Lectures and Community Engagement 2018 19
About the Metropolitan Opera Guild The Metropolitan Opera Guild is the world s premier arts education organization dedicated to enriching people s lives through the magic and artistry of opera. Thanks to the support of individuals, government agencies, foundations, and corporate sponsors, the Guild brings opera to life both on and off the stage through its educational programs. For students, the Guild fosters personal expression, collaboration, literacy skills, and selfconfidence with customized education programs integrated into the curriculum of their schools. For adults, the Guild deepens the knowledge of the first-time operagoer to the life-long fan through intensive workshops, pre-performance talks, and community outreach programs. In addition to educational programs, the Guild serves as publisher of Opera News, the world s leading opera magazine. With Opera News, the Guild reaches a global audience with the most insightful and up-to-date writing on opera available anywhere, helping to maintain opera as a thriving, contemporary art form. For more information about the Metropolitan Opera Guild and its programs, visit metguild.org. Additional information and archives of Opera News can be found online at operanews.com. How to Use This Booklet This brochure presents the 2018 19 season of lectures and community programs grouped into thematic sections, including programs that emphasize specific Met performances and productions, courses on opera and the art form s history and culture, and editorial insights and interviews presented by our colleagues at Opera News. Our courses of study are arranged chronologically, and learners of all levels are welcome. To place an order, please call the Guild s ticketing line at 212.769.7028 (Mon Fri 10AM 4PM). Cover: Christine Goerke as Brünnhilde PHOTO: VINCENT PETERS / MET OPERA 2
Lectures and Community Engagement 2018 19
WELCOME The Metropolitan Opera Guild has been devoted to enriching lives through opera since its inception in 1935, and still, more than 80 years later, we are discovering innovative ways to engage diverse communities through this beautiful art form. We work diligently to ensure that music education is accessible to all by offering a wide range of educational and community programs that reach more than 250,000 individuals each year. Opera is for everyone, and through our pre-performance lectures, backstage tours, study days, and more, we strive to foster a community for all knowledge levels, from budding curiosity to high opera literacy and everything in between. Our school programs, residencies, and rehearsal days introduce opera to students from as young as kindergarten through college, proving it s never too early or too late to cultivate an interest in music and opera. We are thrilled to present a new season of programming as we bring back popular courses and introduce new faces, topics, and learning opportunities. Immerse yourself in the world of opera through talks and lectures, listen to performances with a score-desk ticket, or access our podcasts which have reached half-a-million listeners and counting, not only in New York City but across the globe! At the Guild, there are many ways to get involved, and however you choose to experience our offerings, it is our utmost pleasure to welcome you to our community. I hope that you will join us on this year s musical journey into the world of opera. We look forward to seeing you soon. Sincerely, Richard J. Miller, Jr. president
TABLE OF CONTENTS 6 Presenters, Panelists, Artists, and Staff 7 Summer HD Festival Pre-Screening Talks 8 The Met: Live in HD 9 Insights on the 2018 19 Metropolitan Opera Season 10 Opera Outlooks 16 Opera News presents the Singers Studio 18 Masterly Singing 20 Score-Desk Tickets 21 Backstage Tours 22 Guild Membership and Ordering Information 25 Opera Learning Opportunities Saturday Morning Score Reading Study Days Opera in the New Millennium Religion and Opera Iolanta / Bluebeard s Castle Opera Boot Camp Introduction to French Opera Femmes Fatales Introduction to the Opera Chorus Courses Flavors of Puccini Singers of the Ring Opera s Villains and Victims Continuing Opera Education The Ring: Music, Motifs, and Magic 36 Biographies of Lecturers, Presenters, and Teachers 40 Calendar of Events 44 Metropolitan Opera Guild Board of Directors 46 Map of Event Locations
PRESENTERS, PANELIS TS, ARTISTS, AND STAFF PROGRAM LEADERSHIP Thomas M. Martin Managing Director THE METROPOLITAN OPERA GUILD Stuart Holt Director of School Programs & Community Engagement THE METROPOLITAN OPERA GUILD Naomi Barrettara Program Development Consultant THE METROPOLITAN OPERA GUILD Stephanie Blythe Mezzo-Soprano Victoria Bond Composer and Conductor Stephanie Carnright Community Engagement Assistant THE METROPOLITAN OPERA GUILD Sean Cooper Baritone Elspeth Davis Coordinator of Community Engagement THE METROPOLITAN OPERA GUILD F. Paul Driscoll Editor-in-Chief OPERA NEWS Peter Gelb General Manager THE METROPOLITAN OPERA Louise Guinther Senior Editor OPERA NEWS Nimet Habachy Lecturer, Writer, and Broadcaster Joseph Hudson Assistant Director of School Programs THE METROPOLITAN OPERA GUILD Quinn Kelsey Baritone Jeffrey Langford, Ph.D. Professor and Chair, Music History Associate Dean of Doctoral Students MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC Jane Marsh Soprano Artistic and Program Consultant THE METROPOLITAN OPERA GUILD Desirée Mays Author and Lecturer John J. H. Muller Professor of Music History and Graduate Studies THE JUILLIARD SCHOOL Stephanie Pierson Journalist, Author, Chief Copywriter THE GOLDSTEIN GROUP Sarah Melissa Rotker Senior Associate of Community Engagement THE METROPOLITAN OPERA GUILD W. Anthony Sheppard, Ph.D. Professor and Chair, Music WILLIAMS COLLEGE Ira Siff Director, Vocal Coach, and Broadcaster Matthew Timmermans Author and Lecturer Christian Van Horn Bass-Baritone Ramón Vargas Tenor Adam Wasserman Digital Editor OPERA NEWS Pretty Yende Soprano 6
SUMMER HD FES TIVAL PRE-SCREENING TALKS This series presents 11 lectures on 11 consecutive days, coinciding with the Met s Summer HD Festival, which offers free open-air screenings of Live in HD presentations on Lincoln Center Plaza. All pre-screening talks are held at the Opera Learning Center, on the 6th floor of the Samuel B. and David Rose Building on 65th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, from 5:30 to 6:30PM. Tickets are $20, which includes a reserved seat to the evening s screening. A package of all 11 pre-screening talks is available for $198. In case of changes to the schedule or inclement weather, lecture dates will follow Met screening dates. For up-to-date information, visit metguild.org. If a screening is canceled due to weather conditions, tickets will be refunded. FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 8PM A NIGHT AT THE OPERA RUNTIME: 1 HOUR 40 MINUTES SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 8PM GOUNOD ROMÉO ET JULIETTE RUNTIME: 2 HOURS 30 MINUTES SUNDAY, AUGUST 26, 7:45PM BELLINI NORMA RUNTIME: 2 HOURS 45 MINUTES MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 8PM R. STRAUSS ELEKTRA RUNTIME: 1 HOUR 55 MINUTES TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 8PM ROSSINI IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA RUNTIME: 2 HOURS 30 MINUTES WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 7:30PM BERG LULU RUNTIME: 3 HOURS THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 7:45 PM DVOŘÁK RUSALKA RUNTIME: 2 HOURS 45 MINUTES FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 8PM DONIZETTI L ELISIR D AMORE RUNTIME: 2 HOURS 10 MINUTES SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 8PM VERDI UN BALLO IN MASCHERA RUNTIME: 2 HOURS 20 MINUTES SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 7:15PM R. STRAUSS DER ROSENKAVALIER RUNTIME: 3 HOURS 15 MINUTES MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 8PM PUCCINI MADAMA BUTTERFLY RUNTIME: 2 HOURS 30 MINUTES 7
