Opera
Opera students make a scene at UIUC—in fact, lots of them. They have sung leading roles in almost every major opera in the repertoire, in national or regional premieres, and in minor masterpieces. That experience is part of the professional training that makes UIUC graduates complete vocal artists. Using the outstanding facilities of Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, singers learn the backstage operations of their craft first-hand. Ludwig and Laura Zirner, whose innovations in “unit” costumes and sets were copied at Tanglewood and many other opera centers in the mid-20th century, initiated the full participation of UIUC Opera Workshop students in both singing and staging of works. As three-time Grammy Award Winner tenor Jerry Hadley said of his education at UIUC, “The nurturing, encouragement, and support given [me] continue to serve as the foundation of everything I’ve been able to accomplish.”
The 2005-2006 opera season included performances of Verdi's La Traviata; a double bill of Ravel's L'Heure Espagnole and Falla's La Vida Breve; and a double bill of Weill's Mahagony's Songspiel and Stravinsky's L'Histoire du soldat (with the New Music Ensemble and the UIUC Dance Department).
The 2006-2007 season included two performances in October of MASS, by Leonard Bernstein, in celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the College of Fine and Applied Arts. This was a collaboration of Opera, Theatre, and Dance Departments of FAA. There were four performances in February of the immortal Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini (sung in Italian). The final production in April included four performances of The Scarecrow by Joseph Turrin (who was in attendance for the production), based on a story by Nathaniel Hawthorne and sung in English.
2007-2008 OPERA SEASON
November 8, 9, 10 & 11:
La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini
Sung in Italian; Edition: Ricordi or Schirmer
Conductor - Eduardo Diazmuñoz
Stage Director - Henson Keys
Chorus Master – Fred Stoltzfus
February 21, 22, 23 & 24:
Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sung in Italian; Edition: Baerenreiter
Conductor - Eduardo Diazmuñoz
Stage Director - Kathleen Conlin
Chorus Master – Sergei Pavlov
April 24, 25, 26 & 27:
Armide by Jean-Baptiste Lully
Sung in French; Edition: TBA
Conductor - Charlotte Mattax with the Concerto Urbano
Stage Director - James Zager
Choreographer - Phillip Johnston
Auditions
Monday and Tuesday, 27 and 28 August 2007:
3 - 10 p.m.
Tryon Festival Theatre Stage, Krannert Center
Please be prepared to sing 2 arias - one in Italian and one in French.
To be considered for the following roles, please prepare the excerpts listed below:
La Bohème
Mimì - "Si, Mi chiamano Mimi"
Rodolfo - "Che gelida manina"
Musetta - "Quando me'n vo'"
Marcello - Act IV duet with Rodolfo "Io non so"
Colline - "Vecchia zimarra"
Schaunard - Act I Parrot aria - begin 7 measure before #11; end 1 measure after #15
Così fan tutte
Fiordiligi - "Come scoglio" with recitative
Dorabella - "Smanie implacabili" with recitative
Despina - either "In uomini, in soldati" or "Una donna a quindici anni"
Ferrando - "Un' aura amorosa"
Guglielmo - "Non siate ritrosi"
Don Alfonso - "Vorrei dir"
Armide
Tom Schleis has copies of these excerpts in the Opera Office (4-501a, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts). Excerpts need not be memorized. What the Committee is looking for is appropriate voice-color and knowledge of French. Please also see the description of vocal ranges. Further questions can be directed to Dr. Charlotte Mattax (e-mail: mattax@uiuc.edu), conductor for the production of Armide.
Soprano Roles
Light soprano:
Phenice, La Gloire, La Bergere, Melisse
Excerpt: La Gloire - "Tout doit ceder dans l'Univers"--Prologue/1, Piano/Vocal p. 5
Light soprano, with a slightly darker color La Nymphe, La Sagesse, Sidonie, Lucinde
Excerpt: La Nymphe - "Au temps heureux"--II/4, Piano/Vocal p. 114
Dramatic soprano or mezzo soprano
Armide
Excerpt: "Ah! si la liberte me doit estre ravie"--III/1, Piano/Vocal p. 133-135
High Tenor Roles (Haute-Contre)
Renaud
Excerpt: "Plus j'observe ces lieux"--II/3, Piano/Vocal p. 109-113
Le Chevalier danois, Un amant fortune
Excerpt: Le Chevalier danois-"Je tourne en vain"--IV/3, Piano/Vocal p. 195
Tenor Roles
Artemidore, La Haine
Excerpt: La Haine - "Amour, sors pour jamais"--III/4, Piano/Vocal, p. 158
Bass/Baritone Roles
Hidraot, Ubalde
Excerpt: Hidraot - "Bornez-vous vos desirs a la gloire cruelle"--I/2, Piano/Vocal, p. 63
Aronte
Excerpt: "O Ciel! O disgrace cruelle!-I/4, Piano/Vocal p. 85
If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Maestro Eduardo Diazmunoz (edzmz@uiuc.edu) and/or Thomas H. Schleis (tschleis@uiuc.edu)
Opera Studio Class
Building on the firm foundation set by Prof. Jerold Siena, Professors Ricardo Herrera and Dawn Harris are co-directors of the Opera Studio. Serving as musical director is Prof. Thomas H. Schleis.
This course is an intensive training program for the young singer-actor. It acquaints the student with a variety of opera, operetta and musical theater literature in contrasting styles and historical periods, culminating in one operatic scenes performance each semester. Develops skills as both a solo and ensemble performer. Introduces skills related to the field of operatic performance, including but not limited to stage movement, mind-body awareness, character development, score and text analysis, diction, acting and improvisation techniques. Forms and integrates a performing operatic ensemble to serve as an outreach group which will perform in some K-12 schools.