Dining with the Devil: A Foodie's Guide to Tosca...

The setting of Tosca in Rome opens up so many gastronomic possibilities! In the case of Tosca, it's fun to speculate about what the characters were actually eating, and in the case of a fantastic evening with friends, we would like to propose a few recipes to get you in the mood before you come see it at the Cobb Energy Centre, October 5 to 13.

Cavaradossi’s Lunch Basket
…

Tosca's lover, Cavaradossi, had a basket lunch brought to him by the church sacristan. According to master-chef, Lynne Rossetto Kasper, this lunch was probably not very different from what is eaten in Rome today. It would have had a loaf of white bread because Cavaradossi was a nobleman (peasants ate dark bread), and a local sheep cheese. There would have been a farm-cured salami and a jug of white wine from Orvieto.**



Farm-cured salami, local sheep cheese, and good bread would also serve as a lovely appetizer, along with some celebratory white wine pairings…

Scarpia's Dinner
...

At the beginning of Act IV of Tosca, the evil Baron Scarpia is eating supper in a room lit only by two candles and a candelabra on his table. But what could Scarpia have been eating on that fateful night?

As the police chief of Rome, he would have eaten in the style of Roman nobility. Since it was evening, his dinner was a lighter version of the main meal of the day, eaten at mid-afternoon.

 Food was status for people like Scarpia. His dinner earlier in the day would probably have begun with a tray of artfully arranged small appetizers like prosciutto wrapped in colorful marzipan, savory tartlets of nuts and greens, and small fritters of sweetbreads or, perhaps, oysters.**

A soup would follow this course - possibly a capon broth with tiny ravioli floating in it, with the filling consisting of breast of capon, cheese, cinnamon, nutmeg, marrow, and herbs. Then there would be either a roasted whole fish stuffed with truffles, or hare cooked in a pungent sweet/sour sauce of black pepper, sugar, vinegar, nuts, fruits, and red wine.**

Once this dish was removed, the servants would present a large silver platter with a whole baby lamb roasted and turned on a spit over an open fire until glazed to a mahogany brown. The tender meat would have been laced with strips of prosciutto and basted with wine and herbs.**

For a yummy, Tosca-themed main course, we would suggest a Saltimbocca Barone Scarpia with a classic Roman Salad Puntare.

Il Postre…

For dessert, Scarpia probably had trays of tiny cookies and fanciful marzipan and, perhaps, an elaborate molded frozen dessert layering cake and iced cream. When Tosca enters, we always imagine that Scarpia was just finishing the dessert.

In honor of our tragic heroine, Floria Tosca, ending the evening on a sweet note with an Almond Tosca Cake should be just the ticket….

That Spanish wine referred to in Tosca might have been a sweet one - possibly a dark golden and rich Oloroso Sherry, which would be a lovely aperitif….

You can continue to celebrate at intermission with Tosca-themed cocktails available at Cobb Energy Centre concessions made with the appropriately named Double Cross Vodka…

Tosca Truffle Martini

Double Cross Vodka, Vermouth, Blue Cheese Truffle, and Olives.


Puccini Limonata Rosa

Double Cross Vodka, Fresh Lemon Juice, Cranberry Juice, and an Orange Twist.


See you at the Opera! For tickets and info, please visit atlantaopera.org.


** Content quoted and paraphrased from "Food to Accompany the Opera: 
Bring Tosca Home for Dinner" 
By Lynne Rossetto Kasper, 
September 27, 1998.



Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera's Marketing Department at 404.881.8801.

Get to Know Boyce and Shepard Ansley, the Honorees of The 2013 Atlanta Opera Ball: Puccini’s Palazzo

Shepard and Boyce Ansley

The Honorary Chairs of The 2013 Atlanta Opera Ball: Puccini’s Palazzo are Boyce and Shepard Ansley, long-time supporters of The Atlanta Opera. Through their time, generous gifts and fundraising efforts, they have taken an active role in ensuring the success of the Opera throughout its 34-year history.

The Atlanta Civic Opera, later renamed The Atlanta Opera, was created when two local opera companies merged in 1979.  Financially struggling from the on-set, a planned season was cancelled in 1982.  Boyce Ansley along with friends Nancy Green, Sally McDaniel, and Victoria Mooney, launched a fundraising effort for the troubled company in 1983. In subsequent years, when the company was seeking a new executive director, Boyce and fellow board member Hazel Sanger asked Alfred Kennedy to take the position of General Manager on a temporary basis. (Little did Kennedy know then that he would hold the post until 2004!)  Boyce continued to raise money for the fledging opera company and has been an active member participant behind-the-scenes of The Atlanta Opera since the beginning.