THE MET: LIVE IN HD The Met s Peabody and Emmy Award winning series of live performance transmissions to cinemas around the world continues for its 13th anniversary season, featuring ten live broadcasts. Live in HD presentations are seen on more than 2,200 screens in over 70 countries. Don t miss the chance to experience the Met live at your local cinema. For more information, visit metopera.org/hd. VERDI AIDA OCT 6, 2018 12:55PM Luisotti; Netrebko, Rachvelishvili, Antonenko, Kelsey, Belosselskiy, Green SAINT-SAËNS SAMSON ET DALILA OCT 20, 2018 12:55PM Elder; Garanča, Alagna, Naouri, Azizov, Belosselskiy NEW PRODUCTION PUCCINI LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST OCT 27, 2018 12:55PM Armiliato; Westbroek, Kaufmann, Bosi, Lučić, Simpson, Rose, Gradus NICO MUHLY / LIBRETTO BY NICHOLAS WRIGHT MARNIE NOV 10, 2018 12:55PM Spano; Leonard, Kelly, Graves, Davies, Maltman NEW PRODUCTION VERDI LA TRAVIATA DEC 15, 2018 12:55PM Nézet-Séguin; Damrau, Flórez, Kelsey NEW PRODUCTION CILEA ADRIANA LECOUVREUR JAN 12, 2019 12:55PM Noseda; Netrebko, Rachvelishvili, Beczała, Bosi, Maestri, Muraro NEW PRODUCTION BIZET CARMEN FEB 02, 2019 12:55PM Langrée; Kurzak, Margaine, Alagna, Vinogradov DONIZETTI LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT MAR 02, 2019 12:55PM Mazzola; Yende, Blythe, Camarena, Muraro WAGNER DIE WALKÜRE MAR 30, 2019 12PM Jordan; Goerke, Westbroek, Barton, Skelton, Grimsley, Groissböck POULENC DIALOGUES DES CARMÉLITES MAY 11, 2019 12PM Nézet-Séguin; Leonard, Pieczonka, Morley, Cargill, Mattila, Portillo, Croft The Met: Live in HD series is made possible by a generous grant from its founding sponsor, The Neubauer Family Foundation. Digital support of The Met: Live in HD is provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies. The Met: Live in HD series is supported by Rolex. Transmission of Live in HD in Canada is made possible thanks to the generosity of Jacqueline Desmarais, in memory of Paul G. Desmarais Sr. The HD Broadcasts are supported by Toll Brothers, America s luxury home builder. 8
INSIGHTS ON THE 2018 19 METROPOLITAN OPERA SEASON New Production Talks This season, the Met partners with the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Guggenheim Museum for two events anticipating the North American premiere of Nico Muhly s new opera Marnie. THU SEP 20 7PM Film Society of Lincoln Center The Film Society presents a panel discussion and screening of Hitchcock s 1964 thriller Marnie, about an elusive young woman and the man who tries desperately to discover the truth of her identity. Tickets at filmlinc.org MON OCT 1 7:30PM Guggenheim Works & Process Series Met General Manager Peter Gelb discusses Marnie with Nico Muhly and Michael Mayer, who directs the Met s fast-paced new production. Met singers perform highlights. Tickets at worksandprocess.org. Priority sales begin July 31, and general sales begin August 7. Open House The Met once again opens its doors to audiences of all ages, prior to the performance of Mozart s The Magic Flute on December 29, 2018. Beginning at 11 AM, discover the secrets of stage magic, meet Met artists, and gain insider information with costumes, props, and light displays. All ticket holders to this performance are welcome to this free open house. Daytime Access This season, the Met continues the daytime access that it initiated in the 2016 17 season. During the opera season, certain areas of the Metropolitan Opera House are open to the public, free of charge, on weekday mornings from 10 AM to 2 PM and on Sundays from 11 AM to 4 PM. Visitors can walk up the famous grand staircase, admire the iconic crystal chandeliers, enjoy a refreshment on the Mercedes T. Bass Grand Tier, or visit special exhibitions on the Orchestra level. 9
OPER A OUTLOOKS PRE-PERFORMANCE LECTURES Take a closer look at these operas from the Met s 2018 19 season with our Opera Outlooks. These pre-performance talks give audiences an overview and history of the evening s performance, enriching their operatic experiences. Tickets: $24 public $22 Guild members $20 students Grand Duplicity: Samson et Dalila MON OCT 1 6 7PM Stuart Holt The Met s 2018 2019 season opens with a new production of Saint-Saëns s Samson et Dalila, a tale of passionate heroism, unrequited love, and shattering betrayal. First performed at the Metropolitan Opera in 1895, the opera receives a new production by Tony Award winner Darko Tresnjak, who makes his Met debut directing mezzosoprano Elīna Garanča and tenor Roberto Alagna in the title roles. Metropolitan Opera Guild Director of School Programs & Community Engagement Stuart Holt opens our lecture season with a closer look at this 19th-century classic. La Fanciulla del West WED OCT 17 6 7PM Nimet Habachy Tenor Jonas Kaufmann returns to the Met in a revival of Puccini s La Fanciulla del West, alongside soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek as Minnie, the opera s tough yet lovable barmaid. Puccini s second opera based on a play by David Belasco, La Fanciulla del West received its world premiere at the Met in 1910. Nimet Habachy leads us through the romantic tale, bringing the old Wild West vividly to life. Marnie: The Line between Love and Deception MON OCT 22 6 7PM W. Anthony Sheppard Based on Winston Graham s 1961 novel, Nico Muhly s second new opera for the Met explores the realm of psychological trauma. Tony Award winning stage director Michael Mayer guides a fast-moving production, featuring mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard in the title role. Uncover this alluring and fast-paced thriller with Williams College music professor W. Anthony Sheppard. 10
Mefistofele THU NOV 8 6 7PM John J.H. Muller Sacrilegious, mystical, and captivatingly beautiful, Mefistofele recounts the Faustian tale from the devil s perspective, sung by bass-baritone Christian Van Horn. Mefistofele is the first and only completed opera by Arrigo Boito who later collaborated with Verdi on Otello, Falstaff, and the revised version of Simon Boccanegra. Juilliard faculty member and Guild lecturer John J.H. Muller takes us through Boito s independent writing and composing process in this comprehensive pre-performance talk. Scandal and Sacrifice in Verdi s La Traviata TUE DEC 4 6 7PM John J.H. Muller Soprano Diana Damrau stars as Violetta Valéry, the tragically doomed Parisian courtesan, in Michael Mayer s much-anticipated new production of Verdi s La Traviata. Composed during the same period as Rigoletto and Il Trovatore, the work finds its source material in a novel and subsequent play by Alexandre Dumas, fils. Join John J.H. Muller as he explores this beloved opera s place in the Verdi canon. Il Trittico: Opera s Triple Bill WED DEC 5 5:30 7PM Naomi Barrettara One hundred years after its world premiere at the Met, Puccini s operatic triple bill returns to celebrate its centenary. This season, the production features soprano Amber Wagner and tenor Marcelo Álvarez as Il Tabarro s forbidden lovers, soprano Kristine Opolais as the broken Suor Angelica, and the legendary Plácido Domingo as Gianni Schicchi. Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe reprises her celebrated portrayals in all three operas. Guild lecturer Naomi Barrettara explores the complexities of fidelity, religion, and parenting in Puccini s towering triptych. Adriana Lecouvreur: The Flowers of Death TUE JAN 8 6 7PM Victoria Bond Soprano Anna Netrebko and tenor Piotr Beczała star in a glorious new production of Cilea s singular success, Adriana Lecouvreur. The tragic tale of the prima donna whose devotion to her lover causes her demise plays out in a lush and nostalgic Rococo setting. Composer, conductor, and lecturer Victoria Bond explores this rarely performed opera of drama and deceit. 11
OPERA OUTLOOKS (CONTINUED) Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczała star in Adriana Lecouvreur PHOTO: VINCENT PETERS / MET OPERA The Tragic Love Triangle of Pelléas et Mélisande TUE JAN 15 6 7PM Jeffrey Lang ford Based on the symbolist play by Nobel Prize winner Maurice Maeterlinck, Pelléas et Mélisande has gained a passionate following since its premiere in 1902 and is a prime example of Debussy s style and genius. This season, the newly appointed Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads a cast that includes mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard and tenor Paul Appleby as the starcrossed pair. Join lecturer Jeffrey Langford as he examines the innovation and history of Debussy s only full-length operatic work. 12
