Opera programs

June 17 Asciano in Alba, festa teatrale, in Two Acts Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Librettist: Giuseppe Parini Conductor: Ottavio Dantone Venere: Elisabeth Norberg-Schultz, soprano Ascanio: Marianna Pizzolato, mezzo-soprano Silvia: Cinzia Forte, soprano Fauno: Désirée Rancatore, soprano Aceste: Bernhard Berchtold, tenor Chorus: Bologna Teatro Comunale Chorus Madama Butterfly Madama Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San): Anna Moffo B.F. Pinkerton: Cesare Valletti Suzuki: Rosalind Elias Sharpless: Renato Cesari Goro: Mario Carlin Prince Yamadori: Nestore Catalani The Bonze: Fernando Corena Imperial Commissioner:  Leonardo Monreale The Registrar & Yakuside: Andrea Mineo Mother of Cio-Cio-San: Maria Luisa Zeri The Aunt: Maria Grazia Ciferri The Cousin: Renata Mattioli Kate Pinkerton: Miti Truccato Pace Rome Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Erich Leinsdorf June 24 Macbeth Composer: Giuseppe Verdi Conductor: Robert Bass Juan Pons: Macbeth Maria Guileghina: Lady Macbeth Michael Sylvester: MacDuff Dean Peterson: Banquo Collegiate Chorale, Orchestra of St. Luke's Music from Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier Feidmarschallin : Maria Reining Baron Ochs : Ludwig Weber Octavian : Sena Jurinac Faninal : Alfred Poell Sophie : Hilde Gueden Annina : Hilde Rössel-Majdan Valzacchi : Peter Klein Ein Sänger : Anton Dermota Wiener Philharmoniker conducted by Erich Kleiber July 1 Orlando Furioso, drama per musica in Three Acts, RV 728 Composer: Antonio Vivaldi Librettist: Grazio Braccioli Conductor: Alan Curtis Olrando: Ann Hallenberg, soprano Alcina: Elena Belfiore, soprano Angelica: Laura Aikin, soprano Brandamante: Annarita Gemmabella, contralto Medoro: Max Emanuel Cencic, tenor Astolfo: Vito Priante, bass Ruggiero: Franco Fagioli, tenor Teatro Carlo Felice Chorus & Orchestra Lucia di Lammermoor With Maria Callas and Giuseppe di Stefano  Herbert von Karajan conducting. A 1955 Live Recording from Berlin July 8 La Vie parisienne, opera bouffe, in Five (later Four) Acts Composer:  Jacques Offenbach Librettist:     Henri Meilhac, Ludovic Halévy Conductor: Nicolas Chalvin Chorus: Musiciens de l'Associationdes corps de musique lausannois, Ecole-Atelier Rudra Béjart, Lausanne Orchestra: Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne Gondremarck:  Francis Dudziak Gardefeu:  Martial Defontaine Bobinet: Jean-Louis Meunier Le Brésilien:  Humberto Ayerbe-Pino Prosper/Alphonse: Frédéric Longbois Frick:  Michel Tellechea Urbain/Alfred: Florent Blaser Joseph/Trébuchet:    Olivier Prodesta L'Employé: Alexandre  Feser Gabrielle:     Patricia Samuel Métella:    Karine Lavorel La Baronne Gondremarck: Maryline Fallot Pauline:    Sophie Graf Madame Quimper-Karadec: Ola Waridel Clara: Catherine Torriani Léonie: Nathalie Constantin Louise: Lauranne Jaquier La Traviata With Ileana Cotrubas, Placido Domingo and Sherill Milnes,  Carlos Kleiber conducting.  (From 1976-77) July 15 War and Peace, opera in 13 'lyrico-dramatic scenes' Composer:  Serge Prokofiev Librettist:     Mira Mendelson & Serge Prokofiev Conductor:  Alexander Vedernikov Chorus & Orchestra: Bolshoi Theater Chorus & Orchestra Directors: Andrei Zaboronok, Alexander Kritsky, Julia Molchanova Prince Andrei Bolkonsky: Andrei Grigoriev Princess Mariya Bolkonsky:      Elena Novak Old Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky:  Leonid Zimnenko, bass Countess Natasha Rostova:     Yekaterina Shcherbachenko