2013 melbourne subscription brochure

Intense, Inspiring, Imaginative. OPERA AUSTRALIA MELBOURNE

OPERA 2013

Principal Partner www.opera-australia.org.au

2013 The shape of opeRa To come

Next year’s season reflects an exciting chapter in Opera Australia’s history. It is a time of celebration, adventure and enterprise to enable the Company to take its place as a truly international performing arts company.

With a vibrant identity in Sydney and Melbourne and an increasing focus on Brisbane, we are pushing the envelope by responding to each city’s sense of cultural place.

The heartening success of Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour – La Traviata owed much to the natural beauty of the setting and to the festive spirit of the ‘Harbour City.’ We envisage that Gale Edwards’ striking new version of Carmen will do the same next autumn.

Our eagerly-awaited production of the Ring cycle is an immense challenge but a work of this magnitude is an important milestone in Opera Australia’s history. It is the perfect way to mark Wagner’s bicentenary; to celebrate the cultural life of this city; and to explore the full potential of the Arts Centre Melbourne’s State Theatre. Neil Armfield’s imaginative vision for Wagner’s epic cycle is deeply connected to a culture that prides itself on bold creative expression.

Next year we also celebrate Verdi’s bicentenary, which lies at the heart of our program. It encompasses a revival of Graeme Murphy’s highly successful production of Aida and a thrilling new version of A Masked Ball by La Fura dels Baus. Alex Ollé’s production makes a bold statement about the art form and promises to set a new theatrical benchmark. The collaborators are doing great things to reinvent opera and it is this kind of work that I’m keen to champion and explore.

Opera Australia is respectful of its history and liberated by ideas. It is at the forefront of inventive stagecraft, brilliant storytelling and nurturing outstanding talent.

We hope you find our next chapter passionate and inspiring.

LYNDoN TeRRacINI ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Awesome singing, memorable music and imaginative theatricality make opera the most spectacular and enthralling experience.

Whether it’s a new interpretation of an opera by a director, conductor or a designer, nothing comes close to the magic, passion and bold expressiveness of a stage populated by great singers and breathtaking scenery.

The opera is a place of exotic wonders, intense emotions and thrilling music for everyone to share. It sends a shiver down the spine. It will leave you awestruck.

At Opera Australia, artistic excellence is at the core of every performance. The anticipation and joy of a great night immersed in the fantasy, transformational power and humanity of opera is a unique journey of discovery for us all. The depth and scope of the art form – intimate, mighty and exhilarating – is open to infinite possibilities.

We invite you to enter a dynamic world replete with soul-stirring moments to treasure for a lifetime.

INTENSE, INSPIRING, IMAGINATIVE.

BOOK EARLY FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A NEW MAZDAGet your subscription or renewal to us by 5pm friday 21 september 2012 and you could be driving away in a brand new mazda cX-5 aWD 2.2L Diesel maxx sport. It’s an SUV. But not as you know it. There’s never been an SUV like it. Drive the Mazda CX-5, and you’ll never go back to an ordinary SUV. It all adds up to put the Mazda CX-5 a leap ahead.

Mazda CX-5 is the first new generation vehicle to boast the complete suite of SKYACTIV Technology. Breakthrough innovations minimise fuel consumption, allowing you to use as little as 5.1 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres. You’ll enjoy performance other SUVs can’t keep up with, and unmatched Zoom-Zoom enjoyment,

acceleration and handling. The All-New Mazda CX-5 gives you the space and versatility of an SUV, but with amazing fuel economy and the instincts of a sports car.

The prize pack includes all on-road charges, 12 months registration and stamp duty.

For full competition terms and conditions visit www.opera-australia.org.au

Authorised under NSW Permit No. LTPS/12/06381 Vic Permit No. 12/1908 ACT Permit No. ACT TP 12/02843

2013 The shape of opeRa To come

Next year’s season reflects an exciting chapter in Opera Australia’s history. It is a time of celebration, adventure and enterprise to enable the Company to take its place as a truly international performing arts company.

With a vibrant identity in Sydney and Melbourne and an increasing focus on Brisbane, we are pushing the envelope by responding to each city’s sense of cultural place.

The heartening success of Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour – La Traviata owed much to the natural beauty of the setting and to the festive spirit of the ‘Harbour City.’ We envisage that Gale Edwards’ striking new version of Carmen will do the same next autumn.

Our eagerly-awaited production of the Ring cycle is an immense challenge but a work of this magnitude is an important milestone in Opera Australia’s history. It is the perfect way to mark Wagner’s bicentenary; to celebrate the cultural life of this city; and to explore the full potential of the Arts Centre Melbourne’s State Theatre. Neil Armfield’s imaginative vision for Wagner’s epic cycle is deeply connected to a culture that prides itself on bold creative expression.

Next year we also celebrate Verdi’s bicentenary, which lies at the heart of our program. It encompasses a revival of Graeme Murphy’s highly successful production of Aida and a thrilling new version of A Masked Ball by La Fura dels Baus. Alex Ollé’s production makes a bold statement about the art form and promises to set a new theatrical benchmark. The collaborators are doing great things to reinvent opera and it is this kind of work that I’m keen to champion and explore.

Opera Australia is respectful of its history and liberated by ideas. It is at the forefront of inventive stagecraft, brilliant storytelling and nurturing outstanding talent.

We hope you find our next chapter passionate and inspiring.