La Fille du Régiment THU FEB 7 6 7PM Sean Cooper South African soprano Pretty Yende appears as Marie, the spunky heroine of Donizetti s La Fille du Régiment, alongside tenor Javier Camarena as Tonio. This operatic tale of young love and larger-than-life comic hijinks features one dazzling vocal display after another, including the high-flying aria Ah! Mes amis. Mozart Society of America s lecturer Sean Cooper will discuss this musical feast of bel canto singing. Larger than Life: Adapting Falstaff for the Opera Stage WED FEB 27 6 7PM Victoria Bond Sir John Falstaff, one of Western theater s greatest comedic characters, bursts to life in Verdi s final opera. Arrigo Boito s expertly crafted libretto, based on several of William Shakespeare s comedies, offers a rollicking overview of Falstaff s adventures while retaining the character s deep humanity. Victoria Bond will examine the journey of adapting this towering figure for the operatic stage, as well as Falstaff s significance as a capstone for Verdi s extraordinary career. Forgiveness in Rome: La Clemenza di Tito WED APR 3 6 7PM Jeffrey Lang ford La Clemenza di Tito features some of Mozart s classic operatic ingredients complicated chase scenes, love-struck young men sung by mezzo-sopranos, and a finale full of forgiveness set against the political backdrop of Rome in the first century CE. Join lecturer Jeffrey Langford as he explores the intricacies of Mozart s late operatic masterpiece. 13
SAVE THE DATE! FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 11:45 AM CIPRIANI 42ND STREET NEW YORK FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 212.769.7009 OR VISIT METGUILD.ORG TICKETS STARTING AT $275 14 THE 84TH ANNUAL METROPOLITAN OPERA GUILD LUNCHEON AMAZING ANNA A CELEBRATION OF ANNA NETREBKO LLOYD E. RIGLER LAWRENCE E. DEUTSCH FOUNDATION PRESIDENT S CIRCLE SPONSOR CORPORATE SPONSOR VLADIMIR SHIROKOV
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THE SINGERS STUDIO C A S U A L C O N V E R S A T I O N S In this popular interview series, some of today s most exciting opera stars chat with the editors of Opera News in an intimate setting. Don t miss the chance to hear in-person previews of future Opera News online exclusives. All events listed are held at the Opera Learning Center, on the sixth floor of the Samuel B. and David Rose Building at Lincoln Center. All artists appear through kind permission of the Metropolitan Opera. Tickets: $30 public $28 Guild members and students In Studio: Quinn Kelsey TUE OCT 9 6 7PM This season, Quinn Kelsey, one of the most acclaimed baritones of his generation, sings his first Met performances of Amonasro in Verdi s Aida. Mr. Kelsey sits down for a discussion with Opera News Editor-in-Chief F. Paul Driscoll. In Studio: Christian Van Horn WED NOV 14 6 7PM Christian Van Horn, winner of the 2018 Richard Tucker Award, takes on the title role in the Met s eagerly anticipated revival of Boito s Mefistofele. The bass-baritone joins Digital Editor Adam Wasserman in conversation. 16
In Studio: Stephanie Blythe and Pretty Yende THU FEB 14 6 7PM Spend Valentine s Day with two of the Met s favorite leading ladies. Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe and soprano Pretty Yende will share the Met stage this season in Laurent Pelly s hilarious production of La Fille du Régiment. Both artists will be making their company role debuts in Donizetti s comic masterpiece Ms. Yende as the vivacious Marie and Ms. Blythe as the outlandish Marquise of Berkenfield. Opera News Editorin-Chief F. Paul Driscoll joins these two delightful singers for a lively conversation about their careers in opera and recital. In Studio: Ramón Vargas TUE APR 9 6 7PM Beloved tenor Ramón Vargas has given more than 200 performances with the Met since his company debut in 1992 as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor. One of the most admired singers of his generation, Vargas performs this season in Los Angeles, Vienna, Hamburg and Geneva. Join this elegant artist for his interview with Senior Editor Louise T. Guinther. 17
MASTERLY SINGING These master classes and showcases explore aspects of preparation vital to the development of young performers, under the guidance of master teachers with diverse backgrounds in stage direction, vocal coaching, conducting, and operatic and theatrical performance. Tickets: $32 public $30 Guild members and students Tickets for the showcase on February 24: $35 public $30 Guild members, Wagner Society members, and students Exploring the Vocal Categories in Operatic Repertoire SUN NOV 18 3 4:30PM Jane Marsh The first in this season s Masterly Singing series takes audiences on a foray through some of this season s best and most beloved vocal selections. Featuring four singers covering each of the major voice parts and Jane Marsh at the helm, this master class will enhance your knowledge of the vocal repertoire of each voice part and where each fits into the operatic canon. Join the artists and staff for a reception following the master class. Featured operas: Aida, Adriana Lecouvreur, Carmen, and Falstaff Featuring Helena Brown, soprano; Karmesha Peake, mezzo-soprano; Victor Starsky, tenor; Ivan Conrad, baritone; and Eric Sedgwick, piano Don Giovanni Master Class SUN JAN 27 3 4:30PM Jane Marsh Mozart and Da Ponte s second collaboration, Don Giovanni became a success for the ages, combining comedic elements with the seriously amoral actions of the title character. Jane Marsh and four singers will explore the legend of Don Juan on the operatic stage and the iconic music that comes with it. Join the artists and staff for a reception following the master class. Featuring Mikayla Sager, soprano; Vivien Shotwell, mezzo-soprano; David Charles Tay, tenor; Andrew Jurden, baritone; and Eric Sedgwick, piano 18
Michele Sexton, soprano, performs a scene from La Traviata in a previous master class. PHOTO: STUART HOLT / METROPOLITAN OPERA GUILD Vocal Showcase: Wagner s Ring Cycle In partnership with the Wagner Society of New York SUN FEB 24 3 4:30PM Jane Marsh Wagner s famous Ring cycle is known around the world for its exploration of dense Norse mythology and unparalleled singing. Highlights from Wagner s epic of all epics will be presented in a special event at the Bruno Walter Auditorium. Jane Marsh will take you through the story as six singers bring Wagner s music to life. Please note: This showcase will take place in the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, located at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza. Featuring Emma McDermott, soprano; Terina Westmeyer, soprano; Suzanne Hendrix, mezzo-soprano; Cameron Schutza, tenor; Mauricio Trejo, tenor; John Dominick III, bassbaritone; and Craig Ketter, piano 19
SCORE-DESK TICKETS Expand your operatic experience and learn more about your favorite works by studying the score during a live Met performance. Score-desk seats are located in the Family Circle boxes. These special seats offer no view of the stage but are equipped with a desk and reading light, enabling study of an opera s score or libretto during the performance. Tickets at $12 for the public, $10 for Guild members, and $8 for students are available for all Met performances. Galas and special events may be purchased at a higher ticket price. PHOTO: JONATHAN TICHLER / MET OPERA Many piano-vocal scores are available from our lending library, including: Adriana Lecouvreur Aida Bluebeard s Castle Carmen Dialogues des Carmélites Falstaff La Fanciulla del West La Fille du Régiment Götterdämmerung Iolanta The Magic Flute Otello Pelléas et Mélisande Das Rheingold Rigoletto Samson et Dalila Siegfried La Traviata Die Walküre 20
