Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 19

SsmSsn Fe Me veals' 137 From the Journal's Saou Fc Boreas SANTA FE John Crosby, general director of the Santa Fe Open, today announced the company's 19th season will run from July 2 to Aug. 23 and will present six operas: Bizefs "Carmen," Verdi's Mozart's "Cosi Fan Tutte," de Falla's "La Vida Breve" on a double bill with Ravel's "LEnfant et Lea Janacek'i "The Cunning Little Vixen." i Sf 'Carmen li ,1 1 .1 'fa Barbara Hendricks to Debet in Title Role In Janacek's "The Cunning Little Vixen" Trussel to Debut as Don Jose Production of Bizet's "Carmen" The season will open with "Carmen" in a new production designed by Roub-en Ter-Arutunian who also created the sets for the SFO American Premieres of Henze's "The Bassarids! and Pen-derecki's "The Devils of Loudun." "Carmen" will be conducted by Crosby and staged by Bliss Hebert Costumes are by Suzanne Mess. The opera has not been seen in Santa Fe since 1967, when it was presented in the Sweeney Gymnasium after fire totally destroyed the first Santa Fe Opera house, -y a "CarmenV sung in will be presented July 2, 5, 16, 18 and 25, and Aug: 2, 7, IS, 21 and 23. In July, Gwendolyn Killebrew will make her SFO debut in the title role which she has also sung with the New York City Opera. In August, the title role will be sung by Ann Howard, who portrayed Offenbach's "La Grande Duchesse." i y.

Don Jose will be sung by Jack Trus- sel, the young American tenor who has ung with the opera companies of Dal-v las, San Francisco, Boston, and Hous-, ton. Escamillo will be sung by Samuel Ramey, a former SFO Apprentice Art-. ist, weil known to audiences of the New York City Opera. Other former Apprentice Artists in the cast will in-' elude Joanna Bruno as Mkaela, and i Richard Best and Douglas Perry as Zuniga and Remendado respectively. the Child the young mezzo-soprano Faith Esham, James Atherton as the Teapot, Ruth Welting as Fire and the Nightingale, William Parker as the Armchair and the Tomcat, and Doug-.

las Perry as the Frog. The double bill will be performed on July 26; Aug. and 20. 'Cunning Vixen9 The final season production will be a Slavic opera, Janacek's "The Cunning Little Vixen," which has not been performed outside New York. Written in 1924, the libretto is by the composer after a series of newspaper cartoons by Rudolf Tesnohlidek, deal- Jack In New Princess in Ravel's "L'Enhat et Lea Sortileges" Santa Fe Opera to Revive Children's Fantasy Tale SUNDAY Jan.

12, 1975 PageC-1 C3 0 7 JOURNAL ing with the adventures of a half-am' France at its most important in the. mal, half-human vixen. Described as aV20th century musical stream." fairy tale, the opera is deeply rooted Moravian folk melodies and shows For ticket information write Santa Janacek's great love of nature and bhFe Opera, P.O. Box 2408, Santa Fe fascination with the sounds of birds 87501. Around New Mexico C-2 UNM Art Show Reviews C2 Museums Galleries in City C-2 Live Attractions in City C-2 New Book Reviews C-3 Week's Best Sellers C3 Movies, Night Life C4-5 New Record Reviews C5 Optimistic SFO Financial Success and animals.

The opera will be staged by Graham and conducted by Baus-', The cast will feature Barbara Hendricks in her SFO debut in the title role. Miss Hendricks made a very successful debut at Glyndebourne last-season, singing the title role in liVCalisto." Others in the cast will include William Dooley as the Forester, James Atherton as the Dog and the Schoolmaster, Richard Best as the Badger and the Parson, and John Walker as the Fox. "The Cunning Little Vixen" will be sung in English and given July 31; Aug. 8 and 13. Of choices for this season Crosby said: "Since our company has champi-' oned the 'new' in opera I have scheduled three 20th century works from different musical schools." AH three, he said, are "rarities "The Cunning Little Vixen," from the much-neglected Slavic repertoire "La Vida Breve," of the meager Spanish- repertory, IEnfant et Les Sortileges; en" should be and "Fal-; staff is "so much she said of the coming season's other productions.

FOCUSING ON Albuquerque as a "real factor" in the development of the Santa Fe Opera. Mrs. Mayer said she sees "no conflict" between the SFO production of "Falstaff" and the Albuquerque Opera theater production of. the same Verdi comic opera in May. "It's a year for lightness and comedy, what with the way the economy is, and people should be just as interested both productions." "The more people know and hear; the more they want to hear," she said.

"Marvelous productions like Albu' queroue Opera Theater's Tosca' interest Albuquerque people in opera who then come to Santa Fe and vice-versa. We need both efforts and people will enjoy both interpretations." 4 last season as Mimi in "La Boheme" and Climene in "LTgisto," as Fiordili-i gi; Joanna Bruno as Despina; John Walker as Ferrando, William Parker as Guglielmo, and William Dooley as Don Alfonso. "Cosi Fan Tutte" will be sung in English and performed July 12, 19, 30; Aug. 9. 14 and 21 'La Vida Breve9 "The new production of "La Vida Breve," will be presented on a double bill with Ravel's "LTSnfant et Les Sortileges," last seen in a new production in 1973.

