THE GARDEN STATE OPERA Francesco Santelli, Artistic Director
24th SEASON
BASTIEN UND BASTIENNE THE MARRIAGE COUNSELOR with English Supertitles
Sunday May 5, 2024, 3PM
Saint John Lutheran Church 140 Lexington Ave, Passaic, NJ 07055
This performance is made possible in part by a grant from the Passaic County Culture and Heritage Council, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and support from the Local 16/248 American Federation of Musicians
GARDEN STATE OPERA 181 Long Hill Road Unit 2-15 Little Falls, NJ 07424 [email protected]
A special thanks to the Saint John Lutheran Church of Passaic and the Rev. Haydee Colon Hernandez for use of the Auditorium and the support for the production. St John Lutheran Church was founded on 1891 and is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In 1982 St John was added to the National register of Historic places. Its stained-glass windows are a beautiful piece of art. St John is a church committed to show the love of God to the community. Our ministries focus on taking the good news to the community by preaching and doing. We are happy to have with us the Garden State Opera with its music and mystical presentation.
———— BASTIEN UND BASTIENNE Libretto by Friedrich Wilhelm Weiskern / Music by W.A. Mozart Bastienne, Veronica Mak - Bastien, Mark Martinez Colas, Chris Fistonich
THE MARRIAGE COUNSELOR Libretto and Music by Francesco Santelli
Susan, Marieke de Koker / Tony, Christopher Lorge The Marriage Counselor, Sean Xiaoming The Angel, Amy Sanchez Redhead
PRODUCTION TEAM
Stage Director and Set Designer, Dan Yates
Costumes and Props, Dan Yates
Production Assistant, Denise Krous
Music Director, Francesco Santelli
Production Accompanist, Michael Pilafian
Orchestra Contractor, David Schneck
GARDEN STATE OPERA ORCHESTRA
FLUTE Katherine McClure OBOE 1 Melissa Bohl OBOE 2 Lynn Cohen CLARINET 1 Micheale Ryan CLARINET 2 Ray Wheeler BASSOON Lisa Alexander
HORN 1 Doug Lyons HORN 2 Leah Swanger TRUMPET David Schneck
TROMBONE Robert Hankle PERCUSIION Greg Giannascoli HARP Eilidh McRae
VIOLIN 1 Gregor Kitzis (Concert Master) Ann Marie Pocklembo
VIOLIN 2 Kurt Briggs Annalie Fahlstedt
VIOLA Marjorie Selden Martin Anderson
CELLO Katrina Kormanski Richard Hothkiss BASS Dennis Masuzzo CONTRACTOR David Schneck
PRODUCTION NOTES
Bastien und Bastienne was one of Mozart's earliest operas, written in 1768 when he was only twelve years old. In this one-act singspiel, or comic opera, Bastienne suspects that her lover, Bastien, has lost interest in her. She decides to go into the pasture and be comforted by her sheep. Bastienne asks Colas, a benevolent old soothsayer, to help her win back Bastien. Colas reassures Bastienne that Bastien still cares about her and suggests that she feign indifference. This strategy works beyond her hopes, and Bastien seeks Colas's advice. Colas persuades Bastien that only magic can bring back his love. After a final quarrel, the couple reconcileand sing Colas's praises.
THE MARRIAGE COUNSELOR Tony and Susan Lowell are a struggling young couple living in the state of Nevada. Their marriage has hit rock bottom and they have come upon its worst crisis yet. On the brink of divorce they decide to give one last chance to love and decided to go meet a famous marriage counselor in town, Mr. Tenenbaum who is known to many for being a mystical person with spiritual gifts. They arrive at his office late, to find that he has not arrived yet either. They begin to reminisce and argue about past faults, then finally Mr. Tenenbaum arrives, after a delay in court. He goes on to explain about his love for his clients, they are his ‘ children’ and encourages them to ‘reconcile’ . He firmly believes it’s the best way since the consequences of divorce are ‘dreadful’ in every sense. After talking with them, he leaves for a moment to allow them to decide their fate. An inner struggle occurs in Susan and Tony, and finally when all seems lost, they run towards each other, tear-eyed, realizing that the love they shared had not vanished but had been clouded by many unimportant things. The opera ends with the Lowell’s
in love again and the counselor, happily grinning and satisfied for another successful session to add to his professional resume.
