The DMMO Years
The 2010 Summer Season
A Time of Transition
The 2010 summer season was a time of transition for the company. It was this season that Dr. Robert L. Larsen began transitioning out of active leadership of the company, which he co-founded with the late Douglas Duncan in 1973. Up to and including the 2009 season, he had staged and conducted all of the company’s mainstage productions. Physical issues with walking caused him to eventually use an electric wheelchair to get around, and special arrangements were made to get him in and out of the pit. While mentally and musically, he was at the top of his game, this mobility issues slowed him down. He was no longer able to (as I mentioned in the last post) get around quickly and “fix things” as in the days of yore.
Between the close of the 2009 season, and early 2010, he decided to turn over the conducting and staging duties to others, and while retaining his position of Artistic Director during the 2010 season, would step down officially in September 2010. As Artistic Director during the transition, he was influential in deciding the makeup of the team that would carry out the conducting and production duties for the season. David Neely, who up to this time was Co-Director of the Artist Apprentice Program, would step up and take the musical direction of two of the operas, namely, Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” and Verdi’s “Macbeth“. A guest conductor, Joseph Mechanich, would take over the conducting duties for the third mainstage production, Carlisle Floyd’s “Susannah“. To produce and stage the operas, three respected and talented directors were chosen: William Farlow (Mozart); A. Scott Parry(Verdi); and Dugg McDonough (Floyd). To oversee all of this administratively, Michael Egel, a long-time artistic administrator with the company and an associate of Dr. Larsen, would perform these duties. It was definitely going to be a big change for the company, not to mention the orchestra.
I already mentioned the program earlier in this post. I had played the Mozart with the Lake George Opera Festival under Michael Charry during the 1978 summer season. With Verdi’s “Macbeth“, it was a different story. I had never heard it before, and in the run-up to the season, I was able to procure a recording of the opera (Abbado/La Scala) and practically wore it out getting familiar with the opera. In the case of “Susannah“, I had played it before, again with the Lake George Opera Festival.
For instruments for this season, I brought out the Yamaha 6000s. The reason I did this, was that I had recently changed heads on the drums and figured this was a good way of “playing them in”. “Play them in” I did indeed, and the drums responded quite well. They were more than adequate for the task. I was fortunate to have the choice of two good sets of timpani to choose from. As in previous seasons, my living situation for the summer was unchanged, and after offloading the drums at the theater, Room 100, my “home-away-from-home” awaited.
The Operas
Verdi: Macbeth
Verdi’s Macbeth (or Macbeto as it is known in Italian) is based on Shakespeare, but the focus is on Lady Macbeth, rather than on Macbeth himself. The libretto is by Francesco Maria Piave, with additions by Andrea Maffei. The Shakespeare play of the same name is known as “The Scottish Play” by actors and theater staff and has been called “The Scottish Opera” by actors and musicians in the opera world. Apparently, in the past, the opera was believed by some to be cursed, as bad things happened during rehearsals and performances of this opera. I do know that the Metropolitan Opera refrained from staging it since the death of a patron (he fell from one of the balconies during a performance in the 1980s) and it was kept off the boards for many years. It has made a comeback, and we at the DMMO had the privilege of staging it for the 2010 summer season. The production was conducted by our soon-to-be Music Director, Davis Neely. The producer was A. Scott Parry. As I mentioned earlier, this was the first season in which our founding artistic director, Dr. Robert Larsen, stepped back from active participation in the festival. He had not yet officially stepped down from his position, but Michael Egel (his eventual successor) acted as the artistic director in his place, . (Note: the 1010 Festival actually began with Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. I am reporting on the Verdi as it came to mind first.) The cast was, in my opinion, world-class. Todd Thomas was a superb Macbeth, and Brenda Harris was outstanding in the role of Lady Macbeth. Other cast members included Shannon Prickett, Benjamin Bongers, John Marcus Bindel, Eric Bowden, Gabriel Preisser, Daniel Richardson, Benjamin Bear, and others. This was another Verdi opera that I had never played before, much less heard. As I mentioned earlier in this post, I made sure I was familiar with the opera. I procured a copy of the La Scala production on DGG, with Claudio Abbado conducting, and practically wore it out until I was familiar with it. The timpani part is fun, and quite challenging in spots. This was a great opera for me to “play in ” the new heads. Everything about the production was up to the highest standards, and in some cases, we were beginning to surpass the DMMO standards set up to that time, which were always high. Sets, acting, singing, it all came together. David Neely’s conducting was spot on. He was and is a consummate professional. He also believed thoroughly in whatever work he was conducting, and ably communicated that to the orchestra, chorus and soloists. There was never a dull moment with him on the podium. A. Scott Parry’s production was first rate. One of the highpoints of the production for me was the chorus “Patria opressa.” It was sung and played with such precision and emotion that I get goosebumps even now, fifteen years later as I right write these reminiscences.