BACKSTAGE TOURS Go behind the scenes for an exclusive look at what it takes to make operatic magic at the Met. Tours offer a fascinating backstage look at one of the world s premiere performing arts organizations, including visits to the scenic and carpentry shops, rehearsal rooms, dressing rooms, and stage area.* Tours begin and end in the Met lobby and are held during the opera season on most weekdays at 3pm and some Sundays at 10:30am and 1:30pm. $30 public $28 Guild members $20 students and groups of 10 or more Backstage tour reservations are non-refundable and non-transferable. Tours for groups of 10 or more go on sale in September 2018. Regular tours are available to the general public beginning late September 2018. We recommend purchasing as far in advance as possible; space is limited, and tours tend to sell out. Children under the age of eight are not permitted on tours due to safety concerns. *Please note that, due to rehearsal and performance activities in a working opera house, not all areas may be available on every tour. Tour guide Kathy Beekman leads a group of students on a backstage tour PHOTO: JONATHAN TICHLER / MET OPERA 21
ORDERING COMMUNIT Y ENGAGEMENT EVENT TICKETS TICKETS FOR THE 2018 19 SEASON OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMMING WILL GO ON SALE ON MONDAY, AUGUST 6. CALL MAIL ONLINE 212.769.7028 Mon Fri 10AM 4PM Complete the order form and return it with payment to: The Metropolitan Opera Guild, Community Engagement 70 Lincoln Center Plaza, 6th Floor New York, NY 10023-6593 Visit us at metguild.org/lectures or select the online calendar to view all Lectures and Community Engagement events. JOIN THE ME TROPOLITAN OPER A GUILD Enhance your Met experience by becoming a member of the Metropolitan Opera Guild. All Guild members receive an annual subscription to Opera News magazine as well as discounts at the Met Opera Shop and online store, on Guild community programs, and for backstage tours and much more. ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS BEGIN AT $85* SUPPORTING MEMBERS ($150) enjoy priority ticketing for Met performances, advance access to Live in HD tickets at participating cinemas in the U.S. and Canada, exclusive online content such as access to the latest radio broadcast for one week after the live airing during the season and more. DONOR MEMBERS ($500) are invited to visit the Belmont Room, a members-only lounge, to enjoy refreshments 45 minutes prior to a performance and during intermission. SPONSOR MEMBERS ($850) receive all of the Guild benefits above, a copy of the Met Season Book, dress rehearsal passes, and more. For information about Metropolitan Opera Guild membership and the Patron Program, please visit metopera.org/membership or call 212.362.0068. All events are held at the Metropolitan Opera Guild Opera Learning Center on the 6th floor of the Samuel B. and David Rose Building at Lincoln Center, unless otherwise noted. Ticket requests are processed in the order received; tickets may be available at the door for each event. All programs, presenters, panelists, and artists are subject to change. All ticket sales are final. Tickets may be exchanged, subject to availability, for a fee. Limited open seating is available for all events. Student tickets are available to full-time students with a valid student ID only. Please include a copy of the student ID with your order. Met Opera Guild member discounts are available to current Guild members. Please provide your Met ID or membership number. *Please note: The estimated value of non-deductible goods and services at the National, Supporting, Contributing, and Donor levels is $25. At the Sponsor, Fellow, and Benefactor levels, the estimated value of non-deductible goods and services is $50. 22
SAVE THE DATE! SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 2019 6 PM THE PLAZA NEW YORK FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 212.769.7009 OR VISIT METGUILD.ORG Joyce DiDonato at the 2018 Gala GALA TICKETS STARTING AT $900 AWA R D S DARIO ACOSTA Experience triumph. Five distinguished artists are presented with the opera industry s highest honor.
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OPERA LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES A scene from Marnie PHOTO: RICHARD HUBERT SMITH / ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA
SCORE READING Score Reading SATURDAY MORNING CLASS Saturday morning score reading classes delve into the musical highlights of an opera, giving beginner and intermediate readers the tools to explore the intricate workings of a score and experience a new way of listening to opera. Learn more about how a composer tells a story in music and about important historical events and artistic movements that influenced each opera s creation. Add a score-desk seat to a performance at the Met and turn your study into a full day of learning, listening, and experiencing opera. All classes take place before a corresponding performance for each featured opera, and annotated piano-vocal scores are provided as part of the class ticket price. Beginner-level ability to read music is recommended. Please note that the workshop for Falstaff will only include annotated selections from the piano-vocal score due to the opera s length. Individual Sessions: $35 class and materials only $40 class and score desk seat for performance Five-Session Package: $200 classes and score desk seats for performances Please note that score desk seats do not offer a view of the stage. All classes take place on Saturday mornings from 10 11:30AM OCT 20 SAINT-SAËNS SAMSON ET DALILA NOV 17 PUCCINI TOSCA JAN 19 DEBUSSY PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE FEB 9 TCHAIKOVSKY IOLANTA BARTÓK BLUEBEARD S CASTLE MAR 16 VERDI FALSTAFF PHOTO: NAOMI BARRETTARA / METROPOLITAN OPERA GUILD 26
STUDY DAYS Study Days are designed to provide a more in-depth discovery of various opera-related topics. Taking place on a single day with one morning and one afternoon session, Study Days provide the opportunity to explore the world of opera in tighter focus. Tickets per session: $30 public $25 Guild members and students Study Day: Opera in the New Millennium Part 2 SAT NOV 3 10:30AM 12PM and 1 2:30PM Naomi Barrettara and Elspeth Davis Nico Muhly s highly anticipated opera Marnie receives its U.S. premiere this season at the Met. Muhly stands among a new generation of opera composers who are changing the way the art form is perceived and created. Focusing on works written post-2000, Guild lecturers Naomi Barrettara and Elspeth Davis return to discuss musical styles and theatrical trends that are shaping opera today. Part 1: Learning to Listen Using Marnie as a point of departure, this session will explore works by Nico Muhly, Du Yun, Laura Kaminsky, and others. Naomi and Elspeth discuss historical trends that influence opera today, as well as the exciting operas that are changing the musical landscape. Part 2: Opera s Future How do composers choose subject matter for new works? What inspires musical and compositional choices? In the second half of our study day, a panel of special guests will join Naomi and Elspeth in conversation about what it takes to create and produce an opera in today s world. Study Day: Religion and Opera SAT DEC 1 10:30AM 12PM and 1 2:30PM Desirée Mays The magnificence of the Te Deum in Tosca; the selfless faith of the nuns in Dialogues des Carmélites; the Miracle of the Virgin in Suor Angelica; Brahma and Indian Hinduism in Les Pêcheurs des Perles religious themes have been a topic of exploration in opera throughout the art form s history. Join lecturer Desirée Mays as she discusses the musical and textual treatment of religion in opera. Study Day: Iolanta / Bluebeard s Castle SAT JAN 26 10:30AM 12PM and 1 2:30PM Harlow Robinson With a production aesthetic inspired by cinema of the 1940s, Mariusz Treliński s staging of Iolanta and Bluebeard s Castle is guaranteed to take you on an emotional and psychological journey. Lecturer and Tchaikovsky scholar Harlow Robinson will lead an in-depth exploration of the music and plot of these two operas and the history behind their stories. 27
