On Wednesday, April 21 at 8:00pm conductor Anne Manson will lead the Juilliard Orchestra and Vocal Artists in Francis Poulenc's highly emotive Dialogues of the Carmelites, the final production of The Juilliard Opera Center season, directed by Fabrizio Melano. Last performed at Juilliard in 2001, Dialouges of the Carmelites is a work gaining currency as one of the masterpieces of the 20th-century repertoire; relatively conservative in its harmonic language and endowed with a constant flow of melody, the opera provides a powerful examination of faith during the French revolution. The production will be fully staged, and sung in French with English supertitles. Additional performances will follow on Friday, April 23 at 8:00pm and Sunday, April 25 at 2:00pm.
Francis Poulenc was the leading member of Les Six, a group of French composers devoted to turning music away from Impressionism, formality, and intellectualism. Written in 1957, Dialogues of the Carmelites - Poulenc's only full-length opera - contributes to his reputation as a composer of fine vocal music, and is considered to be one of his greatest works. Based on Gertrud von Le Fort's novella Die Letzte am Schafott (The Last on the Scaffold), the opera is set during the French Revolution and tells the story of Blanche de la Force, a member of the Carmelite convent in Compiègne, France. Surrounded by war, Blanche joined the convent as a means to escape the violence. Yet when the Revolution's reign of terror threatens to destroy the order itself, she is forced to make decisions which will change not only her life, but the lives of other convent members around her. The opera was first performed in Italian at La Scala in January 1957, and the original French version followed in June 1957 at the Opéra National de Paris.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Anne Manson, conductor
Anne Manson has achieved a series of historic milestones. She was the first woman to conduct at the Salzburg Festival, where she led the Vienna Philharmonic in Boris Godunov, and the third woman to be appointed Music Director of a leading symphony orchestra, having served as Music Director of the Kansas City Symphony from 1999 to 2003. She came to prominence early in her career as Music Director of London's Mecklenburgh Opera (from 1988 to 1996), programming operas ranging from Mozart to 20th-century rarities and new commissions. Today, she is Music Director of Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, with whom she has led two hugely successful tours with world famous soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian and percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie.
Manson recently led the Portland Opera Company in Philip Glass' Orphée, a recording of which will be released on the Orange Mountain Music label in March. Last season's opera appearances include Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream for the Canadian Opera Company, for which she received Canada's DORA Award for outstanding musical direction. She also made her debut at the Minnesota Opera in 2009 with the U.S. premiere of Jonathan Dove's The Adventures of Pinocchio and was immediately invited back to conduct Donizetti's Maria Stuarda in 2011. In Canada, she will record live concerts this season with soprano Measha Brueggergosman and recorder virtuoso Michala Petri. Recent recordings include two releases for BIS: a flute concerto by Mari Takano with flutist Sharon Bezaly and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, and tuba concerti with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and tubist Øystein Baadsvik.
After leading New York City Opera in Samuel Barber's Vanessa, The New York Times said, "Ms. Manson... has broken into the New York opera scene, and it's about time." She won the Richard F. Gold Debut Award for the production, which is presented by City Opera to the season's best debut artist. Other major engagements have included Così fan tutte for San Francisco Opera, the premiere of Scott Wheeler's Democracy (commissioned by Placido Domingo) for Washington National Opera, Carlisle Floyd's Susanna for Grand Theatre de Genève, and Donizetti's Viva la Mamma for Stockholm Royal Opera. She regularly conducts the Orquesta de Extremadura in Spain, and has been a guest conductor for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Paris' Ensemble Intercontemporain, Royal National Scottish Orchestra, BBC Scottish Orchestra, Houston Symphony, American Composers Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Swedish Chamber Orchestra, among others.
In November 2011, Anne Manson will conduct the U.S. premiere of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies' Kommilitonen, an opera commissioned by Juilliard and the Royal Academy of Music, at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater.
Fabrizio Melano, stage director
Fabrizio Melano is an established figure of the international opera scene, having worked with leading opera houses throughout the world for more than twenty-five years. He began a long-standing relationship with the Metropolitan Opera in 1970, and since then he has directed new productions of Pelléas et Mélisande, Norma with Renata Scotto, and Puccini's Il trittico, La bohème, and Madama Butterfly. The director's extensive work also includes new productions for Lyric Opera of Chicago, New York City Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Washington National Opera and Opera Company of Philadelphia.
Juilliard Opera Center
One of America's most prestigious programs for educating singers, The Juilliard School's Department of Vocal Arts offers young artists programs tailored to their talents and needs. From bachelor and master of music degrees to advanced artist diploma programs in voice and opera studies, Juilliard provides frequent performance opportunities, featuring singers in its own recitAl Halls, on Lincoln Center's stages, and around New York City. Juilliard Opera has presented numerous premieres of new operas as well as works from the standard repertoire.
Juilliard graduates may be heard in opera houses and concert halls throughout the world; diverse alumni artists include well-known performers such as John Aler, Sasha Cooke, Faith Esham, Simon Estes, Renée Fleming, Anthony Dean Griffey, Barbara Hendricks, Hei-Kyung Hong, Gwendolyn Killebrew, Michael Maniaci, Susanne Mentzer, Leona Mitchell, Leontyne Price, Florence Quivar, Neil Rosenshein, Risë Stevens, Tatiana Troyanos, Shirley Verrett, Veronica Villarroel, and Robert White, among others.
TICKET INFORMATION: Tickets are $20 and will be available for purchase beginning March 17. Visit the Juilliard Box Office on the plaza level at The Juilliard School, (Broadway at 65th Street) or call CenterCharge at (212) 721-6500. Half price tickets for students and seniors are available at the box office only.
