BRITTEN AND SHAKESPEARE: The Magic That Happens at Night By GLENN WINTERS

Transcription

1 February 2018 A WINTERS TALE BRITTEN AND SHAKESPEARE: The Magic That Happens at Night By GLENN WINTERS INSIDE The Editor s Notes 2 Chairman s Corner 3 Merchant of Venice Rummage Sale Guild Activities 4, 6, 7 Behind the Scenes 5 Holiday Luncheon 6 Board Member Bio 7 3 I love the silent hour of night, For blissful dreams may then arise, Revealing to my charmed sight What may not bless my waking eyes. (Anne Brontë) And sleep, that sometime shuts up sorrow's eye, Steal me awhile from mine own company. (William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night s Dream) Dreaming gives a chance for your subconscious mind to work when your conscious mind is happily asleep. If I don t sleep, I find that in the morning I am unprepared for my next day s work but dreams release many things which one thinks had better not be released. (Benjamin Britten) In crafting his 1960 operatic adaptation of Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream, composer Benjamin Britten cut Act 1 of the play entirely. In so doing, he relegated the characters Theseus and his bride Hippolyta to mere cameos, as well as saving the appearance of Quince and the other rustics until later. This was done not just for the sake of condensation; Britten wanted his opera to plunge the audience into the forest world of dreams and fairies without delay. Thus, we are at once immersed in magic, spells, dreams and that time when dreams arise: the night. Continued on page 2 MEET THE ARTIST A Fairy s Tale By POWERS PETERSON Heather Buck Photo by Lisa-Marie Mazzucco Last heard at Virginia Opera singing the unrelentingly difficult Queen of the Night aria (The Magic Flute, 2013), lyric coloratura soprano Heather Buck returns as Tytania in Benjamin Britten s A Midsummer Night s Dream. It s a leap from a wicked, tormented queen to the ethereal Queen of the Fairies. She has sung both roles several times. In addition to the sheer joy of singing, she enjoys exploring a character s psychology, searching for ways to give deeper meaning to her portrayals. Growing up in Westchester, NY, Heather attended and fell in love with Broadway musicals. Like her three siblings, she was required to take piano lessons for twelve years. But she really wanted to sing or dance, just like on Broadway. Her parents agreed to offer her voice lessons instead of tap dance lessons because she could take voice lessons in the same music school where she had her piano lessons. Her voice teacher chose to begin with Italian arias, though Continued on page 4

2 From the Cover February Nighttime held a special meaning for Britten; it s a theme that recurs time and again in his compositions. Outstanding examples include two major song cycles composed for tenor voice: The Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 31 (1943) sets six poems by British poets, all of which explore the subject of night, with a prologue and epilogue. The Nocturne, Op. 60 (1958) for tenor, string orchestra, and seven obbligato instruments, consists of settings of eight poems by Shelley, Coleridge, Tennyson, Keats, Shakespeare and others -- all dealing with darkness and sleep. In A Midsummer Night s Dream, Britten makes clear that the setting of the forest outside Athens is associated with a dreaming state of mind, the proper condition for the four young mortals to work out their relationship issues in a preconscious state. Some suggest that all of their interactions may occur while dreaming. In other words, when they re awake they may merely be dreaming that they re awake! Regardless, an appreciation of Britten s preoccupation with the night and dreams is of vital importance for coming to terms with his musical style, especially for those unfamiliar with it. For example, the opera opens with a seemingly bizarre orchestral introduction with apparently random chords connected by ascending and descending sliding glissandos in the strings: If you re one of those opera-lovers who favors traditional, the traditional concepts of melody and harmony found in the operatic repertoire of the past, you may find this passage off-putting. You might find yourself thinking But there s no melody! Why can t he just write a beautiful tune? I simply don t understand crazy modern music! But listen again. Once you let go of your hunger for a tune, you ll realize what s going on in this introduction: the orchestra is snoring! The gentle