Bard College Conservatory Orchestra Presents Semi-Staged Performance of Richard Strauss’s Salome April 3 And 5
Adapted from Oscar Wilde’s one-act play, Richard Strauss’s opera Salome depicts the biblical story of Salome, the Judean princess who demanded, and obtained, the head of St. John the Baptist. Bard Visiting Associate Professor of Music Peter Laki writes that the first performance of Salome, given in Dresden on December 9, 1905, caught even the most progressive critics off guard. “There was little doubt that the opera was a masterpiece, that its music was radically innovative, even ‘revolutionary,’ but many were profoundly disturbed by the image of Salome kissing the severed head of John the Baptist on the mouth,” writes Laki, stressing that, despite its early notoriety, Salome was Strauss’s first successful opera and went on to become part of the standard repertoire of every house that can meet the almost superhuman demands it places on the singers and the enormous orchestra alike. “The opera certainly stands with Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, which followed eight years later, at the threshold of a new era. It did away with many old taboos and presented human situations and emotions in a way they had never been presented before. Strauss made an old story breathtakingly new, boldly confronting the dark sides of the human psyche.”
Salome (1905)
libretto: Hedwig Lachmann (1865-1918) after Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
music: Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Cast:
Melody Moore, Salome
Jay Hunter Morris, Herod
Nathan Berg, Jochanaan
Betsy Bishop, Herodias
Robert Stahley, Narraboth
Hailey MacEvoy ’20, Page of Herodias
Ricardo Lugo, First Nazarene
Ben Wager, First Soldier
Andrew Potter, Second Soldier
Marc Molomet, First Jew
Vincent Festa, Second Jew
Cody Ray Caho ’21,Third Jew
Chauncey Parker, Fourth Jew
Paul An, Fifth Jew
Paul LaRosa, Second Nazarene
Lighting Designer: Jax Messenger
Projection Designer: S. Katy Tucker
To purchase tickets, call the Fisher Center box office at 845-758-7900 or go to fishercenter.bard.edu.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Melody Moore
Soprano Melody Moore is enjoying a thriving career on the world’s leading stages, prompting Opera News to label her “a revelation,” and of her recent sold-out appearance at Carnegie Hall to rave, “As I left the auditorium, I could only think: more of Moore, please.” The current season marks the release of her first solo album entitled An American Song Album with pianist Bradley Moore on Pentatone Records.
In the 2019-2020 season, Ms. Moore returns to Houston Grand Opera for her role debut as Amneris in Aida under Music Director Patrick Summers, and makes her role and house debut as the Foreign Princess in Rusalka at Cincinnati Opera. She will join the roster of the Metropolitan Opera, covering her signature role of Senta in a new production of Der fliegende Holländer. Concert highlights include a debut with the Houston Symphony Orchestra in Mahler’s Das klagende Lied under the baton of Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada, a debut with the Oregon Symphony in Vaughan-Williams’ Sea Symphony under Music Director Carlos Kalmar, the title role in Strauss’ Salome at Bard College, and a solo recital at Lawrence University.
In the 2018-2019 season, Ms. Moore returned to Houston Grand Opera to reprise the roles of Senta in the season-opening production of Die fliegende Holländer led by Music Director Patrick Summer as well as Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni in a new production by Kasper Holten, and returned to Los Angeles Opera for a role debut as Gertrude in Hänsel and Gretel under the baton of Music Director James Conlon. On the concert stage, she debuted with the Dresdner Philharmonie in the roles of Giorgetta in Puccini’s Il Tabarro and Santuzza in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, both of which were recorded for commercial release by Pentatone Records. Ms. Moore also sang Senta with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Music Director Edo de Waart, debuted with the Grant Park Music Festival for Delius’ A Mass of Life at the Grant Park Music Festival, and sang the title role of Salome in Daegu, South Korea. Other recording projects included Minnie in La Fanciulla del West in Cluj, Romania, and the title role in Madama Butterfly in Lisbon, both recorded for commercial release by Pentatone Records.
In the 2017-2018 season, Moore made three major role debuts: Elisabetta in Don Carlo at Washington National Opera; the title role in Salome at Florida Grand Opera; and Tatyana in Eugene Onegin at Hawaii Opera Theater. She also sang her signature role of Tosca both in a return to Opéra de Montréal and for her house debut with Teatro Municipal de Santiago de Chile, and Senta in a new production of Der fliegende Hollände by Tomer Zvulun at Atlanta Opera. Her portrayal of Desdemona in a full recording of Verdi’s Otello was released by Pentatone Records.