LYNDoN TeRRacINI ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Awesome singing, memorable music and imaginative theatricality make opera the most spectacular and enthralling experience.

Whether it’s a new interpretation of an opera by a director, conductor or a designer, nothing comes close to the magic, passion and bold expressiveness of a stage populated by great singers and breathtaking scenery.

The opera is a place of exotic wonders, intense emotions and thrilling music for everyone to share. It sends a shiver down the spine. It will leave you awestruck.

At Opera Australia, artistic excellence is at the core of every performance. The anticipation and joy of a great night immersed in the fantasy, transformational power and humanity of opera is a unique journey of discovery for us all. The depth and scope of the art form – intimate, mighty and exhilarating – is open to infinite possibilities.

We invite you to enter a dynamic world replete with soul-stirring moments to treasure for a lifetime.

INTENSE, INSPIRING, IMAGINATIVE.

BOOK EARLY FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A NEW MAZDAGet your subscription or renewal to us by 5pm friday 21 september 2012 and you could be driving away in a brand new mazda cX-5 aWD 2.2L Diesel maxx sport. It’s an SUV. But not as you know it. There’s never been an SUV like it. Drive the Mazda CX-5, and you’ll never go back to an ordinary SUV. It all adds up to put the Mazda CX-5 a leap ahead.

Mazda CX-5 is the first new generation vehicle to boast the complete suite of SKYACTIV Technology. Breakthrough innovations minimise fuel consumption, allowing you to use as little as 5.1 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres. You’ll enjoy performance other SUVs can’t keep up with, and unmatched Zoom-Zoom enjoyment,

acceleration and handling. The All-New Mazda CX-5 gives you the space and versatility of an SUV, but with amazing fuel economy and the instincts of a sports car.

The prize pack includes all on-road charges, 12 months registration and stamp duty.

For full competition terms and conditions visit www.opera-australia.org.au

Authorised under NSW Permit No. LTPS/12/06381 Vic Permit No. 12/1908 ACT Permit No. ACT TP 12/02843

When New York’s Metropolitan Opera was commissioning a new The Magic Flute, it looked to Julie Taymor, director of Disney’s The Lion King, for inspiration. She took Mozart’s fairy tale and turned it into a show that, in the spirit of the original, speaks to the child in all of us.

Dazzling costumes, puppetry, pacy

English dialogue and theatrical

ingenuity meet the radiant melodies

of a musical genius. This is sure to be

a perfect introduction to opera.

A feisty young cast brings this landmark production to Sydney. Andrew Brunsdon Papageno, and Nicole Car and Hyeseoung Kwon as Pamina. The towering role of Queen of the Night will be shared by Emma Pearson, Suzanne Shakespeare and Angela Brun, and David Parkin is Sarastro.

Tamino is a noble prince on a quest. He discovers strange lands, inhabited by wondrous creatures – scary women, wise children and even a bird man – but that is not what he is looking for. Will Tamino finally discover the truth? And will he find true love?

Evenings at 7:30pm: January 6, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 27. February 2, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, 23, 27. March 1, 3, 13, 21, 23.

Matinees at 1pm: February 4, 25.Performed in Italian with English surtitles.

Running time: two hours and fifty-five minutes including two twenty-minute intervals.

GIUSEPPE VERDI

A MASKED BALLUN BALLO IN MASchERA | NEW PRODUcTION

Prepare to be startled by a breathtaking new production by La Fura dels Baus, the ingenious company that has staged a powerful version of Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust and György Ligeti’s spectacular fantasy Le Grand Macabre. The innovative director Alex Ollé and designers Alfons Flores and Lluc Castells have created a visually stunning, ground-breaking tale of deception, disguise and fate in a world where the wealthy have all the power and control the populace.

While the benevolent ruler plans a grand masquerade for the pleasure of his subjects, his conspirators are plotting his end. The traitors, however, will only succeed if they can enlist an ally close to the king. With its unforgettable melodies and fine balance of romance and tragedy – and one of opera’s greatest love duets – the international collaboration is a first for Opera Australia ahead of seasons in Brussels, Oslo and Buenos Aires.

The acclaimed soprano Takesha Meshé Kizart and rising Mexican tenor Diego Torre make their Opera Australia role debuts as Amelia and Gustav III respectively, while the outstanding José Carbó portrays Count Anckarstroem in his first Verdi opera. Ollé’s visceral production sets a new benchmark in theatrical innovation and promises to be as mind-boggling and daring as it is musically lush. It is conducted by the Italian composer and conductor Andrea Molino, the artistic director of the World Venice Forum who conducted Of Mice and Men and Macbeth for Opera Australia.

Conductor andrea molino

Director alex ollé

Set Designer alfons flores

Costume Designer Lluc castells

Lighting Designer Urs schönebaum

Gustav III Diego Torre

Amelia Takesha meshé Kizart Jacqueline mabardi

Count Anckarstroem José carbó

Ulrica Arvidson mariana pentcheva

Oscar Lorina Gore

Cristian christopher hillier

Count Ribbing Richard anderson

Judge andrew Brunsdon

orchestra Victoria

opera australia chorus

evenings at 7.30pm: April 12, 17, 20, 23, 26. May 3.

Performed in Italian with English surtitles.

Running time: approximately two hours and fifty-five minutes including one twenty-minute interval.