sliding up and down mimics the inhaling and exhaling of one deeply asleep; indeed, as the curtain rises on this opera, the entire world is asleep. With this point of view in mind, you ll find yourself chuckling at the humor of Britten s musical representation of snoring. Yes, the world is asleep and dreaming and fairies are afoot. We mortals are in for a comedic rollercoaster ride before sunrise and reality claims us again! Oh, and don t worry: before you wake up, you ll find that Benjamin Britten has provided you with several charming and beguiling melodies! The Editor s Notes By POWERS PETERSON Notice that the lady in the photo accompanying this column is offering a toast. Just as I toasted the wonderful wines at the bodegas in Mendoza, Argentina, over the December holidays, I offer the same to the next Virginia Opera production, A Midsummer Night s Dream. From what I ve seen as I travel the halls, stairways, nooks and crannies of Harrison Opera House, researching and interviewing people, it promises to be spellbinding and fantastic. What s inside this issue? Glenn Winters writings have never put anyone to sleep. His thoughts on Britten s music and philosophy are almost enchanting. A Winters Tale explores that topic. The soprano in the role of Tytania is likewise enchanting. I ll introduce you to Heather Buck in Meet the Artist. And then there s Behind the Scenes. This issue s column is again -- among the most challenging articles to research and write. Although I aced the college physics course on electricity and magnetism, explaining the role of an interior projection system is complicated. What made it possible was the expert input of Lighting Supervisor Ken Steadman and technician Derrion Hawkins. With admirable assists from designers Driscoll Otto and Court Watson. Thank you, all! Guild activities continue. On Sunday, February4 th we re hosting the cast and crew of A Midsummer Night s Dream for a buffet dinner. We re anticipating Guild Night on Tuesday, February 6 th. Also, I continue to add to my collection of highly usable, ready-to-be-recycled items for the Merchants of Venice rummage sale on April 28 th at Harrison Opera House. And this year the members end-of-year meeting and social will be at Harbor s Edge, courtesy of Guild members Dr. & Mrs. Edward Lilly. That s on Saturday, May 12 th so save that date. Meantime, I ll look forward to seeing you on Guild Night and at the opera!

3 February Chairman s Corner By MARK E. BOARD Fellow Guild members, welcome to 2018! We start the second half of the season in just a few short days with Benjamin Britten s A Midsummer Night s Dream. It opens on Friday, February 9 th at the Harrison Opera House. Preceding that we have two important Guild events: our Artists Dinner on Sunday, February 4 th and then Guild Night on Tuesday, February 6 th. You won t want to miss Guild Night because it s one of your free members events of the season. Guild Night is a great opportunity to preview the upcoming production Virginia Opera s own Glenn Winters will briefly introduce the rehearsal. So invite your friends and family to join you at a fun-filled and informative evening at the rehearsal. As you may have surmised from my article in the November issue and from the holiday card you received in December, we are emphasizing ticket sales. A Midsummer Night s Dream and Lucia di Lammermour are two extraordinary productions. Do take the initiative to invite family and friends to join you in experiencing live opera maybe for the first time? Spread the enthusiasm for attending opera by encouraging people to buy tickets to these two remaining productions. Those of you who attended the joint Guild and Virginia Symphony League Holiday Luncheon were treated to a preview of next season s line-up. Maestro Adam Turner announced the four productions: Street Scene, Don Giovanni, The Elixir of Love (L elisir d amore), and Madama Butterfly. Subscription sales begin soon for the next season. Although the Guild fell short of its goal of 75% of its members having subscriptions for the season, we intend to reach that goal in the season. Let s get a head start on next season and buy those subscriptions before the current season ends! Join me in helping the Guild reach that goal, perhaps even surpassing it. I would be remiss not to thank the co-chairs of the Holiday Luncheon, Amber Taylor Reeves and Tom Meurer, and their volunteers brings the biennial Merchant of Venice rummage sale. Held at the Harrison Opera