon Karen Brooks Jane M. Confer Jay Debertin Sara Donaldson Sidney W. Emery Maureen Harms Sharon Hawkins Ruth S. Huss Mary IngebrandPohlad Philip Isaacson J Jackson James E. Johnson John C. Junek Christl Larson Mary Lazarus
Cynthia Y. Lee Mike McNamara Albin “Jim” Nelson Kay Ness Jose Peris Elizabeth Redleaf Connie Remele Don Romanaggi Christopher Romans Mary H. Schrock Linda Roberts Singh Nadege Souvenir David Strauss Virginia Stringer Ryan Taylor H. Bernt von Ohlen William White Margaret Wurtele
EMERITI
SCENERY Technical Director | Mike McQuiston
Artistic Director | Dale Johnson
Properties Master | Jenn Maatman
Music Director | Michael Christie
Lighting and Video Coordinator | Raymond W. Steveson Jr.
Artistic Administrator | Roxanne Stouffer Artist Relations and Planning Director | Floyd Anderson
Sound Consultant | James Pfitzinger
Dramaturg | David Sander
Scene Shop Foreman | Larry Kline
Resident Artists | Jonathan Brandani, William Lee Bryan, Christopher Colmenero, Nadia Fayad, Thomas Glass, Jessica Hall, Mary Evelyn Hangley, Gina Perregrino, Alexandra Razskazoff, Benjamin Sieverding, David Radamés Toro, David Walton, Lindsay Woodward
Master Carpenters | Nate Kulenkamp, Eric Veldey
Master Coaches | Lara Bolton, Mary Jo Gothmann, Eric McEnaney, Jenya Trubnikava
Production Carpenter | JC Amel
Animator | Tal Kamran Matte Painter | Mikhail Greuli
COSTUMES Costume Director | Corinna Bohren Assistant Costume Director | Beth Sanders Tailor | Yancey Thrift
EDUCATION
Karen Bachman
Julia W. Dayton
Teaching Artist | Alisa Magallón
John A. Blanchard III
Mary W. Vaughan
Project Opera Music Director | Matthew Abernathy
Drapers | Chris Bur, Emily Rosenmeier First Hands | Helen Ammann, Kelsey Glasener, Rebecca Karstad
Burton Cohen
Project Opera Accompanist | Kathy Kraulik
Stitchers | Ann Habermann, Sara Huebschen, Jadie Krussow
HONORARY DIRECTORS
DEVELOPMENT
Hair/Makeup Supervisor | Priscilla Bruce
Dominick Argento
Dolly Fiterman
Chief Development Officer | Carley Stuber
Philip Brunelle
Liz Kochiras
Director of Development, Operations and Community Giving | Dan Sassenberg
Hair/Makeup Crew | Heath Bryant-Huppert, Corrie Dubay
Wardrobe Supervisor | Corinna Bohren
Director of Development, Leadership and Institutional Giving | Mallory Roberts
Moss & Barnett
Institutional Gifts Manager | Diana Konopka Events Manager | Anthony Diaz Development Associate | Nickolas Sanches Development Operations Coordinator | Jonathan Lundgren
TEMPO BOARD MEMBERS
MARKETING/COMMUNICATIONS Chief Marketing Officer | Darby Lunceford
OFFICERS
Marketing Director | Katherine L. Castille
Chair | Rhonda Skoby
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
Production Stage Manager | Kerry Masek Assistant Stage Managers | Jamie K. Fuller, Hannah Holthaus
ARTISTIC
Community Education Director | Jamie Andrews
LEGAL COUNSEL
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Production Director | Karen Quisenberry
Audience Development Chair | Brian Halaas
Marketing and Communications Associate | Kate Saumur
Programming Co-chair | Thomas Bakken
Audience Engagement Manager | Kristin Matejcek
Programming Co-chair | Kara Eliason
Design Manager | Kristin Backman
Staff Liaisons | Kristin Matejcek, Eric Broker
Communications Manager | Eric Broker
Secretary | Aimee Tritt
Web and Digital Associate | Rocky Jones
Treasurer | Faris Rashid
Audience Services Manager | Kevin Beckey
Social Media Specialist | Jana Sackmeister
Associate Audience Services Manager | Karl Annable
MEMBERS Brad Benoit Liz Brenner Kamruz Darabi Emily Engel Mark Giga
Audience Services Coordinator | Brian Johnson-Weyl Laura Green Chaffee Sarah Fowler Veronica Mason Julia Wilcox
Phone Room / Performance Supervisor | Trevor Schaeffer Audience Services Representatives | Carol Corich, Madeleine Hallberg, Evan Martinak, Charlotte Summers
MINNESOTA OPERA VOLUNTEERS The following volunteers contribute their time and talent to support key activities of the company. Get involved with Bravo! Volunteer Corps at mnopera.org/volunteer, or email volunteering@mnopera.org for more information. Lynne Beck Gerald Benson Debra Brooks Jerry Cassidy Judith Duncan Jane Fuller Joan Gacki Merle Hanson Robin Keck Mary Lach Jerry Lillquist Joyce Lillquist Melanie Locke
Suzan Lynnes Mary McDiarmid Barbara Moore Douglas Myhra Candyce Osterkamp Pat Panshin Sydney Phillips Kari Schutz Janet Skidmore Wendi Sott Stephanie Van D’Elden Barbara Willis
Minnesota Opera is a proud member of The Arts Partnership with Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and The Schubert Club.
