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Minnesota Opera's Orazi and Curiazi Program
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Transcript of Minnesota Opera's Orazi and Curiazi Program
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The Minnesota OperaPresident & CEO Kevin Smith
Artistic Director Dale Johnson
Chair, Board of Directors J. A. Blanchard, III
The Minnesota Opera, 620 North First Street
Minneapolis, MN 55401 (612) 333-2700
www.mnopera.org
The Minnesota Opera
is a member of OPERA America.
The Minnesota Opera Programis published by
Corporate Administrator/Publisher Todd HydeAssoc. Publisher/Director of Production Marsha Kitchel
Senior Account Executives Liesl Hyde, Yvonne Christiansen Creative Designer Stacy Hawkins
Production Designers Sue Sentyrz Klapmeier,Robert Ochsner, Jennifer Webb
Large-print and Braille programs are available at the Patron Services O∑ce
The Minnesota Opera Sta∂ and Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Notes from the Leadership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Orazi & Curiazi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Background Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Synopsis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Saverio Mercadante . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Education at the Opera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
The Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
The Minnesota Opera Chorus and Orchestra. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Joseph Merrick, The Elephant Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Conversation at the Humphrey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Opera at the Ordway Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
The Minnesota Opera Annual Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
2006-2007 Opera Season. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Young Professionals Group Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
This activity is made possible in part by a grant provided by the Minnesota State Arts
Board through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature. This project is
supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
March 2006
TBD
Welcome to today’s production of Orazi & Curiazi. For more than four decades, The Minnesota Opera has enriched the cultural lifeof our community by producing outstanding andinnovative operas that inspire and entertain.
U.S. Bank is honored to sponsor the 2005 –2006 season. We are proud of our 20+ yearrelationship with The Minnesota Opera and thespectacular Ordway in St. Paul.
At U.S. Bank, we support great dreams, great art and great arts organizations. Theyenrich the community with vibrancy, creativityand excellence. As the sixth largest bank in America today, U.S. Bank is the only majorbank headquartered in Minnesota, and we’re deeply committed to giving back to this community.
Thank you for coming and enjoy the performance!
Rod Boren, Senior Vice President, Personal Trust Regional Manager, U.S. Bank Private Client Group
Jose Peris, Senior Vice President, Private Banking Regional Manager, U.S. Bank Private Client Group and Minnesota OperaBoard Member
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Minnesota Opera StaffPresident & CEO Kevin SmithArtistic Director Dale Johnson
ArtisticArtistic Administrator . .Roxanne Stou∂er CruzArtistic Associate . . . . . . Floyd AndersonCommunity Education Director . . . . . . . . .
Jamie AndrewsDramaturg . . . . . . . . . . . . . David SanderProduction Stage Manager . . . Alex FarinoAssistant Stage Managers . . . . .Kristen Burke,
Angie SpencerHead of Music . . . . . . . . . . .Bruce StasynaResident Artists . . . . . . .Raymond Ayers,
Korey Barrett, Alison Bates, Theodore Chletsos, Jamie-Rose Guarrine,Seth Keeton, Peter Kozma, Bryan Lemke,
John Michael Moore, Edward MoutRAP Faculty . . .Allysum Tai Chi Center,
Nancy Boler, Stephano Marazana, Peter Robinson
Teaching Artist . . . . . . . . .Angela KeetonProject Opera Apprentices . . .Setara Barukzoy,
Erin Marie Capello, Kyle De Graff, Daniel Segura
Project Opera Director . . . . . . . Dale KruseProject Opera Accompanists . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kathy Kraulik, Julian WardEducation Assistant . . . . . . . .Katie WiebeApprentice State Director . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Doug Scholz-Carlson
CostumesCostume Director . . . . . . . .Gail BakkomAssistant Costume Director . . .Beth SandersDrapers . . . . . . .Chris Bur, Yancey Thrift,
Angela Yarbrough Costume Technicians . . .Helen Ammann,
Sarah Bahr, Jennifer Dawson, Mary Farrell, Michele Hoaglund, Christine Richardson, Ann Rose
Painter/Dyer . . . . . . . . . .Marliss JensenWig/Makeup Designer . . .Marilyn JordanWig/Makeup Assistants . . . . . . Ashley Ryan,
Nina Stewart
SceneryTechnical Director . . . . . . . . . . . Mike McQuistonAsst. Technical Director/
Lighting Coordinator . .Marc D. JohnsonProduction Administrative
Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . Katherine CattrysseProperties Master . . Stanley Dean HawthorneProperties Assistant . . . . . . . . Mike LongProduction Carpenter . . . . . . . . J.C. AmelScene Shop Foreman . . . . . . . . Rod AirdMaster Carpenter . . . . . . . . . . .Steve RovieShop Electrician . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tom RostSculptor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .James R. Bakkom Carpenters . . . . . . . . . James DePaulis, Ken Evans,
Tom Fitzsimmons, Dan Kimmerle, Eric VeldeyCharge Painter . . . . . . . . . . .Debra JensenPainter . .Catherine Davis, Cate Whittemore
AdministrationFinance Director . . . . . . . . . . Je∂ CoutureOperations/Systems
Manager . . . . . . . . . . . Steve MittelholtzHR/Accounting Manager . . Jennifer ThillExecutive Assistant . . . . . Theresa MurrayReceptionist/Finance Assistant . .Jill Pawelak
Institutional AdvancementVice President of InstitutionalAdvancement . . . . . . . . . . .Patrick DewaneInstitutional Advancement Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kelly Clemens
DevelopmentDirector of the Annual Fund . .Dawn LovenInstitutional Gifts Director . . Linda JohnsonInstitutional Gifts Associate . . .Emily SkoblikIndividual Gifts Associate . .Megan Stevenson
Marketing/CommunicationsMarketing Director . . . . . . . . . . .Carl LeeCommunications Director . . . Lani WillisTicket O∑ce Manager . . . . Andrea CorichMarketing and
Communications Assistant . .Janet BertokTicket O∑ce Assistant . . . .Carol Corich
Minnesota Opera VolunteersThe following volunteers contribute their time and talent in support of key activities of The Minnesota Opera.
Catherine AhernAnn AlbertsonElizabeth Incremona
BanckerGerald BensonJim Brownback*Sue BrownbackSarah BurmanChristine BussJerry CassidyDiane ChoihJoann CierniakSusan CoggerCaroline CoopersmithBeverly Dailey*Denis DaileyJeanette DaunTimothy DavisLee DrawertJudith DuncanSally EconomonSvea ForsbergChristopher FosterHazel FrancoisLi-Jun FuJane FullerJoan Gacki*
Alex GarayChristine A. Garner*Juhi Gupta-GulatiMark GustinMary E. HagenMark HahnLucinda HalletMerle J. HansonJohn Harris*Cari Beth HeadAnne HesselrothHeather HuberAlisandra JohnsonKaren JohnsonNancy JohnsonSteve JohnsonJeannie JohnstonKristen JohnstonRobin KeckDawn KlassenShannon KloneckiEleanore KolarLucinda LamontShirley LarsonMathilda LienJerry LillquistJoyce Lillquist
Maura LoMonicoAbby MarierMargery MartinJoan MasuckYasuko MatsumotoMary McDiarmid*Beth McGuireVerne MelbergJeanette MiddletonIrma MonsonBarbara MooreDoug MyhraDenise NicholsPam NielsenDavid NifoussiJennifer OrtaleCandyce OsterkampDan PanshinPat PanshinMegan PelkaHolly PetersonBill PhillipsSydney PhillipsJulia PorterCarol PurvisKathleen RileyShannon Robinson
Leigh RoethkeJohn RosseEnrique RotsteinFlorence RuhlandJohn SauerLynette SaucierMichael SilhavyWendy SilhavyAngie SolomonWendi SottNaomi St. GregoryKaren St. JohnKatie SteermanHarry SwepstonDave TerwilligerEmily ThompsonDoris UngerStacey VonderhearCarolyn WahteraMary WeitzBarbara Willis*Elizabeth Cutter WilsonKathie WojtkiewiczEve Yang
*Lead volunteer
Cafe,Bakery,Wine & Pizza Bar
850 Grand Avenue,St Paul 55105651-224-5687 www.cafelatte.com
Keri Picket
Days ago, The
Minnesota Opera
announced its
2006-2007 season
and an ambitious
subscription cam-
paign. As we make
the long-awaited
return to a
five-opera season, we’re investing our
time and energy in reaching new
subscribers. An opera company can best
achieve artistic, institutional and
programmatic heights with the loyalty
of a strong subscription base.
A robust subscription base engenders a
strong and healthy company, one that
has the degree of predictability that
growth requires.
From our earliest days producing
maverick new work as Center Opera to
our highly acclaimed present-day
stagings of rare Bel Canto works like
today’s Orazi & Curiazi and
contemporary operas like next month’s
Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, we
have been regarded as a leader in our
industry with a reputation for
innovation. The efforts we’re
undertaking to build subscriptions are
consistent with that spirit of innovation.
There are some who consider the
subscription model a thing of the past,
citing a tendency in the public toward
last-minute decision-making. But you
only have to look as far as the Minnesota
Vikings or the Wild to see the potential
and the benefit of a strong season ticket
base. In this community, with its value
for the arts, we know we can achieve
that at the Opera, and we are
committed to making it happen.
A national study by OPERA America
indicates that people come to the
opera most often when invited by
others. If you enjoy your experience
today at the Opera, please introduce us
to your friends.
