This season, the Ogden Opera Guild had the pleasure of presenting free tickets to a dress rehearsal of an opera to Bonneville High School, Youth Impact and Mount Ogden Junior High School. Along with student tickets, adult tickets were provided for chaperones and the Guild offers to pay for any buses needed to transport the students to the Capitol Theater.

Here are some comments from letters received from students – unedited…..

These schools attended “Rigoletto”.

From Youth Impact…
“I thought the opera was the best show I have ever seen…..the Capitol Theater was very nice looking….I would love to come back and watch more operas because the actors were great along with the orchestra…Once again, Thank you!” Alexis D.

“……and the thing I liked the most was that it was in the whole thing I liked there language that they were speaking in that’s why I liked it and I would really like to go again. Love, Alysia R. I really love the opera and thanks for inviting me to the opera it was really cool.”

“I loved the opera I love the way of the story went thing I loved most was the theater I loved theband….I wish I could go here again someday. Love, Hope M.”

“I loved the Rigoletto opera that you invited Youth Impact to. I want to thank you for inviting us. I enjoyed it. The scenes they were very impressing the brick house and it was very cool to watch 3rd row seat to the front of the theater. Sincerely, McKensie B.”

And from one of the Youth Impact adult chaperones”:…..Personally I really enjoyed the opera and would love to go to another one….once again I would like to thank you and on behalf of Youth Impact for inviting us. We would enjoy going again. Sincerely……”

Letters from Bonneville High School – 50 choir students and 8 adults attended Rigoletto. Here again are a few snippets in their own words:

“Thank you so much for letting us come to the Opera! It was such an amazing experience for all of my friends and I. I really enjoyed myself and was so impressed with Rigoletto and all of the amazing talent it had….” McKahl K.

“Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to go to the opera. Rigoletto was my first opera and I was questioning a little if I would enjoy it. But I had a very good time. The music was incredible and the singers were unbelievable. I have a new-found appreciation for opera. Thank you so much. Sincerely, Rachel B”

” I would like to thank you for letting us come experience the Opera! I really enjoyed it. The whole performance was really good and it got me excited to pursue this career. Jared J”

“….thank you so much for giving us the chance to go to the opera. This was the very first opera I’ve ever been to and it wasn’t bad. I really liked it….thank you again for the great experience and opening up that wonderful talent to me. I’ve been listening to opera music a litle bit more for entertainment now that I’ve heard and experienced it. Thank you. Sincerely, Gatlin C.”

And a note from the Director of Choirs: “Thank you for selecting our school to attend the opera. We appreciate your willingness to pay for our tickets and buses. It was a treat for many of my students and several have never seen opera “live” on stage. You are providing a wonderful service and educational opportunity for our students. Thanks again! Mishy K”

To our many supporters and Guild patrons….your generous donations help us to provide these educational opportunities for the next generation of potential opera lovers.

….It is a joy to be part of an organization which helps our educators work toward their goals of excellance by providing for their students the experience of a wonderful opera produced in a magnificient setting by one of the nation’s finest opera companies!
Sincerely, Suzy Patterson, Education Chair

Surely we all agree that Suzy’s post concerning introducing youngsters to opera is welcome. I for one speak frequently about my concern that we must do much more if we do not want to experience the demise of opera and classical music (classical art, literature, and all the rest as well…i.e. THE ARTS). A heart-warming post indeed. Judy and I recently attended a meeting of Opera Volunteers International in Miami. AND…a long session was devoted to teaching students in the Miami region to understand, appreciate, even write opera, such as Red Riding Hood. Excellent pedagogical approaches and devoted, consumately prepared teachers have resulted in most encouraging outcomes.

Firty students, along with eight chaperones, attended the dress rehearsal for Utah Opera’s production of “Little Women” . Many students wrote very nice letters of thanks to the Ogden Opera Guild for providing this experience for them.  Because space is limited, I’ll use  a few excerpts from these letters – I think you will enjoy them.

      To begin, however, I’d like to share the letter received from Melanie Astorga, the choir and string teacher at Ogden Prep.  She writes (in part)….”We participated in your outreach program and attended the dress rehearsal of the opera “Little Women”.  it was such a pleasure for me to share this opportunity with my students!  Most of them had never been to the Capitol Theater before and many had never seen a live performance.  Certainly none had experienced a live opera!  I truly enjoyed the performance and loved observing my students enthusiasm in being there. Thank you once again! Warmest regards,” Melanie Astorga.

