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09-02-2006, 01:57 AM
Santa Fe Opera
2007 Season Announced
By Santa Fe Opera
© 2006 - Reprint Permission Granted
<!--content-->American premiere of Tan Dun’s Tea: A Mirror of Soul set.
Puccini, La bohème. New Production
Mozart, Così fan tutte. Revival
Strauss, Daphne. New Production
Rameau, Platée. New Production. First Performance by The Santa Fe Opera
Dun, Tea: A Mirror of Soul. New Production. American Premiere
The Santa Fe Opera’s 2007 season will include a major American premiere and new productions of works by Puccini, Rameau, and Richard Strauss, as well as the revival of one of the company’s most successful recent Mozart productions. The 38-performance season will run from Friday, June 29, through Saturday, August 25, 2007. General Director Richard Gaddes announced the repertory at a press conference in Santa Fe on Monday, May 8.
The 2007 season opens with a new production of La bohème on Friday, June 29, followed by a revival of Mozart’s Così fan tutte on Saturday, June 30. A new production of Strauss’s Daphne, which had its American premiere at The Santa Fe Opera in 1964, opens on Saturday, July 14. Tan Dun’s Tea: A Mirror of Soul receives its American premiere on Saturday, July 21, and a new staging of Rameau’s Platée, opening on Saturday, July 28, rounds out the season.
“I often think of The Santa Fe Opera as a musical elixir, in which we try to blend just the right artistic talents to produce a vintage season,” said Gaddes. “We are launching our second half-century with an extension of John Crosby’s formula in founding the company -- a judicious mix of popular favorites, less frequently performed works, an opera by Richard Strauss, and an important premiere. The 2007 season repertory offers a many-faced exploration of love, with all its exhilaration, complications, and heartbreak.”
LA BOHÈME
Giacomo Puccini
Sung in Italian
Last performed in 1993
June 29; July 4, 7, 13, 20, 30; August 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25
Last performed at Santa Fe in 1993, La bohème will be given a new production, conducted by Corrado Rovaris and staged by Paul Curran. Rovaris made his Santa Fe debut in 2004 with Simon Boccanegra and Curran’s first SFO assignment was last season’s Peter Grimes. “I was thrilled with the debuts of these talented young men and am delighted to bring them back so soon,” said Gaddes, “especially for a creative new Santa Fe staging of this much-loved opera.”
Kevin Knight, in his company debut, is the scenic and costume designer. His list of credentials includes productions at the Wexford Festival, La Scala, and La Fenice, Venice. The August performances of Mimi will be sung by Serena Farnocchia, who sang the role of Liu in last summer’s Turandot. Musetta will be sung by Nicole Cabell, winner of the 2005 Cardiff “Singer of the World” competition. The role of Rodolfo will be shared by Gwyn Hughes Jones and Dimitri Pittas. Hughes Jones, a young Welsh tenor, has performed with the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the San Francisco Opera. He made his Covent Garden debut in 2005. Dimitri Pittas is a former Santa Fe apprentice singer who will appear as Narraboth in Salome this summer. He also recently made his Metropolitan Opera debut. The role of Marcello will be shared by former apprentice Corey McKern and the leading Canadian baritone, James Westman. Cabell, Hughes Jones, and Westman are all making their Santa Fe Opera debuts.
COSÌ FAN TUTTE
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sung in Italian
Last performed in 2003
June 30; July 6, 11, 31; August 6, 13, 20, 24
“Così fan tutte was one of the absolute delights of the 2003 season. It charmed our patrons and the music critics as well,” continued Gaddes. “More than 96% of the seats were sold. The production generated headlines such as, ‘Santa Fe’s Così scores with union of superb vocals, probing roles,’ from the Dallas Morning News.” Conductor Kenneth Montgomery and director James Robinson will lead the 2007 revival. Lillian Watson will repeat her role as Despina from 2003 and veteran Dale Travis, Doctor Bartolo in the 2005 Barber of Seville, is Don Alfonso.
The cast includes the company debuts of two important young Americans, Norman Reinhardt as Ferrando and Katharine Goeldner as Dorabella. Mark Stone, a British baritone whose credits include leading roles at the English National Opera, is Guglielmo. All three are making their company debuts.