House, it will be on Saturday, April 28 th. Fundraising Chair Barbara Buchmann has already started organizing the event. If you re like me, you look forward to the opportunity to letting the Guild find new homes for items that have outlasted their appeal or their utility to you. Contributions to the sale are tax-deductible and all proceeds go directly to support Virginia Opera. Volunteers are always needed and appreciated. If you re interested in joining the sales team, contact Barbara at barbara4700@gmail.com or call her at While on the subject of contacting people, Membership Chair Jim Graham published the Guild directory and it was distributed at the Holiday Luncheon. For those of you who did not attend the luncheon, Jim has mailed them to your registered address. If you haven t received your copy, contact Jim at jimgrahamxx@gmail.com or call him at And speaking of membership, mark your calendars for our end-of-year meeting on Saturday, May 12 th. We re so pleased that Harbor s Edge in Norfolk is underwriting the event and we have hosts Ed and Linda Lilly to thank. Events Co-chairs Amber Taylor Reeves and Marianne Nicholson are already hard at work coordinating the event with the staff at Harbor s Edge. Members will not want to miss this meeting, so bring some friends to the party. Meanwhile, see you at the opera. COMING SOON: The Merchant of Venice Rummage Sale The Virginia Opera Guild s biennial rummage sale will take place Saturday, April 28, 2018 at the Harrison Opera House from 8 am to 2 pm. We re looking for just about everything: house wares, furniture, jewelry, bikes, toys, sporting goods, artworks, rugs, luggage, handbags, brief cases, working electronics and appliances, lamps, books, CDs and DVDs, seasonal items, glassware, crockery, knickknacks, and decorative items. We also will accept scarves, belts and purses in good condition. (No clothing or shoes, please). The Guild needs volunteers to assist in accepting donations on Mon., April 23, 2018, from 10 am - 3 pm; Tues., April 24, 2018, from 10 am - 3 pm; Wed., April 25, 2018, from 10 am- 1 pm and 5 7 pm. This year we have a limited ability to accept and store donations prior to April. If you are unable to utilize the indicated dates and would like to donate items early, contact Barbara Buchmann at barbarab4700@gmail.com. We also need help sorting and pricing items, posting signs prior to the sale. Can you help on any of the following days? Wednesday, April 25, from 10am - 1 pm and 5-7 pm; Thursday, April 26, from 10 am - 4 pm; Friday, April 27, from 10 am 2 pm. And we will need volunteers on Saturday from 7:30 am till 3 pm to monitor departments, assist buyers, and clean up afterwards. If you would like to volunteer, contact Barbara at barbarab4700@gmail.com.

4 February From the Cover Heather did not speak the language. Singing became the overarching passion and she continued studying and performing through graduate school at Yale University, earning a Master s degree in Music. Heather is equally comfortable performing the standard operatic repertoire and modern compositions in concert. She has sung Persephone, the title role, in Proserpina (Walfgang Rihm, Spoleto Festival USA, 2010) and Medea in Medeamaterial (Pascal Dusapin, Teatr Wielki, 2012 and 2013.). She considers Britten s opera, written in 1960, modern. Audiences hearing any modern music for the first time need to be patient, stage, the rustics, the fairies, and the lovers. Britten weaves their separate worlds together in an incredibly imaginative musical exploration. He creates other dimensions. The music for the rustics sounds terrestrial and quirky, that for the fairies more magical. It s almost cinematic. Tytania s arias are among the most challenging for any soprano. The coloratura range is typically middle C to high F. Singing Tytania requires a range from middle C to high C and phrases tend to linger in a high register. Otherworldly queens have a distinct presence sprinkled through operatic repertoire, and Heather avoids stereotypes by exploring their relatable human qualities and finding the emotional qualities that allow the characters to seem extraordinary. Having performed the role previously at Aspen Opera Theater (1996), Britten Pears School (1998), and Opera Naples (2013), Heather is excited to explore anew Tytania s delicious mixture of fieriness, sensuality, fragility, and strength. Heather aims to continue to overlap layers of understanding to Tytania s heart, so the character is