yale operapresents

Adouble bill of

La Navarraise{ Jules Massenet }

and

The Bear{ William Walton }

doris yarick-cross, artistic director · vera lúcia calábria, stage director william warfel, lighting designer · martha lehr, costume designer

douglas dickson & timothy shaindlinMusical direction and accompaniment

Robert Blocker, Dean

Director’s Notes{ by Vera Lúcia Calábria }

La Navarraise (The Girl from Navarre)Libretto by Jules Claretie and Henri Cain

A few years before La Navarraise premiered, famous soprano Emma Calvé stumbled over a striking verismo story, La Cigarette, by Jules Claretie, the manager of the Comédie Française. Emma, recognizing its dramatic possibilities, asked Henri Cain to arrange it to fit her needs and Massenet’s music style. And indeed Massenet ended up writing his first and only verismo opera.

The story definitely needed some major rearran- ging: its protagonist is Araquil, a poor peasant, who kills Zuccaraga for the blood money to be able to marry his beloved and wealthy Anita. Yet he kills Zuccaraga in a cowardly way, by pouring poison into Zuccaraga’s wounds. Araquil is paid for the deed, but when his cowardly act is revealed he is executed, smoking the cigarette he asked for as his last wish.

To suit Emma, the protagonist had to be a woman, so it was Anita who now became poor, and she offers to kill Zuccaraga to earn the dowry for her marriage with rich Araquil. Yet here she kills him in a heroic way: she goes alone into the enemy’s camp and stabs him to death. But verismo not only gives us “veristic” killings and love scenes, it also give us a true picture of society and its prejudices: women in society are thought of as either saints or whores, so Araquil curses Anita for going into the enemy’s camp. He believes the only reason for this can be an affair with Zuccaraga, and once he finds out what she really did, he curses her for having killed somebody. Considering that this story plays in the middle of a war where soldiers are killing each other incessantly, it seems somewhat ironic: a woman is not allowed to be as strong or as courageous as a man.

The BearLibretto by Paul Dehn and William Waltonafter a vaudeville by Anton Chekhov

The Bear is based on a delightful story by Anton Chekhov, turned into a brilliant commedia dell’arte piece by the composer William Walton. Here, too, a woman is struggling with the restraints of society. The widow Popova believes the only way to show to the world that she is a good woman is by mourning her rampantly unfaithful hus- band for the rest of her life. In this case, though, fate has mercy and has a better solution walk right through the door…

Each piece features a very strong woman. Also in each piece money, or rather the lack thereof, is the driving element of the story. Anita des- perately tries to find the dowry for her marriage with Araquil, and Popova finds out from her visitor that her husband owes a large sum of money, which the visitor wants to have repaid instantly. But whereas in Navarraise society is shown in its most dramatic, drastic and most destructive way, causing the senseless breaking of a woman, in The Bear society and human nature (with all of its faults) is looked upon with a smile and wisdom, allowing forgiveness. Perhaps this is a more constructive way to live?

Enjoy the performance!

Fri & Sat | April 17 & 18 7:30 pmsprague memorial hall

La Navarraise

Garrido, a generalAnita, a girl from Navarre

Ramon, a captainAraquil, a sergeantRemigio, father of AraquilBustamente, a sergeantEnsemble

Percussionist

tyler simpson, bass-baritonechrystal e. williams, mezzo-soprano*ana sinicki, mezzo-soprano**eric barry, tenormichael-paul krubitzer, tenordamien pass, bass-baritonevince vincent, baritonetadeusz szlenkier, tenorjeremy bowes, bass-baritoneMichael Compitello

an episode lyrique in two actsLibretto by Jules Claretie and Henri Cain after Claretie’s short story La cigarette

Performed in French with projected English translations Musical preparation and accompaniment by Timothy ShaindlinSurtitle translation by Vera Lúcia Calábria

General Garrido, fighting on Queen Isabella’s side, curses the Carlist leader Zuccaraga, who has recently captured Bilbao, and is fighting for the Infante Carlos. Anita, a poor lowly-born girl from Navarre, arrives in search of her lover Araquil. She meets Araquil and his father Remigio, who disapproves of his son being romantically involved with someone of a lower class. Remigio declares that he will consent to the marriage of Anita and Araquil only if Anita can produce a dowry of 2000 douros.