A co-production with Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires; La Monnaie, Brussels; Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, Oslo.

GIUSEPPE VERDI

A MASKED BALLUN BALLO IN MASchERA | NEW PRODUcTION

Prepare to be startled by a breathtaking new production by La Fura dels Baus, the ingenious company that has staged a powerful version of Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust and György Ligeti’s spectacular fantasy Le Grand Macabre. The innovative director Alex Ollé and designers Alfons Flores and Lluc Castells have created a visually stunning, ground-breaking tale of deception, disguise and fate in a world where the wealthy have all the power and control the populace.

While the benevolent ruler plans a grand masquerade for the pleasure of his subjects, his conspirators are plotting his end. The traitors, however, will only succeed if they can enlist an ally close to the king. With its unforgettable melodies and fine balance of romance and tragedy – and one of opera’s greatest love duets – the international collaboration is a first for Opera Australia ahead of seasons in Brussels, Oslo and Buenos Aires.

The acclaimed soprano Takesha Meshé Kizart and rising Mexican tenor Diego Torre make their Opera Australia role debuts as Amelia and Gustav III respectively, while the outstanding José Carbó portrays Count Anckarstroem in his first Verdi opera. Ollé’s visceral production sets a new benchmark in theatrical innovation and promises to be as mind-boggling and daring as it is musically lush. It is conducted by the Italian composer and conductor Andrea Molino, the artistic director of the World Venice Forum who conducted Of Mice and Men and Macbeth for Opera Australia.

Conductor andrea molino

Director alex ollé

Set Designer alfons flores

Costume Designer Lluc castells

Lighting Designer Urs schönebaum

Gustav III Diego Torre

Amelia Takesha meshé Kizart Jacqueline mabardi

Count Anckarstroem José carbó

Ulrica Arvidson mariana pentcheva

Oscar Lorina Gore

Cristian christopher hillier

Count Ribbing Richard anderson

Judge andrew Brunsdon

orchestra Victoria

evenings at 7.30pm: April 12, 17, 20, 23, 26. May 3.

Running time: approximately two hours and fifty-five minutes including one twenty-minute interval.

A co-production with Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires; La Monnaie, Brussels; Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, Oslo.

GIUSEPPE VERDI

AIDAIf ever there were a 19th-century opera to have stood the test of time it is Verdi’s soaringly romantic and dramatic Aida. Its exotic, golden images of Egypt, spine-tingling arias, potent choruses, conflicting allegiances and cruel twists of fate make it one of the pillars of the grand opera repertoire.

The director and choreographer Graeme Murphy’s triumphant staging of the masterpiece is both intimate and epic. Brilliantly designed by Roger Kirk and strikingly lit by Damien Cooper, the production evokes the opera’s splendour and unsurpassed musical characterisation through vivid projected images and soaring voices.

At its core, Aida is a tale of star-crossed lovers – the fragile but strong-willed Ethiopian princess Aida, the heroic yet all-too-human general of the Egyptian army Radamès and the king’s status-conscious, lovelorn daughter, the Egyptian princess Amneris. Aida is captured in battle and given to Amneris as a slave. Our heroine falls for Radamès and must ultimately choose between her love for Radamès or her love for her country. The passion intensifies with three remarkable performers making their role debuts – the stunning Daria Masiero in the title

role, having recently won acclaim as Liù in Murphy’s acclaimed Turandot, Carlo Barricelli as Radamès (Calaf in Turandot) and former principal artist at Hamburg State Opera Deborah Humble as Amneris. Verdi specialist and acclaimed international conductor Renato Palumbo wields the baton in his Opera Australia debut.

evenings at 7.30pm: April 22, 24, 27, 29. May 1, 4, 7, 9.

matinee at 1pm: May 11.

Running time: approximately two hours and fifty minutes including one twenty-minute interval.

Conductor Renato palumbo

Director Graeme murphy

Rehearsal Director shane placentino

Set Designer Roger Kirk, concept by Graeme murphy

Costume Designer Roger Kirk

Projection Designer The Brothers Gruchy

Lighting Designer Damien cooper

Aida Daria masiero

Radamès carlo Barricelli

Amneris Deborah humble

Amonasro michael honeyman

The King Richard anderson

High Priestess Natalie aroyan

Messenger John Longmuir

orchestra Victoria

GIUSEPPE VERDI

AIDAIf ever there were a 19th-century opera to have stood the test of time it is Verdi’s soaringly romantic and dramatic Aida. Its exotic, golden images of Egypt, spine-tingling arias, potent choruses, conflicting allegiances and cruel twists of fate make it one of the pillars of the grand opera repertoire.

The director and choreographer Graeme Murphy’s triumphant staging of the masterpiece is both intimate and epic. Brilliantly designed by Roger Kirk and strikingly lit by Damien Cooper, the production evokes the opera’s splendour and unsurpassed musical characterisation through vivid projected images and soaring voices.

At its core, Aida is a tale of star-crossed lovers – the fragile but strong-willed Ethiopian princess Aida, the heroic yet all-too-human general of the Egyptian army Radamès and the king’s status-conscious, lovelorn daughter, the Egyptian princess Amneris. Aida is captured in battle and given to Amneris as a slave. Our heroine falls for Radamès and must ultimately choose between her love for Radamès or her love for her country. The passion intensifies with three remarkable performers making their role debuts – the stunning Daria Masiero in the title

role, having recently won acclaim as Liù in Murphy’s acclaimed Turandot, Carlo Barricelli as Radamès (Calaf in Turandot) and former principal artist at Hamburg State Opera Deborah Humble as Amneris. Verdi specialist and acclaimed international conductor Renato Palumbo wields the baton in his Opera Australia debut.

evenings at 7.30pm: April 22, 24, 27, 29. May 1, 4, 7, 9.

matinee at 1pm: May 11.

