Merola Opera

Program
Schwabacher Summer Concert 2017

WHEN: VENUE
Sunday, Bing
JuLy 9, 2017 ConCert HaLL
2:30 PM

Photo: Kristen Loken

 Program
(Each excerpt’s cast listed by order of appearance)

Jules Massenet: Thaïs (1894)

Giacomo Puccini: Le Villi (1884) from act 2
“La tregenda” “Ah, je suis seule…Dis-moi que je suis belle…Étranger, te
voilà.”
orchestra
thaïs—Mathilda edge
Douglas Moore: The Ballad of Baby Doe (1956) athanaël—thomas glass
act 1, Scenes 2 and 3 nicias—andres acosta
“What a lovely evening…Willow where we met together…
Warm as the autumn light…Now where do you suppose that Pietro Mascagni: Cavalleria rusticana (1890)
he can be?...I send these lacy nothings.” “Tu qui, Santuzza…Fior di giaggiolo…
Ah, lo vedi, che hai tu detto.”
Baby doe—Kendra Berentsen
Horace tabor—dimitri Katotakis turiddu—Xingwa Hao
augusta tabor—alice Chung Santuzza—alice Chung
Kate—Mathilda edge Lola—alexandra razskazoff
Meg—Felicia Moore
Samantha—alexandra razskazoff Kurt Weill: Street Scene (1947)
townspeople—Mathilda edge, act 1, Scene 7 (“ice Cream Sextet”)
Felicia Moore, alexandra razskazoff, andres acosta, “First time I come to da America…”
thomas glass
Lippo—andres acosta
Gaetano Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia (1833) Mrs. Jones—alexandra razskazoff
from act 1 Mrs. Fiorentino—Kendra Berentsen
“Tranquillo ei posa…Com’è bello…Ciel! Che vegg’io?...Di Mrs. olsen—alice Chung
pescatore ignobile.” Henry—Xingwa Hao
Mr. Jones—thomas glass
Lucrezia—alexandra razskazoff Mr. olsen—dimitri Katotakis
gubetta—thomas glass
duke—dimitri Katotakis
rustighello—Xingwa Hao anne Manson, conductor
gennaro—andres acosta david Lefkowich, director

Carl Maria von Weber: Der Freischütz (1821)

from act 2
“Wie nahte mir der Schlummer…Leise, leise, fromme Weise…
Wie? Was? Entsetzen!”

agathe—Felicia Moore
Max—Xingwa Hao
Ännchen—Kendra Berentsen

INTERMISSION

PROGRAM SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Please be considerate of others and turn off all phones, pagers, and watch alarms.
Photography and recording of any kind are not permitted. thank you.

