Boston Singers' Resource News Bulletin, Dec. 10 , 2003

Looking for a Christmas gift for your soprano or baritone friends? Tenor, Craig Hanson and ECS Publishing have just released two new opera anthologies with selections from THE DREAMERS by David Conte, CLAIR DE LUNE by Libby Larsen, THE GARDEN PARTY by Daniel Pinkham, THE DANGEROUS LIAISONS by Conrad Susa, and THE CRUCIBLE by Robert Ward to name a few (see below for a complete list of contents.) Background information for each composer, opera, and aria is included in each volume. Below, Craig talks about his busy performance schedule, his dedication to new works, and his work at ECS Publishing.

Opera Aria Anthology Volume I: Soprano
Compiled by Craig W. Hanson*
Edited by Stanley M. Hoffman, PhD.

THE DREAMERS by David Conte - "Goodbye Quinn Fine," "Look at Me!"

THE GIFT OF THE MAGI by David Conte - "Della' Aria"

SHINING BROW by Daron Hagen - "He's found. We've found the Chef!"

CLAIR DE LUNE by Libby Larsen - "Clair's Aria"

SILVER FOX by Libby Larsen - "Titine's Dream"

A WRINKLE IN TIME by Libby Larsen - "Mrs. Murry's Aria"

COYOTE TALES by Henry Mollicone - "Maiden's Aria"

HOTEL EDEN by Henry Mollicone - "Hagar's Aria"

STARBIRD by Henry Mollicone - "Starbird's Aria"

S by Ronald Perera - "The distance between us grows"

THE DANGEROUS LIAISONS by Conrad Susa - "Always Remembering," "The Veil is Rent"

THE LOVE OF DON PERLIMPLIN by Conrad Susa - "A Mother's Advice," "Serenade"

CLAUDIA LEGARE by Robert Ward - "Still, still my anguished heart," "Daphne's Nightmare"

THE CRUCIBLE by Robert Ward - "John, I knew you'd come back to me"

LADY KATE by Robert Ward - "Poor Little Boy"

ROMAN FEVER by Robert Ward - "Bells, bell"

Opera Aria Anthology Volume IV: Baritone
Compiled by Craig W. Hanson*
Edited by Stanley M. Hoffman, PhD.

THE DREAMERS by David Conte - "A Dream"

THE GIFT OF THE MAGI by David Conte - "Jim's Soliloquy"

HOWARD by Joh David Earnest - "Howard Wanders in the Desert"

SHINING BROW by Daron Hagen - "And her scent, was it musk?"

CLAIR DE LUNE by Libby Larsen - "Dickie's Aria," "She' a Sensible Woman"

COYOTE TALES by Henry Mollicone - "Storyteller's Aria," "Pavayoykyasi's Aria"

STARBIRD by Henry Mollicone - "Donkey's Aria"

BLACK RIVER by Conrad Susa - "Ben's Ideal Wife," "Jake's Vision"

THE DANGEROUS LIAISONS by Conrad Susa - "Valmont writes to Merteuil"

THE LOVE OF DON PERLIMPLIN by Conrad Susa - "The Don in Love"

ABELARD AND HELOISE by Robert Ward - "He found peace at last"

CLAUDIA LEGARE by Robert Ward - "The South must Industrialize"

THE CRUCIBLE by Robert Ward - "Let you not Judge me," "I am John Proctor"

MINUTES TILL MIDNIGHT by Robert Ward - "Oh, Cocmos, with your myriad stars"

HE WHO GETS SLAPPED - PANTALOON by Robert Ward - "There it is! You are all so daring"

ECS PUBLISHING:
http://www.ecspublishing.com

Incorporated in 1993 in Boston, Massachusetts, ECS Publishing is the parent company of E. C. Schirmer Music Company, Galaxy Music Corporation, Highgate Press, Ione Press, and the record label, ARSIS Audio. ECS Publishing is the exclusive American distributor for Édition Delrieu, Gaudia Music and Arts, Vireo Press, Wayne Leupold Editions, Dunstan House, and Randol Bass Music. ECS is also a non-exclusive distributor of many Stainer & Bell Ltd. products.

