Brian Dickie

On track

I just returned home after a most encouraging day of rehearsal of Figaro.  We have a tremendous show in prospect – a truly wonderful young cast of exceptionally gifted young men and women, all working in perfect harmony and producing dazzling results.  Jane Glover and Diane Paulus are providing dream leadership and what we have is a sharp clear production of impeccable crispness hand in hand with a  musical performance of the highest integrity – so many of its virtues have their origins in the utterly musical polished Mozartian style of John Pritchard, pictured here, who himself carried the mantle of Fritz Busch, arguably the man who made the greatest contribution in the first half of the last century to the understanding and appreciation of the da Ponte operas of Mozart.  I speak with a huge Glyndebourne bias of course!  But I really believe that we are keeping something very important going here.  Over at the Lyric they have Andrew Davis who grew from these same roots – so Chicago is truly blessed!

This evening I am at the Lyric for the annual Rising Stars showcase of the Lyric Opera Center – our Figaro, Christian van Horn, will be part of that – what a long day for him. 

By popular demand..........

...........from the cast - I am posting some more photos in the Figaro album in the next 30 minutes

Yesterday

More to the day than Figaro!

Had a good lunch meeting with the new Dean of the Music School at Northwestern.  I am trying to encourage a stronger collaboration between us at COT and this excellent school.  Our relationships with Juilliard, Curtis, Yale and so many of the other great places where singers study have been so fruitful for all parties.  And here in Chicago we have a terrific collaboration with the Chicago College of the Performing Arts at Roosevelt.  I am now optimistic that something good, good especially for the singers which is what this is all about, will come of a new way forward with Northwestern.  It is so important that those who are about to graduate are known to me and my colleagues.  I will keep you posted!

Figaro Piano Dress Day

So you might want to look at the “look” of our new Figaro – these are just rehearsal photos but you should get the flavor…………….

Just click on the Figaro photo album up in the left hand column for more

 

Getting there..........

Another step forward with Figaro yesterday afternoon and evening - first sitzprobe in that lovely Harris acoustic is always such a thrill, and most of all when Jane Glover cracked full tilt into the overture!  The two most thrilling harbingers of a glorious evening in the theater are the overtures to Meistersinger and Figaro.  Just settle back in your seat and have your faith in opera restored and fortified.  In this case three hours of miraculous music theater.

So we are a week away from opening - more stage and piano today, Piano Dress tomorrow, two stage and orchestra on Friday and another two on Saturday.  And the General on Monday..........so we should be in good shape by then.

Meanwhile some excitement is emerging from the Dream rehearsals as Andrei Serban works his magic.

Andrei Serban and Leiko Fuseya (designer of Dream) at rehearsal April 27

This evening  Jane Glover has a wonderful program with her Chicago Orchestra - Music of the Baroque - of which she is Music Director.

PERGOLESI Stabat Mater
BOCCHERINI Symphony No. 6 in D Minor (La casa del diavolo)
STRAVINSKY Pulcinella Suite

What a delight that will be - I'll be there to cheer her on!

Another Monday

Well not just any Monday – my third grandson was born in London this morning at 3am. 

His father, my eldest son Patrick, is Producer of New Opera at the Almeida Theatre in London, and his wife Ruth Byrchmore is a composer and teaches at the Royal Academy of Music.

A wonderful lunchtime event today at the Arts Club – Andrei Serban being interviewed by Wynne Delacoma of the Sun-Times.  Andrei as ever charming, modest and inspiringly wise about actors, singers, opera, theater – the state of our business and the pleasure he is already experiencing working at our great little company.

In the theater with Figaro for the first time – slow progress this afternoon as they get used to working with the real set at last.  But what a cast we have – and here are our Figaro and Susanna in rehearsal of Act 1

Saturday Dream and Figaro

A busy day – Andrei Serban arrived yesterday, attended the musical run through of Dream last evening – and pronounced himself delighted with the cast.  So far so good!

This morning he and Leiko (the designer of Dream) showed the cast the set and costumes, and Andrei explained his approach to the piece which of course, as with all great theater directors, depends on a huge contribution from the cast.  This kind of mutual respect is rare enough in the opera world to be worth noting…………..