Running time: approximately two hours and fifty minutes including one twenty-minute interval.

Conductor Renato palumbo

Director Graeme murphy

Rehearsal Director shane placentino

Set Designer Roger Kirk, concept by Graeme murphy

Costume Designer Roger Kirk

Projection Designer The Brothers Gruchy

Aida Daria masiero

Radamès carlo Barricelli

Amneris Deborah humble

Amonasro michael honeyman

The King Richard anderson

High Priestess Natalie aroyan

Messenger John Longmuir

orchestra Victoria

GEORGE FRIDERIc HANDEL

PARTENOPENEW PRODUcTION

Women fighting duels, wearing pants and winning wars. It’s all part of Handel’s sensual and crazy scheme of desire, passion, parody and intrigue in which three suitors seek Partenope’s hand in marriage.

The adventurous director Christopher Alden’s spare and elegant art deco production relocates Handel’s bitter erotic comedy from the antiquity of Naples to 1920s Paris. He cleverly reimagines the setting of the opera as the smart art crowd who hang with the Surrealists. Partenope is fashioned as a society hostess à la Nancy Cunard while Emilio is a Man Ray-style photographer.

A femme fatale of sorts, Partenope plays two of her lovers Arsace and Armindo off against each other, and propels her country into war in an effort to avoid the unwelcome flirtations of a third. Emma Matthews reprises her acclaimed performance as the alluring Partenope, having won the 2011 Helpmann Award for best female performer in the role. Handel’s blissful opera is adorned with lively and lyrical characters. Alden’s stagecraft is riveting and deft. There are card games

and late-night drinking sessions, and comic routines involving gas masks, bayonets and helmets that parody the horror of war. Ultimately art replaces war to become a mirror for society to see its true nature. The dramatic stakes are heightened when Arsace’s obsessive ex-lover Rosmira arrives disguised as a man to persuade her former partner to return. Opera Australia’s associate music director Anthony Legge conducts a uniformly outstanding cast: Catherine Carby, Victoria Lambourn and Kanen Breen, whose portrayal of Emilio earned him a Helpmann Award for best supporting actor in an opera.

English translation by Amanda Holden.

evenings at 7pm: May 2, 6, 8.

matinee at 12.30pm: May 4.

Performed in English with surtitles.

Running time: approximately three hours and thirty minutes including two twenty-minute intervals.

A co-production with English National Opera.

Conductor anthony Legge

Director christopher alden

Co-Director peter Littlefield

Rehearsed by Tama matheson

Set Designer andrew Lieberman

Costume Designer Jon morrell

Lighting Designer adam silverman

Partenope emma matthews

Arsace catherine carby

Rosmira Victoria Lambourn

Armindo christopher field

Emilio Kanen Breen

Ormonte Richard anderson

orchestra Victoria

GEORGE FRIDERIc HANDEL

PARTENOPENEW PRODUcTION

Women fighting duels, wearing pants and winning wars. It’s all part of Handel’s sensual and crazy scheme of desire, passion, parody and intrigue in which three suitors seek Partenope’s hand in marriage.

The adventurous director Christopher Alden’s spare and elegant art deco production relocates Handel’s bitter erotic comedy from the antiquity of Naples to 1920s Paris. He cleverly reimagines the setting of the opera as the smart art crowd who hang with the Surrealists. Partenope is fashioned as a society hostess à la Nancy Cunard while Emilio is a Man Ray-style photographer.

A femme fatale of sorts, Partenope plays two of her lovers Arsace and Armindo off against each other, and propels her country into war in an effort to avoid the unwelcome flirtations of a third. Emma Matthews reprises her acclaimed performance as the alluring Partenope, having won the 2011 Helpmann Award for best female performer in the role. Handel’s blissful opera is adorned with lively and lyrical characters. Alden’s stagecraft is riveting and deft. There are card games

and late-night drinking sessions, and comic routines involving gas masks, bayonets and helmets that parody the horror of war. Ultimately art replaces war to become a mirror for society to see its true nature. The dramatic stakes are heightened when Arsace’s obsessive ex-lover Rosmira arrives disguised as a man to persuade her former partner to return. Opera Australia’s associate music director Anthony Legge conducts a uniformly outstanding cast: Catherine Carby, Victoria Lambourn and Kanen Breen, whose portrayal of Emilio earned him a Helpmann Award for best supporting actor in an opera.

English translation by Amanda Holden.

evenings at 7pm: May 2, 6, 8.

matinee at 12.30pm: May 4.

Performed in English with surtitles.

Running time: approximately three hours and thirty minutes including two twenty-minute intervals.

A co-production with English National Opera.