Recent career highlights include a house and role debut at Seattle Opera in the title role of Janáček’s Kátya Kabanová; appearances with San Francisco Opera in the title role of Tosca, Susan Rescorla in Heart of a Soldier, Mimì in La bohème, and the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro; Houston Grand Opera as Julie in Show Boat, Marta in the American premiere of Weinberg's The Passenger, the title role in Carmen, Dorabella in Così fan tutte; Washington National Opera as the title role of Catán's Florencia en el Amazonas, Phillip Glass’ Appomatox, and in Francesca Zambello’s highly acclaimed production of Wagner’s full Ring cycle; Los Angeles Opera as Tosca, the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro and in productions of Der Zwerg and Der Zerbrochene Krug; Opéra de Montréal as Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly; Glimmerglass Festival as Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s Macbeth and Senta in Der fliegende Holländer; Lincoln Center Festival in The Passenger; English National Opera as Mimi and as Marguerite in Faust; New York City Opera as Rita Clayton in the New York premiere of Stephen Schwartz's Séance on a Wet Afternoon and as Regine St. Laurent in Rufus Wainwright's Prima Donna; and Austin Lyric Opera as Senta in Der fliegende Holländer. Additional performances include the title roles of Manon Lescaut at New Orleans Opera, Tosca with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte at Opéra de Bordeaux; and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with Atlanta Opera and Opera Colorado.
On the concert stage, Ms. Moore has appeared with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for Bruckner’s Te Deum led by Music Director Donald Runnicles; Bard SummerScape Festival as the title role in Turandot; Bavarian Radio Symphony in performances and recording of excerpts of Gordon Getty's opera, Plump Jack, conducted by Ulf Shirmer and with the New Century Chamber Orchestra conducted by Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg. She has joined Rufus Wainwright for gala concerts at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia and at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, and has sung Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Madison Symphony and at Festival of the Arts Boca. Her solo recital performances have included a sold-out debut recital at Carnegie Hall and the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago, as well a program featuring suppressed music of the Holocaust presented under the auspices of Atlanta Opera.
A graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Melody Moore is a former Adler Fellow of San Francisco Opera and a participant of the Merola program.
Jay Hunter Morris
Grammy Award Winning tenor Jay Hunter Morris continues his renowned international career in the 2019-20 season. He makes his debut with the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts Weiwuying for performance of Britten’s War Requiem, followed by performances as Herold in Salome at the Bard Conservatory of Music. On the concert stage, he joins Mo. Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra as Aegisth in symphonically staged performances of Strauss’ Elektra. Last season saw Mr. Morris reprising the role of Erik in Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer for his return to the Dallas Opera, as well as reprising the role of Father Grenville in Heggie’s Dead Man Walking with the Atlanta Opera, a role he originated in 2000 at the San Francisco Opera. Mr. Morris appeared in concert with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Orchestra and Choir in Rome for John Adams’ The Gospel according to the other Mary, alongside Kelley O’Connor, Elisabeth DeShong, and Daniel Bubeck.
Nathan Berg
A “tall, majestic bass” with “impeccable technique” and “a palpable presence on stage,” Canadian bass-baritone Nathan Berg’s career has spanned a vast range of repertoire on the concert and operatic stage. His recent dramatic work has earned acclaim around the globe from the title role in Der fliegende Holländer in his Bolshoi Theatre debut, Alberich in Das Rheingold with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and Minnesota Opera, Doktor in Wozzeck with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Houston Symphony, for which he won a Grammy-Award, and his company debut at Teatro alla Scala, in Robert Carsen’s world-premiere production of Battistelli’s CO2.
In the 2019/20 season, Mr. Berg makes his house and role debuts as Jochanaan in Salome with Atlanta Opera and Hawaii Opera Theatre as well as return to the roster of the Metropolitan Opera in Manon and Turandot. On the concert stage, Mr. Berg will join the Toronto Symphony to sing Palemon in Thaïs, the Rotterdam Philharmonic on a European tour to sing Der Einarmige in Die Frau ohne Schatten with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, debut the role of Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde with the Taiwan Philharmonic, and perform Lélio with the Helsinki Philharmonic. Finally, Mr. Berg will perform Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Filharmonia Narodowa in Warsaw, Poland, Naples Philharmonic and Greensboro Symphony.
In the 2018/19 season, Nathan Berg continued to establish himself as a specialist in the works of Wagner, performing Alberich in Das Rheingold with Opéra de Montréal, Alberich in Siegfried with the National Performing Arts Center in Taipei, Taiwan, and joining the roster of the Metropolitan Opera for The Ring Cycle. He also appeared with Leon Botstein at the Bard Music Festival in Das Wunder der Heliane and the Grant Park Music Festival in Delius’ A Mass of Life.
