The Secret Garden is an opera by Nolan Gasser with a libretto (based on the 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett) written by Carey Harrison. Commissioned by the San Francisco Opera and presented in partnership with Cal Performances, it premiered on March 1, 2013, at Zellerbach Hall at the University of California, Berkeley.
Roles
edit| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 1 March 2013 Conductor: Sara Jobin |
|---|---|---|
| Mary Lennox | soprano | Sarah Shafer |
| Colin Craven | a boy tenor | Michael Kepler Meo |
| Archibald Craven | baritone | Philippe Sly |
| Dickon Sowerby | tenor | Scott Joiner |
| Martha Sowerby | mezzo-soprano | Laura Krumm |
| Mrs. Medlock | soprano | Erin Johnson |
| Ben Weatherstaff | baritone | Ao Li |
| Susan Sowerby | soprano | Marina Harris |
| Orchestra | San Francisco Opera Orchestra | |
| Direction | Jose Maria Condemi | |
| Visual design | Naomie Kremer | |
| Costume design | Kristi Johnson | |
| Lighting design | Christopher Maravich | |
| Musical preparation | Robert Mollicone, Sun Ha Yoon, John Churchwell, Sara Jobin | |
Critical reception
editThe opera received positive reviews from Joshua Kosman in the San Francisco Chronicle, Janos Gereben in The San Francisco Examiner and San Francisco Classical Voice, Stacy Trevenon at StageandCinema.com and others, with mixed reviews from the San Jose Mercury News and elsewhere.[1][2][3][4][5]
References
edit- ^ Kosman, Joshua (3 March 2013) "Secret Garden' review: Child's delight" The San Francisco Chronicle
- ^ Gereben, Janos (5 March 2013) "Secret Garden a hit with opera's young target audience" The San Francisco Examiner
- ^ Crawford, Caroline (7 March 2013) "Review: 'The Secret Garden' at Zellerbach Wins Thumbs Up" The Berkeley Patch
- ^ Scheinin, Richard (3 March 2013) "Review: San Francisco Opera's Secret Garden is a misfire" The San Jose Mercury News
- ^ Trevenon, Stacy (7 March 2013) "Bay Area Opera Review: The Secret Garden" Stage and Cinema