Kevin Smith
Welcome to this
season’s very
special Bel Canto
presentation, Orazi
& Curiazi. Though
it is a 19th-century
work, this produc-
tion is an American
premiere. In fact,
this is the first staging of Mercadante’s
opera since the 19th century.
Mercadante may not be a household
name to contemporary opera-goers, but
in his time he was a preeminent
composer in the Bel Canto tradition.
Like Bellini and Donizetti, Mercadante
experimented with the musical
framework and legacy of Rossini, and
also like them, he created his own
musical language as a response. Liszt
called him Italy’s greatest composer.
You may notice from these performances
a grand, classical structure, and dramatic
pacing that you’d expect from later
composers. Mercadante, in fact, had a
big impact on the young Verdi.
We are thrilled that three of our favorite
singing actors and Bel Canto specialists,
Brenda Harris (who has a very long
history with the company but most
recently appeared in the title roles of
Maria Padilla and Norma), Scott Piper
(Rigoletto and Carmen) and Ashley
Holland (Pedro to Brenda’s Maria
Padilla last year), returned to bring this
opera back under the stagelights, and
that you are here joining us as witnesses
to the greatness of Bel Canto opera.
Next season, our Bel Canto offering is
the company premiere of Rossini’s La
donna del lago, which will star Ewa
Podles and Maureen O’Flynn. We
expect it will sell out, so don’t forget to
subscribe for season tickets!
Enjoy the opera!
Dale Johnson
Artistic Director
Board of Directors7
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Notes from the Leadership
from the Artistic Director
from the President
(†) Deceased
Officers
J. A. Blanchard III, Chair
Jane M. Confer, Stephanie Simon, Vice Chairs
Lynne E. Looney, Secretary
Thomas J. Foley, Treasurer
Kevin Smith, President & CEO
Directors
Directors Emeriti
Karen Bachman
Burton Cohen
Julia W. Dayton
Mary W. Vaughan
Honorary Directors
Dominick Argento
Philip Brunelle
Elizabeth Close
Dolly Fiterman
Charles C. Fullmer
Norton M. Hintz
Donald W. Judkins
Liz Kochiras
Jevne Pennock (†)
Patricia H. Sheppard
Legal Counsel
James A. Rubenstein, Moss & Barnett
Nicky B. Carpenter
Richard P. Carroll
Susan J. Crockett
Mary A. Dearing
Sara Donaldson
Chip Emery
Rolf Engh
Brad F. England
Denver Gilliand
Sharon Hawkins
Karen L. Himle
Ruth S. Huss
Heinz F. Hutter
Paula R. Johnson
Lucy Rosenberry Jones
Michael F. Kelly, Jr.
B. John Lindahl
Becky Malkerson
Tom McBurney
Diana E. Murphy
Brian E. Palmer
Debra Paterson
Jose Peris
Elizabeth Redleaf
Connie Remele
Mitchell Stover
Virginia Stringer
H. Bernt von Ohlen
´
ordway.org
at ORDWAY CENTER
Now - May 21Ordway Center Late Nite Catechism 2Sister is back! Sister takes the stage in the long-awaited sequel to the smash off-Broad-way comedy hit! McKnight Theatre $20 - $30
Now thru March 19Ordway Center Golda’s BalconyA riveting portrait of Golda Meir, and the latest work from Tony Award® winning playwright William Gibson. Starring four time Emmy Award winner Valerie Harper. Main Hall $28 - $48
Fri, Mar 31, 8pm; Sat, Apr 1, 8pmThe Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Handel’s Israel in Egypt with VocalEssenceNicholas McGegan, conductorChristine Brandes, sopranoMichael Chance, countertenorJohn McVeigh, tenor Deric Craig, bass baritoneMichael Jorgensen, bass baritone
April 8, 9, 11, 13, 15The Minnesota Opera Orazi & Curiaziby Saverio MercadanteAmerican Premiere of bel canto masterworkMain Hall $32 - $120
Fri, April 21, 8pmThe Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Jazzed-Up Fridays Abbado conducts MozartRoberto Abbado, conductor
Fri, April 21, 10:30am; Sat, April 22, 8pmThe Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Mozart’s Final SymphoniesRoberto Abbado, conductor
Sun, April 23, 5pmplanet Ordway® TARGET® Season TangosCarlos Diaz’s renowned production will wow audiences using music, dance, and song, offering an exciting look at the Tango’s colorful, f lamboyant history from turn-of-the-century Buenos Aires bordellos to its acceptance in high society. Main Hall $20 - $26
Thurs, April 27, 8pmThe Schubert Club Leif Ove Andsnes, piano
Fri, April 28, 8pm; Sat, April 29, 8pmThe Saint Paul Chamber OrchestraThe Minnesota Chorale performing selections by MozartRoberto Abbado, conductor Layton James, organ
Sun, April 30, 5pmplanet Ordway® TARGET® Season San Jose TaikoInspired by traditional Japanese drumming, company performers express the beauty and harmony of the human spirit through the voice of the taiko.Main Hall $20 - $26
TBD
NEW CALENDAR
The Schubert Clubpresents the Third Annual
Saint Paul Summer Song Festival
June 9–17, 2006
www.schubert.org
Featuring William Bolcom & Joan Morrisand other superb performers!
At the McKnight Theatre, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
The Schubert ClubMAUD MOON WEYERHAEUSER SANBORN
International Artist Series
Anne-Sophie Mutter, violinNovenber 8, 2006
Lise de la Salle, pianoJanuary 26, 2007
Frederica von Stade, mezzo sopranoSamuel Ramey, bass-baritoneFebruary 28, 2007
Emanuel Ax, pianoMarch 21, 2007
Karita Mattila, sopranoApril 25, 2007
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Saint PaulConcerts at 8:00 PM
For ticket information, call The Schubert Club at 651-292-3267
2006-2007 Season
Soprano Karita Mattila
By arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., agent in the USA for
Josef Weinberger, Ltd., London, publisher and copyright owner.
The appearances of Theodore Chletsos, Seth Keeton and
John Michael Moore, national finalists, Alison Bates, regional finalist,
Jamie-Rose Guarrine and Edward Mout, district finalists of the
Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, are made possible
through a Minnesota Opera Endowment Fund established for
Artist Enhancement by Barbara White Bemis.
Performances of Orazi & Curiazi are being taped for delayed broadcast
on Minnesota Public Radio, ksjn 99.5 in the Twin Cities.
The Minnesota Opera season is sponsored by
U.S. Bank, Private Client Group.
The appearances of the 2005–2006 season
conductors are underwritten by SpencerStuart.
Opera Insights is sponsored by Thrivent
Financial for Lutherans.
The 2005–2006 season Camerata Circle
Dinners are sponsored by U.S. Trust.
Intermission reception sponsored by Lowry
Hill Private Wealth Management.
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Music by Saverio MercadanteLibretto by Salvadore Cammarano
World premiere at the Teatro San Carlo, NaplesNovember 10, 1846
April 8, 9, 11, 13 and 15, 2006Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
Sung in Italian with English captions
Conductor . . . . . . . . . . . . .Francesco Maria ColomboProduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Eric SimonsonStage Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Peter KozmaMovement Coordinator . . . . . . . .Heidi Spesard-NobleSet Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Neil PatelCostume Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kärin KopischkeLighting Designer . . . . . . . . . . . .Michael ChybowskiWigs and Makeup . . . . . . .Tom Watson & AssociatesChorusmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bruce StasynaProduction Stage Manager . . . . . . .Alexander FarinoEnglish Captions . . . . . . . . . . . . .Christopher Bergen
The CastOrazio, a Roman warrior . . . . . . . . . . . . Ashley HollandCamilla, fiancée of Curiazio, sister to Orazio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brenda HarrisCuriazio, an Alban warrior . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scott PiperVecchio Orazio, father of Orazio and Camilla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Christopher DickersonSabina, wife of Orazio,sister to Curiazio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Karin WolvertonHigh Priest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Theodore Chletsos
Brothers of Orazio and Curiazio, family of the Orazi,priests, soldiers, senators, Romans, Alban warriors
This project is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Saverio Mercadante presents somewhat of an enigma. In
one breath he could be described as a generous colleague
to fellow composers Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti and
Giuseppe Verdi; in another, a jealous, scheming opportunist,
described by Rossini as musically sound, but
personally boorish. On the one hand,
Mercadante graciously introduced the equally
paranoid Bellini to Milan, where he would
premiere his first unqualified success, Il pirata,
and when Bellini was on his deathbed in Paris,
Mercadante tried to visit him, then
stayed for his funeral. And though Verdi
would blindly entrust Mercadante with
overseeing the production of Macbeth in
a Naples (a city that had been
constantly problematic), Mercadante
would use all his influence to block a
mounting of Il trovatore in the same
city a few years later, according to at
least one contemporaneous source.
For his part, Verdi hardly seemed
affected by the incident, citing
Mercadante’s name at the head of his
list when it came time to recruit
composers to write movements for a
requiem to honor Rossini’s death,
“if only a few bars” (the
statement may have had a
touch of cruelty, as the aged
Mercadante was at that
time completely blind).
Commentators like
to point out
Verdi’s
apparent borrowings from the older composer’s works, in
particular similarities between La vestale and Aida, Verdi’s
resetting of Gustave III, ou le bal masqué (treated earlier by
Mercadante as Il reggente), Verdi’s use of Schiller’s play Die
Räuber for I masnadieri (previously set by Mercadante as I
briganti) and even an appropriation of the name Violetta in
La traviata, again used earlier in Mercadante’s Il bravo and in
the same year as his new opera’s title character (Violetta;
1853). One can imagine a sense of bitterness could have
evolved as Mercadante’s name quickly became eclipsed as
Verdi’s star continued to rise.