real and compelling. Heather is thrilled to return to Virginia Opera. She describes it as an unusual company as opera companies go. There s a statewide ownership as evidenced by the performances in three cities, the travels to schools throughout the state, and the commitment to unique programming. Further, Virginia Opera doesn t plan ordinary seasons; there s always something a little off the beaten path to challenge an audience. Heather draws an analogy to cooking: No one wants to eat the same thing all the time. Occasionally one needs something exotic, unique, special. So it is with opera. She acknowledges that it may be harder to convince a Board member or an audience that there s more to opera than La Bohème, but there is so much else out there that s worthy of being heard like A Midsummer Night s Dream. Virginia Opera is committed to those kinds of explorations that s what I deeply admire about the company. Photo by XXXXXXX Heather Buck Photo by Lisa-Marie Mazzucco Heather says. Sometimes there s a prickly unfamiliarity that can impede understanding and appreciation of the work. It takes a while -sometimes a few performances- for an audience to become comfortable with a composer s toolbox of sound. Although a listener wouldn t necessarily leave A Midsummer Night s Dream humming melodies as with a Rossini or a Verdi opera, there is a singing magic to Dream. There are three groups of unpredictable characters on GUILD Contact Information Are you intrigued about the Guild? Do you want to join us to support the Virginia Opera Association? Perhaps you would enjoy volunteering for a committee or for one of our activities. And don t forget to check us out on the Virginia Opera website. Here s how to contact us: Write us Virginia Opera Guild P.O. Box 11572, Norfolk VA Call us RSVP: , ext us Like us vaopera.guild@vaopera.org on Facebook: Virginia Opera Guild

5 February BEHIND THE SCENES A Different Type of Roadster By POWERS PETERSON First, what does the word roadster mean to you? A car, right? Especially an open two-seater sports car -- like the Alfa Romeo Spider, the Mazda MX-5, or the Mercedes-Benz 380SL. Well, that is one type of roadster, but that s not exactly what I had in mind. Think back to some of the recent productions at Virginia Opera. What do Turandot (2017), Seven Deadly Sins (2016), Samson & Delilah (2017), and Romeo & Juliet (2017) have in common? And this production of A Midsummer Night s Dream? Not the composers or the librettists, not the time periods or locales, not the underlying themes. Stumped? It s the use of high-tech visual projection systems to enable more complex set and lighting design and to project the supertitles. And Virginia Opera uses the Christie Roadster WU14K-M. Nicknamed the Christie, it s a 14,000-lumen, The Christie projector (arrow) in place at Harrison Opera House HD projector with two separate detachable lenses, the QLab 4 software program, and a MacBook Pro laptop. Before purchasing the system, VO took the Christie for a test drive with its 2015 production of Traviata. Pleased with the results, VO purchased the system. The Christie Roadster alone, sans lenses, weighs 55 pounds and measures approximately 10 x 20 x 22 inches. It takes three technicians three to four hours to install it in front of and attached to the balcony. The Christie travels with The grid projected onto the back wall of the stage at Harrison Opera House every production that uses projections to Richmond and Fairfax. One lens is used at Harrison Opera House and George Mason University s Center for the Arts. The other is used in Richmond s Dominion Arts Center Carpenter Theater. Why are two lenses needed? Because the throw distance the distances from the lens to the stage is different in each venue. There are mathematical formulas for each lens so that the height, width, and focal point of the image projected can be matched to the theater setting depending on the lens. Why does the projector need to emit 14,000 lumens? The projected images or videos have to be bright enough to overcome the stage Lighting technician Derrion Hawkins programming the Christie projector lighting. This system is definitely not the old Kodak carousel projector! The software is QLab 4, a multimedia playback program that integrates audio, video, and lighting control. The projection designer can interweave images from slides, video clips, stills, and text. Just as stage lights can be cued The flaming eye of Dagon (Samson & Delilah) to