Conductor anthony Legge

Director christopher alden

Co-Director peter Littlefield

Rehearsed by Tama matheson

Set Designer andrew Lieberman

Costume Designer Jon morrell

Lighting Designer adam silverman

Partenope emma matthews

Arsace catherine carby

Rosmira Victoria Lambourn

Armindo christopher field

Emilio Kanen Breen

Ormonte Richard anderson

orchestra Victoria

“Wagner’sRingcycleisperhapsthegreatestsingleWorkofthehumanimagination”

neilarmfield,director

What possible relevance could a tale of Nordic mythology, written by a 19th-century German, have to 21st-century Australians?

Nothing.

Nothing and everything.

In the world of Wagner’s Ring cycle everything is strange and wonderful: foreign gods, fantastical creatures, cold nights around a glowing fire. But as the music grows, like a seedling unfurling from the earth, characters reveal their tangled lives and truths emerge. Truths about greed and beauty, power and love, man and nature. It is a fantasy that tells us more about reality than reality itself.

This is the grand endeavour upon which Opera Australia has embarked: a Ring cycle led by some of Australia’s most inspired minds, including director Neil Armfield and conductor Richard Mills, and featuring some of the most exciting voices the world has to offer.

The setting for this major international event is the State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, in the heart of the buzzing arts precinct. Inside, hear the magnificent sound of a 110-piece orchestra in the newly-expanded orchestra pit. Outside, explore the galleries, cafés, hidden laneways and sweeping boulevards.

We invite you to come with us for eight magical days immersed in ideas, music and art: the Ring cycle, Melbourne, 2013.

Conductor Richard mills

Director Neil armfield

Set Designer Robert cousins

Costume Designer alice Babidge

Associate Conductor anthony Legge

Associate Director Kate champion

melbourne Ring orchestra

a co-production with houston Grand opera

Due to the overwhelming demand for tickets for this event, availability is limited. For more information on tickets and associated events visit www.melbourneringcycle.com.au

MAUREEN & TONYWHEELER

MELBOURNE RING CYCLE PARTNERS

OPERA AUSTRALIA GOVERNMENT PARTNERS

PRINCIPAL PARTNER

VENUE PARTNER

PERFORMANCE PARTNER

“Wagner’sRingcycleisperhapsthegreatestsingleWorkofthehumanimagination”

neilarmfield,director

What possible relevance could a tale of Nordic mythology, written by a 19th-century German, have to 21st-century Australians?

Nothing.

Nothing and everything.

In the world of Wagner’s Ring cycle everything is strange and wonderful: foreign gods, fantastical creatures, cold nights around a glowing fire. But as the music grows, like a seedling unfurling from the earth, characters reveal their tangled lives and truths emerge. Truths about greed and beauty, power and love, man and nature. It is a fantasy that tells us more about reality than reality itself.

This is the grand endeavour upon which Opera Australia has embarked: a Ring cycle led by some of Australia’s most inspired minds, including director Neil Armfield and conductor Richard Mills, and featuring some of the most exciting voices the world has to offer.

The setting for this major international event is the State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, in the heart of the buzzing arts precinct. Inside, hear the magnificent sound of a 110-piece orchestra in the newly-expanded orchestra pit. Outside, explore the galleries, cafés, hidden laneways and sweeping boulevards.

We invite you to come with us for eight magical days immersed in ideas, music and art: the Ring cycle, Melbourne, 2013.

Conductor Richard mills

Director Neil armfield

Set Designer Robert cousins

Costume Designer alice Babidge

Associate Conductor anthony Legge

Associate Director Kate champion

a co-production with houston Grand opera

Due to the overwhelming demand for tickets for this event, availability is limited. For more information on tickets and associated events visit www.melbourneringcycle.com.au

MAUREEN & TONYWHEELER

MELBOURNE RING CYCLE PARTNERS

OPERA AUSTRALIA GOVERNMENT PARTNERS

PRINCIPAL PARTNER

VENUE PARTNER

PERFORMANCE PARTNER

ThE MELBOURNE RING cYcLE 2013 RIchARD WAGNER

DAS RHEINGOLDpaRT 1 | ThE RhINE GOLD

DIE wALKüREpaRT 2 | ThE VALKYRIE

Wotan Juha Uusitalo

Donner Warwick fyfe

Froh andrew Brunsdon

Loge Richard Berkeley–steele

Fricka Jacqueline Dark

Freia hyeseoung Kwon

Erda Deborah humble

Woglinde Lorina Gore

Wellgunde Jane ede

Flosshilde Dominica matthews

Alberich John Wegner

Mime Graeme macfarlane

Fasolt Daniel sumegi

Fafner shane Lowrencev

Wotan Juha Uusitalo

Siegmund stuart skelton

Sieglinde miriam Gordon-stewart

Hunding Jud arthur

Brünnhilde susan Bullock

Gerhilde anke höppner

Ortlinde meryln Quaife

Waltraute Deborah humble

Schwertleite Dominica matthews

Helmwige hyeseoung Kwon

Siegrune sian pendry

Grimgerde elizabeth campbell

Rossweisse Roxane hislop

The Ring cycle opens with this magnificent prelude. In the space of a single, majestic, two-and-a-half hour musical span, Wagner immerses you in a mysterious, primordial world of scheming gods, misshapen dwarfs, alluring maidens and fearsome monsters. The struggle for power and wealth in Das Rheingold irrevocably alters the order of the universe and determines the course of the entire saga. Spurned by the three beautiful Rhinemaidens, the Nibelung dwarf Alberich steals their gold and forges it into a ring that gives unlimited power to its wearer. When Wotan, the lord of the gods, steals the ring, Alberich curses it and all who wear it. Finnish bass-baritone and rising star Juha Uusitalo

is the imposing Wotan, Australian Wagnerian stalwart John Wegner plays the evil Alberich and English tenor Richard Berkeley-Steele is the wily Loge, the god of fire, who convinces Wotan to steal the ring, setting off the fateful chain of events that are only resolved at the end of Götterdämmerung.

evenings at 7pm: November 18, 27. December 6.