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 Synopses
The Ballad of Baby Doe— warned them to beware of Lucrezia and Thaïs—from Act 2
Act 1, Scenes 2 and 3 her entire family. unimpressed by the in egypt in the days of the Byzantine
in 1880s Leadville, Colorado, Horace and story, gennaro wanders over to a nearby empire, the courtesan thaïs studies her
augusta tabor return home from the bench and falls asleep. after the others reflection in the mirror and muses on what
opening of the new opera house. Horace, go back inside the Palazzo, a masked will happen to her when her beauty fades.
a silver baron and lieutenant governor, woman arrives on a gondola. She looks When athanaël, a monk, enters the room,
has paid for the opera house, but down at the sleeping gennaro, reaches she warns him not to love her. athanaël
augusta complains that he won’t give up for his hand, and gently kisses it. tells her he offers a different kind of love
the rough ways he had as a miner. a gennaro wakes, struck by love for the that brings eternal life. thaïs is caught by
beautiful, young woman passes by and beautiful woman bending over him. He his message until the voice of nicias
asks for directions to the nearby hotel. tells her he is an orphan, raised by a outside reminds her of her past. athanaël
group of fishermen, but dearly loves the tells her he will wait for her outside through
While augusta retires for the evening, mother he never met. gennaro’s friends the night. thaïs agonizes over the choice
Horace seizes the chance to go outside return to the terrace and recognize the between her life of luxury and athanaël’s
and smoke a cigar. He overhears two woman as Lucrezia Borgia. Before the promise of redemption and rejects both.
ladies talking about the young woman horrified gennaro, they recount the
who asked for directions and learns her members of their families she has killed. Cavalleria rusticana
name is Baby doe and that she has a on easter Sunday in a village in southern
husband in Central City. as the ladies Der Freischütz—from Act 2 italy at the turn of the 20th century,
move off, Baby doe begins singing “the in a village in Bohemia at the end of the Santuzza begs her former lover turiddu
Willow Song” from the hotel, catching thirty years War, agathe, the daughter of to return to her. turiddu tries to shake her
Horace’s attention. He breaks into the head forester, and her young cousin, off. Santuzza accuses him of having an
applause when the song finishes, Ännchen, wait at home for news of the affair with Lola, the girl to whom he was
startling Baby doe. Horace replies to her shooting contest in which agathe’s once engaged. Lola married another
with “Warm as the autumn Light,” but beloved, Max, is taking part. agathe’s man while turiddu was away with the
when augusta calls from the house, he father has promised her hand to Max if army, but Santuzza says she has seen
hurries inside. tidying up Horace’s study he can win the contest. Max is a brilliant turiddu near Lola’s house. turiddu
several months later, augusta finds a box marksman but lately has had a string of accuses Santuzza of spying on him. Lola
with a beautiful pair of gloves and a love bad luck. agathe is troubled by her recent enters, on her way to church, and asks
letter. at first, she thinks they are a gift visit to a hermit, who warned her of Santuzza if she is going to mass.
for her, but then she realizes the package danger and gave her a gift of white roses. Santuzza says church is for those who
is addressed to Baby doe. When Horace Her worry increases when a painting of have not sinned. turiddu starts to follow
returns home, his heartbroken wife one of her ancestors falls from the wall Lola into the church. Santuzza begs him
confronts him over the affair. Her grief and injures her. another bad omen? to stay, and Lola, mockingly, does the
gives way to rage. at the end of the despite her fears, agathe sings of her love same. When Lola goes into the church,
quarrel, Horace says he never meant to for Max. Max arrives and confesses he Santuzza again pleads with turiddu not
hurt her. was not the victor that day, but he is to abandon her. turiddu rejects her and
excited he has shot an eagle that was follows Lola. Santuzza curses him.
Lucrezia Borgia—from Act 1 (Prologue) circling out of range. He has also killed a
in 16th-century Venice, a group of young deer, which he needs to fetch from Wolf’s Street Scene—Act 1, Scene 7
noblemen celebrate on the terrace of the glen. the girls warn him against the on a hot summer night in the 1930s,
Palazzo grimani overlooking the dangers of Wolf’s glen, though they do immigrants gather in front of a tenement
giudecca Canal. the next day they plan not know the truth of Max’s visit to the on new york’s Lower east Side. Lippo
to visit don alfonso, duke of Ferrara, and glen—he has sold his soul in exchange for Fiorentino comes home from work with
his wife, the notorious Lucrezia Borgia. magic bullets to be cast in Wolf’s glen at ice cream cones for everyone, and the
orsini recounts how he and gennaro met midnight. despite agathe’s and Ännchen’s group sings an ode to this delicious
a mysterious old man in the forest who entreaties, Max departs. escape from the heat.

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 Artists

ANDRES ACOSTA KENDRA BERENTSEN ALICE CHUNG MATHILDA EDGE THOMAS GLASS
tenor SoPrano MeZZo-SoPrano SoPrano Baritone

XINGWA HAO DIMITRI KATOTAKIS FELICIA MOORE ALEXANDRA ANNE MANSON

tenor Baritone SoPrano RAZSKAZOFF ConduCtor
SoPrano

DAVID LEFKOWICH
direCtor

Photo by Kristen Loken

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 Biographies
ANDRES ACOSTA ALICE CHUNG THOMAS GLASS
tenor MeZZo-SoPrano Baritone

