Season Information

Rehearsal and Performance Dates

Roles will be cast as suitable candidates are found, so apply asap; not all roles will require call-backs.  We expect to be full-cast (or nearly so) by Feb. 12, 2024.

Other Information

Morgan Manifacier, Bo Shimmin, Ai Ra, Jessica Bloch

PROGRAM:

from Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo, Op. 22  (1940)            Benjamin Britten
5. XXXVIII: Rendete agli occhi miei, o fonte o fiume
(“Give back to my eyes, o fountains and rivers”)
6. XXXII: “S’un casto amor, s’una pietà superna”
(“If there is a chaste love, a heavenly pity”)
         Morgan Manifacier, tenor
         Corinne Penner, pianist

I poemi del sole (1914)                                                   Francesco Santoliquido
1. Un’ ora di sole
2. Riflessi
3. Nel giardino
4. Sole d’autunno
     Bo Shimmin, tenor
     Chris Fecteau, piano

Three songs                                                                       Gabriel Fauré
1. Prison Op. 83, No. 1
2. Fleur jetée Op. 39. No. 2
3. L’absent Op. 5, No. 3
     Jessica Bloch, soprano
     Edward Forstman, piano

Romancillo                                                                    Joaquin Rodrigo
     Bo Shimmin, tenor
     Chris Fecteau, piano

INTERMISSION

Tre sonetti di Petrarca                                                       Franz Liszt
    ‘Pace non trovo,’ sonetto 104
    Ai Ra, tenor
    Edward Forstman, pianist

Les nuits d’été  H. 87 (1841)                                             Hector Berlioz
1. Villanelle
2. Le spectre de la rose
3. Sur les lagunes
4. Absence
5. Au cimetière
6. L’île inconnue
     Morgan Manifacier, tenor
     Corinne Penner, pianist

From Cincos Canciones Negras                                 Xavier Montsalvatge
4. Cancion de cuna para dormir un negrito
     Bo Shimmin
     Chris Fecteau, piano

Described as a “lovely soprano voice with a great deal of power as well as lyricism” (Opera News), soprano Clara Lisle was most recently seen as Suzel in L’Amico Fritz with Teatro Grattacielo and the Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice. Other operatic credits include Governess, The Turn of the Screw, Tatiana, Eugene Onegin, Musetta, La Bohème, Eurydice, Orpheus in the Underworld, and Marguerite, Faust. In addition to the traditional repertoire, she’s performed the role of Madeline Usher in Philip Glass’ The Fall of the House of Usher and was in the premiere cast of Onsite Opera’s Rhoda and the Fossil Hunt. Clara holds a Master’s degree and Professional Studies Diploma from Mannes The New School of Music and a Bachelor’s degree in vocal performance with Honors from Trinity Conservatoire of Music, London. She can be seen as Mélisande in dell’Arte Opera’s Pelléas et Mélisande this August.

Described as a performer who “gives himself completely to the singing” (Unser Lübeck), French tenor Morgan Manifacier is enjoying an international career as an interpreter of repertoire spanning from the Renaissance to the newest of contemporary music. Notable opera roles include the title role of Pygmalion (Rameau), Chevalier de La Force in Dialogues des Carmélites, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Sultan Soliman in Zaide, and Agenore in Il re pastore. He holds a DMA from Stony Brook University and has performed with the Oxford Lieder Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, dell’Arte Opera Ensemble, and Amherst Music Festival. He will appear with dell’Arte Opera this summer as the title role in Pelléas et Mélisande.

Long ago when the land and the king were one, a terrible darkness spread across the kingdom of Allemonde in the form of a dynasty of Tyrant Kings. So complete was this darkness that King Arkel became blind, and his sons were afflicted with a mysterious disease that cut their lives short in their prime. The only sources of the light were the Princesses of Hors-lemonde, whose sole task became to breed daughters who would bring the light back to the land. Arkel arranged the marriage of his first son to one of these women, Geneviève who failed to bring the light by giving birth to a male child, Golaud, before her husband died. Arkel married her to his second son, and she failed again giving birth to Golaud’s half-brother Pelléas, whose father suffers from his disease and is close to death.

