Renay's Toledo Opera Blog

What Exactly is a Verismo Opera?

Verismo is an Italian word derived from the Latin veritas, meaning truth. It is the term used to describe the realistic or naturalistic school of Italian opera popular in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It is typified by the works of Pietro Mascagni, Ruggiero Leoncavallo and Giacomo Puccini. Verismo or realism is related to the literary movement of naturalism which grew out of a desire to move away from Romanticism and its idealistic spirit. It focuses on the harsh and often victimized lives of the lower classes. It draws it characters and situations from common life, rather than the idealized figues of early nineteenth century opera. The plots of verismo operas are characteristically fast-moving, violent and sensational. The characters are uncomplicated and direct.

Mascagni's opera Cavalleria Rusticana was an overnight operatic success and has proved its staying power by maintaining its strong popularity among opera lovers of all ages. The music is tremendously appealing with one tuneful melody after another. Join us for this exciting performance and stay after for some scrumptious Italian desserts!

Betrayal, Jealousy and Revenge!

We’re off and running as we rehearse for our final opera of the season Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni. The chorus is already hard at work. I know they are really enjoying singing Mascagni’s music – some of the most beautiful choral music you will ever hear in any opera. The principal singers will arrive on April 13 and begin their staging rehearsals.

Although there were a few other operas that Mascagni wrote such as L’amico Fritz and Iris, he is really only remembered because of Cavalleria. When I was in college I sang a charming duet from L’amico Fritz which I still recall quite vividly. The opera has some lovely music, but a story which seems to have little appeal in today’s culture. Oh well, I can assure you that you won’t have any problem enjoying Cavalleria Rusticana. Betrayal, jealousy and revenge are the perfect partners for an evening of irresistible theater. In fact, I suggest you hold on to your seat. It’s a wild ride!

Now on to the Maumee Performing Arts Center!

Today is our last day in the rehearsal studio. Tomorrow the singers have a much deserved day off, and then we begin rehearsing on-stage in our temporary home at the Maumee Performing Arts Center at 1147 Saco Street in Maumee.

Monday evening is our first rehearsal with orchestra. (During the staging process we work with a rehearsal pianist. Now that the opera is completely staged, we begin our rehearsals with the orchestra.) This is an adventure for us since we have never performed at this theater, but one that we are looking forward to.

This cast has been an absolute joy to work with - delightful personalities and extraordinary singers. Combine that with some of the greatest music ever written and you have all the ingredients you need for an incredible evening.

When I think about the operas Verdi wrote during this particular time in his life, I am absolutely awestruck. During this middle period he wrote Rigoletto, La traviata and Il Trovatore.

With these operas, Verdi was able to present characters that are vocally exciting and emotionally engaging. No composer had ever dominated the Italian stage as Verdi did.

Music Rehearsals begin for Il Trovatore

The principal singers for Il Trovatore arrived yesterday, and we had our first day of rehearsals today (Sunday). The rehearsal process always begins with music, then we move on to staging the opera.

I think I have put together a really exceptional cast of singers for this production. They are young, with big, beautiful, fresh voices. The music in Il Trovatore is incredibly difficult, requiring the singers to have great vocal technique, and they do! This should be a really exciting production - one that I am truly looking forward to.

I love the music in this opera!!!

The Last Great Romantic - Richard Strauss

This Saturday, February 9, 2008, our annual Opera Gala will take place at The Peristyle. Our theme this year is The Last Great Romantic - an evening of operatic music written by the great German composer, Richard Strauss. He was born in 1864 and died in 1949. His long career spanned one of the most chaotic periods in the political, social, and cultural history of the world.

He began composing when he was only six years old, receiving basic instruction from his father who was a virtuoso horn player. Amazingly, this was his only formal training! His first symphony had its premiere when he was seventeen, and his second symphony, premiered in New York when he was twenty. He then began to direct his attention toward conducting. This gave him a unique vantage point from which to study the workings of the orchestra. Because of this, he developed an unrivaled sense for orchestration, creating astonishing, unheard-of orchestral effects. He showed a powerful dramatic instinct, so it is not surprised that he would be drawn toward the operatic stage. Lucky for us!

At the Gala, you will hear excerpts from Electra, Die Agyptishe Helena, Ariadne auf Naxos, Der Rosenkavalier, Salome and more. I guarantee that his music will excite you, move you, and leave you breathless!

The Valentine Saga

Life is always full of surprises – that’s the one thing you can count on! When I was in New York recently holding auditions for our 50th Anniversary Celebratory Season which is coming up next season, I received a phone call informing me that the Valentine Theatre would not be reopened in time for our March production of Il Trovatore!!!! Oh il mio Dio, which is what we would say if this happened in an opera. But, alas, it’s not in an opera, it’s in Toledo.

