Past Events: 2012

60 ballet and opera fans were in the house for a premiere presentation of the classic Tchaikovsky ballet The Nutcracker. Our first-time departure into the ballet featured the 1977 American Ballet Theatre version of the Tchaikovsky classic, a studio rendition on film by Tony Charmoli, and starred Mikhail Baryshnikov, marking his first choreographic effort, as the Nutcracker Prince, with prima ballerina assoluta Gelsey Kirkland as the young Clara. Audience members thrilled to the magnificent dancing and Tchaikovsky’s glorious music. Fans overwhelmingly commented on this production as “the loveliest” holiday program to date. A spectacular reception table outlined in red and white graced our holiday intermission, where our guests were offered a dizzying array of cookies and candies, and an accompanying table displaying toys and holiday items, provided the perfect complement for the afternoon. Instead of a traditional punch guests were offered their choice of a rich hot chocolate or from a variety of hot spiced cider beverages. On January 28th we will inaugurate our new-year 2013 opera cycle with a special performance of Jacques Offenbach’s opera-fantastique Les contes d’Hoffmann (Tales of Hoffmann), and we look forward to what promises to be another great year of first-class cultural programming events with the Opera@theLibrary 2013.

60 devoted opera fans were on hand to help us celebrate our third year program anniversary, and were treated to the magnificent opera double bill performances of Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci. Elena Obraztsova, Placido Domingo, and Renato Bruson starred in Mascagni’s Cavalleria, and Teresa Stratas, Placido Domingo, and Juan Pons starred in Leonvcavallo’s Pagliacci. Both operas were performed at La Scala, Milan, with George Pretre conducting the La Scala Opera Orchestra and Chorus, in this filmed Franco Zeffirelli production from 1982. Fans frequently commented on this production as “the best” opera program to date. A lovely reception table outlined in gold, silver, and purple graced our intermission, where our guests were offered a spectacular selection of petite cupcakes, flavored in vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, with white and gold frosting topped with musical notes, and were wrapped in gold and silver foil cups, making a most impressive display on the tiffany- cut glass 3- tiered table stand. The cupcakes were created and provided by local cake designer Linda Anderson. Platters of cheese wafers with sliced honeycrisp apples drizzled with caramel sauce rounded out the refreshments, and an accompanying table displaying posters of all the operas performed in the 2012 season, provided a perfect complement for the program. A sparking and refreshing lavender punch rounded out the special anniversary reception table. On December 3rd we will complete our 2012 opera cycle with a special holiday performance of the endearing classic The Nutcracker ballet, with the dazzling choreography of Marius Petipa, beautifully performed by the great Mikhail Baryshnikov and prima ballerina assoluta Gelsey Kirkland, and set to the glorious musical score of Piotr Ilych Tchaikovsky, it promises to be a truly not-to-be-missed special event for the special holiday season.

42 passionate opera fans thoroughly enjoyed Donizetti’s sparkling French comic masterpiece La fille du regiment (‘The Daughter of the Regiment’). Fans frequently commented on this production as “the best” and “most enjoyable” opera program to date. This splendid live performance from January 2007 at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden featured all world-class singing actors, bringing vocal thrills with an abundance of comedic delights. The stars are French coloratura sensation Natalie Dessay as Marie, the ‘daughter’, and international tenor extraordinaire Juan Diego Florez as Tonio, both unbeatable in bel canto roles, and both in top form here. The supporting roles here are done to perfection, with Felicity Palmer as the Marquise de Berkenfield, Donald Maxwell as her servant Hortensius, Alessandro Corbelli as the Sargeant Sulpice, Marie’s protector, and the irrepressible Dawn French almost steals the show as the overbearing Duchess of Krakenthorp.Bruno Campanella conducted a spirited performance, enhanced by the superior playing by the Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House. A classic autumnal theme graced our intermission where our guests were offered a dazzling selection of chocolate cookies, along with a citrusy apple-orange blossom punch at the intermission. Our Bel Canto cycle continues on November 19th with the much-anticipated double-bill of Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, two one-act tragic operas that will usher in our third year anniversary event. December 3rd we will round out our yearly opera cycle with a special performance of the enduring holiday classic The Nutcracker ballet, with the dazzling choreography of Marius Petipa set to the glorious musical score of Piotr Ilych Tchaikovsky, a truly not-to-be-missed special event for the special holiday season.

