The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart’s delightfully chaotic opera, is a whirlwind comedy of mistaken identities. The story takes place in a single crazy day – the wedding day of the Count’s servants, Figaro and Susanna. From the first notes of the famous overture through to their boss’s lesson in marital fidelity, the women are portrayed as wiser, shrewder, and more gentile than the men. Even so, they love their men and, singing together, they all make glorious music!
With a small classical orchestra, Derek Carden, renowned conductor and organist (and longtime friend of Crested Butte) conducts one of the greatest operas of all time! Maestro Carden is joined on the stage by singers Leon Berger, Jenna Clark, Kate Johnson, Amy Maples, Eapen Leubner, Peter Tuff, and Malcolm Ulbrick. This condensed version features narrator Scott RC Levy (seen at the Center for the Arts last summer in the comedic Food and Wine Festival concert). While The Marriage of Figaro was originally written in Italian, both English and Italian will be sung during this 2-hour operatic delight.
Highlights from the Marriage of Figaro and Totally Mozart (August 5) were created to benefit the Arts scene of Crested Butte and provide performance opportunities for musicians and singers. The chorus for Totally Mozart is comprised of Gunnison County residents and guests from the Front Range. Both performances are being co-produced by the Center for the Arts and the mother-daughter duo of Elizabeth Bond and Emily Bond, Double D Productions.
Totally Mozart
Musicians from around the country are coming to Crested Butte for this splendid performance of Totally Mozart! Many of our guest musicians have performed in the past with the Crested Butte Music Festival, and all are noteworthy musicians in their home states, performing with ensembles including the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, The Florida Orchestra, the Knoxville Symphony, Western State University, and the Colorado Springs Philharmonic.
Derek Carden, longtime friend of Crested Butte, renowned conductor and organist, flies in from London, UK to conduct this production. Throughout the last 20 years, Derek has worked with the Crested Butte Mountain Theatre, Crested Butte Music Festival, and performed at the UCC and Center for the Arts.
This All-Mozart concert includes with the well-known motet for soprano and orchestra, Exsultate Jubilate, K. 165. Mozart composed it for the Italian castrato, Venanzio Rauzzini in 1773 while in Milan. In modern times, the motet is usually sung by a female soprano – for this performance, Amy Maples. Ms. Maples last performed in Crested Butte in “Broadway in the Butte” in 2019.
The Flute and Harp Concerto was composed at a time when the harp was still being developed. It was not yet considered to be a standard orchestral instrument during the classical period, so this combination of solo instruments was extremely unusual for its time. We are thrilled to bring back to Crested Butte, Jaymee Haefner (harp) and Terri Sundberg (flute), both of whom are professors at the UNT College of Music.
Mozart’s Requiem has been a staple of the choral repertoire for over 200 years. Amy Maples is joined by Jenna Clark (mezzo) and Eapen Leubner (tenor), all based throughout Colorado, and Leon Berger (bass) from London, UK.