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Show Utah Opera Presents FalstaflF Thank you Utah Holiday magazine readers lor naming The Training Table Restaurants, The Best Of The Best, in reader's Restaurant Pol a recent t Now grab your fnends and come enjoy what many have said are the test hamburgers in Utah.' Imagine your choice of seventeen delicious, varieties ...from the hearty All American to our Green Chili Burger Bleu Bacon Burger. to the one that made us famous...The by Calvin L: Harrington Forum staff writer Tickets are now on sale for Utah Operas final production of the season, FalstafT by Giuseppe Verdi. The text for FalstafT was written by Arrigo Boito and is based on William Shakespeares comedy, The Merry Wives ofWindsor with additional excerpts from Henry IV. FalstafT was Verdis last opera, written when he was approaching the ripe old age of 80. For 50 years, Verdi had written only tragedies and withFalstaff, he proved that he was not afraid to venture in a new direction. Verdi could not have bade farewell to the operatic stage in a more overwhelming fashion. This comic opera allowed the old master to develop his powers of expression as never before, giving the instruments of the orchestra roles that are almost equal to those of the stage characters. Unanimously praised by the worlds prominent music critics, FalstafT stands as an outstanding example of comic opera. The action takes place in Windsor, England (not far from London) in the fifteenth century. A fat, bawdy old rascal, Sir John FalstafT, cant pay his bills, so he devises a plot to get money. He tells his two sidekicks, (Bardolfo and Pistola), how two jolly wives of Windsor, (Mistresses Alice Ford and Meg Page), have been attracted to him. Both, he says, control their husbands purse strings. He means to court them and to get money from them. For this purpose, he has written each an identical love letter. The two wives compare their letters and take offense at Falstaffs brazen behavior. They conjure up an elaborate prank to expose him. Then the fun begins. Numerous interesting characters figure into the plot: Mistress Quickley, (a gossipy old neighbor), Master Ford, (Alices husband), (Alices pretty daughter), Fenton, (Nannettas boyfriend of whom her father disapproves), Dr. Caius, (her fathers choice for Nannettas hand in marriage) and the two rogues, (Bardolfo and Pistola). Nan-nett- Issue 24 April 23, 1991 a, Men have written entire books just on Verdis FalstafT alone, to describe in sufficient detail or give any justice to the kaleidoscopic variety of the musical score. Emotionally, it tells of Verdis life-lon- g devotion to Shakespeare, his love for humanity, his tenderness toward young love and a joyfulness of life in which old age triumphs. Verdi obviously had fun compos- ing this opera, and he let his humor run riot. The entire opera is full of gorgeous melodies that are almost over before we realize they have begun. Amusingly, he sternly discourages audience applause by abruptly breaking these melodies off or having them shatter into bits of declamation (half spoken, half sung speeches). Its as ifVerdi said to his audience, Ive had my applause in my lifetime, so dont interrupt my opera! There is wit,- skill and high spirits in almost every bar. There are scenes that are considered some of the supreme moments in all operatic literature: Falstaffs lecture on honor to his buddies in the first act, Master Fords jealous outburst in the second act, Falstaffs soliloquy on the cruelties ofthe world in the third act, and the final scene, a brilliant fugue (All the world is a stage). Verdi became the only opera composer ever to match Shakespeares greatness (many say he actually surpassed it because The Merry Wives of Windsor is not that great by Shakespearean standards, but Verdis FalstafT is indisputably a masterpiece). The title role of Falstaff will be sung by Ronald Hedlund, a Minnesota-bor- n Hedlund began his operatic career as a member of the Metropolitan Opera National Company. He has also performed with the Chicago Opera Theater, the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Washington Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City and San Franciscos Spring Opera Theater. Soprano Karen Anderson, a Utah native, makes a welcome return to Utah Opera Company in the role ofAlice Ford.' Anderson was a national finalist in the the Metropolitan Opera Competition, receiving a - bass-bariton- e. financially supported study grant. She was also an international in the Rosa Ponselle Competition and the McAllister Opera Awards. She recently performed lead roles with the Sacramento Opera (Gounods Faust) and the Eugene Opera of Oregon (I Pagliacci by " semi-finali- st Leoncavallo). Deidra Palmour, a will role of the Meg Page, the other wife of sing Windsor. Palmour also has an array of vocal awards to her credit. She was a winner in the 1986 Metropolitan Opera Competition and won first place at the Eleanor Steber Music Foundation Competition and other grand prize awards. This season, she performed principal roles with the Orlando Opera, the Dallas Opera and the Greater Miami Opera. Baritone Lee Velta will have the juicy role ofAlices jealous husband, Master Ford. Velta has performed with the Philadelphia Opera, Santa Fe Opera and Wolf Trap Opera, among others. National Public Radio Review said, This singer has more than a voice ... his phrasing, his acting, his very presence on the stage showed the kind of subtleties one expects at only the highest level of operatic performance. Martha Jane Howe, a dramatic will sing the the role of the wives friend and neighbor, Mistress Quickly. She covered for Marilyn Home as Mistress Quickly in the Lyric Opera of Chicagos production of FalstafT and she has also sung this role for Opera Memphis, Syracuse Opera and Indianapolis Opera. Howe has also been televised across Canada on CBC-Tin the Canadian Opera Companys production of The Rakes Progress by Stravinsky. The two rogues, Pistola and Bardolfo, will be performed by Scott Wilde (bass) and William Saetre (tenor), respectively. Wilde is currently a member ofthe Julliard Opera Center. He has sung the role of Pistola at J ulliard and ha s performed other roles with the Baltimore Opera and Madison Opera. Continued on Page 6 Column 2 mezzo-sopran- Experience The Training Tables fresh, cnsp salads, creamy hot soups and tasty sandwiches, including three great tasting versions of our special grilled chicken breast fillet And don't forget our great French fries and cnspy onion nngs... o, Imagine the possibilities... The Training Table! OPEN FOIt LUiJCil & DINNER 7 DAYS A I'M ULTEOtlT AVAILABLE DSWfflm MIDVALE KJUADAY SALT LAKE 6957 South State 4828 Highland Dr. 809 East 4th So. 355-752- 3 566-19- 1 1 (Creekside Place) 272-739- 8 tNovember, 1989 Utah Holiday Readers' Restaurant Poll Final Grades Will Be Mailed on May 6, So Start Thinking of Excuses Now! con-tralt- o, The Puzzle Solution V Forum Page 5 |