Secondary, Comprimario, and Ensemble cast members may participate in multiple operas and in song recitals programmed within the festival.

JUANA
Music by Carla Lucero
Libretto (in Spanish) by Carla Lucero & Alicia Gaspar de Alba
production single-cast with covers
4 – 5 performances

# At least partial nudity is indicated in the libretto (scroll to the end of the Juana breakdown for the description)
Ages are those listed in the score, not literal singer ages
Ethnicities refer to historical characters; casting will not necessarily take this information into account
@  One singer plays multiple roles

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz#, mezzo soprano (A3 – A5) PRINCIPAL
must have easy passaggio and upper register
Age: 30’s
Criollo

Concepcíon/Young Juana@, soprano (E4 – B5) COMPRIMARIO
tessitura is very “high and light”
Age: 16 – 20
Mestiza

El Alma, countertenor (A3 – F5) SECONDARY
Age: Any

The Vicereine (La Condesa)#, soprano (C4 – C6)  PRINCIPAL
tessitura sits above passaggio a significant amount, but needs a more mature sound for contrast with other characters
Age: 35 – 45
Spaniard

The Viceroy/Fiscal/Men in Shadows@, Tenor (F3 – B4)  SECONDARY
Age: 45 – 55
Spaniard

Sor Andrea/Mother Andrea/Chorus@, soprano (C4 – C6)  PRINCIPAL
must have free, easy top
Age: 30’s+

Padre Antonio/Men in Shadows@, baritone (A2 – F4)  PRINCIPAL
not high tessitura – could be bass baritone
Age: 55+
Criollo

The Bishop of Puebla/Sor Filotea/MIS@, tenor (D3 – A4)  PRINCIPAL
sits high register a good amount of the time; must be comfortable in drag
Age: 40’s
Spaniard

The Archbishop/Men in Shadows@, bass (F2 – A3)  SECONDARY
Age: 50 – 60
Spaniard

Madre Melchora, contralto (A3 – C5)  SECONDARY
Age: 40’s

Sor Rafaela/Chorus@, mezzo soprano (A3 – G5)   SECONDARY
Age: 30’s

Don Carlos/Court Clerk/Men in Shadows@, tenor (Eb3 – C5)  SECONDARY
top register used, but role does not sit there
Age: 30 – 40
Criollo

Four additional chorus members (Nuns; may cover some roles above)  COMPRIMARIO/ENSEMBLE
Age: Any
There were several kinds of nuns in the convent, including converted Jewish nuns, as well as mestizas whose racial mixture tended to be muted by years of intermixing with Spaniards 
3 sopranos, 1 alto
Covers for other roles may also sing chorus

# Stage directions quoted from the libretto: La Condesa bares and kisses Juana’s shoulders, then wraps her arms around Juana. Juana kisses La Condesa’s neck. La Condesa takes Juana’s hands and kisses them, then leads Juana to her bed, and in one fluid movement, Juana steps free of her camisole. Both naked now, they are enveloped in the darkness of the night. (end of Act I).  A professional intimacy coach will be an integral part of the staging process for this scene.

PELLEAS ET MELISANDE (abridged version)
Music by Claude Debussy
Libretto (in French) adapted from the play by Maurice Maeterlinck
production single-cast with covers
4 – 5 performances

PRIMARY CASTING WILL FAVOR dell’ARTE OPERA ENSEMBLE ALUMNI

Arkel (King of Allemonde), bass  SECONDARY
Geneviève (mother of Golaud and Pelléas), contralto   SECONDARY
Golaud (grandson of Arkel), baritone or bass baritone   PRINCIPAL
Pelléas (grandson of Arkel), tenor or baritone (baryton-Martin)  PRINCIPAL
Mélisande, soprano or high mezzo soprano  PRINCIPAL
Yniold (young son of Golaud), soprano or boy soprano  COMPRIMARIO

IL RITORNO d’ULISSE IN PATRIA
Music by Claudio Monteverdi
Claude Debussy
Libretto (in Italian) by Giacomo Badoaro
production single-cast with covers
4 – 5 performances

ROLES MAY BE COMBINED FOR INDIVIDUAL SINGERS
Tessitura of soprano and tenor roles are lower than most traditional opera, and may be assigned to mezzo sopranos or baritones

GODS AND GODDESSES (only a few scenes each, therefore all COMPRIMARIO_
L’humana Fragilità, mezzo soprano
Il Tempo, bass
La Fortuna, soprano
L’Amore, soprano
Nettuno, bass
Giove, tenor
Giunone, soprano
Minerva, soprano

