Category Archives: 2012-2013 Season

Beyond Doubt

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I had an interesting conversation with a friend a few days ago. We were discussing Minnesota Opera’s upcoming world premiere of Doubt. We were both excited about the future run because, in our minds, the opera addresses something relevant and deeply personal to many. Suddenly I wished there were more operas that touched on current events.

With a combination of music and theater, opera has this amazing ability to tap into carnal values, forcing us to recognize them–unrequited love, for instance, and the desire to possess. I am happy and proud to say that I have experienced how opera can make one internalize complex human relationships. Performances like The Grapes of Wrath, Silent Night, and even Madame Butterfly left me with a new perspective on culture, interpersonal relationships, and myself. As much as I love opera’s ability to do this, I sometimes wonder if the year in which the opera was published, or the era in which the opera takes place, can occasionally create sizable distance between the audience and the performance happening on stage.

I think it would be amazing to see how opera addresses current affairs. Watching how the opera approaches topics such as Wall Street, gay marriage, abortion, or the Bush Administration would fascinate me. I imagine an already heated and complex issue, complimented by the richness of opera, and find myself hungry to know the result. I love the vast display of beauty from various eras, and by no means do I intend to criticize a masterpiece. Seeing the richness and depth that opera adds to any classic story or moment in history, I am simply eager to see what it might bring the the dramas of our own time.

- Tempo Board Member Colin Dickau

Visit Minnesota Opera’s blog every week for Tempo Tuesday 

The Beat Goes On

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As you can imagine, the staff, board and performers are thrilled with the outcome of Saturday’s opening performance of Nabucco.

It’s so interesting to experience the bit of human nature that adds a now expected but never certain bit of performance “oompf.” The singers conjure up a bit more sound or someone on stage is seized for an extra second because of something their colleague did. Could have been a glance or an outstretched hand no one had discussed.

I’m in the fortunate position of knowing what they’ve rehearsed but then have to be ready for how we all live the performance in that moment. Very cool and almost inexplicable experience. There were definitely some of those performance moments on Saturday. Brenda Harris’ performance returned long applause mid-show. Everything stopped for that moment. Others normally entering as the aria ended tastefully started their arrival but froze when it was clear that the audience needed this moment – and Brenda deserved it.

It was a heck of night though, a very well done Gala dinner preceded the performance. A lovely dessert reception followed. It was great fun getting to know a whole new musical community. I was really proud of the whole company for simply hitting the ball out of the park to open the anniversary season. As I came into the office today for a New Works Initiative meeting there was lingering excitement from the box office folks as well as the production crew I met at various points through the Opera Center along with board members and administrative staff in attendance.

As my attention during the daytime focuses on our next production, Anna Bolena, I am also eagerly anticipating a trip back to the Phoenix Symphony to conduct the “Eight Seasons” of Vivaldi and Piazzolla with one of my favorite violinists, Karen Gomyo. Summer is breaking in Phoenix and I’ve happily noted temps below 100 predicted for next week. I have some favorite restaurants to get back to and a small list of southwest items to bring back.

After the symphony performance next Thursday, it’s off to Boulder for off-season Colorado Music Festival donor cultivation and staff meetings over the weekend. Although it can get busy, you’ll never hear me complain (well, I hope you’ll never hear me complain!). I am a very lucky guy and I count those blessings everyday.

- Minnesota Opera Music Director Michael Christie

Visit Minnesota Opera’s Blog every week for Monday Music with the Maestro.

Opera and Beer?

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When talking to those unfamiliar with opera, I’ve noticed that individuals new to the genre tend to sense this invisible wall between themselves and all things revolving around opera. Perhaps its just me, but I get the sense that many people assume that an average night at the opera consists of prancing around the city with your yuppy friends, spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars, while we all revel in the majesty of high art and grade A/high caliber/ snobbery.

Is this a typical opera night of some? For me, no; but for others, sure. I think part of the appeal of opera is that, not only is the music beautiful, but so too are the elements revolving around the opera. The admiration for the genre doesn’t stop with the music, but rather, it seeps into the fashion of the show’s attendees, lingers around the aroma of fine food and wine, and is complimented by the sophisticated talk of its patrons. In short, the opera scene can be sexy, sophisticated and certainly intimidating as all hell. These combined elements can result in an amazing evening, but in regards to opera outreach, it may, in some sense, come with a price.

When considering the average perception of opera by today’s person, I wonder if it might do opera a favor to, now and then, ditch the suit and tie, lose the evening gown, and simply allow the public to sit back and appreciate the genre with a cold beer. Tempo’s Opera On Tap (October 18, 2012) captures this idea. It’s casual, it’s relaxed, and you are more than welcome to grace us all with your finest jeans and t-shirt.