Performed in German with English surtitles.

Running time: approximately two hours and forty minutes.

The second opera in the Ring cycle holds special appeal for audiences with its dramatic power and remarkable music, including the famous ‘Ride of the Valkyries’. After Das Rheingold’s rarefied realm of gods, monsters and nature spirits, in Die Walküre Wagner plunges headlong into the highly emotional world of humanity. Love animates the actions of all the leading characters: Wotan, who wants to protect his children but is forced to forsake them; his twin offspring Siegmund and Sieglinde who fall passionately in love; and his warrior daughter Brünnhilde who defies Wotan by trying to protect the twins. He punishes her by stripping her of her immortality and putting her to sleep surrounded by

a wall of flames that only the greatest hero can brave. Juha Uusitalo returns as Wotan, English soprano Susan Bullock makes her first appearance as Brünnhilde and internationally-renowned Australian singers – tenor Stuart Skelton and soprano Miriam Gordon-Stewart – are the passionate lover-siblings Siegmund and Sieglinde.

Running time: approximately five hours and thirty minutes including two intervals: one hour and fiffteen minutes, thirty minutes.

DAS RHEINGOLDpaRT 1 | ThE RhINE GOLD

DIE wALKüREpaRT 2 | ThE VALKYRIE

Wotan Juha Uusitalo

Donner Warwick fyfe

Froh andrew Brunsdon

Loge Richard Berkeley–steele

Freia hyeseoung Kwon

Erda Deborah humble

Wellgunde Jane ede

Fasolt Daniel sumegi

Wotan Juha Uusitalo

Siegmund stuart skelton

Sieglinde miriam Gordon-stewart

Hunding Jud arthur

Gerhilde anke höppner

Ortlinde meryln Quaife

Schwertleite Dominica matthews

Helmwige hyeseoung Kwon

Siegrune sian pendry

Grimgerde elizabeth campbell

Rossweisse Roxane hislop

The Ring cycle opens with this magnificent prelude. In the space of a single, majestic, two-and-a-half hour musical span, Wagner immerses you in a mysterious, primordial world of scheming gods, misshapen dwarfs, alluring maidens and fearsome monsters. The struggle for power and wealth in Das Rheingold irrevocably alters the order of the universe and determines the course of the entire saga. Spurned by the three beautiful Rhinemaidens, the Nibelung dwarf Alberich steals their gold and forges it into a ring that gives unlimited power to its wearer. When Wotan, the lord of the gods, steals the ring, Alberich curses it and all who wear it. Finnish bass-baritone and rising star Juha Uusitalo

is the imposing Wotan, Australian Wagnerian stalwart John Wegner plays the evil Alberich and English tenor Richard Berkeley-Steele is the wily Loge, the god of fire, who convinces Wotan to steal the ring, setting off the fateful chain of events that are only resolved at the end of Götterdämmerung.

Running time: approximately two hours and forty minutes.

The second opera in the Ring cycle holds special appeal for audiences with its dramatic power and remarkable music, including the famous ‘Ride of the Valkyries’. After Das Rheingold’s rarefied realm of gods, monsters and nature spirits, in Die Walküre Wagner plunges headlong into the highly emotional world of humanity. Love animates the actions of all the leading characters: Wotan, who wants to protect his children but is forced to forsake them; his twin offspring Siegmund and Sieglinde who fall passionately in love; and his warrior daughter Brünnhilde who defies Wotan by trying to protect the twins. He punishes her by stripping her of her immortality and putting her to sleep surrounded by

a wall of flames that only the greatest hero can brave. Juha Uusitalo returns as Wotan, English soprano Susan Bullock makes her first appearance as Brünnhilde and internationally-renowned Australian singers – tenor Stuart Skelton and soprano Miriam Gordon-Stewart – are the passionate lover-siblings Siegmund and Sieglinde.

Running time: approximately five hours and thirty minutes including two intervals: one hour and fiffteen minutes, thirty minutes.

SIEGFRIEDpaRT 3

GöTTER-DÄMMERuNGpaRT 4 | TWILIGhT OF ThE GODS

Siegfried Gary Lehman

Erda Deborah humble

The Wanderer Juha Uusitalo

Forest Bird Taryn fiebig

Gunther Barry Ryan

Hagen Daniel sumegi

Gutrune sharon prero

Wellgunde Jane ede

First Norn elizabeth campbell

Second Norn Jacqueline Dark

Third Norn anke höppner

The Ring cycle’s third opera is intensely focused on the fortunes of a single figure. Siegfried charts the rise of the son of Siegmund and Sieglinde into the greatest hero of the age. Following Sieglinde’s death, Siegfried has been raised by the dwarf Mime, brother of Alberich. Although Mime loathes Siegfried, he hopes Siegfried will kill the dragon Fafner, guardian of the all powerful ring. Instead, Siegfried kills both Fafner and Mime, claims the ring for himself and sets off to find the sleeping Brünnhilde. Siegfried braves the flames, wakes her with a kiss and the two declare their powerful feelings of love in one of the most thrilling and extended love duets in all opera.

