Program Joy Schreier, piano From La traviata Brindisi (The Drinking Song)............................................................................Guiseppe Verdi Rolando Sanz, tenor Elizabeth Overmann, soprano From Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) Der Hölle Rache...................................................................................................W.A. Mozart Elizabeth Overmann, soprano From Carmen Habanera...........................................................................................................Georges Bizet Madelyn Wanner Salazar, mezzo-soprano Toreador Song...................................................................................................Georges Bizet Trevor Scheunemann, baritone Près des remparts de Sévilla............................................................................ Georges Bizet Madelyn Wanner Salazar, mezzo-soprano From La bohème Che gelida manina........................................................................................Giacomo Puccini Rolando Sanz, tenor Mi chiamano Mimi.........................................................................................Giacomo Puccini Elizabeth Overmann, soprano O soave fanciulla...........................................................................................Giacomo Puccini Elizabeth Overmann, soprano Rolando Sanz, tenor From Die tote Stadt (The Dead City) Tanzlied (Dance Song).....................................................................................Erich Korngold Trevor Scheunemann, baritone From Lakmé The Flower Duet....................................................................................................Léo Delibes Elizabeth Overmann, soprano Madelyn Wanner Salazar, mezzo-soprano From Les pêcheurs de perles (The Pearlfishers) Pearl Fishers Duet.............................................................................................Georges Bizet Rolando Sanz, tenor Trevor Scheunemann, baritone From Gianni Schicchi O mio babbino caro.......................................................................................Giacomo Puccini Elizabeth Overmann, Soprano From Rigoletto Bella figlia dell’amore.......................................................................................Giuseppe Verdi Elizabeth Overmann, soprano Madelyn Wanner Salazar, mezzo-soprano Rolando Sanz, tenor Trevor Scheunemann, baritone
La traviata La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi, set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La Dame aux camélas (1852), a play adapted from the 1848 novel by Alexandre Dumas fils about a courtesan, Violetta, and her lover, Alfredo. It is among the most frequently performed of all operas. Brindisi (The Drinking Song) In Act 1, Violetta Valéry, a famed courtesan, throws a lavish party at her Paris salon to celebrate her recovery from an illness. Alfredo Germont, a young bourgeois from a provincial family who has long adored Violetta from afar, attends the party with a friend. Violetta’s current lover is asked to give a toast, but refuses, and the crowd turns to Alfredo, who agrees to sing a brindisi – a drinking song. ALFREDO Libiamo ne’ lieti calici Che la bellezza infiora, E la fuggevol ora S’inebri a voluttà. Libiamo ne’ dolci fremiti Che suscita l’amore, Poiché quell’occhio al core Onnipotente va. Libiamo, amor fra i calici Più caldi baci avrà.
ALFREDO Let’s drink from the joyous chalice Where beauty flowers ... Let the fleeting hour To pleasure’s intoxication yield. Let’s drink To love’s sweet tremors To those eyes That pierce the heart. Let’s drink to love - to wine That warms our kisses.
TUTTI Libiamo, amor fra i calici Più caldi baci avrà.
ALL Ah! Let’s drink to love and to wine That warms our kisses.
VIOLETTA Tra voi saprò dividere Il tempo mio giocondo; Tutto è follia nel mondo Ciò che non è piacer. Godiamo, fugace e rapido È il gaudio dell’amore; È un fior che nasce e muore, Né più si può goder. Godiamo c’invita un fervido Accento lusinghier.
VIOLETTA With you I would share My days of happiness; Everything is folly in this world That does not give us pleasure. Let us enjoy life, For the pleasures of love are swift and fleeting As a flower that lives and dies And can be enjoyed no more. Let’s take our pleasure! While its ardent, Brilliant summons lures us on.
TUTTI Godiamo la tazza e il cantico La notte abbella e il riso; In questo paradiso Ne scopra il nuovo dì.
ALL Let’s take our pleasure Of wine and Singing and mirth Till the new day Dawns on us in paradise.
VIOLETTA La vita è nel tripudio.
VIOLETTA Life is just pleasure.
ALFREDO Quando non s’ami ancora.
ALFREDO But if one still waits for love ...
VIOLETTA Nol dite a chi l’ignora.
VIOLETTA I know nothing of that ? don’t tell me …
ALFREDO È il mio destin così
ALFREDO But there lies my fate.
TUTTI Godiamo la tazza e il cantico La notte abbella e il riso; In questo paradiso Ne scopra il nuovo dì.
ALL Let’s take our pleasure Of wine and Singing and mirth, Till the new day Dawns on this paradise of ours.
The Magic Flute Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The opera premiered on 30 September 1791 at the Freihaus-Theater auf der Wieden in Vienna, just two months before the composer’s premature death. In this opera, the Queen of the Night persuades Prince Tamino to rescue her daughter Pamina from captivity under the high priest Sarastro; instead, he learns the high ideals of Sarastro’s community and seeks to join it. Separately, then together, Tamino and Pamina undergo severe trials of initiation, which end in triumph, with the Queen and her cohorts vanquished. Der Hölle Rache Sung in Act 2 by the Queen of the Night, the memorable, fast-paced, and menacingly grandiose “Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen” (“Hell’s vengeance boils in my heart”), commonly abbreviated “Der Hölle Rache,” is one of the most famous of all opera arias. It depicts a fit of vengeful rage in which the Queen places a knife into the hand of her daughter Pamina and exhorts her to assassinate Sarastro, the Queen’s rival, else she will disown and curse Pamina. KÖNIGEN DER NACHT Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen, Tod und Verzweiflung flammet um mich her! Fühlt nicht durch dich Sarastro Todesschmerzen, So bist du meine Tochter nimmermehr.
QUEEN OF THE NIGHT My heart is seething with hellish vengeance, Death and despair are blazing around me! Unless Sarastro feels the pains of death at your hands You are no longer my daughter.
Verstossen sei auf ewig und verlassen, Zertrümmert alle Bande der Natur, Wenn nicht durch dich Sarastro wird erblassen! Hört Rache, - Götter! - Hört der Mutter Schwur.
Forever disowned, forever abandoned, forever destroyed may all ties of nature be, unless Sarastro dies at your hands! Hear! Gods of vengeance! Hear a mother’s vow!
FUN OPERA FACTS Verdi’s La traviata, Mozart’s Magic Flute and Bizet’s Carmen are the most performed operas. Mozart wrote themes for each of his characters, so you can often tell someone is coming before they reach the stage. The priest Sarastro’s music is deep, low and slow, while the Queen of the Night’s music is fast, agile and very high. In the Queen of the Night aria, the soprano must hit a high F over and over again. It’s incredibly difficult so the aria is a great piece for a soprano to show off her skills. A prolific composer of epic proportions, Mozart staggeringly produced more than 600 works in his 35 years, starting at the age of five. Scientists of the Royal Society subjected a ten-year-old Mozart to a series of tests to prove he was actually a child genius, not a skilled dwarf. Really!