In the 2017/18 season, Mr. Berg returned to the role of Holländer at the Cincinnati Opera Festival, and made his debut as Wotan in Das Rheingold at the Badisches Staatstheatre in Karlsruhe, Germany. He also made debuts at the Salzburger Festspiele and Whitsun Festival singing The King of Scotland in Christof Loy’s production of Ariodante opposite Cecilia Bartoli in the title role, and Douglas d’Angus in La donna del lago, also opposite Cecilia Bartoli. An incredible presence on the symphonic stage, Nathan Berg performed Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, and the Vancouver Symphony, conducted by Bramwell Tovey. He performed with conductor Hannu Lintu, first in Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Finnish National Radio Orchestra, then with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in Rachmaninoff’s The Bells. Other season highlights were Detlev Glanert’s Requiem at the new Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg and Lutoslawski’s L’Espace du Sommeil with the Zürich-based Tonhalle-Orchester on tour in Katowice, Poland.
More recent seasons included appearances as Bluebeard in Mariusz Treliński’s new production of Bluebeard’s Castle for Teatr Wielki, Vodnik in Rusalka for Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts and a return to Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra as Doktor under Markus Stenz. Other appearances included Semperoper Dresden as Zoroastro in Andreas Kriegenburg’s production of Orlando, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks for L’enfant et les sortilèges under Esa-Pekka Salonen, the Wratislavia Cantans International Festival for Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 under Jacek Kaspszyk, BBC Scottish Symphony for Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis under Donald Runnicles, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 under Andrés Orozco-Estrada and the Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias for The Dream of Gerontius under Rossen Milanov. In North America, Mr. Berg performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the San Diego Symphony, Saskatoon Symphony, and Grand Teton Music Festival; the latter conducted by Donald Runnicles, Mozart’s Requiem with the Rhode Island Philharmonic and Bramwell Tovey, and a return to the Edmonton Symphony for an evening of opera excerpts.
In his vast range of styles and repertoire, Berg is in demand by the world’s most distinguished conductors including Kurt Masur, Sir Andrew Davis, Hannu Lintu, Roger Norrington, Hans Graf, Donald Runnicles, Philippe Herreweghe, Vasily Petrenko, Vladimir Ashkenazy, and Michael Tilson Thomas to name a few.
As a Grammy, Juno and Echo Award-winning recording artist, Mr. Berg has performed on over 30 recordings of works ranging from the 17th to 20th century with period to modern orchestras. Early in his career, alongside building a solid reputation in major Mozart roles, Nathan Berg established his name around the world as an outstanding interpreter of baroque and pre-classical music in both concert repertoire and opera. Notable amongst his many early recordings with Les Arts Florissants are Mozart’s Requiem and Handel’s Messiah, and video recordings of Rameau’s Les Indes Galantes (Opéra de Paris) and Lully’s Armide (Théâtre des Champs-Elysées). Other noteworthy earlier recordings are Dvořák’s Stabat Mater with Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Peter Hall’s Glyndebourne Festival production of Rossini’s La Cenerentola, as well as lieder recordings, including songs by Othmar Schoeck, and featured on the album ‘Lieder Recital’ with pianist Julius Drake. Recent releases include Wozzeck (Doktor) with the Houston Symphony conducted by Hans Graf, Dvořák’s Requiem with the Royal Flemish Philharmonic conducted by Philippe Herreweghe, Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 with the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas and Les Indes Galantes conducted by Christophe Rousset with Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse. Soon to be released are Rusalka (Vodnik) on DVD and Donna del Lago (Duglas) on CD.
Born in Saskatchewan, Nathan Berg studied in Canada, the United States, and Paris, as well as at the Guildhall School of Music, London, where he won the prestigious Gold Medal for Singers.
Betsy Bishop
American mezzo Elizabeth Bishop begins the 2019/20 season with her return to The Metropolitan Opera in the role of Marcellina Le Nozze di Figaro. The artist travels to Texas to revive the role of Herodias Salome with Dallas Symphony Orchestra, a role she also sings at Bard College with Leon Botstein. She joins Park Ridge Civic Orchestra for performances of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde, and with The Choral Arts Society of Washington she features as soloist for Copeland’s In the Beginning and the Brahms Alto Rhapsody.
Last season Miss Bishop appeared as a soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and at Lyric Opera Chicago she won hearts in the role of Madame de la Haltière Cendrillon. She returned to The Metropolitan Opera for performances as Second Norn/Fricka (c)/Waltraute (c) Der Ring des Nibelungen.
