 E-mail Story Print Friendly
|
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Summer of firsts
By David Steinberg
Journal Staff Writer
SANTA FE — The Santa Fe Opera often points out "firsts" to the public — singers debuting at its opera house and operas it has never staged before.
This summer's opera festival, which opens next weekend, is no exception.
Three divas who have been on the SFO stage before are doing operas for the first time:
• French soprano Natalie Dessay will sing the female lead Violetta in "La Traviata."
• Dramatic soprano Christine Brewer will have the title role in "Alceste."
• And soprano Patricia Racette will sing in "The Letter," which itself is a first because the production is a world premiere.
And there's one other important person, a nonsinger, who is making a debut in his position at the opera house on the hill overlooking the town he grew up in.
Charles MacKay will watch over his first festival season as the SFO general director. He was hired last October.
The 59-year-old MacKay, however, isn't new to the opera company. He had worked at the SFO in lesser jobs — among them French horn player, box office manager and business manager — between 1968 and 1978.
"I feel very lucky to have inherited this season, which was planned by Richard Gaddes in his final year as general director," said MacKay, who comes here from the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, where he was its general director for 23 years.
"It's wonderful to have a season with a new look at 'La Traviata' starring one of the greatest singing actresses in the history of opera, Natalie Dessay, and to have a mix of repertory which features a stunning lineup of artists."
Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata" opens the SFO season on Friday, July 3. The next night, on Saturday, July 4, it will present the first of eight performances of Gaetano Donizetti's romantic comedy "The Elixir of Love."
MacKay said "Elixir" was last done in Santa Fe in 1968 and it seems to be seeing a resurgence in popularity. It was done a couple of years ago at the Metropolitan Opera, and the New York City Opera had an updated, modern production, he said.
W.A. Mozart's "Don Giovanni" opens July 18 for the first of eight performances. It stars baritone Lucas Meachem as the indefatigable womanizer plus three former SFO apprentices in an ensemble cast — Susanna Phillips as Donna Elvira, Kate Lindsey as Zerlina and Corey McKern as Masetto.
The opera company's fourth production is "The Letter" with music by Paul Moravec and libretto by Terry Teachout. It premieres on July 25 and has five more performances.
Racette, who portrays the character Leslie Crosbie, also was involved in the development of the opera's music, working closely with Moravec.
"He drafted the score and sent it to her. She tried on the part," MacKay said. "This harkens back to a time when many operas were written for great singers. ... So it's continuing a great tradition."
The production has an interesting backstage angle. Famous fashion designer Tom Ford, who grew up in Santa Fe, designed the costumes. It is the first time that Ford is designing costumes for an opera, MacKay said.
In Christoph Gluck's opera "Alceste," Brewer has the title role. The opera will have five performances, the first one on Aug. 1.
"It's a signature part for a dramatic soprano who has to be capable of a long, sustained classical line and dramatic utterance," MacKay said.
And dare we add: This is the first time in the SFO's history that it is staging "Alceste."
If you go
WHEN: Friday, July 3-Aug. 28
WHERE: Santa Fe Opera, five miles north of Santa Fe on U.S. 84/285.
HOW MUCH: Tickets range from $26 to 188 depending on performance and are available at the SFO box office, by calling (505) 986-5900 or toll-free (800) 280-4654 or online at www.santafeopera.org. Standing room only tickets are $10 by phone or in person. Subscriptions are available
| We do not publish all comments, and we do not publish comments immediately. |
|
|
