Mozart's 'Marriage of Figaro' opens concert series at the Z

By John Ackerman , Standard-Times correspondent
Mozart's tuneful opera, "The Marriage of Figaro," will open the 1995-1996 season for the Greater New Bedford Concert Series. Staged by the Western Opera Theatre, the opera will be presented at the Zeiterion Theatre at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Mozart's musical recounting of love, desire and philandering is one of the world's most popular operas. San Francisco director Peter McClintock has staged the opera; Rodolfo Fisher of Chile will conduct. The opera will be sung in Italian with English supertitles.
The production of the opera has won high praise from critics in San Francisco, San Jose and San Mateo; the artists and the set came in for high critical applause.

Among the cast members is Stephen Salters of Milford, Conn. A graduate of Boston University, he recently received critical acclaim for his performance in the Boston Lyric Opera's production of "The Barber of Seville." Mr. Salters, a baritone, has performed extensively as a soloist, both in concert and in recitals.
Among other artists to be seen and heard will be bass-baritone John Haley-Relyea of Toronto, Australian tenor Stuart Skelton, and mezzo-soprano Maria Wood, a native of North Carolina.
The libretto for the popular opera was written by Lorenzo da Ponte, who also collaborated with Mozart on two other operatic triumphs, "Don Giovanni" and "Cosi fan tutte." DaPonte's personal life was marked by sundry scandals; ultimately, he fled to America and became the first professor of Italian literature at Columbia College, later Columbia University.
Tickets for the opera are $31, $26 and $15.50; call TicketMaster at 931-2000 or the theater box office at (508) 994-2900.
The concert series continues with performances by the Polish Orchestra of Cracow, pianist Garrick Ohlsson, and violinist Pamela Frank, all at 8 p.m. at the Zeiterion.
The Polish Orchestra of Cracow, featuring a special appearance by violinist Dylana Jenson, will be heard Nov. 13.
The orchestra is renowned for its interpretation of the masterworks of the classical period and has performed more than 2,000 concerts worldwide; Ms. Jenson is one of the most distinguished of contemporary violinists.
Founded by Stanislaw Galonski, conductor and artistic director, the orchestra has an impressive and challenging repertoire.
Tickets are $31, $26 and $15.50.
Pianist Garrick Ohlsson will offer an all-Chopin program on Feb. 9.
Critics have written that Mr. Ohlsson plays Chopin as if he were born to it. His formidable technique and expressive range have won him high praise. He is currently recording Chopin's complete works.
Tickets are $28, $23 and $14.
Violinist Pamela Frank will perform March 15.
A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and a 1988 recipient of the coveted Avery Fisher Career Grant, she has appeared internationally with such prestigious ensembles as the Philadelphia, Cleveland and Montreal Symphonies, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and the Mostly Mozart Festival.
Her artistry and technique have won her an outstanding reputation as one of the nation's most distinguished contemporary violinists.
Her father, concert pianist Claude Frank, will accompany her.
Tickets are $29, $24 and $14.50.