OPERA BOOT CAMP One of the Guild s most popular learning events, Opera Boot Camp offers newcomers and seasoned operagoers alike a friendly, entertaining, and enlightening introductory exploration through various elements of the art form. Each Opera Boot Camp unfolds over four sessions, spread over two consecutive Saturdays. Opera Boot Camp: Introduction to French Opera With the Met s 2018 19 season opening with Saint-Saëns s sumptuous Samson et Dalila, what better way to start our Opera Boot Camp offerings than with an introduction to French opera? In this four-part course, resident Opera Boot Camp instructor Naomi Barrettara offers both newcomers and seasoned operagoers a fun and fascinating exploration of this season s French operatic masterpieces. Full course registration: $90 public $82 Guild members and students Individual session registration: $25 public $22 Guild members and students SAT SEP 8 10:30AM 12PM and 1 2:30PM Naomi Barrettara Part 1: Gaetano Donizetti and the Italian-French Bel Canto Connection This first session focuses on the historical and musical connection between Italian and French opera in the first half of the 1800s, giving rise to works such as Donizetti s comedic hit La Fille du Régiment. Part 2: Georges Bizet and His Posthumous Successes While Bizet s Carmen and Les Pêcheurs de Perles are popular today, neither received widespread recognition until after the composer s death. In this second session, we explore the life, times, and music of Georges Bizet, as well as the performance history behind his two posthumous successes. SAT SEP 15 10:30AM 12PM and 1 2:30PM Naomi Barrettara Part 3: Camille Saint-Saëns and His Enduring Masterpiece Today, of more than a dozen operas composed by Saint-Saëns, Samson et Dalila is the only one of his stage works still frequently performed. In this third session, we will explore Saint-Saëns s career and music and take a closer look at his most enduring operatic masterpiece. Part 4: Debussy, Poulenc, and French Opera in the 20th Century When Debussy s Pelléas et Mélisande had its world premiere, audience reactions were contentiously mixed. More than 50 years later, Poulenc would describe his Dialogues des Carmélites as being influenced by Monteverdi, Verdi, Wagner, and Debussy. In this last session, we examine the musical, cultural, and social histories of these two works, as well as the threads of influence that connect them. 28
Opera Boot Camp: Femmes Fatales Femmes fatales appear across centuries of art, literature, film, folklore, and works for the stage. What happens when these powerful, seductive, and dangerous characters collide with the expressive potential of the operatic medium? In our winter session of Opera Boot Camp, lecturer Naomi Barrettara combines forces with journalist, author, and chief copywriter for the Goldstein Group Stephanie Pierson to explore this season s greatest femme fatale characters and discuss the endlessly fascinating interpretive questions that come to the fore as singers and directors bring these characters to life. Full course registration: $90 public $82 Guild members and students Individual session registration: $25 public $22 Guild members and students SAT FEB 23 10:30AM 12PM and 1 2:30PM Naomi Barrettara and Stephanie Pierson Part 1: Introduction to the Femme Fatale across Opera History What does the term femme fatale mean? From where does the archetype originate, and how has it changed over time? What are some of the most important cultural trends that have influenced the femme fatale persona in major operas of the season? This first session will explore all of these questions as a launching point for our discussion of femmes fatales across the operatic repertoire. Part 2: Character Study Dalila and Carmen Bizet s Carmen and Saint-Saëns s Samson et Dalila give us two of the most powerful femme fatale characters in the repertoire. Carmen is often referred to as the quintessential femme fatale: living and loving on her own terms. Dalila is intent on using her seductive powers to break Samson from the moment that the curtain rises. This second session will explore the visual, musical, and interpretive elements of bringing these two powerhouses to life on the opera stage. SAT MAR 2 10:30AM 12PM and 1 2:30PM Naomi Barrettara and Stephanie Pierson Part 3: Character Study Marnie and the Queen of the Night Nico Muhly said in an interview that the title character of Marnie reminded him of Debussy s Mélisande: a woman who is both hunter and hunted. In Mozart s Die Zauberflöte, the Queen of the Night is both hunter and hunted in a different way. Blurred lines between good, evil, truth, and power permeate both works, but do these characters fit the classic mold of the femme fatale? Join us as we explore all this and more in the third session. Part 4: Character Study Leïla and Mélisande Debussy s Mélisande is an irresistible mystery to Golaud, who becomes dangerously suspicious of the bond she seems to share with his half-brother, Pelléas. In Bizet s Les Pêcheurs de Perles, priestess Leïla has vowed never to be with a man, yet she is the object of both Nadir and Zurga s desire. Are these two idolized women femmes fatales simply because of their irresistible allure? Our final session concludes with an exploration of these two fascinating French heroines. 29
OPERA BOOT CAMP (CONTINUED) Opera Boot Camp: Introduction to the Opera Chorus Have you ever wondered what it s like to sing in the Metropolitan Opera Chorus or what the practice, preparation, and rehearsal process is like for a chorus member? Are you curious about how different composers approached writing for the opera chorus and how use of the opera chorus has changed and evolved throughout music history? To enrich your knowledge of the opera chorus, lecturer Naomi Barrettara combines our traditional lecture format with special sessions featuring a guest Met chorister and an expert choral technician. Full course registration: $90 public $82 Guild members and students Individual session registration: $25 public $22 Guild members and students SAT APR 6 10:30AM 12PM and 1 2:30PM Naomi Barrettara Part 1: The Chorus throughout Opera History Part 1 From early influences of ancient Greek choruses to portraying nymphs, shepherds, villagers, and armies, the opera chorus has evolved in both form and function throughout opera history. In this first session, we will explore the musical and dramatic use of the chorus from the earliest operas in the art form through to the end of the Italian bel canto period. Part 2: Practice, Preparation, and Rehearsal A Choral Workshop with Joseph Hudson Choral singing is a team effort, and rehearsal is essential for an opera chorus to sing and work well together on stage. What goes into the practice and preparation of an opera chorus? How is it different from solo singing? In this special Boot Camp session, Naomi Barrettara teams up with her Guild colleague Joseph Hudson to give Boot Camp attendees a first-hand look at the process of learning and singing operatic choral music. SAT APR 13 10:30AM 12PM and 1 2:30PM Naomi Barrettara Part 3: The Chorus throughout Opera History Part 2 Verdi included a chorus in all of his most popular operas; Wagner felt that the opera chorus lacked dramatic function and deliberately excluded it in his later works. Today, composers use the chorus in a variety of innovative ways. This lecture will focus on how the use of the opera chorus has changed, both dramatically and musically, from the Romantic era to the present day. Part 4: A Day in the Life of a Met Chorister The Metropolitan Opera Chorus is one of the most revered opera choruses in the world, requiring long hours of rehearsal and a demanding performance schedule. What is a day in the life of a Met chorister like? How much time is spent on learning music and rehearsing? Do they need to rehearse acting and movement on stage in addition to their music? Find out all this and more as lecturer Naomi Barrettara concludes this Opera Boot Camp series with an interview and Q&A with a current Met chorister. 30
The chorus performing in Aida PHOTO: MARTY SOHL / MET OPERA 31
