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Contents

The Minnesota OperaPresident & CEO Kevin Smith

Artistic Director Dale Johnson

Chair, Board of Directors J. A. Blanchard, III

The Minnesota Opera, 620 North First Street

Minneapolis, MN 55401 (612) 333-2700

www.mnopera.org

The Minnesota Opera

is a member of OPERA America.

The Minnesota Opera Programis published by

Corporate Administrator/Publisher Todd Hyde

Assoc. Publisher/Director of Production Marsha Kitchel

Account Executive Liesl Hyde

Creative Designer Stacy Hawkins

Graphic Designers Sue Sentyrz Klapmeier,

Robert Ochsner, Jennifer Webb

This activity is made possible in part by a grant provided by the Minnesota State Arts

Board through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature. This project is

supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

September 2006

Large-print and Braille programs are available at the Patron Services Office

The Minnesota Opera Staff and Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Notes from the Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7La donna del lago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Background Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Synopsis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Gioachino Rossini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Education at the Opera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15The Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16The Minnesota Opera Chorus and Orchestra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Opera at the Ordway Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26The Minnesota Opera Annual Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282006-2007 Opera Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Coming up: The Tales of Hoffmann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Young Professionals Group Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

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MINNESOTA OPERA Staff

MINNESOTA OPERA Volunteers

Welcome to today’s production of La donna del lago. For more than four decades, TheMinnesota Opera has enriched the cultural life of our community by producing outstanding andinnovative operas that inspire and entertain.

U.S. Bank is honored to sponsor the 2006 –2007 season. We are proud of our 20+ yearrelationship with The Minnesota Opera and thespectacular Ordway in St. Paul.

At U.S. Bank, we support great dreams, great art and great arts organizations. They enrich thecommunity with vibrancy, creativity and excellence. As the sixth largest bank in Americatoday, U.S. Bank is the only major bank headquartered in Minnesota, and we’re deeplycommitted to giving back to this community.

Thank you for coming and enjoy the performance!

Rod Boren, Senior Vice President, Personal Trust Regional Manager, U.S. Bank Private Client Group Jose Peris, Senior Vice President, Private Banking Regional Manager, U.S. Bank Private Client Group and Minnesota Opera Board Member

President & CEO Kevin SmithArtistic Director Dale Johnson

ArtisticArtistic Administrator . . . .Roxanne Stou∂er CruzArtistic Associate . . . . . . . . Floyd AndersonCommunity Education Director . . . . . . . . . . .

Jamie AndrewsDramaturg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David SanderProduction Stage Manager . . . . . Alex FarinoAssistant Stage Managers . . . . . . .Kristen Burke,

Angie SpencerResident Conductor . . . . . . . .Robert WoodResident Artists . . . . . . . . . .Kyle Albertson,

Alison Bates, Andrea Coleman, Jamie-RoseGuarrine, Joshua Kohl, Bryan Lemke,

Bill Murray, Kelly Markgraf, Cortez Mitchell, Edward Mout,

Nili Riemer, Eric Schnobrick, Hugo VeraRAP Faculty . . . . .Allysum Tai Chi Center,

Nancy Boler, Claude Corbeil, Carlotta Dradi-Bower, Barbara Kierig,

Peter Robinson Master Coach . . . . . . . . .Mary Jo GothmannLibrarian . . . . . . . . . . . .Griffin WoodworthTeaching Artist . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lisa ButcherProject Opera Apprentices . . . . . .Setara Barukzoy,

Cleste Johnson, Siri Jorstad, Katlin VeryProject Opera Music Director . . . Dale KruseProject Opera Accompanist . . .Kathy KraulikApprentice Acting Coach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Doug Scholz-Carlson

ProductionProduction Director . . . . . . . Kevin Ramach

CostumesAssistant Costume Director . . . . .Beth SandersDrapers . . . . . . . . .Chris Bur, Yancey Thrift,

Angela Yarbrough Costume Technicians . . .Helen Ammann,

Sarah Bahr, Elizabeth Bigger, JenniferDawson, Mary Farrell, Angela Finnes,

Christine Richardson, Rose Ryan, Dana Shepard, Bobbette Weber

Painter/Dyer . . . . . . . . . . . . Marliss JensenAssistant Painter/Dyer . . . .Kathleen SullivanWig/Makeup Designer . . . . . . .Tom WatsonWig/Makeup Assistants . . . . . . . . . . Mary Farrell,Sarah Opstad, Emily Rosenmeier, Ashley Ryan

SceneryTechnical Director . . . . . Mike McQuistonAsst. Technical Director & Lighting Coordinator . . . Marc D. JohnsonProduction Admin Asst. . Katherine CattrysseProperties Master . . Stanley Dean HawthorneProperties Assistant . . . . . . . . . Mike LongProduction Carpenter . . . . . . . . . JC AmelScene Shop Foreman . . . . . . . . . . Rod AirdMaster Carpenter . . . . . . . . . .Steven RovieCarpenters . . Eric Veldey, Katrina Peterson,

