ntony &

Final Dress Rehearsal Monday, March 15, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.

at the Perelman Theater

Opera Company of Philadelphiaand

The School District of Philadelphia

Present

Samuel Barber’s

ACleopatra

OperaPennsylvania’s standards in education call for students to show what they know and

are able to do and children need to share what they have discovered or learned. Thus, the titleof our program is Sounds of Learning™. It reflects our belief that children must be activelyengaged in sharing ideas.

The Sounds of Learning™ workbook and teacher guide will integrate with local coreliteracy curriculum in many ways. Just as opera is a uniquely integrated art, combiningorchestra, voice, literature, drama, and dance, Sounds of Learning™ is an interdisciplinaryand student-centered program. The goal of the Active Learning sections is to have your children engaged in the process of self-teaching. They will be able to show how they havegained insights into their learning by drawing, writing, and discussing the issues most relevant to them. In this way, students demonstrate what they can do with what they know.

We believe the family is the most important foundation to learning. Let your kitchentable become a classroom where your children can build their knowledge of opera and thehumanities. As you join in the teaching and learning process with your children, watch theireyes sparkle. Opera is a communal celebration, so too should be your children’s education.

In reading the libretto, we suggest that you and your family members take turns reading particular roles. Dr. Ellen Winner of Harvard’s Project Zero found that: “drama helpsto build verbal skills that transfer to new materials;” helps students in “reading readiness andachievement;” and “oral and written language development.” (Journal of Aesthetic Education,

v34, #3/4, Fall/Winter, 2000.)

In preparing for the opera, we suggest you purchase New World Records’ excellentrecording of this opera.

Goals and Objectives of Sounds of Learning™• Improve literacy rates by using the opera’s libretto to teach courses across the curriculum• Understand the plot, characters, and their motivations• Learn something about the composer, and others involved in writing the opera• Know something of the historic and social context of the story• Know some key musical elements, recognize certain melodies, differentiate between voices• Understand the role music plays by expressing emotions and heightening the dramatic

experience• Understand the various elements of producing opera and the functions of those involved;

e.g. conductor, director, set designer, technical crew, etc.• Develop the ability to make judgments about the opera, production, and performance.• Relate incidents in the opera to those of the present day

Best Practices in Arts Education is sponsored

by Pennsylvania Alliance for Arts Education,

Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and

the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

A Family Guide to

Contents Opera 101: Getting Ready for the Opera

2 Opera Company of Philadelphia3 The Curtis Institute of Music4 The Kimmel Center and the Perelman Theater6 Opera Etiquette 1017 Opera - Online!8 A Brief History of Western Opera

Relating Opera to History: The Culture Connection10 Native Son: Samuel Barber12 Legendary Queen Cleopatra13 Ruling Family: The Ptolomaic Dynasty14 The Gods of Ancient Egypt15 The Egyptian Goddess Isis16 Egypt and the Pyramids

17 GAME: Connect the Opera Terms

18 Bard of Stratford: William Shakespeare19 Words, words, words: Shakespeare’s Influence on the English Language20 All the World’s a Stage: The Globe Theatre21 Shakespeare at the Movies

Production Information22 The Infamous Premiere of Antony and Cleopatra23 Antony and Cleopatra: Plot Synopsis

Lessons24 There’s a Place for You at Settlement Music School25 A Sampling of Careers in the Arts26 So you want to sing like an Opera Singer28 The Highs and Lows of the Operatic Voice30 Careers in the Arts32 The Subtle Art of Costume Design33 Etymology: The Study of Words34 Sequence of the Story35 Make Your Own Synopsis36 Recognizing Facts and Opinions37 Supporting Your Opinions38 Compose Your Own Review of Antony and Cleopatra39 How to Write Poetry Like the Bard40 Character Analysis and Motivation41 Conflicts and Loves in Antony and Cleopatra42 What Happens Next?/Alternate Endings43 Ask Why?

Table

of

Check out our website for additional con-tent! Here you’ll find more information onthe opera, its themes, lessons, and links toeven more fascinating material. See page 7for more details.

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Opera has played a vital part inPhiladelphia’s history. The first opera inPhiladelphia that we know of was the operaMidas in 1769. Ever since then opera has beenso popular in Philadelphia that there have beenseveral opera companies in the city at the sametime! In fact, the Opera Company of Philadelphia

was created when the Philadelphia Grand Opera

Company and the Philadelphia Lyric Opera

Company joined in 1975. Since then, the OperaCompany of Philadelphia has honored thecity’s operatic traditions.

Each season the Opera Company presents five different operas with singers fromall over the world. Three of the operas are givenin the beautiful, large-scale Academy of Music.With just under 2,900 seats, the Academy isthe Opera Company’s home for grand opera.Two smaller, more intimate operas are stagedin the Perelman Theater. With about 600 seats,the Perelman, in the Kimmel Center for thePerforming Arts, is perfect for chamber andmodern operas.

Today, the Opera Company’s mission, orcore purpose, has three parts to it:

1: Deliver outstanding productions of classicoperas, often giving them in creative and cutting-edge ways, and create exciting newoperas that people in Philadelphia’s socially andculturally varied area will like.

We do this by hiring the best stagedesigners. Sets might be in the Company’sProduction Center in the Tacony area ofPhiladelphia. Sometimes the Opera Companypartners with another company to build newsets and costumes, or rents a production fromanother company.

The Opera Company supports creatingnew American operas, too. In recent seasonsthree new operas have been seen at OCP:Margaret Garner by Richard Danielpour,Cyrano by David DiChiera, and Ainadamar byAgentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov. Tea: A

Mirror of Soul by Chinese composer Tan Dunpremieres in February 2010.

2: Find the best young, up-and-coming singersand give them the chance to sing with some ofthe best singers in the world

We find the best young singers in ourown backyard at two of the best opera schoolsin the world - The Curtis Institute of Music andthe Academy of Vocal Arts. Singers from bothschools have sung right along side stars likeDenyce Graves and Nathan Gunn.

3: Create informative student and adult programsthat will introduce opera to newcomers and thatboth long-time and new opera fans will enjoy.

Each season over 5,000 students fromthe Delaware Valley attend the opera throughthe Sounds of Learning™ program. The Companyalso hosts community recitals and lectures,technology-based internet events, and more.

For over 30 years the Opera Company ofPhiladelphia has brought audiences outstandingproduction quality, artistry and educationalopportunities. A strong blend of traditional andinnovative programming will continue toensure the excitement of opera in Philadelphia.

ACTIVE LEARNING1. Find out more about the Opera Company of Philadelphiaat our website: www.operaphila.org

2. Want to learn more about the great history of opera inPhiladelphia? Visit www.frankhamilton.org

Opera Company of Philadelphia

Soprano Ermonela Jaho and tenor Roger Honeywell in

Jun Kaneko’s stylized production of Puccini’s MadamaButterfly. Photo: Kelly & Massa Photography

3

The Curtis Institute of Music is widelyconsidered one of the world's leading conservatories, or a school that specializes inteaching its students about the arts; in thiscase, music!

Mary Louise Curtis Bok (1876-1970) was aPhiladelphia writer, philanthropist and musiclover. She had donated money to Philadelphia’scommunity-based Settlement Music School, butwanted to create a school that would trainexceptionally gifted young musicians forcareers as performing artists on the highestprofessional level. She fulfilled that mission byforming The Curtis Institute of Music, namedafter her music-loving father Cyrus Curtis,

which first opened its doors in 1924.

Today Curtis follows many of the sameprinciples set forth by Mrs. Bok: the schoolprovides full-tuition scholarships to all of itsstudents, ensuring that admissions are basedsolely on artistic promise. A Curtis education isuniquely tailored to the individual student,with personalized attention from its celebratedfaculty with the added bonus of unusually frequent performance opportunities.

Students have the option to pursueeither a Diploma or Bachelor of Music degree.Voice students can also pursue a Master ofMusic degree or Professional StudiesCertificate.

Currently, there are 159 students fromall over the world enrolled at The CurtisInstitute - including those from thirteen foreigncountries. They have the chance to study withCurtis's faculty, which includes some of themost important music teachers and performerslike composer Richard Danielpour, violistRoberto Díaz, voice coach Mikael Eliasen, pianstand conductor Leon Fleisher, violinist Pamela

Frank, pianist Gary Graffman, composerJennifer Higdon, violinsit Ida Kavafian, pianistSeymour Lipkin, voice teacher Marlena

Kleinman Malas, double bassist and composerEdgar Meyer, conductor Otto-Werner Mueller,

voice teacher Joan Patenaude-Yarnell, andmany of the principal players of The

Philadelphia Orchestra.

In keeping with Curtis' philosophy thatstudents "learn most by doing," the Instituteoffers over one hundred public performances ayear, including orchestra concerts, operas, aswell as solo and chamber music recitals.

This distinctive approach to musicaltraining has produced an impressive numberof notable artists, from such legends as composers Leonard Bernstein and Samuel

Barber to current stars tenor Juan Diego Flórez,

conductor Alan Gilbert, violinist Hilary Hahn,

and pianist Lang Lang.

Given the school's small size, Curtisalumni have had a amazingly deep influence onthe musical world. Sixteen percent of the important principal section leader in A merica'stop twenty-five orchestras and four musicdirectorships in the top fifty are held by Curtis-trained musicians, and more than sixty alumni have performed with the MetropolitanOpera.

The Opera Company of Philadelphia isthrilled to be able to partner with The CurtisInsitute of Music by collaborating with theconservatory to present some of the best up-and-coming singers in complete operas alongside today’s brightest stars in productions atthe Academy of Music and the PerelmanTheater at the Kimmel Center for thePerforming Arts.

ACTIVE LEARNING1. Find out more about the Curtis Institute online atwww.curtis.edu.

The Curtis Insitute of Music

Shuler Hensley

and the cast of the

Curtis Opera

Theatre's WozzeckPhoto by: L. C. Kelley

The Kimmel Center and the

Perelman Theatercenter requires exceptional acoustics, stagedesign, lighting, and various other details. Inorder to build such a structure, the city employeda large staff, including an architecture firm(Rafael Viñoly Architects PC), an acoustical designteam led by Russell Johnson of Artec Consultants,Inc., and a team of theater consultants led byRichard Pilbrow and David I. Taylor.

The Kimmel Center occupies a completecity block at the corner of Spruce and BroadStreets along Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts. Itis close to the Academy of Music, the University ofthe Arts, The Curtis Institute of Music, and manyother performing venues. It is home to thePhiladelphia Orchestra, but its proximity to otherarts institutions makes it easily accessible for useby local performing arts organizations, like theOpera Company of Philadelphia, and touringgroups, too.

The Kimmel Center’s interior is awe inspiring. A 150-foot glass half-cylinder enclosesthe entire complex and gives guests the feelingthat they are outdoors even though they are not.The two theaters, Verizon Hall (home of thePhiladelphia Orchestra with 2,547 seats) andthe Perelman Theater (for chamber music and smaller-scale dance and dramatic performanceswith 651 seats) appear to be two separate buildings within the complex. Verizon Hall is situated toward the back of the center, and thesmaller Perelman Theater is in the front. ThePerelman Theater is set on a slight angle andtopped with a public garden on its roof!

The interior of Verizon Hall is shaped likethe body of a violin. It is smoothly contoured andmade of light wood. In contrast, the PerelmanTheater is essentially a large cube. Although thatmay sound boring, the theater is quite extraordinary in its transformability. The goal increating this smaller theater was to accommodateboth experimental and traditional performancesof theater, dance, chamber recitals, and variousother events. According to the Kimmel Center website, Richard Pilbrow said in an interview regarding the construction of the PerelmanTheater, “The challenge of building the Perelman

For many years, the world-renownedPhiladelphia Orchestra shared a performingspace with many of the other arts organizations inthe Philadelphia area. Between rehearsals and performances, there was not enough stage time toaccommodate all of the ensembles and touringshows that Philadelphia attracts. The orchestraneeded a new home. The local government alsowanted to construct a new venue for the city’sarts organizations and touring presenters. Afteryears of hard work, the Kimmel Center projectcame to fruition with its ground breaking onNovember 12, 1998 and its opening on December16, 2001. In the end, the total cost was$235,000,000 including land and building costs.

In addition to the standard features of a traditional public building, a performance

“Kimmel Center Inc.’s mission is to operate aworld-class performing arts center that engagesand serves a broad audience from throughoutthe Greater Philadelphia region.”

4

Hall was a unique one: to create a superb hall for chamber music that could be changed very rapidly into a small theatre for dance and dramaat minimum operating cost. This is intended bothto optimize the utilization of the hall and minimizerental costs.”

To make these rapid changes possible, thestage is on a turntable. The audience seating maybe expanded to wrap around the side of the stagefor chamber music, or be made to just be in frontfor theatrical performances. There is an orchestrapit that may be opened, or covered to produce aflat floor. An entire set design can be waiting inthe back and then turned around in a matter ofminutes to change the room from a concert hall tothe set of a dance or theater piece.

Here are some fun facts about theKimmel Center that will leave your mind

reeling!