SING IN THE
NEW YEAR!
As we sing in the New Year, we look forward to an even more prosperous 2017, and could not be more grateful for your great-hearted participation in our success. Please consider Minnesota Opera when making your year-end charitable contributions. You can make your gift online at mnopera.org/year-end-gift or by calling us at 612-342-9550. Photo: Romeo & Juliet, 2016 © Dan Norman.
mnopera.org
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DIRECTORS
Finance Associate | Dylan Howell
PRODUCTION
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I N D I V I D UA L G I V I N G
I N D I V I D UA L G I V I N G
It is with deep appreciation that Minnesota Opera recognizes and thanks all of the individual donors whose annual support helps bring great opera to life. It is our pleasure to give special recognition to the following individuals whose leadership support provides the financial foundation which makes the Opera’s artistic excellence possible.
bel canto circle Platinum $50,000 and above Julia W. Dayton Vicki and Chip Emery Ruth and John Huss Lucy Rosenberry Jones and James E. Johnson C. Angus and Margaret Wurtele Wayne Zink and Christopher Schout Platinum $20,000 – $49,999 Patricia Beithon Mary and Gus Blanchard
camerata circle
Platinum $7,500 – $9,999 Anonymous (3) Allegro Fund of the Saint Paul Foundation Richard Allendorf Barry and Wendy Brunsman Maureen and Mike Harms Patricia Johnson and Kai Bjerkness Miriam and Erwin Kelen Cynthia and Lawrence Lee Jose Peris and Diana Gulden Connie and Lew Remele Mary H. and Christian G. Schrock Gold $5,000 – $7,499 Martha and Bruce Atwater Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation William Biermaier and David Hanson Kenneth and Peggy Bonneville Dr. Lee A. Borah Jr. Michael and Alexis Christie Peter Davis and Pamela Webster Mary Dearing and Barry Lazarus Alfred and Ingrid Lenz Harrison Dorothy Horns and James Richardson Jay and Cynthia Ihlenfeld
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
artist circle
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$1,000 – $2,499 Anonymous Eric S. Anderson and Janalee R. Aurelia Laurie Anderson and Jon Hanson Floyd Anderson Jamie Andrews and Jane Kolp-Andrews Rebecca D. Arons and Thomas J. Basting Jr. Annette Atkins and Tom Joyce Ruth and Dale Bachman Thomas and Ann Bagnoli Carl and Joan Behr Barbara S. Belk Donald E. Benson Shari and David Boehnen Mrs. Paul G. Boening Ed and Mimi Bohrer Allan Bradley Drs. Eli and Jan Briones Joan and George Carlson
William I. and Bianca M. Fine Charitable Trust Mary Ingebrand-Pohlad Mr. and Mrs. Philip Isaacson John and Kathleen Junek Leni and David Moore Jr./Moore Family Fund for the Arts of The Minneapolis Foundation Elizabeth Redleaf Mary Vaughan William White Gold $15,000–$19,999 An Anonymous Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation The Art and Martha Kaemmer Fund of HRK Foundation Robert and Sandy Klas Robert Kriel and Linda Krach Ilo and Margaret Leppik From the Family of Richard C. and Elizabeth B. Longfellow Diana Lee Lucker Karla Miller Dr. and Mrs. Alfred Moore Jenny L. Nilsson and Garrison Keillor Sarah and Rolf Peters Ken and Nina Rothchild Dorothy Sinha Nadege J. Souvenir and Joshua A. Dorothy Charles Allen Ward Fund of The Saint Paul Foundation Silver $2,500 – $4,999 Anonymous Nina and John Archabal Dan and Martha Goldberg Aronson Karen Bachman Michael Birt Alexandra O. Bjorklund Stephen and Margaret Blake Margee and Will Bracken Laurie Carlson and William Voedisch Steve Coleman Barb and Jeff Couture Mike and Stacey Crosby – The Longview Foundation Helen and John Crosson Fran Davis Cy and Paula DeCosse Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Charles M. Denny Jr. and Carol E. Denny Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Mrs. Susan DeNuccio Joyce and Hugh Edmondson Rondi Erickson and Sandy Lewis Ester Fesler Gail Fiskewold Salvatore Silvestri Franco Terence Fruth and Mary McEvoy Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Joan and William Gacki James and Teddy Gesell Heidi and Howard Gilbert
