A world premiere, two Santa Fe premieres, and two 150th birthday celebrations highlight the Santa Fe Opera's 2015 season, which is now underway and runs through Aug. 29.
Cold Mountain
This year's world premiere is Cold Mountain, based on the novel set in the Civil War by Charles Frazier, which won the National Book Award, while the subsequent film won Academy Awards.
"It is a magnificent story that has touched readers throughout the world, and we here at The Santa Fe Opera are honored to add an opera to its distinguished provenance," said Charles MacKay, the opera's general director.
Cold Mountain was written by Jennifer Higdon, with the libretto by Gene Scheer. The work was commissioned by the Santa Fe Opera, Opera Philadelphia and the Minnesota Opera.
The two works being performed for the first time in Santa Fe are The Daughter of the Regiment by Gaetano Donizetti and Mozart's La Fina Giardiniera.
The Daughter of the Regiment
As an infant, the now beautiful and vivacious young Marie was found abandoned on the battlefield and raised by a regiment of soldiers. She loves the regiment and all the men in it, especially Tonio, a shepherd who has become a soldier to be near her. Taken away by wealthy relatives, she pines for her former life and her lover. She is finally rescued by the regiment led by Tonio and all ends happily. Italian-born conductor Speranza Scappucci, a new conductor on the international scene, makes her company debut.
La Fina Giardiniera
One of Mozart's early works is a lesser-known comedy. In the usual operatic style, it is a wildly improbable story about love, double identities, the hero and heroine believing they are Greek gods, and finally everyone revealing their true selves. The cast features sopranos Heidi Stober, Susanna Phillips and Laura Tatulescu; tenor William Burden; and baritone Joshua Hopkins. Making their company debuts are tenor Joel Prieto and mezzo-soprano Cecelia Hall.
Two of this year's productions honor the 150th anniversaries of the composers' births.
Rigoletto
The classic piece in this year's lineup is Verdi's Rigoletto, featuring the classic song La Dona e mobile. Yep, that's the one used in everything from commercials to Bugs Bunny cartoons to an episode of Seinfeld.
Rigoletto is the story of a court jester who tries to protect his young daughter, Gilda, from the world. She is a complete innocent who gives her love to the court's callous Duke, only to become the victim of his treachery. The young Italian conductor Jader Bignamini will make his American debut in these performances, and Quinn Kelsey sings the title role.
Salome
The operas of Richard Strauss have long been prominent at The Santa Fe Opera, and Salome has been performed 10 times since 1962. The searing one-act drama of obsession has mesmerized audiences since its premiere in 1910. The production is set at the time of the opera's premiere, 1910.
Next year is the 60th anniversary of the Santa Fe Opera. A highlight in 2016 will be Puccini's La Fancuilla Del West, a co-production with the English National Opera.
Also on tap are Don Giovanni by Mozart, Romeo et Juliette by Charles Gounod, Strauss's Capriccio, and Vanessa by Samuel Barger with a libretto by Gian Carlo Menotti
Tickets range in price from $40 to $300 for this year's productions and are available at www.santafeopera.org.