Carmen Carmen is an opera in four acts by French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. It is set in southern Spain and tells the story of the downfall of Don José, a naïve soldier who is seduced by the wiles of the fiery gypsy Carmen. José abandons his childhood sweetheart and deserts from his military duties, yet loses Carmen’s love to the glamorous bullfighter Escamillo, after which José kills her in a jealous rage. The depictions of proletarian life, immorality, and lawlessness, and the tragic death of the main character on stage, broke new ground in French opera and were highly controversial. Habanera Habanera is the popular name for “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” (“Love Is a Rebellious Bird”), the entrance aria of the title character, in Scene 5 of Act 1. The score of the aria was adapted from the habanera “El Arreglito ou la Promesse de mariage” by the Spanish musician Sebastián Iradier, first published in 1863, which Bizet thought to be a folk song. When others told him he had used something written by a composer who had died 10 years earlier, he added a note of its derivation in the first edition of the vocal score. CARMEN L’amour est un oiseau rebelle Que nul ne peut apprivoiser Et c’est bien en vain qu’on l’appelle S’il lui convient de refuser Rien n’y fait, menaces ou prières L’un parle bien, l’autre se tait : Et c’est l’autre que je préfère Il n’a rien dit mais il me plaît L’amour ! L’amour ! L’amour ! L’amour !
CARMEN Love is a rebellious bird that no one can tame, and if you call for it, it’ll be quite in vain for it’s in its nature to say no. Nothing helps, neither a threat nor a prayer one talks well, the other rests silent and it’s the other one that I prefer doesn’t say a thing, but pleases me. Love! Love! Love! Love!
L’amour est enfant de Bohême Il n’a jamais, jamais connu de loi Si tu ne m’aimes pas, je t’aime Si je t’aime, prends garde à toi ! Si tu ne m’aimes pas Si tu ne m’aimes pas, je t’aime ! Mais, si je t’aime Si je t’aime, prends garde à toi !
Love is a gypsy’s child, it has never, never known what law is, if you do not love me, I love you if I love you, then beware! if you do not love me, if you do not love me, I love you! but if I love you, if I love you, then beware!
L’oiseau que tu croyais surprendre Battit de l’aile et s’envola ... L’amour est loin, tu peux l’attendre Tu ne l’attends plus, il est là ! Tout autour de toi, vite, vite Il vient, s’en va, puis il revient... Tu crois le tenir, il t’évite Tu crois l’éviter, il te tient L’amour ! L’amour ! L’amour ! L’amour !
The bird you thought you had caught by surprise beats its wings and flies away... love lies afar, you can wait for it and when you don’t expect it anymore, there it is! All around you twirls faster, faster it comes and goes, and then comes back. you think you’ve caught it, it eludes you, you think you’ve escaped it, it captures you. Love! Love! Love! Love!
L’amour est enfant de Bohême Il n’a jamais, jamais connu de loi Si tu ne m’aimes pas, je t’aime Si je t’aime, prends garde à toi ! Si tu ne m’aimes pas Si tu ne m’aimes pas, je t’aime ! Mais, si je t’aime Si je t’aime, prends garde à toi !
Love is a gypsy’s child, it has never, never known what law is, if you do not love me, I love you if I love you, then beware! if you do not love me, if you do not love me, I love you! but if I love you, if I love you, then beware!
The Toreador Song “The Toreador Song” is the popular name for the aria “Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre.” It is sung by the bullfighter (the French word for bullfighter is actualy torero, but Bizet made up his own word because he needed an extra syllable) Escamillo as he enters in Act 2 and describes various situations in the bull ring, the cheering of the crowds, and the fame that comes with victory. ESCAMILLO Votre toast ... je peux vous le rendre, Señors, Señors, car avec les soldats Oui les toreros peuvent s’entendre, Pour plaisirs ils ont les combats. Le cirque est plein, c’est jour de fête, Le cirque est plein du haut en bas. Les spectateurs perdant la tête, Les spectateurs s’interpellent à grands fracas: Apostrophes, cris et tapage Poussés jusques à la fureur. Car c’est la fête du courage, C’est la fête des gens de cour. Allons en garde! Allons! Allons! Ah! Toréador, en garde, Toréador, toréador, Et songe bien, oui songe en combattant Qu’un oeil noir te regarde Et que l’amour t’attend.Toréador, l’amour, l’amour t’attend!
ESCAMILLO Your toast, I return it, Sirs, sirs -- for along with the soldiers, Yes, the Toréadors can understand; For pleasure, for pleasure they fight! The arena is full, it is the feast day The arena is full from top to bottom. The spectators, losing their heads, The spectators begin a brawl! Loud shouts, cries, and the uproar Grows into a furor! Because it is a celebration of courage! It is the celebration of people with heart! Let’s go, be ready! Come on! Come on! Ah! Toréador, en garde, Toréador, toréador, And dream well, yes, dream of fighting There is a pair of black eyes watching you, That await your love Toréador, love, love awaits you!
Tout d’un coup on fait silence; On fait silence. Ah que se passe-t-il? Plus de cris; c’est l’instant Le taureau s’élance en bondissant hors du toril Il s’élance, il entre, il frappe, un cheval roule Entraînant un picador. Ah bravo toro!, hurle la foule. Le taureau va ... il vient ... il vient et frappe encor! En secouant ses banderilles, Plein de fureur, il court! Le cirque est plein de sang; On se sauve, on franchit les grilles; C’est ton tour maintenant. Allons en garde! Allons! Allons! Ah! Toréador, en garde! Toréador, toréador! Et songe bien, oui songe en combattant Qu’un oeil noir te regarde Et que l’amour t’attend. Toréador, l’amour t’attend!
All at once, there is silence, Ah, what has happened? More cries, it is the moment! The bull rushes out, bounding out of the Toril! He charges out! He enters.He strikes! A horse rolls, Dragging a Picador Ah! Bravo! Bull! The crowd shrieks! The bull goes, he comes He comes and strikes again! Shaking his banderillos, Full of fury, he runs! The arena is full of blood! They save themselves, they pass the gates It is your turn now. Go! En garde! Go! Go! Ah! Toréador, en garde, Toréador, toréador, And dream well, yes, dream of fighting There is a pair of black eyes watching you, That await your love. Toréador, love awaits you!