At home in Washington DC, Miss Bishop has many appearances to her credit, both with Washington Concert Opera, where she sang Principessa Adriana Lecouvreur, Santuzza Cavalleria Rusticana and Sara Roberto Devereux, and at Washington National Opera where she has a regular presence and appeared as Fricka Das Rheingold and Die Walküre, Sieglinde Die Walküre, Brangäne Tristan und Isolde, Second Norn Götterdämmerung, Mere Marie Dialogues of the Carmelites, Meg Page Falstaff, Gertrude Hamlet, Eboli Don Carlo, the leading role of the Marquise de Merteuil in Conrad Susa's The Dangerous Liaisons, Suzuki Madama Butterfly, and Emilia Otello, among other appearances.
Successes elsewhere include Mary Der fliegende Holländer at Cincinnati Opera, at Portland Symphony the role of Judith Bluebeard’s Castle; concert performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Donald Runnicles and at the Grand Teton Music Festival, Verdi’s Requiem with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Brangäne Tristan und Isolde in concert at North Carolina Opera.
Miss Bishop enjoys a long relationship with the Metropolitan Opera which began with her win at the National Council Auditions in 1993; she recently covered Karita Mattila as Kostelnichka Jenufa, appeared as Teresa La sonnambula, Enrichetta I Puritani, Fenena Nabucco, Venus Tannhäuser, Mère Marie Dialogues des Carmélites, Second Norn Götterdämmerung, in the title role Iphigenie en Tauride and in its productions of War and Peace. Additionally, she appeared in recent productions of Les Troyens and Das Rheingold.
A former Adler Fellow and member of its Merola Opera Program, Ms. Bishop returned to San Francisco Opera to sing Tisbe La Cenerentola, the Mother Harvey Milk (recorded for Teldec), Antonia's Mother Les Contes d'Hoffmann, and Second Lady Die Zauberflöte. Most recently she joined the company for the role of Fricka in their celebrated Ring productions of Das Rheingold and Die Walküre. Other featured appearances include multiple engagements with Los Angeles Opera: Frau Marthe Rull Der zerbrochene Krug, Third Zofe Der Zwerg, and Grandmother Burjya Jenufa.
At Pittsburgh Opera she sang Mere Marie, Ma Joad The Grapes of Wrath and Amneris Aida which she also sang at Atlanta Opera, and in concert with Boston Symphony Orchestra. She appeared as Elizabeth Proctor The Crucible with Mobile Opera, Waltraute Götterdämmerung at Dallas Opera, and Offred in the North American premiere of Poul Ruder's The Handmaid's Tale with Minnesota Opera.
The artist’s concert repertoire is extensive; she sang Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with both the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra conducted by Robert Spano, and the Philadelphia Orchestra under Charles Dutoit. Her Mahler repertoire includes his Second, Third and Eighth Symphonies, Das Lied von der Erde, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen; Wagner compositions include Wesendonck Lieder, Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde and Magdalene Der Meistersinger on the concert platform. She is regularly invited for Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust, Te Deum and Les Nuits d'été and often sings Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Requiem and Mass in C Minor. Other concert work includes Bach's Magnificat, Mendelssohn's Elijah and Lobgesang, Handel’s Messiah, Duruflé's Requiem, Tippett's A Child of Our Time, Cantaloube’s Songs of the Auvergne and the Requiem of Liegeti and of Verdi.
Conductors with whom Miss Bishop sings include Jacques LaCombe, Roger Norrington, Nicholas McGegan, Mark Elder, Carlo Rizzi, and Esa-Pekka Salonen to name a few.
Robert Stahley
American tenor Robert Stahley, winner of the 2019 Richard Wagner Society competition, is a current member of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein young artist program at LA Opera. A budding dramatic tenor, in the 19/20 season, Robert sings First Armored Man in Barrie Kosky’s famed production of Die Zauberflöte, and Parpignol in the North American premiere of Barrie Kosky’s La Bohème, both at LA Opera. In the 2020 festival season, Robert will return to the Santa Fe Opera as a second-year Apprentice artist, where he will sing the role of First Armored Man, and Melot in Tristan und Isolde.
Recent projects include the title role in Les contes d’Hoffmann with Arbor Opera Theater in Ann Arbor, Michigan, performances as Lenny in Of Mice and Men and Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos in scenes programs with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, as well as William Marshall in Regina, and Trajan in Rufus Wainwright’s Hadrian for workshop performances with Canadian Opera Company. On the symphonic stage, Robert performed arias from Tosca and Die Zauberflöte with the Indianapolis Symphony, Pang in Turandot with the Kentucky Symphony, the tenor solos in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the Amherst Bach Festival and Schubert’s Mass in A-flat with the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).