Compositionally, Mercadante is equally puzzling, having
early in his career embraced Shakespeare (relatively unknown
in Italy at that time) on two occasions (again, preceding
Verdi) and the antiquated libretti of Metastasio and Zeno for
five of his works, then switching gears in mid-life to reinvent
the Bel Canto traditions in his reform operas, and filling his
final decades with a retreat back to classical subjects and
forms. He was equally comfortable working with the more
orthodox Felice Romani, enjoying a convivial relationship
that rivaled that of Bellini, then shifting to the wildly
romantic Salvadore Cammarano to add spice to the
enduring, stalwart classical stories of La vestale, Orazi e
Curiazi, Medea and Virginia the composer seemed to prefer.
Mercadante’s Orazi e Curiazi falls in the Verdi canon
between the highly successful Nabucco (1842) and Ernani
(1844) on one side and Macbeth (1847) on the other. Not
everything that flowed from Verdi’s pen was pure gold,
however – a production of Alzira in 1845 at Mercadante’s
home advantage, the Teatro San Carlo, was hardly a success
and remains among his least performed operas. After that
dip into 18th-century literature (based on Voltaire’s Alzire, ou
Les Americains), Verdi tended to focus on contemporary
writings, which may be one reason for his lasting popularity.
Mercadante looked in the other direction, in some cases
resetting subjects already treated successfully by other
composers. Orazi has a particularly rich ancestry, most
notably in operas by Antonio Salieri (1786) and Domenico
Cimarosa (1796), both drawn from a drama by 17th-century
French playwright Pierre Corneille, itself based on turn-of-
the-first-century author Titus Livius’s History of Early Rome.
Livius/Livy recounts Rome’s vaguely mythical, pre-imperial,
pre-republican tribal days.
Orazi hails from about 650 BC during the reign of the
city’s third king, Tullus Hostilius. At that point, Rome was
barely a city-state, constantly pestered by neighboring Alba.
Both feared their powerful Etruscan neighbors to the north,
and rather than deplete their cumulative troops in yet
another civil war, the two realms devised the neat solution of
having three brothers (some say two sets of triplets) from
each side fight to the death. The solution is only temporary,
as the Etruscan Tarquins eventually assumed power as
Rome’s final kings, and had a persistent blatant disregard for
the populace, leading to their overthrow and the
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Background Notes continue on page 12
Background Notes
Costume sketchesby Kärin Kopischke
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Background Notes continued from page 11
establishment of Rome’s first republic. Alba had another
connection to Rome. As the older of the two cities, Alba Longa
had a king, Numitor, who spawned a daughter, Rhea Silva,
destined to become a vestal virgin as Numitor feared her
children might overthrow him. She violated her oath of chastity
and gave birth to twins, Remus and Romulus, and her sons
were raised in secret, “suckled by wolves,” and fated for conflict
in adult life. Once Remus was slain by his brother, Romulus
took over the new city-state, becoming its first king and
lending it his name. Fifty years later, following the Horatii
(Orazi) battle and in violation of its precepts, Alba was leveled
by Tullus, its King Mettius massacred and its citizens
assimilated into the Roman populace.
In his play Horace, the
Classically minded
Corneille added a few
touches to the story to give
it a little more bite. From
the Curiace family, Sabine is
introduced as Horace’s
spouse to strengthen the ties
between the two dynasties
and to intensify the
difficulty of their
predicament. Similarly, the
father of Horace is given
more substance, as the
epitome of Roman
patriotism to counter female
emotion and sensibility.
From Livy, the playwright
enhances the story of
Horace’s battle schemes
(evidently the wounds
suffered by the Curiace
brothers variously slowed their pace, allowing the victor to finish
each one off in quick succession), but in the modest theatrical
custom of bienséance, he has Camille’s murder at her brother’s
hand occur offstage to end Act IV. Not stopping there, Corneille
adds a fifth act in which Horace, condemned to a torturous death
for his misdeed, appeals his case to King Tullus and is pardoned.
Romanticizing things just a bit, Cammarano and Mercadante
made some adjustments, including the elimination of Corneille’s
rather anticlimactic final act, instead using Camilla’s (onstage)
murder by her brother’s hand as the ultimate scene. They also
enhanced the role of the oracle. Corneille only mentions Apollo’s
tantalizing prediction that all will be well as Rome and Alba will
be at peace the next day, with Camille and Curiace eternally
united (in death, of course – forever cryptic, the gods never tell
too much). In the opera, the oracle’s appearance is developed into
a typically Romantic mad scene, during which Camilla is driven
out of her senses as the solemn message only sanctions the battle
that is about to occur.
Romantic or not, Mercadante’s late operas have been
uniformly described as archaic. How does Orazi fit in the context
of the composer’s operatic reform and what influence did this
have on the young Verdi? After Mercadante’s return from Spain,
he was again engaged by impresario Domenico Barbaja to write
an opera for the San Carlo theater. This became Zaira and was
hugely successful. In his time away from the Italian peninsula,
Mercadante had developed a more personal style, straying away
from the standard Rossinian code; he also became acquainted
with the works of Bellini and programmed them next to his own
in the Iberian theaters. The operas that followed Zaira also
showed this tendency toward individuality, but it was the trip to
Paris and the premiere of I briganti that sealed the deal. It was here
Mercadante was exposed to the fresh and prevailing style of grand
opéra in the works of Auber, Halévy, Meyerbeer and the French
operas of Rossini, all of which had debuted within the preceding
eight years. Returning
to Italy, Mercadante
seized upon what he
had just seen,
producing Il giuramento
from a play, Angelo,
tyran de Padou, by
Frenchman Victor
Hugo. By the time he
had written Elena da
Feltre, the composer
was able to articulate
his manifesto in a new
style that “banished
trivial cabalettas,
eliminated (Rossinian)
crescendos, simplified
vocal lines, reduced
repetition, enhanced
the originality of the
cadences, emphasized
the story and action and
enriched the orchestra,” in essence creating music that is
more dramatically driven and relevant to the story at hand.
The late 1830s, when Mercadante’s reform operas were at
their pinnacle of glory, was precisely the same time Verdi came
to Milan for schooling. Rejected from the conservatory for his
poor piano playing and his advanced age, Verdi took private
lessons and was forced to use his street smarts. Undoubtedly the
young composer saw many of Mercadante’s operas – one of his
masterpieces, La vestale, was programmed in the same season as
Verdi’s Genovese premiere of his first opera Oberto. His third
opera, Nabucco, was a subject Mercadante had turned down.
As Verdi’s star ascended, there is no doubt Mercadante was
miffed. Here was an uneducated country bumpkin daring to
take leaps where the older composer had gingerly made tiny
steps – a concise, vibrant, truthful and dramatically viable work
of art. When it came time to move to Naples to head the
conservatory, Mercadante inveighed to undermine Verdi’s
success at every turn, as the marginal successes of Alzira, Luisa
Miller and Il trovatore all attest.
Things came to a head in 1858 when Mercadante apparently
sabotaged Verdi’s newly proposed opera, Un ballo in maschera.
The Oath of the Horatii, c. 1784, by Jacques-Louis David
Réunion des Musées Nationaux/Art Resource, NY
Background Notes continue on page 22
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act iScene one – The temple Camilla and
Sabina pray with the other women as
war between Rome and Alba is
imminent. Both are torn by their
loyalties – Sabina, an Alban, is married
to Camilla’s brother Orazio, and
Camilla, a Roman, is betrothed to
Sabina’s brother Curiazio. The Roman
senators enter with a proclamation –
there will be no war between the two
armies. Three Alban soldiers shall fight
to the death three opposing Roman
warriors. The two women fear for their
respective loves, yet Camilla is able to
comfort Sabina in this dark hour.
The mood is brightened by the
arrival of Curiazio, who is able to visit
Camilla now that the peace is sealed
between the two countries. Both recall
the painful time they spent apart but
revel in the joy of their impending
marriage, which is also celebrated by
the arrival of Camilla’s father.
Scene two – The home of the Orazi Orazio
awaits the outcome of the senators’
conclave – they have gathered to select
the three who will fight against the
Albans. He puts aside any feelings for
his family in favor his desire to fight for
the fatherland. Orazio’s resolve is
further steeled when he is selected to
lead his two brothers on the Roman
side of the contest.
Scene three – The temple Camilla and
Curiazio approach the altar as Vecchio
Orazio delights in the future of his
offspring – the sons destined to
defend Rome, the daughter to be
happily wed. The ceremony is
interrupted by Orazio, who makes the
harsh proclamation that the Albans
have selected their warriors: the three
Curiazi brothers. Camilla begs her
beloved not to go and curses the gods
for her cruel fate, causing the
agitation of her father, brothers and
priests alike.
— intermission —
act i iScene one – The home of the Orazi As
Orazio prepares for battle, Curiazio
recalls the past – they were once as close
as brothers, and Orazio had even saved
his life in battle. The Roman is moved,
but only for a moment as the citizens
call them both to the battlefield.
Scene two – Before the city gates Just as
the battle is about to begin, the
opponents take an oath to win or die
and the people to submit to the
victor. The High Priest interrupts the
proceedings with news that they have
provoked divine anger. All proceed to
the oracle at once.
