Leave it to Donald Pippin — a vital presence in San Francisco's musical life since his arrival here 63 years ago, the last 37 of them at the head of his small and brave opera company — to meld Leoncavallo and Franz von Suppé. Pippin's Pocket Opera is presenting a double bill of Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci — usually paired with Cavalleria Rusticana — and Von Suppé's My Fair Galatea.
Performances are on Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m, on May 31 and June 14 in the S.F. Legion of Honor; on June 7in the Berkeley Hillside Club.
Asked about his unusual programming, Pippin explained in a manner well familiar to audiences relishing his unique on-stage presentations:
It’s the big event of the year at Montalto, a tiny. sleepy village on the Southern tip of Italy, where life plods along pleasantly and not much happens. But the villagers are shaken up when a troupe of strolling players, I Pagliacci in full regalia, arrive on the scene.Hungry for excitement, drama, entertainment, the supposed glamour of show business, they are going to get a full dose of it that night at the performance. In fact, a good deal more than they bargained for, when emotions on the stage erupt and make-believe suddenly turns into reality. With a masterful, taut libretto and inspired music, no wonder that its popularity has never waned.
Though usually paired with Cavalleria Rusticana, we prefer contrast, and have found it in My Fair Galatea, an enchanting, scintillating one-act operetta by Franz Von Suppe, often known as the father of Viennese operetta.
The story of Pygmalion and Galatea goes back to the ancient days of Greek mythology. Pygmalion, the sculptor, carved a statue so ravishingly beautiful that he fell in love with his own creation. He pined, he suffered - so much so that Venus took pity.
Lo and behold, the statue came to life – but we’re never told what happened next. Here is your chance to find out...
Going further into the realm of operatic unusualities, Pippin cast the same singer in the two main roles: J. Raymond Meyers sings both Canio and Pygmalion. Nedda (and Colombina in the play-within-play) in Pagliacci is Alexandra Sessler; the Galatea is Liesl McPherrin.
The Pagliacci cast also features Ben Brady,Daniel Yoder, and Jacob Thompson. Michael Mendelsohn and Elana Cowen complete the Galatea cast.
As usual, Pippin's own translation will be used, both to sing the operas and in Supertitles. Unlike Pippin doing everything, this time there is a guest music director in the person of Frank Johnson. Nicolas Aliaga Garcia is stage director.