Santa Fe Opera Spotlight: Changes of Scenery

Oliver Prezant gives themed talks based on the Santa Fe Opera's upcoming season.

Today's talk is entitled Changes of Scenery: Italians in Paris , and it will focus on Donizetti's The Daughter of the Regiment.

Born to wealth, the vivacious Marie was found as an infant on a battlefield and raised by soldiers who dote on her. The affection is mutual, and when wealthy relatives separate her from the regiment, her boyfriend Tonio joins forces with her outraged soldier buddies. Their hilarious plot to thwart Marie’s snooty family breaks rom-com rules and gender stereotypes. But it is wreathed in vintage vocal splendor, including a famous test for tenors — nine high C’s in a single treacherous aria that catapulted the career of Alek Shrader, this production’s Tonio, when he sang it on national television.

Oliver Prezant is a popular lecturer for the Santa Fe Opera, the Music Director of the Santa Fe Community Orchestra, and the Artistic Advisor to the ArtWorks program, which provides arts education programs for public school students and teachers. His unique presentations have helped thousands of music lovers deepen their enjoyment and understanding of music.