OA1011: The Violet of Montmartre (3 CDs)

THE OHIO LIGHT OPERA
2004 Festival Season

presents

The Violet of Montmartre
(Das Veilchen vom Montmartre)

With harmonies that pay homage to Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Richard Strauss, Kálmán is at his most international in this Bohème-inspired story of three starving artists and the street singer who comes to their rescue.  Sung in English, with full libretto enclosed, this is the first complete recording of what surely ranks as one of the composer’s masterpieces.  Bonus tracks include two songs that Kálmán inserted in the 1930 Berlin production.

Music by Emmerich Kálmán

New Performance Edition and Translation by Steven Daigle
Original German Book and Lyrics by Julius Brammer and Alfred Grünwald
Conductor:  Steven Byess
Stage Director:  Steven Daigle

Audio Samples:

CD 1, Track 11

CD 2, Track 20

Cast

Violetta Cavallini, a street singer, “The Violet of Montmartre”
    Nancy María Balach

Raoul Delacroix, a painter
    Brian Woods

Florimond Hervé, a musician 
    Grant Knox 

Henri Murger, a poet
    Ted Christopher  

Ninon, a grisette  
    Robin De Leon  

General Pipo de Frascatti, Minister of Fine Arts  
    James Harr  

François Pisquatschec, town bailiff  
    Gregory Brookes  

Parigi, Violetta’s  guardian, a street musician  
    Kevin Blickfeldt  

Baron Jacob Rothschild  
    Oliver Henderson  

Camille Blumé, art dealer and theater fan  
    Joshua Kohl  

The Directorof the Vaudeville Theater in Paris  
    Justin Legris  

Secretary Leblancof the Ministry of Fine Arts  
    Oliver Henderson  

Maurice, theater usher  
    Lee Matsos  

Frapeau, stage manager  
    Nathan Brian  

Armand, an elderly bohemian  
    Spiro Matsos  

Lolette, cast member of “A Kiss in Springtime”  
    Shannon Langman  

Chochette, cast member of “A Kiss in Springtime”  
    Betha Christopher  

Fleurette, cast member of “A Kiss in Springtime”  
    Penny Hansen  

Bébé, a messenger of the dress shop “The Two Monkeys”  
    Julianna Byess  

Margot, Ninon’s maid  
    Rachel Rowe  

Kitchen Boy  
    David Haslam

Chorus:  Sara Gartland, Sahara Glasener, Jessica Hornsten, Danielle McCormick, Dominique, McCormick, Sarah Minckler, Elizabeth Mitchell, Sandra Ross, Rosanna Yoder, Carl Bara, Drake Dantzler

Live recording with complete dialogue.

Bonus tracks include songs (“Warum weiß mein Herz nichts von dir“, Nancy María Balach, soprano,
and “Heut’ nacht hab’ ich geträumt von dir”, Joshua Kohl, tenor) that Kálmán inserted in the
Berlin production.

3-CD set       40-page color booklet with complete libretto        

Total playing time:  2 hr 44 min