Finales and Beginnings

May 1, 2008 - Today is the beginning of my favorite month (it contains my birthday for one thing) and so it's great to be able to report that at this point I have a) finished staging Cosi fan tutte up here in NH and b) finished and sent out the translation for Apollo and Dafne (have fun Lisa and Ryan). During the staging of the Act II finale last night I was once again momentarily stunned by Mozart and da Ponte's ability to reveal some of the most heart-wrenching and vulnerable aspects of the human condition in the midst of what has up to that point been light-hearted and comic. No wonder these operas are still such fixtures in the repertoire.

Back in Baltimore, the gala committee is shifting into high gear for OV11. This is shaping up to be a fantastic event which promises to keep the "fun" in "fundraiser". Show your support for OV and get a ticket today (410.547.7997). Although our office is temporarily closed, messages are being checked every day and so both tickets for the gala and 2008-2009 subscriptions may be purchased during this time.

Now it's time to start translating Lord Giovanni.

See you at the opera. - John Bowen

Act I Is Done: Act II To Do

April 27, 2008 - Greetings from lovely NH! Actually today NH is grey and rainy but the past week has been glorious so I really can't complain. The crappy weather just provides added incentive to stay in my hotel room and finish translating Handel's Apollo and Dafne for our upcoming performances at Artscape this July. (BTW, the Handel will feature Ryan de Ryke and Lisa Eden both of whom wowed our audiences a week ago in Orpheus in the Underworld. I know Ryan's pop-infused, drunken minuet is indelibly burned in my memory). Anyway, I've finished staging Act I of Cosi and the first three scenes of Act II and am once again struck by the exraordinary structure of this opera. Act I is full of some of the most intricate and brilliant ensemble work in the operatic repertoire. It fizzes along and is filled with uproarious humor. Act II on the other hand is a sequence of extraordinary arias interrupted by an occasional short ensemble and reveals the very real human heart that beats at the center of this not entirely comic piece. I relish really digging into the second act and bringing the cast to an even deeper more nuanced interpretation of their roles.

On another front, I would like to personally encourage the readers of this blog to comment or ask questions. I had hoped that my Memories and Wishes post would bring about a tide of favorite memories or maybe some goals that our audience would like to see OV achieve in its next 10 years but so far only the indefatigable Clayton Koonce has commented. Surely there's more than one reader of this blog? Anyway, it's certainly much more inspiring for me to write the blog as a dialog shaped at least in part by its readers rather than in a vacuum. So come on cyber buddies, let me know what you're thinking and as always -

See you at the opera! - John Bowen

Greetings from Granite State

April 23, 2008 - Just a quick post to say that rehearsals are going very well here in New Hampshire. My Cosi cast is really wonderful, and I'm enjoying working with them immensely. I am, however, still engaged in things for OV: translating Handel's Apollo and Dafne for Artscape (almost finished with that and looking forward to getting started on translating Lord Giovanni), coordinating details for the OV11 gala (if you haven't already gotten a ticket, you should because it's going to be an awesome party - or partay as Eurydice would say), and finalizing the last few cast members' contracts for next season (you can now buy subscriptions online to our "naughty boys" season featuring Mozart's Lord Giovanni, Monteverdi's The Coronation of Poppea, and Britten's Albert Herring). So I'm actually my usual busy self, just in a different state.

See you at an opera somewhere. - John Bowen

Back to Blogging

March 19, 2008 - First of all my apologies for the rather long hiatus in posts. Life got very hectic immediately following the close of Tobias and the Angel, and since blogging has not yet become a part of my "daily ritual", the item that slipped off the radar was unfortunately the blog. Life is still incredibly hectic, but I wanted to do at least a brief post to let our faithful readers (I know you're out there eventhough you rarely comment) know what's been going on at OV.

1) Orpheus in the Underworld - Opening night is hurtling towards us like an oncoming train but things are pretty much where they need to be at this moment. Chorus rehearsals began last week and principal music rehearsals begin on Monday. This cast is chockfull of talented, energetic, funny people so it's going to be a real treat working on this zany show with them. It truly is the most outlandish, over-the-top thing we've ever done so be prepared for a dizzingly uproarious night of theatre. The set is being constructed as I type this, but the search for some free TVs and satellite dishes (all of which will be returned to the donors after the show) continues so if you've got a spare one lying around let me know.

2) The 2008-2009 season - We held our second round of auditions on March 7th and 8th, and I'm thrilled to report that between the two rounds of auditions and the return of some treasured past artists, OV is going to have three of the strongest casts in its history. Once I have definite contracts offered and accepted for all roles, I'll blog a bit more about the specifics. Also, my apologies to singers who were told that all casting decisions would be finalized by March 17th. Chalk it up to the best laid plans of mice and men.