Tom Fitzsimmons, Ron QuigleyStitchers . . . . . . . Lin Hipp, Nancy SchultzScenic Artist. . . . . . . . . . . . . Debra JensenCharge Painter . . . . . . . . . . James BakkomSculptor . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Noteboom

AdministrationFinance Director . . . . . . . . . . . . Je∂ CoutureOperations/Systems

Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve MittelholtzHR/Accounting Manager . . . . Jennifer ThillExecutive Assistant . . . . . . . Theresa MurrayReceptionist/Finance Assistant . . . .Jill Pawelak

Institutional AdvancementVice President of Institutional

Advancement . . . . . . . . . . .Patrick DewaneInstitutional Advancement

Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kelly Clemens

DevelopmentDirector of the Annual Fund . . . .Dawn LovenCorporate and Government

Gifts Manager . . . . . . . . . . . Linda JohnsonInstitutional Gifts Associate/Gala Coordinator . . .

Emily SkoblikIndividual Gifts Associate . . . .Megan Stevenson

Marketing/CommunicationsMarketing Director . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carl LeeCommunications Director . . . . . Lani WillisTicket O∑ce Manager . . . . . Kristi PaetznickCustomer Relations Associate . Robert SchmidtTicket O∑ce Associate . . . . . .Carol Corich

The following volunteers contribute their time and talent in support of key activities of The Minnesota Opera.

Catherine AhernAnn AlbertsonGerald BensonJim Brownback*Sue BrownbackSarah BurmanChristine BussJerry CassidyDiane ChoihJoann CierniakSusan CoggerCaroline CoopersmithBeverly Dailey*Denis DaileyJeanette DaunTimothy DavisLee DrawertJudith DuncanSally EconomonSvea ForsbergChristopher FosterHazel FrancoisLi-Jun FuJane FullerJoan Gacki*Alex Garay

Christine A. Garner*Juhi Gupta-GulatiMark GustinMary E. HagenMark HahnLucinda HalletMerle J. HansonJohn Harris*Cari Beth HeadAnne HesselrothHeather HuberAlisandra JohnsonKaren JohnsonNancy JohnsonSteve JohnsonJeannie JohnstonKristen JohnstonRobin KeckDawn KlassenShannon KloneckiEleanore KolarLucinda LamontShirley LarsonMathilda LienJerry LillquistJoyce Lillquist

Maura LoMonicoAbby MarierMargery MartinJoan MasuckYasuko MatsumotoMary McDiarmid*Beth McGuireVerne MelbergJeanette MiddletonIrma MonsonBarbara MooreDoug MyhraDenise NicholsPam NielsenDavid NifoussiCandyce OsterkampDan PanshinPat PanshinMegan PelkaHolly PetersonBill PhillipsSydney PhillipsJulia PorterCarol PurvisKathleen RileyShannon Robinson

Leigh RoethkeJohn RosseEmma RotilieEnrique RotsteinJohn SauerLynette SaucierMichael SilhavyWendy SilhavyAngie SolomonWendi SottNaomi St. GregoryKaren St. JohnKatie SteermanHarry SwepstonDave TerwilligerEmily ThompsonDoris UngerStacey VonderhearCarolyn WahteraMary WeitzBarbara Willis*Elizabeth Cutter WilsonKathie WojtkiewiczEve Yang

*Lead volunteer

Cafe, Bakery, Wine & Pizza Bar

850 Grand Avenue, St Paul 55105651-224-5687 www.cafelatte.com

Keri Picket

Welcome to the

2006-2007 season!

This year, we make

our long-awaited

return to a five-opera

season. As many of

you will remember,

The Minnesota

Opera made the

prudent but difficult decision to scale

back to four operas with the economic

downturn following 9/11. We made that

decision of quality over quantity in order

to maintain the artistic integrity of our

productions. At the same time, we also

made a commitment to return to five

operas within three years.

I’m happy to report we’ve achieved that

goal, and the season we inaugurate with

La donna del lago is a bold one by any

standard. Bold seasons are created from

two factors – diverse repertoire and a

committed community. We are grateful

to have the level of community support

that allows us to make this leap forward

both artistically and institutionally.

A five-opera season heightens our ability

to capitalize on our greatest strengths –

the energetic, innovative exploration and

production of varied repertoire. There

are very few opera companies that are

able to present the wide range of works

featured in the coming season.

Expanding our season back to five

operas puts us on the next level of opera

companies, a platform upon which we

will build our reputation as America’s

most exciting opera company.