Alfred Kennedy (second from left), Boyce and Shepard Ansley (right) and others entering the Fantasies of the Opera Ball at The Fox Theatre in 1996.

Boyce has served on The Atlanta Opera Board of Directors since 1982, as President from 1987 to 1990, as Chair from 1990 to 2006, and as Chair Emeritus since 2006. She helped lead the Board and the Opera in achieving a national reputation for artistic excellence and in its audience growth, from 3,000 to 5,000 in the early 1980s to 48,000 in 1998. In addition to serving as a board officer at various times, Boyce has headed up the nominating committee and has been an active fundraiser and contributor while serving on the executive committee. She has chaired The Atlanta Opera Ball, which is the single largest fundraising event for the Opera, and is very proud to serve, alongside her husband, as Honorary Chair this year.

In 1997, Boyce was awarded the Volunteer Fund Raiser of the Year Award by the Georgia Chapter of the National Society of Fundraising Executives. She was nominated for her work with the Opera, Atlanta Botanical Garden, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Atlanta Preservation Center, REACH, the Cator Woolford Gardens, and the Davison School in Georgia. Currently, Boyce serves on the boards of the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Center for Puppetry Arts, Atlanta Preservation Society, The Trust for Public Land, and several other organizations. She is a member of the Junior League of Atlanta and was Senior Warden of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Boyce also has been active on out-of-state boards, including Chatham Hall and Hollins University. In recent years, she was asked to join the Board of Regents of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, an extremely prestigious group of women responsible for the financial well-being of the home of George Washington outside of Washington, D.C.

Boyce and Shepard Ansley are generous lifetime donors to The Atlanta Opera and have designated The Atlanta Opera as a beneficiary in their estate plan.  The Atlanta Opera thanks Boyce and Shepard Ansley for their continued service, support, and dedication to advancing opera in Atlanta.

Boyce and Shepard Ansley dancing at the Fantasies of the Opera Ball at The Fox Theatre in 1996.

The Ansleys will be honored at The 2013 Atlanta Opera Ball: Puccini’s Palazzo on Saturday, October 26, at the St. Regis Atlanta in Buckhead.

Details about The 2013 Atlanta Opera Ball: Puccini’s Palazzo are listed below and at atlantaopera.org. Tickets can be purchased online here.

* * *

The 2013 Atlanta Opera Ball: Puccini’s Palazzo will be held on Saturday, October 26, 2013 at the St. Regis Atlanta in Buckhead. The evening will be themed after the season’s opening production, Tosca, and will feature a gourmet dinner, dancing, and luxury items in the silent and live auctions.

This year’s ball chairs are Chris Casey and Doug Weiss, and the emcee for the evening will be WSB-TV's Jovita Moore. Tickets are currently available for purchase. Sponsorships may be purchased for $3,500 (includes 10 tickets to the event) or $1,500 (includes 2 tickets). Individual event tickets are available for $350 each. 

To learn more about The Atlanta Opera Ball, sponsorship opportunities, or to purchase tickets, please contact Allison Deniro at 404-591-2928.

Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact the Atlanta Opera's Marketing Department at 404-881-8801.

The Atlanta Opera High School Opera Institute: Planting the Seeds for an Opera Career

Guest Blogger: Kaitlyn Johnson

I am a rising junior vocal performance major at Rice University, and very proud alumna of the 2011 High School Opera Institute (HSOI).  Our end-of-year performance remains one of my all-time favorite moments in my vocal career, and I’m extremely excited to perform in the program again as an alumna this Sunday, June 9^th. While the performance represents an exciting and entertaining culmination to the program, the High School Opera Institute offers so much to aspiring young singers throughout the year.   I want to share my fabulous experience with the program, and how it has proven to be an invaluable resource in preparing me for collegiate opera studies.  The HSOI provides a rare opportunity for young vocal students—an inside look into what working for a professional opera company is like, helping to determine if they want to pursue singing as a career.

