The primary emotional themes of mankind are truly timeless. The struggles and relationships that move us as people are unchanged over the centuries – Love, Life, Art, Death, Religion, Nature, War, Peace, etc. By selecting a seasonal theme in Maine each summer, we are able to delve into different time periods, surveying how artists have been inspired by the chosen theme in their body of work. We invite our listeners to connect over the centuries with the hearts and souls of artists, giving their works a modern voice, and validating forms with which audiences may not be familiar.

Last summer, we began by selecting the opera presentation for the Criterion Theatre - Mozart’s comedic masterpiece, Così fan tutte. Once that decision had been made, we selected two free-standing recitals that simultaneously supported the major themes found in the opera: “Gentlemen of Leisure” and “Girls Gone Bad.”

Planning for the 2007 summer season also began with the search for the right opera. This will be our third season to present opera in the beautiful Criterion Theatre in downtown Bar Harbor. Our first season we happily gave in to the desire to produce Puccini’s masterpiece, La Bohéme. After one drama and one comedy under our belt, it seemed almost inevitable that we should select another popular musical drama for the intimate setting of the Criterion. I’m pleased that we settled on Verdi’s masterpiece, La Traviata, featuring soprano Angela Gilbert in the title role of the beautiful courtesan, Violetta Valery. Angela is quickly gaining an international reputation for her remarkable portrayal of Lucia di Lammermoor (San Diego Opera, Kentucky Opera, Connecticut Grand Opera, and the Anna Livia International Opera Festival in Dublin) and has previously sung the role of Violetta with her native Cape Town Opera in South Africa. Tenor Scott Scully and mezzo-soprano Fenlon Lamb, both alums of the 2006 summer season return, along with two other debut artists, stage director Chuck Hudson and music director Jerome Tan.

Irish dramatist Oscar Wilde once said, “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.” This particular “chicken or egg” debate fuels the thematic exploration of our three presentations in Bar Harbor this summer. So… when does life imitate art, and when does art imitate life? There is plenty of evidence to support both sides of this substantive debate… but there are also other sides of the equation to consider as well, such as when does art imitate art? Most devotees of La Traviata are aware that the romantic novel La dame aux camélias by Alexandre Dumas has served as inspiration for not only Guiseppe Verdi, but for countless other adaptations in literature, film, and theatre around the globe. In this case, art has imitated art several times over… and I expect it will continue to do so.

During the course of the opera, a beautiful courtesan rebukes her own mortality, and gives herself over to life’s many pleasures. However, when a young man offers her his heart and soul, she realizes the emptiness of her world, and pursues a romantic relationship that leads to tragedy. During this emotional journey, Violetta finds herself at a crossroads more than once, making heartbreaking decisions that lead to her ultimate demise. In honor of this courageous heroine, Fenlon Lamb and Jerome Tan perform “Women on the Verge” as the first vocal recital of the season. The program tangos through a tantalizing tribute to women at their tumultuous turning points… falling in love, getting married, and stirring up a little trouble in the kitchen.

Finally, I’m joined by Scott Scully and Jerome Tan for a program entitled “Songs of Stage and Screen”, to honor the myriad of music’s muses that were created and adapted specifically to be experienced through the art of film or theatre… and in some cases, both!

–RT

As Spring approaches, last-minute plans for our annual summer collaboration in Bar Harbor are rapidly taking shape. A last-minute program change has necessitated a strong look at the arc of the vocal program in Maine. Last season, we were pleased to present two vocal recitals which were thematically linked to the opera presentation in the Criterion Theater on Cottage Street. “Gentlemen of Leisure” and “Girls Gone Bad” playfully hinted at the major plot twists of Così fan tutte, and gave our audience an opportunity to experience the diverse musical talents of our opera cast, off-“stage”, and in a more intimate setting. Finding the right recital programs to support the opera last season was almost too serendipitous. While the creative muse for this season’s programs has been a bit more elusive, I believe our revised summer season will provide a number of wonderfully unique and musically memorable experiences for artists and audiences alike.

We are also in the final stretch of planning for our 07-08 season. Completing the puzzle of the coming SEFoS season is daunting as it continues to expand in scope (not only artistically but geographically as well), and it is a challenge to set the remaining pieces in place. The culmination of these efforts, however, will result in our most adventurous year thus far, with an eclectic mix of venues, artists and programs.

Our cast of four remarkable vocalists arrives in Atlanta this Wednesday evening to begin rehearsals for this weekend’s performances of Rossini’s Petit Messe Solennelle, with the Michael O’Neal singers. Those who quickly (and rightfully) associate endless roulades and vocal acrobatics with the trio of Rossini operas that frequent operatic stages (Il Barbiere di Siviglia, La Cenerentola, L’Italiana in Algeri) will be pleasantly surprised by what they will hear next Sunday and Monday evening, first in Roswell and then in Buckhead. The Little Solemn Mass was the composer’s final contribution to his astonishing musical legacy, and serves as a testament to his exceptional understanding of beauty in melody. From the haunting initial choral “Kyrie” and the vibrant “Domine Deus”, to the passionate, powerful “Agnus Dei”, this work is a triumphant achievement.

–RT