American tenor Gary Lehman is the mighty hero Siegfried, English soprano Susan Bullock returns as Brünnhilde and Finnish bass-baritone Juha Uusitalo makes his final appearance in the cycle as The Wanderer.

evenings at 5pm: November 22. December 2, 11.

Running time: approximately five hours and forty minutes including two intervals: one hour and fifteen minutes, thirty minutes.

The Ring cycle reaches its devastating finale in Götterdämmerung’s tale of treachery and destruction. All seems lost after love is betrayed by naked ambition and villains outsmart heroes. Siegfried is unwittingly ensnared in a plot by Gunther and Gutrune and their half-brother, who wants the ring for himself. Siegfried drinks a magic potion that makes him forget Brünnhilde and fall in love with Gutrune. Enraged by his infidelity, Brünnhilde joins forces with Hagen, who murders Siegfried. However, on discovering the truth about Siegfried’s betrayal, Brünnhilde takes drastic action. In her Immolation Scene, she redeems the world by leaping into Siegfried’s funeral pyre and returning the ring to its rightful owners. The Rhinemaidens

joyfully reclaim their gold, drag Hagen into the depths and the old world order is swept away by flood and fire. American tenor Gary Lehman and English soprano Susan Bullock are the star-crossed lovers Siegfried and Brünnhilde, and Australian bass-baritone Daniel Sumegi is the malevolent Hagen.

afternoons at 4pm: November 25. December 4, 13.

Running time: approximately six hours including two intervals: one hour and thirty minutes, thirty-five minutes.

SIEGFRIEDpaRT 3

GöTTER-DÄMMERuNGpaRT 4 | TWILIGhT OF ThE GODS

Erda Deborah humble

The Wanderer Juha Uusitalo

Forest Bird Taryn fiebig

Gunther Barry Ryan

Hagen Daniel sumegi

Gutrune sharon prero

Wellgunde Jane ede

First Norn elizabeth campbell

Second Norn Jacqueline Dark

Third Norn anke höppner

The Ring cycle’s third opera is intensely focused on the fortunes of a single figure. Siegfried charts the rise of the son of Siegmund and Sieglinde into the greatest hero of the age. Following Sieglinde’s death, Siegfried has been raised by the dwarf Mime, brother of Alberich. Although Mime loathes Siegfried, he hopes Siegfried will kill the dragon Fafner, guardian of the all powerful ring. Instead, Siegfried kills both Fafner and Mime, claims the ring for himself and sets off to find the sleeping Brünnhilde. Siegfried braves the flames, wakes her with a kiss and the two declare their powerful feelings of love in one of the most thrilling and extended love duets in all opera.

American tenor Gary Lehman is the mighty hero Siegfried, English soprano Susan Bullock returns as Brünnhilde and Finnish bass-baritone Juha Uusitalo makes his final appearance in the cycle as The Wanderer.

evenings at 5pm: November 22. December 2, 11.

Running time: approximately five hours and forty minutes including two intervals: one hour and fifteen minutes, thirty minutes.

The Ring cycle reaches its devastating finale in Götterdämmerung’s tale of treachery and destruction. All seems lost after love is betrayed by naked ambition and villains outsmart heroes. Siegfried is unwittingly ensnared in a plot by Gunther and Gutrune and their half-brother, who wants the ring for himself. Siegfried drinks a magic potion that makes him forget Brünnhilde and fall in love with Gutrune. Enraged by his infidelity, Brünnhilde joins forces with Hagen, who murders Siegfried. However, on discovering the truth about Siegfried’s betrayal, Brünnhilde takes drastic action. In her Immolation Scene, she redeems the world by leaping into Siegfried’s funeral pyre and returning the ring to its rightful owners. The Rhinemaidens

joyfully reclaim their gold, drag Hagen into the depths and the old world order is swept away by flood and fire. American tenor Gary Lehman and English soprano Susan Bullock are the star-crossed lovers Siegfried and Brünnhilde, and Australian bass-baritone Daniel Sumegi is the malevolent Hagen.

afternoons at 4pm: November 25. December 4, 13.

Running time: approximately six hours including two intervals: one hour and thirty minutes, thirty-five minutes.

Opera Australia’s Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artist Program is for selected young Australian opera singers, conductors and repetiteurs to strengthen and supplement their already evident talent and performance skills. By becoming involved closely with the rehearsal and performance activity of the Company, these promising young artists are able to perform in mainstage productions, participate in workshops and master-classes with leading singers and conductors and be mentored by experienced artists.

In 2013 three artists will participate in this program – Jonathan Abernethy, Natalie Aroyan and Sam Roberts-Smith. These artists will follow in the footsteps of singers like Emma Matthews, Amelia Farrugia, Taryn Fiebig, Nicole Car and Warwick Fyfe, all of whom are graduates of the Young Artist Program.

Opera Australia invites you to make a tax deductible donation to this program as part of your subscription and to support the development of these talented young Australians. You can do this on the order form on page 21.