Kevin Smith, President & CEO

Welcome to the

opening production

of the 2006-2007

Minnesota Opera

season – La donna del

lago! Inspired by Sir

Walter Scott’s gothic

poem, “The Lady of

the Lake,” Rossini’s

most romantic opera follows a pair of

lovers through the pitfalls of feudal

Scotland. This stunning staging is the

latest of The Minnesota Opera’s original

and internationally acclaimed Bel Canto

productions and a company premiere.

Rediscovering the treasures of the fertile

Bel Canto period of Italian opera is a

unique specialty of The Minnesota

Opera. The “beautiful singing” era had a

profound impact on the art form, and it

also guides the company’s artistic vision

– both to produce one opera from that

body of work each season, and to

maintain a focus on the voice that

informs every aspect of opera production,

from design to casting.

Director Chas Rader-Shieber and

designers David Zinn and Lenore

Doxsee have created a stunning romantic

fantasy. It’s a male-dominated world, and

our heroine Elena is confronted with a

difficult father/daughter relationship and

hostile suitors. In the midst of troubled

conditions, her story is the search for

love, warmth and beauty, and of love

taken away and restored.

We are pleased to present two of the

world’s greatest Bel Canto specialists.

Maureen O’Flynn, who captivated our

audiences with her portrayals of Lucia di

Lammermoor and the Merry Widow

Hanna, will sing Elena; and Ewa Podles,

well-known in the Twin Cities for her

appearances with The Saint Paul

Chamber Orchestra and the Schubert

Club, will dazzle in one of her signature

roles, Malcom. We also welcome our

new Resident Conductor Robert Wood.

Enjoy the opera!

Dale Johnson, Artistic Director

NOTES FROM THE Leadership

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BOARD OF DirectorsFROM THE Artistic Director

FROM THE President

OfficersJ. A. Blanchard III, Chair

Jane M. Confer, Vice ChairRuth S. Huss, Secretary

Denver Gilliand, TreasurerKevin Smith, President & CEO

Directors

Directors EmeritiKaren BachmanBurton Cohen

Julia W. DaytonMary W. Vaughan

Honorary DirectorsDominick Argento

Philip BrunelleElizabeth CloseDolly Fiterman

Charles C. FullmerNorton M. Hintz

Liz KochirasPatricia H. Sheppard

Legal CounselJames A. Rubenstein, Moss & Barnett

Susan S. BorenKathleen CallahanNicky B. CarpenterRichard P. CarrollRachelle D. ChaseSusan J. CrockettMary A. DearingSara DonaldsonChip EmeryThomas FoleySteve FoxSharon HawkinsKaren L. HimleHeinz F. HutterPhilip IsaacsonLucy Rosenberry Jones

Michael F. Kelly, Jr.B. John LindahlLynne E. LooneyDiana E. MurphyBrian E. PalmerDebra PatersonJose PerisMary Ingebrand

PohladStephanie J. PremElizabeth RedleafConnie RemeleStephanie SimonMitchell StoverVirginia StringerH. Bernt von Ohlen

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The appearances of Alison Bates, regional finalist, and Kyle Albertson and Edward

Mout, district finalists of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, are

made possible through a Minnesota Opera Endowment Fund established for

Artist Enhancement by Barbara White Bemis.

Performances of La donna del lago are being taped for delayed broadcast on

Minnesota Public Radio, KSJN 99.5 in the Twin Cities.

The 2006–2007 Season Preview Recording is madepossible, in part, with the assistance of UniversalMusic, featuring La donna del lago on its Philips label(catalogue no. 473 307-2)

The Minnesota Opera season is sponsored by FAFAdvisors and U.S. Bank.

The appearances of the 2006–2007 season conductorsare underwritten by SpencerStuart.

Opera Insights is sponsored by Thrivent Financial forLutherans.

Intermission reception sponsored by Lowry Hill PrivateWealth Management.

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La donna del lago is sponsored by and

Music by Gioachino RossiniLibretto by Andrea Leone TottolaBased on Sir Walter Scott’s The Lady of the Lake (1810)World premiere at the Teatro San Carlo, NaplesOctober 24, 1819

September 23, 26, 28, 30 and October 1, 2006Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

Sung in Italian with English translations

Conductor ..................................................Robert WoodStage Director ....................................Chas Rader-ShieberSet and Costume Designer ................................David ZinnLighting Designer ......................................Lenore DoxseeWig Master and Makeup..................Tom Watson & AssociatesAssistant Director ......................................Kevin NewburyChoreographer ..............................................Matt JensonFight Choreographer............................Doug Scholz-CarlsonChorusmaster ..............................................Dale JohnsonProduction Stage Manager ........................Alexander FarinoEnglish Captions ............................................Cori Ellison

THE CASTElena, the lady of the lake ........................Maureen O’FlynnMalcom, a rebel warrior ..................................Ewa PodlesUberto (Giacomo V), King of Scotland ................Barry BanksRodrigo, a rebel warrior ....................Yeghishe ManucharyanDouglas of Angus, father of Elena ..................Kyle AlbertsonAlbina, confidante of Elena ............................Alison BatesSerano, Douglas’s retainer ..............................Joshua KohlBertram, servant to the king............................Edward Mout

Shepherds, hunters, friends of Elena, clansmen, bards, warriors, lords and ladies of the court

Setting: the Scottish Highlands; Stirling Castle

La donna del lago is a coproduction between The Minnesota Opera and New York City Opera.

