Conductor - Willem van der Vis Guest Conductor - Lucas de Jong

Leader - Rosalind Burns

Sunday Afternoon at the Opera

Soloists

Nicole Wallace - Soprano Michael Lapiña - Tenor Michael Lampard - Baritone Lucas de Jong - Baritone

Sunday 20 November 2016 2:30pm

George Wood Performing Arts Centre Yarra Valley Grammar

Kalinda Road, Ringwood

Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880)

La Belle Helene (1864) Overture

German born, but more French than the French, Offenbach wrote witty operettas fea-turing bubbly music. La Belle Helene is Helen of Troy and the overture is a medley of well-known tunes from the operetta, which satirises Greek mythology.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Don Giovanni (1787) La ci darem la mano (We will give each other our hands) - soprano & baritone

In this duet between Zelina and the lecherous Don, he attempts to seduce Zelina before her planned wedding with Masetto.

Charles Gounod (1818-1893)

Faust (1859) The Jewel Song (Ah, je ris de me voir) - soprano

In this famous coloratura aria, Marguerite, who has never had jewels before, tries them on in front of the mirror, and believes that she is a Princess.

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

A Masked Ball (1859) Eri tu che macchiavi quell'anima (It was you who stained the soul) - baritone

Originally intended to be based on the real-life assassination of King Gustav III of Swe-den at a ball, censorship caused Verdi to change the setting initially to Germany and then to colonial Boston. Renato sings this aria when he realises that it was his best friend Ric-cardo who should pay for his treachery, rather than his love, Amelia.

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

La Traviata (The Fallen Woman, 1853) Prelude to Act 1

This brooding orchestral prelude effectively sets the atmosphere at the start of Act 1, foreshadowing Violetta’s tragic end.

Di Provenza il mar il suol chi dal cor ti cancellò? (Who erased the sea, the land of Provence from your heart?) - baritone

La Traviata portrays the class-induced barriers to the love between a young provincial bourgeois, Alfredo, and a famous courtesan, the ailing Violetta. In this aria, Alfredo’s father has convinced Violetta that she should leave Alfredo.

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)

La Bohème (The Bohemians) (1896) Che gelida manina (Your tiny hand is frozen) - tenor

Mi chiamano Mimi (They call me Mimi) - soprano

O soave fanciulla (O lovely girl) - tenor and soprano

Mimi, a seamstress, has summoned the impoverished poet Rodolfo, who lives nearby, to light her candle, which has blown out. Mimi then realises in the dark that she has lost her key, which Rodolfo finds and pockets. As the pair stumble around in the dark, Rodolfo takes her cold hand, tells her of his life as a poet and asks her about her life. Mimi de-scribes her simple life as a seamstress, and then, as Rodolfo sees Mimi bathed in moon-light, they realise they have fallen in love.

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)

Barber of Seville (1816) Largo al factotum (Make way for the factotum) - baritone

Sharing the characters Figaro and Count Almaviva with Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Rossini’s masterful comic opera is based on the first of three plays by Beaumarchais. In this famous aria, the barber Figaro sings of his many talents that make him a good doc-tor, barber, matchmaker and general dogsbody!

Interval (20 mins)

Johann Strauss Jr. (1825-1899)

Die Fledermaus (The Bat, 1874)

Overture Of the four Strauss composers, Johann Jr. is the most famous, renowned as the Waltz King. As well as waltzes such as The Blue Danube, he also wrote several operettas, of which Die Fledermaus is the most popular. This tale of mistaken identity and practical jokes at a masked ball is the perfect vehicle for displaying Strauss’s lively music, including the inevitable waltz featured in this sparkling overture.

Alfredo Catalani (1854-1893)

La Wally (1892) Ebben? N’andró lontana (Well then? I’ll go far away) - soprano

La Wally is set in the Austrian Tyrol. Walburga (Wally) is in love with the son of her father’s mortal enemy. The resulting struggle eventually culminates in both protagonists perishing in an avalanche. As this scene is very difficult to stage effectively, La Wally is performed less frequently than justified by its musical appeal. The free-spirited Wally sings this aria when she decides to leave her home forever rather than obey her father’s wishes for her to marry immediately his preferred suitor.

George Bizet (1838-1875) The Pearl Fishers (1863) Au fond du Temple Saint (In the depths of the temple) - tenor & baritone

Set in ancient times on the Island of Ceylon, the Pearl Fishers tells the story of how two men’s vow of eternal friendship is threatened by their love for the same wom-an, whose own dilemma is the conflict between secular love and her sacred oath as a priestess. The two friends sing this famous duet to proclaim that their friendship is stronger than any love they may have for a woman. Georges Bizet (1838-1875)

Carmen (1875) Suite No. 1

1. Prelude & Aragonaise 5. Les Toréadors

Bizet’s Carmen became the most popular opera of all time, and later yielded two orchestral suites. The Prelude and Aragonaise introduce Acts I and IV and have a characteristically Spanish flavour. In the famous Toreador’s Song, the toreador Esca-millo is trying to entice the seductive Carmen away from her lover, the soldier José.