DAPHNE
Richard Strauss
Sung in German
Last performed in 1996
July 14, 18, 27; August 2, 8, 17
“Daphne occupies a special place in our hearts,” said Gaddes. “It has gone from virtual obscurity when John Crosby conducted the American premiere in 1964 to being recognized as one of Strauss’s true masterpieces. For Santa Fe audiences, it will be a fascinating opportunity to see it so soon after the 2006 season’s Salome. Both operas are compact and feature a demanding title role, but Daphne is lyrical and elegiac. No one can fail to be touched profoundly by the musical eloquence of the final monologue.” This new production will be staged by Mark Lamos, one of the country’s leading directors, whose credits include the world premiere of John Harbison’s The Great Gatsby at the Metropolitan Opera in 1999. The longtime artistic director of the Hartford Stage Company, Lamos’s recent Broadway credits include Seascape and The Rivals. Scott MacAllister, in his company debut, is Apollo. MacAllister enjoys and extensive European career and recently performed Apollo at La Fenice in Venice. Former apprentice Garrett Sorenson will assume the role of Leukippos.
TEA: A Mirror of Soul
Tan Dun
Sung in English
American Premiere
July 21, 25; August 3, 9, 15, 23
The company will continue its commitment to new work with the American premiere of Tan Dun’s Tea: A Mirror of Soul. The opera was first staged at Tokyo’s Suntory Hall in 2002 and has since triumphed in China, Europe, and New Zealand. Based on the true story of a doomed love affair between a Japanese monk and a Chinese princess, Tea combines the lyricism of Italian opera, lush Western orchestration, a male “Greek chorus,” gamelan-like percussion, and the organic sounds of nature — water, paper, and stones — all coming together in a powerful work of musical drama. Tan Dun is the composer of the film score for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as well as the opera The Peony Pavilion and the oratorio Water Passion after St. Matthew. He is also an active member of The Silk Road Project. His newest opera, The Last Emperor, will premiere at the Metropolitan Opera this December.
Haijing Fu will sing the role of Seikyo, a role he created in the world premiere production. Kelly Kaduce, who appeared in the 2003 premiere of Madame Mao, will sing Lan, and Nancy Maultsby, returning to Santa Fe for the first time since 1998, will sing Lu.
PLATÉE
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Sung in French with English dialogue
First performance by The Santa Fe Opera
July 28; August 1, 10, 16, 22
While Platée shares with Daphne the theme of love troubles among the gods and goddesses, its point of view is that of a “no-holds-barred” comedy. The title character is a somewhat over-the-hill denizen of the swamp but her matrimonial ambitions rise all the way to Mount Olympus, for she has determined that no one but the great god Jupiter can suffice for a husband. Gaddes commented, “In a twist on opera’s ‘pants-role’ tradition, Platée is a female character sung by a tenor — we are very fortunate to have Jean-Paul Fouchecourt, one of France’s greatest character tenors, with us for this production.” Laurent Pelly, whose fertile directorial imagination was on display with La Belle Hélène in 2003, returns for Santa Fe’s first staging of a Rameau opera.
The production, which will be new, is inspired by the production from the Paris National Opera, which was staged by and features costumes by Laurent Pelly. Jean-Paul Fouchecourt, who created the title role in the Paris production, makes his company debut as Platée. Harry Bicket, who led Agrippina in 2004, returns to conduct.
DEBUTS
SINGERS: Nicole Cabell, Jean-Paul Fouchecourt,
Haijing Fu, Katharine Goeldner, Gwyn Hughes Jones, Scott MacAllister,
Norman Rheinhardt, Garrett Sorenson, Mark Stone, James Westman
SCENIC DESIGNER: Kevin Knight
RETURNING ARTISTS
SINGERS: Serena Farnocchia, Kelly Kaduce, Nancy Maultsby,
Corey McKern, Dimitri Pittas, Dale Travis, Lillian Watson
CONDUCTORS: Harry Bicket, Kenneth Montgomery, Corrado Rovaris
DIRECTORS: Paul Curran, Mark Lamos, Laurent Pelly, James Robinson
SCENIC DESIGNER: Allen Moyer
COSTUME DESIGNERS: Laurent Pelly, David C. Woolard
LIGHTING DESIGNER: Duane Schuler
CHOREOGRAPHER: Laura Scozzi
The Santa Fe Opera receives funding from the City of Santa Fe Arts Commission and the 1% Lodgers’ Tax; New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs; New Mexico Department of Tourism; and the National Endowment for the Arts. American Airlines is the Opera’s official airline.
Tickets for the 2007 will be available beginning June 30, 2006 at the Box Office, or by telephone: 505 986 5900; toll free: 800 280 4654. <!--contact blurb-->For more information, contact: <!--contact-name-->Joyce Idema, Cindy Layman <!--contact-email-->press@santafeopera.org (press@santafeopera.org)
<!--contact-phone--><!--link blurb-->
2007 Season Announced
By Santa Fe Opera
© 2006 - Reprint Permission Granted
<!--content-->American premiere of Tan Dun’s Tea: A Mirror of Soul set.
