For the convenience of concertgoers 

the Garden Cafe remains open until 6:oo pm.

The use of cameras or recording equipment during the 

performance is not allowed. Please be sure that cell phones,

pagers, and other electronic devices are turned off.

Please note that late entry or reentry of

the West Building after 6:30 pm is not permitted.

Music Department

National Gallery ofArt

Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue nw

Washington, dc

Mailing address

2000B South Club Drive

Landover, md 20785

www.nga.gov

The Sixty-sixth Season of

The William Nelson Cromwell and F. Lammot Belin

Concerts

National Gallery ofArt

2,675th Concert

Opera Lafayette

Ryan Brown, conductor and artistic director

Meghan McCall and Adria McCulloch, sopranos

Eric Sampson, tenor

Darren Perry, baritone

Ryan Brown and Elizabeth Field, violins

Henry Valoris, viola

Jodi Beder, cello

Jeffrey Watson, piano

May 11, 2008

Sunday Evening, 6:30 pm

West Building, West Garden Court

Admission free
Program

Treasures ofthe Paris Opera Comique

Pierre Alexandre Monsigny (1729-1817)

From Le Deserteur (1769)

Ouverture

Ariette (Louise)

Marche de la noce

Duo (Alexis et Jeanette)

Couplets et Duo (Bertrand et Montauciel)

Air (Courchemin)

Felicien David (1810-1876)

From Lalla Roukh (1862)

Melodie (Lalla Roukh)

Couplets (Baskir)

Romance (Noureddin)

Recit et choeur (Ensemble, Chorus of Slaves)

Couplets (Mirza)

Duo (Lalla Roukh et Noureddin)

Duo bouffe (Baskir et Noureddin)

The Musicians

OPERA LAFAYETTE

Based in Washington, DC, Opera Lafayette is a period instrument ensemble

dedicated to performances ofseventeenth- and eighteenth-century French

operas. Since its debut in 1995, Opera Lafayette has garnered both critical

acclaim and a loyal following for its concert and staged opera productions

with well-known American and international artists. Its New York City debut

in October, 2007, was lauded by the New York Times for “the crisp, resilient

playing ofthe period orchestra, bringing the lilting dance music to colorful 

life.” The Washington Post characterized the ensemble as “one ofthe most

intellectually exciting fixtures ofthe Washington music world.” Opera Lafayette records for Naxos and its discography includes Gluck’s Orphee et Euridice

(released in 2005), Sacchini’s Oedipe a Colone (2006), and Rameau Operatic

Arias (2007). Future releases include Lully's Armide (2008) and Rebel

and Francoeur’s Zdindor, roi des Sylphes (2009). More information on the

ensemble and its recordings is available at operalafayette.org.

Opera Lafayette is supported by areva, Inc., Pernod Ricard usa, Constellation Energy, The Marpat Foundation, The Nancy Peery Marriott Foundation, GoDaddy, Quatt Associates, and more than 200 individuals whose

generosity makes possible the ensemble’s performance season. With

support from the Nancy Peery Marriott Foundation, Opera Lafayette has

initiated a young artists program in which it works with selected young

professional singers and gives them opportunities to work with specialists

in the field ofseventeenth- and eighteenth-century music. Meghan McCall,

Adria McCulloch, Darren Perry, and Eric Sampson participate in this

concert in the context ofthe young artists program.

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RYAN BROWN

Ryan Brown is the conductor and artistic director of Opera Lafayette. His vivid

interpretations ofoperas from the eighteenth century and classical French

repertoire have been praised by critics in the United States and abroad. In

October 2007 he led the ensemble in the modem world-premiere presentation ofthe French opera-ballet Zelindor, roi des Sylphes at the Music Center at

Strathmore and at the Rose Theater in Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York

City. His explorations ofrarely heard baroque operas and recordings with

Naxos have received rave notices from France’s ClassicsToday.com and from

the magazines Das Opemglas, Fanfare, Gramophone, Opera, and Opera Now.