The center has:

› 29,054 total cubic yards of concrete (equivalent to 92 miles of 5-foot wide sidewalk)

› 317,000 masonry blocks

› 3,700 total tons of structural steel

› 2,281 tonnage of rebar (reinforcing steel bars)

› 61,048 linear feet of structural steel tubing supporting the glass roof

› 1,400 tons of steel in the arches supporting the glass end walls

› 156,677 square feet (3.6 acres) of glass glazing

› 660 tons of weights holding glass end walls

› 9,300 gallons (860,000 square feet) of paint

› 594 doors

› 2.5 miles (13,184 linear feet) of handrails

› 14 elevators

› 144 bathroom fixtures (86 for women and 58 for men)

› 135,000 total cubic yards of dirt were removed from the construction site at Broad and Spruce Streets

Now that’s dreaming BIG!courtesy of www.kimmelcenter.org

5

The audience

arrives for a

chamber

performance

inside the

Perelman

Theater.

Photo:

Richard Doran,

Courtesy, Chamber

Orchestra of

Philadelphia.

(left) A view of

the exterior of

the Perelman

Theater in the

Kimmel Center.

(far left)

The Kimmel

Center as seen

from Broad

Street.Photos: Michael

Bolton

Opera Etiquette 1016

There’s nothing quite as exciting as attendingthe opera in a professional theater like the PerelmanTheater at the Kimmel Center for the PerformingArts. You will attending a dress rehearsal of theopera Antony and Cleopatra.

Unlike actors on television or in the movies,performers onstage are very aware of the audience.They want to share their love of performing with you.Everything you do in the audience affects what happens on stage. You can show them how muchyou appreciate their work and the opportunity tocome to the rehearsal by being as quiet as possible.So, please refrain from talking out of respect for thecast, musicians, the entire production team, andeveryone in the theater. Give the artists and the production your full attention!

ACTIVE LEARNING The picture on this page shows several patrons and famousopera characters on their way to attend an opera at the theater. Now picture yourself in their shoes. On a separate piece ofpaper, write a few words on what you think the trip to theopera will be like. You may want to mention going to theKimmel Center or visiting Perelman Theater, attending theopera. What will you wear? How will you and your classmatesact? At what time will you meet your classmates? How mayclassmates will attend? Will you have a special dinner beforethe opera? If so, where? Will the opera be exciting and entertaining? Share your thoughts here and compare your stories with your classmates.

Here’s a list of do’s and don’ts so that everyone in the theater can enjoy the opera:

Please Do...• Applaud after the arias; you can shout “Bravo!” for the

men and “Brava!” for the women.

• Enter and exit the theater in an orderly fashion.

• Please use the bathrooms before the rehearsal begins or at intermission.

• Turn off your cell phones and all electronic devices.

• Enjoy the rehearsal. You’ve worked too hard preparing for the rehearsal not to!

Don’t Forget...• No food, gum and beverages are allowed inside the

theater.

• Photographs or video footage may not be taken duringthe performance.

• No talking or whispering during the performance.

• No shoving, jumping, running, or spitting in the theater.

• Please obey the theater ushers and staff.

• Keep all objects to yourself. If you throw something, you might hurt someone and cause a disruption in performance.It is grounds for removal from the auditorium.

• MAKE YOUR SCHOOL PROUD!

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See rehearsal photos on our website athttp://www.operaphila.org/production/behind-scenes. Logon and see our Behind the Scenes area to see howa production develops from the first day of rehearsal to opening night!

Also, you can download extra copies of theSounds of Learning™ guide and past guides fromthis page as well. All of this content is provided forfree!

If you’re online, check out our myspace and facebook pages, too. Just search for Opera Company ofPhiladelphia!

OPERA – Online!

Many of you may be studying music in yourschools or privately. Where do you go if youwant to learn more about Antony and

Cleopatra, opera singers, opera-related topicsand experience opera more frequently? VisitOCP’s website at:

operaphila.org/community/sol-prod3.shtml

Here you can find more information about Antony

and Cleopatra and all the operas presented by theOpera Company at absolutely no cost!

Opera Right in Your Email Inbox!

Another great way to learn more is to sign up for the freeweekly Sounds of Learning™ email list. Email your name,school and age to education@operaphila.org and eachweek we’ll send you an opera video “clip of the week”with famous opera singers singing great arias and ensembles all throughout the summer. Some will be funny,some will be thrilling, some will be dramatic, all if it will beexciting! Also included in the email will be the website ofthe week. We’ll feature links to singers’ websites, musiclinks, other great music and opera websites. You can build awhole library of video clips to go back to again and again!Share the clips and links with your family and friends.

Don’t forget to check out our Sounds of

Learning™ blog at http://operaphillysol.blogspot.com.The blog will allow you to discuss the opera with students throughout the tri-state area! Log onto the blog and share your thoughts and views about the opera, the music, the set, the singers, the Academy of Music, coming to center city Philadelphia, the email list clip of the week and more! Other students participatingin Sounds of Learning™ from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware want to hear what youhave to say! Post your comments by going to: http://operaphillysol.blogspot.com.

A Brief History of

Western OperaThese early operas were

performed in the courts of Italiannoblemen, but soon opera becamepopular with the general public.Europe at the time had a growing middle class witha taste for spectacular entertainment.

As opera’s popularity grew, so did the complexity of operas and the level of spectacle. Manyopera houses had elaborate machinery that could beused to create special effects such as flying actorsand crumbling buildings. There was much debateabout whether an excess of visual elements in operadetracted from the quality of the music and drama.Some people even worried that too much comedy inopera could lead to immorality among the public!

During the period from about 1600 to 1750,the Baroque period in music, Italian opera spreadacross Europe. In fact the Italian style of opera wasso popular that even though other countries andregions often had their own traditions of musicaldrama, the Italian form was usually preferred.George Frederick Handel was a German-born composer who lived and worked in England, but hisoperas such as Julius Caesar (1724) were in theItalian language and used an Italian style of music.The only nation to develop a national tradition to

8

In its 400-year history each opera has beenshaped by the times in which it was created and tells us much about those who participated in the art form as writers, composers, performers, and audience members.

The first works to be called operas were created in Italy at the end of the sixteenth century.They were inspired by a group of intellectuals knownas the Camerata who, like many thinkers of theirtime in the late Renaissance, admired the culture ofthe ancient Greeks. They proposed the invention ofa new type of musical theater that would imitateGreek drama’s use of music.

The result was a series of operas based onGreek myths, starting with Dafne by Jacopo Peri in1598. The most famous work of this early period isClaudio Monteverdi’s Orfeo (1607), based on themyth of Orpheus. These early operas had all thebasic elements that we associate with opera today,including songs, instrumental accompaniments,dance, costumes, and scenery.

Claudio Monteverdi1567-1643

Theatrical performances that use music, song and danceto tell a story can be found in many cultures. Opera isjust one example of music drama.

A tense scene from Act II of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. (l-r: bass Richard Bernstein, baritone Simone Alberghini

and sopranos Christine Brandes and Mary Dunleavy.)

rival the Italian was France, where operas oftenincluded ballets inserted into the story. Jean-

Baptiste Lully and Jean-Philippe Rameau are themost famous French Baroque opera composers.

By the middle of the seventeenth centuryEurope was changing. The growing middle class wasmore influential than ever, and people were startingto talk about new forms of government and organization in society. Soon the American andFrench Revolutions (1776 and 1789) would seek toestablish the first modern democracies.

Music was changing, too. Composers abandoned the Baroque era’s complicated musicalstyle and began to write simpler music with moreexpressive melodies. Opera composers could writemelodies that allowed characters to express theirthoughts and feelings more believably. One of thefirst operas to use this new style was Cristoph

Willibald Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice (1762).

With the new democratic sentiments came interest in operas about common people in familiar settings, rather than stories from ancient mythology.A good example is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s

The Marriage of Figaro (1786), in which a servant outsmarts a count. Several of Mozart’s operasremain among the most popular today. They includeFigaro, Don Giovanni (1788), Così fan tutte (1790),and The Magic Flute (1791).

In the nineteenth century operas continued togrow more diverse in their subject matter, forms, and national styles. The Italian tradition continued in the bel canto movement. Operas written in thisstyle, which means “beautiful singing”, includedarias with intricate ornamentation, or combinationsof fast notes, in the melodies. The most famous bel

canto composers are Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano

Donizetti and Gioacchino Rossini, whose The

Barber of Seville (1816) is one of the most belovedcomic operas.

9

Wolfgang AmadeusMozart1756-1791

Later in the century the Romantic Movementled many composers to take an interest their national identities. As a result, operas in languagesother than Italian became more common, and newworks often reflected pride in a country’s people,history and folklore. Among the operas that showthe growth of national traditions are Carl Maria von

Weber’s Der Freischütz (Germany, 1821), Mikhail

Glinka’s Ruslan and Lyudmilla (Russia, 1842) andGeorges Bizet’s Carmen (France, 1875). In ItalyGiuseppe Verdi composed in a bold, direct style,and his operas, such as Nabucco and Macbeth, oftenincluded elements of nationalism. In GermanyRichard Wagner took the Romantic style to theextreme in an ambitious series of operas known collectively as The Ring of the Nibelung (1876) basedon Norse mythology.

In the twentieth century opera became evenmore diversified and experimental, to the point thatit sometimes became difficult to distinguish it fromother forms of musical theater. Some composerssuch as Giacomo Puccini (La bohème, 1896),Claude Debussy (Pelléas et Mélisande, 1902),Richard Strauss (Salome, 1905), and Benjamin

Britten (Peter Grimes, 1945) continued to writeoperas that were similar in many ways to those ofthe nineteenth century. Others, horrified by thedestructive effects of World War I (1914-1919) andother aspects of modern life, created works with radically experimental and dissonant music. Theseoperas often explored topics that were either disturbing (Wozzeck by Alban Berg, 1925) or absurdist (The Rake’s Progress by Igor Stravinsky,

1951). American opera also came into its own in thiscentury, beginning with George Gershwin’s Porgy

and Bess (1935) which incorporated jazz and bluesstyles of music. In the latter part of the century arepetitive and hypnotic style known as minimalismwas exemplified in Phillip Glass’s Einstein on the

Beach (1976), a piece that would hardly be recognized as an opera by earlier standards. The latetwentieth century even saw a return to some of thetraits of Romantic opera in works such as John

Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles (1991).

Today, opera is a living art form in which bothnew works and those by composers of the past continue to be performed. It remains to be seen whatthe future of opera will be, but if history is any indication, it will be shaped by the creativity oflibrettists, composers and other artists respondingthe changing times in which they live.

Bass Kevin Glavin gets a close shave from baritone

Roberto DeCandia in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville.

10

S a m u e lOsborne BarberII was born onMarch 9, 1910in West Chester,Pennsylvania.His father was adoctor and hismother was apianist. She wasnot the onlymusical one inthe family as

her sister was the legendary Metropolitan Operacontralto Louise Homer. From his boyhoodhome at 107 South Church Street, it was clearfrom the very beginning that young Sam wasmusically gifted.

He began studying piano when he wasbarely six years old, wrote his first musicalcomposition at age seven; his first opera at ten.He knew that music was his destiny. In afamous letter to his mother the nine year oldmusician wrote:

He continued on his path to become acomposer – when Barber was twelve he becamea church organist and at fourteen entered thenew music school that had recently opened inPhiladelphia: The Curtis Institute of Music. Herehe studied piano with Russian pianist Isabelle

Vengerova, composition with Italian violinistand composer Natale Rosario Scalero, and conducting with the legendary Fritz Reiner. Healso studied voice with Spanish-American baritone Emilio de Gogorza and Barber’s

baritone voice was of such quality that he considered becoming a professional singer.While at Curtis he met his longtime companionand occasional collaborator, Gian Carlo Menotti

in 1928.

After graduating, Barber went to Viennato study singing and traveled throughoutEurope thanks to winning the 1935 AmericanPrix de Rome. His recitals, radio broadcasts,and a recording of his song “Dover Beach” forvoice and string quartet soon attracted theattention of the days’ leading conductorsincluding, most famously, Arturo Toscanini. In1938, when Barber was only 28 years old,Toscanini directed the NBC SymphonyOrchestra in Barber’s “Adagio for Strings,”

which had been arranged from Barber’s String

Quartet op.11. The “Adagio for Strings” hasbecome his most recognizable and belovedcompositions, and has been used in films suchas Platoon, The Elephant Man, El Norte, andLorenzo’s Oil.

From 1939 to 1942, Barber taught composition at The Curtis Institute of Music.During World War II, Barber served in the Army

Air Corps, completing military training and clerical work during the day and composing at home at night. During this timehe composed his Second Symphony, which wasoriginally titled Symphony Dedicated to the Air

Forces, and Commando March, which was writtenespecially for the United States Army. After thewar, Barber wrote his first ballet, Medea, forMartha Graham’s dance company and was commissioned to write vocal pieces such asKnoxville: Summer of 1915, Mélodies passagères,and the Hermit Songs.