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)

Tosca (1900) E lucevan le stelle (And the stars were shining) - tenor

Despite being derided by some critics (“a shabby little shocker” as one musicologist called it) Tosca’s drama and its powerful characters have made it one of Puccini’s most popular operas. Cavaradossi, a painter, is in love with the singer Tosca, and sings this aria as he awaits his execution on the roof of Castel Sant'Angelo.

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)

Turandot (1926) Nessun dorma (None shall sleep) - tenor

Turandot is set in China and based on a 12th century Persian epic poem. Calaf, an unknown prince, falls in love at first sight with the beautiful but cold Princess Tu-randot. To win her hand he must answer three riddles or else be beheaded. In this aria Calaf expresses his confidence that he will win the hand of the princess.

Robert Weiss

Nicole Wallace

Soprano

Nicole’s appearances with Opera Australia include the role of Dodo, one of the Grisettes in its 2012 Melbourne season of The Merry Widow and two consecutive years of the company’s schools touring productions, singing the role of Aunty Bartola in the Barber of Seville and Cinderella in Cinderella & Clorinda.

Her appearances for Melbourne Opera have included Despina in Cosi Fan Tutti, Suzanna in The Marriage of Figaro and Frasquita in Car-men.

Other operatic roles include Yvette in Puccini’s La Rondine and Susan-na in La Verbena de la Paloma, both for Melbourne Lyric Opera, Jo-hanna in Sweeney Todd for CLK Theatre Company, Yum Yum in The Mikado for Dickson Entertainment and Micaela in Carmen for Barbirra Theatre.

Her concert engagements include JS Bach’s Magnificat and Easter Ora-torio for Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Society and The Creation for Camberwell Chorale. She has been guest soloist with the Australian Pops Orchestra and for Melbourne Opera’s Mozart concerts in Mel-bourne’s Royal Botanical Gardens and has toured China in an extensive series of gala opera concerts. © Weaver Artist Management 2016

Michael Lampard Baritone Michael Lampard has worked regularly with Melbourne Opera sing-ing Schaunard in Boheme, Morales in Carmen, the Marquis in Travi-ata, Zurga in Pearl Fishers, Killian in Der Freischutz and Biterolf in Tannhauser. In 2007, at only twenty-one years of age, he was a finalist in Placido Domingo’s Operalie competition in Paris and through an interna-tional audition process in 2005, sang Guglielmo in the Rome Opera Festival season of Cosi Fan Tutte. Other engagements include Aeneas in Dido & Aeneas for Ten Days On The Island, Papageno in University of Tasmania’s The Magic Flute and roles for Ihos Opera, Melbourne Lyric Opera and Citi-Opera. He has appeared with the Sydney and Tasmanian Symphony Orches-tras, the Tasmanian University Choral Society, the Hobart Orpheus Choir and been broadcast in ABC’s Sunday Live series and live on NHK Radio in Tokyo, given recitals in Gloucester Cathedral in the UK and for MONA/FOMA in Hobart. ©Weaver Artist Management 2016

Michael Lapiña Tenor Michael began his professional career touring internationally with Walt Disney Special Events Group. Since then his roles for Victorian Opera include First Armed Man and First Priest in Magic Flute and the covers of Nemorino in L’E-lisir D’Amore and Der Tanzmeister in Ariadne Auf Naxos and, during 2016, Normanno in Lucia di Lammermoor. Other engagements include, for Melbourne Opera, Faust, Remen-dado in Carmen, Goro in Madam Butterfly, Beppe and the covers of Pagliacci, and Cavaradossi in Tosca, the Emperor in Turandot for Monash University, Alfredo in Traviata and Manrico in Trova-tore for Stonnington’s Opera in the Park, the cover of Alvbaro in SOSA’s Forza del Destino and Malcolm in Macbeth for Heidelberg Choral Society. Concerts include Messiah and Verdi’s Requiem for Camberwell Choral Society, an extensive tour of opera concerts throughout Chi-na and Puccini’s Messa di Requiem for CitiOpera. ©Weaver Artist Management 2016

Lucas de Jong Baritone Guest Conductor Lucas de Jong studied at the Melba Conservatorium , Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne University and at the National Opera Studio, Lon-don. Lucas was conductor of the Melbourne Welsh Male Choir for 8 years and recently achieved a Masters of Music at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne.

He has performed regularly with Opera Australia and Victoria State Opera and with leading international companies including appearing as Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro for Glyndebourne Festival Opera and for Welsh National Opera, as Morales in Carmen for the Royal Opera Covent Garden , in the title role of Don Giovanni for Opera Atelier in Toronto, of Eugene Onegin for Holland Park Opera and as Marcello in La Boheme, Sharpless in Madam Butterfly, Escamillo in Carmen and Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor all for European Chamber Opera.

Performances in recent years for Opera Australia include Zurga in The Pearlfishers in the Domain in Sydney and in the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, Sharpless in Madam Butterfly, Silvio in I Pagliacci, Escamillo in Carmen and St. Brioche in The Merry Widow.