{ “The Girl from Navarre” - Music by Jules Massenet }

Garrido exclaims that he would pay a fortune to anyone who would assassinate the rebel leader, and Anita volunteers to kill Zuccaraga for 2000 douros. Araquil, her lover, hears that she has been asking after Zuccaraga and hur-ries away to find her. Anita returns, having completed the assassination, and is given her fee by Garrido. Araquil returns after being mortally wounded in his search for Anita. When he sees the money Anita has made, he accuses her of selling herself to Zuccaraga as his mistress. However, he hears the death bells sound confirming Zuccaraga’s death and only learns the truth as he dies.

intermission

** Friday performance** Saturday performance

Cast (in order of vocal appearance)

Luka, Madame Popova’s servantMadame Yeliena Ivanovna Popova, the young widow of a landownerGrigory Stephanovitch Smirnov, a middle-aged landowner

jeremy bowes, bass-baritoneemily righter, mezzo-soprano*gala el hadidi, mezzo-soprano**david pershall, baritone

an extravaganza in one actLibretto by Paul Dehn and William Walton after a vaudeville by Anton Chekhov

Performed in English with projected text

Musical preparation, accompaniment, and surtitles by Douglas Dickson

Madame Popova sits in her drawing room mourning her dead husband. Her servant Luka reproaches her for not taking more interest in life. She declares her intention of staying in mourning for the rest of her life even though her husband was brutal and unfaithful. Smirnov arrives asking for immediate repayment of a sizable debt owed to him by Mme. Popova’s late husband. She promises to settle the debt by the end of the week. As she leaves the room, Smirnov rages about the evils of his debtors and the illogical nature of women.

{ Music by William Walton }

Popova reappears and attacks Smirnov for his lack of manners. She refers to him as a Bear – an insult so great that he challenges her to a duel. She accepts, but he has to show her how to use the pistols. By this time he is so overcome by her beauty and spirit that he cannot fire and declares his love for her. She threatens to shoot him; he begs her instead to marry him. She orders him to leave, and then orders him to stay…

** Friday performance** Saturday performance

Cast (in order of vocal appearance)

The Bear

Yale Opera{ Production Staff }

vera lúcia calábria Stage Director

william b. warfel Lighting Designer

martha lehrCostume Designer

laura lynne knowlesStage Manager

{ Special Thanks }

janna batysamuel cardosolili chookasiantara demingbarbara dolneyrosaria frumentojoel furmanekchristopher melillojessica osbornejohn roachthe estate of anna moffo-sarnoffdaniel schlosbergkyle swannlucas wongmark young

grant meachumYale Opera Managing Director

meryn dalyYale Opera Production Coordinator

bill collinsProperties Master

janie flowersMaster Electrician

larry lehewLighting Board Operator

peter balsam donald claxonthomas delgadoesi hutchfuljohn mcculloughjohn robertsdonny uhlmannElectrics Crew

roberta senatoreSurtitle Operator

mireille asselin vince vincentStudent Assistants

Production Biographies

vera lúcia calábria

Vera Lúcia Calábria (Stage Director) returns to Yale Opera, where she recently directed L’Heure Espagnole, Bluebeard’s Castle, and Fall Scenes productions in 2005, 2006, and 2008. Born in Brazil, she began at the Bayerische Staatsoper (Munich) in 1977, and at San Francisco Opera in 1979 as assistant to Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. Productions staged for San Francisco Opera from 1983 to 2001 include Carmen, Cavalleria rusticana / I Pagliacci, La forza del destino, Der fliegende Holländer, and Falstaff. Other credits include Madama Butterfly in Strasbourg and Cologne, Manon in Vienna, Munich, and at the Metropolitan Opera, Parsifal in Barcelona, Falstaff in Chicago, Tosca in Montpellier, Tannhäuser in Honolulu, and Carmen in Zurich, Cologne, Chicago, and Tel Aviv.

Her other recent productions include La finta giardinera and L’Enfant et les Sortilèges / L’Heure Espagnole for UCLA, Der fliegende Holländer for Los Angeles Opera, Il barbiere di Siviglia for San Francisco Opera Center, Cavalleria rusticana / I Pagliacci for San Francisco Opera, The Queen of Spades at the Teatro Real, Madrid (Spain), Idomeneo and Aïda for Los Angeles Opera, Il barbiere di Siviglia for Indianapolis Opera, Der Rosenkavalier for Israeli Opera, and Don Giovanni at Rice University.

