I Was Part of the Verdi Cycle

 

Anthony Barrese

 

I was directly involved in the Verdi Cycle for my first 2 seasons at Sarasota. In 2002 as Assistant to the Music Staff, I played a couple of room rehearsals for the covers and coached some of the minor roles for Le trouvere. This experience has led to the bizarre phenomenon of me feeling that “it should be sung in French” every time I hear Il trovatore.

 

In 2003 I orchestrated all of the band's music for both versions of Macbeth and did additional coaching. Even more important, I met a girl who was an apprentice, and singing in the chorus for Macbeth (and Die Fledermaus, and Pearl Fishers and L’amore dei tre re). That beautiful and highly talented girl, Kristen Barrett, eventually became my wife.

 

VIVA VERDI!