Caramoor Presents Bellini's NORMA Starring Angela Meade 7/10, 7/16

Caramoor International Music Festival maintains its deep commitment to presenting great opera with a spectacular lineup for the festival's 14th annual Bel Canto at Caramoor series led by Director of Opera Will Crutchfield. This summer's series features two performances of Bellini's Norma on July 10 and July 16, and Donizetti's Maria di Rohan on July 24. Maestro Crutchfield conducts the Orchestra of St. Luke's in both productions, which will be semi-staged with supertitles in the Venetian Theater.

Bellini's Norma is the unquestioned pinnacle of bel canto opera, and the favored role of its greatest exponents from Giuditta Pasta and Giulia Grisi to Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland. Its moving story and mesmerizingly beautiful score combine to create one of the most perfect unions of music and drama in any era. Soprano Angela Meade, returning after her triumphant Caramoor debut in 2009's Semiramide made "best-of-the-year" short-lists in both The New Yorker and The New York Times, takes on the challenging title role for the first time in this Caramoor presentation of Norma. Soprano Keri Alkema, lauded for her fiery Donna Elvira in the recent New York City Opera production of Don Giovanni, makes her debut as Adalgisa; tenor Emmanuel di Villarosa (hailed as "possibly the best Alvaro since Richard Tucker" at Caramoor in 2008), and bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs ("a showstopper" in Semiramide) complete the cast.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Angela Meade, soprano
Less than two years after her professional debut, American soprano Angela Meade has quickly become recognized as one of the outstanding vocalists of her generation. The New Yorker hailed her as "a lavishly gifted young soprano who sings across a very wide range with uncommon beauty and strength of tone...this fast rising soprano will undoubtedly have many triumphs". Ms. Meade joined an elite group of history's singers in 2008 when she made her professional operatic debut on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera as Verdi's Elvira in Ernani. In 2009, she made her Caramoor debut to great acclaim as the Babylonian queen Semiramide. Ms. Meade was a prizewinner of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions in 2007, when The New York Times reported at the winner's concert that she "powered out a `Casta Diva' from Bellini's Norma that left everyone breathless."

Ms. Meade's 2009/10 season included a return to the Metropolitan Opera as the Countess in Jonathan Miller's production of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro under the baton of Fabio Luisi. Other recent roles include Elisabetta in Roberto Devereux at the Dallas Opera and the title roles of Anna Bolena and Lucia di Lammermoor at AVA.

Keri Alkema, soprano
A voice with an "appealing brew of dark and creamy colors" (New York Times), lirico-spinto soprano Keri Alkema has been praised for her "tonal opulence" (Washington Post) and "incisive musicality" (New York Times). Following a fruitful career as a mezzo-soprano soloist, Alkema made her soprano role debut to great critical acclaim in the 2009/10 season as Donna Elvira in Christopher Alden's production of Don Giovanni at New York City Opera. An active member of the roster of the Marilyn Horne Foundation, she also performed at the Marilyn Horne Foundation Annual Recital at Carnegie Hall in January 2010. Next season she will debut at Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville as Freia in Das Rheingold and Atlanta Opera as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte , as well as the Cincinnati May Festival and Ravinia Festival with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the baton of James Conlon. Future seasons will see her debut with the Glyndebourne Festival, as well as return to New York City Opera and Washington National Opera.

Emmanuel di Villarosa, tenor
Noted for his performances of critical editions within the operatic repertoire, tenor Emmanuel di Villarosa has enjoyed great international success, most notably on the opera stages of Germany and Poland. Recent roles include Verdi's Ernani, Verdi's Don Carlos, Calaf in Puccini's Turnadot, Don José in Bizet's Carmen and Edgardo in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor in Warsaw with Will Crutchfield. Villarosa made his Caramoor debut in 2008 as Alvaro in Verdi's original version of La Forza del Destino under the baton of Crutchfield; in review of his third act performance of "La vita inferno all'infelice", The New York Times wrote "the tenor Emmanuel di Villarosa sang passionately, with plenty of ringing top notes."

Daniel Mobbs, baritone
American bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs has enjoyed a long and successful relationship with the Caramoor International Music Festival, and returns for his twelfth role this season. He most recently sang the part of Assur in the festival's accolade-winning 2009 production of Rossini's Semiramide, and his portrayal of Figaro lit up the stage of the Venetian Theater in 2008's Barbiere di Siviglia, winning praise in Opera News for "wit and charm, thrilling vocalism, lightning-quick presence and bright, clean sound." Among his recent successes elsewhere have been the "other" Figaro - Mozart's - with Palm Beach Opera, the multiple bass roles in Mark Morris' production of Purcell's King Arthur (New York City Opera), the heroic Guillaume Tell (Polish National Opera), his debut as Escamillo in Carmen (Boston Lyric Opera), a soloist in Stravinsky's Pulcinella (New York City Opera), and Leporello in Don Giovanni (New Orleans Opera), garnering widespread critical acclaim in each. Mobbs made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2003 as Cascada in The Merry Widow, and returned for the role of Yamadori in Madama Butterfly in 2004.

PROGRAM

Saturday, July 10 at 8:00pm - Venetian Theater
Friday, July 16 at 8:00 pm - Venetian Theater
NORMA by Vincenzo Bellini
ANGELA MEADE, soprano (Norma)
KERI ALKEMA, soprano (Adalgisa)
EMMANUEL DI VILLAROSA, tenor (Pollione)
DANIEL MOBBS, bass-baritone (Oroveso)
Orchestra of St. Luke's
Will Crutchfield, conductor

Pre-Opera Events: Norma
During the afternoon and evening prior to each opera performance, ticket-holders can also enjoy a varied menu of lectures and recitals along with the chance to picnic in Caramoor's famous gardens.