Barber approached the Metropolitan

Opera about producing an opera he had beenwriting with his partner Menotti, a celebratedopera composer as well, as librettist. UsingMenotti’s story and libretto, Barber wrote hisfirst opera Vanessa, which opened in 1958 togreat success. It earned him the Pulitzer Prize

and election to the American Academy of Arts

and Letters. Riding on the success of Vanessa,Barber and Menotti collaborated again in 1959to write the short A Hand of Bridge.

Native Son:Samuel Barber

“Dear Mother: I have written to tellyou my worrying secret. Now don’t crywhen you read it because it is neitheryours nor my fault. I suppose I will have totell it now, without any nonsense. To beginwith I was not meant to be an athlete. Iwas meant to be a composer, and will beI’m sure. I’ll ask you one more thing.—Don’t ask me to try to forget this unpleasantthing and go play football.—Please—Sometimes I’ve been worrying about thisso much that it makes me mad (not very).”

West Chester

native, Samuel

Barber

Photo from the

Library of

Congress, LC-

USZ62-42491

Carl Van

Vechten

Photographs

Collection

11

With the opening of the new Lincoln

Center, the Metropolitan Opera turned toBarber again to write the opera Antony and

Cleopatra to kick off their 1966 season in thenew opera house. Based on Shakespeare’s playand with libretto, direction, and design byfamed opera director Franco Zeffirelli, the operawas not well received. By all accounts, theopera’s over-elaborate direction and mechanicalmalfunctions were largely to blame. Believingthat the opera contained some of his best work,Barber spent the next decade revising the piecewith Menotti’s help. In 1975 the revised versionwas performed by the Juilliard School, withMenotti directing a much more intimate, musically developed, and shorter Antony and

Cleopatra.

The negative critical reaction to Barber’ssecond opera weighed heavily on him.Although he continued to write new music afterthe 1966 premiere of the opera, including thesong cycles Despite and Still, which was first performed by Leontyne Price, and “Three

Songs,” written for the German baritoneDietrich Fischer-Dieskau, he was never to enjoythe same acclaim that he had during the mid tolate 1950s. Yet his last major work, the Third

Essay for Orchestra was premiered in 1978 andreceived much acclaim.

After Antony and Cleopatra, Barber sufferedfrom clinical depression, alcoholism and hadisolated himself. His relationship with Menottisuffered as well. The two had lived together intheir home called Capricorn in Mount Kisco,New York since 1943. The two began to growapart; Barber was a very private man andMenotti was quite extroverted. They parted in1973 and Capricorn was sold, much toBarber’s dismay. He moved to an apartment inNew York City where he died of cancer in 1981at the age of 70 with Gian Carlo Menotti at hisside.

Samuel Barber will always be valued asone of America’s most important and talentedcomposers. His gift for beautiful and memorable melodies, colorful orchestrations,and some of the most moving music ever written will secure his place in musical history.

ACTIVE LEARNING1. Learn more about Samuel Barber online at:www.schirmer.com/composers/barber_bio.html

2. Learn more about West Chester Pennsylvania athttp://www.west-chester.com/ andwww.chestercohistorical.org/

3. Where is Mount Kisco, New York? Can you find it on amap?

Barber’s childhood

home at 107

South Church

Street in West

Chester, PA

This marker is on display in

front of Barber’s childhood

home in West Chester, PA.

Photo: William Pfingsten,

May 31, 2008,

The Historical Marker Database

12

Cleopatra isby far the mostfamous EgyptianQueen off all time,but why? Althoughhistorians portrayCleopatra as a capable and popularruler, we tend toimagine her through

Roman eyes. What is the first thing that comes tomind when you hear the name Cleopatra?

Roman propaganda (originating withOctavian) portrayed her as a perilous harlotwho practiced witchcraft and tricked men asshe grasped for power which was far beyondwhat was proper for a woman. In the late firstcentury B.C. the poet Horace called her “Acrazy queen…plotting...to demolish the Capitoland topple the (Roman) Empire.”

After Cleopatra’s death she became a“tragic heroine,” with love of Antony being herfatal motivation. Over the course of the nexttwo millennia, paintings, plays and operasfocused on the details of her life and death butstill, can you ask yourself, who was Cleopatra?

The continuous struggle betweenCleopatra and her brother (also her husband)Ptolemy XIII to rule as Pharaoh in Egypt wasnot going as well as Cleopatra had hoped.Ptolemy XIII had driven his sister from theirpalace at Alexandria after Cleopatra’s attemptto make herself the sole leader of the people.

Meanwhile, Julius Caesar arrived inAlexandria in 48 B.C. At this time Rome andEgypt were allies. Caesar thought it was necessary to intervene in the family feud andset up a peace meeting but Ptolemy XIII’s forcesrefused to let Cleopatra back into Alexandria.

Cleopatra, now aware of Caesar’s intervention smuggled herself into the palacewrapped in a carpet. “She was clearly using allher talents from the moment she arrived on theworld stage before Caesar,” says EgyptologistJohn Fletcher.

Caesar had Ptolemy XIII drowned in theNile River because of a disrespectful gesture he

made to him. This restored Cleopatra to thethrone. Even though Caesar and Cleopatra had ason together, Caesar was already married sounder Egyptian customs Cleopatra married herremaining brother.

Julius Caesar died on March 15th 44 B.C.With her ally gone Cleopatra disposed of her brotherand made her son Caesarion her new co-regent orco-ruler. Such ruthlessness was not uncommonin Egyptian politics in Cleopatra’s day; it was necessary for her survival and that of her son.

What kind of Pharaoh was Cleopatra?

Sources suggest that Cleopatra was verypopular among her own people. Since the timeof Alexander the Great’s general, Ptolemy I Soter,

all Alexandria-based rulers were ethnicallyGreek. Cleopatra was one of the only rulerssince her predecessors to learn the Egyptianlanguage. Cleopatra identified herself as a trulyEgyptian pharaoh and in one of her self portraits dated 35 B.C. she is called philopatris

meaning “she who loves her country.”

The Roman Empire was expanding rapidlyunder Julius Caesar’s heir Octavian.Cleopatra’s foreign policy was to maintainEgypt’s independence by befriending RomanGeneral Mark Antony. Ancient sources conclude that Mark Antony and Cleopatra didlove each other and that Cleopatra bore threeof his children, but the relationship was alsovery useful to an Egyptian queen who wishedto expand and protect her empire.

In 33 B.C. Octavian managed to defeatMark Antony’s ships and because Cleopatra’sships withdrew from the battle unexpectedly,he pursed them both into Egypt. Realizing thatall was in effect lost, and mistakenly thinkingthat Cleopatra was already dead, Mark Antonycommitted suicide. A few days later Cleopatraand two of her trusted servants killed themselveson August 12, 30 B.C., to escape the capture ofOctavian.

The story of the famous asp that killedthe queen has been passed on over the years.That, along with the image of her death, morethan anything else, has given Cleopatraimmortality.

Legendary Queen

Cleopatra

Cleopatra as

interpreted by

the artist

Eugene

Delacroix.

13

The most famous member of the Ptolemyline was the last queen, Cleopatra VII, knownfor her role in the Roman political battlesbetween Julius Caesar and Pompey, and laterbetween Octavian and Mark Antony. Her suicide at the conquest by Rome marked theend of Ptolemaic rule in Egypt which became aprovince of the Roman Empire in 30 B.C.

Cleopatra would go on to become as legendary as her Greek ancestor who helpedestablish the Ptolomies in Egypt, but it is shewho would outshine all of her other ancestorsand who cement her family’s place in the history books.

ACTIVE LEARNING1. Learn more about the Ptolomaic Dynasty by visiting theAncient Egyptian wing at the University of PennsylvaniaMuseum of Anthropoloyg and Archaeology.

Ruling Family

The Ptolemaic DynastyDid you know that Cleopatra was a

descendant of Alexander the Great? Shebelonged to the great ruling family Ptolemy

which governed during one of the most influential and greatest dynastic eras in history. The Ptolemies were a Greek family andthey ruled Egypt for generations, from 305 B.C.to 30 B.C.

In 332 B.C., the legendary Greek kingAlexander the Great conquered Egypt with littleresistance from the Persian Empire (modernday Iran) and was welcomed by the Egyptiansas a “deliverer.”

Ptolemy was a somatophylax, one of theseven bodyguards who served as Alexander theGreat's generals and deputies. He was appointed satrap (or governor) of Egypt afterAlexander's death in 323 B.C. In 305 B.C., hedeclared himself King Ptolemy I, later known asSoter (saviour). All male rulers from thePtolemic Dynasty took the name Ptolomy, whileall female rules took the name Cleopatra.

The Ptolemy ruling family based its government on an Egyptian model and based itin the new capital city of Alexandria. The citywas to showcase the supremacy and prestige ofGreek rule, and became a seat of learning andculture, centered at the famous Library of

Alexandria. The Lighthouse of Alexandria lit theway for the many ships which kept trade flowing through the city. The Ptolemies made commerce and revenue-generating enterprises,such as papyrus manufacturing, their top priority.

Greek culture did not replace traditionalEgyptian culture. The Ptolemies supported the Egyptians time-honored traditions in aneffort to secure the loyalty and love of the general public. They built new temples inEgyptian style, supported traditional cults, and portrayed themselves as pharaohs. Some traditions merged, religious differences wereblended into new religious belief systems.Some of the Greek and Egyptian gods mergedto become one such as Serapis, a god that wasmerged from Hellenistic-Egyptian gods tobecome a new god in antiquity. His mostrenowned temple was the Serapeum of

Alexandria.

Bust of

Cleopatra’s

ancestor, the

legendary

Alexander the

Great

14

The Gods of

Ancient EgyptAs the story

goes…In the beginningthere was only Nun.Nun was the darkwaters of chaos; thestate of being withoutorder or organization.One day, a hill calledBen-Ben ascended fromthe waters. On the topof this hill stood thefirst god; Atum. (Laterknow as Atum-Ra or Ra

the sun god)

It is said thatAtum coughed andspat out Shu, the godof the air, and Tefnut,the goddess of moisture.

Shu and Tefnuthad two children.

First, there was Geb, the

god of the earth and then there was Nut, thegoddess of the sky. Shu lifted Nut up so that shebecame a canopy over Geb.

Nut and Geb had four children named

Osiris, Isis, Seth and Nephthys. Nephthys was

Isis’ twin sister and guardian goddess of the

dead. Osiris was the king of the earth and Isis

was the queen. Osiris was a good king, and he

ruled over the earth for many years…

However, all was not well. Seth was jeal-ous of his brother Osiris because he wanted tobe the ruler of the earth. He grew angrier andangrier until one day he killed Osiris.

When Osiris died he crossed over into theunderworld and Seth remained on earth andbecame king.

Osiris and Isis had one son called Horus.Horus battled against Seth and regained thethrone. After that, Horus was the king of theearth and Osiris was the king of the underworld.

The Egyptian

god Atum in an

ancient drawing

First book of

respirations of

Usirur on dis-

play at the

Louvre in

France.

15

The Egyptian Goddess

IsisThroughout the opera we frequently hear

the name of the Egyptian goddess “Isis” beingcalled. She was worshipped throughout Egyptand was considered to be the protectress ofwomen, mothers and children. She was alsoknown as the goddess of magic. She lived in atime when the sun god Re (previously known asAtum) was the most powerful but it is said thatshe tricked Re into revealing his secret nameand in doing so, Isis obtained many of his magical powers making her the most powerfulof the gods.

The story of Isis and Osiris is knownthroughout Egypt as one of the most populartales in Egyptian mythology.

As you know from the previous article on“The Gods of Ancient Egypt,” Seth killed Osiristo become king. What you do not know is howthis all came about…

The first time that Seth killed Osiris, Isisused her magical powers to bring her husbandback to life. When Seth heard this news he wasoutraged and was determined to carry out thedeed in a way that Isis could not undo, and soSeth killed Osiris again. Seth mutilated hisbody into multiple parts, hiding them throughoutthe desert so that Isis could not find them. Isisdid not give up; she spent years searching forher husband’s scattered body. Eventually shefound all the pieces and magically broughtOsiris back to life. At this point, Isis becomespregnant with Osiris’ child but Osiris neverfully recovered from the wounds inflicted bySeth and eventually he dies becoming King of

the Underworld.

Isis gives birth to a son, Horus. It is saidthat Horus sought revenge on his father’s murderer by killing Seth and taking his placeas King of Egypt.

Throughout the years this myth andstory has been changed and altered, but the memories of Isis as kind ruler, mother andqueen remain unchanged.

Although her influences are largely forgotten, the Egyptian goddess Isis played animportant role in the development of modernreligions. The festival surrounding the flooding

of the Nile River each year, originally namedThe Night of the Tear-Drop in remembrance ofthe extent to which Isis lamented the death ofOsiris. It is said that her tears were so plentifulthat it caused the Nile to overflow. Today it iscelebrated annually by Egyptian Muslims andis called The Night of the Drop.

Isis remained popular in Egyptianmythology even in the days of Roman andGreeks occupation. When Christianity wasbrought into the Roman Empire during theforth century, her worshippers founded thefirst Madonna in order to keep her influencealive. Some people say that the ancient imagesof Isis nursing her baby Horus inspired thestyle of portraits of “mother and child” for centuries, including those of the “Madonna andchild” found in religious art.