Scene three – The oracle Camilla is
already in the subterranean chamber,
deep in prayer over the conflicted
loyalties between her brothers and her
lover. When the others arrive, the
oracle speaks and sanctions the conflict,
driving Camilla into madness.
— intermission —
act i i iScene one – Near the Alban encampment
As dawn breaks, Curiazio confronts
his impossible situation – how can he
slay the Orazi and still be loved by
their sister? Camilla arrives presently
and begs to be put to death, rather
than witness the day’s horrific
outcome. They are interrupted by
Alban soldiers who announce that the
hour has come. The Orazi have been
sighted on the battlefield.
Scene two – The house of the Orazi
Vecchio Orazio is troubled by recent
news. Two of his sons are dead, and
Orazio was seen in flight. The father is
shamed by his son’s cowardice, but
further reports reveal that it was only
a tactical move, allowing Orazio the
opportunity to finish off his
adversaries one by one. Rome has
been victorious.
Scene three – A public square Orazio is
received as a hero by all except one –
his sister. Camilla rushes in, deriding
her brother’s murder of her lover.
Orazio demands that she compose
herself, and cede her private grief to
the public good, as he has done. The
discussion becomes heated, and when
it becomes clear that Camilla will not
be consoled, Orazio puts her to death.
Synopsis
Set design by Neil Patel.
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Saverio MMeerrccaaddaanntteeb Altamura, September 17, 1795; d Naples, December 17, 1870
Acontemporary of Gioachino Rossini, Vincenzo Bellini and
Gaetano Donizetti, Saverio Mercadante’s career spanned
almost the entire Bel Canto age,
continuing well into Giuseppe
Verdi’s middle period. With
nearly 60 operas to his credit,
the Neapolitan composer was
also one of the most prodigious,
almost equaling the oeuvres of
Donizetti and Giovanni Pacini.
Mercadante was the product of
his father’s indiscretion with the
household maid and was later
officially adopted as a
foundling. Though born to a
noble family, his childhood was
spent in poverty, due to the
unsettled circumstances of
Napoleon’s occupation of Italy.
Like most of his fellow
composers, Mercadante showed
early musical promise, and his
family moved to Naples. There
his father and mother married,
and a forged birth certificate
from a Neapolitan parish
(denoting a younger age) was obtained so that young Saverio
could attend the Naples Conservatory free of charge. He
eventually found a seat in the famed Niccolò Zingarelli’s
composition class.
Mercadante’s early Neapolitan period overlapped with that of
Gioachino Rossini, who was chief composer for the royal theaters
under the directorship of impresario Domenico Barbaja. After
unveiling several ballets, Mercadante’s first opera, L’apoteosi
d’Ercole, premiered in 1819 before the Neapolitan royal family
(with Isabella Colbran, Rossini’s future first wife, singing the
principal soprano role – she would create the title role of La donna
del lago later that season). Out of character for command
performances, the king applauded enthusiastically, and Rossini
also lavished praise on the young maestro. Barbaja would soon
secure Mercadante as Rossini’s successor.
His seventh opera, Elisa e Claudio, given at the Teatro alla Scala
in 1821, is generally considered his first genuine success, and over
the next few years Mercadante would compose voraciously for all
of the major Italian cities (Milan, Venice, Bologna and Naples),
much like his contemporaries. He also had the distinction of
being chosen for the 1824 fall season at Vienna’s principal venue,
the Kärtnertortheater (also under Barbaja’s control), again
shadowing Rossini, who had become the toast of the town during
a tour just two years earlier. Mercadante had been careful to follow
Zingarelli’s advice to favor the older, more dramatically truthful
(in other words his) style rather than the more buoyant one
exhibited by Rossini’s trademark crescendos and highly decorated
cabalettas, but this naturally drew rebuke from the Viennese
critics. Consequently, Barbaja cancelled Mercadante’s Neapolitan
contract in favor of a more Rossinian composer, Pacini.
In 1827, Mercadante
embarked on a trip to Spain and
Portugal, and spent several
years as director of Italian opera
in Madrid. This did much to
ameliorate his reputation in
Italy upon his return, and by
1833 he had managed to obtain
the position of maestro di cappella
of the Novara Cathedral. For the
next seven years, his operatic
output slowed to about one
work per year as his attention
turned to sacred music. At the
same time he built stronger
bonds with the northern Italian
theaters and was invited by
Rossini (then in Paris) to
compose I briganti (1836) for
the Théâtre Italien, following
on the heels of Bellini and
Donizetti, who had produced I
puritani and Marino Faliero,
respectively, one year earlier.
Mercadante’s new work was deemed a mere succès d’estime, as all
attention at the moment was focused on the premiere of Giacomo
Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots.
Mercadante’s next big hit came with the Milan premiere of Il
giuramento in 1837. Other works from this period include Le due
illustri rivali, Elena da Feltre and Il bravo. Between the death of
Bellini and the advent of Verdi, Mercadante edged out Donizetti
at Italy’s most popular composer, confirmed by an assertion made
by Franz Liszt and by another invitation from Rossini in 1840 to
run Bologna’s Liceo Musicale. Though Mercadante initially
accepted, during the same period the composer unveiled
La vestale, and this secured him the more prestigious directorship
of the Naples Conservatory, vacated by Zingarelli’s death several
years earlier (one of Mercadante’s students would become Michele
Puccini, father of the more famous Giacomo). As in Novara and
Bologna, Donizetti had been up for the same appointment and
was a bit put out, as he already had been teaching at the school for
some time.
The thirties also became associated with Mercadante’s reform
period, during which he attempted to shake off the Rossinian
yoke and move toward a style that was more dramatically
forthright. He also preceded Verdi in demanding greater integrity
of his works, refusing alterations to his scores or substitution of
arias. During his later years, however, Mercadante has been
deemed reactionary for turning back to a conservative style and
classical subjects as Verdi moved the romantic generation forward.
Mercadante’s pace slowed as his blindness became complete, and
the final works had to be dictated to his students.
Portrait of Saverio Mercadante (1795-1870)
Scal
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Project OperaHansel and GretelProject Opera (the Opera’s new youth
opera ensemble) is busy preparing for
their spring production of Hansel and
Gretel under the musical direction
of Dale Kruse.
Performances of Hansel and Gretel
are free to the public and will take
place at the Opera Center on May 19
at 7 pm, May 20 at 2 pm and 7 pm
and May 21 at 2 pm. To attend, please
call Jamie Andrews at 612.342.9573.
Summer CampThere is still time to audition for
Project Opera: Summer Camp 2006!
Over the course of two weeks,
participants will learn a scene, stage it
and present it in two public concerts.
The camp staff will include Dale
Kruse, Doug Scholz-Carlson, Miriam
Scholz-Carlson and Jan Kimes.
New this summer will be the
inclusion of a student orchestra. Led
by Claudette Laureano, members of
the Minnesota Youth Symphonies will
accompany the student scenes for the
final performances.
Opera Camp dates are July 10–21,
from 9:30 am till 4:30 pm (no
rehearsals on July 15 & 16). The final
performances will be held on July 21
at 3 pm and 7 pm at the Opera
Center. Tuition is $425 for singers
and $150 for orchestra members, and
scholarships are available.
Interested singers in grades 7–12
(seniors who just graduated are
welcom) are asked to set up an
audition by calling Jamie Andrews
at 612.342.9573.
Apprentice RecitalWe invite you to attend a very
special recital given by The Minnesota
Opera’s high school Apprentices on
April 23, 2006 at 11 am at the
Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 2400
3rd Avenue South.
The Apprentice program is a
year-long internship that provides the
highest quality experience for
exceptionally talented high school
students interested in the professional
world of opera. These students were
identified by participating in Day at
the Opera and Project Opera: Summer
Camp last year. Throughout the year,
they have attended seminars at the
Opera Center that included work in
diction, vocal coaching, acting and
college guidance. In addition to these
recital performances, the Apprentices
perform on the Opera’s main stage in
Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man.
Adult Education ClassJoseph Merrick,
the Elephant Man
May 9, 2006, 7–9 pm
Opera Center, 620 N. 1st Street,
Minneapolis
Join us for a very special evening
with the composer of Joseph
Merrick, the Elephant Man, Laurent
Petitgirard. Hear first hand how
he approached composing this
tender, shimmering score and
why he feels this story has
relevance to a modern audience.
This class is a wonderful way to
gain insight into this American
premiere production.
Tour the Opera Center prior to
every class. Starting at 6:15 in the
lobby, a tour guide will show you
where costumes are built,
sets are designed and rehearsals
take place.
To register, call 612.342.9575.
Cost is $20, $15/donors, subscribers,
YPG and $10/students (with valid
ID to be shown at the door).
High School Apprentices Setara Barukzoy, Kyle De Graff, Erin Marie Capello andDaniel Segura at their performance in Il Signor Bruschino
15•
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The Artists For more biographical information about these artists,
visit our website at www.mnopera.org
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Theodore ChletsosHigh Priest
Minnesota Opera Resident ArtistRecently
Don Giovanni; Carmen; Maria Padilla; Butterfly, Minn. OperaVanessa, Central City Opera
Amahl and the Night Visitors, Minnesota OrchestraLes contes d’Hoffmann; Student Prince; others, Central City Op.