Ellie Crosby – The Longview Foundation Sara and Jock Donaldson Harvey T. McLain Kay Ness and Chris Wolohan Paul and Mary Reyelts H. Bernt von Ohlen and W. Thomas Nichol Silver $10,000–$14,999 Anonymous Susan Boren and Steve King Rachelle Dockman Chase Jane M. and Ogden W. Confer Dolly J. Fiterman
Mr. and Mrs. William Frels Beverly N. Grossman Sharon Hawkins Warren and Patricia Kelly Chris Larsen and Scott Peterson Robert L. Lee and Mary E. Schaffner Albin and Susan Nelson Don and Patricia Romanaggi Jennifer and Chris Romans Mahlon and Karen Schneider Jesse and Linda Singh Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Memorial Foundation Virginia L. and Edward C. Stringer
Nicky B. Carpenter Darlene J. and Richard P. Carroll Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Rusty and Burt Cohen Gisela Corbett Jay and Rebecca Debertin Thomas and Mary Lou Detwiler Mary Dolan Restricted Family Fund of The Longview Foundation Joan Duddingston Dr. Mary Anne Ebert and Paul Stembler Nancy and Rolf Engh Rosanne and Ken Everson Ann Fankhanel Bruce and Melanie Flessner Patricia R. Freeburg Friborg Family Charitable Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Kathy and James Ganley Judith Garcia Galiana and Alberto Castillo Sandi and Mike Genau Dr. Richard Gregory Mrs. Myrtle Grette Mary Guignon Richards Susanne Haas and Ross Formell Michele Harris and Peter Tanghe Linda and Jack Hoeschler
Jean McGough Holten Dr. Arthur and Fran Horowitz Hella Mears Hueg Jill Irvine Crow Diane and Paul Jacobson Hubert Joly Robert and Susan Josselson Lyndel and Blaine King David MacMillan and Judy Krow Dorothy and Roy Mayeske Mary Bigelow McMillan Velia R. Melrose Sandy and Bob Morris Richard and Nancy Nicholson Fund Mrs. William S. Phillips John and Sandra Roe Foundation Thomas D. and Nancy J. Rohde James and Andrea Rubenstein Frank and Lynda Sharbrough Julie Steiner Ruth Stricker Dayton Dr. Andrew J. Thomas Dr. Norrie Thomas and Gina Gillson Stephanie C. Van D’Elden Dr. Craig S. and Stephanie Walvatne Nancy and Ted Weyerhaeuser Woessner Freeman Family Foundation
Goodale Family Foundation Jennifer Gross and Jerry LeFevre Bruce and Jean Grussing Roger and Karen Hale Marion and Donald Hall Ann Marie Hanrahan Stefan and Lonnie Helgeson Don Helgeson and Sue Shepard Elfrieda Hintze Steve Horan Thomas Hunt and John Wheelihan Peter Hyman Bryce and Paula Johnson Janet N. Jones Margaret V. Kinney Sally and Bill Kling Mrs. James S. Kochiras Anna Kokayeff Kyle Kossol and Tom Becker Constance and Daniel Kunin Christl and Andrew Larson Laurence and Jean LeJeune
Sy and Ginny Levy Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Teresa and Kaiser Lim Benjamin Y. H. and Helen C. Liu William F. Long Leland T. Lynch and Terry Saario Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Reid and Ann MacDonald Martha MacMillan Carolyn Mayo Helen and Charles McCrossan Kris and Bill McGrath Deb and Jon McTaggart Eileen and Lester Meltzer David and LaVonne Middleton Kay Phillips and Jill Mortensen Betty Myers Joan and Richard Newmark Ruth and Ahmad Orandi Sally and Thomas Patterson Suzanne and William Payne Marge and Dwight Peterson
