San Carlos St & 9th Ave
Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923
USA
Orchestra, Chorale, Chorus, Soloists conducted by Paul Goodwin
Mhairi Lawson, soprano; Meg Bragle, mezzo-soprano; Thomas Cooley, tenor; Dashon Burton, bass-baritone; Francesca Faridany, actress-narrator
George Frideric Handel Acis and Galatea
Overture
Chorus : Oh the pleasure of the plains
Tenor Aria (Acis): Love in her eyes
Soprano Aria (Galatea): As when the dove
Bass-Baritone Aria (Polephemus) : I Rage – / O Ruddier than the cherry
Trio : The flocks shall leave the mountains
Tenor Aria: Help, Galatea, Help!
Chorus : Galatea Dry thy tears
Igor Stravinsky The Rake’s Progress
Instrumental Introduction
Tenor Aria: Here I stand
Chorus and Bass Solo: The Sun is Bright
Soprano – cabaletta: I go, I go to him
Mezzo-Soprano Aria : Come, sweet, come; Scorned, Abused
Chorus : Ruin, Disaster. Shame
Tenor aria : I Burn, I burn! I freeze; With roses crowned
Chorus: Mourn for Adonis
Epilogue
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart The Marriage of Figaro
Overture
Soprano and Bass-Baritone Duet: Cinque, Dieci, Venti
Bass-Baritone Aria: Se vuol ballare
Mezzo-Soprano Aria: Voi che sapete
Tenor Aria: In quagl’anni
Soprano, Tenor, Bass-Baritone Trio: Cosa sento
Chorus : Gio Vani liete
Georges Bizet Highlights from Carmen
Overture
Mezzo-Soprano Aria: Gypsy song
Tenor Aria: La fleur que tu m’avais
Mezzo-Soprano and Chorus: Habanera
Soprano Aria: Je dis que rien
Bass-Baritone and Chorus: Toreadors Song
“All opera is about saints, sinners, seducers, victims and death! In this evening of drama and excitement we present four contrasting operas that show elements of all these traits that make opera so compelling,” said Paul Goodwin
The Tuesday evening performances explore the saint and sinner characters as depicted by four major opera composers. The evening begins with the story of the beautiful Galatea’s (Mhairi Lawson) love for the shepherd Acis (Thomas Cooley), and of the monstrous giant Polyphemus (Dashon Burton) jealousy and desire for Galatea.
Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress is a neo-Baroque work, and is nothing like you might have heard before from the Russian master. The story tells of Tom Rakewell (Thomas Cooley), an impressionable young man who jilts his fiancée, Anne Trulove (Mhairi Lawson), for the get-rich-quick promises made by the sinister Nick Shadow (Dashon Burton), who really is the Devil. After several misadventures, all initiated by the devious Shadow, Tom ends up in Bedlam, an insane asylum. In true devotion to Tom, Anne Trulove rescues his soul at the opera’s conclusion.
Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro beings with one of the shortest but most memorable overtures in the repertory. The opera tells the story of the servants Figaro and Susanna, who get married. This spoils the efforts of their philandering employer, Count Almaviva to seduce Susanna, teaching the sinner Count a lesson in fidelity. Marriage of Figaro’s lighthearted and melodic sensibility has made it an audience favorite since its debut in 1786.
The evening concludes with Carmen, which has everything that makes for a beloved opera: passionate drama, great characters, a love story, and some of the best known and loved music. Bizet’s work is packed with great and instantly familiar melodies including the Habanera and the Gypsy Song—sung by the title character as performed by Meg Bragle— and concluding with the Toreador’s Song, as performed by our Toreador, Dashon Burton. The character of Carmen is both saint and sinner and serves as the perfect capstone for the evening. She is a seducer, yet is also a fragile victim and strong feminist.