FUN OPERA FACTS: CARMEN French composer Georges Bizet wrote over 30 operas, but Carmen is the only one that is still performed with any regularity. One of the directors of the Opéra-Comique, where Carmen premiered, resigned in a huff because of the more shocking elements in Carmen’s libretto: onstage violence, an independent, amorously loose central character and women smoking! After its premiere in 1875, Carmen was critically panned, and many believe the poor reception led to Bizet’s early death at age 36. He died without knowing just how beloved his opera would become: Carmen has spawned adaptations across multiple media—from Carmen on Ice to Carmen: A Hip Hopera, a 2001 movie starring Beyoncé.
Près des remparts de Séville At the end of Act 1, Zuniga, the officer of the guard, learns that Carmen has attacked a woman with a knife. Zuniga orders José to tie her hands and watch her while he prepares the prison warrant. Left alone with José, Carmen beguiles him with a seguidilla, “Près des remparts de Séville” (“Near the ramparts of Seville”) in which she sings of a night of dancing and passion with her lover—whomever that may be—in Lillas Pastia’s tavern. Confused yet mesmerized, José agrees to free her hands; as she is led away she pushes her escort to the ground and runs off laughing. José is arrested for dereliction of duty. CARMEN Près des remparts de Séville, Chez mon ami Lillas Pastia, J’irai danser la séguedille Et boire du manzanilla! J’irai chez mon ami Lillas Pastia. Oui, mais toute seule on s’ennuie, Et les vrais plaisirs sont à deux . Donc pour me tenir compagnie, J’emmènerai mon amoureux Mon amoureux! ... Il est au diable Je l’ai mis à la porte hier. Mon pauvre cœur très consolable, Mon cœur est libre comme l’air. J’ai des galants à la douzaine, Mais ils ne sont pas à mon gré; Voici la fin de la semaine, Qui veut m’aimer je l’aimerai. Qui veut mon âme ... elle est à prendre . Vous arrivez au bon moment, Je n’ai guère le temps d’attendre, Car avec mon nouvel amant Près des remparts de Séville. Chez mon ami Lillas Pastia, J’irai danser la séguedille Et boire du Manzanilla. Oui, j’irai chez mon ami Lillas Pastia!
CARMEN Near the ramparts of Seville, At my friend Lillas Pastia’s, I will dance the seguid And drink manzanilla! I’ll go to my friend Lillas Pastia’s house. Yes, but being alone is boring, And real pleasure needs a partner. So to keep me company, I will take my lover My lover! ... he is gone to the devil I kicked him out yesterday. My poor heart is very consolable, My heart is free as the air. I have suitors by the dozen, But they are not to my liking; Now it’s the weekend, Who wants to love me? I will love him. Who wants my soul ... it’s there for the taking. You arrive at the right moment, I do not have time to wait, Because with my new lover Near the walls of Seville. At my friend Lillas Pastia’s, I will dance the seguid And drink Manzanilla. Yes, I will go to my friend’s house Lillas Pastia!
Je ne te parle pas ... je chante pour moi-même, Et je pense ... il n’est pas défendu de penser, Je pense à certain officier qui m’aime, Et qu’à mon tour, oui qu’à mon tour Je pourrais bien aimer!
I’m not talking to you ... I sing to myself, And I think ... it’s not forbidden to think, I think of some officer who loves me, And that in turn, yes that in turn I could love!
Mon officier n’est pas un capitaine,Pas même un lieutenant, Il n’est que brigadier. Mais c’est assez pour une bohémienne, Et je daigne m’en contenter!
My officer is not a captain, Not even a lieutenant, He is only brigadier. But that’s enough for a gypsy, And I deign to be satisfied with it!
Nous danserons la séguedille En buvant du manzanilla.
We will dance the seguid And drink manzanilla.
Ah! Près des remparts de Séville Chez mon ami Lillas Pastia, Nous danserons la séguedille Et boirons du Manzanilla. Tra la la la la la la la la la la!
Ah! Near the ramparts of Seville At my friend Lillas Pastia’s, We will dance the seguid And drink Manzanilla. Tra la la la la la la la la la!
La bohème La bohème is an opera in four acts, composed by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. Loosely based on the novel Scenes de la vie de Bohème by Henri Murger, La bohème is one of the most popular operas in the world. It premiered in Turin in 1896. The plot centers around a group of artists living in poverty in Paris in the 1930s; Rodolfo, a playwright, falls in love with Mimi, his neighbor, who has a persistent cough caused by tuberculosis.
Che gelida manina/Mi chiamano Mimi/O soave fanciulla In the first act of the opera, the poet Rodolfo meets Mimi, the young woman who lives upstairs and has come to his attic room on Christmas Eve searching for a match to relight her candle. When Rodolfo’s candle also blows out, the two are left alone in his dark room, lit only by the moonlight. She drops her room key, and the two clumsily struggle to find it. Rodolfo pretends to search and grabs her hand. He serenades her, singing about his aspirations and his attraction to her (Che gelida manina). Mimi then tells him about herself and her work as a seamstress (Mi chiamano Mimi). The couple then realizes they are in love and the act closes with them declaring their love for each other (O soave fanciulla). RODOLFO Che gelida manina, se la lasci riscaldar... Cercar che giova? Al buio non si trova.
RODOLFO What a frozen little hand, let me warm it up… What use is looking? In the dark we won’t find it.
Ma per fortuna, è una notte di luna, E qui la luna... l’abbiamo vicina. Aspetti, signorina, Le dirò con due parole: Chi son? chi son!... e che faccio... Come vivo?... Vuole?
But by good fortune, it is a moonlit night tonight, And here the moon…we have it close to us. Wait, Miss, I’ll tell you in two words: Who I am? Who I am! …and what I do… And how I live…Is that OK?
Chi son? Sono un poeta. Chi cosa faccio? Scrivo. E come vivo? Vivo.
Who am I? I’m a poet. What do I do? I write. And how do I live? I get by.
In povertà mia lieta, Scialo da gran signore... Rime ed inni d’amore. Per sogni e per chimere... E per castelli in aria! L’anima ho milionaria.
In my happy poverty I squander like a great lord… Rhymes and hymns of love. For dreams and for fantasies… and for castles in the air! I have a millionaire soul.
Talor dal mio forziere... Ruban tutti i gioielli Due ladri: gli occhi belli. V’entrar con voi pur ora, Ed i miei sogni usati E i bei sogni miei tosto si dileguar!
At times, from my strongbox… Two thieves, beautiful eyes Steal all the jewels. They came in with you just now And the dreams I use And all my sweet dreams disappeared immediately!