Phylllis Price Mary and Robert Price Scott and Courtney Rile Lois and John Rogers Dr. Donald V. Romanaggi Sr. Sampson Family Charitable Foundation
patron circle
Gold $750 – $999 Anonymous Gerald and Phyllis Benson Barbara McBurney Lucia Newell and Steven Wiese Liane A. Rosel David E. Sander Rhonda Skoby Warren Stortroen Silver $500 – $749 Bridget Manahan and Joe Alexander Thomas O. Allen Katherine Anderson August J. Aquila and Emily Haliziw Dr. Thomas Arlander Dr. and Mrs. Orn Arnar Jo and Gordon Bailey Family Fund of the Catholic Community Foundation Ravi Balwada Christopher Beaudet Chuck and Estelle Bennett Laura Bishop Martin and Patricia Blumenreich
associate circle
$250 – $499 Anonymous (2) Dan Avchen and David Johnson James and Gail Bakkom Bender Vocal Studio Kenneth J. Berglund Mitch and Michele Blatt Roger and Ronnie Brooks Dr. Hannelore Brucker Philip and Carolyn Brunelle Renee Campion and David Walsh Alan E. and Ruth Carp C. Cesnik Laura Green Chaffee and Matthew Chaffee Kay Constantine Shana Crosson and John Gisselquist Kathleen and Douglas Drake Virginia Dudley and William Myers Candace and Dan Ellis Leah and Ian Evison Charlie and Anne Ferrell Mina Fisher and Fritz Nelson C.D.F. Foundation Greta and Paul Garmers Cecilie and Emanuel Gaziano Stanley and Luella Goldberg Charlotte L. Grantier Mounira Hassan
ANNUAL FUND
Fred and Gloria Sewell Cherie and Robert Shreck Kevin and Lynn Smith Matthew Spanjers and Annie Carvalho Daniel J. Spiegel Family Foundation
Dana and Stephen Strand Carley and Bill Stuber Vern Sutton Lester Temple Jill and John Thompson Bryn and Schelly Vaaler
Mrs. Joanne Von Blon Frank and Frances Wilkinson John W. Windhorst Jr. Carolyn, Sharon, and Clark Winslow
Thomas and Joyce Bruckner Jean and Bruce Carlson Brenda Colwill Page and Jay Cowles Marilyn Crilley and George Rowbottom Barry Divine Ellen Doll and Jay Swanson David Dudycha and Dorothy Vawter Holli and Stefan Egerstrom April Foley Bradley Fuller and Elizabeth Lincoln David and Terry Gilberstadt Marsha and Richard Gould Mary and Brian Green Joseph and Deirdre Haj Rehael Fund – Roger Hale/Nor Hall of The Minneapolis Foundation Tom and Susan Handley Russell and Priscilla Hankins John Hogie Mary and Jeffrey Husband Barbara Jenkins Erika and Herb Kahler Jane and Jim Kaufman Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation
Carole and Joseph Killpatrick Robert and Venetia Kudrle James and Gail LaFave Scott and Karla Lalim Mr. Bryan Lechner Tim and Susanna Lodge Ruth W. Lyons Frank Mayers Laura McCarten Thomas and Stefanie Murtha Ilya Perepelitsyn and Lioudmila Sitnikova Carol Peterson Corine and John Petraborg Walter Pickhardt and Sandra Resnick Christina and Dwight Porter Lorraine Potuzak Dennis M. Ready Lawrence M. Redmond Bob and Donna Rose Enrique and Clara Rotstein Fred Sandal Dan Sassenberg Mary Savina Jon L. Schasker and Debbie Carlson
Gale Sharpe Morris and Judith Sherman Madeline Simon Clifford C. and Virginia G. Sorensen Charitable Trust of The Saint Paul Foundation Jon Spoerri and Debra Christgau Michael Steffes Allen Steinkopf Mary K. and Gary Stern Thomas and Sharon Stoffel Kent Stone Craig and Janet Swan Michael Symeonides and Mary Pierce Dr. Anthony Thein Irma Thies Susan Travis Cindy and Steven Vilks Elizabeth Wexler Deborah Wheeler Barbara White John M. Williams