Puccini, La bohème. New Production
Mozart, Così fan tutte. Revival
Strauss, Daphne. New Production
Rameau, Platée. New Production. First Performance by The Santa Fe Opera
Dun, Tea: A Mirror of Soul. New Production. American Premiere
The Santa Fe Opera’s 2007 season will include a major American premiere and new productions of works by Puccini, Rameau, and Richard Strauss, as well as the revival of one of the company’s most successful recent Mozart productions. The 38-performance season will run from Friday, June 29, through Saturday, August 25, 2007. General Director Richard Gaddes announced the repertory at a press conference in Santa Fe on Monday, May 8.
The 2007 season opens with a new production of La bohème on Friday, June 29, followed by a revival of Mozart’s Così fan tutte on Saturday, June 30. A new production of Strauss’s Daphne, which had its American premiere at The Santa Fe Opera in 1964, opens on Saturday, July 14. Tan Dun’s Tea: A Mirror of Soul receives its American premiere on Saturday, July 21, and a new staging of Rameau’s Platée, opening on Saturday, July 28, rounds out the season.
“I often think of The Santa Fe Opera as a musical elixir, in which we try to blend just the right artistic talents to produce a vintage season,” said Gaddes. “We are launching our second half-century with an extension of John Crosby’s formula in founding the company -- a judicious mix of popular favorites, less frequently performed works, an opera by Richard Strauss, and an important premiere. The 2007 season repertory offers a many-faced exploration of love, with all its exhilaration, complications, and heartbreak.”
LA BOHÈME
Giacomo Puccini
Sung in Italian
Last performed in 1993
June 29; July 4, 7, 13, 20, 30; August 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25
Last performed at Santa Fe in 1993, La bohème will be given a new production, conducted by Corrado Rovaris and staged by Paul Curran. Rovaris made his Santa Fe debut in 2004 with Simon Boccanegra and Curran’s first SFO assignment was last season’s Peter Grimes. “I was thrilled with the debuts of these talented young men and am delighted to bring them back so soon,” said Gaddes, “especially for a creative new Santa Fe staging of this much-loved opera.”
Kevin Knight, in his company debut, is the scenic and costume designer. His list of credentials includes productions at the Wexford Festival, La Scala, and La Fenice, Venice. The August performances of Mimi will be sung by Serena Farnocchia, who sang the role of Liu in last summer’s Turandot. Musetta will be sung by Nicole Cabell, winner of the 2005 Cardiff “Singer of the World” competition. The role of Rodolfo will be shared by Gwyn Hughes Jones and Dimitri Pittas. Hughes Jones, a young Welsh tenor, has performed with the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the San Francisco Opera. He made his Covent Garden debut in 2005. Dimitri Pittas is a former Santa Fe apprentice singer who will appear as Narraboth in Salome this summer. He also recently made his Metropolitan Opera debut. The role of Marcello will be shared by former apprentice Corey McKern and the leading Canadian baritone, James Westman. Cabell, Hughes Jones, and Westman are all making their Santa Fe Opera debuts.
COSÌ FAN TUTTE
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sung in Italian
Last performed in 2003
June 30; July 6, 11, 31; August 6, 13, 20, 24
“Così fan tutte was one of the absolute delights of the 2003 season. It charmed our patrons and the music critics as well,” continued Gaddes. “More than 96% of the seats were sold. The production generated headlines such as, ‘Santa Fe’s Così scores with union of superb vocals, probing roles,’ from the Dallas Morning News.” Conductor Kenneth Montgomery and director James Robinson will lead the 2007 revival. Lillian Watson will repeat her role as Despina from 2003 and veteran Dale Travis, Doctor Bartolo in the 2005 Barber of Seville, is Don Alfonso.
The cast includes the company debuts of two important young Americans, Norman Reinhardt as Ferrando and Katharine Goeldner as Dorabella. Mark Stone, a British baritone whose credits include leading roles at the English National Opera, is Guglielmo. All three are making their company debuts.
