Two posts in one week!?!? Do you feel spoiled? While the dust settles from the shock wave of irony, I am happy to update you on Michigan Opera Theatre's production of Kevin Puts' Pulizer prize winning opera Silent Night. You'll also read in this post about my approaching performance of Ralph Vaughn-Williams' song cycle On Wenlock Edge with the Michigan Opera Theatre chamber ensemble at The Scarab Club, here in Detroit.
No sooner was the curtain drawn on thunderous applause for the cast and crew of Michigan Opera Theatre's 2016 performance of Carmen than the stage management were setting up for our first day of Silent Night rehearsal. I can't say that it's uncommon for singers to have less than 24 hours between different productions, but I also cannot - with reasonable honesty - say that it is standard practice. We (opera singers) are typically learning or preparing other productions while engaged in a current production, but starting at 10 AM the morning after a matinee (which was given the afternoon following an evening performance) is specifically rare.
From Kevin Puts' website, a blurb on Silent Night:
"Silent Night is an opera in two acts by composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell, based on the 2005 film Joyeux Noël... The opera is sung in English, German, French, Italian and Latin...."
Specifically Silent Night is a piece of historical fiction, displaying a moment in the lives of soldiers during the Christmas armistice of 1914.
Our production is off to the races, and by the end of week one we have staged the entire show. I am headed in tonight to work with the chorus. I am eager to see how the next three weeks plays out. Before I get too far along in commentary, here is the list of brilliant singers hired to bring this work to life:
Erin Wall (Anna Sorensen); Chad Johnson (Nikolaus Sprink); Phillip Addis (Lt. Audebert); Kristopher Irmiter (Lt. Horstmayer); Gabriel Preisser (Lt. Gordon); John Robert Lindsey (Johnathan Dale); Yours Truly JOSEPH MICHAEL BRENT as the Kronprinz; Jeff Byrnes (William Dale); Daniel Belcher (Father Palmer); Alexandre Sylvester (Ponchel); Ricardo Lugo (French General); Brent Michael Smith (British Major); Briana Hunter (Madeleine Audebert); the fantastic David Charles Abell is conducting and Mr. Eric Simonson directs.
What a tremendous group of people.
We had nice party last night, what Maestro Abell called the Silent Night Lonely Husbands Club. So far it seems to be two great casts in a row. It's turning out to be a special year.
More on Silent Night soon...
More importantly: Chamber Music at the Scarab Club - "Music From the Trenches" Nov. 4th and 6th
I am so excited to join the quintet for Chamber Music at the Scarab Club featuring: Mary Siciliano – piano, Velda Kelly – violin, Andrew Wu – violin, James Greer – viola, and Nadine Deleury – cello
The event is called "Music From the Trenches." We will be performing Ralph Vaughn-Williams touching and powerful setting of A.E. Housman's poetry in a cycle entitled On Wenlock Edge. There will be music by Kevin Puts, Suite en Sol for string quartet by Jacques de la Presle, and others.
The program is meant to whet-the-whistle for the approaching performances of Silent Night.
I have to run to rehearsal.
More soon,
Thanks for reading
Joe
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