SFA: Opera scenes to be performed in virtual concert

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Student vocalists at Stephen F. Austin State University will present “Magical, Mystical and Merry: An Evening of Opera Scenes” in a virtual concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, that can be accessed free of charge through livestreaming at music.sfasu.edu.

Works by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein, Frank Loesser, Giuseppe Verdi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Andrew Lloyd Weber, Gian Carlo Menotti and other celebrated composers will be featured, according to Dr. Deborah Dalton, associate professor of voice and opera in the SFA School of Music.

For voice students enrolled in opera and singing classes at SFA, performing during the COVID era has presented many new challenges, Dalton said. Scenes are usually chosen to fit the voices enrolled in the respective classes.

“For this program, choosing scenes that could be staged while masked and observing social distancing proved to be much more of a challenge,” Dalton said. “These constraints actually opened up more creative possibilities and fun solutions, particularly with a love duet that had the singers separated by 10-to-12 feet!”

Opera workshop class, directed by Dalton, will present scenes from standard operatic repertoire. Opera ensemble class, with Professor James Held directing, will perform favorites from musical theatre.

Opera workshop scenes performed will be from “Falstaff,” “The Magic Flute,” “Der Freischütz,” “The Medium,” “The Marriage of Figaro” and “Amahl and the Night Visitors.” The program also features ensemble-performed scenes from “The Sound of Music,” “Spamalot,” “The Most Happy Fella,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and the American opera “Susannah” by Carlisle Floyd.

“‘Falstaff’ is the only comedic opera Verdi wrote and is considered his masterpiece,” Dalton said.

SFA lecturer Nita Hudson will conduct several scenes. Bora Cho, graduate assistant in collaborative piano (accompanying), will provide the accompaniment for the entire program.

“Bora has been a joy to work with throughout this unusual semester,” Dalton added.

 For more information about the School of Music, call (936) 468-4602.