Maralin Niska "The Rain Quartet" Blitzstein "Regina" Giorgio Tozzi Houston Grand Opera '80

Maralin Niska, Giorgio Tozzi and cast sing "The Rain Quartet" from Marc Blitzstein's "Regina", his opera based on Lillian Hellman's "The Little Foxes", from the Houston Grand Opera production of 1979/80, cleaned and remastered (by me) from a very good broadcast recording. This is maybe the one opera selection that Blitzstein wrote that gets profound respect from the opera establishment; as well as Birdie's drunken aria that follows. It's also quite moving in the work, the one moment the Hubbards are a family and not grasping at each other, which deepens the drama - something was lost by their machinations. Niska is excellent in the part, which was only performed four times. Still no Chinkipin songs, which were not recorded till the Mauceri CD (flawed by a very mediocre Regina). But this version is at least as good as the City Opera recording, and with two of the same principals. Elizabeth Carron if anything tops her Birdie thirteen years later.

The full cast :

Regina Giddens
...
Maralin Niska
Birdie Hubbard
...
Elizabeth Carron
Ben Hubbard
...
Giorgio Tozzi
Oscar Hubbard
...
Rodney Stenborg
Alexandra Giddens
...
Jennifer Ringo
Addie
...
Jennifer Jones (ii)
Horace Giddens
...
Don Garrad
Cal
...
Andrew Frierson
William Marshall
...
David Bankston

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Maralin
• Niska
• The Rain Quartet
• Blitzstein
• Regina
• Houston
• Grand
• Opera
• '80
• Giorgio
• Tozzi
• Broadway

[Bernstein229]

Where did you get this recording? I had no idea that there was one of this performance.

[jonthesYT]

@Bernstein229 It was a radio broadcast at the time. I only came across it recently. This, the recording with Lewis and the Bernstein conducted MB memorial concert version at Lincoln Center are all wonderful (pity none of them have the Chinypin songs). I hope this and the LC concert will be issued, the later in particular with its incredible "Cradle". I cleaned this a bit, but there must be a perfect source. Blitzstein the foundation for Bernstein the foundation for Lincoln Center.

[Bernstein229]

@jonthesYT Where did you find this one?

[jonthesYT]

@Bernstein229 I wrote a show about Marc Blitzstein, "Blitzstein Strikes Back", which I long ago performed when it was a one-man show on an NPR station. Because of that people send me his material, a lot of which I've remastered and posted examples of here hoping to stoke interest in him and the show. Which it has. I would assume it came from the radio station or the opera company originally. My copy came from a fellow admirer of MB.

[jonthesYT]

Not according to the source I got it from, but could be wrong. The audio is the thing. If Youtube allowed it, I'd have uploaded it alone.

[Greykeys88]

I am having the hardest time getting the sheet music to this in Australia too, would love a source if you know of one.

[Greykeys88]

Another version of this piece! I'm so excited, I have an odd obsession, thanks so much for the upload! Interesting to compare to the Flemming/Ramey version. :)

[BrianJosephMorgan]

Isn't that a photograph of the young Renata Scotto?