Pontalba
| Pontalba | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Mahalia Jackson Theater , New Orleans |
Pontalba is an opera in two acts composed by
Mahalia Jackson Theater
in New Orleans conducted by Robert Lyall with Yali-Marie Williams in the title role.
Background and performance history
In 2001
New Orleans Opera commissioned Thea Musgrave to compose a new opera for the 2003 celebrations of the Louisiana Purchase bicentennial. On the suggestion of the company's General Director Robert Lyall, Musgrave chose Micaela Almonester, Baroness de Pontalba as her subject.[1] Born in New Orleans and a wealthy heiress in her own right, Micaela Almonester married her mentally unstable French cousin, Célestin de Pontalba in 1811 and eventually moved to France where she became a virtual prisoner at the de Pontalba chateau near Senlis. In 1834, having failed to gain possession of Almonester's inheritance, her father-in-law shot her four times at point-blank range with a pair of duelling pistols and then committed suicide. She survived the attack, eventually obtained a legal separation from her husband and returned to New Orleans in 1848 where she stayed until 1851. During her time there she became a central figure in the city's intellectual, social, and commercial life.[2][3]
As with most of her operas, Musgrave herself wrote the libretto (originally called The Pontalba Affair), loosely basing it on Intimate Enemies,
Mahalia Jackson Theater in New Orleans. The production was conducted by Robert Lyall and directed by Jay Lesenger with the sets designed by Erhard Rom and the lighting by Dan Darnutzer. Pontalba had two more performances on 4 and 5 October 2003.[6][7]
It has not received any further performances since that time.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 2 October 2003[5] (Conductor: Robert Lyall) |
|---|---|---|
| Micaela Almonester | soprano | Yali-Marie Williams |
| Louise Almonester, Micaela's mother | mezzo-soprano | Jane Gilbert |
| Celestin de Pontalba, Micaela's husband | tenor | Robert Breault |
| Baron Pontalba, Celestin's father | bass-baritone | Jake Gardner |
| Jeanne Loiuse de Pontalba, Celestin's mother | soprano | Kathryn Day |
| Mr Monroe, the Almonesters' lawyer | baritone | Ray Fellman |
| Jacques Dupin, the Pontalbas' lawyer | tenor | Enrique Toral |
| Cassie, the Almonesters' servant | soprano | Fahnlohnee Harris |
| Mayor of New Orleans | baritone | Charles Robert Stephens |
| Jean-Baptiste Castillion, Micaela's stepfather | tenor | John Giraud |
| Ernestine | (speaking role) | Kitty Cleveland |
| People of New Orleans | ||
References
- ^ Kellow, Brian (October 2003. "On the Beat". Opera News. Retrieved 5 March 2015 (subscription required).
- ^ Stanford, Deirdre (1977). Romantic New Orleans, pp. 24–25. Viking Press
- ^ Vella, Christina (1997). Intimate Enemies: The Two Worlds of the Baroness de Pontalba, pp. 168–169. Louisiana State University Press
- ^ Martel, Brett (5 October 2003). "The Louisiana Purchase inspires the birth of the opera 'Pontalba'". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 5 March 2015 (subscription required).
- ^ a b Belsom, Jack (February 2004). "New Orleans. Opera, p. 78. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
- ^ Madison, William V. (December 2003). "In Review: New Orleans". Opera News. Retrieved 5 March 2015 (subscription required).
- New York Times. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
External links
- Musgrave, Thea (2003). Pontalba: Detailed synopsis and scoring details. Novello & Co.
- Sands, Brian (2003). "Pontalba at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts" (review and production photos). Ambush Magazine, Volume 21, Issue 21