E. C. Schirmer Music Company remains one of a few American independent classical music publishers in business today. Although it was founded in Boston in 1921 by Ernest C. Schirmer (nephew of music publisher Gustav Schirmer), there has never been a direct relationship between the E. C. Schirmer and G. Schirmer music companies. The company remained in the hands of the Schirmer family until 1985, when Robert Schuneman became the principal owner and President. Galaxy Music Corporation was founded in New York in 1931 by George Maxwell. In 1989, E. C. Schirmer (Galaxy‚s distributor in the U.S. at the time) purchased Galaxy and moved all operations to Boston.

CRAIG HANSON, TENOR
http://craighanson.com/

Tenor Craig Hanson is heard widely in recital, oratorio, musical theater, opera and contemporary music programs and has performed regularly throughout the Northeastern United States. In the traditional opera and musical theatre repertoire, Mr. Hanson has sung various leading roles, including Alfred in Strauss’ DIE FLEDERMAUS with Cape Cod Opera, the Impresario in Mozart's THE IMPRESARIO, Albert in Britten’s ALBERT HERRING, and Little Bat in Floyd’s SUSANNAH with the Longwood Opera, King Kaspar in AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS with The Rhode Island Philharmonic and Granite State Opera Companies, Tinca in Puccini’s TABARRO with Opera at Longy, Frederick in THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE with Savoyard Light Opera, Nanki-Poo in THE MIKADO with Salisbury Lyric Opera and Grosvenor in PATIENCE with MIT’s Gilbert and Sullivan Players. While in Europe in July of 1999, he appeared on Italian national television performing with Opera Lirica a Orvieto in Porto Ercole. Mr. Hanson recently appeared for the first time with Boston Academy of Music as the Postal Boy in Puccini's GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST. In January of 2004 he will appear in San Francisco at the Castro Theatre performing an evening of opera and musical theatre favorites.

An advocate of contemporary music and opera, Mr. Hanson has performed in several 20th/21st century works and has premiered many new roles. In 1995 he portrayed a townsperson in a workshop performance of Robert Aldridge's adaption of Sinclair Lewis' ELMER GANTRY with the Boston Lyric Opera. In January 1999 Mr. Hanson created the role of Denis Eady in the premiere recording of Douglas Allanbrook’s opera ETHAN FROME with Eliot House Opera, which is now available on compact disc. In February 2001 he was featured on CAROLS AND LULLABIES, a recording of Christmas music by Conrad Susa on the ARSIS recording label. In June of the same year, he created the role of David in THE MEASURE OF LOVE by Jeffrey Brody in the premiere performance with Longwood Opera winning critical acclaim for a "superior performance." In June 2003 Mr. Hanson was a soloist in the world premiere of Daniel Pinkham’s opera THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO with Opera Unlimited, which will soon be available on compact disc. Other contemporary music credits include Jack O'Brien in Kurt Weill's THE RISE AND FALL OF MAHOGONNY, Don Octave in PDQ Bach's THE STONED GUEST, Donald in Douglas Moore's GALLENTRY, and David in CABILDO by Amy Beach. He is also the compiler of the recently published OPERA ARIA ANTHOLOGY, a collection of contemporary American opera arias in four volumes.

Originally from Longmeadow, Massachusetts, Craig Hanson has a master's degree in music from the New England Conservatory, and a diploma in opera performance from the Longy School of Music where he served as a staff music theory tutor from 1997 to 1999. He is currently a member of the staff at ECS Publishing Corporation in Boston.

BSR INTERVIEW

LS: How long have you worked for ECS Publishing?

CH: I started working for ECS in 1996. Before that I worked at Carl Fischer's Music Store on Boylston Street, in downtown Boston.


LS: Tell us about the new anthologies you recently compiled. Was this your idea?

CH: A few years ago ECS had a really bad year financially; a 12% decrease in sales from the previous year. Our president called a meeting and
basically asked the employees for their help in trying to find new ways to promote sales. I was already starting to assemble the volumes at the time and felt it would be a good way to promote at least our opera catalog. The idea to put out an opera anthology was not new to the company. Several years ago someone thought of creating a single book of arias, and began assembling background information on each opera, but that never came about. Since then, the opera catalog has grown to include over 40 operas from more than 20 contemporary composers. This has enabled me to fill up four volumes; Soprano, Mezzo-soprano, Tenor, and Baritone. We decided to release the soprano and baritone volumes first because there are far more of them than there are tenors and mezzos. The remaining volumes (2 & 3) will be available in October 2004.