THE ARTISTS Chinese-American Soprano Veronica Mak is excited to make her company debut with Garden State Opera and role debut as Bastienne in their production of Bastien und Bastienne. Ms. Mak's previous operatic credits include Gilda from Rigoletto, Monica from The Medium, Lauretta from Gianni Schicchi, the title role of L'enfant et les sortilèges, and Nancy from Albert Herring. Her scenes work credits include Ilia from Idomeneo, Papagena and Zweite Knabe from Die Zaubeflöte, Susanna from Le Nozze di Figaro, Rose Maurrant from Street Scene, Damigella from L'incoronazione di Poppea, and Gretel from Hänsel und Gretel. Veronica has also been featured as a concert soloist for an English abridgment of Haydn's The Creation with the New York Consortium Big Sing, Mozart Requiem under the direction of Kent Tritle, and the Brahms' Deutsches Requiem under the direction of Ronnie Oliver Jr. Her upcoming engagements include Soprano Soloist for Schubert Mass No. 2 with Stamford Chorale and as a Festival Fellow at Grant Park Music Festival. Ms. Mak received her Masters of Music & Bachelor of Music degrees from the Manhattan School of Music for Classical Voice/Opera under the tutelage of Joan Patenaude-Yarnell.
Mark Anthony Martinez II is a New York City based tenor. A graduate of Harvard and Princeton, Mark has most recently finished a production of Cosi Fan Tutte as Ferrando and will be performing as Strephon in Bronx Opera's upcoming Iolanthe. Previous engagements include, Don Ottavio in the Bronx Opera’s Don Giovanni, Alfred in Die Fledermaus, Acis in Handel’s Acis and Galatea, the tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Eurasian Music Festival, and Col Fairfax in Ridgewood Gilbert and Sullivan’s production of Yeomen of the Guard and Frederic in Pirates of Penzance. Mark comes from a multi-ethnic family and has lived around the world as part of a military family from a very young age. Mark loves to bring his diverse life perspectives to the music he creates and hopes it can be a unifying force in the future of classical music.
Baritone Chris Fistonich is a PhD Immunologist and cybersecurity researcher turned opera singer. Chris has been hailed as a "voluminous, beefy baritone" with "supple variation of dynamics" (South Florida Classical Review), as "strong" (Schmopera), and with "power" (Washington Classical Review). Recent engagements include Baron Douphol (La Traviata) with Chandler Opera Company, Le Baron de Gondremarck (La Vie Parisienne) with L'Opéra Comique de Washington, Count Monterone (Rigoletto) with New Jersey Lyric Opera, Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte) with Gemma Arts, Baron Scarpia (Tosca) with Garden State Opera, Marcello (La Bohème) with Amore Opera, Escamillo (Carmen) with Music on Site, Count Danilo
Danilovitsch (The Merry Widow) with Delaware Valley Opera Company, Vodník (Rusalka) with the Utah Summer Opera Festival, and Pandolfe (Cendrillon) with Miami Music Festival. Originally hailing from Los Angeles, California, Chris received his Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics in 2012 from the University of California, Los Angeles. After graduating from UCLA, Chris attended Yale University, earning a Ph.D. in Immunobiology in 2018.