Scenery and costumes were constructed at the Minnesota Opera Shops.

The scenic and costume design for this production are made possiblewith the support of the Dolly Fiterman Fund for Opera Design.

This new production is made possible in part by the Somerset Foundation.

a donna del lago is the seventh of nine serious operas

written while Rossini was composer-in-residence at the

Neapolitan theaters (1815–1822). That didn’t mean the

composer could not write for other Italian venus – his two

most popular comedies, Il barbiere di Siviglia and La

Cenerentola, were also composed during this period. But

opera seria was the acid test for any maestro of merit, and this

body of works, ignored until recent decades, represents

Rossini at his finest.

Naples was a place where Rossini’s talent could thrive.

Unlike many of their Italian counterparts, the Neapolitan

theaters had the best resources at their disposal, including

high production values, a good orchestra and a team of fine

singers. The city was also a seat of musical learning, whose

conservatory churned out the likes of Gaspare Spontini,

Niccolò Zingarelli, Domenico Cimarosa, Giovanni Paisiello,

Federico and Luigi Ricci, Vincenzo Bellini, Saverio

Mercadante and Giovanni Pacini, to name a few. It was in

this academic environment that La donna del lago owes its

conception. Désiré-Alexandre Batton, a French student on a

prix de Rome sabbatical, tried to gain an edge with Rossini by

showing him Sir Walter Scott’s narrative poem, The Lady of

the Lake. Scott was relatively unknown in Italy at that

time and the text probably came to Rossini in a French

translation. Nonetheless, the composer was impressed

BACKGROUND Notesby David Sander

BACKGROUND Notesby David Sander

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enough to decide to set it to music

and had veteran librettist Andrea

Leone Tottola work up the libretto

right away.

In addition to soprano Isabella

Colbran in the title role (she starred in

all nine of Rossini’s Neapolitan operas),

the San Carlo’s roster of remarkable

tenors necessitated the incorporation

of two principal tenor roles, with

Giovanni David as Uberto/Giacomo

and Andrea Nozzari as Rodrigo.

Malcom, who is described as young,

sensitive and almost feminine in

Scott’s original work, was cast as a

contralto pants role with devilishly

difficult music first

sung by Rosmunda

Pisaroni. Yet, in

spite the excellent

casting (though

Colbran’s sense of

pitch was begin-

ning to falter), the

opera failed at its

premiere, with

only Elena’s finale

rondò “Tanti affet-

ti” encored. Rossini

was visibly upset –

in one version of

the events, when a

stagehand urged

the composer to

take his bow, he

was punched hard

– Rossini then

galloped hurriedly

into the night; another more plausible

report has the composer fainting from

the strain.

The second performance fared a

little better, and La donna del lago

swiftly became one of Rossini’s most

popular works, quickly making its way

to the capitals of Europe, including

Vienna, St. Petersburg, Lisbon and

Munich within five years of its comple-

tion. London saw the opera for the first

time in 1823 at Her Majesty’s Theatre,

Paris in 1824 at the Théâtre Italien and

in New York, first in French (1829),

then in Italian (1833). As with so

many Rossini operas, substitutions

became rampant, but the most lasting

is the insertion of a quartet from

Bianca e Falliero (written just after

Donna) in the opera’s final scene to

compensate for the loss of Malcom’s

showiest tunes (unlike their Italian

counterparts, Parisian contraltos

weren’t quite up to the task – our pro-

duction will include the quartet in

addition to all of Malcom’s arias).

Part of the reason La donna del lago

failed at its premiere may be the

nature and unfamiliarity of its source.

Italian opera was just beginning to

deal with French and English roman-

tic literature, previously relying on

classical themes with happy endings.

Though Donna concludes joyously

(the only lasting tragedy being

Rodrigo’s earlier demise, offstage in

the original production), Rossini had

shocked audiences only three years ear-

lier in Otello with the violent onstage

murder of Desdemona followed by the

title character’s suicide. Rossini began

to push the boundaries a bit, and the

setting of a work originated by a

virtually unknown English author was

within his realm of possibilities.