COURSES Like our Study Days, courses allow for a more detailed examination of selected areas of opera performance, style, and substance. Courses take place over a sequential multi-week period as our lecturers guide audiences through the exploration of a particular subject. Flavors of Puccini WED OCT 31 NOV 7, 14 2 3:30PM Jane Marsh Flavors of Puccini, led by Jane Marsh, will take you on a tour of some of Puccini s most iconic works. From the California Gold Rush of 1849 to the European locales of Il Trittico with a stop in Tosca s Rome along the way this course, which features 11 singers, will take audiences through the vivid settings that inspired some of Puccini s most compelling masterpieces. Full course registration: $72 public $60 Guild members and students Individual session registration: $25 public $22 Guild members and students La Fanciulla del West After his success with Madama Butterfly, Puccini turned to another David Belasco play for his next operatic endeavor: The Girl of the Golden West. While La Fanciulla del West holds less of a place in today s modern operatic repertory, that doesn t mean that the opera s gun-slinging heroine and her story are without cause for exploration, especially since scholars praise the score as arguably Puccini s best. Featuring Katrina Saporsantos, soprano; Hao Hu, tenor; Joseph Flaxman, baritone; and Mitchell Cirker, piano Tosca Based on the play La Tosca by French playwright Victorien Sardou, Tosca s gripping story and stunning locales have made the thrilling drama a favorite for opera enthusiasts. This verismo tale of love, jealousy, and betrayal, includes some of Puccini s most beloved and emotionally evocative melodies. Featuring Carami Hilaire, soprano; Michael-Paul Krubitzer, tenor; and Mitchell Cirker, piano Il Trittico Originally envisioned as a set of one-act operas based on different parts of Dante s Divine Comedy, Puccini s Il Trittico which had its world premiere at the Met in 1918 features three standalone works connected by a common plot element: concealing a death. With vocal offerings as diverse as the drama on stage, the triptych is one of Puccini s most impressive works. Featuring Stephanie Jabre, soprano; Michele Sexton, soprano; Alessio Borraggine, tenor; Ziwen Xiang, tenor; Michael Nansel, baritone; Jonathan Scott, baritone; and Mitchell Cirker, piano 32
Singers of the Ring TUE JAN 22, 29 FEB 5, 12 2 3:30PM Matthew Timmermans Undeniably the largest and most ambitious creation in the operatic repertoire, Wagner s Ring cycle demands more from its singers than any other work. Since the end of the 19th century, performers have surmounted these demands in a variety of different ways. In this four-part series, lecturer Matthew Timmermans will explore the different ways opera singers across multiple generations have performed the Ring throughout the past century. Full course registration: $96 public $80 Guild members and students Individual session registration: $25 public $22 Guild members and students Part 1: Bittersweet Beginnings The role of Brünnhilde is one of the most difficult in the soprano repertoire, and the way in which sopranos have approached singing and training the voice for this mammoth challenge has changed and evolved over time. In this first lecture, we will explore the early performance traditions of Wagnerian singing and discuss the influence of singers such as Lilli Lehmann, Kirsten Flagstad, Astrid Varnay, and others. Part 2: Becoming Brünnhilde The second half of the 20th century saw extreme contrasts between dramatic and lyric interpretations of Brünnhilde and the other soprano roles in the Ring. This lecture will focus on some of the most famous and influential singers who brought these varying interpretations to life, including Birgit Nilsson, Régine Crespin, Anja Silja, Gwyneth Jones, Jeannine Altmeyer, Hildegard Behrens, and Cheryl Studer. Part 3: Surviving Siegfried The early interpreters of Siegfried also struggled to tackle one of opera s most challenging tenor roles while maintaining their voices. This lecture will begin by examining the earliest successful interpretations of Wagner s tenor roles at the Met in the early 1900s, including Jean de Reszke, Ernest Van Dyck, and Jacques Urlus. These singers developed a performance tradition that led to the most famous embodiment of the heavy Wagnerian sound: Lauritz Melchior. We will also discuss the lighter style that returned later in the century with singers like Jess Thomas, René Kollo, and Manfred Jung. Part 4: Further Fachs This final lecture concludes the series by looking at the lower voices that perform the Ring. We will look at the role of Wotan and the interpretation of various singers, including Anton van Rooy and Hans Hotter; the dark hued voices that perform Alberich and Hagen, such as Gustav Neidlinger and Gottlob Frick; and the rare contralto sound epitomized by Marianne Brandt. We will end with a discussion of how some mezzo-sopranos began their Ring careers in roles such as Erda or Fricka but from those roles, eventually moved on to Brünnhilde. 33
COURSES (CONTINUED) Opera s Villains and Victims WED APR 17, 24 MAY 8 11AM 12:30PM Ira Siff The Met s 2018 19 season features some of opera s most notorious villains and the unfortunate characters who suffer at their hands. Willful victimization is a consistent theme in operatic repertoire and provides some of the art form s most iconic moments. Audiences have long been enthralled by the lustful Scarpia s deadly pursuit of Tosca, Dalila s seductive undoing of Samson, and Turandot s callous torture of Liù. In this three-part course, Metropolitan Opera Radio commentator Ira Siff leads us on a musical journey through the hearts, minds, and music of the doers of dastardly operatic deeds. Full course registration: $72 public $60 Guild members and students Individual session registration: $25 public $22 Guild members and students Ira Siff presenting a lecture on Opera Duos PHOTO: SARAH MELISSA ROTKER / METROPOLITAN OPERA GUILD 34
CONTINUING OPERA EDUCATION Continuing education classes (CoEd) at the Metropolitan Opera Guild are designed to provide life-long learning opportunities for those interested in delving deeper into subject matter in a college classroom-style setting. CoEd courses include reading assignments between lectures in preparation for classroom discussion. Ability to read music is helpful but not required. Students are provided with digital copies of all reading and listening material. Score excerpts will also be provided when applicable for those interested in utilizing them as supplemental material for their studies. The Ring: Music, Motifs, and Magic TUE FEB 26 MAR 5, 12, 19 6:30 8PM Victoria Bond This four-part course focuses on Wagner s masterwork, the Ring cycle, which returns to the Met for the first time in six seasons. Each session provides an opportunity for in-depth exploration of one of the cycle s operas. Composer, conductor, and lecturer Victoria Bond will provide insight into the musical evolution of each work from the lighter fare to leitmotifs to the rich, complex musical textures that are woven throughout this epic story of myth and magic. Full course registration: $160 public $120 Guild members and students Individual sessions: $45 public $35 Guild members and students Week 1: Das Rheingold Week 2: Die Walküre Week 3: Siegfried Week 4: Götterdämmerung 35