Count Ilya Andreyevich Rostov:  Alexander Naumenko Sonya: Margarita Mamsirova Count Pierre Bezukhov: Roman Muravitsky, tenor Countess Helene Bezukhov:    Oksana Kornievskaya Prince Anatol Kuragin: Vsevolod Grivnov, tenor Lieutenant Dolokhov: Yuri Baranov Mariya Akhrossimova: Tatiana Yerastova Madame Peronskaya: Irina Rubtsova Field Marshal Kutuzov: Paata Burchuladze, bass Napoleon Bonaparte: Boris Statsenko Music from Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro with Giuseppe Taddei, Anna Moffo, Eberhard Wachter, Elisabeth Schwarztkopf, Fiorenza Cossotto and Ivo Vinco with Carlo Maria Giulini conducting.  From 1961. July 22 La Forza del Destino Composer: Giuseppe Verdi Conductor: Robert Bass Chorus & Orchestra: Collegiate Chorale & Orchestra of St. Luke's Venue: Carnegie Hall, New York City Leonora: Maria Guleghina Don Alvaro: Salvatore Licitra Preziosilla: Marianne Cornetti Don Carlo: Mark Rucker Padre Guardiano: Simon Estes Fra Melitone: Paul Plishka An album of arias performed by mezzo-soprano Shirley Verrett Verrett in Opera (from the late 1960s) Including music of Gluck, Donizetti, Berlioz, Gounod, Massenet, and Saint-Saens. July 29 Idomeneo, re di Creta K. 366 drama per musica in Three Acts Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Conductor: Seiji Ozawa Chorus & Orchestra: Arnold Schoenberg Chorus, Vienna State Opera Orchestra Librettist: Giovanni B. Varesco Idomeneo: Neil Shicoff, tenor Idamante: Angelika Kirschlager, soprano Ilia: Genia Kuehmeier, soprano Elettra: Barbara Frittoli, soprano Arbace: Peter Jelosits, tenor High Priest: Marian Tabala, tenor Voice of the Oracle: Walter Fink, Bass Puccini's Il Trittico (Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicchi) With Renata Scotto, Ileana Cotrubas, Marilyn Horne, Tito Gobbi, Ingvar Wixell, and Placido Domingo; Lorin Maazel conducting.  (From 1977) August 5 Norma, tragedia lirica in Two Acts Composer: Vincenzo Bellini Conductor: Friedrich Haider Chorus & Orchestra: Bavarian State Opera Orchestra & Chorus Librettist: Felice Romani Norma: Edita Gruberova, soprano Adalgisa: Sonia Ganassi, soprano Pollione: Zoran Todorovich, tenor Oroveso: Roberto Scandiuzzi, bass Clotilde: Cynthia Jansen, soprano Flavio: Marcus Herzog, tenor Somewhere:  The Leonard Bernstein Album (selections recorded from 1978 to 1993) (from Deutsche Grammophon) Selections from West Side Story,  Mass, Trouble in Tahiti Candide, The Age of Anxiety, On The Town, and Serenade. Featuring José Carreras, Kiri Te Kanawa, Tatiana Troyanos, Kurt Ollmann, June Anderson, Jerry Hadley, Thomas Hampson, Frederica Von Stade, Jessye Norman, Mstislav Rostropovich, Lukas Foss and others. August 12 NPR World of Opera The Barber of Seville by Giovanni Paisiello We generally think of Rossini's The Barber of Seville as sort of "prequel," riding the coat tails of that other "Figaro opera," Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. But Mozart's masterpiece was opportunistic in its own right -- a true sequel to the first hit opera starring the wiley barber, this 1782 score by Paisiello, whose career spanned Mozart's entire lifetime. National Theatre, Brussels: Rinaldo Alessandrini, conductor Cast: Elena Monti (Rosina); Stefano Ferrari (Almaviva); Giulio Mastrototaro (Figaro); Luciano de Pasquale (Bartolo); Filippo Morace (Don Basilio); Nabil Suliman (Simpleton/Notary); Donal Byrne (Giovinetto/Alcade) Jussi Bjoerling: The Pearl Fishers Duet Album with Robert Merrill, Zinka Milanov, Renata Tebaldi