Here is a link to the audio recording of Verdi’s Macbeth. This is the Abbado/LaScala recording on DG, which is my favorite. It is the Prelude and leads to a playlist of the opera. Enjoy!
Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)
Le Nozze di Figaro (or Figaro, as I will refer to it from now on) was another opera that I learned from my years at Lake George Opera. It was performed during the 1978 summer season under the baton of Michael Charry, DMMO had last performed the opera during the 1995 summer season. which was three seasons before my arrival, so I never had the opportunity to perform it under Dr. Larsen. With his sense of comedy, I am sure I would have enjoyed the production.
There is not a lot of timpani in this opera. The Overture is well known, and the march where Cherubino is sent off, plus the finale. What there is, as with all Mozart, requires a delicate touch and good intonation, and also a good book for the long intervals between the numbers that include the timpani. However, don’t get too involved in the book, as there is some of the most glorious music that Mozart ever wrote in this opera.
In re-learning this opera for DMMO, I made it my business to attend the piano dress rehearsals in order to regain a sense of the opera, and this really helped me to keep my perspective during the long intervals. There is one interval that lasts almost forty-five minutes between numbers. So, timpanists, beware!
The 2010 production actually kicked off the 2010 summer season. There were six performances, and all were of the highest quality. David Neely was the conductor, and William Farlow was the stage director. He did a fantastic job and the sets were first-rate. The cast included Craig Irvin as a superb Figaro; Sarah Jane McMahon as a memorable Susannah; David Ward as an equally memorable Dr. Bartolo; Cindy Sadler as Marcellina; Amanda Crider as Cherubino; Michael Mayes as Count Almaviva; Travis Richter as Don Basilio;
Kimberly Roberts as the Countess Almaviva; among others. It was an excellent beginning to this “season of transition.”
Here is link to the Abbado/Vienna State Opera recording of the entire opera on DG. Enjoy!
Floyd: Susannah
I was no stranger to Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah, as I had played it at….you guessed it…..the Lake George Opera Festival. The funny thing is, I do not remember what season it was. It really doesn’t matter, as I remembered the opera vividly, and was glad to get another crack at it with this 2010 season. A very complex opera, the score is well-written and has a good timpani part. I remember this production being very dramatic, in keeping with the opera’s plot. Everything about it was splendid. Joseph Mechavic was the conductor for this production, and Dugg McDonough was the stage director. Dugg was a long-time member of the staff of DMMO, and his production was intense. There were only four performances of Susannah, it being the third production of the season. Usually, the third and last production of a season was given four performances, with the opening production given six performances, and the second production given five. There have been exceptions. The cast included Beverly O’Reagan Thiele as Susannah; John Marcus Bindel as Olin Blitch; Benjamin Bongers as Sam; Travis Richter as Little Bat McLean; David Ward as Elder McLean; and Cindy Sadler as Mrs. McLean, among others. It was extremely well received. I remember thinking at the conclusion of this season, that if things were to go as well as they did in this, the season of transition, the company would be in for some goods times.
Here is a link to the opera. Enjoy!
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