Ms. Calábria has served on the faculty of California State University-Los Angeles, teaches Commedia dell’Arte in workshops at CSULA, UC Santa Barbara, and UCLA, and is co-director of Israeli Opera’s Young Artist Program.

william b. warfel

William B. Warfel (lighting designer) has done lighting design and production management for over 30 Yale Opera productions since 1978. He was Co-chair of Design and Professor of Lighting at the Yale School of Drama from 1967 to 1993 and is currently in private practice as a lighting designer and theater consultant in Hamden, CT. A graduate of both Yale College and the School of Drama, Mr. Warfel taught at Dartmouth College and Long Island University and worked in the lighting profession in New York City prior to returning to the New Haven area. He has lectured and taught in Finland, China, Egypt, Iceland and Sweden and has worked on consulting projects in Scotland, Nigeria, and Ecuador. Mr. Warfel is a founding member of the International Association of Lighting Designers.

martha lehr

Martha Lehr (costume designer) returns for her ninth production with Yale Opera. Most recently she was the costume designer for the Fall 2008 Scenes production and Wardrobe Supervisor for Die Zauberflöte. A designer for more than 25 years, her designs include produc- tions of Inherit the Wind, Hamlet, and Dracula. She has also worked as a handbag designer with Judith Lieber in New York and a custom hat designer in her own millinery business. A graduate of both Upsala College and the Fashion Institute of Technology, Ms. Lehr has managed

the Costume Collection at the Yale School of Drama and has worked in the costume shops of Joseph Papp’s “Shakespeare in the Park”, Goodspeed Opera, Hartford Stage, and the Yale School of Drama.

douglas dickson

Douglas Dickson (musical preparation and accompaniment, The Bear) received his B.A. degree from Princeton University and his M.M.A. from the Yale School of Music. He has performed in Europe, Asia, South America, and throughout the United States. His performances have been heard on NPR stations in many states, Colombian National Radio, and ABC-T. As a vocal accompanist he has played for the master classes and studios of Sherrill Milnes, Renata Scotto, Régine Crespin, Carlo Bergonzi, and Licia Albanese. Mr. Dickson has been accompanist or music director for productions at Quinnipiac College, the Yale School of Drama, Opera Theater of Connecticut, Connecticut Experimental Theater, and Shubert Opera. He was music director and conductor for Yale Opera’s spring 2000 production of Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia. In 1997 and 1998 he performed and taught at the Itu Festival of Arts in Brazil, and has served for nine years on the faculty of Quinnipiac College. Mr. Dickson joined the Yale faculty in 1998.

timothy shaindlin

Timothy Shaindlin (musical preparation and accompaniment, La Navarraise), a native of New York City, joined the Yale School of Music faculty in September 2008. After studies at Indiana University, he worked for New York City Opera, Washington National Opera, San Diego Opera, Wolf Trap Opera and Pittsburgh Opera, and recently completed a 15-year stint with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, where he also coached for the Ryan Opera Center for American Artists. He has also coached for Glimmerglass Opera, Sarasota Opera and Hawaii Opera Theatre, where he recently conducted Sondheim’s A Little Night Music. In Europe, he worked for Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu and played five summers of master classes for Tito Gobbi. He has also played classes and coachings for such artists as Joan Sutherland, Birgit Nilsson, Beverly Sills, Marilyn Horne, Natalie Dessay, Ben Heppner, Luciano Pavarotti, Zinka Milanov, Eleanor Steber, Samuel Ramey, Regina Resnik, Regine Crespin and Frederica von Stade. In 2007 he prepared War and Peace for the Metropolitan Opera.

Liederabend monday, april 27, 8 pmMorse Recital Hall in Sprague Memorial Hall

The students of Yale Opera perform an evening of the finest Italian songs from three centuries, including selections by Verdi, Puccini, Rossini, Mascagni, Pizzetti, and many others. Timothy Shaindlin is the musical director and accom- panist for this concert event.

Student RecitalsSudler Hall in William H. Harkness Hall

monday, april 20, 4:00 pm Amanda Hall, soprano

monday, april 20, 5:30 pm Mireille Asselin, soprano

thursday, april 30, 4:00 pmEric Barry, tenor

thursday, april 30, 5:30 pmTyler Simpson, bass-baritone

saturday, may 2, 1:00 pmChrystal E. Williams, mezzo-soprano

saturday, may 2, 2:30 pmGala El Hadidi, mezzo-soprano

monday may 4, 4:00 pmDavid Pershall, baritone

monday, may 4, 5:30 pmMichael-Paul Krubitzer, tenor

thursday, may 7, 6:00 pmJeremy Bowes, bass-baritone

thursday, may 7, 7:30 pmVince Vincent, baritone

yale school of musicRobert Blocker, Dean

203 432 4158 Box Office

concerts@yale.eduE-mail Us

concerts & media

Vincent Oneppo Director

Dana AstmannAssistant Director

Monica OngDesign Manager

Tara DemingOperations Manager

Christopher MelilloOperations Assistant Manager

Danielle HellerBox Office Coordinator

Kelly Yamaguchi-ScanlonAccomodations & Travel

Brian DaleyPiano Curator

William HaroldPiano Curator

recording studio

Eugene KimballDirector / Recording Engineer

Jason RobinsAssistant Recording Engineer

Upcoming{ visit music.yale.edu for full listings }