Now we began the search for another venue suitable for our production. At such a late date, there aren’t many options. Actually, there aren’t many options had we known sooner. But, I am happy to report that we did find a really excellent theatre in Maumee – the Maumee Performing Arts Center. It is a lovely hall, very comfortable, brand new, with a good size stage. It will not accommodate the glorious set we had planned to use for this opera, but we have quite a wonderful new concept that I think the audience will find tremendously appealing.

This opera has such fantastic music that you really could just close your eyes and listen, and that would be enough. It’s chock full of melodies, irresistible rhythms, an action packed plot, and love in time of war. It will leave you breathless.

More to follow on the Valentine saga.

What Happens When the Fat Lady Stops Singing?

Just kidding - there certainly were no fat ladies in our production!

Here is what happens following three sold-out performances of Carmen and a sold-out student performance? After you pick yourself up off the ground from total and utter exhaustion, there are lots of details that require attention. The three hundred costumes that you saw in the production have to be packed and returned to A. T. Jones Costumers in Baltimore, special lighting that was rented for the production must be shipped to New Jersey, the wigs must be returned to Kosmic Hair and Make-up in Florida, and the super titles, simultaneous English translations projected above the stage, must be returned to Aria Nuova in Canada. Two 53 foot trucks, packed to capacity by an army of stagehands, set off for Norfolk Virginia to Virginia Scenic Studios.  Rental cars for the singers must be returned, and lots of minor production elements that were used on stage must be stored for possible use in other productions. There’s more – but I won’t bore you with the details!

After I am totally recovered, I will fill you in on the various unseen dramatic moments that you didn't get to see!!

Get Ready for Carmen!

Last night we had our final dress rehearsal for our upcoming performances of Carmen. It is truly hard to believe that this opera was a resounding failure at its premiere in Vienna in 1875. Georges Bizet died three months later, and many believe it was owing to a broken heart from the poor reception his opera had received.

There are enough tunes in this opera for at least 10 Broadway shows, and the story is so compelling. Carmen was a woman ahead of her time - a free spirit who would not be dominated by the male culture in which she lived This is certainly part of the reason for the opera's failure. The culture at that time in France, and in all of Europe, was not ready for a liberated woman.

Our Carmen is truly superb. She embodies everything you would want in this role - she is beautiful, sexy, has a stunning voice and is a superb actress. All the roles in the opera are important, but Carmen carries the show. You are definitely in for a treat. Adam Klein, our Don Jose is a strong partner for her. He really develops Jose's character so you see how he is truly deranged by the end of the opera because of his obsession with Carmen. As for Escamillo, all the women are going to fall in love with him, he has a fabulous voice and looks like the perfect toreador. What more could you ask for?

This will be a truly memorable performance. I'm  glad you will be there to share it with us!

The Stars of Carmen Arrive!

The stars for our production of Carmen are finally here! Of course, the day they were all to arrive had terrible weather and each singer’s flight was either cancelled or delayed. It made for a wild and crazy ride for us as we had to redo all the various arrangements that had been made for meeting each artist at the airport and taking him or her to their housing. By ten o’clock in the evening everyone was safely tucked away for the night – perhaps with sugar plums dancing in their heads. (It is getting close to that time.)

Music rehearsals occupied the next two days and now we are beginning the staging process with the stage director for the opera.

This Tuesday, October 16, we have a Meet the Stars party at the Bartley Lofts located at 745 Washington Avenue in downtown Toledo from 5:30 - 7:30 pm. We have never done this before, but it seemed like a fun idea and one that our patrons would enjoy. We get to hear the stars of the opera sing, but we often don't get to know them as people. So come on down, for a mere $30 you will have a scrumptious array of hor d'oeuvres along with some lovely wine and great conversation.

Toledo Opera Children's Chorus

About two months ago we held auditions for the Toledo Opera Children's Chorus for our production of Carmen. Lots of wonderful children scheduled an appointment to sing for us, but only fifteen could be selected. It is interesting that today many young people have trouble matching pitch largely because music has been eliminated from their schools. For the lucky few who still have a real music teacher, their chances of getting accepted in to the chorus improve greatly. It's difficult to turn away any child, and something I hate having to do.  All the children who audition are really great kids and it is an opportunity I wish I could share with all of them.

But, only fifteen were selected and we are now busy rehearsing twice each week. We have about ten days to go before our stage director arrives and the children are turned over to him. I think they are in great shape - most of them have the music memorized and are ready for the next step - learning where and what they will be doing on stage.

I have had fun training them and I know that singing in the opera is truly an experience they will never forget.