Roméo et Juliette; La bohème, Indianapolis OperaL’elisir d’amore; Roméo et Juliette, Lyric Opera of Kansas City
UpcomingJoseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, The Minnesota Opera
Gianni Schicchi, Opera Theater of New Jersey
Brenda HarrisCamilla
Minnesota Opera DebutArmida, 1993
RecentlyMaria Padilla; Norma; Tito; others, Minnesota Opera
Agrippina, New York City OperaVanessa, Opéra National du Rhin (Strasbourg)
La clemenza di Tito, Metropolitan Opera; Opéra du RhinUpcoming
Vanessa, Teatro Massimo (Palermo); Chautauqua OperaMacbeth, Arizona Opera; Edmonton Opera
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Ashley HollandOrazioMinnesota Opera DebutMaria Padilla, 2005RecentlyCaligula, Frankfurt Opera; Cologne OperaBilly Budd; Falstaff; Ernani; others, English Nat’l OperaLucia di Lammermoor, Lyric Opera of ChicagoParsifal, Grazer Opera; Don Giovanni, Royal Opera CGLa vera storia, Staatsoper (Hamburg)UpcomingThaïs, Grange Park Opera (Northington)Billy Budd, English National Opera
Scott PiperCuriazio
Minnesota Opera DebutRigoletto, 2003
RecentlyCarmen, The Minnesota Opera
Rigoletto, Michigan Opera Theatre; Opera RoanokeMadame Butterfly, Vancouver Opera; Opera Macau
Carmen; Rigoletto, Compañia Lírica Nacional (Costa Rica)Upcoming
Carmen, New York City OperaLa bohème, Seattle Opera
Jenufa, Glimmerglass Opera
Christopher DickersonVecchio OrazioMinnesota Opera DebutDon Giovanni, 2006RecentlyUn ballo in maschera, Opera Company of PhiladelphiaLa traviata; La sonnambula, Caramoor FestivalLa bohème, Florentine Opera; Billings OperaDon Giovanni; La Cenerentola, San Antonio Lyric OperaTosca, Fort Worth OperaDoktor Faust, San Francisco OperaMadama Butterfly; Samson et Dalila; Un ballo in maschera;
La traviata; The Magic Flute, Lyric Opera of Chicago
Karin WolvertonSabinaMinnesota Opera DebutLucia di Lammermoor, 2001RecentlyLes contes d’Hoffmann; Gloriana; Salome,
Des Moines Metro OperaDon Giovanni; Carmen; Maria Padilla; The Magic Flute; Passion;
Rigoletto; The Handmaid’s Tale; others, Minnesota OperaLes contes d’Hoffmann; The Student Prince, Central City OperaDvorak Te Deum; Amahl, Minnesota Orchestra UpcomingThe Rake’s Progress, Des Moines Metro Opera
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Peter KozmaStage DirectorMinnesota Opera Resident ArtistRecentlySignor Bruschino (SD); Don Giovanni; Tosca (AD), Minn. OperaLa tragédie de Carmen; Poppea; The Telephone (SD), Univ. of TexasL’Orfeo (SD), Budapest Chamber OperaDon Giovanni; Le nozze di Figaro; L’elisir d’amore; The Magic
Flute (SD), Ars Classica Chamber Opera (Gödöllo)Das Rheingold; Le nozze di Figaro; Madame Butterfly,
La Cenerentola; others (AD), Hungarian State OperaUpcomingJoseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, The Minnesota Opera
Michael ChybowskiLighting Designer
Minnesota Opera DebutRecently
Parsifal, Seattle Opera; V; Violet Cavern; Kolam, Mark MorrisThe Lieutenant of Inishmore; Beckett/Albee;
The Beard of Avon, (New York)Much Ado About Nothing, Delacorte (Central Park)
Oedipus Complex; Humble Boy; The Philanderer, Oregon Shakespeare Festival
UpcomingColder Than Here, MCC Theatre
A Cherry Orchard, Yale Repertory Theatre
Francesco Maria ColomboConductorMinnesota Opera DebutMaria Padilla, 2005UpcomingMichigan Philharmonic Orchestra
(Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky)Malaga Philharmonic, Spain (Barber, Tchaikovsky)Czech Radio Orchestra (Schumann, Mahler)Orchestra Verdi, Milan (Brahms, Wagner)Orchestra Toscanini, Parma (Mozart, Schumann, Shostakovich)North Carolina Opera (Verdi’s Aida)Pomeriggi Musicali, Milan (Reynaldo Hahn’s Mozart)
Neil PatelSet Designer
Minnesota Opera DebutMadame Butterfly, 2004
RecentlyAlcina, New York City Op.; Madame Mao, Santa Fe Op.Cavalleria rusticana; Suor Angelica, Op. Theatre of St. LouisLe nozze di Figaro; Don Giovanni, Nikikai Opera (Tokyo)
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Minnesota Opera DebutLa bohème, 1996
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Kennedy Center; Crossroads Theatre; San Francisco Shakespeare Festival; California Shakespeare Festival;
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Eric SimonsonProductionMinnesota Opera DebutThe Magic Flute (tour), 1991RecentlyA Note of Triumph – Academy Award (short documentary)Carter’s Way, Kansas City RepertoryFive Points; On Tiptoe, HBO TelevisionKorczak’s Children, Children’s Theatre CompanyAhab’s Tale; Work Song, Milwaukee Repertory TheatreThe Song of Jacob Zulu, Steppenwolf Theatre; BroadwayUpcomingThe Grapes of Wrath, The Minnesota Opera
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TBD
The Artists For more biographical information about these artists,
visit our website at www.mnopera.org
TBD
Bruce StasynaChorusmasterMinnesota Opera DebutDer Rosenkavalier, 2000RecentlyCarmina burana, Avery Fisher HallShakespeare Unplugged, Dallas Art MuseumDon Giovanni; Tosca; others, The Minnesota OperaFidelio; Beethoven Symphony No. 9, Minnesota OrchestraDie ägyptische Helena, American Symphony OrchestraSweeney Todd; The Barber of Seville; Tito, Wolf Trap OperaUpcomingJoseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, The Minnesota Opera
Heidi Spesard-NobleMovement Coordinator
Minnesota Opera DebutThe Merry Widow, 2002
RecentlyCarmen*; La traviata*, The Minnesota Opera
Midlife: the Crisis Musical*, Brigadoon*; The Christmas Show*; BigBang, Music Man; My Fair Lady; others, Chanhassen Theatres
Runaways*, Macalaster CollegeJesus Christ Superstar*, Hamline UniversityRite of Spring; Beauty and the Beast; Swan Lake;
Mythical Hunters; Allegro Brilliant, Minnesota Dance TheatreAmerican in Paris; Cakewalk; Valse Fantasie, State Ballet of Missouri
*choreographer
The Minnesota Opera announces 2006-07 GENERAL/CHORUS AUDITIONS
May 24, 25, 26 & 27, 2006The Minnesota Opera Center, 620 North First Street in Minneapolis
Audition AppointmentsAuditions are by appointment only and must be
scheduled in advance. Appointments for the general
public open May 1. No audition calls or appointments
will be taken before this date. All appointments are on a
first-come, first-served basis. Please call 612-333-2700
weekdays between 10 am till 4 pm.
Audition RequirementsPrepare one operatic aria of choice, in original language.
Bring current resume and photo. Singer must provide
own accompanist. A list of accompanists can be made
available upon request.
As this is the one opportunity for everyone to be heard,
non-resident singers are welcome and encouraged to
audition. However, be aware that most principal roles
are usually cast a year in advance and supporting roles
and chorus are generally cast locally or from our
Resident Artists Program.
All positions paid. EOE.
TBD
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The Minnesota Opera OrchestraViolin I Kristen Christensen
concertmaster
Julia Persitz
David Mickens
Allison Ostrander
Judy Thon-Jones
Kari Giles
Andrea Een
Angela Hanson
Conor O’Brien
Megan McClendon
Violin II Laurie Petruconis
Elizabeth Decker
Stephan R. Orsak
Melinda Marshall
Carolin Kiesel Johnson
Miriam Griffiths
Almut Engelhardt Kachian
Bradley Johnson
Viola Vivi Erickson
Laurel Browne
Jenny Lind Nilsson
Susan Janda
Jim Bartsch
Coca Bochonko
Cello Adriana LaRosa Ransom
Rebecca Arons
Tom Austin
Sally Dorer
Dale Newton
Fang-Yu Liang
Bass John Michael Smith
Constance Martin
Michael Watson
Rolf Erdahl
Flute Michele Frisch
Amy Morris
PiccoloCasey Kovacic
OboeMarilyn Ford
Merilee Klemp
(double English Horn)
ClarinetSandra Powers
Nina Olsen
BassoonCoreen Nordling
Laurie Hatcher Merz
HornCharles Kavalovski
Charles Hodgson
Neal Bolter
Lawrence Barnhart
TrumpetJohn G. Koopmann
Christopher Volpe
TrombonePhil Ostrander
Sue Roberts
David Stevens
TimpaniKory Andry
PercussionMatthew Barber
Robert Adney
HarpMin Kim
Personnel ManagerSteve Lund
The Minnesota Opera ChorusRaymond Ayers
Alison Bates
Judy Bender
Karen Bushby
Lisa Butcher
Steve Dahlberg
Kyle DeGraff*
Molly Dimba
Andy Elfenbein
L. Peter Erickson
Rebecca Fredell
Peter Frenz
Jamie-Rose Guarrine
April Hanson
Katherine Haugen
Roy Heilman
Robin Helgen
Jeffrey Hess
James Howes
Ben Johnson
Charles Johnson
Matthew Johnson
Brian Jorgensen
Mark Josephsen
Callie Kimball
Brian Kuhl
Paula Lammers
Steven Landby
Shirley Leiphon
Eric Mellum
Mary Monson
John Michael Moore
Edward Mout
Bill Murray
Matthew Neil
Aja Pridgen
Peter Robinson
Ana Romero
Cathryn Schmidt
Robert Schmidt
Sandra Schoenecker
Charles Schwandt
Lu-Cheng Shih
Melissa Steele
Staci Stringer
Martin Swaden
Eric Vollen
* denotes Apprentice
SupernumerariesChristian Finch
Andy Flamm
Michael Mayer
James Monson
Matt Sudduth
Norm Tiedemann
Resident Artistscovering principal roles
Raymond Ayers –
Orazi
Alison Bates –
Camilla/Sabina
Theodore Chletsos –
Curiazio
Seth Keeton –
Vecchio Orazio
Edward Mout –
High Priest
Frann Daviss 612.925.84088
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Background Notes continued from page 12
LATTE DA4c
The censors were merciless on the younger composer, finding
the theme of regal assassination politically offensive and
insisting on so many changes that the libretto no longer bore
any resemblance to the composer’s original conception. The
opera eventually premiered in Rome, but still in a mutated
state, the setting transferred from Sweden to Boston.