Sir Walter Scott’s original poem

dates from 1810 and became an

instant success, its 25,000 copies

breaking all records for the sale of

poetry to that date. The text was

immediately adapted to music the fol-

lowing year as The Knight of Snowdoun

by Englishman Henry R. Bishop, first

performed at Covent Garden. It is also

the first significant musical version of

a Scott work, which eventually would

inspire over 280 distinct productions,

his most popular in this respect. The

mysterious and distant world of the

Scottish highlands located on the

outskirts of Europe certainly had

dramatic appeal. It also had a reputa-

tion for barbarity and rebellion –

when Italian operas featuring regi-

cide typically did not pass the cen-

sors, they were invariably reset in

Scotland (yet during La donna del lago

the somewhat careless and unprotect-

ed King Giacomo could have easily

been offed on more than one occa-

sion). The technical challenge to

reproduce a lake (Loch Katrine) and

the craggy mountainous highlands

also attracted impresarios intent on

dazzling their

audiences.

In fact, The Lady

of the Lake is the

first Sir Walter

Scott text to

be set operatically.

Virtually forgotten

today, the author’s

works became

hugely popular

during the early

part of the 19th

century and would

inspire many

composers of the

Romantic Age,

including Flotow,

Marschner, Nicolai,

Auber, Carafa,

Bellini, Pacini,

Bizet and most

famously, Donizetti in his popular

Lucia di Lammermoor (though Carafa

had premiered his own version just a

few years earlier). Donizetti would

plunder Scott’s œuvre many times

during his career, but every text

needed a bit of pruning. The self-dep-

recating novelist admitted his own

tendency to not stay on task, preferring

lush and evocative description to a

quickly moving plot. He also enjoyed

dressing his stories with a few gothic

touches, inspired in part by contempo-

raries such as Matthew Lewis (whose

widely read novel, The Monk, spawned

two rather gruesome operas of the late

bel canto period, Donizetti’s Maria di

Rudenz and Gounod’s La nonne

sanglante). For The Lady of the Lake,

Scott includes his own version of an

unruly, grizzled, second-sighted monk,

Set design by David Zinn

BACKGROUND NOTES CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

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BACKGROUND NOTES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

Brian the Hermit, and a

half-crazed, husband-

killing wild woman,

Blanche. For the sake of

brevity, both were

expunged from Rossini’s

opera, as well as a secondary

love story between another

warrior, Norman, and Mary

(retained only slightly by

brief encounters between

Albina and Serano). The

opera also omits any men-

tion of the Fiery Cross, a

potent symbol made of

wood, seared in goat

entrails and extinguished

with the blood of the ani-

mal, and then dispatched

from village to village to

rally men aged sixteen

through sixty when battle

was required.

The author Scott (1771

– 1832) was himself a Scot

and quite interested in

Scottish legends. The Lady

of the Lake is lightly based

in history. James V (Uberto)

was a king contemporane-

ous with three other formidable mon-

archs of the early renaissance –

Emperor Charles V of Spain and Austria

(represented operatically by Verdi in

Ernani and Don Carlos), François I of

France (who would become the lascivi-

ous Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto) and

Henry VIII of England (the bigamous

husband of Donizetti’s Anna Bolena).

Henry was also James’s uncle by way of

his sister’s marriage to James IV.

Scotland has a rather brutish histo-

ry, and the early Stuart kings did not

have long lives. James IV was killed at

Flodden (one of many battles that

resulted from England’s expansionist

desires) when his son and namesake

was only 17 months old. The minority

of any infant prince could be a touchy

situation as the regency usually was led

by a close relative. It first passed to his

mother Margaret Tudor, which initial-

ly resulted in more positive relations

with King Henry – at that time James

V (1512 – 1542) was Henry’s only male

and presumptive heir, though he was

busily trying to make a son of his own

with first wife Catherine of Aragon. In

Scotland, James V’s closest heir was a

cousin, the Duke of Albany, a grandson

of James II, who was then living in

France, yet Henry would try to make

his own assertions to the Scottish

throne in an unrelenting quest to unite

both countries under his single rule.

To keep England in check,

Scotland had an on-again, off-again

relationship with France known as the

“auld alliance,” and one result of this

relationship was the Duke of Albany’s

continental grooming, where he had

strong political ties. With his cousin,

the Earl of Arran (another grandchild

of James II), they assumed power and

tried to take custody of young James

V. But the dowager Queen Margaret

had made alliances of her own, taking

as her second husband one Archibald

Douglas, the 6th Earl of Angus, who

had no ties to the Scottish throne, but

who was in control of a powerful clan

that had been troublesome to the

crown for generations.