For students like me who found a love and passion for classical singing in opera while in high school, there aren’t many places to explore our talent and determine if opera could be a true career possibility.  Fortunately for metro Atlanta students, The Atlanta Opera offers the High School Opera Institute, organized by director of community engagement Emmalee Iden Hackshaw and led by opera chorus master and vocal coach extraordinaire Walter Huff.  While weekly voice lessons with private teachers help singers acquire and solidify the technique needed to sing demanding repertoire and roles, the HSOI fills a performance void that is missing for high school students interested in opera.  School and community theatre productions offer some performance opportunities, but the directors seldom have an ear for opera and underappreciate the talents of many young singers.  Walter Huff is extremely knowledgeable and highly revered in vocal programs and opera companies throughout the world, so we know his advice and comments will help to hone our craft. Through the HSOI, high school students have the rare opportunity to rehearse all the components of opera—technique, diction, and emotion all combined into one art.   Fellow alumna Anne Stillwagon, currently a vocal performance major at Oberlin Conservatory says, “There are no other programs in Atlanta that give any comparable training,” and adds that the program is especially valuable because it lasts a full school year, rather than the majority of summer programs that are offered to high school students for only four to six weeks.  Current participant Mary Katherine Henry agrees, “I studied at Brevard for three weeks last summer, and the High School Opera Institute is great because it offers continued training throughout the year.”

The audition process for admittance into the HSOI is very similar to auditions for vocal programs at universities and conservatories around the country.  The formal audition is especially worthwhile for seniors, who get a glimpse into the auditions that will fill their winter.  I offered the same repertoire for my HSOI audition as I did when auditioning for college programs and having that prior experience definitely boosted my confidence.  One of the first HSOI classes is an audition workshop complete with advice about wardrobe, appropriate repertoire choices, and a crash course on the merits of college vs. conservatory.  The real-world application of the HSOI prepares you to pursue opera at the next stage, and instills the level of preparation that collegiate vocal programs and professional companies expect of singers.

HSOI singers are assigned their repertoires for the final program around October, and expected to learn their music in a few weeks, be memorized shortly thereafter, and ready to stage.  Likewise at Rice, I am preparing to sing in an opera workshop performance next semester, and we are to know and memorize all of our music before school begins in August.  In a few weeks, I will attend the Aspen Music Festival with all pieces prepared and ready to coach and/or perform.  The HSOI instilled the expected standards of learning music and preparedness that is present throughout the opera world.  The program is also very beneficial because of the major incorporation of ensemble pieces. In scenes with multiple singers everyone depends on each other to know their part, or the process is extremely slowed down.  You never want to be the singer who is unsure of their note, word, or rhythm, and my HSOI scenes helped me realize that each singer must put in intense individual work before an ensemble can truly come together.  In addition, HSOI students are invited to the final dress rehearsals of each of the season’s operas. The opportunity to hear and see professional productions can be as important to young singers’ growth as voice lessons and coachings.  Rice voice majors also attend the final dress rehearsals of all shows at Houston Grand Opera, so it was beneficial to be exposed to these productions before starting a vocal performance degree.    

One of the most enjoyable aspects of being an HSOI student is meeting the other talented students from the Atlanta area.  A common talent and love for classical singing tie you together, and I always look forward to an event where I will see other alumni.  The singing world is extremely small, so it’s always fun to say I know HSOI singers at schools such as Manhattan School of Music, Oberlin, and Boston University.  I’m sure I will eventually run into them at summer programs and graduate school auditions, and it’s great to make peer connections while still in high school, when aspiring opera singers can be a rarity.  While the students are great, the amazing faculty is the cornerstone of the program that accounts for the success of so many students.  “Working with Walter Huff and Beverly Blouin is an incredible experience,” remarks Mary Katherine Henry.   Personally, Beverly Blouin really helped me to focus on dramatic intention and deliver a great performance.  She is truly a phenomenal dramatic coach.  I showed marked acting improvement and confidence by the final performance, and I am very grateful to Mrs. Blouin for her help.  Walter Huff is reason enough to apply to the program.  His repertoire choices and unparalleled musical knowledge guide singers to the next level, and he is a great resource from everything to opinions about particular college programs and voice teachers to questions about pronunciation.  He is an exceptionally kind man and a fabulous connection for any singer. Anne is especially appreciative of Walter’s guidance and connections as she attends Oberlin, his alma mater.  She says that every professor or musician she meets there seems to know his name, and knowing him has helped to open doors at school.

The High School Opera Institute definitely enhanced my passion for singing and confirmed I wanted to pursue an operatic career.  I am eternally grateful for the training I received from amazing faculty, and the experience to see what working for an opera company is really like, while still in high school.  I grew so much both musically and dramatically, learned proper audition and rehearsal protocol, and was introduced to the best young singers that Atlanta has to offer.  Most of the former HSOI students have become voice majors, and I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say that the training, resources, and faculty of the High School Opera Institute have greatly contributed to our successes.