3) OV11 Gala - Preparations have also kicked into high gear for our celebratory gala/fundraiser: OV11. We're throwing a fabulous party on May 17th to celebrate OV's first decade and usher in the next. It will be lots of fun and a great way for our supporters to contribute useful funding to the organization so as you plan your Spring social calendar be sure to pencil OV in on May 17th.

4) Artscape - OV has once again been asked to participate in Artscape. Having given audiences Leonard Bernstein's 20th century masterpiece Trouble in Tahiti last year, this year we're presenting two short but glorious baroque pieces complete with period instrument orchestra: Monteclair's Pyramus and Thisbe and Handel's Apollo and Dafne. At the moment, I'm engaged in translating the Monteclair while also keeping all the abovementioned balls in the air. Oh well, I guess that's why they pay me the big bucks.

Anyway, that's a brief overview of what's been going on at Cathedral and Read. I heartily encourage you to take in any or all of the offerings that are coming up. It was great to see so many new faces at Tobias and the Angel, and we hope that you all will become long-term friends of OV. See you at the opera! - John Bowen

The Thoughts of Others: Reviews of Previous Tobias performances

January 24, 2008 - As part of my preparations for media coverage of the evermore anticipated North American premiere, I've been culling the web for information about the UK productions. Here are a few links that I found very interesting:

From Seen and Heard International (a European equivalent to our area's Ionarts) there's a review of the world premiere.

MusicOMH.com provides a review of the 2006 production which opened the newly renovated Young Vic Theatre.

And finally a brief article from Musical Pointers that talks about the show in the context of Dove's other operatic works.

Intrigued? Order your tickets today for this truly unique experience. See you at the opera - John Bowen

An Absolute Genius - Pirates Preview in the Sun

January 23, 2008 - Just a quick post to hook you all up with a preview article by Mary Johnson of the Anne Arundel section of the sun. As to the comment about me, I'll let the audience decide, but thanks Doug. See you at D'Oylyland. - John Bowen

Pirates and Angels and Blogs, Oh My!

January 21, 2008 - Well, my friends, sorry I haven't posted in the past few days, but the rigors of the productions that I'm involved in currently have had to take pride of place over keeping my faithful blog readers informed. Of course, so few of you comment, I can only assume that you are faithful readers, so consider this a word of encouragement to comment. Anyway, today begins production week for Opera AACC's The Pirates of Penzance and unfortunately, production week is where the difference between professional and community companies really shows. Both groups might have talented performers, but community groups rarely have the technical infrastructure that professional groups have so many of the singers have been drafted into scene painting, prop gathering, stage crewing and the like and are consequently pretty exhausted. Thank God they have a dark night on Thursday to rest up for opening night. All in all though, it's turned out to be a very funny show filled with a lot of shtick and scenery chewing so if you're looking for a night of not terribly profound but really enjoyable entertainment this is the show for you.

On the Tobias and the Angel front, preparations are really starting to get down to the nitty-gritty part, e.g. the Fish dancers will enter from underneath the stage right platform, Ashmodeus' costume will be form-fitting and in deep purples, vermilions, and oranges, the percussionist needs at least 15 square feet to set up her battery of instruments, etc. Things are also ramping up in the publicity department with board members and volunteers actively engaged in setting up radio interviews, pitching preview stories to the press, and figuring out the logistics of trans-Atlantic telephone interviews. I continue to be astounded at the amazing sense of communal effort that this piece brings out. Tickets are going fast, so order now!

Well, that's it for now. I have to go decide whether Major-General Stanley's daughters will wear bunny slippers or open-toe mules with red maribou for their sleepwear look. See you at the opera! - John Bowen

"What a delightful night" - A Demon's Simple Joys

January 15, 2008 - In Ecbatana, Sara (the daughter of Raguel and Edna) wakes to find that her husband has died, his body covered in wounds made by tiny hands. Dissonant organ chords and agitated woodwind outbursts accompany the family's reaction: Sara distraught, Edna despairing, Raguel furious. This is Sara's seventh husband to die under mysterious circumstances, circumstances which are soon revealed by the cause of death itself: the demon Ashmodeus. Over a softly rocking flute and clarinet figure punctuated by voluptuous harp chords, Ashmodeus reveals that he has spend "a delightful night" in his "favorite house". He has lived nine hundred years and yet has only ever loved two lips, two eyes, ten fingers, and one neck. As he sings of Sara's beautiful neck she begins to strangle herself; Ashmodeus is possessing her body. Raguel instructs his men to bury the body in the orchard.



