Given the overabundance of productions of Giuseppe Verdi’s ever-popular “La Traviata,” the announcement of another presentation of the work is easy to ignore.
But when the Santa Fe Opera put the classic on its 2009 schedule, the company’s leaders knew exactly what to do to grab the opera world’s attention. They cast Natalie Dessay as Violetta — the first time the much-esteemed French soprano will perform the character anywhere.
Any chance to hear Dessay’s uncommonly graceful, lilting voice and savor her abilities as actress is always welcome, but the opportunity to see her debut in such an iconic role is likely to cause audiences and critics alike to come flocking.
Helping further assure the production’s success is the participation of the French team of director Laurent Pelly and designer Chantal Thomas, whose highly imaginative stagings have made them big favorites in recent years in Santa Fe.
Here is a look at six other notable operatic productions taking place in the region this summer:
Pricey
Christoph Willibald Gluck, “Alceste,”Santa Fe Opera, Aug. 1-Aug. 19, $26-$188, 800-280-4654 or santafeopera . Working at the end of the baroque era, Gluck was among the operatic reformers trying to infuse more naturalism and drama into the form. Among his more successful creations was this mythological tale, which will star noted soprano Christine Brewer in the title role.
George Frideric Handel, “Rinaldo,”July 11-Aug. 1, Central City Opera, $50-$99, 303-292-6700 or centralcity . Baroque opera, all but extinct a few decades ago, is making a big comeback. The company is presenting its first production of this opera, which premiered at the Queen’s Theatre in London in 1711. Central City regular Marc Astafan will direct.
Paul Moravec, “The Letter,” July 25-Aug. 18, Santa Fe Opera, $26-$188, 800-280-4654 or . Santa Fe has an international reputation for pushing opera forward, with 10 world premieres to its credit. Adding to that list will be this year’s commission, a noir-style tale based on W. Somerset Maugham’s 1927 stage adaptation of one of his best-known short stories.
Stephen Sondheim, “A Little Night Music,”July 4-31, Central City Opera, $50-$99, 303-292-6700 or centralcity . Sondheim might not be an opera composer, strictly speaking, but he is the creator of some of the most sophisticated music theater of the 20th century. This work, which premiered on Broadway in 1973, has been presented by major opera companies across the United States.
Moderate
Benjamin Britten, “The Rape of Lucretia,” Aspen Opera Theater Center, Aspen Music Festival, July 30 and Aug. 1, $50, 970-925-9042 or aspen . With a religious backdrop, this tough story of war and rape originally was set during the time of the Roman Empire. Director Edward Berkeley has moved the action to what he describes as a “brutal, Holocaust-ish setting,” with a mix of period and modern clothing.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, “The Marriage of Figaro,” Crested Butte Music Festival, July 22 and 26, $50 (Also in Gunnison on July 24, $30), 970-346-0619 or . While this semi-staged production probably can’t match the level of offerings in Santa Fe or Central City, it is designed to provide a high-quality operatic experience at a manageable price. Heading the young cast is bass Keith Miller, an up-and-comer at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