Golaud’s first wife died giving birth to a male child, Yniold, and rather than risk another failure submitting to another marriage arranged by Arkel, Golaud left his family home to live in the forests beyond the sea. Golaud became lost hunting in these woods, and came across a young, ethereal woman by a fountain named Mélisande who recently escaped a terrible fate she cannot remember. Defying his family’s laws, Golaud marries Mélisande and brings her home to live in Arkel’s castle with his mother Geneviève, his son Yniold, and his half-brother Pelléas.

Enclosed by the darkness, Golaud neglects Mélisande who discovers she has more in common with young Pelléas. Golaud becomes blind with jealousy, believing Pelléas and Mélisande to be in an illicit affair, while Arkel sees Mélisande as the innocent woman who can bring the light back to the kingdom. Can Mélisande help Golaud master his beastly self, or does Golaud become the monster that Pelléas must slay? Can Mélisande bring balance to the kingdom by giving birth to the light, or will she fail as Geneviève has? Is this a story of Voyage and Return, or the Tragedy of Rebirth?

7:00 pm, 640 East 12th St., NYC (between Ave. B/C)

Clara Lisle, soprano
Kimberly Milburn, mezzo soprano
Rudy Giron, counter tenor
Ai Ra, tenor

PROGRAM

Rudy – “Lascia ch’io pianga” from Rinaldo by G.F. Handel
Clara – “Quando m’en vo” from La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini
Ai – “Ah! Mes amis!” from La fille du Regiment by Gaetano Donizetti

MOZART/DA PONTE SET
Kimberly – “Smanie implacabili” from Cosi fan tutte by W.A. Mozart
Clara – “Porgi amor” from Le nozze di Figaro by W.A. Mozart
Ai – “Il mio tesoro” from Don Giovanni by W.A. Mozart

Rudy – “I know a bank” from A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Benjamin Britten

CARMEN SET
Kimberly – Seguidilla or Habanera from Carmen by Georges Bizet
Clara – “Je dis que rien ne m’epouvante” from Carmen by Georges Bizet
Kimberly – the Card Aria from Carmen by Georges Bizet

Rudy – “My heart is in the East” – Aaron Copland

ROMANTIC ITALIAN SET
Clara – “Stridono lassù” from Pagliacci by Ruggiero Leoncavallo OR
Ai – “Pace non trovo” by Franz Liszt
Kimberly – “Voi lo sapete” from Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni
Clara – “Donde lieta” from La Boheme – Giacomo Puccini

FRENCH SONGS
Rudy – “L’enamouree” and/or “Si mes vers avaient des ailes” – Reynaldo Hahn
Ai – “Chanson triste” by Henri Duparc
Kimberly – “Après un rêve” by Fauré

ENCORE-ISH
Clara – “O mio babbino caro” from Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini
Rudy – “Nana” – Manuel de Falla

Sunday, June 12 at 3 pm
(on the lawn near Bruce’s Garden)
Park Terrace East at 214th Street

Featuring:

Rudy Giron
Anna Woiwood
Thomas Walters
Chris Fecteau, pianist and music director

PROGRAM

Rudy: “Lascia ch’io pianga” from Rinaldo – G.F. Handel

Tom: “Salut! demeure chaste et pure from Faust – Charles Gounod

Anna “Ah, je ris” (The Jewel Song) from Faust – Charles Gounod

Rudy – “L’enamouree” and “Si mes vers avaient des ailes” – Reynaldo Hahn

Anna – “Non mi dir” from Don Giovanni – W.A. Mozart

Tom – “La fleur que tu m’avais jetee from Carmen – Georges Bizet

Rudy – “I know a bank” from A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Benjamin Britten

Anna – “Si, mi chiamano Mimi” OR “Donde lieta” from La Boheme – Giacomo Puccini

Tom – “E lucevan le stelle” from Tosca OR “Amore o grillo from Madama Butterfly – Giacomo Puccini

Rudy – “My heart is in the East” – Aaron Copland

Tom – Aria of the Worm from The Ghosts of Versailles – John Corigliano

Anna – “But you do not know this man” from A View from the Bridge – William Bolcom

Tom – “Lonely House” from Street Scene – Kurt Weill

Anna – “Vilja Song” from The Merry Widow – Franz Lehar

Rudy – “Nana” – Manuel de Falla

Sunday, Oct. 31, 3pm

Isham Park, Inwood (Near Bruce’s Garden at 215th & Bruce Reynold’s Way)

Cast

cast of Anna Bolena

Ellen Teufel, Anne Boleyn
Kayla Faccilongo, Jane Seymour
Frederick Schlick, Lord Percy
Vincent Grana, King Henry VIII
SarahAnn Duffy, Smeaton
Robert Feng, Lord Rochefort
Stefan Barner, Hervey
with
Mun-Tzung Wong, Pianist and Music Director

COVERS:
Monica Niemi, Anne Boleyn
Perri di Christina, Smeaton
Rick Agster, Rochefort

Synopsis

Italicized portions of the synopsis are not represented in this concert.