Alfred E. Hauwiller Rosmarie and John Helling Holly C. Hickman Mary K. Hicks Andrew and Gary Whitford Holey Stuart Holland Brian and Karen Hopps Burton and Sandra Hoverson Mark and Kathleen Humphrey Thomas and Vicki Hurwitz Ray Jacobsen Deborah and Ronald Jans Charlie Johnson Nancy Jones Charles and Sally Jorgensen Jim and Kathleen Karges The Mahley Family Foundation Janice Kimes Tara and Peter Klatt Nathan Kulenkamp Beatrice H. Langford Gene and Phyllis Letendre Lisa and Jonathan Lewis Carol and Jeff Ley Stuart MacGibbon Dr. Joan E. Madden Dusty Mairs Aimee and Robert Mairs Kristin and Jim Matejcek Orpha McDiarmid Family Fund
Harry McNeely Laurel and David Mech Adele Mehta Curtis and Verne Melberg John L. Michel and H. Berit Midelfort Virginia Miller Brad Momsen and Rick Buchholz David E. and Judy L. Myers Merritt C. Nequette and Nancy Hartung William and Sharon Nichols Brandon and Melissa Novy Patricia A. O’Gorman Dennis R. Olson Donna and Marvin Ortquist Julia and Brian Palmer Marcia and Jon Pankake Kathleen and Donald Park James A. Payne Lana K. Pemberton Margaret and John Perry John and Norma Pierson Anne and John Polta Nicole and Charles Prescott Ann Richter Robert E. Rocknem Patrick Riley and Natalie Roholt Tamara and Michael Root Daniel Roth
Kate Saumur Paul L. Schroeder Emily and Daniel Shapiro Dale and Marilyn Simmons Juliana Simmons Bonnie and Peter Sipkins Mark and Kristi Specker Dr. David M. Steinhaus Donna Stephenson Carolina and Frederico Stiegwardt Barbara Stoll Mark Stutrud Katharine E. Thomas Susan Truman Belen Urquiola Elaine B. Walker David Walsh and Renee Campion David L. Ward Greg and Ellen Weyandt John and Sandra White Jeff Wiemiller Barb Wildes Wendy Wildung Jenna Wolf Ruth Wood Jessica and Rob Zeaske
These lists are current as of October 14, 2016, and include donors who gave a gift of $250 or more during Minnesota Opera’s Annual Fund Campaign. If your name is not listed appropriately, please accept our apologies and contact Mallory Roberts, Director of Development, Leadership and Institutional Giving, at mroberts@mnopera.org or 612-342-9566.
become a donor
Bring innovative opera productions to life with your charitable gift, and join Minnesota Opera’s family of donors today. Visit mnopera.org/support to give online. Thank you!
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ANNUAL FUND
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LEGACY CIRCLE
Minnesota Opera gratefully acknowledges its major institutional supporters: $100,000 +
MINNESOTA OPERA THANKS the following donors who, through their foresight and generosity, have included the Opera in their wills or estate plans. We invite you to join other opera lovers by
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
$50,000 – $99,999
leaving a legacy gift to Minnesota Opera. If you have already made such a provision, we encourage you to notify us so that we may appropriately recognize your generosity. Anonymous (4)
Margaret Kilroe Trust*
Paul and Val Ackerman
Lyndel and Blaine King
Thomas O. Allen
Gretchen Klein*
Dr. and Mrs. Rolf Andreassen*
Sally and William Kling
Mary A. Andres
Gisela Knoblauch*
Karen Bachman
Liz and Jim Krezowski
Randolph G. Baier*
Robert Kriel and Linda Krach
Patricia and Mark Bauer Mrs. Harvey O. Beek* Barbara and Judson Bemis Sr.*
$25,000 – $49,999
Jean Lemberg* Joyce and Jerry Lillquist
C.T. Bundy II
Patricia Ruth Lund*
Margaret M. Carasik
David Mayo
Joan and George Carlson
Barbara and Thomas* McBurney
Darlene J. and Richard P. Carroll
Mary McDiarmid
Charles M. Denny George and Susan Doty Rudolph Driscoll* Anne P. Ducharme Ester and John* Fesler Dr. Paul Froeschl
minnesota opera sponsors
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
Season Sponsor
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Tempo After Parties Sakura
Tempo Print Sponsor Press Sure Print
Official Make-Up Partner Student Dress Rehearsal
Robert J. Lawser Jr.