turn on or off, to fade out, to change color and/or intensity, and to spotlight, so can the visuals. For example, as you entered the theater for the performance of Samson & Delilah, you saw projection designer Driscoll Otto and set/costume designer Court Watson s joint design of the eye of Dagon projected onto the closed curtains. Shortly before the curtains rose, the eye changed: a moving ring of fire encircled the pupil. And the eyes projected onto the curtains during the two intermissions differed from the first. That was created by the combination of slides, a video, and different colors. The creative possibilities are endless. There s more to the story, of course. How does the projection/lighting designer make certain every slide, image, color, or video -- let s call them components -- is projected where it should be? During the initial set-up of the Christie, a black-and-white grid spanning the entire back wall is projected to make certain the projection surface is centered. Having written the sequence and timing of the components, the designer then specifies the exact location of each projected component on the grid. Once the program for the visuals is determined, the sequence is entered into the QLab 4 software on the MacBook Pro. The program is then integrated with the Lighting control network run by the lighting board computers in the room above the balcony. (For background on lighting, see the September 2017 issue of Coloratura.) Once the image is set, the technical staff uses the grid to ensure placement is correct prior to each performance and in each of the venues. Photos by PP and DRA Continued on page 7

6 February GUILD ACTIVITIES Holiday Luncheon By AMBER. TAYLOR REEVES The Norfolk Yacht and Country Club setting Wares from the Guild Gift Shop Opera Guild and Symphony League members shopping The Virginia Symphony League and the Virginia Opera Guild hosted their annual Holiday Luncheon on Saturday, December 2, 2017 at the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club. All in attendance enjoyed a luncheon of either London broil or pasta primavera. The New Leaf florists contributed the artful floral arrangements that adorned the tables. Ms. Stephanie Marx, soprano with the Virginia Opera chorus, provided the vocal entertainment. Ms. Marx sang Vissi d arte from Tosca, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and The Christmas Song. Maestro Adam Turner, Principal Conductor & Artistic Advisor of Virginia Opera, accompanied Ms. Marx on the piano. Mr. Yun Zhang, Associate Concertmaster of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, serenaded the attendees with J.S. Bach s Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Minor, BWV Before and during the luncheon, both the Virginia Opera Guild Gift Shop and the Virginia Symphony League Boutique displayed seasonal items as well as items appropriate for gift giving. The Virginia Opera Guild thanks Col. Tom Meurer and Amber Taylor Reeves of the Symphony League and Opera Guild for cochairing this year s luncheon, a most successful one. We look forward to next year s event! Violinist Yun Zhang Soprano Stephanie Marx Gift Shop manager Janita Hess rings up a sale Luncheon Co-chairs Ambert Taylor Reeves and Tom Meurer Photos by DRA

7 February BOARD OF DIRECTORS BIOS Barbara Buchmann Photo by Barbara Buchmann Born and raised in Germany, one might expect Barbara Buchmann s first opera to have been one composed by Wagner or Mozart, perhaps even Beethoven. Not so. During her senior year in high school her class was bussed to the Oper Köln for a performance of La Bohème. She recalls that it was an emotional experience, one that beats even Mozart s compositions. The love and the sorrow within Puccini s melodies and rhythms it s fabulous! To this day La Bohème remains her favorite opera. She hasn t abandoned Mozart entirely though, choosing The Marriage of Figaro as her second most loved opera. Her attraction to this art form wasn t surprising, however, given that she grew up with opera. My father had over 3,000 recordings of operas and symphonies. He even had multiple recordings of the same work by different musicians, singers, conductors, and orchestras. I loved listening to them all by myself in my bedroom on my small record player. She s thrilled that Hampton Roads has an opera company. Barbara first came to the United States in the early 1990 s. That trip and the two subsequent ones convinced here she wanted to move here. Certain of her