The Egyptian goddess Isis has muchknowledge to share with modern women oftoday. She is a symbol of feminine strength.Isis has the capacity to reach a great depth ofemotions; she has the act of creation and is asource of nourishment and protection.

ACTIVE LEARNING

1. To learn more about Isis, visit www.ancient-egypt-online.com

This painting is in the tomb of Seti I in the Valley of the Kings.

16

Circa 3,000- 2,500 B.C. the Egyptians

dedicated most of their time to constructing bigbuildings. The Pyramids are one of the mostimpressive monuments of the ancient worldand are still standing to this day.

The Pyramids were built as tombs for thePharaohs of Egypt. They were all built duringthe Old Kingdom which was when Egypt wasfirst unified around 3000 B.C. under aPharaoh from Upper Egypt.

Ancient Egypt was divided into tworegions, known as Upper Egypt and Lower

Egypt. Lower Egypt was located to the northwhere the Nile River stretched out broke upinto different streams to form the Nile Delta.Upper Egypt was located in the south stretching to Syene. The terminology "Upper"and "Lower" comes from the flow of the Nilefrom the highlands of East Africa northwards tothe sea. Therefore, Upper Egypt lies to thesouth of Lower Egypt.

Even though the two kingdoms of Upperand Lower Egypt were united around 3000B.C., each maintained its own regalia. Thus,the pharaohs were known as the Rulers of the

Two Kingdoms or two lands, and wore thepschent, a double crown, each half representingsovereignty of one of the kingdoms.

There were numerous differencesbetween Upper and Lower Egyptians in theancient world. They spoke different dialects

and had different customs. Many of these differences, and the occasional tensions theycreated, still exist in modern times. In Egyptian

Arabic, Lower Egyptians are known as baharwa

and Upper Egyptians as sa’ayda.

The PyramidsThe first Pharaohs built simpler tombs,

called mastabas. These mastabas were squarebuildings with a room inside for the coffin, themummy and the valuables that the Pharaohswould take with them to the afterlife.

The Pharaohs then began to put moundsof earth on top of their mastabas to make themappear bigger and greater. Archaeologistsbelieve the first of its kind was the pyramid ofDjoser.

The next approach was decorating themound of earth by making them into steps i.e.the step pyramids.

Eventually the Egyptians decided to fill inthe steps creating the first real pointed pyramids which were built at Giza.

ACTIVE LEARNINGFor more information on the pyramids and ancient Egypt, visit

the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Anthropology and

Archaeology, or National Geographics great website on the

pyramids at www.nationalgeographic.com/pyramids.

Egypt and the

Pyramids

One of the Seven Wonders of the World: the pyramids at Giza, Egypt.Photo: Ricardo Liberati - wikipedia.com

17

Connect the

Opera Terms1. Opera Seria

2. Baritone

3. Opera

4. Ballet

5. Orchestra

6. Libretto

7. Duet

8. Aria

9. Soprano

10.Chorus

11.Act

12.Contralto

13.Tenor

14.Opera Buffa

15.Recitative

16.Bass

17.Overture

18.Verismo

A. Dance spectacle set to music.

B. Highest pitched woman’s voice.

C. Dramatic text adapted for opera.

D. Low female voice.

E. Comic opera.

F. A drama or comedy in which music is the essential factor; very little is spoken.

G. Opera with dramatic and intense plots.

H. Music composed for a singing group.

I. A composition written for two performers.

J. A group of musicians who play together on various musical instruments.

K. Highest pitched man’s voice.

L. A musical style used in opera and oratorio, inwhich the text is declaimed in the rhythm ofnatural speech with slight melodic variation.

M. Male voice between bass and tenor.

N. A piece of music originally designed to be played before an opera or musical play.

O. The term describing the realistic or naturalisticschool of opera that flourished briefly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; libretti werechosen to depict a ‘slice of life’.

P. Deepest male voice.

Q. Elaborate solo in an opera or oratorio.

R. Main division of a play or opera.

18

William Shakespeare was born the third ofeight children to John Shakespeare and Mary

Arden in 1564. His father was a merchant and a fineleather glove maker. His mother was from a family ofland owners. As William grew, his father became an alderman and later the mayor of their town,Stratford-upon-Avon. William attended the localgrammar school where he studied the comedies ofPlautus and Terence and the tragedies of Seneca inLatin. It was during this time that his love of the theater was born.

In 1582 William married Anne Hathaway,

who was about eight years his senior. Together theyhad three children: Susanna, 1583, and the twinsJudith and Hamnet, 1585. While there was workfor William in Stratford-upon-Avon as an actor, thecall of London, the capital of his craft, led him totake his family to the city in 1588. By 1594 he hadestablished himself as both a playwright and actorand was invited to join the company The Lord

Chamberlain’s Men.

This group of actors performed at The Globe

Theatre, located on the South Bank of the Thames

River in Southwark. To attend their performances,theater goers had to take the ferry across the river ortravel across the London Bridge. When The GlobeTheatre, which had a thatched roof, burned down duringa production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, it becamea tradition not to mention the name of the play

backstage for fear of bad luck. To this day it isreferred to as “the Scottish play.” Later, under thepatronage of King James I of England, the groupwas given an indoor theater known as The

Blackfriars. The group was then named The King’s

Men.

Shakespeare’s plays were very popular withthe people of London. While it was not customary topay much to a playwright for his work, Shakespearewas given a share of the profits from the sale of tickets.As a shareholder of the company, he became wealthy.He also took pleasure in acting in his creations. It isbelieved that he acted the roles of Adam in Much

Ado about Nothing and the ghost of Hamlet’sfather. His knowledge of stagecraft and the demandsof acting gave him a great insight into the dynamicsof successful drama.

Although he wrote thirty-eight plays, we haveno manuscripts in his handwriting because he didnot consider the writing of plays as literature. Hewould only publish them to correct errors in othereditions of his works that were printed without hispermission. In his day, the concept of copyright didnot exist. Anyone could copy the work of anotherperson and publish it for profit. Shakespeareauthorized the publishing of only half of his workknown as “quarto” editions. For the remainder of hisplays, we depend upon his friends and colleagues for“folio” editions which were published several yearsafter his death.

Shakespeare’s poetry is also very highlyregarded. His sonnets are regarded as a very highform of poetry and his work in this area earned him theepithet, “mellifluous and honey-tongued Shakespeare”in 1598. His classical epics, Venus and Adonis andThe Rape of Lucrece are considered two of the

Bard of Stratford

William Shakespeare

Shakespeare was born in this half-timbered house in Stratford-upon-Avon.

British Travel Association

The witches wreak havoc in The Opera Company of

Philadelphia’s 2003 production of Verdi’s Macbeth.

19

finest pieces of writing in the English language. Withhis success, he returned to Stratford-upon-Avonand purchased one of the finest homes in town, New

Place. Across the garden from his home, he hadanother home built for his daughter Susanna andher husband Dr. Hall. Whenever the plague wouldstrike and the theaters were closed, he would returnhome to wait out the cycle of the disease. After writing The Tempest in 1610, he left London andretired to his country home. Six years later, the venerable “Bard of Stratford” died and was given ahero’s funeral.

So great were his plays that the field of operahas hundreds of scores written to them. Berlioz wrotehis Béatrice et Bénédict based upon Much Ado

about Nothing. Ralph Vaughn Williams’ opera, Sir

John in Love, was based upon The Merry Wives of

Windsor. Verdi’s Otello and Macbeth were basedupon Shakespeare’s plays of the same name and hisFalstaff was based upon both King Henry IV andThe Merry Wives of Windsor. Shakespeare’sRomeo and Juliet has twenty-five operas basedupon it, The Tempest has forty-seven and A

Midsummer Night’s Dream has forty-eight operasbased upon it. Few authors can claim to have affected the culture of the world more than William Shakespeare, the “Bard of Stratford.”

Portrait of William Shakespeare, Bard of Stratford.

Words, words, words: Shakespeare’s influence on the English Language

When Shakespeare’s Hamlet is asked what he is reading, he responds with the famous line “Words, words, words.” Even 400 years after his death, WilliamShakespeare’s writings leave their mark on culture even today. Considered the greatest writer in the English language, Shakespeare’s plays are filled with quotes, phrases and even words that are used in every day conversation. Listed below are some of the famous phrases and words that Shakespeare originated.Do you recognize any of these?

As You Like It

• Too much of a good thing

Hamlet

• Neither a borrower nor a lender be

• The lady doth protest too much

Henry IV, part 2

• Eaten me out of house and home

• Dead as a doornail

Henry VIII

• For goodness sake

Julius Caesar

• It was Greek to me

King John

• Elbow room

Love's Labour's Lost

• The naked truth

Macbeth

• Knock, knock! Who’s there?

• The be-all and the end-all

• Sorry sight

Much Ado About Nothing

• Done to death

Othello

• Neither here nor there

• Wear my heart on my sleeve

Romeo and Juliet

• You kiss by the book

The Merchant of Venice

• Love is blind

• My own flesh and blood

The Merry Wives of Windsor

• Laughing-stock

The Taming of the Shrew

• An eye-sore

• Kill ... with kindness

20

All the World’s a Stage

The Globe Theatre

Theater was a very important part of life inShakespeare’s day. There was no Wii or Sony

Playstation, no computers or mp3 players, noradios or televisions, and no phones at all during theVictorian Era. What did people do to pass the time?Reading was important, if you had access to books.Music would be performed at home, if you hadaccess to a fortepiano and music lessons. The oneform of entertainment that everybody could accesswas the theater. Everyone went to the theater, richor poor. It didn’t hurt that one of the biggest theaterlovers was Queen Elizabeth I. Supposedly it wasshe who demanded a play devoted to the characterFalstaff. She loved the old knight in Shakespeare’sHenry IV, and insisted that the bard give her acomedy which showed the fat old knight in love.

Many of Shakespeare’s plays were performedin The Globe Theatre, built in 1598 in London. Itwas three stories high, octagonal in shape, and 100feet in diameter. The stage was a compact 43 feetwide by 28 feet deep and five feet off the ground. TheGlobe, like many theaters of it’s time, was an open-airtheater that could fit 3,000 people – that’s more peoplethan can fit into the Academy of Music. There wasno roof over the main portion of it so sunlight couldcome in and light up the stage. (Remember, Ben

Franklin didn’t experiment with electricity with hiskite until 1752.) Performance would take place duringthe day and most likely only during fair weather. Thestructure was capped by a turret with a flag fromwhich a trumpeter would announce that day’s performance.

There were three tiers, or levels, on whichpeople sat, and standing room on the ground. Thecheapest ticket would be in standing room - right infront of the stage. People in the standing room area,dubbed the groundlings, were loud and boisterous.They would talk back to the actors and eat anddrink during the performance. It could be tough inthis crowd, too, with pushing, shoving, fistfights, andeven pick pockets! For the middle priced ticket,you’d get a seat in the gallery on one of the theater’stiers. You’d sit on a bench, and you’d have someprotection from the hot sun or rain from the theater’sthatched roof. If you were rich and could pay the mostexpensive price, you’d sit in the exclusiveGentleman’s Room. These private boxes gave you aprivate entrance into the theater, that way youwould avoid the public and be seated along the wallsnear the stage and allowed you to be seen by the audience, similar to the box seats on the sides of thestage of the Academy of Music.

Since the entire town would have seen a playin a few days, a new one would have to be put onpretty quickly so the theater could make money.Acting companies couldn’t spend too much timerehearsing and would need to have a new play readyin three to four days.

Companies were known for their “star” actorswho would play the romantic and heroic leads. Inthis time there were actors only - no actresses. Allroles, male and female alike, were acted by men orboys. Boys got to play all of the young heroines likeJuliette in Romeo and Juliette. In The Merry

Wives of Windsor boys, whose voices had not yetchanged, would have played Alice, Anne, and MegPage. For more comedic roles like Dame Quickly,most likely an older man who specialized in playingfunny ladies would have played the part.

Each of the actors in the troupe would havedone certain types of roles – young men, comicparts, heroic parts, tragic parts – but each wouldhave had their “role” in a play. That made it easierfor the actors to fit into their role – especially sincethey might have played more than one part. Whenthe actors received their script, it wasn’t the script ofthe entire play, just their scenes.

The Company would sit down before rehearsalsbegan and the playwright would read the entire playto the actors – perhaps the only time the actorswould have heard the full play.

Woodcut image of the Globe Theatre circa 1612.

21Because the Globe had no roof, the sound of

the actor’s voices would escape out of the building,not to mention the fact that audiences then could be quite noisy – especially those on the floor. Actorshad to learn how to effectively project their voices.They were forced to shout their lines, over enunciate,and overact so audiences understood what wasgoing on.

Theaters like the Globe didn’t use sets likeyou’ll see in the opera Antony and Cleopatra.Instead the back wall of the theater had differentdoorways and balconies that could be used for anysituation. They might use a particular prop or pieceof furniture that could be used only if it wasabsolutely necessary, like the laundry basket inwhich Falstaff is hidden, but you’d never see a complicated set like you see today. So that audiences would know where each scene was set,the playwright would use the first few lines of the newscene to comment on the surroundings or time of day.