Ma il furto non m’accora, Poiché v’ha preso stanza... la speranza! Or che mi conoscete, parlate voi deh! Parlate... Chi siete? Vi piaccia dir?
But the theft doesn’t bother me Because…because hope has taken their place! Now that you know me, you speak, for pity’s sake! Speak… Who are you? Please tell me?
MIMÌ Sì. Mi chiamano Mimì, ma il mio nome è Lucia. La storia mia è breve. A tela e a seta ricamo in casa e fuori Son tranquilla e lieta ed è mio svago far gigli e rose. Mi piaccion quelle cose che han si dolce malia, che parlano d’amor, di primavere, che parlano di sogni e di chimere, quelle cose che han nome poesia. Lei m’intende?
MIMI Yes. They call me Mimi, but my real name is Lucia. My story is short. I embroider satin and silk at home and elsewhere. I’m peaceful and happy, and my pastime is making lilies and roses. I like the things that are so sweetly charming, that talk about love, about springtime, that talk about dreams and about wonders, those things which are called poetry. Do you understand me?
Mi chiamano Mimì, il perché non so. Sola, mi fo il pranzo da me stessa. Non vado sempre a messa, ma prego assai il Signor. Vivo sola, soletta là in una bianca cameretta guardo sui tetti e in cielo ma quando vien lo sgelo il primo sole è mio il primo bacio dell’aprile è mio il primo sole è mio.
They call me Mimi, why? I don’t know. Alone, I take lunch on my own. I don’t always go to mass, but I pray enough to the Lord. I live alone, quite alone, there in a little white room, looking at the rooftops in the sky, but when the thaw comes the first sun is mine, April’s first kiss is mine, the first sun is mine.
Germoglia in un vaso una rosa Foglia a foglia la spio Così gentil il profumo d’un fiore Ma i fior che io faccio, ahimè i fior ch’io faccio, ahimè non hanno odore. Altro di me non le saprei narrare. Sono la sua vicina che la viene fuori d’ora a importunare.
A rose blooms in a vase, leaf by leaf I breathe it, the scent of a flower is so soft. But the flowers I make, alas, the flowers I make, alas, have no scent. I don’t know what else to say about myself. I am your neighbor who came to bother you at the wrong time.
FUN OPERA FACTS: LA BOHÈME Playwright Billy Aronson’s was inspired to write his smash Broadway hit Rent after watching a performance of La bohème. Rent is loosely based on the same story. Rent isn’t the only pop cultural work to pay tribute to La bohème: Baz Luhrmann’s love for the show ran so deep that his film Moulin Rouge! drew directly from Puccini’s plot, Homer played Rodolfo in an episode of The Simpsons, and there is a case to be made that the sitcom smash Friends is inspired in part by La bohème. Puccini was worth roughly $200 million dollars when he died in 1924. He is considered one of the most commercially successful composers of all time. During a performance of La bohème, the basso who was to sing whispered to Enrico Caruso (who was on stage with him playing Rodolfo): “I’ve lost my voice.” Caruso replied, “Move your lips and I’ll sing it for you.” With back turned to the audience, Caruso sang for him. The audience cheered, not knowing Caruso sang it.
RODOLFO O soave fanciulla, o dolce viso di mite circonfuso alba lunar in te, vivo ravviso il sogno ch’io vorrei sempre sognar!
RODOLFO Oh! lovely girl! Oh, sweet face bathed in the soft moonlight. I see in you the dream I’d dream forever!
MIMÌ Ah! tu sol comandi, amor!...
MIMÌ Ah! Love, you rule alone!...
RODOLFO Fremon già nell’anima le dolcezze estreme, nel bacio freme amor!
RODOLFO Already I taste in spirit The heights of tenderness! Love trembles in our kiss!
MIMÌ Oh! come dolci scendono le sue lusinghe al core... tu sol comandi, amore!... (bacia Mimì, svincolandosi) No, per pietà!
MIMÌ How sweet his praises enter my heart ... Love, you alone rule! (Rodolfo kisses her, she frees herself) No, please!
RODOLFO Sei mia!
RODOLFO You’re mine!
MIMÌ V’aspettan gli amici...
MIMÌ Your friends are waiting.
RODOLFO Già mi mandi via?
RODOLFO You send me away already?
MIMÌ Vorrei dir... ma non oso...
MIMÌ I daren’t say what I’d like ...
RODOLFO Dimmi
RODOLFO Tell me.
MIMÌ Se venissi con voi?
MIMÌ If I came with you?
RODOLFO Che?... Mimì? Sarebbe così dolce restar qui. C’è freddo fuori.
RODOLFO What? Mimi! It would be so fine to stay here. Outside it’s cold.
MIMÌ Vi starò vicina!...
MIMÌ I’d be near you!
RODOLFO E al ritorno?
RODOLFO And when we come back?
MIMÌ Curioso!
MIMÌ Who knows?
RODOLFO Dammi il braccio, mia piccina.
RODOLFO Give me your arm, my dear ...
MIMÌ Obbedisco, signor!
MIMÌ Your servant, sir ...
RODOLFO Che m’ami di’...
RODOLFO Tell me you love me!
MIMÌ Io t’amo!
MIMÌ I love you.
RODOLFO Amore !
RODOLFO Beloved!
MIMÌ Amor!
MIMÌ My love! My love!
Die tote Stadt Die tote Stadt (German for The Dead City), is an opera in three acts by Erich Wolfgang Korngold set to a libretto by Paul Schott (a collective pseudonym for the composer and his father, Julius Korngold), based on the 1892 novel Bruges-la-Morte by Georges Rodenbach. The opera had an unconventional double premiere in 1920, opening simultaneously in Hamburg and Cologne. It was one of the greatest hits of the 1920s, but after WWII fell into obscurity (it was banned in Germany in the 1930s because of Korngold’s Jewish ancestry) until it was revived in the late 1960s. It is now performed regularly around the world. The opera tells the story of Paul, who is haunted by the memory of his recently deceased wife Marie, and becomes obsessed with a dancer named Marietta, who reminds him of her. Tanzlied The aria “Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen,” also known as Tanzlied (German for Dance Song) is sung in Act 2. After Marietta has made a toast with the rest of her troupe, she asks Fritz (another dancer in the troupe) to sing a song. He sings a yearning dance song that looks into his past. FRITZ Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen, es träumt sich zurück. Im Tanze gewann ich, verlor ich mein Glück. Im Tanze am Rhein, bei Mondenschein, gestand mirs aus Blau-aug ein inniger Blick, Gestand mirs ihr bittend Wort: o bleib, o geh mir nicht fort, bewahre der Heimat still blühendes Glück.