Also Valentin in Faust for WA Opera and Ping in Turandot for Opera Qld.

His concert engagements include Brahm’s Requiem for the London Oria-na Choir, Mozart’s Mass in C and Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins for the Mel-bourne Symphony Orchestra and Carmina Burana for the Melbourne Chorale. © Weaver Artist Management 2016

William van der Vis

Musical Director

New Zealand born Willem van der Vis gained a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in physics before going on to play principal cello with the New Zealand Symphony Training Orchestra and Southern Sinfonia (Dunedin).

In 1979 he moved to Australia, joining the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra. He also played with Orchestra Victoria, the New Zealand, Tasmanian and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras.

After completing his Bachelor of Music (conducting) at the West-ern Australian Academy of Performing Arts and the Victorian Col-lege of the Arts (Robert Rosen), he enjoyed further conducting studies in Moscow, England and the Czech Republic and with Pro-fessor John Hopkins in Melbourne.

He has conducted the Stonnington, Heidelberg, Preston, New Monash, Ballarat, Derwent (Hobart) and U3A Symphony Orches-tras and was Musical Director of the Murray Conservatorium Chamber Orchestra (Albury, NSW).

He conducts at orchestral workshops and music camps around Australia. Willem is also in demand as an adjudicator and holds workshops in orchestral conducting.

Maroondah Symphony Orchestra

1st Violin Rosalind Burns * Fiona Jenkins Michela Scully Helga Lindemann Alicia Donnelly Shahriah Shams Jude Harper 2nd Violin John Nowakowski * Kathleen Cheng Elaine Ogden Anne Lacey Mereta Eichberger Vincent Fazio Robert Nitti Lauren Vos Jennifer Hall Viola Gitta Green * Joella Gould Paul Watson Rachel Magnusson Myra Peeler Caitlin Lyons Double Bass Michael Taylor * Josh Vandenberg Hilton Vermaas Leon Heale

Cello Felicity Schijf * Kendra Bousfield Elaine Neely Arthur Braun Keren Smith Judy Fox-Smith Amelia Boissevain Beth Marrocco Tony Hayes Flute Caroline Barron * Fiona O’Callaghan Piccolo Fiona O’Callaghan Oboe Hilary Edwards * Phoebe Turner Clarinet Belinda Bolger * Lyn Farnworth

Bassoon Robert Weiss * Lynn Beardmore French Horn David Keeffe * Christabella Stinson Jacqui Spring Tony Hodges Trumpet Steve Burns * Emily Johnson Ruth Collins Trombone Col Chandler Belinda Langston Bass Trombone Terry Johanson Tympani Nalini Scarfe * Percussion Lore Burns Harp Mary Anderson * Section Leader

Workshop Sales and Professional Repairs of Bowed Instruments

7 Glenwood Ave. Glen Waverley Phone 03 8802 7905

www.bowsforstrings.com

Maroondah Symphony Orchestra Inc

The Maroondah Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1964 to provide opportu-nities for musicians to pursue their love of music making by performing as part of a symphony orchestra. The Orchestra prides itself on giving the community local access to quality classi-cal music and presents four concerts a year at the George Wood Performing Arts Centre, Yarra Valley Grammar in Ringwood. The programs are of classical and lighter music where talented young musicians as well as professional soloists of repute are featured. Concert performances are given at other local venues and additional concerts can be arranged for charity and other organisations. The Orchestra has a growing reputation. Much of this is due to the enthusiastic guidance and expertise of conductor, Willem van der Vis, and the quality of the musicians the Orchestra attracts. The Orchestra is based in Ringwood but membership is open to residents in Mel-bourne’s eastern suburbs with musicians ranging from senior secondary stu-dents through to mature age. Rehearsals are held each Tuesday at Maroondah Federation Estate, Greenwood Avenue, Ringwood from 8pm to 10:15pm.

For information about the Orchestra or membership enquiries: www.maroondahsymphony.org.au

Phone: Lyn 9849 0987 or Rob 0419 230 344 info@maroondahsymphony.org.au

The Orchestra acknowledges the financial support of both the Maroondah City Council and Arts Nunawading Inc in their 2016 grants programs and also

The Opus 50 Charitable Fund.

NEXT CONCERT

Sunday 19 March 2017 at 2:30pm

George Wood Performing Arts Centre

Yarra Valley Grammar

Kalinda Road, Ringwood

&

Sunday 26 March 2017 at 2:30pm

Cowes Cultural Centre, Thompson Avenue

Cowes, Phillip Island

Sibelius: Finlandia Op. 26

Haydn: Symphony 103 in E flat Major ‘The Drumroll’

Dvořák: Cello Concerto in B minor Op. 104

Soloist: Charlotte Miles

Bookings: www.trybooking .com

Enquiries: info@maroondahsymphony.org.au

Elaine: 9720 8575 or 0418 620 479 Tickets available at the door

Printing courtesy of Michael Sukkar MP

Member for Deakin