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Madison Opera Book Club

April 3, 2009

We have a few new community engagement initiatives starting with our production of Faust on May 15 and 17. The first is the Madison Opera Book Club. The idea behind this is to offer another avenue into opera, this time via literature in partnership with the Madison Public Library. Every year we’ll pick a book related to one of our season operas and host discussions at the local public library branch (for us, that’s the beautiful new Sequoya Library). Our first pick is Douglass Wallop‘s comic novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, an Americanized updating of the Faust story to the world of 1950s baseball (I bet you thought we were going for the Goethe…). Here’s what The Washington Post says in their recent reconsideration of Wallop’s work:

Both “Faust” and “Yankees” are stories of men who sell their souls to the Devil in return for earthly delights. In Goethe’s drama, Faust willingly becomes the tool of Mephistopheles; in Wallop’s comic novel, Joe Boyd somewhat less willingly turns himself over to the hands of the satanic Mr. Applegate. Faust wants perfect beauty and other impossible dreams; Boyd wants something scarcely less improbable, an American League championship for the Senators, whom he — like Wallop himself — loves beyond all reason.

Gounod’s operatic version of Faust is based on Goethe’s spinning of the tale, a decidedly darker story, so Wallop’s lighter version is perfect for comparison. You also may remember that Wallop’s Yankees was the basis for the movie-musical Damn Yankees, so we’ll be sure to tie in a few clips when the book club meets at the Sequoya branch on Saturday, April 25 from 2 – 4 p.m. Here’s a taste:

Get your copy of The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant at the library then meet with us on April 25. Check the blog to follow my reading of the book, should be fun!

Gounod’s passion

April 1, 2009

“If they had attempted to prevent me from learning music, I should have run away to America and hidden in some corner where I could have studied undisturbed.”

–Charles Gounod

Naplan named one of Madison’s “40 Under 40”

March 27, 2009

Congrats to our General Director Allan Naplan for recently being named one of Madison’s “40 Under 40” honorees for 2009 by In Business magazine. You can read all about it on the In Business site and on ForteMadison.com. Words of wisdom from Allan:

Do what you do because you love doing it. While no one gets rich working in non-profit arts management, the reward of creating good art, inspiring creativity and making a positive impact on the culture of a community is something I love to do and something that goes well-beyond the paycheck.

Aria Focus: “Le veau d’or”

March 26, 2009

“Le veau d’or,” or “The Song of the Golden Calf,” is sung by Mephistopheles in Act II of Faust. It contains some of Gounod’s most recognizable (and frightening) music and is a masterpiece of succinct characterization; you very quickly fear this guy. At this point in the plot, Mephistopheles has already revealed himself to Faust, and the infamous pact has been made: the weary scholar trades his soul to the devil for youth. Act II then opens with the famous “Kermesse,” or carnival scene, with throngs of students and villagers drinking and celebrating. Mephistopheles arrives, a sinister outsider, and sings “Le veau d’or,” his cynical manifesto on mankind, and his powers are gradually discovered (find an extra-detailed summary here). I’ve included a recording of the piece below by Boris Christoff with the Paris Opera Orchestra under Andre Cluytens, along with the lyrics in English. Beneath that there’s another interpretation by Bryn Terfel at Covent Garden. Enjoy, and check back in the coming weeks for more “Focus” selections from Faust.

The calf of gold is still standing!
One adulates his power,
One adulates his power,
From one end of the world to the other end!
To celebrate the infamous idol,
Kings and the people mixed together,
To the somber sound of golden coins,
They danse a wild round
Around his pedestal
Around his pedestal
And Satan leads the dance, etc, etc.

The calf of gold is the victor over the gods!
In its derisory (absurde) glory,
In its derisory (absurde) glory,
The abject monster insults heaven!
It contemplates, oh weird frenzy!
At his feet the human race,
Hurling itself about, iron in hand,
In blood and in the mire,
Where gleams the burning metal,
Where gleams the burning metal,
And satan leads the dance, etc.

[Translation from AriaDatabase]

Faust: Click/Read/Watch/Listen

March 26, 2009

You can now view our compendium of online scores, librettos, articles, videos, and recommended recordings, DVDs, and books related to Gounod’s Faust. One stop shopping for everything you need to know about the opera!