FRITZ My yearning, my obsession, they take me back in dreams. In the dance I once obtained it, Now I’ve lost my happiness. While dancing on the Rhine in the moonlight, she confessed to me with a loving look in her blue eyes, Confessed to me with her pleading words: Oh stay, don’t go far away, preserve the memory of your homeland’s peaceful, flourishing happiness.
Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen, es träumt sich zurück. Zauber der Ferne warf in die Seele den Brand, Zauber des Tanzes lockte, ward Komödiant. Folgt ihr, der Wundersüssen, lernt unter Tränen küssen. Rausch und Not, Wahn und Glück: Ach, das ist Gauklers Geschick.
My yearning, my obsession, they take me back in dreams. The magic of things far away brings a burning to my soul. The magic of the dance that lured me, and I was then Pierrot. I followed her, my wonderful sweetheart, and learned from tears to kiss. Intoxication and misery, Illusion and happiness: Ah, this is a clown’s destiny.
Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen, es träumt sich zurück.
My yearning, my obsession, they take me back in dreams.
Lakmé Lakmé is an opera in three acts by Léo Delibes to a French libretto by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gille, about the tragic love story of Lakmé, the daughter of the Brahmin high priest, and a British officer. The opera premiered on April 14, 1883, in Paris’s historic Opéra-Comique Theatre. The Flower Duet “Sous le dôme épais” (popularly known as “The Flower Duet”) is sung by Lakmé and Mallika in the first act of the opera. The Brahmin high priest, Nilakantha, has been forbidden to practice his religion when British forces arrive in the city. Secretly, he leads a group of people back the temple to worship. Nilakantha’s daughter, Lakmé, stays behind with her servant, Mallika, gathering flowers by the river. As they pick flowers preparing to bathe in the river, the women sing their Flower Duet, describing the flowers that adorn the riverbanks. LAKME Viens, Mallika, les lianes en fleurs Jettent déjà leur ombre Sur le ruisseau sacré qui coule, calme et sombre, Eveillé par le chant des oiseaux tapageurs!
LAKME Come, Mallika, the vines in bloom Already cast their shadow On the sacred stream flowing, calm and dark, Awakened by the song of the boisterous birds!
MALLIKA Oh! maîtresse, C’est l’heure ou je te vois sourire, L’heure bénie où je puis lire dans le cœur toujours fermé de Lakmé!
MALLIKA Oh! mistress, It’s time I see you smile, The blessed hour where I can read in the still closed heart of Lakmé!
LAKMÉ ET MALLIKA Sous le dôme épais Où le blanc jasmin À la rose s’assemble Sur la rive en fleurs, Riant au matin Viens, descendons ensemble.
LAKMÉ AND MALLIKA Under the thick dome where the white jasmine With the roses entwined together On the blossoming riverbank laughing in the morning Come, let’s go down together!
Doucement glissons de son flot charmant Suivons le courant fuyant Dans l’onde frémissante D’une main nonchalante Viens, gagnons le bord, Où la source dort et L’oiseau, l’oiseau chante.
Gently floating on its charming stream, Let’s follow the fleeing current On the shining waves, One hand reaches lazily, Reaches for the bank, Where the spring sleeps, And the bird, the bird sings.
Sous le dôme épais Où le blanc jasmin, Ah! descendons Ensemble!
Under the thick dome where the white jasmine Ah! Let’s go down together!
LAKME Mais, je ne sais quelle crainte subite, S’empare de moi, Quand mon père va seul à leur ville maudite; Je tremble, je tremble d’effroi!
LAKME But, I do not know what sudden fear, Takes hold of me, When my father goes alone to their cursed city; I tremble, I tremble with terror!
MALLIKA Pourquoi le Dieu Ganeça le protège, Jusqu’à l’étang où s’ébattent joyeux Les cygnes aux ailes de neige, Allons cueillir les lotus bleus.
MALLIKA Why the God Ganeça protects him, Up to the pond where frolic Swans with snow-white wings, Let’s go pick the blue lotus.
LAKME Oui, près des cygnes aux ailes de neige, Allons cueillir les lotus bleus. Ensemble.
LAKME Yes, near the swans with the snow-white wings, Let’s go pick the blue lotus. Together.
LAKMÉ ET MALLIKA Sous le dôme épais Où le blanc jasmin À la rose s’assemble Sur la rive en fleurs, Riant au matin Viens, descendons ensemble. Doucement glissons de son flot charmant Suivons le courant fuyant Dans l’onde frémissante D’une main nonchalante Viens, gagnons le bord, Où la source dort et L’oiseau, l’oiseau chante.
LAKMÉ AND MALLIKA Under the thick dome where white jasmine With the roses entwined together On the blossoming riverbank laughing in the morning Come, let us go down together! Gently floating on its charming stream, Let’s follow the fleeing current On the shining waves, One hand reaches lazily, Reaches for the bank, Where the spring sleeps, And the bird, the bird sings.
Sous le dôme épais Où le blanc jasmin, Ah! descendons Ensemble!
Under the thick dome where the white jasmine Ah! Let’s go down Together!
...STILL MORE FUN OPERA FACTS Richard Versalle, an opera singer, died on stage at the Metropolitan Opera right after singing the line “Too bad you can live only so long.” “The Most Unwanted Song” is an avant-garde novelty song created by artists Komar and Melamid and composer Dave Soldier in 1997. The song was designed to incorporate lyrical and musical elements that were annoying to most people. These elements included bagpipes, cowboy music, an opera singer rapping, and a children’s choir that urged listeners to go shopping at Walmart. Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is a trained opera singer who can sing opera in seven different languages. The march ‘Here Comes the Bride’ is from an opera where the marriage is almost an immediate failure, and the piece is sung just before several wedding guests are murdered. The first performance of Puccini’s opera Madama Butterfly was one of opera’s all-time worst flops. The audience made bird, cow and goat calls and booed. Madama Butterfly, however, became one of the best-loved operas in history. Léo Delibes’ “The Flower Duet” (“Sous le dôme épais”) from Lakmé can be heard in The American President, Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, Superman Returns, and Meet the Parents. It’s also the official song of British Airways.
The Pearl Fishers Les pêcheurs de perles (The Pearl Fishers) is an opera in three acts by the French composer Georges Bizet, to a libretto by Eugène Cormon and Michel Carré. It premiered on 30 September 1863 at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris. Set in ancient times on the island of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), the opera tells the story of how two men’s vow of eternal friendship is threatened by their love for the same woman. The Pearl Fishers Duet The friendship duet “Au fond du temple saint,” generally known as “The Pearl Fishers Duet,” is one of the best-known in Western opera. NADIR Au fond du temple saint Paré de fleurs et d’or, Une femme apparaît! Je crois la voir encore!