Verdi’s Ballo has another distinction in the context of
Mercadantean reform – it is his last to include a formal
cabaletta (the faster movement of a double aria). Mercadante
spoke of excising its superfluous tendencies for good, yet more
than once he had been accused of not making good on that
promise. And Verdi, for his more lasting innovations, was still
composing traditional Rossinian double-arias in his three great
middle-period masterpieces, Rigoletto, La traviata and Il
trovatore. For his part, Mercadante was indeed progressive in the
long run; in Orazi we find two arias, Camilla’s Act II and
Vecchio Orazio’s Act III, with significant plot development
between the cantabile (slow movement) and cabaletta beyond
the typical tempo di mezzo, or transition section. Coupled with
Meyerbeerian choral scenes of grand proportions, greater
attention to the meaning of the text, urgent and earnest
melodies, declamatory orchestrations, striking harmonies and
melodramatic tragedy demanded by the Romantic era,
Mercadante was true to his modernizing ideals. Unfortunately,
he was bound by the conservatory’s conservatism and the
expectations of his Neapolitan public, while the unbridled
maverick Verdi could do whatever he pleased. And while
Mercadante was not especially interested in contemporary
literature, Verdi had his finger on the pulse of the day and
exploited the most modern of the era’s volatile plays. Likely
Mercadante would have been galled to learn that Verdi had
been named as his successor at the conservatory (Verdi declined
the offer), and he would have been doubly outraged had he
lived to see Aida, with its shades of La vestale, make its
European debut at La Scala in 1872, running opposite a revival
of Il giuramento. Fortunately, the composer was already two years
in his grave.
With its hybrid of Classical and Romantic conventions,
Orazi e Curiazi was an instant success and stayed in the
repertoire of the San Carlo for six months as the opera began
its rounds around greater Italy. For Orazi’s 1848 local
premiere in Parma, it earned a distinction achieved by many of
Verdi’s “Risorgimento” operas, inciting a riot for its political
overtones of the Act II oath scene during an especially
tumultuous revolutionary year. Nonetheless, by 1882 Orazi
faded from the repertoire, but not from the collective memory
– it was revived almost 100 years later in concert form, and later
recorded. These performances mark the American premiere and
the first fully staged production since the 19th century of this
neglected masterpiece.
Music by Laurent Petitgirard, Libretto by Eric Nonn
Sung in French with English captions
May 13, 16, 18, 20 and 21, 2006
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
For tickets, call 651-224-4222
The Minnesota Opera presents the American premiere of
Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man in a new production by
acclaimed choreographer and director Doug Varone. French
composer Laurent Petitgirard tells the story of the beautiful
soul trapped by a tragic disease in a cinematic score that is
at once shimmering and tender.
Originally composed for a contralto voice, the title role
will be sung by celebrated countertenor David Walker in
his company debut. One of The Minnesota Opera’s most
versatile and celebrated conductors, Antony Walker,
returns to the podium.
Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man premiered in February,
2002, at the State Opera
House in Prague (with the
French title, Joseph Merrick dit
Elephant Man), and was
proclaimed “a moving,
modern work” by Amazon.com
and “a compelling score” by
London’s Sunday Telegraph. It
was subsequently staged to
further acclaim in Nice in
November and December,
2002, and filmed by OSF
Productions for French
television. “This opera tells
the story of the Elephant Man from his own perspective,
rather than from the doctor’s as did the famous David
Lynch movie,” said Artistic Director Dale Johnson. “I
think this is highly appropriate, because ultimately, it is
the story of a beautiful soul. It’s the characters on the
outside that distort that
reality, seeing only his disease. To highlight this perspective,
Doug Varone’s approach will rely on movement rather than
disfiguring makeup to portray this spirit.”
Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man
is sponsored by
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Coming up: Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man…
David Walker makes his company debut asJoseph Merrick.
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TWIN CITIES THEATER IS OVER-RATED
At least we hope it will be. Go to IveyAwards.com, rate all the plays you see and help decide
who will receive an Ameriprise Financial Ivey Award at this year’s event. You can view the
performance calendar for all 61 participating theaters too!
Next month’s American premiere of Joseph Merick, the
Elephant Man is a new operatic treatment of the
real-life story of a man named Joseph Merrick, who in the
1880s became a famous charity case – and ultimately a
celebrity – while his debilitating condition stumped his
doctors. Prior to his hospitalization, he had worked in a
circus freak show act. The opera tells the story from the
viewpoint of Merrick. It reveals the intelligence and
sensitivity buried underneath the mask of his deformity,
and delves into his desire to be “normal.” It also paints
portraits of the people that surround Merrick, exposing
the assumptions made by the circus showmen, medical
professionals and general public about Merrick’s life.
Continuing a multi-year partnership with the
University of Minnesota’s Hubert H. Humphrey Institute
of Public Affairs, The Minnesota Opera is convening a
panel comprising experts in policymaking, medicine and
disability, as well as the opera’s composer, moderated by
opera commentator Robert Marx. Using the opera as a
jumping off point, this panel will create a forum in which
the community can explore how policy, public perception,
and people with disabling diseases interact. The event will
also feature musical selections from the opera.
The Minnesota Opera’s past collaborations with the
Humphrey Institute have explored ideas in contemporary
opera that connect to conversations in policy. These events
have included an art and public policy forum discussing
the differences between “freedom from” and “freedom to”
as introduced in the Poul Ruders opera The Handmaid’s
Tale, (May 2003 at Open Book), and “Revisiting an epic
conversation,” a dialogue with The Honorable Walter F.
Mondale on Nixon’s landmark visit with Chairman Mao
from the perspectives of Senate history and John Adams’
opera, Nixon in China.
…and a Conversation at the Humphrey TThhee EElleepphhaanntt MMaann::
aa ccoonnvveerrssaattiioonn oonn ppoolliiccyy,, ddiissaabbiilliittyy aanndd ooppeerraa
Wednesday, May 10, 2006, 7 pmHubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
301 19th Avenue, Minneapolis
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Andersen Foundation • Anonymous • Estate of Mrs. Judson Bemis • Julia W. Dayton
John and Ruth Huss • The McKnight Foundation • Target Foundation
Mary W. Vaughan Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation
F. R. Bigelow Foundation • Cargill Foundation • General Mills Foundation
3M Foundation • Alfred and Ingrid Lenz Harrison • Estate of Jean Lemberg
The Medtronic Foundation • The Saint Paul Foundation • Wells Fargo Foundation Minnesota
C. Angus and Margaret Wurtele
Karen Bachman • Alexandra O. Bjorklund • Mary and Gus Blanchard • Mary Lee Dayton
Ecolab Foundation • The William Randolph Hearst Foundation • Lucy Rosenberry Jones
Constance and Daniel Kunin • The Art and Martha Kaemmer Fund of HRK Foundation
Keller Trust • The MAHADH Fund of HRK Foundation • Mardag Foundation
John G. Ordway, Jr. • RBC Dain Rauscher Foundation • Saint Paul Travelers
The Harriet and Edson Spencer Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation
Rebecca Rand and E. Thomas Binger • Ellie and Tom Crosby, Jr. • Heinz and Sisi Hutter
Diana and Joe Murphy • Mr. and Mrs. William Phillips • Mr. and Mrs. Steven Rothschild
1997 Irrevocable Trust of Frederick T. Weyerhaeuser
Rod and Susan Boren • Mrs. Thomas B. Carpenter • Carolyn Foundation
Darlene J. and Richard P. Carroll • Cleveland Foundation • Rusty and Burt Cohen
Jane M. and Ogden W. Confer • Sara and Jock Donaldson
Dorsey & Whitney Foundation • Vicki and Chip Emery • Brad and Diane England
Faegre & Benson • Sharon and Bill Hawkins • Bill and Hella Mears Hueg
Connie Fladeland and Steve Fox • Erwin and Miriam Kelen • R. C. Lilly Foundation
Mary Bigelow McMillan • Thomas and Barbara McBurney • Stephanie Simon and Craig Bentdahl
Kevin and Lynn Smith • Virginia L. and Edward C. Stringer • The Southways Foundation
Bernt von Ohlen and Thomas Nichol • Nelson Family Foundation
As of March 24, 2006, $12.6 million has been raised toward the $20 million Opera at the Ordway Initiative. These funds have already begun to transform the
company through new productions, expanded education programs and a momentum that will expand the number of productions. The initiative will also
add to The Opera’s endowment, ensuring the future of the company performing here, at the Ordway.
