Cincinnati May Festival to Celebrate Britten, Verdi, Wagner

Benjamin Britten

Giuseppe Verdi

Richard Wagner

Three musical giants will be remembered worldwide during the coming musical season, Benjamin Britten, Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner.  2013 is the bicentennial of Verdi and Wagner's birth and  the centennial of Britten's.
 
All are operatic icons, and all will be featured prominently during the 2013 Cincinnati May Festival, May 10-18, led by music director James Conlon.  Britten's powerful War Requiem will be heard opening weekend (May 11).  The Festival will close May 18 with scenes and choruses from operas by Verdi and Wagner, including "Aida." "Nabucco" and  "Otello" (Verdi) and "Lohengrin," "Die Meistersinger," and "Die Walküre" (Wagner).

James Conlon

Conlon himself will observe his 34th year at the helm of the venerable Festival (which holds the distinction of being the oldest continuing choral festival in the Western Hemisphere).

Guest artists with the centerpiece May Festival Chorus include sopranos Christine Brewer and  Ronnita Nicole Miller, tenors John Aler and Rodrick Dixon and baritone Donnie Ray Albert, all making return visits to the Festival.

Newcomers include Janai Brugger and Christine Goerke (sopranos), Daniela Mack (mezzo-soprano), Alek Shrader and Ben Bliss (tenors), Alan Held  and Phillip Addis (baritones) and Richard Bernstein (bass).

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is the official orchestra for the May Festival.

Opening night of the Festival (May 10) will feature Mozart's Requiem and Psalms by Alexander Zemlinsky. Works by Stravinsky ("Oedipus Rex"), Debussy ("La demoiselle élue") and Ravel ("Daphnis et Chloé," Suite No. 2) will open the second weekend (May 17).  Conlon will conduct the four concerts at Music Hall.  May Festival chorus director Robert Porco and May Festival Youth Chorus director James Bagwell will led the annual non-subscription concert at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Kentucky (May 12), which will feature the May Festival Chamber Choir and the Youth Chorus in a capella works spanning the Renaissance to the present.

All of the Music Hall concerts will be preceded one hour prior to the concert by a recital in the Music Hall auditorium by one of the season guest artists, accompanied by pianist Michael Chertock.

Four-concert subscriptions to the Festival (May 10, 11, 17 and 18 at Music Hall) are $75-$410.  Two-concert subscriptions are $45-$220.  "Festival Pass" flexible-use vouchers, good for any four admissions to the Music Hall concerts, are $180 and $230. The Basilica concert is $36.

Single tickets go on sale in April.  For information and subscriptions, call (513) 381-3300.

The 2013 May Festival season

Janai Brugger

Daniela Mack

Alek Shrader

May 10. 8 p.m. Music Hall. Alexander Zemlinsky, Psalm 23, “The Good Shepherd.” Zemlinsky, Psalm 13. Mozart, Requiem. Janai Brugger, soprano. Daniela Mack, mezzo-soprano. Alek Shrader, tenor. Bass to be announced. May Festival Chorus, Robert Porco director. May Festival Youth Chorus, James Bagwell, director. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. James Conlon, conductor.  Pre-concert recital (7 p.m.) by soprano Janai Brugger. Michael Chertock, piano.

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Christine Brewer

John Aler

Phillip Addis

May 11. 8 p.m. Music Hall. Benjamin Britten, War Requiem. Christine Brewer, soprano. John Aler, tenor. Phillip Addis, baritone. May Festival Chorus, Robert Porco, director. Cincinnati Children’s Choir, Robyn Lana, director. CSO. James Conlon, conductor  Pre-concert recital (7 p.m.) by artist to be announced.

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May 12. 8 p.m. Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington (non-subscription). May Festival Chamber Choir, Robert Porco director. May Festival Youth Chorus, James Bagwell, director. MFYC: William Byrd, “Sing Joyfully.” Thomas Weelkes, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” Britten, Te Deum in C. MFC: Henryk Górecki, “Totus Tuus.” Arvo Pärt, “Zwei slawische Psalmen,” Psalms 117 and 131. Ola Gjeilo, “Ubi Caritas.” Britten, “Rosa Mystica” from “Ad Majorem Dei Glorium.” Morten Lauridsen, “Ave Maria.” James MacMillan, “Data est mihi omnis potestas” from “Strathclyde Motets.” Robert Porco, James Bagwell, conductors.

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Ronnita Miller

Rodrick Dixon

Donnie Ray Albert

Richard Bernstein

May 17. 8 p.m. Music Hall. Ronnita Nicole Miller, mezzo-soprano. Rodrick Dixon, and Ben Bliss, tenors. Donnie Ray Albert, baritone. Richard Bernstein, bass. Stravinsky, “Oedipus Rex.” Debussy, “La demoiselle elué” (“The Blessed Damozel”). Debussy, “Sirènes” from “Nocturnes.” Ravel, “Daphnis et Chloé,” Suite No. 2. May Festival Chorus, Robert Porco, director. CSO James Conlon, conductor.  Pre-concert recital (7 p.m.) by Donnie Ray Albert, baritone. Michael Chertock, piano.

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Christine Goerke

Alan Held

May 18. 8 p.m. Music Hall. Christine Goerke, soprano. Alan Held, baritone. Choruses and scenes by Wagner and Verdi. Wagner: “Freudig begrussen wir die edle Halle” from “Tannhauser, Act II. “Treulich geführt” from “Lohengrin,” act III. Brunnhilde and Wotan’s scene from “Die Walküre,” act III. “Wachet auf, es nahet gen den Tag” and Finale from “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg,” act III. Verdi: March, triumphal scene, ballet music and chorus from “Aida,” act II. “Gli arredi festivi,” opening scene and chorus from“Nabucco,” act I. “Va pensiero” from “Nabucco,” act III. “Patria opressa!” from ”Macbeth,” act IV. “Fuoco di gioia!” from “Otello,” act I. “Si celebri alfine tra canti” from “I vespri siciliani,” act IV). May Festival Chorus, Robert Porco, director. CSO. James Conlon, conductor. Pre-concert recital (7 p.m.) by John Aler, tenor. Michael Chertock, piano.