Marieke de Koker is a South African performer based in New York City. This season she debuts the title role of Iolanthe (Bronx Opera Company), Susan in The Marriage Counselor (Garden State Opera), and Edith (cover) in The Pirates of Penzance (Central City Opera). She is featured in lead roles in several short films including Saving Coney Island (Mick Bongiovi), Killer Queen (Xavier Solis), Stations (Esther Soca), The Upgrade (Moorea Friedman) and Dancing Stranger (Malachi Alexis). As a 2024 Studio Artist at Central City Opera, Marieke joins the ensemble of La Fanciulla del West and Street Scene. She performs in several collaborative recitals and world premieres with pianist Kamilla Arku, pianist Maggie Hinchliffe, organist Alexander Straus-Fausto, the Mosaic Composers Collective, Music on Madison, the German Consulate of New York and more. Marieke was named a 2023 winner of the International Opera Awards Foundation Bursary and Nightingale Opera Competition. She is a graduate of Mannes School of Music and DePaul University. Marieke is also a composer and administrator, currently leading the launch of a nonprofit e-commerce marketplace for Pan-African music with the Àkójọpọ̀ Music Foundation. She is a founding board member of the Canadian queer opera company Opéra Queens.
Tenor Christopher Lorge has a voice described by the Philadelphia Inquirer's David Patrick Stearns as "bright (and) penetrating". He makes his WCO debut with Die Fledermaus. He has played roles including Hoffmann in Les Contes D’Hoffmann, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Don José in Carmen, and Ruggero in La Rondine with companies across the Delaware Valley. Career highlights include lead roles in the world premieres of Paul Moravec's Danse Russe (Stravinsky) and Michael Ching's Slaying the Dragon (Jerry Krieg) with Center City Opera Theater.
Sean Xiaoming Tian is a New York-based operatic baritone, music educator, and DMA candidate who actively engages in both the academic and practical aspects of music. His scholarly work, especially his research project has earned him the prestigious 2024 HAMPSONG FELLOWSHIP, along with an invitation to present at the 50th annual conference of the Society for American Music in Detroit. As an experienced opera singer, Tian has performed on the stages of globally renowned venues, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, undertaking principal roles in a wide range of productions from classical to contemporary. His voice has been highlighted by New York critics Voce di Meche for its "vibrant velvety tone...variations of color and dynamics."
Beyond the stage, Tian is dedicated to music education, lending his expertise as a judge at various vocal competitions, and disseminating his knowledge through his music channel brand
"Chord to Joy," which has garnered millions of views across various mainstream video platforms.
Dan Yates is pleased to be working with Francesco Santelli and The Garden State Opera again. Previously Dan directed The Silk City, Francesca Da Rimini, Il Tabarro, La Serva Padrona, Bastien und Bastienne, Suor Angelica, L’Oca Del Cairo, Cavaliera Rusticana and Francesco Santelli’s original opera’s Il Consulente Matrimoniale and Il Negozio Di Campagna for GSO. Dan directs for the Opera/Music Theatre Workshop at Caldwell University, performs professionally as an actor and singer, is the Artistic director of the Yates Musical Theatre for Children and teaches Speech and Theatre courses at Kean University and Montclair State University. He lives in West Orange with his wife Deirdre and children Alexandra and Emily.
Francesco Santelli, Conductor and Composer native of Rome, Italy, is the founder and artistic director of the Garden State Opera. Mr. Santelli has been music director of the Henry Street Opera in New York City from 1988 to 2000, guest conductor of the Brooklyn Opera Theatre and the Connecticut Opera Theatre, the Henry Street Symphony, the Vivaldi Coro Lirico, Intercity Performing Arts, music director of the International Symphony and the New York City Symphony, Camerata, Orchestra, Coro Lirico, Intercity Performing Arts, music director of the International Symphony and the New York City Symphony. As a composer/librettist Mr. Santelli has written, among other works, the operas: Un Destino Immortale, (on the voyage of Christopher Columbus to the New World), Mississippi, Il Poverello (on the life of Saint Francis of Assisi), The Marriage Counselor, An Angel in the Park and the comic opera Il Negozio di Campagna and Tamar da Timna. In Assisi he performed his Assisi Concerto for organ and orchestra, and Il Poverello. Mr. Santelli has conducted a production of Cimarosa Il Matrimonio Segreto in 2015 at the Altamura Center for the Arts upstate New York and the Assisi Concerto for organ and orchestra has received the US premiere in New York City in the spring of 2019. His latest opera The Silk City on the Silk Strike of Paterson in 1913 has received two performances in 2019 and 2022.