Prior to establishing Opera Lafayette in 1995 and turning his attention to

conducting, Brown had a successful career as a violinist and chamber musician. He toured Europe, Japan, and the United States with The Four Nations

Ensemble and made six highly praised recordings ofbaroque and classical 

music for the London-based Gaudeamus label.

MEGHAN MCCALL

Meghan McCall has been praised for her “bell-like clarity and fine control”

and “radiant full-bodied voice” in the Washington Post. The young American

soprano’s career has already taken her to stages in Europe and the United

States, where she has performed the roles of Fatime in Carl Maria von Weber’s

Abu Hassan, Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte, Madame Altina in Pasatieri’s

La Divina, Lauretta in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, and Musetta in La Boheme.

Upcoming engagements include Eve in Haydn’s Creation with the University

of Maryland Symphony Orchestra and the soprano role in Bach’s Coffee

Cantata with Francois Loup and Harmonious Blacksmith. McCall is a 2007

graduate ofthe Maryland Opera Studio at the University of Maryland.

4

ADRIA MCCULLOCH

Adria McCulloch’s rich soprano voice has been described as “world class”

by the Washington Post. Raised on a farm in Alberta, Canada, she is a 2007

graduate ofthe Maryland Opera Studio at the University of Maryland. Last

season McCulloch performed three roles with Opera Lafayette: the title 

role in Gluck’s Armide, Une Bergere in Lully’s Armide, and Donna Elvira in

Mozart’s Don Giovanni. She has performed with Calgary Opera and Opera

Nuova in Edmonton, Alberta; has sung in recitals across western Canada;

and has performed with the Regina Symphony Orchestra and the Calgary 

Philharmonic Orchestra.

ERIC SAMPSON

Eric Sampson is a lyric tenor from northern New Jersey and a recent graduate ofthe Maryland Opera Studio at the University of Maryland. He has

performed many roles, including Benedict in Berlioz’s Beatrice et Benedict,

Laurie in Adamo’s Little Women, and the title role in Massenet’s Werther. He

recently performed the role of Sheldon Segal in the Washington premiere

performance at the National Gallery ofJohn Musto’s new opera, Later the

Same Evening: An opera inspired byfive paintings ofEdward Hopper. In 2006

Sampson was a winner ofthe Washington, DC, District Metropolitan Opera

National Council Auditions, and he was recently seen as a member ofTulsa 

Opera Young Artists. Other engagements include performing the role of

Gastone and covering the role of Alfredo in Opera Cleveland’s production

of La Traviata. Sampson has performed with New Jersey Opera Theatre, the

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and Spoleto 

Festival usa. He is a student of Francois Loup.

5
DARREN PERRY

Baritone Darren Perry has been praised for his powerful vocal ability, flawless musicianship, and compelling performances. In November 2006 he

was hailed by the Washington Post as “an outstanding Don Giovanni, by

turns charming and disgusting, vocally strong and a fine actor.” Perry is

a two-time winner ofthe Washington, DC, District Metropolitan Opera

National Council Auditions and has received two encouragement awards

at the regional level. Last season he debuted with Opera Cleveland as Baron 

Douphol in La Traviata and Mr. Lindquist in A Little Night Music. Other

highlights include Hidroat in Armide with the Maryland Opera Studio and

Opera Lafayette, and the title role in Don Giovanni with the Maryland Opera

Studio. Perry received bachelor ofmusic and master ofmusic degrees in

vocal performance from the Maryland Opera Studio at the University of

Maryland, College Park, under the auspices of director Leon Major and

voice teacher Francois Loup.