Albany was eventual-

ly successful in securing

the possession of James

when Margaret was forced

under threat of military

action to give up both of

her sons (she had

delivered James IV’s

posthumous second son,

the Duke of Ross, who

would soon die in the care

of his captors). She fled to

England to seek her

brother’s support, while

Douglas stayed behind in

Scotland. He began to

show signs of switching

sides, and after a few more

years, was able to get

himself into the regency

council, eventually forc-

ing Albany back to

France for good. One pur-

pose of these advisors was

to pass the king from

member to member for

safekeeping, but when it

came to be Douglas’s

turn, he refused to give

him up, holding the young royal captive

for two years. James V never forgave this

outrage, and once he had come of age,

banished Douglas from Scotland for the

rest of the king’s life. Unlike the opera,

there was no reconciliation.

Here the author Scott makes a

misstep by identifying “Douglas of

Angus” as James Douglas, the Earl of

Morton, an exiled son of Archibald. In

an era swimming with clan members

by the name of James, this son of

Angus actually died as a child, with

the Earl of Morton being a Douglas

cousin. Though plagued by economic

and dynastic problems of his own,

Morton was never banished. Instead,

James V took his revenge on another

Douglas, Janet Lady Glamis. With

her brothers Archibald and George

safely in England, Janet faced

trumped up charges of witchcraft and

was burned at the stake, causing a

public outcry. A Douglas nephew-in-

law, the Master of Forbes, was likewise

executed and a kinsman, James

The Lady of the Lake by an anonymous artist; image supplied by Dale Johnson

BACKGROUND NOTES CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

ACT I

Scene one – on the banks of Loch Katrine

Hunters and shepherds move about in

the forest as dawn breaks. Elena is dis-

covered in a boat on the lake, yearning

for her absent lover, Malcom. King

James (Giacomo V), disguised as

Uberto, has become separated from the

chase. He notices Elena and is immedi-

ately entranced. Cordially, Elena gives

him assistance, bringing Uberto across

the lake to her modest dwelling.

Scene two – the Douglas home Elena

offers Uberto rest and refreshment,

but gently repels his advance. He is

shocked to discover weaponry and tro-

phies of war, realizing that he may be

in the home of a hostile clan. Those

fears are confirmed as Elena relays that

her father is none other than Douglas

of Angus, once exiled from court for

his treasonous dealings.

Elena’s friends enter, celebrating

her recent betrothal to her cousin

Rodrigo. Elena is not as enthusiastic

about the arranged marriage, for she

really loves Malcom. Uberto becomes

jealous and speaks of his own affec-

tions for her. Albina accompanies him

back to the shore.

Malcom enters, distraught over

Elena’s impending wedding day.

When Douglas finally appears, Elena

pleads her case before her father, but

he will not budge – the marriage

must take place. Malcom is reassured

of Elena’s fidelity.

Scene three – a vast plain surrounded by

tall mountains The clansmen gather on

the field, ready to overthrow the

despotic King James. The great

warrior Rodrigo shall lead their battle

cry. Reunited with Douglas, he

anxiously searches for Elena, who

arrives presently. But as Malcom

presents his band of men to fight on

the side of the rebels, Rodrigo realizes

there is something between the two

and isimmediately suspicious.

The enemy is sighted and the two

sides prepare for the onslaught. A

meteor flashing across the sky fore-

tells a promising victory for the

rebellious clans.

– intermission –

ACT II

Scene one – a thick wood Though his sit-

uation is somewhat precarious, Uberto

still languishes for Elena and waits in

the forest. When he sees her, he again

speaks of love, offering his ring as a

pledge – should Elena ever need a royal

favor, she need only show it to their

“king.” Rodrigo sees this intimate

exchange, and further discovers that

Uberto is partisan to the king. They

agree to settle the matter in a duel.

Scene two – the cavern Malcom has come

in search of Elena, who is supposed to

be hiding in the cavern. All are con-

cerned for her safety. Douglas enters

with dire news – Rodrigo was killed in

the duel and their cause is now lost.

Scene three – Stirling Castle Elena has

gone to the royal residence hoping to

gain an audience with the king. Her

father and Malcom have been taken

into custody, and she hopes the ring

Uberto gave her will be of some use.

James (Uberto) catches sight of her

and leads her to the throne room,

where his assumed identity is imme-

diately betrayed. James pardons both

Douglas and Malcom, and Elena is

elated, for she can now be united with

her true love.

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Set design by David Zinn

Synopsis

Set design by David Zinn

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GIOACHINO Rossinib Pesaro, February 29, 1792; d Passy, November 13, 1868

T he most prominent Italian composer of the first half

of the 19th century, Gioachino Rossini transformed

the form and content of Italian opera. Though best

known for his comic operas – and for music that is sensuous,

brilliant and rhythmically vital –

Rossini’s contribution to stage

works of mixed genres is equally

important, making him Verdi’s

most significant forerunner.

Born into the closely knit

community of Pesaro, Italy, at a

time of war and political

upheaval in Europe, Rossini was

brought up by parents who were

both working musicians. His

father, a horn player and teacher

at Bologna’s prestigious

Accademia Filarmonica, was also

an ardent and outspoken

Republican who was imprisoned

briefly by the Austrians.