Meanwhile, back in Nineveh, Tobias returns home to find that his father is blind. He is overcome with guilt. At this point we have the first of the great ensembles in this piece "Lord, I am pure". Jonathn Dove is a master at writing ensembles and this quintet of lamentation is no exception. Over low tolling harp notes, funeral marchesque drumbeats, and long sustained string chords, Sara sings "Lord, I am pure. I have no sin, release me, take me out of the earth"; Tobit sings "Lord, I am old, let me become as earth"; Edna and Anna sing "We have much sorrow"; and Tobias sings "Lord, each step I take is a false one".



Tobit tells Tobias that since he is unable to work, Tobias must go to Ecbatana and ask his cousin Raguel to repay his debt to Tobit. Tobias is reluctant to go, saying that he does not know the way. The stranger from the marketplace however does, so the journey begins. . .

"I spent my money on a barrel of stout" - Worldly vs. Divine Things

January 11, 2008 - Lured by the raucous strains of fiddle and accordion, Tobias carouses with the crowd in the marketplace. In the midst of the drinking and dancing, Tobias encounters a stranger who dances a mysterious dance to a gently glowing accompaniment of flute, vibraphone, and strings. Tobias is puzzled by the stranger's dance as well as by the stranger's cryptic injunction to "Listen for the silence in the song." Bored by the stranger and weary from his revelry, Tobias sleeps in the market while the stranger continues his introspective dance. Dawn breaks over the graveyard, and Tobit is awakened by a flock of sparrows (children's voices accompanied by chirping woodwind and xylophone) who shit in his eyes and blind him. Meanwhile in the distant town of Ecbatana, evil lurks. . . .

"Here I will write" - An Entry into Tobias and the Angel

January 8, 2008 - Since our upcoming production of Tobias and the Angel is the North American premiere, I thought it might be interesting to give my readers a "guided tour" of the piece. Hopefully my descriptions will whet your appetite to hear this astonishing piece live.

Tobias and the Angel opens with an brief invocation of soaring strings and chiming percussion followed by Tobit of the Spirit's injunction to write his story (this is after all based on an episode from the Book of Tobit, a part of the Apocrypha - books that are equally claimed or disclaimed depending on how you look at it by Christianity and Judaism). In the town of Nineveh, Tobit sings "Here I will write how all my days I have walked in the ways of truth" over a contemplative harp pattern and tolling bell-like chords. This meditative mood is suddenly broken by thudding timpani and sharp chords over which a chorus shouts the horrid reality of Tobit's world: "The king kills Jews. Their bodies must lie unburied and rot." In spite of the risk to him and his family, Tobit, with the help of his son Tobias, buries a slain Jew. Exhausted by the work, and not wanting to defile his home, Tobit sleeps the sleep of the righteous by the graveyard wall; Tobias however is drawn by the wild sounds of the marketplace. . . .

A Dove, An Angel, and a Good Fairy

January 4, 2008 - The new year has started with a flurry of activity surrounding our upcoming production of Jonathan Dove's Tobias and the Angel. World-renowned countertenor David Walker's travel plans have been finalized (he arrives on February 4th from Pittsburgh Opera where he'll be performing in another Jonathan Dove opera called Flight), the various choruses and chorusmasters (there are three separate choral ensembles in this piece - an adult professional choir, an adult amateur choir, and a children's chorus) have begun rehearsals, housing has been found for all our out of town artists, and our costume designer Melanie Clark has come up with some fantastically innovative ways to represent the cosmology of this piece which runs the gamut from demons to angels via the natural world of mountains, trees, and men. Her solution to the revelation of the Angel moment is particularly ingenious and beautiful. As a side note, it's very interesting to me how prominently angels have been figuring in Baltimore's cultural life this season. Anyway, since our production will be the North American premiere of this stunning work, it has also been attracting attention from companies and individuals outside the Baltimore area. I've received inquiries from Palmetto Opera and Cincinnati Opera and hope that they will mount this uplifting work so that both its fame and that of Jonathan Dove will grow in this country. Dove will be attending the final performance of the show, and I can't wait to get his reaction.

On another front, I attended a performance of Puss in Boots performed by the newly formed Pantolites. One of the many, many highlights of this charming production by founder Roger Brunyate was Jennifer Blades as the Good Fairy Proverbia in a fiber-optic wig. The show runs through Sunday at The Theatre Project. Don't miss it. But if you do miss it, be sure to catch Ms. Blades as the formidable Public Opinion in Opera Vivente's April production of Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld. See you at the opera - John Bowen