WSU News Archive

 

 

PULLMAN, Wash. - Scenes from two famous 19th century operas will be presented in a free, public performance by the Washington State University Opera Workshop at 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, in Bryan Hall Theatre. 

 

Directed by Julie Anne Wieck and accompanied by Karen Savage, both faculty members in the WSU School of Music, the program will open with scenes from act one of "The Elixir of Love” by Gaetano Donizetti.

 

The opera takes place in a village in Basque country. Young girls and harvesters are resting on Adina’s farm while she reads the story of Tristan and Isolde. Nemorino, a young suitor who lacks the courage to approach Adina, must admire her from afar. When the dashing Sgt. Belcore enters the picture, things get interesting. 

 

Adina will be sung by Hanae Holmes, a sophomore music education major. Competing for her affections will be Nathan Straub, a junior vocal performance major, as Nemorino, and Rodrigo Cortes, a graduate student in vocal performance, as Belcore. They will be joined by 12 ensemble members consisting of music majors, minors and non-majors from across campus.

 

The next scenes will come from Georges Bizet’s famous opera "Carmen,” set in Spain in the early 1800s.  Carmen is a gypsy who has a tendency to fall madly in love and often. In a quintet from the second act, she is waiting at a Spanish inn for her latest love, Don Jose, while her friends Frasquita and Mercedes, along with smugglers Dancairo and Remendado, are planning their next expedition. 

 

Later in the opera, the smugglers are camped out in the mountains. The women consult their cards to foretell the future, and Carmen realizes what fate has in store for her.

 

The leads are sung by voice majors Lindsey Smith, Anjuli Dodhia, Nathan Sansburn and graduate students Amanda Vander Woude and Rodrigo Cortes. The ensemble members represent the band of smugglers. 

 

Contacts:
Julie Wieck, WSU School of Music, 509-335-4331, jwieck@wsu.edu
Sandra Albers, WSU School of Music, 509-335-4148, sandra_albers@wsu.edu

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