    Now let’s hear from the students( using their words and spelling) :

“I really enjoyed the whole thing and I hope we can have the opportunity again real soon. Thank you from Ashley T. ” (huge letters at bottom of the p age..IT WAS AWESOME !!)    From Vanesssa: “My overall favorite thing about the production was watching the conductor in the crowd.  It was like watching a groom whatching his bride come down the isle. He was certainely into it & it was mezmerising to watch him.  Thank you   so much once again!  Extremely grateful.”

“I liked hearing the live orchestra. I learned that self-discovery is sometimes a hard trail to go down.  Once again I want to thank you for the tickets.”  Christina

“…..what I really enjoyed was the music. When I heard it, I could just feel happiness. Thanks again.”  Jasmine

“Thank you so much!  I loved the opera.  It was so amazing!  I really liked the voices. The scenery and background was put together beautifully.  The house and roof with all the shadows on top was amazing, so again I say thank you. I wouild love to learn how to sing that way…… with love”, Amanda

“…..thank you for giving us the tickets and providing the nice seats, it means so much.” (couldn’t make out the first name)  

“….I learned that opera isn’t just singing but also a play that tells a story.  I enjoyed the show and I’m glad that it had some comedy in it. Sincerely,”  Yerenia

 ”….thank you for letting us go especially because the tickets were expensive. I learned about the story of little women and I liked it a lot.  Thank you sooo much!   Sincerely,”  Nicole

There were more letters but this gives you an idea of how the students felt about the experience.  The Principal of the  Academy called me to express her appreciation also and told me how excited the students were the next day about their evening at the  opera. 

     It is truly a privilege to be part of helping to bring to the upcoming generation the great beauty that is opera and to receive their genuine expressions of thanks for the experience.

Suzy Patterson, Education Chair

Many persons listen to, hum along with and even know the English equivalents of a
word or two of their favorite arias but never understand the entire piece. Not good…since they are missing an opportunity to better comprehend the opera, and to progress toward learning the language in which a given opera is written. In teaching languages I have found that learning and repeatedly singing songs is a highly effective technique, especially because it is painless, even most enjoyable.TRY IT! You will discover that the lyrics begin to roll through your mind as you sleep, eat, go about your daily activities. Translations of some of the most
beloved arias will appear in our website. It’s better than barroom karaoke and includes learning hints

Dr. Ralph P. Vander Heide

Text and Translation
“Un bel di, vedremo”
from Madama Butterfly (G. Puccini)

Italian Text

Un bel dì, vedremo
levarsi un fil di fumo
sull’estremo confin del mare.
E poi la nave appare.—guess the meaning
Poi la nave bianca
entra nel porto,–an easy one. The nave is doing what?
romba il suo saluto.
Vedi? È venuto!
Io non gli scendo incontro. Io no. two easy words
Mi metto là sul ciglio del colle e aspetto,
e aspetto gran tempo
e non mi pesa,
la lunga attesa. COULD IO MEAN I?

E uscito dalla folla cittadina, =city
un uomo, un picciol punto looks like homo–mankind
s’avvia per la collina. in Spanish, colina
Chi sarà? chi sarà? future tense: who will it be?Sp Que será
E come sarà giunto
che dirà? che dirà?
Chiamerà Butterfly dalla lontana.
Io senza dar risposta IO again & what is IO doing?SENZA?
me ne starò nascosta
un po’ per celia
e un po’ per non morire
al primo incontro; EASY: at the first encounter
ed egli alquanto in pena
chiamerà, chiamerà:
“Piccina mogliettina,
olezzo di verbena”
i nomi che mi dava al suo venire.
(a Suzuki)
Tutto questo avverrà, like English aver—right? EASY!!!
te lo prometto.
Tienti la tua paura,io con sicura fede l’aspetto

English Translation
One good day, we will see
Arising a strand of smoke
Over the far horizon on the sea
And then the ship appears
And then the ship is white
It enters into the port, it rumbles its salute. Do you see it? He is coming!
I don’t go down to meet him, not I.
I stay upon the edge of the hill
And I wait a long time
but I do not grow weary of the long wait.
And leaving from the crowded city,
A man, a little speck
Climbing the hill.
Who is it? Who is it?
And as he arrives
What will he say? What will he say?
He will call Butterfly from the distance
I without answering
Stay hidden
A little to tease him,
A little as to not die.
At the first meeting,
And then a little troubled
He will call, he will call
“Little one, dear wife
Blossom of orange”
The names he called me at his last coming.
All this will happen,
I promise you this
Hold back your fears -
I with secure faith wait for you.

