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Press Release - April 10, 2006, Boston, MA
Beethoven’s rarely performed Missa Solemnis caps the 2005-2006
season of the Back Bay Chorale under the musical direction of Scott
Allen Jarrett. The single performance takes place on Friday, May
19, 8:00 P.M. at Sanders Theatre, Cambridge.
“Missa Solemnis,” according to musicologist Steven
Ledbetter, “is one of that handful of works of such grandiose
vision in its conception, raising technical demands of such difficulty,
and requiring such artistic commitment, that it remains a rare experience
in live performance.” Beethoven composed the piece over a span
of four years, completing it in 1823 four years before his death.
During the fevered creation of Missa Solemnis, Beethoven was surprised
by friends on a hot August afternoon in 1819: “Behind the locked
door, we heard the master — singing, howling, stamping. After
we had been listening for a long time to this almost terrifying scene,
and were about to go away, the door opened, and Beethoven stood before
us with distorted features, fearful to behold. He looked as if he
had been in mortal combat.”
Joining the Back Bay Chorale is a distinguished group of soloists:
Based in Munich, Soprano Amanda Mace makes her Boston debut. She
has sung numerous operas in concert including Tosca, Il Tabarro,
Sieglinde in Act I of Die Walküre and Gerhilde in Die Walküre
with the Bamberger Symphoniker and on the operatic stage she has
sung the title roles in Suor Angelica, Ariadne auf Naxos and Fidelio.Upcoming
engagements include performances at the Bayreuther Festspiele,
Gran Teatre del Liceu, Oper Leipzig, Festival de Musica de Canarias
and the Concertgebouw.
Mezzo-Soprano Gigi Mitchell-Velasco has been praised by the critics
and public alike for her interpretations of Wagner, Mahler, and Strauss.
The New York Times’ Anthony Tommasini wrote that she sang with
a “dark-hued sound and elegance.” The 2005/06 season
includes Act III of Handel’s Judas Maccabeus with the Orchestra
of St. Luke’s, Mendelssohn’s Elijah for a debut with
the San Diego Symphony and Jahja Ling, the Verdi Requiem with the
Houston Symphony and Hans Graf and for her debut with the Syracuse
Symphony and Daniel Hege, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly for a return
to Toledo Opera, and Beethoven Symphony no. 9 with the Milwaukee
Symphony and Andreas Delfs.
Admired for his outstanding musical intelligence and for the purity,
power, and flexibility of his voice, tenor Yeghishe Manucharyan is
quickly becoming one of the most sought after young tenors singing
today. Mr. Manucharyan begins his 2005-2006 season with his role
debut as Riccardo in Maria di Rohan by Donizetti at the Wexford Festival,
followed by the tenor solo in Verdi’s Messa da Requiem with
the Boston Cantata Singers, Rodolfo in La Boheme in Salerno, Gerald
in Lakme with the Opera Orchestra of New York at Carnegie Hall, and
Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni at the New York City Opera. Future engagements
include Argirio in Rossini’s Tancredi at the Caramoor Festival
and Leicester in Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda for his debut at
the San Diego Opera in 2008 and Nadir once again in Pearl Fishers
in Boston.
One of America's leading baritones, Richard Zeller is internationally
acclaimed for his concert and opera roles. He is known for his beautiful
dramatic voice and presence as well as his outstanding musicianship.
Engagements in the 2005/06 season include the title role in Tchaikovsky’s
Eugene Onegin with Kentucky Opera, the title role in Verdi’s
Macbeth with Portland Opera, Sharpless in Puccini’s Butterfly
with the New Orleans Opera, as well as Mendelssohn’s Elijah
with San Diego Symphony and the Winter Park Bach Festival, Carmina
Burana with Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra (Norway) and Messiah with
Charlotte Symphony.
Full details are available at http://www.bbcboston.org/
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