Rossini’s mother, despite her

lack of musical training, was a

reasonably successful soprano.

Rossini entered Bologna’s Liceo

Musicale at the precocious age of

14 and began composing as early

as 1802–03. Shortly after finish-

ing his studies, he obtained a commission for a

one-act farce, La cambiale di matrimonio, for the Venetian

Teatro San Moisè. Further commissions from Venice

yielded more successes, and by the time La pietra del

paragone had premiered in 1812, the 20-year-old Rossini

was without a doubt the leading composer in Italy.

Rossini seemed equally confident in both serious and

comic veins. Tancredi was a major landmark in opera seria

and L’italiana in Algeri was the same for opera buffa – both

were composed in 1813. In 1815 he had the good fortune

to be secured by Domenico Barbaja, impresario for the

Neapolitan theaters, and significantly developed his style

and technique over the next seven years. One of the Teatro

San Carlo’s assets was Isabella Colbran, a soprano who

specialized in opera seria; as a result Rossini wrote many

works specifically for her voice. She was to become his

mistress and later his first wife.

Rossini’s contract with the Neapolitan theaters allowed

him to accept commissions elsewhere on the Italian

peninsula, but by 1822, the composer showed signs of his

patience wearing thin; during the contract period he had

written a total of 19 operas. The composer later quipped,

“If he had been able to do so, Barbaja would have put me

in charge of the kitchen as well.”

Rossini was released from his Neapolitan contract in

1822. The Viennese tour that followed proved enormously

successful for the composer, whose works were now familiar

all over Europe. Returning to Italy, Rossini signed another

contract with La Fenice in Venice for what would become

one of his greatest and grandest opera serias, Semiramide.

With Italy and Austria conquered, Rossini turned his

attention to France and England.

A contract was signed in London,

but it appears no opera was ever

produced. In Paris Rossini accept-

ed the directorship of the Théâtre

Italien for two years (1824–26)

and oversaw the remounting and

revisions of a number of his

works. For the coronation of

Charles X, he composed a new

opera, Il viaggio a Reims, and a

year later he refashioned an

earlier opera seria, Maometto II,

into Le siège de Corinthe for the

Paris Opéra. He would present

three more works at that theater:

Moise et Pharaon (reworked from

the earlier Mosè in Egitto), Le

Comte Ory (incorporating music

from Il viaggio a Reims) and

Guillaume Tell. Cast in the newly

evolving form of French grand

opéra, Guillaume Tell is a lengthy

four-act work complete with

ballet. It proved to be exceedingly popular (the opera had

over 500 performances during Rossini’s lifetime); it was

also Rossini’s last. He retired at age 37.

After a short return to Italy, Rossini found himself back

in Paris pursuing a lifetime annuity granted by Charles X

but revoked by the new government of Louis-Philippe.

What was to be a short stay turned into six years of

litigation, and while his wife and father remained at

Isabella’s estate in Italy, Rossini formed a new romantic

attachment with Olympe Pélissier. When his estranged wife

died in 1846, they married soon after.

The Rossinis eventually set up house in an apartment

on the Rue de la Chaussée d’Antin and also built a villa in

the Paris suburb of Passy. The famous samedi soirs were

initiated in 1858 – on Saturday evenings Rossini’s salon

became a meeting place for composers, artists and friends.

The evening would have a prearranged musical program,

mostly of Rossini’s own compositions, with the composer

at the piano and many young singers making their debuts.

The last occurred September 26, 1868; Rossini’s chronic

ill health finally overcame him, and he died two months

later. Rossini was buried in Paris’s Père Lachaise cemetery

among the graves of his fellow composers Cherubini,

Chopin and Bellini. In 1887 his remains were brought to

the city of Florence – a procession of more than 6,000

mourners attended the re-internment in Santa Croce.

Portrait of Gioachino Rossini by Vincenzo Camuccini

Scala / Art Resource, NY

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Education AT THE OPERA

The Minnesota Opera’s Education Department is off and running for the 2006-2007 season!

PROJECT OPERAOPERA CAMPIn July, 37 very talented

high school students

from around the state

spent two weeks

participating in the

second annual Opera

Camp. Opera campers,

onsite at the Opera

Center eight hours per day

for two weeks, developed

performance skills through

voice lessons and coaching

sessions, choral rehearsals, stage

training and collaborative work. They shared the results

of their outstanding work in performances featuring

scenes from operas spanning the scope of opera history,

including Dido and Aeneas, The Marriage of Figaro,

Carmen, Madame Butterfly, The Merry Wives of Windsor,

Candide and The Ballad of Baby Doe.

