Programme – Zarzuela

Zarzuela!
pron. thar-thwel-a

Spain’s answer to operetta

performed by
Spanish tenor José Aparicio
NZ mezzo Anna Pierard
and renowned accompanist
and coach David Harper

José Aparicio   Anna Pierard   David Harper

Napier
26 January
7.30pm
Century Theatre
Marine Parade
06 835 7781
Booking fee will apply

Wellington
31 January
7.30pm
Ilott Theatre
Wgtn Town Hall
0800 TICKETEK
Service fee will apply

Zarzuela!

El duo de la Africana (Duet of the African woman)
– La Antonelli, Guissepini
from ‘La Africana’
Caballero

Bella enamorada (Beautiful admirer)
– Enrique
from ‘El ultimo romantico’
Soutullo / Vert

Balada y Alborada (Ballad and the Dawn)
– Trini
from ‘El senor Joaquin’
Caballero

Por el humo se sabe (We know by the smoke)
– Fernando
from ‘Dona Francisquita’
Vives

Carceleras (A woman enslaved)
– Luisa
from ‘Las hijas del Zebedeo’
Chapi

Callate corazon (Keep quiet, my heart)
– Luisa Fernanda, Javiér
from ‘Luisa Fernanda’
Moreno Torroba

Interval

Tango de la Menegilda (Maid’s Tango)
– La Menegilda
from ‘La gran via’
Chueca / Valverde

Ya mis horas felices (My happy hours)
– German
from ‘La del soto del Parral’
Soutullo / Carbonell

Duo de La Dolorosa (Duet of the Forlorn Woman)
– La Dolorosa, Rafael
from ‘La Dolorosa’
Serrano

Sierras de Granada (Mountains of Granada)
– Maria
from ‘La Tempranica’
Gimenez

No puede ser (It cannot be)
– Leandro
from ‘La tabernera del Puerto
Sorozabal

iEscuchame! (Listen to me!)
– Aurora, Fernando
from Dona Francisquita’
Vives

Anna Pierard, mezzo soprano

Born in New Zealand and now based in Spain, Anna began her singing studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Highlights during her MMus include singing Erste Dame in excerpts from Die Zauberflote (Mozart – GSMD), conducted in concert by Sir Colin Davis. Anna relocated to Amsterdam, where she joined De Nieuwe Opera Academie, with whom she performed several roles to great acclaim including Hermia in Britten’s ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ under Lukas Vis, Ruggiero in Handel’s ‘Alcina’ under Richard Eggar, Dido in Purcell’s ‘Dido and Aeneas’, and Zita in Puccini’s ‘Gianni Schicchi’, both under Jeremy Carnall.

In 2006, Anna gave a recital tour of New Zealand with London-based pianist Ladas Valesova of ensemble and solo repertoire by Romantic Russian and Czech composers. The programme was recorded and broadcast by Radio New Zealand Concert. More recent appearances include Frau Bergmann in the World Premiere of ‘Fruhlings Erwachen’ (B. Menoit) for La Monnaie in Brussels and this year Anna will repeat the role for Opera du Rhin in Strasbourg.

Anna will appear as Hansel in ‘Hansel and Gretel’ (Humperdinck) for NBR New Zealand Opera in June.

José Aparicio, tenor

Spanish-born José studied flute and music in his hometown of Alicante. He became principal flute in the Chamber Orchestra of Elche and Symphonic Orchestra of Alicante before completing his Postgraduate Diploma in Orchestral Training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

The following year, he began his studies in singing and started in the second year of the undergraduate singing course at Guildhall, which he completed in 2002. He went to the opera course, studying with Paula Anglin and Adrian Thompson. His oratorio performances include works by Handel, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. Operatic performances during this time include extracts from Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore’, Britten’s ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’, Massenet’s ‘Werther’, Stravinsky’s ‘The Rake’s Progress’ and Rossini’s ‘Il Barbiere di Siviglia’. Such was his success at Guildhall that, in his final year, Jose won second prize in the school’s bi-annual Gold Medal.

Since graduating from Guildhall, José has performed in many roles, including Benedict in Berlioz’s ‘Beatrice et Benedict’, Don Basilio in Mozart’s ‘Le nozze di Figaro’, Male Chorus in Britten’s ‘The Rape of Lucretia’, Dorvil in Rossini’s ‘La scala di seta’, Calandrino in Oliver-Mozart’s ‘L’oca del Cairo’, and Rodolfo in Puccini’s ‘La Bohème’.

David Harper, piano

Success in New Zealand as an aspiring concert pianist led David to undertake further study at the Royal College of Music, funded by scholarships from the New Zealand Arts Council and the Royal Schools of Music. His great passion for the lyric arts soon eclipsed any solo piano ambitions, and within a few years David had fulfilled his wish to work exclusively with singers.

David spent four years on the music staff at English National Opera in London, before launching his freelance career. Invitations to perform with a wide variety of singers on the recital platform soon followed. BBC studio broadcasts, recitals at the Wigmore Hall and many other engagements throughout the British Isles and across Europe gained for him a glowing reputation as a singers’ accompanist of rare sensitivity and support. For many years, he was also harpsichordist with the Stockholm-based Drottningholms Baroque Ensemble, frequently touring Scandinavia and Europe, the USA and Asia.

In addition to his prolific performing activities, David has developed an immensely successful vocal coaching practice. His client list includes young aspiring professionals from all points of the globe as well as numerous prominent international artists.

Current and future CD recordings include an on-going series entitled Il Salotto (The Salon) for Opera Rara London exploring the extensive but hitherto largely neglected repertoire of solo songs and

cantatas with piano accompaniment, specifically composed by such mid-19th century composers as Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Balfe, Meyerbeer, Mayr for performance in the private salons of that era. Also for Opera Rara: ‘Pauline Viardot & Friends’ – a live recording of a recent Wigmore Hall and Chatelet presentation featuring Frederica von Stade, Vladimir Chernov and Anna Caterina Antonacci. For Trust Records New Zealand, he has recorded ‘Elegy, A Recital of English Song’ with Paul Whelan, ‘Canciones Espanolas’ with Deborah Wai Kapohe and ‘Franz Liszt Song’ with Keith Lewis.

Recent and forthcoming engagements include recitals and private coaching in Europe, Asia and Australia, a continuation of his twice-yearly Guest Coaching commitment at Opera Australia in Sydney, and a number of engagements adjudicating various national and international singing competitions.

Anna, José and David would like to thank…

The Prior family, particularly Dr Ian Prior who has given such unwavering support.

Alexandra Granville, Carl Hayes, Jane Pierard, Stuart Coats, Dan Brown, Ian Reid and Paul Collier (Century Theatre), Raashi Malik (Wellington Convention Centre), Monica Ellis (Restaurant Associates), Matt Hoyle (Multi-Media), Avisons Flowers, Lands End (if applicable), Ana and Meg Whitlow and Tom Pierard.