Don’t get me wrong; I love the wine, I love the food, and everyone looking their best. But for me, true opera outreach is about exposure and accessibility. With a public perception focused a bit more on everyday living, and a bit less on champagne and black ties; I wonder if the culture of opera should do the same.

- Tempo Board Member Colin Dickau

Bringing the Pieces Together

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I admit freely that I am an aviation nut. Not only am I pilot but I am fascinated by the history that has connected our world via the air we breathe.

When it comes to these final days before opening night on Saturday, I am reminded of the enormous aviation hangars where massive unpainted aircraft fuselages are centrally perched off the floor with other components being joined from all sides before the hangar door opens to reveal a shiny, smooth vehicle that beautifully hides the cumulative hours of work, coordination and inspiration.

So goes opera this week as the Minnesota Opera moves its artistic and production operations from our spectacular Opera Center in Minneapolis to our performance home, the Ordway in St. Paul.

Monday night the cast and chorus meets the orchestra for the first time. In a rehearsal space down the hallway from the simultaneously occurring lighting and scenery work onstage tempos are tried and refined, balances are considered and trust is built.

We will start from the top and work through each of the four acts to see how the initial musical ideas of the past three weeks mix with the movement of fifty-five musicians of the Minnesota Opera orchestra.  Sometimes tempi that felt a little brisk with piano alone feel a bit different with plush strings contributing a bit of cushion but keeping the necessary momentum. Sometimes little corners that were easy to turn between a singer and pianist reveal themselves to be impractical with so many people participating. But more often than not the orchestra feeds off the drama and direction of the voice, and singers are buoyed by the mass of sound and instrumental color accompanying them.

Tuesday evening costumes, wigs and makeup are revealed onstage for the first time and the company begins to orient to the slightly larger on and off stage space. It will also be an important opportunity to see the twenty-one grand hand-painted scenery drops and working with those images. The orchestra is not required for this nor the Wednesday afternoon rehearsal sessions as these hours are occupied with moving people into the best areas for lighting or coordinating entrances around the enormous number of people the opera requires onstage.

With hopes that most of the logistics are worked out the orchestra convenes in the pit Wednesday evening and we truly bring all the pieces together. Thursday evening is our last crack at it with the opportunity to stop if absolutely necessary.

Then, the hangar door opens Saturday revealing a project that is polished and proud.

Heartfelt thanks to everyone backstage in areas like costumes and wigs, props, the scenery and paint shop and our administrative and artistic teams for allowing us to take a bow on your behalf.

- Minnesota Opera Music Director Michael Christie

 

Visit Minnesota Opera’s Blog every week for Monday Music with the Maestro.

The “Mystical Experience” of Live Performance

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This is when the rehearsal process gets interesting.

What I always find so compelling about working in opera is seeing what singers bring to their characters from the outset, and how those portrayals evolve with input from the director and responding to their colleagues’ concepts.

Since singers have their roles memorized, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they are deeply connected to the morality and motivation of their characters. The dynamic at Minnesota Opera is very special in this regard.  For this production we have two stage directors who are superbly balancing the conventions of the art form such as placement on stage to accommodate a proper balance with the orchestra, in tandem with the internal and interpersonal relationships that are so important to portray.

It’s this portrayal of characters that seems to separate the men from the boys, so to speak. If the group of singers either can’t or won’t weave their characters together, the opera will go on, but the power of portraying that particular aspect of humanity won’t “read” to the patron. I’m very excited that this production seems to be hitting that sweet spot where the characters are starting to read by themselves and interact with each other.

Now, the other key “character” (the orchestra), has to be brought into the mix. On Tuesday morning we have the first of three 3-hour orchestra rehearsals. During these rehearsal, we will naturally be working on matters of ensemble, but that extra layer of drama and character that I love so much in opera has to be expressed by the instruments as readily as the singers who have costumes, motion and text.

As it all comes together, I aim for the portrayal of these characters to be a full sensory experience. This, after all, is the world in which we live. Live, in-the-theater performance has the challenge of not being able to do a multi-angle camera zoom to show the subtle evolution of a character’s experience. However, we have the advantage of the music and the almost mystical experience of watching another human being standing some number of feet away, performing in our space.

That’s the miracle we are working toward and why it matters.

- Minnesota Opera Music Director Michael Christie

 

Visit Minnesota Opera’s Blog every week for Monday Music with the Maestro.