ELIZABETH FIELD

Violinist Elizabeth Field has been concertmaster ofthe Bethlehem Bach Choir

since 2001 and is the leader and soloist of a newly formed group, The Vivaldi

Project. She has also served as guest concertmaster for organizations including

the National Philharmonic, the North Carolina Opera Company, Opera Lafayette, and the Washington Bach Consort. Field is the 2007-2008 Alan and

Wendy Pesky artist-in-residence at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. Field

performs regularly with the chamber group ArcoVoce and the Eisenstadt Trio,

and appears occasionally as a guest artist with Hesperus. She was a founding

member ofthe Van Swieten Quartet, which performed from 1989-1998, and

was the violinist for Brandywine Baroque from 2000-2006. She can be heard

on Hungaraton Records in a world premiere recording offlute quartets by

Johann Joachim Quantz with baroque flutist Mary Oleskiewicz, in a recording

with ArcoVoce ofmusic ranging from Hildegard von Bingen to Shostakovich,

in several recordings on the Dorian label with Brandywine Baroque, and in 

Opera Lafayette’s recordings on the Naxos label.

6

HENRY VALORIS

Henry Valoris performs on both modern and baroque viola with various

ensembles in the greater Washington, DC, area. Most recently, he has

performed with the Bach Sinfonia, Cantate Chamber Singers, and Opera

Lafayette, and has recorded Handel’s Messiah with the National Cathedral

Choirs. He is the operations manager for Opera Lafayette and has also done

administration work for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Bach

Sinfonia. In 2006 he received a bachelor of arts degree in music with

highest distinction and with interdisciplinary honors in theater and music

from Penn State University, where he studied viola with Timothy Deighton.

He is currently completing a master of arts degree in arts management at

American University.

JODI BEDER

Jodi Beder is the principal cellist ofthe Princeton Symphony Orchestra.

She also plays with the Palm Beach Opera, Princeton Pro Musica, and the

Riverside Symphonia. In the Washington, DC, area, she has performed

with the Folger Consort, the Low End String Quartet, the National Philharmonic, and Washington Musica Viva, among others. She has been a principal member of Berkshire Opera, the Chamber Opera Theater of New York,

the Lake George Opera Festival, and Opera Antica. She is also an improviser

and a committed interpreter of contemporary music and has performed

and recorded microtonal music. She has collaborated with many dance and

theater companies and is a member ofthe innovative cabaret-rock band Zen

for Primates. Beder holds a Ph.D. in music from the City University of New

York Graduate School and University Center and attended the professional

studies program at Mannes College of Music.

7
JEFFREY WATSON

Pianist Jeffery Watson has appeared as soloist with the Honduran National

Symphony, the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra (with the Kirov

Ballet), the Pan American Symphony, and the Rosario Chamber Orchestra

of Argentina. Watson was pianist with the internationally acclaimed tango

quintet, QuinTango, which performed with Orquesta Sinfonica Sinaloa

de las Artes (Mexico) and the Wichita Symphony, among others. In addition

to performances at Lincoln Center, he has appeared at the Piccolo Spoleto

Festival and the International Tango Festival in San Miguel de Allende,

Mexico. He was the associate conductor for the Kennedy Center’s awardwinning production of Sunday in the Park with George (as part ofits 2002

Sondheim Festival) and music director and coach for the Maryland Opera 

Studio at the University of Maryland, where he has directed productions of

Fatal Song, Tale ofTwo Cities, and Noel e[ Cole. Watson is on the faculty ofthe 

Washington Conservatory of Music and is the music director ofthe Bowen

McCauley Dance Company.

The Program

Though little known today, Pierre Alexandre Monsigny’s Le Deserteur and

Felicien David’s Lalla Roukh are both masterpieces that originated in the 

French popular opera tradition known as the opera comique. This tradition,

which grew out ofthe entertainments ofthe Parisian fairs in the early

eighteenth century, matured in the second half ofthe century into a unique

genre that spoke to the lives and passions ofthe middle class. Comic opera 

provided a contrast to the grander offerings enjoyed by the upper class at the 

Paris Opera, which focused on mythological and historical subjects. Both

types of opera were immediately successful and continued to be popular in

France and abroad throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Le Deserteur, one ofseveral collaborations between Monsigny and the 

librettist Michel-Jean Sedaine (1719-1797), is a passionate harbinger ofthe 

romantic rescue opera. The overture offers a musical synopsis ofthe plot.

