Ai [Love]
Loveland Opera Theater presents Margaret Ozaki-Graves
AUGUST 29th, 2020 :: LIVESTREAMED ONLINE
Ai [Love] featured soprano/curator Margaret (Meg) Ozaki Graves, along with many friends and collaborators, including artists from the Japanese Arts Network. JA-NE served as a producer for this program, and conceptualized the short music films for "Vilja" and "Taiko Drum".
-PROGRAM-
“Let Met Weep”
Inspired by Lascia ch’io pianga from RINALDO (1711)
by George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Libretto by Giacomo Rossi (d. 1731)
Arr. by Margaret Ozaki Graves
Margaret Ozaki Graves, soprano and koto
Concept by The Ozaki Sisters Productions
Shannon Umetani, director
Keiko Ozaki, editor
June Kurobane, production assistant
“O mio babbino caro”
from GIANNI SCHICCHI (1817-18)
By Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
Libretto by Giovacchino Forzano (1883-1970)
Margaret Ozaki Graves, soprano
Jessica Nilles, piano
Shannon Umetani, director
Keiko Ozaki, editor
“The Shepherd on the Rock”
Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, D. 965 (1828)
by Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Poetry by Wilhelm Muller (1794-1827) and Karl August Varnhagen von Ense (1785-1858)
Margaret Ozaki Graves, soprano
Kevin Sakai, clarinet
Madoka Asari, piano
Keiko Ozaki, director
Shannon Umetani, camera
June, production assistant
“Vilja”
from THE MERRY WIDOW (1905)
by Franz Lehar (1870-1948)
Margaret Ozaki Graves, soprano
Jessica Nilles, piano
Starring Christopher Page-Sanders, dancer/choreographer
Featuring Bashir Page-Sander
Concept by Courtney Ozaki, Keiko Ozaki & Margaret Ozaki Graves
Keiko Ozaki, director, camera and editing
Akemi Tsutsui-Kunitake, production assistant
“The Willow Song” (1909)by Samuel Coleridge- Taylor (1875-1912); Lyrics from OTHELLO by William ShakespeareMargaret Ozaki Graves, sopranoMallory Bernstein, pianoEapen Leubner, executive producerMichael Bevers, producer engineer
Special thanks to Art Song Colorado
“My Ship”
from LADY IN THE DARK (1941)
by Kurt Weill (1900-1950); Lyrics by Ira Gershwin (1896-1983)
Margaret Ozaki Graves, soprano
Madoka Asari, piano
“Depuis le jour”
from LOUISE (1900)
Music and libretto by Gustave Charpentier (1860-1956)
Story contribution by Saint-Pol-Roux (1861-1940)
Margaret Ozaki Graves, soprano
Cody Guy Garrison, piano
Shannon Ozaki, director, camera work and editor
“Theme and Variations on Sakura, Sakura”
Traditional Japanese Melody (Edo Period)
with Koto Variation based on an arr. by Tadao Sawai (1938-1997)
Margaret Ozaki Graves, voice, koto & shamisen
“Taiko Drum”
Akatombo (1927) by Kosaku Yamada (1886-1965); Arr. by Kevin Sakai and Margaret Ozaki Graves
Taiko Drum by Christopher Bennet (aka Emcee 3Two) and Courtney Ozaki
3Two, emcee
Kevin Sakai, clarinet
Courtney Ozaki, taiko
Margaret Ozaki Graves, soprano