62 passionate opera devotees were in the house once again and enjoyed a showing of the stunning live performance of Donizetti’s mad bride of Lammermoor from the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genova from June 2003. Stefania Bonfadelli performed the role of Lucia to perfection, with equally rock-solid performances delivered by Marcelo Alvarez as Edgardo, and Roberto Frontali as Enrico, all ably led by Patrick Fournillier, conducting the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Carlo Felice. Our very special guests were offered a delicious array of tempting and tasty cookies and a refreshing fruity red punch at the intermission. Our next program offering in October will be Donizetti’s glittering comic masterpiece La fille du regiment, (The Daughter of the Regiment), a French comic opera, and one of the more important operas Donizetti composed for the French stage.

Over 30 passionate opera devotees were in attendance for Bellini’s powerful story of love, betrayal, and honor. Bellini’s Norma is a classic of the bel canto tradition, and here in this performance by Joan Sutherland in the title role, combined both lavish vocal splendor with a story of great passion and nobility. Set in ancient Gaul, Norma tells of the clash between the Druids and the occupying Romans. This 1978 production featured Joan Sutherland as Norma and Margreta Elkins as Adalgisa, with Richard Bonynge conducting the Elizabethan Sydney Orchestra and Australian Opera Chorus, in a live performance from Australia’s iconic Sydney Opera House. The classic Roman theme was enjoyed at intermission where guests were offered an elegant selection of chocolate, oatmeal, and raisin cookies, along with a citrusy fruit punch. Our Bel Canto cycle continues next month in September with an exciting performance of Donizetti’s tragic opera Lucia di Lammermoor, followed by the effervescent La fille du regiment in October, with a double bill of Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci in November, ending with a special performance of the enduring holiday classic The Nutcracker ballet in December.

30 die-hard opera fans one again braved the summer afternoon storms and were well-rewarded with a magnificent performance from Australia’s iconic Sydney Opera House of Mozart’s classic moral tale Don Giovanni. The title role of the licentious nobleman with a devil-may-care attitude was handsomely portrayed by New Zealand-born, bass-baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes. His misused servant, Leporello, was skillfully performed by bass Conal Coad, along with sopranos Rachelle Durkin as Donna Anna, Jacqueline Dark as Donna Elvira, and Taryn Fiebig as Zerlina. Tenor Henry Choo as Don Ottavio, and bass-baritone Andrew Jones as Masetto , rounded out the superlative cast, and Mozart’s enthralling music flowed effortlessly from the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, adeptly guided by the baton of conductor Mark Wigglesworth. Guests were offered a diverse array of lovely finger sandwiches and a refreshingly light fruit punch at the intermission. Our next program offering in August will be Vincenzo Bellini’s tragic lyric opera Norma, generally regarded as an example of the supreme height of the bel canto tradition. Though Bellini died when he was 33, having written only ten operas, his music may be as close as anyone had come to pure bel canto, and Norma has become emblematic of everything the style has come to embody.

48 die-hard opera aficionados braved the blustery elements and were rewarded with a glorious production of the enduring Mozart masterpiece Le Nozze di Figaro. This elegant 1994 production from the Opéra National de Lyon features some of Mozart’s finest music, coupled with a carefully-chosen international cast that included Giovanni Furlanetto, Elzbieta Szymtka, Janice Watson, and Ludovic Tézier. The Lyon Opera Orchestra delivered a technically superb performance under the convincing and stellar leadership of conductor Paolo Olmi. In keeping with the sophisticated wedding theme, guests were offered an elegantly-decorated selection of chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, select seasonal fresh fruits, petite pastel-colored mints, and a sparkling non-alcoholic champagne punch at the intermission. Our Bel Canto cycle continues next month in July with Mozart’s moralistic re-telling of the Don Juan legend in Don Giovanni, followed by Bellini’s Norma in August, and Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and La fille du regiment in September and October.

35 opera fans in the house were dazzled and delighted with a truly tour-de-force performance of Rossini’s rarely-performed bel canto jewel Le Comte Ory. The stellar cast included the’ Holy Trinity of Opera’, tenor Juan Diego Florez, soprano Diana Damrau, and mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, all of whom are highly-accomplished Rossini scholars and bel canto specialists, and this spectacular trio did not disappoint as they ignited vocal and theatrical fireworks that made this show the hottest ticket in New York in Spring 2011. This performance featured the 2011 Metropolitan Opera in HD broadcast that was originally streamed live in theaters as part of the ongoing Opera in Cinema series. Barlett Sher created a brilliant new production for the Met with this opera that brought standing ovations and critical acclaim, and was conducted with verve and finesse by Rossini specialist Maurizio Benini, leading the formidable forces of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. In keeping with the fine French theme, Guests were offered a selection of les piqûres de pȃtisserie and sablé au chocolat au lait et noir, and a sparkling faux champagne punch at the intermission. We are very excited about our next month’s program as we celebrate a wedding with Mozart’s enduring classic Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro). A grand reception with flowers, cake and champagne is planned for our intermission, and it promises to be an operatic event to remember.Everyone is invited to attend the nuptials of Figaro and Susanna and enjoy Mozart’s classic tale of love between the classes in Le Nozze di Figaro. Our Bel Canto cycle continues on in July with Mozart’s moralistic Don Giovanni, followed with the great works of Bellini, Donizetti, Mascagni, Leoncavallo, and a Tchaikovsky ballet The Nutcracker in December to celebrate the holidays in high style.