The happy and forthright opening tune is interrupted by a highly melodramatic minor section, followed by a lilting pastorale. These latter moods

alternate, unresolved, until they are interrupted by a trumpet call, which 

then returns to the joyous opening section. In the plot, the soldier Alexis’

furlough is disturbed by the false rumor that his fiancee, Louise, has married another. He is distraught, deserts the army, and is thrown in jail. Louise

visits him there and Alexis realizes she still loves him. The plot is resolved

only when Louise, back in the public square, throws herselfin front ofthe 

king as he visits his troops and pleads for his mercy and intercession. The 

excerpts performed in this concert include Louise’s opening aria, in which 

she declares her love for Alexis and her reluctance to see him wronged; the

duo in which Alexis hears the devastating (false) news of Louise’s marriage

to another; and a comic interlude in which a country cousin, Bertrand, sings 

a tune about the goodness ofmen with a jailed drunk who sings ofwine 

and women. Finally, a courtier, Courchemin, recounts the story of Louise’s

encounter before the king. Opera Lafayette will give the modern American

premiere of Le Deserteur in its entirety in concert performances in Washington, DC, and New York City in January and February 2009.

9
David’s Lalla Roukh is an exquisite piece of orientalism, based on a poem

published in 1817 by the Irish poet Thomas Moore (1779-1852). In Lalla Roukh,

a young princess (Lalla Roukh) is to wed the King of Samarkand, whom she

has not yet met. In the meantime, however, her heart has been stirred by the

troubadour Noureddin. Her opening Melodie is a reverie touched with sadness.

The mood turns comic when Baskir, her self-important guardian, enters and

sings ofthe difficulty ofwatching over such a young lady. In the third excerpt, 

Romance, Noureddin sings a love song to Lalla Roukh, while Baskir tries to get 

rid of Noureddin by throwing him money. Noureddin promptly gives it to

accompanying slaves, but accepts a flower from Lalla Roukh. After an interlude sung by a chorus ofslaves, Lalla Roukh’s female companion, Mirza,

makes fun oflove, men and women, youth and age in her Couplet. Then night

descends, setting the scene for a ravishing Duo between Lalla Roukh and

Noureddin. The last excerpt is a rollicking Duo bouffe, taken from Act II, in

which Baskir and Noureddin now laughingly conspire together, singing “Tout

ira bien demain” (All will go well tomorrow) and “Tant pis ma foi, pour ce bon

roi” (Too bad for this good king). In the finale, not sung in this program, it is

revealed that Noureddin is in fact none other than the King of Samarkand,

who has disguised himselfin order to win Lalla Roukh’s love without the

distractions ofpower and riches.

When Lalla Roukh debuted in 1862, the director ofthe Opera Comique

paired it with Monsigny’s Rose et Colas (1764), which represents the idyllic

pastoral world ofRousseau in much the same way that Lalla Roukh portrays

an idyllic love wrapped in the perfumed images ofthe East. Although Le

Deserteurrepresents another aspect of Monsigny’s oeuvre, Opera Lafayette is

pleased to be able to present these two composers on the same program once

again, and to offer a sampling ofthe undiscovered treasures of eighteenthand early nineteenth-century opera comique.

Program notes by Ryan Brown

10

Next Week at the National Gallery ofArt

Great Noise Ensemble

Armando Bayolo, conductor

Marcantonio Barone, pianist

Music by Armando Bayolo,

Evan Chambers, Blair Goins,

Andrew Rudin, and Barbara White

May 18, 2008

Sunday evening, 6:30 pm

West Building, West Garden Court