Hometown: Miami, Florida Hometown: Loma Linda, California Hometown: edina, Minnesota
Merola Roles: Schwabacher Summer Merola Roles: Schwabacher Summer Merola Roles: Schwabacher Summer
Concert—gennaro (Lucrezia Borgia), Concert—augusta tabor (The Ballad of Concert—gubetta (Lucrezia Borgia),
nicias (Thaïs), Lippo (Street Scene) Baby Doe), Santuzza (Cavalleria rusticana), athanaël (Thaïs), Mr. Jones (Street Scene)
Schools and Young Artist Programs: Mrs. olsen (Street Scene) Schools and Young Artist Programs:
Florida State university, Brevard Music Schools and Young Artist Programs: Lyric Minnesota opera resident artist
Center, indiana university opera of Kansas City apprentice Program, Wolf trap opera Studio artist
Teachers: david okerlund, Carol Vaness Program; university of Missouri-Kansas Program, rice university, university of St.
Major Roles: arcadio (Florencia en el City; university of California, Santa thomas
Amazonas), alfred (Die Fledermaus), Barbara; Central City opera; Teachers: Stephen King, alan Bryan
Ferrando (Così fan tutte), don ottavio (Don Chautauqua opera; operaWorks Major Roles: Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia),
Giovanni), Sam Kaplan (Street Scene) Teachers: Vinson Cole, Linda di Fiore Schaunard (La bohème), Capulet (Roméo
Major Roles: La Zia Principessa (Suor et Juliette), Peter (Hansel and Gretel),
Angelica), Zita (Gianni Schicchi), Mama Bill (A Hand of Bridge)
McCourt (The Ballad of Baby Doe), Mrs.
KENDRA BERENTSEN grose (The Turn of the Screw), third Lady
SoPrano (Die Zauberflöte), Cecilia March (Little
Women), Mariana (Luisa Fernanda) XINGWA HAO
Hometown: Portland, oregon tenor
Merola Roles: Schwabacher Summer
Concert—Baby doe (The Ballad of Baby Hometown: Zhan Jiang City, guang
Doe), Ännchen (Der Freischütz), Mrs. MATHILDA EDGE dong, China
Fiorentino (Street Scene) SoPrano Merola Roles: Schwabacher Summer
Schools and Young Artist Programs: Concert—rustighello (Lucrezia Borgia),
eastman School of Music, international Hometown: Chandlerville, illinois Max (Der Freischütz), turiddu (Cavalleria
Vocal arts institute Blacksburg, Merola Role: Schwabacher Summer rusticana), Henry (Street Scene)
international Vocal arts institute Concert—thaïs (Thaïs) Schools and Young Artist Programs: the
Montreal Schools and Young Artist Programs: Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing,
Teachers: diana Soviero, deborah indiana university, illinois College China; royal academy of Music, London,
Birnbaum, Valery ryvkin, yelena Kurdina, Teachers: Brian Horne, abbie Furmansky, england
Chuck Hudson, rita Shane Costanza Cuccaro, addie Teachers: Hao Jun, Zhong Zhen Fa,
Major Roles: Juliette (Roméo et Juliette), gramelspacher, Sandra Bouman glenville Hargreves, Wang XianLin, Peng
Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), adele (Die Major Roles: Cio-Cio-San (Madama Kangliang
Fledermaus), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Butterfly), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), First Major Roles: alfredo (La traviata), tito (La
Carolina (Il matrimonio segreto), Mme. Lady (Die Zauberflöte), Sandman (Hansel clemenza di Tito), rinuccio (Gianni
Herz and Mlle. Silberklang (Der and Gretel), romilda (Xerxes), the Milliner Schicchi), Pane (La Calisto), rodolfo (La
Schauspieldirektor), Frasquita (Carmen), (Der Rosenkavalier) bohème), Pong (Turandot), Canio
Flora (The Turn of the Screw) (Pagliacci)

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DIMITRI KATOTAKIS FELICIA MOORE ALEXANDRA RAZSKAZOFF
Baritone SoPrano SoPrano