DAY AT THE OPERADo you have an extremely talented singer in your

choir? Are you looking for ways to give that student

a real-world perspective about a career in singing?

Day at the Opera is that opportunity!

On October 18th, a select group of high school

students are invited to see the world of opera – from

behind the scenes. Participants will attend a rehearsal,

perform in a master class, tour the Opera Center

and more.

Interested students must get a recommendation

from their voice and/or choir teacher.

Contact Jamie Andrews at 612.342.9573 or

andrews@mnopera.org for more details.

ADULT EDUCATION CLASSThe Tales of Hoffmann

Monday, October 16, 2006

7:00-9:00 pm,

The Minnesota Opera Center

“I’m sorry for those people who don’t like

my music, because I shall certainly die with a

tune on the tip of my pen,” said Jacques Offenbach

prophetically, and at the age of sixty-one he died

while composing The Tales of Hoffmann. For this reason

there are many editions for opera companies to choose

from when they produce this work. David Grayson

from the University of Minnesota will discuss what

inspired Offenbach to compose this opera, why

different editions exist and what was going on with

French opera at that time.

Photo by Barbara Willis

Photoby

Barbara

Willis

Photo by Barbara Willis

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THE Artists For more biographical information about these artists,visit our website at www.mnopera.org

123 Ottawa Avenue NorthMinneapolis MN 55422-5189

www.breckschool.org

Please Join Us for These 2006-07 Admissions Events

Meet the HeadmasterSaturday, November 4, 9-11:30 AM

Lower School Admissions EveningThursday, December 7, 7-9:00 PM

Admissions Open HouseSunday, January 21, 1:30-3:30 PM

For information, call Mike Weiszel at 763-381-8202

Perfect for your personal library, or for gift-givingwww.scottishislandnovels.com

Order from www.BookHouseFulfillment.com @ $17.95 each or call 1-800-901-3480For personally autographed copies, call 612-729-7270

THE AWARD-WINNING SCOTTISH ISLAND NOVELS –

LOVE STORIES WITH A SEA VIEW

Westering Home The White Rose of Scotland

The Devil and the Dark IslandMagic Carpet RideBy Audrey McClellan

Everyone’s entitled to a little fantasy in their lives, and where

better to find it than on a tiny Scottish island?

Reviewers say “high praise, two thumbs up, grade A, first rate.”

Readers say “an entertaining read – and irresistibly Scottish!”

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THE ArtistsFor more biographical information about these artists,visit our website at www.mnopera.org

We Proudly Support The Minnesota OperaAnd The Diverse Portfolio It Has To Offer.

Member FDIC ©2006 Marshall & Ilsley Corporation 06-321-052

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THE Artists For more biographical information about these artists,visit our website at www.mnopera.org

Douglas of Parkland, was captured

and nearly attained for treason.

So James V, Archibald and all the

James Douglases are actual people, two

of whom had a real disagreement, but

these are really among the only true

facts. Roderick Dhu and Malcolm

Graeme belong to actual highland clans

with a rich lineage (Vich Alpine and

Graham, respectively, with the title

“Dhu” referring to the former being the

clan’s chieftain). In the poem, Douglas

finds refuge in Roderick’s home as they

are closely related, evidenced by the

papal dispensation required due to

Ellen and Roderick’s consanguinity.

James was known to travel in disguise

as Goodman of Ballengeich, liked to

hunt game and to bed easy women (he

sired a number of royal bastards),

including his own wife, Mary of Guise,

daughter of the powerful French Duke

of Lorraine (their union a result of the

continuing auld alliance). Their daugh-

ter became another famous woman of

the era (and of operatic lore), the ill-

fated Mary “Queen of Scots.” And just

to keep things tidy, this Mary wed

Archibald and Margaret’s grandchild,

Henry Lord Darnley, to produce James

VI, who would also inherit (after the

death of England’s virginal Queen

Elizabeth) the run-out Tudor dynasty as

James I (an ascension likely to have

caused his great grand-uncle Henry a

roll in his grave). His minority would

be as dicey as his that of his regal Stuart

grandfather amid more Douglas

intrigue, as history shows its remark-

able tendency to repeat itself.

BACKGROUND NOTES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

Lennart Nilsson: Life

This retrospective spans the photographer’s career from his early photo essays and portraits to his groundbreaking images of life itself.

THE AMERICAN SWEDISH INSTITUTE

2600 Park Avenue • MinneapolisCall 612- 871- 4907 or visit www.americanswedishinst.org

Life

:20

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ks ©

Len

nart

Nils

son

An exhibition from The Hasselblad Center,Göteborg, Sweden

May 31 – Oct. 8, 2006

LO N NA M O S OW ’ S C E N T E R F O R M I N D B O DY F I T N E S S6409 City West Parkway • Eden Prairie, MN (952) 941-9448

T H E G E N U I N E A R T I C L E