Opera Workshop Orchestra

Violin I
   Yuko Ishikawa
   Zakarias Grafilo
   Jennifer Takamatsu
   Liliana Filipovic
   Amanda Post
   Susan Perry

Violin II
   Regino Madrid
   Jerry Wang
   Dennis Choe
   Sara Marzullo
   Theresa Chen
   Alex Li

Viola
   Matt Nabours
   Yun Jung Kim
   Chandar Wood

Violoncello
   Elizabeth Wright
   Marian Chang
   Charlene Chang
   An-Jye Lee
   Jamie Lin

Bass
   Todd Sickafoose
   Colin Shipman

Flute
   Arpi Anderson
   Christine Fischer

Oboe
   Kim Brashear
   Derek Mohachy

Clarinet
   Dan Hagerty
   Lea Fiedler

Bassoon
   John Mills
   Dottie Burkhart

Horn
   Armando Castellano
   Daniel Werren

Trumpet
   Matt Cody
   Carolyn O’Keefe

Trombone
   Rocky Waters

Harp
   Susana Huang

Timpani and Percussion
   Peter Park
   Tino Novellino
   Stephanie Simms

 

 

UCLA Department of Music
Opera Workshop and Chamber Orchestra
present

two one-act operas
Abu Hassan & Gallantry

Abu Hassan

By Carl Maria von Weber

A Comic Operetta in One Act, based on the part of the tale of Abu al-Hasan the Eccentric, told by Shahrazad to King Shahryar on the 647th through 653rd nights of “The Thousand and One Nights.”

Music by Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (1786-1826)
Libretto by Franz Karl Hiemer (1768-1822)

First performed in Munich, June 4, 1811

Translated from German into English
by Mark Herman and Ronnie Apter

 

Friday & Saturday
December 2 & 3, 1994 at 8pm
Schoenberg Hall, UCLA

John Lawler
Stage Director

Greg Magie
Conductor

Program Notes

The story of Abu Hassan, an honest debtor who humorously foils his creditors, was very appropriately used by Weber as the basis for his one-act opera. During the years 1810-11, the time in which he composed the work, the young composer/conductor/pianist was struggling with serious debts himself. The story comes from the Thousand and One Nights of Arabia, and was put into the form of Weber’s libretto by Franz Karl Hiemer. Weber began work on Abu Hassan while he was in Darmstadt, just before he left on a concert tour. The work was ready by the time he reached Munich, and there it was premiered with great success. Not only did the premiere confirm in the composer’s mind his calling as an opera composer, but it also helped boost public enthusiasm for German opera.

Abu Hassan has been termed a “Turkish Opera,” in the tradition of Mozart, Haydn, and other 18th century composers. This refers not only to the setting, but to the prominent use of cymbals in the orchestra. Weber’s orchestration is dramatic, colorful and romantic in nature, but at the same time he adheres to traditional formal principles. Arias, duets, trios and choruses alternate with spoken dialogue, aligning this work with the Singspiel tradition.

The opera begins, following the overture, with Abu and his wife Fatima who are destitute but in good spirits, sharing a meager meal. The first duet consists of the two characters feigning playfully that they are feasting. They have reason for alarm, however, in spite of their merry-making. Abu must pay off his creditors, and Omar will help him do so only in exchange for the attentions of his wife. So Abu and Fatima contrive a plan. Abu will feign death so that Fatima can collect burial money from the Sultana, and then Fatima will pretend to die so that Abu can collect from the Calif.

While Fatima is gone to the Sultana, Abu is confronted by the creditors, and Omar arrives on the scene in time to pay them off, just to please Fatima. When Fatima returns with the burial money, Abu heads off to the Calif. While he is gone, Omar confronts Fatima at her home. Abu returns suddenly, and afraid of appearances, Fatima hides Omar in a closet. At this point Zemrud, the confidant of the Sultana, arrives to find out which one of the couple is really dead, and both Abu and Fatima feigh death. The arrival of the Calif and the Sultana quickly follows, and when the Calif offers 1000 gold pieces to whoever can tell which one of them died first, Abu rises and explains Omar’s attempt at blackmail. Omar immediately falls into disfavor, and Abu gets the gold as well as having his debts paid off.    – Christine DeBoer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Staff for this production

Director
   John Lawler (graduate student in Theater MFA Directing program)

Stage Manager
   Djahari Clark

Assistant Stage Manager
   Joseph Goldberg

Conductor
   Greg Magie (graduate student in Music DMA conducting program)

Choreographer
   Ana Hofling

Set Designer
   Mark Taylor

Costume Designer
   Alex Jaeger

Lighting Designers
   Bobby Harrell
   Jane Hall

Project Manager
   Ed DeShae

Scenic Carpenter
   Don Dyke

Faculty Advisors
   Alan Armstrong
   Neil Jampolis

Assistant Set Designer
   Felix Cortes-Scholer

Assistant Lighting Designer
   Chad Smith

 

The UCLA Opera Workshop

Producer
   John Hall

Musical Coaching
   Mona Lands
   Judy Hansen

Student Accompanists
   Masha Dubravin
   Judy Huang
   Vania Lee

Graduate Student Assistant
   Susan Roe

Programs and Publicity
   Kathleen Moon

 

UCLA School of Arts and Architecture

Dean
   Robert Blocker

Chair, Department of Music
   Jon Robertson

 

UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television

Dean
   Gilbert Cates

Co-Chairs, Department of Theater
   Robert Israel
   Rich Rose

Director, Theater Productions
   Daniel Ionazzi

Publicity
   Teri Bond Michael

Chair, Theater MFA Directing Program
   Michael Hackett

Faculty, Theater MFA Directing Program
   Michael McLain
   Bill Reichblum

 

Department of Theater Production Staff

Theater Operations
   Bridget Kelly

Project Managers
   Kent Conrad
   Ed DeShae
   Jeff Wachtel

Scene Shop Supervisor
   Hugh Scott

Properties Supervisor
   Chuck Olsen

Costume Shop Supervisor
   John Brandt

Wardrobe Technicians
   Dick Magnanti
   Minta Manning

Audio Engineer
   Rob Miller

Master Electrician
   Ves Weaver

 

Student Crews and Faculty Supervision

Ascpect of this production have been executed by students enrolled in UCLA Department of Theater courses in scenery, costuming, lighting, sound, and advanced laboratories. Their supervisors are: Costuming – Alan Armstrong, Dunya Ramicova, David Paul, Alex Jaeger; Lighting – Neil Peter Jampolis, Jane Fitzgerald Hall, Bobby Harrell; Scenery and Properties – Marsha Ginsberg, John Chris Kerins, Kevin Basham, Eric Larson; Sound – William Ward, Kevin Goold, Joel Schonbrunn.