HUMANS
Penelope, mezzo-soprano  PRINCIPAL
Ericlea (Penelope’s nurse), mezzo soprano (could be en travesti/counter tenor)  SECONDARY
Melanto (attendant to Penelope), soprano  COMPRIMARIO
Ulisse, tenor   PRINCIPAL
Eumete (a shepherd), tenor  COMPRIMARIO
Iro (a parasite), tenor  COMPRIMARIO
Telemaco (son of Ulisse), tenor  SECONDARY
Penelope’s suitors – some solo singing, some trio singing  all COMPRIMARIO
   Anfinomo (suitor to Penelope) alto or countertenor
   Pisandro (suitor to Penelope), tenor
   Antinoo (suitor to Penelope), bass
Eurimaco (servant to Penelope’s suitors), tenor  COMPRIMARIO

Saturday, Oct. 16, 3pm – Washington Heights

Bennett Park: West 183rd St & Fort Washington Ave, New York, NY 10033

2nd performance: Sunday, Oct. 17, 3pm – Lower East Side

Campos Community Garden on East 12th Street between Avenue’s B & C

Cast

Stephen Steffens, Belmonte
Heather Bobeck, Konstanze
Jessica Bloch, Blonde
Stefan Barner, Pedrillo
Rick Agster, Osmin
with
Doug Shapiro, Narrator and the Pasha Selim
Chris Fecteau, pianist and music director

Narration written by librettist, Marianna Mott Newirth

Synopsis

The Pasha Selim recounts the story (and lessons) of the English woman Konstanze, who with her servant Blonde was sold by pirates into his harem.  Belmonte, Konstanze’s bethrothed, has finally found her, and works with his servant Pedrillo (who was captured with the women) to enact a rescue.  Osmin, the Pasha’s ill-tempered servant, is enamored of Blonde just as the Pasha is entranced by the strong-willed Konstanze – but both women find ways to resist the advances of their captors until the happy reunion with their rescuer, Belmonte.

Duration

Approximately 75 minutes, with no intermission.  Bring a blanket or chairs and a snack.  Social distancing highly encouraged.

“Songs for a Summer Day”
July 24, 2021 at 11 a.m.
Isham Park, Inwood

DIANA CHARLOP, soprano
STEFAN BARNER, tenor
CHRIS FECTEAU, pianist

PROGRAM

Diana – “Vado, ma dove” (concert aria) – W. A. Mozart 

Stefan – O colombina (Pagliacci) – R. Leoncavallo
           – “Frisch zum Kampfe (Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail) – W. A. Mozart

Diana – Two Songs of Mozart
     – Dans un bois solitaire
     – Oiseaux si tous les ans

Stefan – Two Shakespeare settings – Roger Quilter
     – Come away death
     – O mistress mine

Diana – Three selections from “Fiançailles pour rire” – Francis Poulenc
     – La Dame D’André
     – Violon
     – Fleurs

Stefan – Three Neapolitan Songs
– Mattinata – R. Leoncavallo
     – ‘A vucchellla – F. P. Tosti
     – O sole mio – E. di Capua

Diana – Gavotte: “Obéissons quand leur voix appelle: (Manon) – J. Massenet

Luisamaria Hernandez and Geddy Warner

July 10, 2021 at 11 a.m.
Fort Tryon Park – New Leaf Cafe Lawn

Featuring Luisamaria Hernandez, soprano and Geddy Warner, tenor
with Chris Fecteau, pianist

PROGRAM

Luisamaria – L’ideal – C. Chaminade

Geddy – Three Songs by Lili Boulanger
    Vous m’avez regardé avec toute votre âme
    Elle est gravement gaie
    Reflets

Luisamaria – Two Songs by Richard Strauss
    Das Rosenband
    Breit über mein Haupt

Geddy – Three English Songs
    The Sigh – G. Finzi
    O that it were so – F. Bridge
    The Ocean Burial – S. Kohn

Luisamaria – L’Heure exquise – R. Hahn

Geddy – “Vainement, ma bien aimee” from Le Roi d’Ys by E. Lalo

Luisamaria – “Escuchame” from Florencia en el Amazonas by D. Catan 

Geddy – Three Spanish Songs
    Del cabello más sutil – F. Obradors
    Serenata Mexicana – M. Ponce
    Bésame mucho – C. Velazquez