The following are all individual, corporate and foundation donors over $25,000:
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The Minnesota Opera Annual FundIndividual Giving
Platinum $7,500–$9,999Anonymous Jane M. and Ogden W. ConferRolf and Nancy EnghN. Bud and Beverly Grossman
FoundationSharon and Bill HawkinsBryce and Paula JohnsonMr. and Mrs. Steven RothschildTimothy and Gayle OberBernt von Ohlen and
Thomas NicholConnie and Lew RemeleVirginia L. and Edward C. Stringer
Gold $5,000-$7,499Anonymous (2)Eric and Tracy AanensonRachelle Dockman ChaseDr. James E. and
Gisela CorbettSusan and Richard CrockettDavid and Vanessa DaytonMary Lee DaytonSally J. EconomonChip and Vicki EmeryBrad and Diane EnglandTom and Lori FoleyMr. and Mrs. John Forsythe
Connie Fladeland and Steve Fox
Denver and Nicole GilliandDavid Hanson and William BiermaierKaren and John HimleConstance and Daniel KuninIlo and Margaret LeppikMr. and Mrs. B. John Lindahl, Jr.Ms. Becky MalkersonTed and Roberta Mann
FoundationDiana and Joe MurphyElizabeth Musser Trust—
Fir Tree FundAlbin and Susan NelsonNelson Family FoundationBrian and Julia PalmerKevin and Lynn SmithMitchell and Kendall StoverMr. and Mrs. James SwartzCatie Tobin and Brian NaasCharles Allen Ward Fund of
The Saint Paul Foundation
Silver $2,500–$4,999Anonymous (2)Chloe D. AckmanLowell Anderson and Kathy WelteMartha Goldberg Aronson and
Daniel AronsonMartha and Bruce AtwaterDr. Ford and Amy BellAlexandra O. BjorklundSteve ChirhartCleveland FoundationDr. Stephen and Beth CragleJohn and Arlene DaytonThomas and Mary Lou DetwilerRondi Erickson and Sandy LewisLeslie and Alain FreconChristine and W. Michael GarnerMr. and Mrs. R. James GesellMeg and Wayne GisslenMrs. Myrtle GretteDorothy J. Horns, M.D., and
James P. RichardsonKen and Tina HughesJay and Cynthia IhlenfeldDale A. JohnsonJacqueline Nolte JonesRobert and Susan JosselsonStan and Jeanne KaginSamuel L. Kaplan and
Sylvia Chessen KaplanErwin and Miriam KelenMichael F. and Gretchen G. Kelly and
the Kelly Family FoundationLyndel and Blaine King
Mrs. James S. KochirasDavid MacMillan and Judy KrowMahley Family FoundationRoy and Dorothy Ann MayeskeJames and Judith MellingerRichard and Nancy Nicholson –
Nicholson Family FoundationDwight D. OppermanWilliam and Barbara PearceMarge and Dwight PetersonMr. and Mrs. William PhillipsStephanie Prem and Tom OwensRobert and Mary PriceLois and John RogersKen and Nina RothchildMr. and Mrs. Steven RothschildSampson Family Charitable
FoundationKay Savik and Joe TashjianFred and Gloria SewellDrs. Joseph and Kristina Sha∂erFrank and Lynda SharbroughJulie Jackley SteinerTanrydoon Fund of The Saint Paul
FoundationWilliam Voedisch and
Laurie CarlsonNancy and Ted Weyerhaeuser
Camerata Circle
Bel Canto CirclePlatinum $20,000 and aboveMary and Gus BlanchardJulia W. DaytonJohn and Ruth HussLucy Rosenberry JonesPatricia LundMrs. George T. Pennock (†)*Stephanie Simon and
Craig BentdahlMary W. Vaughan Fund of
The Minneapolis FoundationC. Angus and Margaret Wurtele
Gold $15,000–$19,999Karen Bachman*Mrs. Thomas B. CarpenterDarlene J. and
Richard P. Carroll*Dolly J. FitermanHeinz and Sisi HutterThe Art and Martha Kaemmer Fund of
HRK Foundation*Warren and Patricia Kelly*
Silver $10,000–$14,999Anonymous (2)Allegro Fund of the
Saint Paul Foundation*Rebecca Rand and
E. Thomas BingerRod and Susan BorenRusty and Burt CohenEllie and Tom Crosby, Jr.Mary Dearing and Barry LazarusCy and Paula Decosse Fund of
The Minneapolis Foundation The Denny Fund of
The Minneapolis Foundation
Sara and Jock DonaldsonAlfred and Ingrid Lenz Harrison*Mr. and Mrs. Philip Isaacson*Peter J. KingLynne LooneyThomas and Barbara McBurneyHarvey T. McLainMary Bigelow McMillanMrs. Walter MeyersBruce and Sandy NelsonJose Peris and Diana GuldenElizabeth and Andrew Redleaf
$1,000–$2,499Anonymous (4)Floyd AndersonPaula AndersonKim A. Anderson John Andrus, IIIMr. and Mrs. Edmund P. BabcockDr. Thomas and Ann BagnoliJames Baldwin and Mary AtmoreMr. and Mrs. Paul G. BoeningJan and Ellen BreyerJudith and Arnold BrierConley Brooks FamilyElwood F. and Florence A. CaldwellBruce and Deanna CarlsonJoan and George CarlsonJoe and Judy CarlsonWanda and David Cline
Jeff and Barb CoutureBruce Coppock and Lucia May*Mrs. Thomas M. Crosby, Sr.Ruth and Bruce DaytonAmos and Sue DeinardJack and Claire DempseyMona Bergman Dewane and
Patrick DewaneJohn and Maureen Drewitz Susan Engel and Arthur Eisenberg*Ester and John FeslerSalvatore S. FrancoPatricia R. FreeburgJames and Mary FreyTerence Fruth and Mary McEvoy Family
Fund of The Minneapolis FoundationBradley A. Fuller and
Elizabeth Lincoln
David and Kathy Galligan*Richard GeyermanLois and Larry GibsonHoward and Heidi GilbertMicheal and Elizabeth GormanSima and Clark GriffithFrank Guzzetta*The Hackensack Fund of The Saint
Paul FoundationRosalie He∂elfinger Hall Fund of
The Minneapolis FoundationDon HelgesonJohn S. and Rosmarie HellingSarah HenryDiane HoeyJohn and Jean McGough HoltenBill and Hella Mears HuegMr. and Mrs. Thomas Hull
James L. Jelinek and Marilyn WallLinda JohnsonMarkle KarlenJessie L. KellyE. Robert and Margaret V. Kinney
Fund of The Minneapolis FoundationKenneth Kixmoeller and Kim OtnessMr. and Mrs. William KlingGerard KnightLisa C. KochirasMaria KochirasKyle Kossol and Tom BeckerRobert L. Kriel and Linda E. KrachHelen L. KuehnAnita KuninMark and Elaine LanderganRobert L. Lee and Mary E. Scha∂nerCarl Lee and Linda Talcott Lee
Artist Circle
It is with deep appreciation that The 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.
For information on making a contribution to The Minnesota Opera, please call Dawn Loven, Director of the Annual Fund, at 612-342-9567.
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These lists are current as of March 1, 2006, and include donors who gave gifts of $500 or more to The Minnesota Opera Fund since July 1, 2004. If your name is not listed appropriately, please accept our apologies, and call Megan Stevenson, Individual Gifts Associate, at 612-342-9569.
(†) Deceased
Anonymous (2)Mary A. AndresMr. and Mrs. Rolf AndreassenKaren BachmanMark and Pat BauerBarbara and Sandy Bemis (†)Darlene J. and Richard P. CarrollJudy and Kenneth (†) DaytonMrs. George DotyRudolph Driscoll (†)Sally Economon
Paul FroeschlRobert and Ellen GreenIeva Grundmanis (†)Norton M. HintzJean McGough HoltenCharles HudginsDale and Pat JohnsonRobert and Susan JosselsonMrs. Markle Karlen (†)Steve KellerBlaine and Lyndel King
Gretchen Klein (†)Bill and Sally KlingGisela Knoblauch (†)Mr. and Mrs. James KrezowskiRobert Kriel and Linda KrachRobert Lawser, Jr.Jean Lemberg (†)Gerald and Joyce LillquistMargaret L. and Walter S. (†) MeyersEdith Mueller (†)Scott Pakudiatis
Sydney and William PhillipsMrs. Berneen RudolphMary SavinaFrank and Lynda SharbroughAndrew H. Stewart, Jr.Barbara and Robert StruykJames and Susan SullivanGregory C. SwinehartStephanie Van D’EldenMary VaughanDale and Sandra Wick
The Minnesota Opera thanks the following donors who, through their foresight and generosity, have included the Opera intheir wills or estate plans. We invite you to join other opera-lovers by leaving a legacy gift to The Minnesota Opera. If youhave already made such a provision, we encourage you to notify us that so we may appropriately recognize your generosity.
For more information on possible gift arrangements, please contact Dawn Loven, Director of the Annual Fund, at 612-342-9567. Your attorney or financial advisor can then help determine which methods are most appropriate for you.