Both productions will be directed by Bliss Hebert and conducted by Robert Baustian, with sets and costumes by Charles Allen Klein. "La Vida Breve" is the first Spanish opera done by the Santa Fe Opera since the 1971 world premiere of "Yer-ma" by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. "La Vida Breve" will be sung in Spanish with vivid Spanish settings and flamenco dancing. The opera tells the tragic love story of the gypsy girl Salud and her Spanish lover Paco. The cast will include Ellen Shade as Salud, Betty Allen as the Grandmother, Neil Shicoff (a former Apprentice Artist in 1973) as Paco, and William Parker a Manuel VEtdahe Ravel's fantasy opera will feature as Officials To Stay By WILL HOFFMAN Journal Arts Editor SANTA FE Money makes the Santa Fe Opera a reality and indica1 tors this year are even brighter than last season, according to SFO officials.

Breaking even on last year's $1.2 million budget a rarity in opera company circles, having fulfilled Ford Foundation requirements for the over $1 million development program and finding ad vanced indicators even stronger this year "These signs plus the talent and new season we have make me very optimistic" said Mrs. Walter M. Mayer of Santa Fe, Opera Assn. of New Mexico (SFO) president ALTHOUGH "INFLATION affects" our costs like everything else this year," Mrs. Mayer noted the budget is "just a little bit more than last year," for two revivals Mozart's "Cosi Fan Tutte" and Ravel's "L'Enfant et Les Sortileges" and four new productions (in contrast to just two last season) repeats of Bizet's "Carmen" and Verdi's "Falstaff" and SFO premieres of de Falla's "La Vida Breve" and Janacek's "The Cunning Little Vixen." While the sagging economy has placed even greater restrictions on the company, other indicators suggest this season "might be even better than last year," she said.

"I feel certain the box office will do at least as well" (Last season broke all box office records and accounted for an unheard of SO Ser cent of income, the rest is from onations) because of "many early inquiries and strong advanced interest." "I'm equally optimistic because of advanced gifts unsolicited and almost all are increases from busi-, nesses around the state," she stressed. "They are conscious that we are an economic as well as cultural asset to the state and they also appreciate the fact we are solvent. This changing attitude of the business community shows they have confidence in us." WITH THE 197S fund drive begun, $200,000 is being sought from individuals and businesses; the remainder comes from major government, foundation and individual gifts. Beyond making the season possible, specific contributions. Mrs.

Mayer noted, can help underwrite the SFO Apprentice Artists program. Contribu- tori "really like to know specifically what's being done with their money. Each -apprentice some 44 singers ft 'Filstaff -Falstaff," the last of Verdi's masterpieces, is based on Shakespeare's plays "The Merry Wives of Windsor' and "Henry IV" and was last seen in Santa Fe in 1958. The new production will be designed by Charles Allen Klein, who designed last year's very successful "LTgisto;" staged by Colin Graham, who directed "Owen Win-grave" in 1973; and conducted by Edo de Waart, who made his VS. operatic debut with the Santa Fe Opera in 1971 in The Flying Dutchman." De Waart is musical director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.

The costumes are by Suzanne Mess. The production will mark the SFO debut of the internationally known baritone Thomas Stewart, who will sing the title role for the Tint time in his career. Stewart has sung the role of Ford on numerous occasions, both in this country and abroad. Young American soprano Ruth Welting, who has been attracting much attention for her performances with the New York City, Houston, and San Francisco Operas, will make her SFO debut as Nanetta. Brent Ellis, a former SFO Apprentice Artist, will sing Ford for the tint time.

Helen Vanni, Jean Kraft, and Betty Allen will sing the roles of Mistress Ford, Meg Page, and Mistress Quickly. James Atherton will appear as Fenton, Richard Best as Pistol, and Douglas Perry as Dr. Caius. "Falstaff will be sung in Italian and presented July 4, 9, 11, 23; Aug. 5 and 19.

'Cosi Fan Tutte' Mozart's sparkling and witty comedy "Cosi Fan Tutte" will receive its first revival since 196? and will be staged by the young American stage director Richard Pearlman, who will be making his Santa Fe Opera debut. Pearlman has directed productions for the Houston, Seattle, Tucson and San Francisco Spring Operas. The conductor will be John Mauceri, who conducted "Lulu" with the SFO last season. Sets are by John Conklin and costumes by Patton Campbell. The cast will include Ellen Shade who made her Santa Fe Opera debut I-.

4 Meuo-Seprsao Helen Venal To Return in "Falstaff; i I Mrs. Walter M. Mayer, Opera Assn. of N.M. President Advanced Indicators for Season "Make Me Very Optimistic" Tenor James Atherton In "Falstaff," "Vixen" A is Meno-Soprino Jean Kraft To Return in "Falstaff" Conductor Edo de Waart Returning for "Falstaff" Soprano Ellen Shade 1 In "Cosi," "Vida Breve" and 35 technical people costs us $2200 to $2500 and contributions here help the seasonas wellas launch a career." Contributions, she added, are tax deductible and may be mailed to the Santa Fe Opera, P.O.

Box 2408, Santa Fe 87501. WITH AN ACCENT on comedy, this season is "going to be real exciting with such variety that there will be something of appeal for everyone," she said. "I'm pleased we're doing an opera Vida in Spanish. It's important and should have special appeal" I "Carmen" ts "almost "Cosi" should be "very Enfant," "people, especially children, just love "The Cunning Little Vix ft.