Opera Australia exists to present opera that excites audiences and sustains and develops the art form. The Young Artist Program is just one of many initiatives we have taken. Other examples include:

oZ opeRa Every year Opera Australia’s Oz Opera takes a fully staged touring version of opera with chamber orchestra to venues in regional and remote Australia: one year audiences might see Don Giovanni in Cairns and the next La traviata in Tennant Creek. An important part of the regional tours are the education workshops and master-classes with local schools and communities. Oz Opera generates high-level community goodwill, delivers a powerful and relevant message of engagement, and works to ensure that the communities where Oz Opera performs are left with an ongoing cultural impact.

schooLs pRoGRamsThrough Oz Opera’s Schools Company, each year approximately 80,000 students in primary schools across regional and metropolitan Victoria and NSW experience opera, performed live in their school by Opera Australia’s professional artists. For many children this is the first time they have seen an opera or a live performance. The 50-minute performance is followed by a question and answer session. Participating schools receive a teacher resource pack which includes suggestions for classroom extension activities both before and after the opera experience.

commUNITY choIRsIn 2012 Opera Australia began the Community Choirs program: bringing people together through music. Under the inspirational direction of their community leaders and Opera Australia conductor Simon Kenway, more than 400 singers from broad cultural and artistic communities come together at the Sydney Opera House to perform a free concert for their families and friends, celebrating the power of the voice.

INDIGeNoUs eNGaGemeNTAt Opera Australia we are committed to a greater level of engagement with Indigenous Australians: by collaborating with individuals and communities to create new works, and integrating a greater Indigenous presence into our existing program of activities. Opera Australia believes that the integrity of these projects lies in their level of detail and authenticity – we believe in establishing real connections and producing real stories. In 2012 we began an intensive collaboration with the Yarrabah Community in Northern Queensland, combining the musical conventions of two cultures to create a large-scale work.

cReaTIoN of NeW WoRKOpera Australia is committed to presenting contemporary opera – telling Australian stories with Australian voices. We are developing a number of new works which will unearth Australian stories from unexpected places, be they remote geographically or buried deep in the psyche of people we already know.

To find out more about the Young Artist Program or how you can support any of the exciting Opera Australia initiatives listed above, please contact Sally Percival on (03) 9685 3752 or email [email protected].

Donations over $2 are tax deductible and go towards enriching Australians’ lives through opera.

ENRICHING LIVES THROUGH OPERA GETTING INVOLVEDopeRa BeGINs WITh YoU

Opera begins before the curtain rises, and continues well after it falls. It extends into the lives of every person it touches; nurturing, inspiring, and challenging them to excellence.

But first, opera begins with you, and in the hearts and imaginations of the 400,000 people we perform to each year, and with our growing broadcast audience. With your support and the dedication of the thousands of Australian artists and artisans we work with, we will deliver great opera for everyone, on stage at the Arts Centre Melbourne or in a school gymnasium in outback Australia.

Box office revenue only covers a portion of our costs. So if opera moves you, please consider joining the Patron program or becoming a Friend, or coming to one of our spectacular fundraising events, all of which will provide you with an intimate connection with Opera Australia.

paTRoNsOne of the key forces behind Opera Australia is our wonderful family of Patrons, a group who have provided essential support to the Company since its inception.

We invite you to join us. Your patronage helps Opera Australia to:

• Continue to present excellent opera by nurturing artists and artisans of the highest calibre

• Develop new contemporary opera telling Australian stories with Australian voices

• Perform year-round with major seasons in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane

• Inspire new audiences through our schools and regional touring programs

In return we provide our Patrons with a range of intimate and exhilarating cultural experiences. Patronage can include:

• The opportunity to provide direct support to individual artists as an Artist Patron

• Acknowledgement across Opera Australia material, including season programs and the annual report

• Access to a personalised ticketing service with our Patron Manager

• Access to premium seats at Opera Australia performances, even at late notice

• Complimentary exchange of tickets up to 24 hours before a performance

• Access to the Qantas Opera Lounge at Arts Centre Melbourne for interval drinks

• The opportunity to attend select dress rehearsals and discounted performances

• Invitations to Insight evenings, behind-the-scenes and special events

Opera Australia is registered as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) on the Australian Gift Register.

If you would like to discuss becoming a Patron please contact Sally Percival on (03) 9685 3752 or [email protected].

fRIeNDsFriends of Opera Australia enjoy a closer involvement with the opera as well as helping to support the work we do. You can also purchase a gift Friend membership for a friend or relative as a unique gift idea.

Friends are invited to our seasonal Insight evenings, to hear artists perform and the creative team discuss works from new productions. Friends are also given access to selected dress rehearsals and discounted tickets where possible during each season.

If you subscribe to Opera Australia and become a Friend you will receive a 50% discount on your membership fee.

Level Membership With subscriber fee 50% discount

Mimí $320 $160

Rodolfo $190 $95

To learn more about the Friends program, please call the Friends phone line on (03) 9685 3761 or email [email protected].

specIaL eVeNTsEach year Opera Australia presents a series of spectacular fundraising events that support our artistic projects and provide guests with a unique insight into the work that we do.

In 2012 our main event will be Dinner on the Stage on Sunday 18 November. Themed around our sets and costumes from Madama Butterfly, this grand event will combine stunning operatic performances in a theatrical setting with gourmet food and premium wines, a live auction, and money-can’t-buy temptations.

To receive further information about Opera Australia’s events program, please contact our events team on (03) 9685 3772 or [email protected].

sUppoRT The YoUNG aRTIsT pRoGRam