A diverse array of musical selections and performers, tonight’s evening entertainment will show off the range of both the Chautauqua Opera Company Apprentice and Studio Artists and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra.
The Chautauqua Opera Young Artists will join Principal Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz and the CSO for the annual Opera & Pops concert — this year titled “Entanglements and Epiphanies — at 8:15 p.m. tonight in the Amphitheater.
The program provides a wide repetoire for opera singers to display their skill: Handel, Mozart, Massenet, Bizet, Mascagni and Johann Strauss II; there will also be selections from favorite Broadway shows — Kismet, Fiddler on the Roof, Company, Guys and Dolls and My Fair Lady.
Chafetz loves Mozart’s musicality and plans on opening the evening with a piece from the composer’s beloved opera buffa.
“The Marriage of Figaro Overture is just such a great opener for any concert, but especially for an opera and pops concert,” Chafetz said. “It just has a lot of buoyant energy and it sparks when it’s played at the right tempo.”
The Marriage of Figaro was an instant success upon its 1786 premiere; encores were so frequent that the emperor, Joseph II, decreed only numbers written for a single voice could be repeated in any opera (reportedly, this decree was not abided by). The piece is based on the 1784 stage comedy, written by Pierre Beaumarchais and stirred controversy — even banned in Vienna for a period — due to its focus on class tensions and privilege. It’s gone on to become a classic, adapted and reimagined through the centuries, and Chautauqua Opera most recently performed ¡Figaro! (90210) as part of its Beaumarchais Trilogy festival in 2019.
Working with the Chautauqua Opera Young Artists for the pops concert every summer is phenomenal, Chafetz said.
“It’s the highlight of my summer,” he said. “I get to work with really talented singers who are extremely excited about music and on the edge of major careers which is really wonderful.”
Before the performance on the big stage, the Young Artists rehearse a couple times with Chafetz and once with the orchestra. The sheer amount of music the orchestra and opera singers are tackling in such a short amount of time, Chafetz said, is indicative of their skill.
“There’s so much in that concert that we’re very quickly getting through,” he said. “That’s a testament to their professionalism, but also the symphony being able to just switch on a dime from Mozart to Fiddler on the Roof to all these different genres — it’s invigorating that the symphony could be so flexible.”
Chafetz has had the opportunity to work with several Chautauqua Opera alumni for various pops concerts over the years. With his conductor’s ear, he said he’s able to hear and determine when a person is really good at both opera and pops; the crossover capability is incredible.
“To be able to have a trained opera singer who can switch and sing a pop style is something I’m always looking for, and have found a couple times within Chautauqua,” Chafetz said. “It’s really a wonderful experience. Like, wow, you know that this person really gets it, and it would be wonderful to work with them in the future.”
Bringing together the genres of opera and pops, Chafetz hopes the combination brings in enthusiasts of each — even if they’re unfamiliar with the other. Not only does the annual concert bring artists from different companies together in a professional setting; it gives the audience a chance to expand their interests.
“This is such a great opportunity — for everybody concerned — to collaborate with a variety of the different arts within Chautauqua,” he said. “That’s always a really positive experience, that everybody is able to work with the ballet, the opera, the symphony and theater. It’s just such a tremendous opportunity to be so close and collaborate with such great organizations within the Chautauqua umbrella.”