NADIR At the back of the holy temple, decorated with flowers and gold, a woman appears... I can still see her.
ZURGA Une femme apparaît! Je crois la voir encore!
ZURGA A woman appears... I can still see her.
NADIR La foule prosternée La regarde, étonnée, Et murmure tous bas: Voyez, c’est la déesse! Qui dans l’ombre se dresse Et vers nous tend les bras!
NADIR The prostrate crowd looks at her amazed and murmurs under its breath: look, this is the goddess looming up out of the shadow and holding out her arms to us.
ZURGA Son voile se soulève! Ô vision! ô rêve! La foule est à genoux!
ZURGA Her veil parts slightly; what a vision, what a dream! The crowd is kneeling.
NADIR et ZURGA Oui, c’est elle! C’est la déesse plus charmante et plus belle! Oui, c’est elle! C’est la déesse qui descend parmi nous! Son voile se soulève et la foule est à genoux!
TOGETHER Yes, it is she, it is the goddess, more charming and more beautiful; yes, it is she, it is the goddess, who has come down among us. Her veil has parted, and the crowd is kneeling.
NADIR Mais à travers la foule Elle s’ouvre un passage!
NADIR But through the crowd she makes her way.
ZURGA Son long voile déjà Nous cache son visage!
ZURGA Already, her long veil hides her face from us.
NADIR Mon regard, hélas! La cherche en vain!
NADIR My eyes, alas, seek her in vain.
ZURGA Elle fuit!
ZURGA She flees!
NADIR Elle fuit! Mais dans mon âme soudain Quelle étrange ardeur s’allume!
NADIR She flees! But what is this strange flame which is suddenly kindled within my soul!
ZURGA Quel feu nouveau me consume!
ZURGA What unknown fire is destroying me!
NADIR Ta main repousse ma main!
NADIR Your hand pushes mine away.
ZURGA Ta main repousse ma main!
ZURGA Your hand pushes mine away.
NADIR De nos cœurs l’amour s’empare Et nous change en ennemis!
NADIR Love takes our hearts by storm and turns us into enemies.
ZURGA Non, que rien ne nous sépare!
ZURGA No, let nothing part us!
NADIR Non, rien!
NADIR No, nothing!
ZURGA et NADIR Jurons de rester amis!
ZURGA and NADIR Let us swear to remain friends!
Oh oui, jurons de rester amis! Oui, c’est elle! C’est la déesse! En ce jour qui vient nous unir, Et fidèle à ma promesse, Comme un frère je veux te chérir! C’est elle, c’est la déesse Qui vient en ce jour nous unir! Oui, partageons le même sort, Soyons unis jusqu’à la mort!
Oh yes! Let us swear to remain friends! We have seen her, she is the goddess who today came to unite us, and from now I’ll keep my promise to you, close as brothers we shall be! Great goddess, heaven descended, who today came to unite us! Now we shall tread one single path, never again to part till death!
...OK, LAST SET OF FUN OPERA FACTS Johann Sebastian Bach wrote a mini-opera about coffee addiction. The saying “it ain’t over till the fat lady sings” references the conclusion of a lengthy epic four-part opera by Richard Wagner called Der Ring des Nibelungen; in which the “fat lady,” or Valkyrie Brünnhilde, sings for about 20 minutes, signaling the end the nearly 16-hour saga. Opera composer Gioachino Rossini was forced to write an entire song with just one note (B flat) after he discovered that the woman who needed to perform it was a terrible singer. Jackie Chan is a classically trained opera singer. After Plácido Domingo performed the title role in Verdi’s Otello in Vienna on July 30, 1991, the audience clapped for one hour and twenty minutes (and 101 curtain calls), setting a new world record for the longest applause ever. When Charles Gounod’s (1818-1893) opera Faust wasn’t selling tickets, the producer gave away tickets for the first three performances to people out of town and declared the performances were sold out. Wondering what all the fuss was about, the public began buying tickets, and Faust became a hit.
Gianni Schicchi Gianni Schicchi is a comic opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini, to an Italian libretto by Giovacchino Forzano, composed in 1917–18. Gianni Schicchi de’ Cavalcanti was a 13th-century Italian knight, a Florentine historical figure mentioned by Dante in the Inferno, Canto XXX. The work is the third and final part of Puccini’s Il trittico (The Triptych): three one-act operas with contrasting themes, originally written to be presented together. Although it continues to be performed with one or both of the other trittico operas, Gianni Schicchi is now more frequently staged either alone or with short operas by other composers.
O Mio Babbino Caro The aria “O mio babbino caro” is one of Puccini’s best known, and one of the most popular arias in opera. It is sung by Lauretta after tensions between her father Schicchi and the family of Rinuccio, the boy she loves, have reached a breaking point that threatens to separate her from Rinuccio. It provides an interlude expressing lyrical simplicity and love in contrast with the atmosphere of hypocrisy, jealousy, double-dealing, and feuding in medieval Florence. LAURETTA O mio babbino caro, mi piace, è bello, bello, Vo’andare in Porta Rossa a comperar l’anello!
LAURETTA Oh my beloved papa, I love him, he is handsome, I want to go to Porta Rossa, To buy our wedding ring!
Sì, sì, ci voglio andare! E se l’amassi indarno, andrei sul Ponte Vecchio, ma per buttarmi in Arno!
Oh yes, I want to go! And if I have loved him in vain, I’ll go to Ponte Vecchio, And throw myself into the Arno!
Mi struggo e mi tormento! O Dio, vorrei morir! Babbo, pietà, pietà! Babbo, pietà, pietà!
I am anguished and tormented, Oh God, I’d want to die! Papa, have pity, have pity! Papa, have pity, have pity!
Rigoletto Rigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on the 1832 play Le roi s’amuse by Victor Hugo. Its tragic story revolves around the licentious Duke of Mantua, his hunchbacked court jester Rigoletto, and Rigoletto’s daughter Gilda. The original title was La maledizione (The Curse); a curse is placed on both the Duke and Rigoletto by a courtier whose daughter the Duke has seduced with Rigoletto’s encouragement. The curse comes to fruition when Gilda falls in love with the Duke and sacrifices her life to save him from the assassin hired by her father. Bella figlia dell’amore Near the start of Act 3 is the most famous piece from the opera, a quartet (actually a double duet) that has been described as “an intricate musical depiction of four personalities and their overlapping agendas.” Inside a house, the Duke, who is known for seducing and abandoning young women, flirts with Maddalena, a tavern girl who is flirting with the Duke in order to lure him into a place where her brother can safely kill him…while outside, Rigoletto’s heartbroken daughter Gilda, who was seduced and abandoned by the Duke but is still in love with him, listens along with her father, who has brought his daughter to witness the Duke’s treachery and is planning to avenge her with the Duke’s murder. DUCA Bella figlia dell’amore, Schiavo son dei vezzi tuoi; Con un detto sol tu puoi Le mie pene consolar. Vieni e senti del mio core Il frequente palpitar.