Estate and Planned Gifts
The Minnesota Opera Annual FundIndividual Giving
Gold $750–$999Anonymous (1)Quentin and Mary AndersonMr. and Mrs. Carl W. ClesslerJoe Dowling and Siobahn ClearyC.D.F. FoundationDrs. Greg and Angie HatfieldJoan and Richard NewmarkNicole and Charles PrescottThomas D. and Nancy J. RohdeThe Harriet and Edson Spencer Fund
of The Minneapolis FoundationKeith and Catherine StevensonFrank and Frances Wilkinson
Silver $500–$749Anonymous (1)Fred Amram and Sandra BrickWoodbury H. and Cynthia AndrewsGenevive AntonelloSatoru and Sheila AsatoRuth and Dale BachmanJames and Gail BakkomMrs. Harvey O. BeekBarbara S. BelkGerald and Phyllis BensonMichael and Paige BinghamThomas and Joyce BrucknerPatrick and Kristen BurtonDaniel and Christine BussGerald and Sarah CarusoPaul Cavall
Bruce and Ann ChristensenJoann M. D. CierniakJ.P. CollinsEdward Conway and Kathleen JerdeBill and Kate CullenFran DavisJoe Dowling and Siobahn ClearyJoyce and Hugh EdmondsonEkdahl Hutchinson Family Fund of
The Minneapolis FoundationHerbert and Betty FantleCatherine C. FinchDonald and Gail FiskewoldCarolyn FitermanCheryl Kreofsky and
Michael FitzgeraldHenry and Anice FleshDr. Stanley M. and
Luella G. GoldbergAlan GoldbloomRobert Goodell and Renee BrownPaul and Margot GrangaardDeanne and John GrecoRobert and Ellen GreenSarah GreenMarjorie and Joseph GrinnellBruce and Jean GrussingRoger L. Hale and Nor HallRuth E. HanoldKristin Hayes and Greg SochackiFranz and Jeannie HofmeisterJoe and Nancy Holmberg
Ekdahl Hutchinson Family Fund ofThe Minneapolis Foundation
David and Sally HyslopDiane and Paul JacobsonAndrzej and Urszula JaworskiMrs. Owen JenkinsDr. and Mrs. Charles R. JorgensenJane and Jim Kaufman Fund of The
Minneapolis FoundationJessie L. KellySteve and Jolie KlapmeierRoy and Mary LetourneauJonathan and Lisa LewisJoan E. MaddenC.S. McCrossanOrpha McDiarmid Family FundSheila McNallyL. David MechCharles and Victoria MogilevskyTheresa A. Murray and Jim MurrayPaul C. MuzioLowell and Sonja NoteboomBradley NussDennis R. OlsonMr. and Mrs. G. Richard PalenDan and Pat PanshinPaula PatineauKern and Kathryn PetersonJames J. Phelps and
Nancy McGlynn PhelpsNicole and Charles PrescottElsie L. Quam
Lawrence M. RedmondAnn M. RockJames and Andrea RubensteinJanet and Bill SchaederKaren A. SchafferMahlon and Karen SchneiderMarcia and Stephen SchultzBill and Althea SellJanet and Irving ShapiroPeter and Bonnie SipkinsJim and Cindie SmartDaniel and Marilyn SpiegelWarren StortroenRoxanne Stouffer and Joseph CruzJoanne Strakosch and
William UmscheidDana and Stephen StrandBrian and Mia SullivanAllan Valgemae and Robert HardingWill and Li VolkElaine B. WalkerThe Wallin FoundationDavid M. and
Mary Ann Barrows WarkMr. and Mrs. Charles WebsterJames and Sharon WeinelLani Willis and Joel SpoonheimMary Wong
*Includes Gala Fund-a-Dream support.
Patron Circle
Susan LentheStefanie Lenway and Tom Murtha Diane and Sid LevinMichael and Diane LevySy and Ginny Levy Family Fund of
The Minneapolis FoundationJerry and Joyce LillquistBenjamin Y. H. and Helen C. LiuBill LongDawn M. LovenMr. and Mrs. Donald LuckerMargery MartinLois and Rick Marsh
Gilah Mashaal Samuel D. and Patricia McCulloughWilliam MesserliSandy and Bob MorrisMrs. John H. MyersSusan OkieLuis Pagan-CarloKelly and Michael PalmerAllegra ParkerKaren B. PaulWilliam and Suzanne PayneJodi and Todd Peterson*Mary Ingebrand Pohlad
James and Connie PriesTim and Elin RaymondFrances and George ReidKit Reynolds and Mike SchwimmerJohn and Sandra RoeMrs. John C. RowlandLeland T. Lynch and Terry Saario Fund
of The Minneapolis FoundationPatty and Barney SaundersJim ScarpettaDr. and Mrs. Richard J. SchindlerStanislaw and Krystyna SkrowaczewskiJe∂ and Helene Slocum
Don and Leslie StilesRobert and Barbara StruykJames and Susan SullivanHenry and Virginia SweattMichael SymeonidesMr. and Mrs. George H. TesarLois and Lance ThorkelsonEmily Anne and Gedney TuttleAllan Valgemae and Robert HardingMr. and Mrs. Philip Von BlonFred and Ellen WellsMs. Wendy WengerTeresa Williams
Artist Circle (continued)
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Corporations and Foundations
Minnesota Opera Sponsors
Platinum $10,000+3MAllianz Life Insurance of North AmericaAmeriprise FinancialFred C. and Katherine B. Andersen FoundationThe Bush FoundationCargill FoundationDeloitteDeluxe Corporation FoundationDorsey & Whitney FoundationEcolab FoundationGeneral Mills FoundationAnn and Gordon Getty FoundationAnna M. Heilmaier Charitable FoundationLowry Hill Private Wealth ManagementThe MAHADH Fund of HRK FoundationThe McKnight FoundationThe Medtronic FoundationOPERA America’s Opera FundRider BennettSpencerStuartSt. Paul TravelersSUPERVALU Stores, Inc.Target FoundationThrivent Financial for Lutherans Twin Cities Opera GuildU.S. Bancorp FoundationU.S. Bank, Private Client GroupU. S. Trust Company Wells Fargo Foundation MinnesotaWenger Foundation
Gold $5,000-$9,999ADC TelecommunicationsAT&T FoundationBemis Company FoundationBriggs and MorganFaegre & BensonJostens, Inc.Lindquist & VennumR. C. Lilly FoundationOnan Family FoundationPentair, Inc.Piper Ja∂ray
Carl and Eloise Pohlad FoundationRahr FoundationRBC Dain Rauscher FoundationStar Tribune FoundationValspar FoundationXcel Energy Foundation
Silver $2,500-$4,999Boss FoundationDellwood FoundationMary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke
FoundationHutter Family FoundationAlice M. O’Brien FoundationThe Elizabeth C. Quinlan FoundationMargaret Rivers FundSchwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth, PATennant FoundationThomson West
Corporate Circle $1,000-$2,499Arts & Custom Publishing Co., Inc.Brock-White Co., LLCThe Burdick-Craddick Family FoundationCurtis L. Carlson Family FoundationDigital Excellence, Inc.Gunkelmans Interior DesignHogan & HartsonHorton, Inc.Le Jeune Investment, Inc.Leonard, Street & DeinardMaslon, Edelman, Borman & BrandMayo ClinicMcVay FoundationLawrence M. and Elizabeth Ann O’Shaughnessy
Charitable Income TrustPeregrine Capital ManagementThe Regis FoundationRobins, Kaplan, Miller & CiresiSecurian FoundationThe Southways FoundationSt. Croix FoundationCharles B. Sweatt FoundationTozer Foundation
Season SponsorU.S. Bank, Private Client Group
Production SponsorsTosca, U.S. Bank, Private Client Group
Don Giovanni, Target
Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, Ameriprise Financial
Production Innovation SystemGeneral Mills
Opening Night Gala SponsorU.S. Bank, Private Client Group
Marshall Field’s Gives
Okabena Advisors
RAP Teaching ArtistsWenger Foundation
Conductor AppearancesSpencerStuart
Evening Intermission SponsorLowry Hill Private Wealth Management
Promotional SupportMinnesota Monthly
Opera InsightsThrivent Financial for Lutherans
$10,000 – $24,999
$25,000 – $49,999
$50,000 – $99,999
$100,000 +
The Minnesota Opera gratefully acknowledges
its major corporate supporters:
The Minnesota Opera Annual FundInstitutional Giving
GovernmentCity of Saint Paul’s Cultural STAR ProgramMinnesota State Arts BoardNational Endowment for the Arts
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Good listening {TAKES PRACTICE.}
Crocus Hill Office
Nancy Meeden651.282-9650
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iCultivating anew generationof opera-goers in the TwinCitiesAre you a 20- or 30-somethingwho’s curious about opera?Looking for something newand fun to look forward to?Join other young professionalsfor the hottest ticket in town— The Minnesota Opera’sYoung Professionals Group!
The low-cost YPGmembership (only $30 perseason) entitles members togreat seats at the Opera forrock-bottom prices, as well aspost-opera cocktail partiesand special events throughoutthe season.
YPG season tickets are nowavailable for 2006-2007.
To join, visitwww.mnopera.org,
email us [email protected],
or call us at 612.342.9550
UPCOMING EVENTSOpera Nights Out:
Orazi & Curiazi, April 15
Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, May 20
Spring Swing, April 29
Great Waters is theofficial venue for
Opera Nights Out
TBD
TBD
TBD