LS: I really love that you include background information for each composer, opera, and aria. Such a help! What is involved in compiling arias from different works and publishing them?

CH: One afternoon in the Spring of 2001, Robert Ward (the composer of ECS's most successful opera THE CRUCIBLE) came up to Boston and visited the office. He sat down with me at my desk and picked out arias from his eight operas which he thought were appropriate for my books. I was quite encouraged by his enthusiasm. I soon had the rest of ECS's composers just as excited. They all heard my suggestions of what to include and gave me their own thoughts as well. Once I assembled what I felt was an ample amount of music, I sent each aria out to it's composer and asked him or her to please create beginnings and endings where needed. The arias were then sent out to a music engraver who put all the different manuscripts into computer generated scores. I then needed to make sure that all the background information which you see at the beginning of the book was accurate and there were no spelling errors and so forth. After several rounds of proofreading by the editor, the composers, and myself, they were then ready to go to the printer.

LS: You know what I have always thought that we could use? Anthologies of small ensemble selections from opera and oratorios (duets, trios, quartets, etc.) Is there such a thing?

CH: Well, not from ECS anyway. I have given this some thought, too. It would be a little more difficult, I think, for the fact that ensemble pieces take up a lot more page space in books or anthologies. Without making the cost prohibitive, it may be hard to publish such a large book if you want a substantial selection.


LS: Ok, I've got to ask - why don't companies publish music SPIRAL BOUND so it will stay opened on the piano?!

CH: I have several music books that don't stay open on the piano, too! My solution has been to go and get these books spiral bound myself. Some copy places offer several different types of bindings and it doesn't cost that much. From the small publisher's point of view; it's just too expensive to spiral bind a whole print run. They would most certainly have to raise their prices, which - for copyrighted music - are already pretty high!


LS: Has your position at ECS Publishing led to any performance opportunities?

CH: I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of directors and conductors through my involvement in various conventions at which ECS exhibits. I don't normally make it a practice to promote myself while I'm working for the company. However, if someone asks what else I do, I have a business card ready to give out!! So, I have to say that I have not been hired to sing 'directly' through my position at ECS!


LS: I'm so glad to see that you sing a lot of premieres and new music. As you know, I am a big fan of new music and those who perpetuate it. How have these composers found you for their projects?

CH: For the most part, I have auditioned for the work. I'd say about 75% of the time. In many cases, though, I have been hired through recommendations by either another singer or by teachers or someone with whom I have worked. I have also met a lot of composers at performances and I tell them that I'm interested in performing new music. I give them my information and then follow by sending a recording or two. Composers are always looking for musicians to perform their music....and musicians (I include singers in this word!) are always looking for work. I think the Boston Singer's Resource provides an excellent opportunity for this relationship to flourish!


LS: You have some pretty substantial local contacts and performance credits. How did you get these initial contacts?

CH: I started out right after my master's degree at New England Conservatory. I just found a list of local groups, names and addresses and made lots of phone calls. I always tried to follow up with a phone call after sending out materials, and I offered my time to suit their schedule. I am still sending out materials and auditioning today just as much as I always have. I also use my web site http://www.craighanson.com, as a place where anyone can download a bio or resume, and I provide links to commercial recordings on which I appear. Developing a contact list takes time, as you know. It needs constant attention and continuous updating. The time becomes harder to findwhen you are working full-time. But it is important to maintain contacts with other musicians and to keep promoting yourself on a regular basis.


LS: What is up next for you?

CH: Next up for me is "Amahl and the Night Visitors" with Richard Conrad's The Bostonians on December 20th. Then a concert of opera and musical theatre at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco on January 9th. I'll be sharing the stage with sopranos Monique Nasser Argent and Mara Bonde. After that is Carmina Burana with the Masterworks Chorale in Cambridge on February 15th. I have all the information on my events page of my web site! As far as publishing goes; the remaining two volumes of the opera anthology will be released in the fall of 2004. Beyond that, I am still pondering the idea of another similar collection of arias from ECS's sacred works. We'll see!

LS: Thank you so much for your time and talent, Craig. We'll look forward to using your new anthologies.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Craig Hanson: http://craighanson.com/, chanson@gis.net

E. C. Schirmer Publishing: http://www.ecspublishing.com
138 Ipswich Street
Boston, MA 02215
ph: 617-236-1935
fx: 617-236-0261