58 loyal opera fans enjoyed our first Rossini opera in our new Bel Canto cycle, the opera house favorite Il Barbiere di Siviglia (‘The Barber of Seville’). This live production from 2005 of Rossini’s bubbling masterpiece from the Teatro Real in Madrid featured the tenor of the moment Juan Diego Florez as Almaviva, Maria Bayo as Rosina, Pietro Spagnoli as Figaro, and Ruggero Raimondi as Don Basilio .Gianluigi Gelmetti lead the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Real in a sophisticated production that was well appreciated by the attending audience. Guests were offered petite cherry custard tarts along with an effervescent fruit punch at the intermission. We continue on into the Bel Canto cycle next month with Rossini’s sparkling comedy Le Comte Ory, another great work that recently in 2010 enjoyed a revival in a new production at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Join us every month as we continue to bring to you the finest opera performances, performers, and artists of our day.

Opera@theLibrary broke all attendance records to date with 90 passionate opera fans in the house for the outstanding 1984 film production of the most popular opera of all time, Bizet’s beloved Carmen. This classic film adaptation of Bizet’s opera concerning obsessive, doomed love starred Placido Domingo as the soldier who falls for a sultry and tempestuous seductress. Julia Migenes-Johnson lived and breathed in the title role of Carmen, and was joined by Ruggero Raimondi as the toreador Escamillo, and Faith Esham as the peasant girl Micaela. Francesco Rosi directed this film and it was shot on location in the surrounding areas of Spain, including Seville, Ronda, and Carmona, to simulate the Seville of that era. Maestro Lorin Maazel conducted the Orchestre National de France and Chorus. Guests were offered red velvet and yellow-gold mini cupcakes along with a non-alcoholic red sangria punch at the intermission. Carmen initiates our foray into a new operatic cycle, and we will be fully embracing all the most popular works in the bel canto repertory, following next month with a stellar performance of the classic Rossini favorite Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville).

68 opera fans thoroughly enjoyed this rare and historic opportunity to witness a production of one of Verdi’s most dramatic and passionate operas, recorded live from the Metropolitan Opera House on March 14th, 1984. The great American diva, soprano Leontyne Price, headlined this production, along with Leo Nucci, Giuseppe Giacomini, and Isola Jones, with Maestro James Levine conducting the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Guests were offered assorted specialty cookies, along with a refreshing foamy fruit punch at the intermission. This performance marked the end of our all-Verdi cycle, for now we embark on our highly-anticipated Bel Canto cycle, and we will present some of the most popular and memorable works of the repertoire, starting off with a not-to-be-missed HD performance of the beloved Bizet masterwork Carmen, with international superstars mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca in the title role, and tenor Roberto Alagna as Don Jose in the spectacular 2010 Met production that was broadcast worldwide live in theaters as part of the Opera in Cinema series.

70 opera fans were thrilled and delighted with this outstanding film production of one of Verdi’s greatest operas, with lavish staging and direction by the internationally-renowned Franco Zeffirelli, filmed on location in Italy and the Netherlands. Maestro Lorin Maazel conducted the formidable forces of the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro alla Scala, Milan. This filmed performance from 1986 featured the phenomenal Placido Domingo (in blackface), in the title role as the doomed Otello, soprano Katia Ricciarelli as the tragic Desdemona, and bass-baritone Justino Diaz as the hissable villain Iago. Guests were offered assorted ‘jealousy bites’ cookies, along with a stellar ‘green with envy’ punch at the intermission. The all-Verdi cycle concludes in February 2012 with a magnificent performance of La Forza del Destino with the legendary Leontyne Price. We will then begin our highly-anticipated Bel Canto cycle, and we will present some of the most popular and memorable works of the repertoire, starting off with a not-to-be-missed HD performance of the beloved Bizet classic Carmen, with international superstars mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca in the title role, and tenor Roberto Alagna as Don Jose in the spectacular Met production.