2013 Season Overview
It is my pleasure to welcome you to West Australian Opera's 2013 season in which we celebrate the 'Year of the Divo', highlighting the leading men in each opera. We also mark the 200th birthday of the great Giuseppe Verdi as we present two of his masterworks.
We begin with Verdi's Rigoletto at this years City of Perth's Opera in the Park, and experience the collision of two iconic personalities; the title character who lives a double life of sarcastic court jester and loving father, and the Duke of Mantua, a lecherous nobleman living life only for his own pleasure. Followed on the main stage at His Majesty's Theatre by Verdi's La Traviata, in which the heroine makes the supreme sacrifice for the love of Alfredo Germont. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Don Giovanni features the adventures of the legendary lover Don Juan who meets his fiery end after a life of debauchery. The season concludes with Giacomo Puccini's timeless La Bohème, the tragic story of the soulful poet Rodolfo who gives up his own happiness for the sake of his love, Mimì.
These four operas are filled with glorious music by three great composers who were peerless for their ability to convey human emotions through the art of music. These works are necessary for us to experience because they comment on our own lives, our hopes, joys and sorrows while also providing the key to understanding the tumultuous times in which we live. They prove that opera matters – now more than ever!
I am excited to begin my tenure as Artistic Director of West Australian Opera after four seasons as a guest conductor. I look forward to building on the work of past seasons and to opening new vistas to our audiences as we explore the wide world of opera together. It will be my pleasure to work with the board and staff to present vibrant seasons of opera that will become part of the artistic fabric of Perth.
The core of any opera company is the orchestra and chorus, and I happily anticipate an exciting season with the singers of the West Australian Opera Chorus and the instrumentalists of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. It will also be a pleasure to explore new partnerships with the arts organisations of the city and the state. Our Young Artist Program will continue to nurture new generations of operatic artists and our educational outreach will develop new and expanded audiences for this art form about which we at West Australian Opera are so passionate.
We have assembled superbly talented casts and production teams to present this season of operas for the 'Year of the Divo'.
We invite you to be a part of this life-enhancing experience.
Joseph Colaneri
2013 Year of the Divo: Season Introduction from West Australian Opera on Vimeo.