Costumes, too, were multi-functional.Frequently a rich theater lover would donate their oldclothes to the theater company. The theater wouldhave a collection of clothes that they would use for costumes for all of their plays. It would be possible tosee the same costume in several plays a year.

The original Globe Theatre burned to the groundin 1613 when a cannon shot during a performanceof Henry VIII set the thatched roof on fire. A newGlobe was built on the same location beforeShakespeare’s death. The Globe and other theaterswere always careful to make sure the authoritieswere happy as they could be shut down for any reason from offensive material, to threats to publicsafety – including the spread of the plague. The Globewas forced to close its doors 1642, when the Puritans

closed all entertainment venues as they were viewed asimmoral. The Puritans tore down the building in1644 and built tenements at the location.

The Globe’s foundations were rediscovered in1989, and plans to build a modern-day Globe Theatrewere spearheaded by American actor Sam

Wanamaker. Construction started in 1993 near thesite of the original theater and was completed in 1996.Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the theater onJune 12, 1997 with a production of Henry V. Everyeffort was made to reproduce the Globe as faithfullyas possible. But as there are no existing blueprintsor plans, the new theater was based upon sketchesand written descriptions of the original Globe. Themodern Globe seats 1,500 people between the galleries and the groundlings. In its opening season,210,000 spectators saw productions at the theater.

Shakespeare at the MoviesIf Shakespeare were alive today, you can bet that he’d be one of the greatest writer/directors in

Hollywood history. Hollywood has turned to his plays time and again for inspiration. Here’s a list a moviesthat you may have seen which are based on Shakespearean plays:

Year Film Based on1953 Kiss Me Kate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Taming of the Shrew1956 Forbidden Planet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Tempest1957 Throne of Blood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hamlet1961 Manchurian Candidate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hamlet1961 West Side Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Romeo and Juliet1965 Chimes at Midnight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Merry Wives of Windsor1983 Strange Brew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hamlet1985 Ran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .King Lear1991 My Own Private Idaho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Henry IV1995 Green Eggs and Hamlet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hamlet1996 Romeo and Juliet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Romeo and Juliet1999 10 Things I Hate About You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Taming of the Shrew2000 Romeo Must Die . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Romeo and Juliet2001 Macbeth: The Comedy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Macbeth2001 My Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .King Lear2001 O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Othello2001 Scotland, PA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Macbeth2004 Manchurian Candidate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hamlet2006 She’s the Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Twelfth Night

22

With the success ofSamuel Barber’s first fullscale opera, Vanessa, theMetropolitan Opera in New

York City turned to Barberagain to write a grandopera to celebrate theopening its new home atLincoln Center in 1966.Shakespeare’s Antony and

Cleopatra was chosen asthe subject. Its grand scalewould be perfect for theopening of the new house.Barber turned to Franco

Zeffirelli, the famous Italianopera, stage and film directorwho had been contractedto direct the production, towrite the libretto. Alvin

Ailey would choreograph inhis Met debut. And the

opera would star sopranoLeontyne Price as Cleopatra.

Zeffirelli, using only Shakespeare’s text,condensed, combined and deleted scenes andcharacters. The play’s five acts and forty-onescenes became an opera in three acts and sixteen scenes and over a dozen characterswere dropped from the play’s cast of 35.Zefirelli retains many of the play’s famous linesand gives opera very effective finales to eachact. The Act I finale ends with Cleopatraappearing as a vision before Antony, Act II withthe Antony’s suicide and Act III with the deathscene of Cleopatra.

Zeffirelli designed a production thatwould show off all of the opera house’s newtechnology. Imagine giving yourself the biggestmost expensive toy in the world and given thechallenge to play with it and make sure everything worked. Well, that’s what Zeffirellidid and he brought the Met to a grinding halteven before the new house had opened. Thenew stage turntable broke down due to theweight of the sets and cast on it; Leonytne Price

found herself virtually entombed in a pyramidthat wouldn’t open; lighting cues went wrong,and more as the company learned how to usethe new state of the art equipment.

Opening night of Antony and Cleopatra onSeptember 16, 1966 was one of the most infamous premieres in operatic history. It wasthe social event of the season and everyonewanted to see the new opera in the new operahouse. Music critics from around the globewere there to report on event. Despite whatseemed like a success, given the audience’s ovation when the curtain came down, criticalreception was almost hostile, particularlytowards the lavishness of Franco Zeffirelli’ssets. According to the New York Times’ BernardHolland, the work was “crushed, to all appearances, beneath the grandeurs ofZeffirelli’s behemoth staging.” But evenBarber’s lyrical, accessible music was labeleduninspired and irrelevant, especially whencompared to his musically experimental contemporaries.

The poor reviews and harsh critcal reaction to the opera devastated Barber. Hethought the opera had some of the best musiche’d ever written. He turned to Gian CarloMenotti to help edit and rework the opera. Theyremoved many of the military scenes and concentrated on the opera that Barber hadwanted to write - the story of two of the mostfamous lovers in history. Barber unveiled therevised opera at the Julliard School in 1975,but still the opera failed to catch on and sincethen has rarely been performed.

Barber continued to write new music, butnot with the same acclaim he had when he wasyounger.

In later years the Pennsylvania-borncomposer became clinically depressed and analcoholic. His friendship with Menotti hadended in 1973 and the home they had sharedwas sold. Barber moved to an apartment inNew York City where he died of cancer in 1981at the age of 70 with Gian Carlo Menotti at hisside.

The Infamous Premiere of

Antony and Cleopatra

Louis Mélançon,

photographer.

Leontyne Price (b.

1927) as

Cleopatra, 1966

New York World-

Telegram and

Sun Newspaper

Collection

Prints &

Photographs

Division

Courtesy of

Leontyne Price

(16.1)

LC-DIG-ppmsca-

13518

23

PROLOGUE: A chorus of Romans, Greeks,Patricians, Jews, and soldiers condemns the RomanGeneral Antony for his life of luxury in Egypt and forhis shameless behavior with the Egyptian queenCleopatra.

ACT I: In Alexandria, Antony realizes that his lifein Egypt with Cleopatra is making him weak and hetells his friend Enobarbus that he will go back toRome. Cleopatra enters and the lovers bid a reluctantfarewell. Back in Rome, Antony is greeted by theSenate but admonished by Caesar Octavius forneglecting his responsibilities and ignoring hisrequests for more troops. The Senator Agrippa triesto placate the argument and suggests that Antonymarry Caesar’s sister Octavia as a demonstration ofpeace between the two men; Antony agrees. In herpalace in Alexandria, Cleopatra pines for Antony andlanguishes over their separation. “Give me somemusic.” When a messenger brings news of Antony’smarriage, she punishes the messenger but takespleasure when he says that Cleopatra is the morebeautiful. In a Roman banquet hall the soldiers celebrate Antony’s marriage to Octavia and his reconciliation with Caesar. Antony asks Octavia tooverlook his past discretions. Dorabella, Caesar’semissary, says that now that he is married, Antonywill have to end his relationship Cleopatra.Enobarbus says that Antony will never be able togive up Cleopatra and recalls the first time the loversmet “When first she met Antony”. A vision of thequeen appears as she calls out for Antony to returnto her. Antony declares that he will return to Egypt.

ACT II: Caesar rails against Antony’s desertionand tells the Senate that he has given CleopatraCyprus, Lydia, and lower Syria. He vows that Antonywill pay the consequences and they prepare to go towar. In Cleopatra’s palace, her attendants have asoothsayer read their fortune and are told that theywill outlive their mistress. Antony and Cleopatraenter and are interrupted by Enobarbus, who bringsnews that Caesar is advancing with the Romanarmy. As Antony leaves to go prepare his troops,Cleopatra intends to go with him but Enobarbuswarns her that she is too much of a distraction forAntony. Cleopatra swears her revenge on Enobarbusand says that she will not be left behind. In Antony’scamp, the guards hear haunting music. They believethat it is Hercules, the god of war, abandoning hissupport of Antony. At dawn, Antony and Cleopatra

awaken and vow their love for each other. “Oh take,oh take those lips away” Despite her protests,Antony leaves to prepare his troops for battle, andCleopatra gets her army ready as well. At the heightof the battle, as the Egyptian army is being overrun,Cleopatra’s ships are seen in the distance, fleeingback to Alexandria. As his army is defeated, Antonyis demoralized. “Hark! The land bids me tread nomore upon it” In her palace, Cleopatra meets withThidias, one of Caesar’s emissaries, to discuss theterms of surrender. Antony is furious and denouncesthe queen, suspicious that she has abandoned him forCaesar. Cleopatra flees to her monument and sendsher attendant to tell Antony that she has killed herself. When he hears the news that she is dead,Antony begs his shield bearer Eros to kill him. InsteadEros kills himself. Antony retrieves the sword andstabs himself just as Cleopatra’s attendant enters totell him that she is not really dead. Gravely injured,Antony asks to be carried to her.

ACT III: Anthony is brought to Cleopatra. The bidfarewell just as he dies. Filled with despair,Cleopatra recounts a dream she had in which shesaw Antony as the Emperor of Rome. Caesar arrives,assures Cleopatra that he no longer means her anyharm, and mourns Antony’s passing. Dorabella,Caesar’s emissary, confesses to the queen thatdespite his reassurances, Caesar plans to lead herthrough the streets as a captive. Unwilling to acceptthis, Cleopatra summons a man to bring a basketfull of poisonous snakes. Taking the snakes,Cleopatra and her two attendants commit suicide“Give me my robe, put on my crown” as everyonelaments the loss of the immortal lovers.

Antony and Cleopatra

Plot Synopsis

24

There’s a Place for You at

Settlement Music School

Settlement Music School is a community artsschool that offers programs and activities in music,voice, dance and the related arts to help those interested achieve their greatest potential.

Settlement is dedicated to a belief that people of all ages, abilities, backgrounds, and financial circumstances deserve and willbenefit from the high quality programs that

Settlement offers.

Founded in 1908, the School began when twoyoung volunteer teachers offered piano lessons for anickel. The response was so huge they raised theprice to a dime to hire more teachers. A full programof instruction soon took shape, encompassing allinstruments and voice and taught by professionals,including members of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Today, Settlement’s six branches reach allover Philadelphia and serve more than 9,000 pupilson site and another 6,000 through outreach programs. Students from every zip code inPhiladelphia and the eight surrounding counties inPennsylvania and New Jersey attend Settlement.The school has four Philadelphia branches(West Philadelphia, Germantown, Kardon-

Northeast, and the original South Philadelphiaschool - the Mary Louise Curtis branch in QueenVillage); one in Jenkintown, Montgomery County;and the newest location in Camden, NJ.

An impressive list of former Settlement students has gone on to exciting careers, includingactor Kevin Bacon, jazz bassist Stanley Clarke,

pianist Joey DeFrancesco, Tonight Show guitarist

Kevin Eubanks, Hollywood film composer Alex

North, Star Wars director Irv Kershner, numerousmembers of The Philadelphia Orchestra (as well asmusicians in orchestras around the country). Evenscientist Albert Einstein was a Settlement MusicSchool student! In fact, studies show that scienceand music use similar principles—so music lessonsmay help your math skills, too.

Settlement is a vital force in the communitiesit serves. It brings together students from every walkof life, providing many with opportunities otherwise unavailable to them through scholarshipand financial aid. Settlement Music School helpsthem not only to develop musical and artistic talents, but also to build self confidence and readiness for academic and other achievements.Students who come here begin life-long friendshipswith other students who perform with them inensemble and orchestra programs. One student, acurrent member of the Philadelphia Orchestra, stillplays “gigs” on the side with a friend he met when hewas 14 years old at Settlement.

Students’ work at Settlement puts them intouch with the best of themselves, the best of theirneighbors, and the best that the world has to offer increative expression. And, anybody, no matter whatyour skill or circumstance, is accepted. Call 215-320-2600 or visit Settlement’s website atwww.smsmusic.org for more information.

Settlement Music School BranchesMary Louise Curtis (215) 320-2600416 Queen Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147

Germantown (215) 320-26106128 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144

Kardon-Northeast (215) 320-26203745 Clarendon Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19114

Jenkintown Music School (215) 320-2630515 Meetinghouse Road, Jenkintown, PA 19046

West Philadelphia (215) 320-26404910 Wynnefield Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131

Camden School of Musical Arts (856) 541-6375 531-35 Market Street, Camden, NJ 08102

Visit the Settlement Music School website atwww.smsmusic.org.

Famous

Philadelphia-born

actor Kevin Bacon

took lessons at

Settlement Music

School. You can,

too!

25

A Sampling of

Careers in the Arts

Active LearningWhat career would you consider interesting? Where do you think you could go to learn more about it?

