Critical praise for NSO's sold out Tosca!
Music Director Jeffrey Rink and the Newton Symphony Orchestra have announced a stellar cast of local and international singers for their concert performance of Puccini's dramatic masterpiece, Tosca, on Sunday evening, January 13, 2002. The title role of Floria Tosca will be sung by the Canadian soprano, Michele Capalbo. She will be joined by local favorites Mark Nemeskal, as the painter and revolutionary Mario Cavaradosi, and Robert Honeysucker, as Rome's villainous chief of police, Baron Scarpia. "We are particularly pleased to be presenting the young Canadian soprano, Michele Capalbo, in her Boston area debut", said Maestro Rink. "She possesses a rare combination of vocal power and beauty, and was recently a resounding success in this difficult role with the Quebec Opera."
Chorus pro Musica, of which Maestro Rink is also music director, will again join forces with the NSO for this concert performance of Tosca, and the Act I children's chorus will be the New England Conservatory Children's Chorus, directed by Jean Meltaus. The opera's supporting roles will be sung by Donald Wilkinson (Sacristan), Philip Candilis (Angelotti), Lee Poulis (Sciarrone), Martin Kelly (Spoletta) and Max Greenfield (Shepherd). The NSO has received a substantial grant from Newton2000 in support of this Newton first.
"We are extremely gratified by the support given to the Newton Symphony by Newton2000 for this project", said Walter F Carter, president of the Newton Symphony's Board of Trustees. "Tosca is a challenging first for the NSO and a first for the City of Newton. There is a large audience for opera in the Newton and Metro-West communities, yet performances of complete operas outside of downtown Boston are at best extremely rare. The NSO hopes to change that with our full-length concert opera performance of Tosca, one of the best-loved classics of the opera repertoire."
The NSO's concert performance of Tosca will be on Sunday, January 13, 2002, at the orchestra's home hall, Rashi Auditorium, 15 Walnut Park, Newton Corner. Tickets are $35 (orchestra), $25 (mezzanine); student and senior discount tickets $20. Subscriptions for the NSO's remaining three concerts are also available. For tickets, subscriptions, and further information, please call the NSO boxoffice at 617-965-2555.
