Albert Herring Act III, part 1 - Susquehanna University Opera Studio

Part 2 of this video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6tiX5lFpe0

This is a recording of Susquehanna University's Department of Music's Opera Studio spring 2011 scene performance. This performance was held on 17 April 2011 at Stretansky Concert Hall in the Cunningham Center for Music and Art on Susquehanna's Campus.

SU Opera Studio is directed by Associate Professor of Music Dr. David Steinau. This scene, Benjamin Britten's Albert Herring, Act III was the second of four scenes performed this evening. The others were Francis Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites, Robert Ward's The Crucible & Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of Seville.

This scene star (in order of appearence):
Victoria Scalfaro as Emmie
Brandy Vasey as Nancy
Michelle Bryson as Harry
Scott Silipino as the Mayor
Michael Groff as Sid
David Owen as Superintendant Budd
Suzanne Fickenscher as Mrs. Herring
Lauren Mulholland as Miss Wordsworth
Jake Stamatis as the Vicar
Allison Bramnick as Lady Billows
Janelle Kleftis as Florence Pike
Timothy Accurso as Albert Herring

Performance Pianist - Dr. David Steinau

As this is only Act III, here is a synopsis of the previous acts, courtesy of Wikipedia:

Act I -
Housekeeper Florence Pike is run ragged. Her mistress Lady Billows is organizing the annual May Day festival, and has gathered all the important people of the village to vet nominees for the coveted position of Queen of the May. But Florence has dug up dirt on every single girl nominated, proving that none is worthy to wear the May Queen's crown. Lady Billows is depressed. Superintendent Budd suggests that the solution may be to select, this year, a May King instead of a May Queen. He knows of a young man in town who is as certainly virginal as the girls are not: Albert Herring.

At the greengrocer's, Albert is teased for his timidity by the easygoing Sid. Sid's girlfriend Nancy comes in to do some shopping, and the couple shares a tender moment while Albert eats his heart out. The lovers leave, and Albert reflects on his miserable existence under his mother's thumb. The Festival Committee arrives with the news of his selection as May King. Mrs. Herring is thrilled, Albert less so. Mother and son quarrel, to the mocking commentary of the village children.

Act II -
It is the day of the festival. Sid and Nancy are preparing the banquet tent, and they take the chance to slip some rum into Albert's lemonade glass. Albert is tongue-tied at the feast in his honor, but drinks his lemonade greedily, which Britten satirically illustrates with a quote from Richard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde.[12] Together with his crown of flowers and the gruesome but improving Foxe's The Book of Martyrs, he is awarded twenty-five pounds in prize money.

That night, Albert arrives home alone, quite drunk. In the street, Sid keeps a date with Nancy, and the two discuss their sympathetic pity for Albert before going off together. This is finally the breaking point for Albert. He takes the prize money and heads out looking for adventure.



Video recorded and edit by S.P.S. Art-Media-Services, Inc.
My camera died right at the end of this scene, so I had to supplement it with pictures from the performance and the audio recording of that night, hence the change in picture and audio quality, and hence why the other scenes were not recorded as well.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Albert Herring
• Act 3
• Susquehanna University
• Opera
• Opera Studio
• Opera Scenes
• David Steinau
• Victoria Scalfaro
• Brandy Vasey
• Michelle Bryson
• Scott Silipino
• Michael Groff
• David Owen
• Suzanne Fickenscher
• Lauren Mulholland
• Jake Stamatis
• Allison Bramnick
• Janelle Kleftis
• Timothy Accurso