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

AccompanistActor/ActressAdvertising DirectorAnnouncerArchitectArchitectural Model BuilderArtistArtistic DirectorArt Festival CoordinatorArt TeacherArts AdministratorArts ConsultantArts Ed. Curriculum WriterAudio Engineer (recording)Band DirectorBook DesignerBook IlluminatorBox Office DirectorBusiness ManagerCasting DirectorChoir DirectorChoreographerCinematographerClothing DesignerComedian Commercial ArtistComposerComputer Graphics DesignConcert SingerConductor Contract Specialist

Copyright SpecialistCostume BuyerCostume and Mask DesignerCreative ConsultantCriticCutter (costumes)DancerDialect CoachDramaturgDraper (costumes)Dresser (theater)Extra (background actor)Fashion DesignerFirst Hand (seamstress)Fundraiser (Development)Furniture DesignerHouse Manager (theater)Illustrator (fashion, book, etc.)InstrumentalistLibrettistLighting DesignerMakeup ArtistManager (arts organizations)Master Electrician (stage)Model BuilderMold MakerMusic ContractorMusic Copyist and TranscriberMusic EditorMusic LibrarianMusic Teacher

MusicianMusicologistOrchestratorPainterProducer (theater, TV, movies)Proofreader (music)Props BuyerProps DesignerPublic Relations SpecialistPublicistPublisherScene PainterScenic DesignerSculptorSet DecoratorSet DresserShop Foreman (stage)SingerSpecial Effects CoordinatorStage CarpenterStage DirectorStage HandStage ManagerStitcher (costumes)Stunt CoordinatorTheater DirectorTicketing AgentTV Camera OperatorVocalistWardrobe MistressWigmaker

26

Singing on the operastage is a lot of hard work.Singers are like athletes inthat they are constantlytraining to perfect theirvoices. They ask their voices and bodies to dothings that most of us without training can’t do;specifically, to sing incredibly intricate and difficultmusic and project their voice over a sixty piece (ormore) orchestra and still be heard.

Singing begins with the human voice. Thevoice is a very versatile instrument. It can producesounds that present a wide range of frequencies thatwe call pitches. Pitches can be high or low. Womencan sing in the highest pitches and men in the lowest ones.

Our voices are also able tochange in volume.Sometimes we speak softlyas when we are telling asecret. Other times we yellas if we were at a footballgame. These are some ofthe ways we can look at thehuman voice. But we can

go deeper and see it as a gift of human biology.

Voices are powered by the air that is exhaledout of the lungs. The diaphragm, a muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdomen, isused to control that flow of air. The abdomen is rightbehind the stomach muscles and contains theintestines, spleen, and other organs. It’s alwaysimportant to breathe from the diaphragm. Inhalingdeeply causes the diaphragm to lower while the ribsand stomach expand. The shoulders should not rise.

The diaphragm forces the air out when it contracts. When it does this, it causes the vocalchords to vibrate. The vocal chords are actually foldsof fibrous bands that are stretched along the twosides of the larynx. The larynx is the body’s soundinstrument. It is just below the ‘Adam’s apple.’When we hum, talk, or sing, air passes through thelarynx and it vibrates. As the air vibrates it creates asound that is then shaped by the other parts of ourbodies. This includes the mouth, tongue, teeth andlastly the lips.

Babies experiment with singing, laughing,screaming, and babbling. This is done to exercise the vocal chords and learn how to control them. The pitch of the voice (how high or how low wespeak) is created by them. Singers must masterfullycontrol the flow of air through the vocal chords inthe larynx. Each sung note is determined by how thechords are controlled. This is why singers have vocalexercises. It is so that they can quickly adjust to thedemands of the music without thinking about it.

So you want to sing like an

OperaSinger

Soprano Sari Gruber as Norina in

Donizetti’s Don PasqualePhoto: Kelly & Massa

27

Singers must learn how to shape theirmouths to control the sound that comes out of it.Specific sounds are controlled by the size and shapeof the mouth. Think of the mouth and entire head asbeing like a megaphone. Singers use all open spacesin their mouths, sinuses, and skull like a megaphone to help project their voices. Singers raisethe soft palate, located on the roof of your mouthtowards the back, to help create the megaphoneeffect. An indicator that enough space has been created is that your uvula, or the little fleshy piecethat hangs down in the back, is raised and it doesn’t dangle.

In opera, singers sing in many languages. Sothat singers are able to effectively communicate|their lines, they often work with language coaches.Different languages demand various ways of expressing text. Each language has its own uniqueway of being enunciated.

Once a singer knows the science of singing,the singer must be careful to understand the musicand the text of the song. Certain emotions can alsodemand certain ways of enunciating the text. In thisway, the singer combines vocal techniques with the emotional context of the music to enhance thewords. This process creates the passionate music we know as opera.

Sound and Active LearningThe vocal chords vibrate and create sounds

that our mouth then forms so that we can talk orsing. Without our mouth we would only be able toexpress a sound similar to a hum. It is the mouththat is the sound shaper that produces our wordsand songs.

Our wind pipe is a tube though which the airis passed over the larynx. After the air picks up avibrating sound from our vocal chords, the mouthenunciates the sound into words and projects thenew text-added sound into the world. We can understand both of these as a human instrument.

We can make a model of our human instrument. Our model will not be able to shape thesounds into words, but it will express the varioushumming pitches necessary for words to be created.

The place of the vocal chords will be taken bya rubber band. The place of the mouth will be takenby various size paper or plastic cups.

Experiment1. Place a hole in the bottom of the cups.

2. Cut rubber bands so that they become long stretches of rubber.

3. Pull on the rubber band so that it vibrates. How does pitch change? Record your findings.

4. Tie the rubber band to a small object that is larger thanthe hole in the cup. (Paper clip) This object will act as a plugto the hole. Be sure to make a square knot on the object sothat the pressure in the next step does not cause the knot toslip out and the object to be ejected from the cup.

5. Slide the rubber band through the small hole in the cup and pull it through until the object catches on the inside bottom of the cup.

6. Pull on the rubber band again so that it vibrates a second time. Record your findings.

7. In comparing the two sounds, what did you observe happen after the cup was added to the activity?

8. Place different sized cups into your experiment and record your findings.

9. Cover the cup opening with your hand. Pull on the rubber band. Record your findings.

10. See if you can get your cup to make sounds like a baby.

28

Did you ever wonder what the difference isbetween a soprano and a mezzo-soprano or whatvoice type can sing the highest note and the lowest?Most opera singers fall into a voice type that reflectsthe singer’s vocal range as well as the dramaticrequirements of singing a particular role. Above allthe voice is an instrument - a human one. Operasingers spend much time learning correct singingtechniques that allow them to sing without amplification. There is no grabbing a microphoneand belting out arias in opera. All the sound that anopera singer produces is done through the sheerpower of the human voice.

So how does one become a soprano, mezzo-

soprano, tenor, baritone, or bass, the five most common types of voices? Some of it has to do withthe size of the vocal chords and the speed at whichthey vibrate. It also has to do with vocal range,which can be defined as the span from the lowestnote to the highest note that a particular singer canproduce. Vocal range is very important in operasinging. Two other things which are taken into consideration when determining a singer’s voice typeare the consistency of timbre (sound quality or colorof the voice) and the ability to project the voice over afull orchestra. Remember, there are no microphonesin opera, and there are small, medium, large andextra large voices. Soprano Barbara Hendricks compares the differences in vocal types to the differences between a Mack truck and a Maserati.She says “...one can haul a load, but the other cantake the curves.”

Some terms that are used to describe operatic voices are:

Coloratura: typically a voice with a very high rangewith the ability to sing complicated passages withgreat agility.

Dramatic: a heavy, powerful voice with a steely timbre.

Lyric: an average size voice, but capable of singinglong beautiful phrases.

Lyric spinto: a somewhat more powerful voice thanthat of a true lyric.

Helden: a German term referring to a powerful voicecapable of singing very demanding roles.

Falsetto: the upper part of a voice, more often used inreference to male voices.

Let’s define a few of the voice types that audiencesgenerally hear in opera:

For females, the highest voice typeis the soprano. In operatic drama,the soprano is almost always theheroine because she projects innocence and youth. Within this

category, there are other sub-divisions such as, coloratura soprano, lyric soprano, and dramatic

soprano. Each of these voices has particular lighteror darker voice qualities as well as differences inrange. Some of the roles sung by these voice typesinclude: the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute

(coloratura), Mimi in La bohème (lyric) and Ariadnein Ariadne auf Naxos (dramatic).

The mezzo-soprano has a lowerrange than the soprano. Manymezzo-sopranos sing the so-called “trouser” roles, portrayingyoung boys or men, or they may be

the villainesses or perhaps motherly types. This category is also sub-divided into coloratura mezzo,

who can sing complicated fast music through a largerange. The comedic heroines of Gioachino Rossini’soperas, such as Cinderella, The Barber of Seville,

and The Italian Girl in Algiers, are well-suited forthis voice type. The dramatic mezzo is most oftenfound singing the operas of Giuseppe Verdi in rolessuch as Amneris in Aida, or Princess Eboli in Don

The Highs and Lows of the

Operatic Voice

29

Carlo. One of the most well known roles for a dramatic mezzo is the fiery gypsy Carmen in the operaof the same name.

The contralto or alto is the lowestfemale voice and the darkest intimbre. This voice type is usuallyreserved for specialty roles like theearth goddess Erda in Richard

Wagner’s Nordic fantasy-epic The Ring of the

Nibelungen. Since this is such a rare voice type, dramatic mezzos often sing roles in this range.Marian Anderson, a Philadelphia native, was one ofthe world’s most famous contraltos ever.

For males, the tenor is generallyconsidered to be the highest malevoice in an opera, and is most oftenthe hero or the love interest of thestory. His particular voice type

determines which roles are best for him to sing.There are many different types of tenor voices. Twoof the more common ones are lyric tenors, whose voices have high, bright tones, and dramatic

tenors whose voices have a darker sound with aringing quality in the upper range. Two of the morefamous roles for tenors include Rodolfo in La

bohème (lyric) and Radames in Aida (dramatic).

A countertenor is able to sing evenhigher than a tenor. This voiceactually falls within a female’s voicerange. Through the use of a man’sfalsetto voice, the voice produces a

sound that is sometimes described as otherworldly.

A baritone is the most commontype of male voice whose range islies midway between the high tenorvoice and the low bass voice. Hecan play several types of roles. In

comedic operas, he is often the leader of the funnybusiness, but he can also be the hero who sacrificeshimself for the tenor or soprano, or sometimes, he isthe villain. This voice has a dramatic quality capableof producing rich, dark tones. The hunchback courtjester in the title role in Rigoletto (dramatic) and the

popular Toréador Escamillo in Carmen are favoriteroles for baritones.

In general, a bass is the lowestand darkest of the male voices. Theword bass comes from the Italianword basso, which means low.Some singers in this category are

referred to as bass-baritones because they have voices that range between the bass and the baritone voice. A bass is ideal for several types ofroles.A basso serio or basso profondo portrayscharacters who convey wisdom or nobility such asSarastro in The Magic Flute. In contrast, a basso

buffo sings comedic roles such as Dr. Bartolo in The

Barber of Seville.

So, no matter what the size, quality or range,a singer’s voice has the ability to thrill an audiencewith its sheer beauty and musicality.

Active LearningLet’s imagine that The Lord of the Rings had been made into an opera. What voice types would you cast in the major rolesand why?

Frodo

Sam

Gandalf

Saruman

Aragorn

Gollum

Sauron

Legolas

Gimli

Arwen

Galandriel

Merry Pippin

Eowyn

Bilbo

30

The Artistic TeamThe Conductor is responsible for the

interpretation of the music. He/she is respectfullyreferred to as Maestro, which in Italian means masteror teacher. The conductor must be a very skilledmusician. The Maestro works with the orchestra andthe singers to interpret the music. Based on thecomposer’s instructions, he/she determines tempo,dynamics, and the musical expression of the opera.He/she leads the orchestra during the performance, coordinating what is happening onstage with what ishappening in the orchestra pit. It is important thatthe singers and the musicians watch the conductorat all times.

The Director ultimately brings to life whatwill be assembled onstage. After the director hasstudied the music, text, historical context, and any materials like books, plays or historical figures onwhich the opera might be based, he/she then turnsto the designers and together they arrive at a concept. When rehearsals begin, the director helpsbring the concept to life through the characters ofthe opera: how they move, how they behave, whythey behave the way they do, how they interact withone another and the environment of the opera.

The Scenic Designer must have the visionand creativity of a visual artist and a knowledge andsense of theater. It is this person’s responsibility tocreate the surroundings in which the charactersexist. The design of the scenery directly controls andinfluences the total visual effect of the opera. Thescenic designer must work very closely with the restof the creative team to devise a set that allows theproduction concept to be achieved and enhances thework of the performers, director and the otherdesigners.

The Lighting Designer uses light to revealform, and create mood, balance and focus. Lightbecomes a strong factor in the visual effect of designthrough the control of intensity, color and

distribution. A lighting designer is responsible notonly for the general stage lighting but also for special effects such as lightning or explosions.Lighting effects and instruments are controlled by acomputer, so the lighting designer must know howto use and program lighting software and be anexpert in the principals of electricity and design.

A Costume Designer is an essential part of the total visual effect. He/she must contribute tothe concept by deciding how characters will look by what they are wearing. The costume gives usinstant information about the characters in theopera. Are they young or old, rich or poor? Theclothes have to be historically accurate, too. Operaoften has lavish and elaborate costumes with manypieces to them. Often because of cost, an opera company may rent a complete set of costumes to fitthe particular production.