HINTS ON LANGUAGE LEARNING

If you are familiar with Spanish, you will note similarities since they are two of several Italic Indo-European (“Romance”) languages descended from Latin. Here Spanish would be Un buen dia veremos un hilo de fumo levantarse….sobre el extremo confin del mar. You may know that the se (si) of levantarse (levarsi) is reflexive. In these languages the smoke (fumo) rises it self, i.e. it “self rises.” I “get up” in Spanish is “me levanto” (rise or raise myself). Look for such constructions as well as for words especially cognates you easily recognize or know. Quickly I see nave, appare,no, Meanings must be ship, appear,no I tell myself. Enough free lesson! You do it! “Rosetta Stone” and “Pimsleur” charge a small fortune for this and promise 10 day results. I am free and realistically promise mastery as soon as you can achieve master.

As youngsters my LDS acquaintances and I sang, groaned under the weight of musical instruments and participated in “Road Shows.” A Mormon belief was being cultivated: divine inspiration is aligned with “great” music. The music of a Mozart, Haydn or Beethoven should play a vital role in our lives, for it was kindred to inspiration. “Taking part” in performances was de rigueur. Furthermore, we were urged to create. At age 14, I received a trophy for writing a play.

In addition to the ward chapels we had special houses of entertainment just like those uppity eastern folks or cultured Europeans. Music and the performing arts were vital in cultivating the human being to become “all that he could be.” Clearly venues for performances were needed and not just in the capitol city.

Mecca (SLC) with its tabernacle, social hall and Walker Opera House was the cultural center of the Great Basin Empire, but Logan (Thatcher Opera House), Provo (Cluff Hall) St. George, Monroe and even little Beaver also sported houses (however humble) for performances. To research Utah settlements is to discover dozens…and our Ogden?..Just note:
From 1890 until 1909 Ogdenites, numbering 18,000, sported a GRAND OPERA HOUSE complete with a Turkish turret which was removed when the building became the Orpheum. Some may scoff and say Junction City was (in)famous solely for drinking, brawling and gaudily-appointed bawdy houses (entertainment indeed, but not directly aligned with divine inspiration). Not so, degraders are kindly requested to peruse the facts:

On December 29, 1890, The Grand Opera House opened and the Ogden Standard exuded: “The vast auditorium contained 1,750 spectators and the box office sales reached the enormous sum of $2,150″. Our local periodical already evidenced hyperbole: “vast”? “enormous”?

Sure, Jack Dempsey and many lesser pugilists further damaged their brains in Ogden. Sure, a little booze was imbibed. Admittedly shots were fired. Even then a man had a right to bare (“bear”??) arms or “bare” his arms for a hardy fist fight (more enjoyable, less painful, if drunk). They lacked an official state firearm, but that did not deter self-defense or “carrying.”

It is said that Brigham Young down in Mecca was so thrilled with some play (opera…whatever) that he allowed ten of his daughters to perform. So what?..folks here in Ogden were captivated by the best. Jenny Lind, a true great, warbled at our grand house as did other “stars” of the day. Two of many stories follow:

One tells of Emma Abbot described as “the prima donna of the world’s stage.” It seems this prima donna of all primas died a week after singing in our fair city…bummer! Tragedies and mishaps were common.

Another Emma, E. Juch, the Austrian born in New York, sang like an angel at age 14, progressed to establishing her own company and was married to her “first love” for a couple months prior to journeying to Ogden via Idaho by two trains. The second was dispatched from Ogden to the southern side of a massive snow blockage which the opera company crossed on foot with tons of luggage. Doubtlessly, Euterpe, muse of music, was watching over our grand opera and plucky Emma who was to experience more adventures before dying at age 76.

By the 1920’s stars of the vaudeville circuit had replaced the prima donnas, but one day new ones would come (by air no less) to share their virtuosity with us. We need not hang our heads. The very best made their way to Manáos on the Amazon and crossed the Rockies to Ogden.

More tidbits will be forthcoming on the subject of Utah and opera. Consider for example the singers the state has produced.

German literary critics term the works of Bertolt Brecht and some others as “Denkspiele” (thought-provoking pieces). I relate the term to Stanislaw Scrowaczewski who recently conducted the Utah Symphony in SLC. It was he who years ago “opened” Abravanel Hall when that maestro was ill. Deep “denken” is engendered as we experience the genius conductor (now 87)
guiding the symphony through his unique interpretions of a piece.

I am always very carefull about the words “brilliant” and “genius.” However, both doubtlessly apply to Maestro SCROWACZEWSKI.

The SLC Tribune review captured the essence: “Walking onstage he may look like a frail ,elderly gentleman, but looks are deceiving. Once Skrowaczewski steps onto the podium he ignites the orchestra with his passion. With age his conducting has become less vigorous and bold, but with his minimal gestures he nevertheless imparts to the orchestra that fiery passion he has for the music. He shows the musicians and audience that one doesn’t need to have choreographed moves on the podium when one has the kind of deep understanding for the music that Skrowaczewski certainly has. And with an orchestra of talented players at his fingertips, the result of this collaboration is magical.”