LECTURERS, PRESENTERS, AND TEACHERS Naomi Barrettara is a program development consultant and staff lecturer at the Metropolitan Opera Guild involved with several of the Guild s community programs, including Opera Boot Camp, Score Reading, and Continuing Education classes. She is also a cohost and producer of The Metropolitan Opera Guild Podcast, established in the fall of 2015. In addition to her work at the Guild, Naomi is a cofounder and cohost of the podcast Opera After Dark and works on various freelance digital media projects. Naomi holds a Master of Arts and a Master of Philosophy in Music from the Graduate Center, City University of New York, where she is currently a PhD candidate in musicology with a certificate in interactive technology and pedagogy. She is also a fellow in the Graduate Center s Digital Initiatives program. Her main research areas include opera studies, public musicology, and classical music in the digital age. Victoria Bond leads a dual career as composer and conductor receiving praise from the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. She has been commissioned by various ensembles, including American Ballet Theatre, Jacob s Pillow Dance Festival, the Houston Symphony, and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. Her compositions have also been performed by the Dallas Symphony, New York City Opera, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and musicians from the New York Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony, among others. Her opera Clara, about Clara Schumann, will premiere under the auspices of the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden in April 2019. The first woman awarded a doctorate in orchestral conducting from the Juilliard School, she regularly appears as a guest conductor throughout the United States, Europe, South America, and China. She has served as music director of the New Amsterdam and Roanoke Symphony Orchestras; artistic director of Opera Roanoke, Harrisburg Opera, and Bel Canto Opera; music advisor of the Wuhan Symphony in China; assistant conductor of New York City Opera and the Pittsburgh Symphony. She is currently principal guest conductor of Chamber Opera Chicago. Sean Cooper, D.M.A., has investigated the works of Mozart through the respective roles of director, singer, writer, lecturer, teacher, and creator of supertitles. He has presented for the Mozart Society of America at the American Musicological Society s National Conference and his research contrasting the Mozart and Gazzaniga treatments of Don Giovanni was published in the Opera Journal. As a performer, he has appeared on Broadway and with several regional opera houses and symphony orchestras. He attended Carnegie-Mellon University, the Manhattan School of Music, and earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Memphis. 36
Elspeth Davis is the Coordinator of Community Engagement at the Guild, as well as an active performer of contemporary music. She made her European debut as the Drummer in Ullmann s Der Kaiser von Atlantis with Schülterwerke and the Klangforum Wein in Vienna. She was also one of seven singers invited to the inaugural season of China s Liederfest in Suzhou. Favorite performances include the New York premiere of Christopher Cerrone s Goldbeater s Skin, Ligeti s Síppal, dobbal, nádihegedüvel (both with Sandbox Percussion), and Eleanor and Hildegard by Kevin Clark with the Seattle based Sound Ensemble. She is also the cohost and producer of the classical music podcast Opera After Dark and the upcoming series Women To Know. Nimet Habachy is best known in the New York area for her more than 25 years as host of New York at Night on the old WQXR and for her presence three times a week on the new WQXR. Her talks on opera and classical music for the Guild and the Metropolitan Museum of Art have kept her an audience favorite. Stuart Holt As Director of School Programs and Community Engagement for the Metropolitan Opera Guild, Stuart Holt oversees all K 12 school and community/adult programming. He is an active lecturer, master teacher, stage director, and resource for the field of opera education. Recent appearances have included panels for Manhattan School of Music, the American Musicological Society, Opera Volunteers International, Opera America, New York University, the Metropolitan Opera Guild, the Met s HD Live in Schools, and as a panelist and master teacher for Brown University. Directing credits include work for Nashville Opera, Tallahassee Little Theatre, James Madison University, Florida State University, and the Metropolitan Opera Guild. He has also served on grant review panels for Florida State University, the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. He also appears as a cohost on The Metropolitan Opera Guild Podcast. Stuart holds a bachelor s degree from St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota, and a master s degree from Florida State University. Dr. Jeffrey Langford is Associate Dean for Doctoral Studies and Chair of the Music History Department at Manhattan School of Music. A frequent lecturer for the Guild, he has written articles on the operas of Verdi and Berlioz and is the author of the annotated bibliography Hector Berlioz: A Guide to Research and Evenings at the Opera: An Exploration of the Basic Repertoire. Currently, he is working on a textbook on the history of the symphony. He also serves as the administrative director of a new summer chamber music festival, Manhattan in the Mountains, which takes place in Hunter, New York, in July and August. 37
John J. H. Muller is a professor of music history at the Juilliard School, where he teaches a wide variety of courses for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as for adult laymen. Since 2010, he has been the English language lecturer at the internationally renowned Wagner festival in Bayreuth, Germany, and he will be returning there this summer. He is also a noted lecturer for the Metropolitan Opera Guild and other organizations, including the Wagner Society of New York and the American Psychoanalytic Association. He wrote an essay on Parsifal in Wagner Outside the Ring. Stephanie Pierson is a copywriter who has worked for agencies like Young & Rubicam, Ogilvy & Mather, and Doyle Dane Bernbach. She is currently the chief copywriter for the Goldstein Group, a New York based global brand identity firm. Her second career is journalism: arts, design, food, fashion. Her work has appeared everywhere from the New York Times to the Atlantic Monthly to Food52. Her passion for opera started when she married her husband, a former production stage manager at the Metropolitan Opera. Both of her daughters and her dog have appeared on the stage at the Met. She is a proud alumna of Naomi and Stuart s hugely popular Opera Boot Camp at the Cosmopolitan Club. Dr. Harlow Robinson is an author, lecturer, and professor emeritus of history at Northeastern University. An internationally recognized authority on Russian music and culture, he is the author of Sergei Prokofiev: A Biography and Russians in Hollywood, Hollywood s Russians. He is a frequent lecturer for the Boston Symphony and an arts correspondent for the Boston Globe. Dr. W. Anthony Sheppard is professor of music at Williams College, with degrees from Princeton University and Amherst College. He specializes in 20th- and 21st-century opera and music theater and serves as series editor of AMS Studies in Music (Oxford University Press). Matthew Timmermans is a PhD student in musicology at the Graduate Center, CUNY, in New York City. He has published on a variety of topics including philosophy of music, performance practice, age studies, and diva worship. He has been featured as lecturer at the Canadian Opera Company, Opera Lyra, Pellegrini Opera, McGill University, and on The Metropolitan Opera Guild Podcast. As a freelance writer, he has written editorials and reviews for Opera Canada and Ludwig van Toronto. 38
Divas & DINNER EDEN TURQUOISE BY BERNARDAUD IS AVAILABLE WWW.BERNARDAUD.COM GRAND CUISINE TO GRAND OPERA Food Historian & Chef Carl Raymond explores how both food and opera rose to grandeur against the backdrop of the 18thcentury Comédie Française, the glittering world of the 1890 s Belle Époque, and the great Parisian restaurant and café society. LECTURE + WINE + HOR S D OEU VRES APRIL 30 6 7:30 P.M. OPERA LEARNING CENTER THE ROSE BUILDING $40 GENERAL PUBLIC $35 GUILD MEMBERS )$
CALENDAR OF EVENTS All events are held at the Opera Learning Center, located on the 6th floor of the Samuel B. and David Rose Building, 65th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, unless otherwise noted. AUGUST FRI AUG 24 5:30PM SAT AUG 25 5:30PM SUN AUG 26 5:30PM A Night at the Opera HD Pre-Screening Talks Roméo et Juliette HD Pre-Screening Talks Norma HD Pre-Screening Talks MON AUG 27 5:30PM Elektra HD Pre-Screening Talks TUE AUG 28 5:30PM WED AUG 29 5:30PM THU AUG 30 5:30PM FRI AUG 31 5:30PM Il Barbiere di Siviglia HD Pre-Screening Talks Lulu HD Pre-Screening Talks Rusalka HD Pre-Screening Talks L Elisir d Amore HD Pre-Screening Talks SEPTEMBER SAT SEP 1 5:30PM SUN SEP 2 5:30PM MON SEP 3 5:30PM SAT SEP 8 10:30AM Un Ballo in Maschera HD Pre-Screening Talks Der Rosenkavalier HD Pre-Screening Talks Madama Butterfly HD Pre-Screening Talks Gaetano Donizetti and the Italian-French Bel Canto Connection Boot Camp: Introduction to French Opera N. Barrettara SAT SEP 8 1PM Georges Bizet and His Posthumous Successes N. Barrettara Boot Camp: Introduction to French Opera SAT SEP 15 10:30AM Camille Saint-Saëns and His Enduring Masterpiece N. Barrettara Boot Camp: Introduction to French Opera SAT SEP 15 1PM OCTOBER Debussy, Poulenc, and French Opera in the 20th Century Boot Camp: Introduction to French Opera N. Barrettara MON OCT 1 6PM Samson et Dalila S. Holt Outlook TUE OCT 9 6PM Quinn Kelsey F.P. Driscoll Opera News Presents: The Singers Studio 40