Allan Bradley
Julia and Kenneth* Dayton
Katy Gaynor
For information on making a corporate or foundation contribution to Minnesota Opera, please contact Mallory Roberts, Director of Development, Leadership and Institutional Giving, at mroberts@mnopera.org or 612-342-9566.
Helen L. Kuehn*
Dr. Lee Borah Jr.
Julia and Dan Cross
$10,000 – $24,999
Robert and Venetia Kudrle
Nettie Grabscheid* Robert and Ellen Green
Mildred McGonagle* Sheila McNally* Mrs. Walter Meyers John L. Michel and H. Berit Midelfort Susan Molder* Edith Mueller* Kay Ness Joan and Richard Newmark Philip Oxman and Harvey Zuckman Scott J. Pakudaitis
Richard G.* and Liane A. Rosel
Gold $5,000 – $9,999
Thomson Reuters Wells Fargo Advisors
Ruth Hanold*
Ken and Nina Rothchild
Frederick J. Hey Jr.*
Berneen Rudolph
Bronze $250 – $2,499
Anonymous Hutter Family Foundation Margaret Rivers Fund Maurices Minnesota Power Morgan Family Foundation National Bank of Commerce Peravid Foundation The Elizabeth C. Quinlan Foundation Tennant Foundation
Norton M. Hintz Trust*
Mary Savina
Carlson Family Foundation Enterprise Holdings Foundation Fredrikson & Byron Foundation Hammel, Green and Abrahamson Inc. McVay Foundation Onan Family Foundation Sit Investment Foundation Wells Fargo Insurance Services
Elfrieda Hintze
Frank and Lynda Sharbrough
Jean McGough Holten
Drew Stewart
Charles J. Hudgins*
James and Susan Sullivan
Dale and Pat Johnson
Gregory C. Swinehart
Ruth Jones*
Stephanie C. Van D’Elden
Charles and Sally Jorgensen
Mary W. Vaughan
Robert and Susan Josselson
Bernt von Ohlen
In-Kind Donations
Charlotte* and Markle Karlen
Jefferson Lines
Mary H. Keithahn Warren and Patricia Kelly
Sandra and Dale Wick
Publicity Photographer, Brent Dundore | Production Photographer, Dan Norman Videographer, Flight Creative Media | Event Photographer, CJ Standish Broadcast Recording
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Ticket Policies Tickets are not refundable. Subscribers may make exchanges for a different performance or opera up to one hour prior to curtain. Any ticket may be turned back for a tax deductible donation up until curtain. Call the Minnesota Opera Ticket Office at 612-333-6669. Parking Prepaid parking is available for opera patrons at the Lawson Commons Ramp. Call 612-333-6669 or visit mnopera.org to purchase passes. Opera Insights Come early for Opera Insights — free, fun, and informative half-hour sessions held in the lobby one hour before curtain. Accessibility For patrons with disabilities, wheelchair-accessible seats are available. Audio description will be available for select performances. Please call 612-333-6669 for details and indicate any special needs when ordering tickets. At Ordway, accessible restrooms and other facilities are available, as well as Braille or large-print programs and infrared listening systems.
Please have all cell phones and pagers turned to the silent mode. Children under six are not permitted in the hall. Cameras and recording equipment are strictly prohibited in the theater. Please check these items with an usher. Food and beverages are available for purchase prior to the show. Water and other beverages are allowed in the theater (hot beverages require lids), but food is strictly prohibited.
Richard Zgodava* Daniel Richard Zillmann
* In remembrance
For more information on making planned giving arrangements, please contact Carley Stuber, CFRE, Chief Development Officer, at cstuber@mnopera.org or
production multimedia
mnopera.org Visit mnopera.org to watch behind-the-scenes videos, read synopses, browse digital programs, and more. Join our e-club to receive special offers and opera news.
Latecomers will be seated at an appropriate break.
Julia Hanna*
Silver $2,500 – $4,999
Regular Hours: Monday – Friday, 10am – 5pm. Performances: Weekdays — phones open until curtain. Weekends — phones open at 2pm for evening performances and at 10:30am for matinee performances. Minnesota Opera staff will be available at the Ordway’s Box Office 90 minutes prior to curtain.
At the Ordway Ordway is a smoke-free facility.