Yes, I completely agree, magical, spiritual, one of those superior individuals who are in touch with something higher than most of us who do not experience this breakthrough to perhaps “nirvana” which the maestro himself often refers to. He, I thought, emphasized this higher state in his speech prior to the concert.

He experiences a spiritiual state while he “gets into” the music which he must see in his mind, for indeed there is no score. In fact he wants, he says, to be free of a score. So, I believe he achieves relief or freedom from “earthly worry” and his accursed eye problems, deep concern about his wife and all the rest. In his state of “musical nirvana”he is able to sublimate to the extent that he becomes obliviousness to pain, worry and the external world…only the music preoccupies…It must be perfect.

Then, back on earth, he lunches with friends and tells all his problems. The music is his savior. It returns to him all the years he has devoted to it. Is this corny?

I have to believe the above in order to try to understand how he deals with and indeed continues to live such a demanding life rife with personal and health worries. He said to me: “Ich bin jetzt so
alt.” He is indeed old! But…he never quits composing, conducting…never! He is most cognizant of the importantance of giving all, of sharing in the few years left to him.

Is it proper to write about a new lyrical opera performed outside of our own guild’s sphere?

My answer is certainly a resounding “yes” for Daniel Catàn’s lyrical fourth opera, “Il Postino” (Postman). Judy and I as well as guild members David and Linda Lundstrom traveled to Los Angeles for a most rewarding experience: a modern opera that actually has arias that one could learn and hum. Well…Linda really had a greater interest in meeting the once mighty tenor, now more of a baritone, Domingo. Furthermore, all of us went to L.A. to attend the annual meeting of Opera Volunteers International of which our guild has been a member for many years.

She did not meet the maestro, but we certainly saw and heard him, and the next evening experienced his conducting style.

I spoke very briefly with Catàn, primarily to acknowledge his achievement and to tell him that I brought greetings from Utah Opera’s Christopher McBeth. He was most cordial and confirmed that we were fortunate to have our conscientious, knowledgeable, affable and industrious artistic director.

Briefly, the opera is based on the sentimental Italian film about the Nobel Prize winning poet, Pablo Neruda, who became an object of my literary studies in graduate school. He is known best in some circles as the Chilean Communist Poet and in others for his immense capacity for describing nature, especially the ocean, in his original way.

Neruda living on an island becomes well acquainted with the young “postino” who has been hired simply to deliver the great man’s mail, since he receives too much!! Neruda helps him write poety to the girl he loves. The ending is not good, folks, but the opera offers truly beautiful “tunes” (if I may use such a common term), love interest and intellectual challenge. None of the music tests the full capacities of the singers, but all would agree that neither are they easy to sing and interpret.

This a modern opera that is also intellectualy thought provoking, even to some extend what the good old, half-baked German communist, Bertolt Brecht, would have termed a “Denkspiel” (thought play, i.e.thought provoking).

A final word on Plácido: He has the perfect role for this time in his long career. He feels, he interprets with intuition his character. Indeed, he is Neruda!

I began singing at age five or so, and I came to know local singers of my age group. Some were very impressive. They sang at school, at church and as they got older for social clubs, funerals, weddings, and….well, you know. One went on to a career in Hollywood and Las Vegas.

BUT, NEVER, NEVER–EVER have I heard what I heard from two 14 year-old Italian youngsters and another, age 15 (“The Three Tenors”) two nights ago. I am still “high.” Please download the Italian TV program and share the experience with me. We must watch these three.

GOOD LUCK! HERE IT IS:  http://www.wimp.com/threetenors

I hope you saw and heard the Utah Opera singers at the May 2 Symposium in Ogden. Michael Wanko gave a forecast of the title role of Gianni Schicchi the scamp who out schemed the scheming relatives anxious to inherit in the desperate times following World War 11. His bass baritone is commanding and his comic talents prodigious. Residence Artist Aaron Blake shone in the role of Rinnucio; this young man is already making his mark in opera and will return next year in Falstaff. Utah native Megan Phillips Cash was delightful in the role of Lauretta in her debut with Utah Opera and we hope to see her again soon.

Christopher McBeth, artistic director of Utah Opera, assembles a delightful preview of the music in upcoming operas, and Symposium goers are free to mingle with performers. Stay abreast of Symposiums for 2010 -2011 on the Ogden Opera Guild web site. You’ll see the top performers first in Ogden!

At the end of the interview of Placido Domingo by Rene Fleming in the Met Simulcast of