Sunday, March 18, 2012- 3pm

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the flowering of “Verismo” operas. This move to realism brought   dramatization of the passions of ordinary real-life people to the operatic stage. The “Verismo” operas featured in this program contain highly charged texts reflecting the drama of the times thru the music created by three great composers and interpreted by four acclaimed singers, a multi-talented pianist and our veteran opera narrator.

The Operas: Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci, ll Tabarro
The Music: Unforgettable- as dramatic and as intense as the dramas
The Composers:  Mascagni, Leoncavallo & Puccini

Pietro Mascagni – (1863-1945) In 1890 he won first prize in a competition sponsored by the publishers Sonzogno with his one act opera Cavalleria Rusticana. At its premiere this melodramatic opera of love and hate in Sicily was given a tremendous reception, making its composer famous overnight. It represented the beginning of “Verismo” opera and attracted many admirers, including Verdi and Puccini, partly because it was regarded as a successful counter to the principles of Wagnerian music drama. 

Ruggiero Leoncavallo – (1857-1919) Together with Mascagni’s Cavalleria, this composer’s work helped usher in the new epoch in Italian opera; “Verismo.” This tragic tale of love, jealousy and murder amongst a band of touring clowns and actors was drawn from an actual incident reported in the newspapers of the day and assured a success for the work of this great composer. Paired with Cavalleria these  two operas have become the most famous “double bill” in opera history. Pagliacci contains one of perhaps the most famous lines in all of opera as uttered by the tenor, “La commedia e finita” – “The show (comedy) is over.” 

Giacomo Puccini (1858 – 1924) This composer’s closeness to  ‘Verismo’ was demonstrated in his Manon Lescaut and followed by La Boheme: realistic subject matter and exploitation of sharply conflicting emotions. A visit to Paris and the banks of the Seine in 1912 led to the source of the tragedy of Il Tabarro. The one act structure was mirrored by the poignant story of Suor Angelica and finally then a comedy foil to these tragedies with Gianni Schicchi. The “Triptych” of these separate dramatically different operas were conceived to be presented in a single evening.

Tickets $20  ~  Preferred Seating Available for advance pre-paid reservations

   St. Mark’s Church     (SW corner of Magee / La Canada)

Narrator VIVIAN WEEDE has sung leading roles in La Traviata, La Boheme, Tosca, Pagliacci, Eugene Onegin & Carmen appearing with Seattle Opera, Rochester Symphony, San Francisco, West Bay Opera and New Orleans. She studied at the Manhattan School of Music and the Opera Department at Louisiana State University, and with her father-in-law, Met baritone Robert Weede, prior to studies in Italy with Franco Ferraris. She has done many opera previews for the OGSA and is Past President.

Soprano MARY PAUL, hailed for her flawless coloratura and impeccable phrasing, is a dynamic singing actress whose repertoire includes major roles in the operas of Mozart, Verdi, Donizetti, Johann Strauss and Richard Strauss, most notably The Queen of the Night, Susanna, Blonde, Despina, Gilda, Oscar, Marie, Norina, Adèle, Sophie, Zerbinetta and Olympia. She has performed with the opera companies of Washington DC, Miami, Utah, Arizona, Indianapolis, Sacramento, Chautauqua, Sarasota, Knoxville, Milwaukee, Chattanooga and Michigan, and as soprano soloist with Milwaukee Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony, Napa Valley Symphony, Bel Canto Festival and Chicago’s Dame Myra Hess Concert Series. Ms. Paul earned her B.A. and M. A. Degrees in voice at the Univ. of Arizona in Tucson, where she currently resides with her husband, baritone Lawrence Alexander, and their two young children.

AMY STREET WILLIAMS has been singing in the chorus of the Arizona Opera Company for past 11 seasons. She has sung in 28 productions with the company both as a chorister and in compromario roles. With the Southern Arizona Opera Company, she has sung the role of Praskowia in Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow and The Monitress in Giacomo Puccini’s Suor Angelica. She studied voice at Indiana University with Teresa Kubiak and Virginia Zeanni. While she was there she sang the role of the Beggar Woman in their production of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd. She currently lives in Tucson and studies with Larry Alexander and Bonnie Bird.

Baritone LAWRENCE ALEXANDER has performed extensively across the United States, receiving critical acclaim for a wide range of operatic roles and concert repertoire. His lyric roles include Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Schaunard and Marcello in La Boheme, Silvio in I Pagliacci, Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Robert in Iolanta and Sam in Trouble in Tahiti. On the dramatic side, Mr. Alexander has performed the title role of Rigoletto, Tonio in I Pagliacci, Don Carlo in La Forza del Destino, Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera, Germont in La Traviata, Di Luna in Il Trovatore, Scarpia in Tosca and Paolo in Simon Boccanegra. He has sung leading roles with Sarasota Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Central City Opera, Augusta Opera, Triangle Opera, Nashville Opera and Anchorage Opera. He is a William Matheus Sullivan Award Winner, recipient of the Venice Opera Guild Award for Artistic Achievement and holds a M.M. in voice from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Mr. Alexander maintains a private voice studio in Tucson.

FRANCISCO RENTERIA was born in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Rentería holds a B.M. and a M.M: in piano performance from the University of Arizona where he studied with Dr. Nohema Fernández. The Tenor has won many awards including first prize in the Green Valley Concert Association Piano Competition in 1999. He participated with the U of A Opera Theater singing in several operas such as La Vida Breve, The Marriage of Figaro, Student Prince, and other productions. He also performed as soloist in Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Saint John’s Passion, as well as previews for the Opera Guild of Southern Arizona. Mr. Rentería has sung for the Arizona Opera in Lucia di Lammermoor, Rigoletto and participated in their past season including a role in the Salome production. He also works in the Opening Mind Through the Arts program where he is part of an opera trio that teaches the curriculum to first grade students through opera in the Tucson Unified School District.

Pianist BONNIE BIRD studied at the Julliard Preparatory Division, later earning a Bachelor degree in Piano from Westminster Choir College in Princeton. She continued her musical studies at the University of Denver Lamont School of Music. She later earned a Master of Music degree in accompanying and voice from the College Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati. Following a year teaching accompanying at CCM, she spent 6 years at Edgecliff College in Cincinnati as instructor in voice and Opera Workshop. Ms. Bird now resides in Tucson and is an accompanist and coach in the voice department for the U of A. She also maintains a private voice studio.