Active Geology

Baritone Jarrett Ott makes his Seattle Opera debut as Hawkins Fuller, successful Washington DC diplomat and closet case in FELLOW TRAVELERS. In his Act Two aria “Our very own home,” he convinces himself that his relationship with Tim (whom he calls ‘Skippy’) is not sustainable and must be sabotaged. 
“Let me hold you: 
Your head on my arm just for an hour,
you and me and the moon. 
Stay here in the shadows.
Matching plates...a bed...a bookshelf, we’re not that.
We’ll never be that, Skippy. 
We can’t be that, Skippy.
Just let me hold you.
That’s what we get.
Jarrett Ott and the orchestra of Seattle Opera conducted by Steven Osgood. Photo by Photo by David Jaewon Oh.

JARRETT OTT as Hawkins Fuller

Soprano Meryl Rodriguez made her Seattle Opera debut, and Sarah Coit returned to Seattle Opera, as the mischievous maids in DAPHNE. When Daphne rejects the love of the young shepherd Leukippos, they suggest he disguise himself in Daphne’s clothing and try again; perhaps she’ll like him better that way. (They describe their advice as “Die fröhlichen Wissenden,” also the title of Nietzsche’s philosophical work usually translated into English as ‘The Gay Science.’)
MAIDS: Ha ha ha!
LEUKIPPOS: Away with you, naughty chatterboxes.
MAIDS: Hear us, shepherd! We are not maids: we are rays of magic desire. Like foam on the waves we flow away into nothing! We bring clarity to muddled thinking. We bring fulfillment with no limitation. Listen to us, shepherd, trust our gay science: seize this gift [Daphne’s dress and jewelry]—become one of us. 
LEUKIPPOS: Trust you? Are you crazy?
MAIDS: Clothes make the man—or woman! She shall be yours: love through a trick!
David Afkham conducted Miles Mykkanen as Leukippos, plus the orchestra of Seattle Opera. Photo by Sunny Martini.

MERYL RODRIGUEZ & SARAH COIT as The Maids

arrangement of the titular tune as found in an 1846 shape note song book

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Also known as George. A Montana-born freelance composer and teacher; gardener and reader; thinker and walker. 

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Active Geology

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