Whether you are a die-hard opera fan or unfamiliar with the differences between Mozart and Menotti, I urge you to come to the final performance at Morningside Presbyterian this Sunday, June 9 at 4:00 p.m. to see the exciting and entertaining culmination of a year’s work.  There’s a great chance that you will be hearing stars of the next generation of opera—and certainly one of the last opportunities you will have to see them perform for free! 

To learn more about the Atlanta Opera's High School Opera Institute, please click HERE.  Be sure to Tweet with us during the performance on Sunday, June 9 at 4:00 p.m. using #HSOI.

Kaitlyn and Walter Huff working together during the final dress rehearsal of the Atlanta Opera's 2011 High School Opera Institute.



Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera's communications manager at 404.591.2931

From the Desk of Rae Weimer

My name is Rae Weimer and I am the associate director of development at The Atlanta Opera.  In my role I work alongside a group of fundraising professionals who share the common goal of establishing meaningful relationships with friends who support The Atlanta Opera. Thanks to the support of our loyal patrons and donors – in other words – you, the 2012-2013 Atlanta Opera season was a great success!  

You experienced the magic of live opera, the spine-tingling music, and the magnificent voices.  We met intriguing characters who exposed us to a wide range of emotional experiences, and interesting and exciting visual delights! Do you remember the seduction, passion, tragedy and beloved music of Carmen? What about the romantic tragedy of La traviata or the whimsical comedic themes of The Italian Girl in Algiers? All three operas gave us a moment of suspense and held our attention.  The music conveyed raw emotion that made us feel empathy for the foibles of humanity. And, of course, each production at one point or another had us tapping our feet and moving our heads in time to the tempo. And who doesn’t remember laughing out loud?  Escaping the ordinary is a wonderful adventure!

You may be surprised to know that the work doesn’t end around here after the last production of the season.  In development we’re still climbing steadily to reach our goals by the end of our fiscal year on June 30.   Why are we doing that you may ask?  We want more people’s lives to be enriched through the power of opera! 

By this time you may be asking yourself, what is the point of this message? Well, the point is …you are a member of our Opera “family” and you are important to the success of The Atlanta Opera.  We invite and welcome your assistance to ensure the Opera’s continued growth and future.

Did you know…?
• The Atlanta Opera presents programs throughout the entire year, in addition to the mainstage productions? Our community engagement programs serve more than 30,000 students from elementary, middle and high schools throughout the metro region – annually.  And, that’s just the students. 
• Our production of Carmen last fall employed 225 people, including dressers, stagehands, technical staff, musicians, dancers, singers, and so many more it would make your head spin!  Talk about an “extended family” – whew! 

As I said before, the 2012-2013 opera season may be over, but we work year-round. We plan and prepare for the next season, research and create new community engagement programs, meet with patrons like you, and take care of the thousands of emails, letters, phone calls, and administrative tasks to keep The Atlanta Opera running smoothly. 

Back to my point, we are quickly approaching June 30, and we need your help in raising an additional $395,000 to meet our Annual Fund goal of $730,000. This goal can be reached, but we can’t do it without your help. 

So, here is my request…and the point of this message-- Please help us reach our goal of raising $395,000 by June 30, 2013 because it takes the entire community of opera lovers to help us raise the necessary money to support this glorious art form. Tickets sales alone won’t do it.  But, working together, the goal is attainable.   Plus, making a gift to The Atlanta Opera enhances your experience by way of our exclusive benefits program, MyOpera. Your gift can open the door to add-ons such as events, drink tickets, valet parking, and much more!

You may be asking… how can I participate?  It’s easy!  Just mail a check, call Rebecca Bowden at 404-881-1035, or click on this link. You can be sure we will be good stewards of your donation…and trust.

I know you care about The Atlanta Opera because you are passionate about opera. Me, too!  I am a donor; not because I work for the Opera, but because I LOVE opera!  I love those collective moments when everyone in the audience is listening intently and waiting for the tenor to hit his high note, or Carmen’s throaty rolling of the “r”s in her sultry arias. I love the thunderous sound of applause!    I love laughing…really, really laughing out loud with other members of “the opera family.”  And, then, there are the sets – visually interesting and unique – like the storybook set of The Italian Girl in Algiers; simple, effective, and perfect for the opera.

