Salute to Verdi

For her 23rd exercise in honoring composer anniversaries with concerts by NEC faculty, alumni, and guests, Tatyana Dudochkin of the NEC Preparatory School piano faculty offers a salute to Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901) on his bicentennial.

WGBH radio announcer Ron Della Chiesa hosts the event.

From the elephants and tombs of Aïda, to Shakespeare's outscale heroes, to the epic romances of Gilda and Violetta, Verdi's dramas define the parameters of Grand Opera.

There will be many celebrations of his various facets during this bicentennial year; tonight's survey maps his musical and emotional range, with works both familiar and little-known.

Arias

Tatyana Dudochkin will provide aria accompaniment to two special guests, and two members of the NEC College voice faculty.

The many Verdi roles with which bass Mikhail Svetlov has been associated in his legendary international career include Banquo and Fillippo (heard tonight) as well as Walter in Luisa Miller, Padre Guardiano in La Forza del Destino, Zaccaria in Nabucco, and Verdi's Requiem. Tonight he sings "Come dal ciel precipita" from Macbeth and "Ella giammai m'amò" from Don Carlos.

Tenor Adam Klein made his Metropolitan Opera debut as a boy, singing the role of Yniold in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande. The Verdi roles he has sung range from Radames in Aïda to Alfredo in La Traviata. Tonight he sings "La donna è mobile" from Rigoletto.

"Ma se m'è forza perderti" from Un Ballo in Maschera
Bradley Williams, tenor

"Di Provenza il mar, il suol" from La Traviata
Michael Meraw, baritone

"Dio, che nell' alma infondere" from Don Carlos
Williams and Meraw

Orchestral/Choral

Steven Karidoyanes will conduct the NEC Youth Symphony in orchestral music from Verdi operas, as well as accompanying choral passages and vocal solos.

“Ballabile” ballet music from Otello
Overture from Nabucco

Act One finale: “È strano … Sempre libera” from La Traviata with Yelena Dudochkin, soprano, and Bradley Williams

with NEC Youth Chorale, Jonathan Richter, conductor:
“Libiamo...” from La Traviata with Dudochkin and Williams
“Va pensiero” (Hebrew Slaves' Chorus) from Nabucco

"Requiem aeternam" from Requiem
NEC Youth Chorale with Rebecca Wright '13, soprano

Overture from La Forza del Destino
NEC Brass Ensemble, Eli Epstein, conductor

Chamber Music

Triumphal March from Aïda
NEC Preparatory School Scholarship Brass Quintet

Allegro from String Quartet
Irina Muresanu, violin
Joo-Mee Lee, violin
Mark Berger, viola
Sam Ou, cello

Is there anything darker than
Verdi's tragedies? Try Brando's films,
transformed here next week.