The Wigs and Make-up Artists use the faceand hair as a palette. They can alter the physicalcharacteristics of a person – sometimes by makingpeople appear younger or older than they are. Thisperson is responsible for making the artists’ facesand hair look like the characters they are portraying.

The Production TeamWhile the artistic team creates, the production team

implements the decisions that are made by the

artistic team. Each person has an area

of responsibility to oversee. These people are detail

oriented and have excellent communication skills

to work as a team to accomplish the goals of

the production.

The Production Manager schedulesrehearsal time for the orchestra, chorus, principalsingers, and technicians, and makes arrangementsfor the arrival of production staff, sets and costumes. He/she oversees the construction of newsets as well as supervising the stagehands at thetheater.

Careers in the ArtsThe Artistic Team creates everything you will see on stage. They spend hours studying the music, the libretto, and

the opera’s historic context. It helps if they speak the language in which the opera is written. After their research

is done, they ask themselves what the composer and librettist are saying about these characters and the subject

to create a vision of how they will bring the opera to life.

31

The Chorus Master prepares the chorusmusically. The chorus is the first of all the singers tobegin rehearsal. Since most operas are sung in a foreign language, singers who do not speak the language must learn the words phonetically andmemorize what they mean.

The Stage Manager and Assistant Stage

Managers ensure the rehearsals and performancerun smoothly. They keep track of the “who, what,where, and when” of the production. Who enters orexits, with what prop, wearing what costume, andwhen in the music. They cue the various stage technicians to change the set, lights, and where theprops are needed. They follow the score and give a“Stand By” and a “Go.” Stage Managers are timekeepers and the problem eliminators.

The Assistant Director assists the directorby writing down the stage blocking into apiano/vocal score. He/she must be able to keeptrack of the director’s instructions to hundreds ofpeople onstage: why they move, where they move,and at what particular time in the music.

The Assistant Conductor plays the piano asa substitute for the orchestra during staging andmusic rehearsals. Obviously, this person must be anexcellent pianist and be very familiar with the operascore. The accompanist follows the conductor’sdirection and must have a lot of stamina, becausethe rehearsals are sometimes long and tiring.

Administrative StaffWithout the administration there wouldn’t be an

opera. These people constitute the company that

produces opera. They are the business people and

the office workers. After all, opera is show business.

The Board of Directors is a group of men andwomen in the community who represent the contributors to the opera and help set policies.

The General and Artistic Director is responsible for planning all aspects of an opera production from choosing which operas to perform,which singers will be cast in the roles, designs for aproduction and the production team to be hired. Heis also involved in crafting the Company budget andrepresents the Company in all contract negotiationswith artists and all unions.

The Music Director is the principal conductor of the Opera Company’s orchestra. It ishis responsibility to improve the quality of theorchestra, hire new orchestra members, hire conductors for the operas which he is not conducting, make casting and repertoire recommendations to the General and ArtisticDirector, work out any cuts in the music.

The Managing Director is hired by the boardof directors and is responsible for all of the businessaspects of an opera company from Marketing andPublic Relations, to Fund Raising and Education.

The Chief Financial Officer is responsible formanaging the budget, preparing tax statements, andmakes sure that everyone gets paid.

The Director of Development raises moneyto help fund the running of the Company. Ticketsales pay for less than half of the cost of producingopera.

The Director of Marketing and

Communications oversees all promotional and ticket sales campaigns and maintains contact withpress locally and from all over the world.

The Director of Community Programs

coordinates all aspects of educational and outreachprograms for students and adults, gives lectureswithin the community, and coordinat es programming with the other directors and within thecommunity.

Production Manager Greg Prioleau reviews a set model for an

upcoming production.

32

As costume director, Richard St. Clair’s job is to oversee each and every costume in the operaswe perform. Each opera has its own special needs.Sometimes we rent an entire production. Thisrequires Richard to send out the physical measurements for each of our principal performers,the chorus members and any others who may be inthe production.

Richard also designs costumes for our productions, and his crew builds them based on hissketches and instructions. This process usuallytakes at least six months. It begins when he meetswith the director of the opera to discuss her or hisideas. Richard’s job is to match his creative insightswith the goals of the director. To do this he seeks outvisuals that offer interesting ideas. Many hours arespent at libraries and at home studying books ofcostume illustrations. He also studies art books andmagazines. Once he has an idea of a design, he goesto fabric shops in New York and Philadelphia andgathers swatches of interesting fabrics. At this point,he will do little “thumbnail sketches” to show adirector how he thinks the characters would look.When he meets with the director, they will discussthe historical settings and the fabrics that he hascollected. They then talk through the opera scene byscene and character by character as they look atRichard’s work. In this way, Richard learns exactlywhat the director needs and wants.

He then takes all this information, hisresearch, thumbnail sketches, and swatches of fabrics, and makes the final costume sketches. Eachsketch takes anywhere from one to ten hours,depending on the intricacy of the costume. Finallyhe shows the completed sketches to the director.Once everything is approved, all of the fabric neededto create the costumes is purchased.

It is at this point that his crew of about six toeight people begins making the costumes. Some ofhis workers have special jobs. Some are gifted atmaking patterns; others are good at making hats,while still others are good at painting fabrics, andstill others sew the fabrics into costumes. Each pattern and costume is made one at a time with oneperson in mind. When they sew a costume they callit “building,” and costumes are much heavier and sturdier than regular clothes. Many of the ladies costumes have full skirts and petticoats and bonedcorsets. His crew is excellent at historical patternmaking and costume building.

Richard graduated from Pennsylvania State

University in 1980. He received his Master of FineArts degree from Temple University in 1985. He is amember of United Scenic Artists and has been working with the opera since 1986. He has designedcostumes for The Curtis Institute of Music,

Metropolitan Opera Guild, Arden Theater, andmany others.

Costume Designer Richard St. Clair adjusts baritone Troy

Cook’s costume for the OCP production of La bohème.

Costume Shop Foreman Elmo Struck works on the final gown worn by

Cinderella in Rossini’s opera.

The Subtle Art of

Costume Design

33Etymology: The Study of Words

The following exercises are designed to help you read more efficiently, by showing some examples of words derived from Greekand Latin roots. Once you understand these basic elements, you will start to see them appearing all around you. Below is abrief list of some very common roots that will help you with the exercises.

Roots, Suffixes and Prefixes

anthropo- manclaustro- confinedcontra- againstcracy- ruledemo- peopledict- speak/spoken

ex- outgraph- write/writtenmacro- largemania- obsession withmeter- measuring devicemicro- small

ology- the study ofphobia- fear ofphoto- lightpyro- firescope- examinethermo- heat

Combining ExerciseMany commonly used words are made up from combinations of Greek and Latin roots. Using the definitions above, completeeach phrase by pairing an item from section A with an item from section B.

1. The academic study of the origin and history of man is known as: _________________________________________

2. A system of government in which the people rule themselves is: _________________________________________

3. The fear of tight spaces is called: _________________________________________

4. A device used to measure the temperature is called: _________________________________________

5. An obsession with fire is called: _________________________________________

6. An instrument which is used to examine very small objects is called: _________________________________________

7. To speak against something is to: _________________________________________

8. The physical representation of a captured image is called a: _________________________________________

9. An unnatural fear of large groups of people is known as: _________________________________________

10. A device used to measure very small distances is called a: _________________________________________

BOLOGY METERSCOPE CRACYGRAPH DICTMANIA PHOBIA

AMICRO CONTRADEMO THERMOANTHROPO CLAUSTROPHOTO PYRO

34

The sequence of a story or play is very important for understanding the content. The sequence of eventsexplains how things happen and when they happen. After reading the libretto, place the following events in order.Re-number the events from one to ten in the order that they occur in the opera. Write the act in which you find thatevent.

_____ 1. Enobarbus tells Antony and Cleopatra that Caesar is advancing with the Roman army. ACT ___.

_____ 2. Caesar tells the Senate that Antony has given Cleopatra Cyprus, Lydia, and lower Syria. ACT ___.

_____ 3. Antony is condemned for his luxurious lifestyle in Egypt and his romance with Cleopatra. ACT ___.

_____ 4. Cleopatra’s ships are seen in the distance, fleeing back to Alexandria. ACT ___.

_____ 5. Antony marries Caesar's sister Octavia. ACT ___.

_____ 6. Antony dreams that he sees Cleopatra and declares that he will return to Egypt. ACT ___.

_____ 7. Hearing the false report that Cleopatra has killed herself, Antony falls on his sword. ACT ___.

_____ 8. After leaving Cleopatra, Antony is admonished by Caesar for neglecting his responsibilities. ACT ___.

_____ 9. Antony leaves to prepare his troops for battle, and Cleopatra gets her army ready as well. ACT ___.

_____ 10. Cleopatra and her attendants use poisonous snakes to kill themselves. ACT ___.

ACTIVE LEARNING

Choose what you feel is the most important event in the sequence above and explain how, if changed, it would affectthe other events. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________(Use additional paper if necessary.)

Illustrate the most important event you have chosen or ask your teacher if you can act out the scene with yourclassmates. Discuss why you feel this scene is important with your classmates. How could you cause a change inthis scene and affect the rest of the story’s plot? Discuss this new view of the opera with your classmates or write anew ending to the opera.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Sequence of the Story

35

A synopsis is a concise summary or brief statementof events. In writing a synopsis, the main points orideas are written and the supporting details are leftout. To do this successfully, we must make judg-ments on what are the most important facts ordetails.

Often you are asked after a day of school,“How was your day?” or “What did you learntoday?” You know how to answer these questionsbecause you know what the important things youdid were.

Characters Descriptive Adjectives Actions

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Now write a brief account of the opera. Check it against the actual synopsis found on p. 23 of the activitybook. See which member of your group wrote the most comprehensive synopsis.

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__________________________________________________________________________________________________________Use additional paper if needed.

1. In a small group, examine the main characters

of Antony and Cleopatra. How did the actions ofthe characters move the plot forward? What werethe most important things which happened?

2. Make a word bank of the main characters. Listimportant adjectives which describe their character traits. Then list the verbs or actionwords which highlight their actions.

Make Your Own Synopsis

36

The following lessons are designed to be worked on in pairs. Pick a partner with whom you can answer the questions. After answering the questions, discuss your answers and the different opinions found in thequestions. How do these opinions make you feel? How can facts be misused when backing up opinion?

1. Read the following statements. Before each statement, write whether it is a fact or an opinion.

_____ 1. Charmian and Iras love Cleopatra.

_____ 2. Antony decieved Cleopatra and married another Octavia.

_____ 3. Enos feels loyalty towards Antony.

_____ 4. If Antony had really been loyal to Rome, he would not have become involved with Cleopatra.

_____ 5. Antony was a coward to kill herself.

_____ 6. Caesar scolded Antony in the Senate for neglecting his responsibilities as a General.

2. Write an opinion about each of the following topics. Support each opinion with two facts.

Love

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Betrayal

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Trust

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Antony

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Cleopatra

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Recognizing Facts and Opinions

37

1. Write “I believe” or “I think” four times. Then complete each phrase with a different statement regardingthe opera Antony and Cleopatra.

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2. Identify which statements are fact and opinion by placing an ‘F’ or ‘O’ next to each one. Then combine thetwo statements to make a sentence using the following connectives: since, because, therefore, thus, however.The first one has been done for you.

_____ 1a. Roman General Antony loves the Egyptian Pharaoh Cleopatra.

_____ 1b. Antony is disloyal to Rome.

Sentence: Roman General Antony loves the Egyptian Pharaoh Cleopatra, therefore she is disloyal to Rome.

_____ 2a. Dorabella warn Cleopatra that Caesar would parade her through the streets as a prisoner.

_____ 2b. Dorabella was beguiled by Cleopatra’s beauty.

Sentence:______________________________________________________________________________

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_____ 3a. Cleopatra was a great Pharaoh.

_____ 3b. She learned the language of the Egyptians.

Sentence:______________________________________________________________________________

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_____ 4a. The soldiers fear that Hercules has lost his faith in Antony.

_____ 4b. They are foolish to believe in such myths.

Sentence:______________________________________________________________________________

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_____ 5a. Charmian and Iras both kill themselves with an asp.

_____ 5b. They loved Cleopatra.

Sentence:______________________________________________________________________________

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_____ 6a. Thinking that Cleopatra was dead, Antony killed himself.

_____ 6b. He should gotten proof before he fell on his sword.

Sentence:______________________________________________________________________________

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Supporting Your Opinions

F

O

38 Compose Your Own Review of Antony and Cleopatra

Use this word bank for ideas when composing your own review of the opera. Don’t forget that you can log your review on ourblog at http://operaphillysol.blogspot.com/

singinglightingpropsconductor

actingCleopatramusicorchestra

plotBarberset designerAntony

CaesarcostumessetEgypt

ChorusPerelman Theaterlove

asp

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39How to Write Poetry Like the Bard

Shakespeare is probably most famous for his plays, such as The Merchant of Venice, but his sonnets are almost equally wellknown and admired. Shakespeare wrote 154 of these poems, most of which were published in a single collection and deal withthemes such as love, beauty, youth and mortality.