DAPHNE
Richard Strauss
Sung in German
Last performed in 1996
July 14, 18, 27; August 2, 8, 17
“Daphne occupies a special place in our hearts,” said Gaddes. “It has gone from virtual obscurity when John Crosby conducted the American premiere in 1964 to being recognized as one of Strauss’s true masterpieces. For Santa Fe audiences, it will be a fascinating opportunity to see it so soon after the 2006 season’s Salome. Both operas are compact and feature a demanding title role, but Daphne is lyrical and elegiac. No one can fail to be touched profoundly by the musical eloquence of the final monologue.” This new production will be staged by Mark Lamos, one of the country’s leading directors, whose credits include the world premiere of John Harbison’s The Great Gatsby at the Metropolitan Opera in 1999. The longtime artistic director of the Hartford Stage Company, Lamos’s recent Broadway credits include Seascape and The Rivals. Scott MacAllister, in his company debut, is Apollo. MacAllister enjoys and extensive European career and recently performed Apollo at La Fenice in Venice. Former apprentice Garrett Sorenson will assume the role of Leukippos.
TEA: A Mirror of Soul
Tan Dun
Sung in English
American Premiere
July 21, 25; August 3, 9, 15, 23
The company will continue its commitment to new work with the American premiere of Tan Dun’s Tea: A Mirror of Soul. The opera was first staged at Tokyo’s Suntory Hall in 2002 and has since triumphed in China, Europe, and New Zealand. Based on the true story of a doomed love affair between a Japanese monk and a Chinese princess, Tea combines the lyricism of Italian opera, lush Western orchestration, a male “Greek chorus,” gamelan-like percussion, and the organic sounds of nature — water, paper, and stones — all coming together in a powerful work of musical drama. Tan Dun is the composer of the film score for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as well as the opera The Peony Pavilion and the oratorio Water Passion after St. Matthew. He is also an active member of The Silk Road Project. His newest opera, The Last Emperor, will premiere at the Metropolitan Opera this December.
Haijing Fu will sing the role of Seikyo, a role he created in the world premiere production. Kelly Kaduce, who appeared in the 2003 premiere of Madame Mao, will sing Lan, and Nancy Maultsby, returning to Santa Fe for the first time since 1998, will sing Lu.
PLATÉE
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Sung in French with English dialogue
First performance by The Santa Fe Opera
July 28; August 1, 10, 16, 22
While Platée shares with Daphne the theme of love troubles among the gods and goddesses, its point of view is that of a “no-holds-barred” comedy. The title character is a somewhat over-the-hill denizen of the swamp but her matrimonial ambitions rise all the way to Mount Olympus, for she has determined that no one but the great god Jupiter can suffice for a husband. Gaddes commented, “In a twist on opera’s ‘pants-role’ tradition, Platée is a female character sung by a tenor — we are very fortunate to have Jean-Paul Fouchecourt, one of France’s greatest character tenors, with us for this production.” Laurent Pelly, whose fertile directorial imagination was on display with La Belle Hélène in 2003, returns for Santa Fe’s first staging of a Rameau opera.
The production, which will be new, is inspired by the production from the Paris National Opera, which was staged by and features costumes by Laurent Pelly. Jean-Paul Fouchecourt, who created the title role in the Paris production, makes his company debut as Platée. Harry Bicket, who led Agrippina in 2004, returns to conduct.
DEBUTS
SINGERS: Nicole Cabell, Jean-Paul Fouchecourt,
Haijing Fu, Katharine Goeldner, Gwyn Hughes Jones, Scott MacAllister,
Norman Rheinhardt, Garrett Sorenson, Mark Stone, James Westman
SCENIC DESIGNER: Kevin Knight
RETURNING ARTISTS
SINGERS: Serena Farnocchia, Kelly Kaduce, Nancy Maultsby,
Corey McKern, Dimitri Pittas, Dale Travis, Lillian Watson
CONDUCTORS: Harry Bicket, Kenneth Montgomery, Corrado Rovaris
DIRECTORS: Paul Curran, Mark Lamos, Laurent Pelly, James Robinson
SCENIC DESIGNER: Allen Moyer
COSTUME DESIGNERS: Laurent Pelly, David C. Woolard
LIGHTING DESIGNER: Duane Schuler
CHOREOGRAPHER: Laura Scozzi
The Santa Fe Opera receives funding from the City of Santa Fe Arts Commission and the 1% Lodgers’ Tax; New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs; New Mexico Department of Tourism; and the National Endowment for the Arts. American Airlines is the Opera’s official airline.
Tickets for the 2007 will be available beginning June 30, 2006 at the Box Office, or by telephone: 505 986 5900; toll free: 800 280 4654. <!--contact blurb-->For more information, contact: <!--contact-name-->Joyce Idema, Cindy Layman <!--contact-email-->press@santafeopera.org (press@santafeopera.org)
<!--contact-phone--><!--link blurb-->