Dr. Ieva M. Grundmanis*
The Aaron Copland Fund for Music Inc. Best Buy Children’s Foundation Boss Foundation Briggs & Morgan p.a. Dellwood Foundation Ernst & Young Hardenbergh Foundation Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts Anna M. Heilmaier Charitable Foundation r.c. Lilly Foundation Mayo Clinic RBC Wealth Management
Minnesota Opera Ticket Office 620 North First Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401 612-333-6669
Sydney M. and William S.* Phillips
Lana K. Pemberton
corporations, foundations, and government Rothschild Capital Partners James Rubenstein, Moss & Barnett Schwegman, Lundberg & Woessner p.a.
MINNESOTA OPERA INFO
612-342-9579. Your attorney or financial advisor can then help determine which methods are most appropriate for you.
The phone number for emergencies is 651-224-4222. Please leave seat locations with the calling party. Lost and Found is located at the Stage Door. Call 651-282-3070 for assistance.
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INSTITUTIONAL GIVING
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Join the fun! Step back in time with the Resident Artists to the 1940s and experience the entertainment that supported our troops. The event supports the Resident Artist Program and will be an evening to remember. For more information visit mnopera.org/cabaret Special pricing for Tempo members!
JOIN TEMPO, OUR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS GROUP!
Are you 21–39 and interested in experiencing opera, meeting new people, and receiving invitations to After Parties and one-of-a-kind events? Join Minnesota Opera’s young professionals group and enjoy a steep discount on the hottest tickets in town.
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2015 Corrine Standish for Minnesota Opera
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
To learn more about Tempo and to purchase your membership, visit mnopera.org or call the Minnesota Opera ticket office at 612-333-6999, M–F, 10am–5pm
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Celebrating 10 seasons of outstanding chamber music! Come hear these amazing MPR Class Notes Artists perform free concerts!
African-American History Month Feb. 4, 7pm @ James J. Hill House Feb. 5, 3pm @ St. David’s Episcopal Church
Minnesota Dance Theatre PRESENTS
A Holiday Must-see!
American Music April 20, 7pm @ James J. Hill House April 22, 3pm @ St. David’s Episcopal Church
There’s no better holiday gift than an evening at Chanhassen!
Quintessential Quartets June 3, 3pm @ Baroque Room June 4, 3pm @ St. David’s Episcopal Church
GIFT C ARD To: Kay & Tom From: A unt Dee
www.millcityquartet.com
December 16-23, 2016
with the Nutcracker Orchestra “...a marvel of balletic storytelling.”
GIFT CARD
-Mike Steele, Star Tribune
To: Mom & Dad From: Karen
Good for everything from Concerts to Camps to Camelot and more!
King of Kings Lutheran Woodbury, MN
952.934.1524 ChanhassenDT.com
Free Admission!! spcsmusic.org
TICKETS: State Theatre Box Office, Ticketmaster.com or 800-982-2787
mndance.org
$59 Frame Sale! SATURDAY NOV 19 10AM - 8PM SUNDAY NOV 20 11AM - 6PM
BURNSVILLE LOCATION ONLY (BURNSVILLE MALL)
Before
After
Are your glasses aging you?
Stop cheating yourself and get a real pair of glasses. ST. PAUL • UPTOWN • NEW BRIGHTON • BURNSVILLE 952-892-6666 spectacleshoppe.com
Lake Vermilion - Ely - Lake Superior - Giants Ridge Northeastern Minnesota www.JanischRealty.com
Holiday Concerts AN ORDWAY PRODUCTION
NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION WITH OSMO VÄNSKÄ
THE MIDTOWN MEN
Tickets and Complete Details at
minnesotaorchestra.org 612.371.5656 / Orchestra Hall NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION WITH DAWN UPSHAW
Based Upon the Paramount Pictures Film Written For the Screen by NORMAN KRASNA, NORMAN PANAMA and MELVIN FRANK Music and Lyrics by IRVING BERLIN | Book by DAVID IVES and PAUL BLAKE Directed and Choreographed by JAMES A. ROCCO | Musical Direction by JEFF RIZZO
DECEMBER 8-31 SPONSORED BY
HANDEL’S MESSIAH
JINGLE BELL DOC
GEORGE WINSTON
IN CONCERT
$12 tickets
MUSICAL THEATER SERIES SPONSORED BY
ORDWAY.ORG
651.224.4222 TTY651.282.3100
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
PETER AND THE WOLF PHOTOS: Complete credits online. Ratatouille: Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts © All Rights Reserved. HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR. (s16)
MERRY AND BRIGHT
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