So, the curtain is about to go down on this “production.”  Thanks for listening.  Thanks for helping us reach our goal. Most of all, thanks for loving The Atlanta Opera!

Warmest regards,
Rae Weimer

Some of the 225 professionals who were employed by the Atlanta Opera's production of Carmen.


Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera's Marketing Department at 404.881.8801.

Opera!  True Atlanta Story

The Atlanta Opera takes you behind the scenes as only we can. Brandon Odom tells you what it’s like to be a member of The Atlanta Opera Chorus…

 

Brandon Odom, member of Atlanta Opera Chorus can next be seen in The Italian Girl in Algiers - April 27 & 30, May 3 & 5

Tell us a little bit about yourself.... where are you from, how did you get into singing opera? 

I came to Georgia from Mobile, AL in 2002 with the hopes of taking my musical training to the next level.  I loved musical theater and wanted more opportunities to perform, so I thought it made sense to move to the “big city”.  I enrolled at Clayton State University and began studying voice with Maya Hoover.  She introduced me to the world of opera and art song, and I had the bonus of free tickets to every Spivey Hall recital as a music major.  Our campus hosted Joyce DiDonato, Susan Graham, Rolando Villazón, to name a few, and I was there for it. 

My last semester at school, there was a chorus opening in Charles Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette, which was the last show of the Atlanta Opera’s season that year.  I auditioned for Walter Huff, and was offered the position. 

L’Italiana in Algeri will be my fifteenth opera with the company.      

What do you do to prepare for a production? 

          We began musical rehearsals in March.  Like many members of the chorus, I work a full-time job.  The week before opening night is always the most tiring, as we rehearse every night until the final dress rehearsal. When the production opens, usually on Saturday night, I do my best to sleep in as late as possible.  Some may call this lazy, but after a solid week of 13-hour days, it is important your body and voice have a chance to rest.  I’ll sleep in and try not to talk too much throughout the day (yeah, right!) I usually look over my music once more and refresh my memory, then it’s off to warm up at the theater! 

         

 What about The Italian Girl in Algiers appeals the most to you?

Rossini’s operas, in general, appeal to me.   I fell in love with Gioachino Rossini when I was fortunate enough to be a part of the Atlanta Opera’s 2008 production of La Cenerentola, a “Cinderella” story.   I loved the rapid-fire coloratura and the flurry of simultaneous vocal lines layered one on top of the other, as well as the silly, yet precise staging.   L’italiana in Algeri is in the same realm, and equally as engaging.

Do you have a favorite aria or scene from Italian Girl?

The entire concept of the show, as a “pop-up book,” is unlike anything I’ve done with the company and I think the audience will love it!  There are several moments, in particular, that I enjoy tremendously.   A moment that stands out is in Act Two, when Isabella sings “Pensa alla patria”, a hopeful and victorious aria.  It is quintessential Rossini, and is performed beautifully by Sandra Piques Eddy.  Even though there is relatively little movement during that scene, there is an underlying, palpable energy that builds to a glorious end!  

How is Italian Girl different from other operas?

I suppose the obvious difference would be the absence of a women’s chorus, as is the case in many of Rossini’s comedies. In general, I feel like we interact differently with each other than when the women are present.  There is a unique bond in this smaller group.  It’s apples and oranges, though.  The women and the men of this chorus have come to be my extended family and I’m grateful for them.  When you spend a large amount of your year with a group, you develop solid relationships. 

          One thing that season ticket holders will notice is that this is the only opera of the season where the heroine does not die in the end.  We already lost Carmen and Violetta earlier this season, so a comedy will be a nice departure, and add some variety to the season.  Some of my friends had never seen an opera before this season and they were convinced that death was an integral part of opera.  This will definitely change their mind!

What advice would you give to someone looking to become an opera singer?

I believe that everyone has their own path, and must discover what is best for them.  The best advice I could give, based on what I’ve experienced thus far, is to not be in a hurry.  You have to let your voice grow at its own pace and, if you rush it, then it could do permanent damage.   Find a teacher you trust, practice, and be patient.  I am fortunate that being a part of The Atlanta Opera Chorus has allowed me to grow as a singer and performer, and will continue to do so as long as they will have me. 

If someone created an opera about you and your life what would the title of the opera be?

If I were to be the subject of an opera, I would it want it to be a comedy, very much like Italian Girl.  How about, “Boy from ‘Bama Becomes a Baritone?”  I love alliteration.  

Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera's Marketing Department at 404.881.8801.