The sonnet is a distinct form of poem that originated in Italy. By Shakespeare’s time, there was an English version of the sonnet aswell. The English sonnet had a very specific formula that the poet usually followed:

• Each sonnet has 14 lines made up of three quatrains (groups of four lines) and a final couplet (group of two lines). Thefinal couplet often provides a surprise ending or final thought to the poem.• The rhyme scheme for these lines is abab cdcd efef gg.• Like Shakespeare’s plays, sonnets are written in iambic pentameter—each line has ten syllables with alternating shortand long stresses. This pattern creates a rhythm in each line that sounds like di-DUM-di-DUM-di-DUM-di-DUM-di-DUM.

Shakespeare’s use of this formula was so successful that the English sonnet is often referred to as the Shakespeareansonnet, regardless of who the poet is.

Here’s an example of one of Shakespeare’s most famous sonnets with elements of form labeled for you:

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?Thou art more lovely and more temperate.Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,And summer's lease hath all too short a date.

1st Quatrainabab

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;And every fair from fair some time declines,By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd;

2nd Quatraincdcd

But thy eternal summer shall not fadeNor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;Nor shall Death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:

3rd Quatrainefef

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Final Couplet gg

Why not try writing your own sonnet? It’s not easy, but when you’re done you’ll be writing like the great poets do! You could writeto or about a character in the opera or describe a scene or event in the story.

40Character Analysis and Dramatic Motivation

We’ve heard the expression that actions speak louder thanwords. Actions reflect who we are by showing our motivationsand intentions. In all forms of drama, whether it is a book, play,movie, comic book, or opera, characters have some sort ofmotivation in order to advance the action or plot of the story.

The actions in our everyday lives are also based upon motivation such as: desire for better grades; desire to be agood friend; desire to please our parents; desire to buy a CD,or DVD, or computer game, etc. Write down your thoughts onthe topics below and discuss some of them with your classmates:

1. Describe Cleopatra’s personality. What characteristics does she show based upon her actions or motivations?

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Describe how Ceasar acts towards Cleopatra and Antony.

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________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. What do you think motivates Ceasar to act as she does towards Cleopatra and Antony?

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Antony’s wife in Rome, Italy does not appear in the opera. How do you think he treats her and acts around her?

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________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. What kinds of motivation do these characters demonstrate:

Caesar: _________________________________________________________________________________________

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Antony: _________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Enobarbus: _______________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Iras: _______________________________________________________________________________________

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41Conflicts and Loves in Antony and Cleopatra

Draw a picture of Antony in the middle circle. In the outer circles, draw a picture of those individuals with whom he has a directrelationship. Then in the boxes pointing toward the middle circle, write how that individual feels about the central character. Inthe boxes pointing to the outer circles, write how Cleopatra feels about that individual.

42

Using the space below, write what you think will happen next to the characters in Antony and Cleopatra.Alternatively, you could write a new ending for the libretto based on what you would have liked to haveseen to the characters.

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What Happens Next?/Alternate Endings

43

?Have you ever watched a movie or tv show and wondered why something happened or why someone actedthey way they did? Sometime things happen that are too coincidental to be realistic, or characters don’t actor react in realistic ways.

Take a moment to write five questions about the opera Antony and Cleopatra all starting with the word whyand how. You can ask questions about a character’s motivation, about the production’s setting of placeand time, and about sets and costumes. Once you’ve completed your questions, teachers can use thesequestions to begin a discussion about the opera.

WHY ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

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WHY ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

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WHY ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

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WHY ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

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HOW ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Ask Why?

44

Pennsylvania’s public schools shall teach, challenge and support every student to realize his or her maximum

potential and to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to:

Academic Standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening 1.1. Learning to Read Independently GRADE 5 D. Identify the basic ideas

and facts in text using strategies (e.g., prior knowledge, illustrations and headings) and information from other sources to make predictions

about text. 1.1.8. GRADE 8 E. Expand a reading vocabulary by identifying and correctly using idioms and words with literal and figurative

meanings. Use a dictionary or related reference. 1.1.11. GRADE 11 H. Demonstrate fluency and comprehension in reading. Read a variety of

genres and types of text. Demonstrate comprehension. 1.2. Reading Critically in All Content Areas GRADES 5, 8, 11. A. Read and under-

stand essential content of informational texts and documents in all academic areas. 1.3. Reading, Analyzing and Interpreting Literature GRADE

5 E. Analyze drama as information source, entertainment, persuasion or transmitter of culture. 1.3.8. GRADE 8 E. Analyze drama to determine

the reasons for a character’s actions, taking into account the situation and basic motivation of the character. 1.3.11. GRADE 11 E. Analyze

how a scriptwriter’s use of words creates tone and mood, and how choice of words advances the theme or purpose of the work. 1.4. Types of

Writing GRADES 5, 8, 11. GRADE 5 A. Write poems, plays and multi-paragraph stories (GRADES 8 & 11 - and short stories). 1.4.5, 8, 11.

C. Write persuasive pieces (Review of Opera Experience, p. 78). 1.5. Quality of Writing GRADES 5, 8, 11 A. Write with a sharp, distinct focus.

1.6. Speaking and Listening GRADES 5, 8, 11. B. Listen to selections of literature (fiction and/or nonfiction).C. Speak using skills appropri-

ate to formal speech situations. E. Participate in small and large group discussions and presentations. F. Use media for learning purposes. 1.8.

Research GRADES 5, 8, 11. A. Select and refine a topic for research. B. Locate information using appropriate sources and strategies. C. Organize,

summarize and present the main ideas from research.

Academic Standards for Mathematics 2.1. Numbers, Number Systems and Number Relationships 2.1.8. GRADE 8 A. Represent and use num-

bers in equivalent forms (e.g., integers, fractions, decimals, percents, exponents, scientific notation, square roots). 2.2. Computation and

Estimation 2.2.5. GRADE 5 A. Create and solve word problems involving addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of whole numbers. 2.5

Mathematical Problem Solving and Communication 2.5.11. GRADE 11 A. Select and use appropriate mathematical concepts and techniques

from different areas of mathematics and apply them to solving non-routine and multi-step problems.

Academic Standards for Science and Technology 3.1. Unifying Themes 3.1.10. GRADE 10 E. Describe patterns of change in nature, physical

and man made systems. •Describe how fundamental science and technology concepts are used to solve practical problems (e. g., momentum,

Newton’s laws of universal gravitation, tectonics, conservation of mass and energy, cell theory, theory of evolution, atomic theory, theory of rel-

ativity, Pasteur’s germ theory, relativity, heliocentric theory, gas laws, feedback systems). 3.2. Inquiry and Design GRADE 7 Apply process

knowledge to make and interpret observations. GRADE 10 Apply process knowledge and organize scientific and technological phenomena in

varied ways. GRADE 12 Evaluate experimental information for appropriateness and adherence to relevant science processes. 3.3. Biological

Sciences 3.3.10. GRADE 10 D. Explain the mechanisms of the theory of evolution. 3.7. Technological Devices 3.7.7. GRADE 7 E. Explain basic

computer communications systems. Describe the organization and functions of the basic parts that make up the World Wide Web. (Check

operaphila.org to see photos of the rehearsals and sets.) See Teacher’s Guide for additional science lessons.

Academic Standards for Civics and Government 5.2. Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship 5.2.12. GRADE 12 C. Interpret the causes of

conflict in society and analyze techniques to resolve those conflicts.

Academic Standards for Geography 7.1. Basic Geographic Literacy 7.1.6. GRADE 6 A. Describe geographic tools and their uses. •Basis on

which maps, graphs and diagrams are created. 7.3. The Human Characteristics of Places and Regions 7.3.6. GRADE 6 B. Explain the human

characteristics of places and regions by their cultural characteristics.

Academic Standards for History 8.2. Pennsylvania History 8.2.9. GRADE 9 8.2.12. GRADE 12 Pennsylvania’s public schools shall teach, chal-

lenge and support every student... skills needed to analyze the interaction of cultural, economic, geographic, political and social relations to. A.

Analyze the... cultural contributions of individuals... to Pennsylvania history from 1787 to 1914. • Cultural and Commercial Leaders (e.g.,

Academy of Music architects Napoleon Le Brun & Gustav Rungé, opera star Marian Anderson). 8.3. U.S. History 8.3.9 GRADE 9 B. Identify

and analyze primary documents, material artifacts and historic sitesimportant in United States history from 1787 to 1914. • Historic Places (e. g.,

Academy of Music). 8.4. World History 8.4.6 GRADE 6 A. Identify and explain how individuals and groups made significant political and cul-

tural contributions to world history. 8.4.12. GRADE 12 C. Evaluate how continuity and change throughout history has impacted belief systems

and religions since 1450 C.E.

Academic Standards for the Arts and Humanities 9.1. Production, Performance and Exhibition of Dance, Music,Theatre and Visual Arts A.

Know and use the elements and principles of each art form to create works in the arts and humanities. I. Know where arts events, performanc-

es and exhibitions occur and how to gain admission. 9.2. Historical and Cultural Contexts C. Relate works in the arts to varying styles and genre

and to the periods in which they were created (e.g., Renaissance, Classical, Modern, Post-Modern, Contemporary...). D. Analyze a work of art

from its historical and cultural perspective. E. Analyze how historical events and culture impact forms, techniques and purposes of works in

the arts. F. Know and apply appropriate vocabulary used between social studies and the arts and humanities.

Pennsylvania Department of Education Academic Standards

The School District of PhiladelphiaSchool Reform CommissionRobert L. Archie Jr., Esq., Chairman

Denise McGregor Armbrister, member

Joseph A. Dworetzky, member

Amb. David F. Girard-diCarlo, Ret., member

Johnny Irizarry, member

Dr. Arlene C. AkermanSuperintendent of Schools

Pamela BrownInterim Chief Academic Officer

Dennis W. Creedon, Ed.D.Administrator, Office of Creative

and Performing Arts

Opera Company of PhiladelphiaRobert B. DriverArtistic Director

Corrado RovarisMusic Director

David B. DevanExecutive Director

Michael BoltonDirector of Community Programs

Opera Company of PhiladelphiaCorporate CouncilADVANTAKPMGPark Hyatt Philadelphia at the BellevuePennsylvania TrustQuaker ChemicalSunocoWachovia Wealth ManagementWyeth

The Opera Company of Philadelphia is sup-

ported by major grants from The William Penn

Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and

The Lenfest Foundation.

Additional support is provided by the

Independence Foundation and the Horace W.

Goldsmith Foundation.

The Opera Company of

Philadelphia receives state arts

funding support through

a grant from the Pennsylvania

Council on the Arts, a state

agency funded by the

Commonwealth

of Pennsylvania.

Sounds of Learning™ was established by a

generous grant from The AnnenbergFoundation.

Dedicated funding for the Sounds ofLearning™ program has been provided by:

$20,000 to $49,999GlenmedeHamilton Family FoundationLincoln Financial Group FoundationPresser FoundationUniversal Health Services

$10,000 to $19,999The ARAMARK Charitable Fund at the Vanguard Charitable Endowment ProgramCitizens Bank FoundationEllis A. Gimbel Charitable TrustEthel Sergeant Clark Smith Memorial FundEugene Garfield FoundationGlaxoSmithKline FoundationHirsig Family FundMorgan Stanley FoundationThe Patricia Kind Family FoundationPNC Bank FoundationSamuel S. Fels Fund

$5,000 to $9,999Alpin J. & Alpin W. Cameron Memorial TrustBank of America Charitable FoundationMcLean ContributionshipSheila Fortune FoundationWachovia Foundation

$1,000 to $4,999Dolfinger-McMahon FoundationLouis N. Cassett FoundationReading Anthracite Company

Written and produced by:Opera Company of PhiladelphiaCommunity Programs Department©20101420 Locust Street, Suite 210Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A. 19102Tel: (215) 893-3600, ext. 6102460Fax: (215) 893-7801www.operaphila.org/community

Michael BoltonDirector of Community Programsbolton@operaphila.org

Aedín LarkinCommunity Programs Internlarkin@operaphila.org

Special thanks to:

Robert B. Driver

Dr. Dennis W. CreedonCreator, Sounds of Learning™Curriculum Consultant

Laura Jacoby

Tullo Migliorini

Kimmel Center Ushers

Debra Malinics AdvertisingDesign Concept

Kalnin GraphicsPrinting

Center City Film and Video

R. A. Friedman

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Free Library of PhiladelphiaPrint and Picture Department

20092010Opera Company of Philadelphia1420 Locust Street, Suite 210, Philadelphia, PA 19102 T (215) 893-3600 F (215) 893-7801 www.operaphila.org

Madama Butterfly

October 9, 11m, 14, 16, 18m2009

Tea: A Mirror of Soul

February 19, 21m, 24, 26, 28m2010

Antony & Cleopatra

March 17, 19, 21m2010

La Traviata

May 7, 9m, 12, 14, 16m2010

Orphée & Euridice

June 19m, 23, 252010

* The Kimmel Center Presents Curtis Opera Theatre’s production in association with Opera Company of Philadelphia

*

OPERA at the Academy

OPERA@ the Perelman