and others. We also heard highlights from La Boheme with Jussi Bjoerling, Victoria de los Angeles, Lucine Amara, and Robert Merrill with Thomas Beecham conducting. August 19 NPR World of Opera The Barber of Seville by Giovanni Paisiello We generally think of Rossini's The Barber of Seville as sort of "prequel," riding the coat tails of that other "Figaro opera," Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. But Mozart's masterpiece was opportunistic in its own right -- a true sequel to the first hit opera starring the wiley barber, this 1782 score by Paisiello, whose career spanned Mozart's entire lifetime. National Theatre, Brussels: Rinaldo Alessandrini, conductor Cast: Elena Monti (Rosina); Stefano Ferrari (Almaviva); Giulio Mastrototaro (Figaro); Luciano de Pasquale (Bartolo); Filippo Morace (Don Basilio); Nabil Suliman (Simpleton/Notary); Donal Byrne (Giovinetto/Alcade) Verdi's Otello  A recording from 1960 featuring Jon Vickers, Leonie Rysanek, and Tito Gobbi  with Tullio Serafin conducting. August 26 NPR World of Opera Julius Caesar by George Frideric Handel There was a time when people were surpised to learn that Handel was among the most acclaimed opera composers of his time. Now, he's quickly becoming a favorite of our own time, as well. This star-studded production of Julius Caesar shows us why Handel's reputation in the opera house continues to be on the rise. Houston Grand Opera: Patrick Summers, conductor Cast: David Daniels (Julius Caesar); Laura Claycomb (Cleopatra); Brian Asawa, (Ptolemy); Phyllis Pancella (Cornelia); Patricia Risley (Sextus); Joshua Winograde (Achillus); Matthew White (Nirenus); Nikolay Didenko (Curius) Rossini's Barber of Seville with Maria Callas, Tito Gobbi, and Luigi Alva with Alceo Galliera conducting. September 2 NPR World of Opera La Clemenza di Tito by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart The Magic Flute is often credited as "Mozart's final opera." But the last one he composed is actually La Clemenza di Tito. It was written as a sort of old-fashioned, "occasional piece." But the music is mature Mozart at its finest, shot through with startling innovations and stunning beauty. Washington National Opera: Heinz Fricke, conductor Cast: Tatiana Pavlovskaya (Vitellia); Michael Schade (Tito); Marina Domashenko (Sesto); Jossie Pérez (Annio); Hoo-Ryoung Hwang (Servilia); Nikolai Didenko (Publio) Offenbach's  The Tales of Hoffmann With Joan Sutherland, Placido Domingo, and Gabriel Bacquier   Conducted by Richard Bonynge. September 9 NPR World of Opera Special Presentation: Placido Domingo "Trilogy" This special "Trilogy" is a showcase for the legendary talents of the Washington National Opera's music director, tenor Placido Domingo. Lotte Lehmann, Her Life and Living Legacy This special comes to us from WFMT Network and producer and host Jon Tolansky. September 16 The Elixir of Love Washington National Opera There's not a lot to be taken seriously in this comic romp by Donizetti. Unless, of course, you count the music! It's some of Donizetti's finest, and takes the opera beyond the world of farce to a place where simple confidence can lead to life-changing revelations. Washington National Opera: Emmanuel Villaume, conductor Cast: Elizabeth Futral (Adina); Paul Grove Tchaikowsky's Eugene Onegin Featuring Galina Vishevskaya, Eugene Belov and Ivan Petrov  with Boris Khaikin conducting the Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theater, in a recording from 1956.