Opera Idaho

…are good! So, Boise, do you realize that you have an excellent opera company? I am pleasantly surprised and I’ll tell you why. We artists are shuffled around from company to company from anywhere from 2-4 weeks at a time. Sometimes we stay in hotels and live out of suitcases, sometimes we have host families. It can be a lonely existance and expensive if we’re not careful. Little things in a company make all the difference. The executive director picked me up at the airport in the middle of Boise’s earliest snowfall in history. I arrived at the home of Max and Rosemary Bearden, where I will be housed for my stay. I have my own space and freedom and use of a beautiful kitchen, and I sigh with relief. The next day I come downtown to the Opera Idaho offices and rehearsal space, part of the Simplot Performing Arts Academy, and not only do I jump up and down like a kid in a candy store, but I realize that my stay here will be more than alright. The facilities are a singer’s dream: beautiful pianos, excellent accoustics and spacious rooms. Ok, then its the cherry on the sundae that they give me a choice of cars donated by Lyle Pearson and of course I choose the red Jaguar. I think it will help me get into character while I’m here. These first impressions are delightful and better than many of my experiences in the past, so thank you. I hope I will always be as grateful for the little things as I am today.

Beyond first impressions, the ones that will last are artistic. We all arrive for the first rehearsal and surprisingly many of us know one or two people from other companies already. There is an air of nervousness (perhaps just mine) as no doubt we are all wondering just how good this show will be. I may sound like a cheerleader today, but this cast is excellent. I instantly realize that I have a singer’s conductor, aka. a conductor who cares about us, truly collaborates, and is passionate for the music at hand. I am blown away by my Enrico (Dennis Jesse) who is singing through a cold and one would never guess it. Well, that’s just the beginning.

If that isn’t enough to get you excited, how about this opera? When I meet people and I tell them what I do, I inevitably see a slight physical retraction and they say, ‘really’? Why is opera so unusual to the average person? I’m telling you, I have the answers. I believe it is because people at one point or another we forced by their grandfather to sit and listen to opera with they were little, having no idea what was going on. Or, they’re young and it seems like something you do when you’re retired. Or, people went to an opera twenty years ago and either there was no translation or they went to an opera they didn’t like. I’ll tell you a secret. There are operas that I don’t like, but the ones I do satisfy my need for drama and comedy and great music far better than any Broadway musical. And today, you will scarcely be able to find a company that doesn’t show the english translation above the stage. If you haven’t seen an opera lately, this may just be the best one to see. Here is a link to the synopsis of many operas from the Met website. When you click on this link, click on ‘By Title’, then scroll down to Lucia di Lammermoor. http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/history/stories/index.aspx Its perfect for Halloween weekend! This is a story based on Sir Walter Scott’s The Bride of Lammermoor, complete with fueding families, evil brothers, impossible romance, insanity, and murder.

I would also like to introduce you to YouTube if you haven’t discovered it already. I will give you clips from various sopranos singing Lucia so you can get a taste for the famous Mad Scene in Act 3. This scene in its entirety is about 17 minutes of some of the most exciting music for a soprano that exists. There are countless high notes, sudden drops, and shifts in mood to suit her psychological breakdown.

My favorite for pure vocalism is Mariella Devia. This is the first half of the Mad Scene, recorded in concert.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XVGQ7yeLS4

Many people’s favorite actress in this role is Natalie Dessay. This is the last section of the Mad scene from the Met. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqxhR5qa0Uc

And merging the two with pinache is Maria Callas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR6RD6-JV_A

Dear readers, please let me know if you watched these clips and what you think of them. Have you seen this opera before? Will this be a first for you? You can leave comments and questions below. I can’t wait ’till you see this production!

Rochelle