BEMF Opera | 1995 Centerpiece Opera
Purcell’s King Arthur
June 13, 14, 16, 17, and 18, 1995
Emerson Majestic Theatre, Boston, MA
King Arthur, the second in Purcell’s first series of semi-operas, was his most popular theatre work and held the stage until the 1840’s. In Dryden’s stirring drama, the actors play the main characters—Arthur & Oswald, Merlin & Osmond—while the dancers and singers change from Britons to Saxons and from mortals to gods such as Æolus, Cupid, and the Cold Genius. This monumental anniversary production features an international assemblage of singers, actors, dancers, and instrumentalists.
Directors
Peter Holman and Paul O’Dette, Musical Directors
Jack Edwards, Stage Director
James Middleton, Set & Costume Designer
Ken Pierce, Choreographer
Artists
Stephen Russell, King Arthur
Fleming Brooks, Oswald
Jon-Daniel Durbin, Conon
Michael Antonakes, Merlin
Lou Solomon, Osmond
Bill Toma Ledbetter, Aurelius
Aaron Lyons, Albanact
Ian Dowell, Guillamar
Carol Symes, Emmeline
Ingrid Schorr, Matilda
Rachel Fetler, Philidel
Jared Voos, Grimbald
Chorus
Christine Brandes, Julia Gooding, Ellen Hargis & Suzie LeBlac, soprano; Daniel Taylor & Brian Link, countertenor; Alan Bennett & William Hite, tenor; Jeffrey Johnson & Nathaniel Watson, baritone; Curtis Streetman, bass; Michael Cedrone, Wesley Chinn, Peter Kalmus & Brent Ranalli, Officers & Soldiers
Dancers
Ken Pierce, Susan Liu, Blake Meike, Bruce Roberts, Victoria Solomon & Melinda Sullivan
Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra
Elizabeth Blumenstock, leader & violin;
Carla Moore, Ingrid Matthews, Kinloch Earle, Anthony Martin, Linda Quan, Julie Leven & Scott Metcalfe, violin; David Miller, Laura Jeppesen, Jane Starkman, viola; Mark Caudle, Myron Lutzke, Phoebe Carrai & John Moran, bass violin; Stephen Hammer & Marc Schachman, oboe; Lani Spahr, tenor oboe; Andrew Schwartz, bassoon; Roxanne Layton & Roy Sansom, recorder; Dennis Ferry & John Thiessen, trumpet; John Grimes, timpani; Stephen Stubbs, archlute & Baroque guitar; Paul O’Dette, theorbo & Baroque guitar; Christel Thielmann, bass viol; Peter Holman & Elizabeth Wright, harpsichord