King Henry’s fickle heart burns with another love, and Queen Anne’s position is threatened.  Jane Seymour enters at the request of the Queen, who admits to Jane that she is troubled. The Queen asks her court musician Smeaton to play and sing to cheer the people present, but stops him, troubled by thoughts of her first love, Percy, and her unhappiness on the throne.

Henry VIII meets Jane secretly and tells her that soon she will have no rival – she shall have both husband and the throne.

Lord Rochefort, Anna’s brother, is surprised by the arrival of Lord Richard Percy, called back to England from exile by Henry VIII.  Percy inquires about the happiness of his past love, Anne, and Rochefort answers that love is never content.

Percy is excited at the prospect of seeing Anne.  Henry, upon arrival, does not allow Percy to kiss his hand, but says that Anna has given him assurances of Percy’s innocence but she still has feelings for Percy. Henry VIII tells Hervey, an officer of the king, to spy on every step and every word of Anna and Percy.

Smeaton enters the Queens apartments to return a locket containing Anna’s portrait which he has stolen.  He hides when he hears a sound, and Anne and Rochefort enter. Rochefort pleads with Anne to meet with and calm the volatile Percy.  Percy arrives, and observes that Anna is unhappy. He reveals that he still loves her, but Anne does not wish to speak of their love.  Percy asks whether he can see Anne again and she refuses. He draws his sword to stab himself, and as Anne screams, Smeaton rushes out, believing that Percy is attacking Anne.  As Smeaton and Percy are about to fight, Anne faints, and first Rochefort and then the King enter.  Henry proclaims that all here have betrayed their king. Smeaton denies this, and tearing open his tunic to offer his breast to the king, the locket with Anna’s portrait falls at the king’s feet. He orders that all be dragged to dungeons.

Act 2

Jane arrives as Anne prays alone.  She counsels Anne that she can avoid execution by admitting guilt, but the Queen will not buy her life with infamy. As Anne expresses her hope that her successor will wear a crown of thorns, Jane admits that she is to be the successor. Anne forgives Jane and names Henry alone as the guilty one.

Hervey tells the courtiers that Smeaton has ‘confessed’ and has revealed a crime. Henry VIII enters, and Hervey reveals that Smeaton has fallen into the trap. Henry commands Hervey to continue to let Smeaton believe that he has saved Anna’s life.  As Percy and Anne are brought in separately, Henry claims that Anna has made love to the page Smeaton, and that there are witnesses; both Anna and Percy will die. Percy exclaims that in the eyes of heaven, he and Anna are married. They are led away by guards.

Jane enters, and pleads that she does not want to be the cause of Anna’s death. Henry VIII says that she will not save Anna by leaving. Hervey enters and says that the council has dissolved the royal marriage and has condemned Anna and her accomplices to death. Courtiers and Jane ask the king to be merciful. He tells them to leave.

As Percy and Rochefort wait in their cell, Hervey enters and says that the king has pardoned them. Hearing that Anne, however, is to be executed, they choose to be executed also.

Anne waits in her cell, imagining in her madness that it is her wedding day to the king, and that as Percy arrives, she asks him to take her back to her childhood home.  Percy, Rochefort and Smeaton are brought in. Smeaton throws himself at Anna’s feet and says that he accused her in the belief that he was saving her life. In her delirium, Anna asks him why he is not playing his lute.  Cannon fire returns Anne to her senses. When she is told that Giovanna and Enrico are being acclaimed by the populace on their wedding day, she says she does not wish vengeance on them. She faints as guards enter to lead the prisoners to the block.

Duration

Approximately 90 minutes, with no intermission.  Bring a blanket or chairs and a snack.  Social distancing highly encouraged.

LOCATION MAP FOR BRUCE’S GARDEN

map of Isham Park