DUKE Fairest daughter of love, I am a slave to your charms; with but a single word you could relieve my every pain. Come, touch my breast and feel how my heart is racing.
MADDALENA Ah! ah! rido ben di core, Che tai baie costan poco Quanto valga il vostro gioco, Mel credete, so apprezzar. Son avvezza, bel signore, Ad un simile scherzar.
MADDALENA Ah! Ah! That really makes me laugh; talk like that is cheap enough. Believe me, I know exactly what such playacting is worth! I, my fine sir, am quite accustomed to foolish jokes like this.
GILDA Ah, così parlar d’amore A me pur intame ho udito! Infelice cor tradito, Per angoscia non scoppiar.
GILDA Ah, these are the loving words the scoundrel spoke once to me! O wretched heart betrayed do not break for sorrow.
RIGOLETTO Taci, il piangere non vale... Ch’ei mentiva sei sicura. Taci, e mia sarà la cura La vendetta d’affrettar. Sì, pronta fia, sarà fatale, Io saprollo fulminar.
RIGOLETTO Hush weeping can do no good... You are now convinced he was lying. Hush, and leave it up to me to hasten our revenge. It will be quick, it will be deadly, I know how to deal with him.
M’odi! ritorna a casa. Oro prendi, un destriero Una veste viril che t’apprestai, E per Verona parti. Sarovvi io pur doman.
Listen to me, go home. Take some money and a horse, Put on the men’s clothes I provided, then leave at once for Verona. I shall meet you there tomorrow.
GILDA Or venite...
GILDA Come with me now.
RIGOLETTO Impossibil.
RIGOLETTO It’s impossible.
GILDA Tremo.
GILDA I’m afraid.
RIGOLETTO Va’.
RIGOLETTO Go!
Meet the Artists Elizabeth Overmann American coloratura soprano Elizabeth Overmann known for her “agile voice and beautiful, focused tone.” Recent performances include Gretel – Hansel and Gretel (Hub Opera Ensemble), The Queen of the Night - Die Zauberflöte (American Singers’ Opera Project), Miss Wordsworth - Albert Herring (Trentino International Music Festival), Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro (Hub Opera Ensemble). Previously, Elizabeth has been seen as Echo in Ariadne auf Naxos (Hub Opera Ensemble), L’elisir D’amore (Adina), Roméo et Juliette (Juliette), Der Schauspieldirektor (Mme. Silberklang), and in Proserpina in the renowned Spoleto Festival USA. She was awarded the Mozart Prize in the Orpheus Vocal Competition in Tennessee and was a finalist in the Annapolis Opera Voice competition in Annapolis, Maryland. On the concert stage, she has performed Orff’s Carmina Burana, McCartney’s Ecce Cor Meum, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Brahms’: Ein Deutsches Requiem. Ms. Overmann made her Capital City Symphony premiere as Gretel in a concert version of Hansel and Gretel and her Alexandria Symphony debut singing The Queen of the Night in concert. Also in concert, she performed the world premiere of Luise Talma’s work at the Library of Congress, and was seen at the French Song Festival and Heine Lieder Festival in Princeton, NJ. She is also a featured soloist on Jennifer Larmore and Westminster Choir’s CD, Noël. Elizabeth has training as a young artist from Caramoor Bel Canto Institute, American Singers’ Opera Project and Music Academy International in Trentino, Italy. She holds degrees from Westminster Choir College (MM – Voice Performance and Pedagogy) and Eastman School of Music (BM – Voice Performance). Madelyn Wanner Salazar Hailed by the Washington Times as a “marvelous mezzo” with a voice “clear, robust, emotional yet fearless,” Madelyn Wanner Salazar is an active concert soloist in the DC area. She has enjoyed solo engagements in Handel’s Messiah at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and in several other works with the City Choir of Washington, New Dominion Chorale, Choralis, and the Central Maryland Chorale, among others. She has been a regional finalist in the Metropolitan National Council Auditions, and the first place winner at the national level of the National Association of Teachers of Singing competition. She has performed operatic roles with Opera Delaware, Opera Southwest, Baltimore Concert Opera, The InSeries, Opera Lafayette (Jazz at Lincoln Center), and has completed apprenticeships with Sarasota Opera and the Caramoor International Music Festival. In addition to her work as a vocalist, Ms. Salazar is pursuing a career as a speech-language pathologist. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and four month old son.
Rolando Sanz Praised by Opera News for his “warm, strong, highly promising tenor,” Rolando Sanz is thrilling audiences with his impeccable technique and musical depth, as well as his vocal “color and heartfelt interpretations” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). Recent performances include his Metropolitan Opera debut in Mozart’s Idomeneo, in a production that was simulcast in cinemas worldwide via Met Live in HD, and Rodolfo in Fairfax Symphony Orchestra’s La bohème. He returned to the Met roster for productions of La traviata, Salome, and Fidelio, and made his Michigan Opera Theatre debut as Ragueneau in Cyrano. Following a return to the Spoleto Festival USA as tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy and Mass in C Major, Rolando made his Asheville Symphony and Apollo Orchestra debuts as tenor soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Rolando has honed his Italianate tenor of “considerable color and strength” (Baltimore Sun) with roles including Alfredo with Virginia Opera, Florentine Opera, Ash Lawn Opera, and Pacific Symphony, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore with Florentine Opera and Finger Lakes Opera, Boris in Kát’a Kabanová with Spoleto Festival USA, Rodolfo in La bohème with Palm Beach Opera and Opera Idaho, Paolo in Rachmaninov’s Francesca da Rimini with the Princeton Festival, Arminio in I masnadieri with Washington Concert Opera, Pinkerton (cov) in Madame Butterfly with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and Duca di Mantua in Rigoletto with Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra and Annapolis Opera. Rolando has displayed his consummate musicianship in concert and oratorio works at the Washington National Cathedral, Aspen Music Festival, and Carnegie Hall in New York City. He is also a strong ambassador of the art song recital. As a resident artist at Songfest, Rolando collaborated with Martin Katz, Graham Johnson, and composer John Harbison. In an upcoming season, he will return to Carnegie Hall to perform the world premiere of a song cycle by composer Ezra Laderman and former United States poet-laureate Robert Pinsky. Rolando has been a prizewinner in the Florida Grand Opera/Young Patronesses of the Opera Voice Competition, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the Aspen Music Festival Vocal Concerto Competition, and the XIII International Voice Competition in Trujillo, Peru. Most recently, he was awarded the Grand Prize, Conductor Award, and Audience Choice Award at the Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition, 1st place at the Florida Suncoast Opera Guild Competition, and 1st prize at the Marie E. Crump Vocal Competition. Rolando is also proud to have represented his hometown while performing the National Anthem for the nationally televised opening series of the Baltimore Orioles each year since 2012, and as featured soloist in the Maryland State Art Council’s Star-Spangled Spectacular to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of “The Star-Spangled Banner”. Rolando is passionately involved with the musical landscape of the Mid-Atlantic region as an educator and producer. He serves as Artistic Director of Young Artists of America, an organization he co-founded with his brother, conductor Kristofer Sanz. YAA was created to provide talented young musicians with exceptional opportunities to be mentored by professional artists, culminating in fully orchestrated performances of large-scale works of opera, musical theater, and oratorio. The YAA production of The Songs of Tim Rice, executiveproduced by Rolando, aired on PBS Maryland Public Television and was nominated for three regional Emmy awards. Rolando also served as executive producer for the world premiere of Andrew Lippa’s I Am Anne Hutchinson / I Am Harvey Milk, starring Kristin Chenoweth at the Strathmore Music Center. Rolando is a proud graduate of the Yale University School of Music.