3:00 Norma in History * Andrew Porter, whose sixty-year career as one of the world's most respected music critics, has seen all the great Normas since Maria Callas's 1953 London debut in the role; with Caramoor's Opera Director Will Crutchfield he discusses their art and interpretations, and what we can glean from historical documents and recordings about those who came before them.
4:15 Bel Canto a Due * Duets in close harmony, sensuous or virtuosic, lie at the heart of Norma and many other bel canto operas. Members of Caramoor's Young Artist and Apprentice programs explore the genre of chamber music that lies behind these operatic highlights.
5:00 Song, Song, and Again Song: Wagner and Bellini, "Gesang, Gesang, und nochmal Gesang!" This was the exhortation to his fellow Germans with which Richard Wagner closed his memorable essay on Bellini, the Italian composer he admired most profoundly. The Caramoor Bel Canto Young Artists illustrate the link in a recital of music by both composers.
7:00 Pre-opera lecture: Andrew Porter introduces Norma

*events marked with an asterisk will take place before the July 10 performance of Norma ONLY

ABOUT BEL CANTO AT CARAMOOR

Under the leadership of Director of Opera Will Crutchfield, Caramoor's renowned Bel Canto at Caramoor - an operatic exploration that Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times calls "an essential contribution" - begins its 14th season of outstanding opera programming during the 2010 Caramoor International Music Festival. Bel Canto at Caramoor began in 1997 with Rossini's La Donna del Lago, starring Vivica Genaux, Marguerite Krull, Bruce Fowler, and Matthew Chellis. At its inception, diva Marilyn Horne predicted success: "These singers are very lucky to have Will Crutchfield," she told the press before summer festival. The New York Times quickly agreed, praising "a palpable conviction that Rossini's serious operas are not static vehicles for elaborate vocal display, but elegant and humane musical dramas" in a review of the opening. The Wall Street Journal reported in 1997, "Mr. Crutchfield brought his sure sense of bel canto style to bear upon Lucrezia Borgia, and the semi-staged concert version at Caramoor's Venetian Theater was both delightful and thought-provoking...its dark (yes, Verdian) intensity is certainly a revelation." The Financial Times added its praise following 1999's La Gazza Ladra, lauding the virtuosic young cast and hailing Crutchfield's style as "a fine balance of bravado, intensity, sensitivity and scholarly savoir-faire."

Ever since, growing ranks of critics from the national and international press have maintained that consensus, and capacity audiences have filled Caramoor's 1714-seat Venetian Theater. The flagship summer productions have included four operas each by Bellini and Rossini, three by Donizetti, two by Verdi, and individual works by Handel, Gluck, Francesco Conti and Pauline Viardot, along with a wide range of concerts.

ABOUT CARAMOOR

Caramoor is the legacy of Walter and Lucie Rosen, who built their summer home - now known as the historic Rosen House at Caramoor - and filled it with their treasures. Walter Rosen was the master planner for the Caramoor estate, bringing to reality his dream of creating a place to entertain friends from around the world. Their musical evenings were the seeds of today's Caramoor International Music Festival. Realizing the pleasure their friends took in the beauty of Caramoor - the house with its art collection, the gardens, and the musical programs on summer evenings - in 1946 the Rosens established a public charity to open Caramoor to the community. Lucie Rosen survived her husband by seventeen years. During those years, she expanded the Music Festival: the Spanish Courtyard was used as a setting for musical events, as it is today, and, under her direction, the great stage of the Venetian Theater was built.

Caramoor is a performing arts center located on a unique 90-acre setting of Italianate architecture and gardens in Westchester County, NY. It enriches the lives of its audiences through innovative and diverse musical performances of the highest quality. Its mission also includes mentoring young professional musicians and providing educational programs for young children centered around music. It is often described as "a Garden of Great Music" where audiences are invited to come early, explore the beautiful grounds, enjoy a pre-concert picnic, and discover beautiful music in the relaxed settings of the Venetian Theater, Spanish Courtyard, Music Room of the Rosen House, and the magnificent gardens.

With its unique heritage, Caramoor remains a place where magical summer days and nights are shared and enjoyed by thousands. "Caramoor is the loveliest Festival of them all." - The New York Times

Concert Venues and Gardens
Concerts take place in two outdoor theaters: the 1714-seat, acoustically superb Venetian Theater and the more intimate, romantic Spanish Courtyard. Caramoor's gardens are also well worth the visit and include nine unique perennial gardens. Among them are a Sense Circle for the visually handicapped, a Butterfly Garden, Tapestry Hedge, and Iris and Peony Garden, which may be enjoyed on one's own or seen on a guided tour.

GETTING TO CARAMOOR

By car from the West Side of Manhattan and New Jersey, take the Saw Mill River Parkway north to Katonah. Exit at Route 35/Cross River. Turn right and, at the first traffic light, make a right turn onto Route 22 south. Travel 1.9 miles to the junction of Girdle Ridge Road. Follow the signs to Caramoor. (For detailed directions call 914.232.5035 and press 2, or online at www.caramoor.org). Parking at Caramoor is free.

By train, take the Harlem Division of the Metro-North Railroad to Katonah, New York. Taxi service from the station to Caramoor (5 minutes away) is available.

From Manhattan, take the Caramoor Caravan to Bel Canto at Caramoor opera performances on July 10, 16, and 24, and ride comfortably in a luxurious, air-conditioned coach. For information and reservations call the Caramoor Box Office at 914.232.1252.

TICKETS
$25 - $95; Tickets for Bel Canto at Caramoor productions, as well as all other performances in the 2010 Caramoor International Music Festival, are on sale now. Tickets may be ordered by calling the Box Office at 914.232.1252, or online at.caramoor.org.