eventual return, at the end of her third visit she left one of two suitcases with a friend in Washington, DC. A fortuitous job offer in the US enabled her to obtain a visa and to travel throughout the East Coast and Midwest. Educated as a social worker and mental health counselor, she practiced clinical psychology until she retired in Music is a constant in her life. She sings mezzo-soprano with the Virginia Beach Chorale and plays the piano for pleasure. When she lived in DC, she sang alto with the Washington Säengerbund, a German choral society. She recalls her most memorable moment with the group was singing the solo alto part in Haydn s Nelson Mass at the Mormon Temple in Bethesda, MD. When asked how she went from alto to mezzo, she answers simply: At the audition they told me they didn t need any more altos. And the chorale master thought I could sing as a mezzo. So I sing as a mezzo. But music isn t the only thing she s passionate about. Barbara dubs herself a pretty accomplished handyman. She enjoys tackling projects like painting and wallpapering, laying floors, cleaning gutters, caulking sinks and tubs, etc. She s even willing to go into her crawl space to check for leaks or other problems. She draws the line at performing electrical work or actual plumbing. Aside from those activities, Barbara loves nature and working in her yard. A member of the Guild s Board of Directors for two years, Barbara serves the Guild as its Fundraising Chair. She coordinates all the activities and the volunteers in support of Virginia Opera: participating in FestEvents, sponsoring the Spring Fashion Show and Luncheon, and organizing the Merchant of Venice rummage sale. She also participates in the artists dinners. She joined the Guild, as many others do, to participate in helping a community cultural treasure thrive. From page 5 Although the audience never sees the actual grid, it s an essential behind-the-scenes tool. Interestingly, lighting cues are always numbers; all other cues staging, action, set changes, sounds, curtain pulls, even Maestro to the podium! are letters. During a performance the stage manager reads the cues from her master script that is a moment-bymoment sequence of everything about the performance. The lighting technician sits in the light boardroom, masterminding the MacBook Pro and hitting the cues as they re called for. Photo by DRA The grid as seen from the balcony A scene from Turandot (2017) Photo courtesy Virginia Opera

8 February GUILD ACTIVITIES Guild Night Join Events Chair Amber Taylor Reeves and her committee for a fantastic Guild Night. The event will begin at 6 on Tuesday, February 6, 2018, in the Grand Lobby of The Harrison Opera House. This will be in keeping with the fantasy theme of Virginia Opera s production of A Midsummer Night s Dream. We invite every Guild member to bring friends and family to a one-hour reception that precedes our watching a fulldress rehearsal. To introduce us to this Benjamin Britten favorite, Dr. Glenn Winters, aka Doc Opera, will offer his insights into the composer s work. Light refreshments and beverages will be served. The event is free to Guild members. The fee for guests is $15.00 per person. Glenn Winters Opera Musings Remember the teaser in the Editor s Notes in the November issue? The question was: What famous Verdi operas premiered at Teatro La Fenice in Venice? The answer is Attila (1846), Rigoletto (1851), La Traviata (1853), and Simon Boccanegra (1857). Virginia Opera Guild Calendar The Met Live in HD Date Time Event Feb 4 5:00 Artists Dinner for A Midsummer Night s Dream, HOH Feb 6 6:00 Guild Night Feb 9 8:00 A Midsummer Night s Dream Feb 11 2:30 A Midsummer Night s Dream Feb 13 7:30 A Midsummer Night s Dream Date Time Opera / Composer Feb 10 12:00 Feb 24 12:30 Mar 10 12:55 L Elisir D Amore / Donizetti La Bohème / Puccini Semiramide / Rossini Conductor / Singers Hindoyan / Yende, Polenzani, Luciano, D Arcangelo Armiliato / Yoncheva, Phillips, Fabiano, Meachem, Lavrov Benini / Meade, DeShong, Camarena, Abdrazakov, Green Mar 18 5:00 Artists Dinner for Lucia di Lammermoor, HOH Mar 23 8:00 Lucia di Lammermoor Mar 31 12:55 Così fan tutte / Mozart Robertson / Majeski, Malfi, O Hara, Bliss, Plachetka, Maltman Mar 25 2:30 Lucia di Lammermoor Mar 27 7:30 Lucia di Lammermoor Apr 14 12:30 Luisa Miller / Verdi de Billy / Yoncheva, Petrova, Beczala, Domingo, Vinogradov Apr 4 4:30 Board Meeting Apr 28 12:55 Cendrillon / Massenet de Billy / Kim, DiDonato, Coote, Blythe