Trevor Scheunemann Praised by Opera News for his “lovely timbre”, and “dramatic timing”, and by the Washington Post for his “rich and gleaming” voice, Trevor Scheunemann quickly established himself as one of opera’s leading baritones. Recent performances include Marcello in Florida Grand Opera’s production of La bohème, Handel’s Messiah with the National Philharmonic and Faure’s Requiem with The Choral Arts Society of Washington, both at the Kennedy Center. Scheunemann is in demand at revered houses around the world for his thoughtful, original portrayals. Highlights of his career include performances as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with Théâtre du Capitol de Toulouse, Washington National Opera, and Teatro Municipal Santiago; Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with San Francisco Opera, The Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, and Opéra National de Bordeaux; Guglielmo in Cosí fan tutte with Oper Frankfurt and Washington National Opera; the title role in Don Giovanni with Washington National Opera and L’Opéra de Monte Carlo; Escamillo in Carmen with Ópera de Puerto Rico; and Marcello in La bohème at Atlanta Opera and Washington National Opera. In the 2019-20 season, Scheunemann returns to The Metropolitan Opera in productions of Manon, Le nozze di Figaro, La traviata, and La bohème. After joining the roster of The Metropolitan Opera as Curio in Giulio Cesare, Scheunemann enjoyed several return engagements including a new production of Un ballo in maschera under Fabio Luisi, which was also broadcast as part of the Metropolitan Live in HD series; Morales in the new production of Carmen conducted by Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin; Schaunard in La bohème; a new production of Guillaume Tell; and Sid in La fanciulla del West. Additionally, he headlined The Met’s Rising Stars Tour in concert across the United States. In recent seasons, he made his San Francisco Opera début as Jake Wallace in La fanciulla del West conducted by Nicola Luisotti; appeared at L’Opéra de Monte Carlo as Donner in Das Rheingold; performed Rameau’s Dardanus with Emmanuelle Haïm at Opéra de Lille; and joined the Glyndebourne Festival as Mercurio in L’incoronazione di Poppea conducted by Emmanuelle Haïm, in Graham Vick’s Eugene Onegin under the baton of Vladimir Jurowski, and as Melot in Tristan und Isolde, which was commercially released on CD. Mr. Scheunemann has also been actively involved in the emergence of new, American opera. He originated roles in several productions including: Joe in Christopher Theofanidis’s Heart of a Soldier, inspired by the events of 9/11 and under the direction of Francesca Zambello at San Francisco Opera; der Graf F in René Koering’s adaptation of Heinrich von Kleist’s novella Der Marquise von O with L’Opéra de Monte Carlo; as well as Sgt. Marcum in Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang’s An American Soldier and Gary Tate in Douglas Pew and Dara Weinberg’s Penny, both as part of the American Opera Initiative at Washington National Opera.
Joy Schreier Praised by Plácido Domingo as an “orchestra at the piano” and hailed as a pianist who “really has it all – fiery technique and a rich, warm tone,” Joy Schreier is praised by The Washington Post as a “responsive accompanist” and an “ideal support” at the piano. She is credited as “providing much of the evening’s musical nuance,” “so noteworthy that the room seemed to vibrate from her depth and skill,” and “perfection itself…the dream accompanist that a singer hopes to find.” Schreier has been presented in recital at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, the White House, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Corcoran Gallery, the National Gallery of Art, the National Museum for Women in the Arts, the National Portrait Gallery, the Phillips Collection, the Cosmos Club, Strathmore Hall, the Embassies of Austria, Australia, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Korea, Poland, Russia, Taiwan, Anderson House on Embassy Row and recital halls throughout the country. Internationally, she has performed in England, Scotland, Wales, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. She has appeared with the Marilyn Horne Foundation, the Vocal Arts Society, Partners for the Arts, Philadelphia Lieder Society, and was a featured performer at the 2016 New Music Gathering. Confessions, her CD release with soprano Laura Strickling, celebrates women’s words in song. Following the release, Schmopera lauded Schreier as “an indispensable accompanist. She is either preternaturally intuitive or has achieved perfect communication...perhaps a bit of both.” Schreier’s concert engagements include a sold-out Carnegie Hall debut with soprano Danielle Talamantes at Weill Recital Hall in 2007, a recital series with mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard for the Marilyn Horne Foundation, and a nine-performance run of Carmina Burana performed with the Washington Ballet at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. In 2009, she and Talamantes were the only North American duo to advance in Thomas Quasthoff’s Das Lied competition. That same year they were the grand prize winners in the Lotte Lehman Cybersing Competition. While at the Eastman School of Music, Schreier won the piano prize in the Jessie Kneisel German Lieder competition. An avid chamber musician, since 2010 Schreier has performed as official pianist of the Washington International String & Voice Competitions at the Kennedy Center. She has served as official pianist for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions as well as Assistant Conductor at the Washington National Opera and coach for the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. She is the Assistant Conductor and Pianist of the Cathedral Choral Society. She earned her Doctorate in Accompanying and Chamber Music in 2003 at the Eastman School of Music under Dr. Jean Barr where she was the recipient of the Barbara Koeng Award for Excellence in Vocal Accompanying.