This afternoon we had the final run through in the rehearsal room of Figaro before stage rehearsals in the Harris from Monday.  Diane has done yet another wonderful detailed piece of work with our wonderfully talented cast.  Another example of a substantial theater director at work with gifted singing actors.  I am excited about the result – heading for another hit?

Andrei showed up after Act 2 to meet his old buddy and former student at Columbia University – Diane Paulus.  And here they are together:

I am really indebted to Andrei for having introduced me to Diane eight years ago in Nice when she was there as his assistant on  a production of Thais which should have been Renee Fleming’s debut in the role.  Alas she had to cancel on account of illness – but my good fortune in meeting Diane more than made up for that.  She has become an essential part of COT's success these last five years. 

Figaro cast have a well deserved rest tomorrow – me too!

 

Oh what a party!

Last night was a "blast" as I have learned to say in this great country!  A big crowd, super menu and LOTS of delicious wine donated by one of our many generous Board members.  Nathan Gunn was on irresistible form, a beautifully crafted Schubert group with the master song writer's very last song - Taubenpost - to bring the inevitable tear to the eye.  And then his utterly charmingly done group of American numbers and finally the Count Susanna duet with Danielle de Niese.

Danni arrived straight from Zurich at 5pm, had a brief rehearsal/warm up with the masterful Julie Gunn and to everyone's astonishment threw off her numbers with the freshness and aplomb that defied belief considering what she had been through during her 31 hour day.

Dream day and my first blog posting

So I am starting this web log, at the instigation of Peter Debreceny who is a member of our marketing committee.  What is it for?  Well the theory is that people might be interested in what I do and think!  We shall see.  Anyway here goes.  During the coming summer I am travelling all over the world for the Bertelsmann Foundation's Neue Stimmen competition so I will be bringing you news of any discoveries I make and you will be the first to know which remarkable young singers may turn up at COT in future seasons.  But for now we have to get this season in Chicago done - two wonderful pieces by Mozart and Britten.

Figaro rehearsals are two weeks from the opening on May 4 and we began the Dream rehearsals this morning.  Went to see a run trough of Act 4 of Figaro this morning - what a lovely cast we have, so much young talent and I am proud of them.  Jane Archibald has gained much depth since she sang Poppea in Agrippina so spectacularly in 2003.  She has spent two years in the San Francisco Opera Center which is so well run now by Sheri Greenawald.  She will be a delightful Susanna, warm and clever and lovable.  Krisztina Szabo, another beautiful Canadian has made the transition to Soprano spectacularly well.  Her devastating Ottavia last year will be followed by this brave heroic Countess, so completely convincing she is in all she turns her voice and mind to.  More from Figaro after the final run through before we start in the Harris - that will be Saturday afternoon.

So we had the meet and greet for Midsummer Night's Dream - but without our Tytania Danielle de Niese who is singing Cleopatra in Zurich this evening - indeed as I write this.  She arrives tomorrow and comes straight to the Palmer House for the party.  And without Andrei Serban whose new production of Faust opens at the Met tomorrow evening.  So looking forward to the Dream.  Have loved the work since I first saw it at Covent Garden circa 1962.  Our wonderful Glyndebourne production in 1981 saw the return of Britten repertoire to Gly after the estrangement following the historic premieres of Herring and Lucretia in 1946 and 1947.  Britten will surely be seen as important an opera composer of the 20th century as Verdi and Wagner were for the 19th.  Do I exaggerate?  Time will tell - but B.B. has endured since his death in 1976 and dominated the 20th century rep of so many companies in all countries.  Only Janacek can rival him.  Dream is magic, and such a remarkable adaptation by Peter Pears and BB - Shakespeare would surely have been delighted.  Its extraordinary to remember that BB died 29 years ago.

Have an evening off today - our Gala Party is tomorrow.  Nathan Gunn and Danielle de Niese will surely turn all heads.......apparently Nathan was offered a role in Beatrice et Benedict with COT 11 years ago - so I am glad he will now make his COT debut at last!  I'll put some pix up on this site on Friday.