Leon Botstein
Leon Botstein brings a renowned career as both a conductor and educator to his role as music director of The Orchestra Now. He has been music director of the American Symphony Orchestra since 1992, artistic codirector of Bard SummerScape and the Bard Music Festival since their creation, and president of Bard College since 1975. He was the music director of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra from 2003–11, and is now conductor laureate. In 2018 he assumed artistic directorship of Campus Grafenegg and Grafenegg Academy in Austria. Mr. Botstein is also a frequent guest conductor with orchestras around the globe, has made numerous recordings, and is a prolific author and music historian. He is the editor of the prestigious The Musical Quarterly, and has received many honors for his contributions to music. More info online at leonbotstein.com.
R.B. Schlather
R. B. Schlather is an American artist and opera director. His work is presented worldwide in theaters, concert halls, museums, galleries, and public spaces.
Recent highlights include a debut with the Santa Fe Opera, where his production of Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte was called “the revelation of the Santa Fe opera season,” “modern disturbing, riveting, explosive” (Wall Street Journal), “painful” (New York Times), a “radical, hyper-sexualized, ultra-modern visual poem” (Santa Fe Reporter), “bracingly conceived and beautifully sung” (Santa Fe New Mexican).
His exhibition of The Mother of Us All for the Hudson Opera House was included in the New York Times’ “Best Opera Performances 2017,” and WQXR’s “Best Classical 2017” listing. His debut with Opera Philadelphia’s inaugural O17 Festival, David Hertzberg’s The Wake World, was awarded “Best New Opera 2017” by the Music Critics Association of North America. A collaboration with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Getty Research Institute, and conductor Christopher Rountree, Fluxconcert, was named in The New Yorker’s “Best of 2018” list. His installation of Georg Friderich Händel’s Orlando was named in WQXR’s “Pivotal Moments in Opera 2015,” and his site specific production of Philip Glass’ In The Penal Colony for Boston Lyric Opera the the Cyclorama at Boston Center for the Arts was named in both the New York Times’ and Boston Classical Review “Best Performances 2015.”
During the 2019 / 2020 Season, Mr. Schlather makes an anticipated European directing debut with Oper Frankfurt in a site specific production of Händel’s Tamerlano at the Bockenheimer Depot, returns to the Richard B. Fisher Center for Strauss’ Salome, and develops a National Sawdust commission, Untitled (inspired by Film Stills), with mezzo soprano Eve Gigliotti, librettist Royce Vavrek, and composers Paola Prestini, Nico Muhly, Missy Mazzoli, and Ellen Reid.
Past highlights include The Rose Elf (Unison Media, Green Wood Cemetery), Doctor Atomic (Curtis Opera Theater), Philip Glass’ Madrigal Opera (National Sawdust), Ariodante (Opera Omaha ONE Festival, Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, National Sawdust), Alcina (Whitebox Art Center), little match girl passion (Perez Art Museum Miami, IlluminArts, The School | Jack Shainman Gallery), The Juniper Tree (Wolf Trap Opera), The House Taken Over (National Sawdust, Manhattan School of Music), Don Giovanni (Opera Philadelphia, Curtis Opera Theater), Turandot (Bard Music Festival), Macbeth (Syracuse Opera), Impressions du Pelleas (Curtis Opera Theater).
Mr. Schlather has professional affiliations with the Santa Fe Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Oper Frankfurt, Gran Theater del Liceu, Opera Philadelphia, National Sawdust, Curtis Institute of Music, Richard B. Fisher Center Bard, Hudson Opera House, IlluminArts, Wolf Trap Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Omaha, Syracuse Opera, International Contemporary Ensemble, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Bard Music Festival, English National Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Tanglewood Music Festival, New York City Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Gotham Chamber Opera, and (le) Poisson Rouge. He has participated in conferences at Princeton University and the Banff Center for Arts and Creativity, taught at the Curtis Institute of Music, New York University, Brandeis University, Ithaca College (Bachelor of Arts in Art History, minor in Drama), and was an artist-in-residence at National Sawdust for the 2016 / 17 Season.
Mr. Schlather is a member of A.G.M.A. and represented by Columbia Artists.
Press Contacts
Mark Primoff
Associate Vice President of Communications
Bard College
Phone: 845.758.7412
Email: [email protected]
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(3.04.20)
This event was last updated on 03-10-2020