Hometown: toronto, ontario, Canada Hometown: new Brighton, Minnesota

Merola Roles: Schwabacher Summer Hometown: Princeton, new Jersey Merola Roles: Schwabacher Summer
Concert—Horace tabor (The Ballad of Merola Role: Schwabacher Summer Concert—Lucrezia (Lucrezia Borgia), Lola
Baby Doe), duke (Lucrezia Borgia), Mr. Concert—agathe (Der Freischütz) (Cavalleria rusticana), Mrs. Jones (Street
olsen (Street Scene) Schools and Young Artist Programs: the Scene)
Schools and Young Artist Programs: Juilliard School; Mannes College, the Schools and Young Artist Programs: the
university of toronto, Mcgill university, new School for Music; Westminster Choir Juilliard School, Peabody Conservatory,
the Juilliard School College; Portland opera resident artist Minnesota opera resident artist
Teachers: Sanford Sylvan, Steven Blier, Program; des Moines Metro opera Program, Santa Fe opera apprentice
don tarnawski, darryl edwards apprentice artist Program; opera Program, Music academy of the West
Major Roles: guglielmo (Così fan tutte), il theatre of Saint Louis gerdine young Teachers: Stanley Cornett, robert C.
Conte (Le nozze di Figaro), Steward (Flight), artist Program; ravinia Festival’s Steans White Jr.
Kaiser overall (Der Kaiser von Atlantis), Music institute Major Roles: Britomarte (L’arbore di
gianni Schicchi (Gianni Schicchi), ramiro Teachers: edith Wiens, Stephen Diana), Wellgunde (Das Rheingold), First
(L’heure espagnole), escamillo (Carmen), Wadsworth, Mary Birnbaum, ruth Falcon, Lady (Die Zauberflöte), Contessa almaviva
demetrius (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Joseph Colaneri (Le nozze di Figaro), Suor angelica (Suor
Belcore (L’elisir d’amore), Harlekin (Ariadne Major Roles: Kát’a Kabanová (Kát’a Angelica), Blanche de la Force (Dialogues
auf Naxos) Kabanová), First Lady (Die Zauberflöte), des Carmélites), donna elvira (Don
Harriet Mosher (Emmeline), Suor angelica Giovanni), abigail Williams (The Crucible),
(Suor Angelica), nella (Gianni Schicchi), L’écureuil (L’enfant et les sortilèges)
Madama Cortese (Il viaggio a Reims),
Female Chorus (The Rape of Lucretia)

Photo by Kristen Loken

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ANNE MANSON indianapolis Symphonies, residentie opera, teatro alla Scala, new york City
ConduCtor orchestra of the Hague, St. Paul Chamber opera, San Francisco opera, Florida
orchestra, London Philharmonic, royal grand opera, Minnesota opera, and
Conductor anne Manson has served as Scottish national orchestra, Bournemouth glimmerglass opera. directing credits
music director of the Manitoba Chamber Sinfonietta, Swedish Chamber orchestra, are numerous and include Don Giovanni,
orchestra since 2008 and recently orquesta de extremadura, and BBC Idomeneo, Le nozze di Figaro, and L’histoire
renewed her contract through 2020. Proms, and she has guest conducted du soldat (ravinia Music Festival with the
Manson’s strong commitment to regularly with many orchestras in Spain. Chicago Symphony orchestra); Salome
contemporary music has led to numerous (Minnesota opera); Le portrait de Manon
commissions and recordings with the (glimmerglass opera); and Il trovatore
MCo. among them are Philip glass’ (new orleans opera, Fort Worth opera).
Symphony no. 3 and Piano Concerto and DAVID LEFKOWICH Lefkowich is currently the artistic director
Troubadour and the Nightingale— direCtor of the Mill City Summer opera in
nominated for the Juno and Western Minneapolis, where he directed the
Canada Music award—with soprano david Lefkowich is an accomplished company’s inaugural production of
isabel Bayrakdarian. as a guest stage director and choreographer and Pagliacci and followed with The Barber of
conductor, she has performed with the has enjoyed success with different Seville, Tosca, The Daughter of the Regiment,
Los angeles Philharmonic, Houston and companies, including the Metropolitan and Sweeney Todd.

About Merola Opera Program

Merola opera Program is an independent, nonprofit organization
that operates in collaboration with the San Francisco opera.
Founded in 1957 and named for the San Francisco opera’s founder,
gaetano Merola, the program is recognized as one of the most
prestigious operatic training programs in the world. the Merola
opera Program annually receives more than 800 applications for
approximately 29 positions. throughout the summer, the Merola
artists participate in master classes and private coaching sessions
with opera’s most accomplished singers and performers.
Participants, including singers, apprentice coaches, and an
apprentice stage director, also receive
training in operatic repertory, foreign
languages, diction, acting, and stage
movement. the Merola artists appear in
public performances throughout the
summer. the Merola opera Program
Summer Festival includes two staged
operas, a scenes program, and a concert.
For more information, visit www.merola.org.