WED OCT 17 6PM La Fanciulla del West N. Habachy Outlook SAT OCT 20 10AM Samson et Dalila N. Barrettara Score Reading MON OCT 22 6PM Marnie W. A. Sheppard Outlook WED OCT 31 2PM La Fanciulla del West J. Marsh Course: Flavors of Puccini NOVEMBER SAT NOV 3 10:30AM Opera in the New Millennium Part 2: Learning to Listen Study Days SAT NOV 3 1PM Opera in the New Millennium Part 2: Opera s Future Study Days N. Barrettara & E. Davis N. Barrettara & E. Davis WED NOV 7 2PM Tosca J. Marsh Course: Flavors of Puccini THU NOV 8 6PM Mefistofele J. Muller Outlook WED NOV 14 2PM Il Trittico J. Marsh Course: Flavors of Puccini WED NOV 14 6PM Christian Van Horn A. Wasserman Opera News Presents: The Singers Studio SAT NOV 17 10AM Tosca N. Barrettara Score Reading SUN NOV 18 3PM Exploring the Vocal Categories in Operatic Repertoire J. Marsh Masterly Singing DECEMBER SAT DEC 1 10:30AM Religion and Opera Part 1 D. Mays Study Days SAT DEC 1 1PM Religion and Opera Part 2 D. Mays Study Days TUE DEC 4 6PM La Traviata J. Muller Outlook TUE DEC 5 5:30PM Il Trittico N. Barrettara Outlook 41
JANUARY TUE JAN 8 6PM Adriana Lecouvreur V. Bond Outlook TUE JAN 15 6PM Pelléas et Mélisande J. Langford Outlook SAT JAN 19 10AM Pelléas et Mélisande N. Barrettara Score Reading TUE JAN 22 2PM Bittersweet Beginnings M. Timmermans Course: Singers of the Ring SAT JAN 26 10:30AM Iolanta / Bluebeard s Castle H. Robinson Study Days SAT JAN 26 1PM Iolanta / Bluebeard s Castle H. Robinson Study Days SUN JAN 27 3PM Don Giovanni Master Class J. Marsh Masterly Singing TUE JAN 29 2PM Becoming Brünnhilde M. Timmermans Course: Singers of the Ring FEBRUARY TUE FEB 5 2PM Surviving Siegfried M. Timmermans Course: Singers of the Ring THU FEB 7 6PM La Fille du Régiment S. Cooper Outlook SAT FEB 9 10AM Iolanta / Bluebeard s Castle N. Barrettara Score Reading TUE FEB 12 2PM Further Fachs M. Timmermans Course: Singers of the Ring THU FEB 14 6PM Stephanie Blythe and Pretty Yende F.P. Driscoll Opera News Presents: The Singers Studio SAT FEB 23 10:30AM Introduction to the Femmes Fatale across Opera History Boot Camp: Femmes Fatales N. Barrettara and S. Pierson 42 SAT FEB 23 1PM Character Study Dalila and Carmen N. Barrettara and S. Pierson Boot Camp: Femmes Fatales SUN FEB 24 3PM Vocal Showcase: Wagner s Ring Cycle* J. Marsh Masterly Singing TUE FEB 26 6:30PM The Ring: Music, Motifs, and Magic Das Rheingold V. Bond Continuing Opera Education WED FEB 27 6PM Falstaff V. Bond Outlook *Event will take place at the Bruno Walter Auditorium, NYPL for the Performing Arts
MARCH SAT MAR 2 10:30AM Character Study Marnie and the Queen of the Night Boot Camp: Femmes Fatales N. Barrettara & S. Pierson SAT MAR 2 1PM Character Study Leïla and Mélisande N. Barrettara & S. Pierson Boot Camp: Femmes Fatales TUE MAR 5 6:30PM The Ring: Music, Motifs, and Magic Die Walküre V. Bond Continuing Opera Education TUE MAR 12 6:30PM The Ring: Music, Motifs, and Magic Siegfried V. Bond Continuing Opera Education SAT MAR 16 10AM Falstaff N. Barrettara Score Reading TUE MAR 19 6:30PM The Ring: Music, Motifs, and Magic Götterdämmerung V. Bond Continuing Opera Education APRIL WED APR 3 6PM La Clemenza di Tito J. Langford Outlook SAT APR 6 10:30AM The Chorus throughout Opera History Part 1 N. Barrettara Boot Camp: Introduction to the Opera Chorus SAT APR 6 1PM Practice, Preparation, and Rehearsal A Choral Workshop with Joseph Hudson Boot Camp: Introduction to the Opera Chorus N. Barrettara TUE APR 9 6PM Ramón Vargas L. Guinther Opera News Presents: The Singers Studio SAT APR 13 10:30AM The Chorus throughout Opera History Part 2 N. Barrettara Boot Camp: Introduction to the Opera Chorus SAT APR 13 1PM A Day in the Life of a Met Chorister N. Barrettara Boot Camp: Introduction to the Opera Chorus WED APR 17 11AM Opera s Villains and Victims I. Siff Course: Opera s Villains and Victims WED APR 24 11AM Opera s Villains and Victims I. Siff Course: Opera s Villains and Victims TUE APR 30 6PM Divas & Dinner C. Raymond Special Event MAY WED MAY 8 11AM Opera s Villains and Victims I. Siff Course: Opera s Villains and Victims 43
METROPOLITAN OPERA GUILD BOARD OF DIRECTORS Christian Alfonsi Anastasia A. Angelova Thomas S. C. Bunn Mrs. Schuyler G. Chapin Marc Chazaud Eugenia Comini Edmée de M. Firth Carole Bailey French Robert R. Glauber John Hargraves Elaine Hochberg Stuart H. Johnson, III Sandra S. Joys Hon. John G. Koeltl Stephen C. Koval Theodore A. Kurz Lawrence C. Maisel Ellen F. Marcus Louis S. Miano Richard J. Miller, Jr. Merri C. Moken Christopher S. Moore Mrs. Peter H. Nicholas Sondra Krisher Rapoport Winthrop Rutherfurd, Jr. Christopher Serbagi Marc S. Solomon Dr. Garry Spector Langdon Van Norden, Jr. Basilia Yao Susan Zohn Ex Officio Judith-Ann Corrente Ann Ziff Emeritus Council Susan S. Braddock Diana Russell Deacon Mrs. Richard Durkes Mrs. Anthony L. Geller Mrs. Randolph H. Guthrie Mrs. James R. Houghton Mrs. James B. Hurlock Mrs. Alexander M. Laughlin Patricia F. Sullivan Elizabeth S. Tunick George C. White Artists Council Martina Arroyo Harolyn Blackwell Rosalind Elias Michael Fabiano Susan Graham Denyce Graves Thomas Hampson Eric Owens Ailyn Pérez Patricia Racette Frederica von Stade The Guild gratefully acknowledges support from The Bagby Foundation for the Musical Arts, The Achelis-Bodman Foundations, Dr. Lee McCormick Edwards Charitable Foundation, Midland Community Area Foundation, The Windfall Foundation, and Woodland Foundation, Inc. Guild programs are supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. We gratefully acknowledge support from the Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer's office. Guild programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. 44
THANK YOU! It is our privilege to thank the many individuals, foundations, and volunteers that make all of our education programs possible. For more than 80 years, education has been a central part of the Metropolitan Opera Guild s mission. With over 200 lectures, master classes, artist interviews, and backstage tours targeted at learners of all ages, our programs work to ensure the sustainability of the art form for generations to come. Last year, the Metropolitan Opera Guild s diverse programming served more than 28,000 students and adults, in part thanks to the much-needed private funding we received and the many volunteers that helped to bring these opportunities to the community. Visit us online at metguild.org and explore the many resources we offer to engage and learn about opera. To learn more about how you can support opera education and lifelong learning, please contact Katherine Delaney, Director of Development at kdelaney@metguild.org or by calling 212.769.7025. 45
Broadway Amsterdam Avenue Columbus Avenue West 63rd Street West 62nd Street West 65th Street Samuel B. and David Rose Building 70 Lincoln Center Plaza The Rose Building is fully ADA compliant. e=elevator location Metropolitan Opera House Damrosch Park David H. Koch Theater NY Public Library for the Performing Arts David Geffen Hall Beaumont, Newhouse, and Tow Theaters Film Society of Lincoln Center Rose Building Opera Learning Center 6th Fl. e Walter Reade Theater The Juilliard School Alice Tully Hall Most events will be held at the Guild s Opera Learning Center, located on the 6th floor of the Samuel B. and David Rose Building. 46
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Lectures and Community Engagement 70 Lincoln Center Plaza New York, NY 10023-6593