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Will Crutchfield
Director of Opera
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In 1997, following the success of a production of Rossini's La Cenerentola that introduced Vivica Genaux, Caramoor decided to establish a formal concentration on bel canto opera, and - Bel Canto at Caramoor was born. On the occasion of the formal inauguration of the venture, reigning bel canto diva Marilyn Horne said:
"I can't imagine a better place for this project. It’s beautiful. People love to go there, the acoustics are great, the orchestra is wonderful.... The voices are out there, but what I most often find missing is the hand of a really fine maestro concertatore who can bring out the best in each singer. These singers are going to be very fortunate to have Will Crutchfield."
Of all the operas restored to life in this age of revivals, the most extensive and durable group has been the products of the "bel canto" school - Gioacchino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, Vincenzo Bellini and the young Giuseppe Verdi. Between 1808 and 1850 these masters produced some 125 works of musical theater in a style that made Italian opera the world's most popular art form.
Later, the shifting winds of taste swept all but about ten of these works from regular use. But beginning with the spectacular example of Maria Calla, and continuing with Marilyn Horne, Joan Sutherland and Beverly Sills, exciting artists have rediscovered the lapsed skills of bel canto singing and revealed dozens of masterpieces anew to modern audiences.
In 2007, in celebration of Bel Canto at Caramoor's first decade, the Festival featured opera as its centerpiece, with two performances of Verdi's Il Trovatore and the world premiere of Ricordi's new edition of Donizetti's Linda di Chamounix. In addition, the Caramoor Bel Canto Young Artists performed in concerts and recitals, and joined members of the opera casts in a performance of Rossini's final masterpiece, the Petite Msse Solonnelle.
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