We've been back in Pittsburgh for just over a week now and the hectic allbeit enjoyable nature of working at an Opera Company is in full swing with Madama Butterfly in performances and preperation for L'Elisir damore underway. I thought I would take a moment to share a few favorite pictures of mine after a brief glance through the over 500 that I took.

The ship





The view from the ship








With Lorraine and Margaret, two of the Pittsburgh Opera family on board



Did we mention that the airline lost Dean's luggage for three days at the beginning of the trip? Here he is moments after his luggage was returned....



The view from atop the city walls of Dubrovnik



Jean-Anne and Brack Hattler with me and James in Dubrovnik before the rain hit



When James "found his Lesniak." His last name means hazelnut in Croatian. We found this jar of hazelnuts in a souvenir shop.



With Jean-Anne after our last concert on board... do we really have to go back?



Cruising through the grand canal of Venice at sunrise on our last morning.





As you can see from the pictures, we saw many amazing things and met many wonderful people. Performing on the Corinthian was incredibly rewarding and the guests on board expressed to us all many times how much the music had added to the trip. We all made many wonderful memories during the 10 days. Thank goodness we have a stunning production of Madama Butterfly waiting for us back in Pittsburgh...!

Thank you to Pittsburgh Opera for making this unforgettable trip possible. Here's to many more concerts in the mediterranean!!

-Deborah
The trip took place September 30-October 9, 2007.

Sometimes you just gotta take off your shoes and feel the ground touching your skin. It’s even better when it’s raining and you are walking the streets of the old city in Dubrovnik.

James and I walked around atop the old city walls and gazed at the breathtaking views of the red rooftops and the water in the distance. About two-thirds of our way around the wall, we got caught in a torrential downpour! Luckily, we were close to a staircase that led to street level and we managed to get down without sliding onto our rear ends. We found shelter underneath an archway, but, after about ten minutes, realized that the uneven ground below us was allowing the rainwater to collect into a huge pool of water. James stepped up onto a wooden plank lying by the wall and I jumped up onto a precarious bench and nearly flipped off. After a few minutes of laughing at how ridiculous I looked perched on the bench, we realized that the rain was not letting up. We were going to be in worse shape if we stayed trapped in the middle of the ever-growing lake forming around us. So, off my shoes and socks went (because really is there anything worse than wet socks?), and James and I started running through the winding streets towards the main plaza to meet up with Dean. We ran, we splashed, we yelped, and we giggled. And boy did we get some stares from the people we passed. We finally made it to the entrance of the museum where we dried off. One of the guests on the cruise, Steve, caught me in this great candid photograph, clutching my shoes and heading for shelter.

As if the afternoon couldn’t get any better, James finally found his Lesniak! James had been looking for proof of his family name meaning hazelnut in Croatian. We found jars of hazelnuts with his name on them, Lesnjak gelato, and plenty of Lesnjak chocolates which we bought up to bring back to our colleagues in Pittsburgh. The day ended with a fabulous performance of Dalmatian folk dances and klapa singing. The costumes and the performers were colorful, passionate, and energized. It was hard to stay still in our seats!

It was another magical day.
This trip happened October 7.

As James already mentioned in his post, last night's concert was a big hit! The highlight of the program for me was listening to James' piano solo. I had goose bumps on my arms and the thuderous applause at the end confirmed that I was not the only one who felt that way!

I had the opportunity to sing one of my favorite arias: the Vilja song from Franz Lehar's "The Merry Widow." I mention this not only because it was a joy to sing it again, but also because I made a most unusual discovery about one of the cruise's passengers as a result of singing it.

One of the guests on the trip, named George, approached me shyly at the end of the night with a glimmer in his eyes. He told me that he wanted me to know how much it had meant to hear me sing "Vilja." It had brought back strong memories for him of his mother and her singing. It turns out that his mother was a celebrated Czech soprano by the name of Jarmila Novotna (1907-1994)! She sang regularly at the Metropolitan Opera from 1940-56 and was well-known for her portrayals of the greatest lyric soprano roles, including Violetta, Gilda, Adina, Madama Butterfly, and Manon Lescaut. She also sang regularly at the Vienna State Opera House. It was at this important house where she created the title role in Franz Lehar's last and most ambitious operetta called "Giuditta" in 1934. James also pointed out that the famous Lippen Schweigen duet traditionally inserted into productions of "The Merry Widow" was originally written for "Giuditta." As you may imagine, Lehar's music was extremely important to Novotna's career and to her family.

I have to say I was relieved to learn about all this AFTER the concert! (NO PRESSURE!) I was so touched to hear him speak about his mother and flattered when he told me that my singing had brought back vivid memories of her. What power music has to pull on our heart's strings!

We are all eagerly awaiting tomorrow's adventure in Croatia!
Ciao! Deborah

I have always said that I had a dream job, but never did I think that my dream job would lead me to a dream excursion as well! I decided to spend yesterday morning jogging around Syracuse, a lovely town with Greek, Italian, and of course Sicillian influences. I felt that my walkman was anachronistic as I jogged through "old world" streets while listening to a recording of "Flight," the new opera for the resident artists this year. As we made our way around Sicilia, the towns got more intimate and the dialect became thicker!

In addition to the fantastic friendships I have made with our fellow passengers, I have also gotten to know members of the crew. Dean has been practicing his greek with both crew members and passengers, while I was able to learn that indeed, my last name (Lesniak) does mean hazelnut in Croation (thanks to a lovely Croatian bartender on the vessel named Anna.)

Last evening's concert was inspiring for many reasons, but most of all because I genuinely felt moved by the emotional energy our audience was feeding us. I saw tears in various sets of eyes during Dean's "Ideale," Deb's "Vilia" and the West Side Story drew a similar response. We all owe kudos to Mark Trawka for planning such exquisite repertoire for these concerts!

This concert also presented me with an opportunity to perform a solo of my own-- and to fit the opera theme, I chose the "Rigoletto Paraphrase" of Franz Liszt. I was overwhelmed by the attentiveness of the audience, the solid wall of uniformed crew members who lined up to see us in the back of the lounge, and the gentle rocking of the ship that serves as a constant reminder that I'm living a dream here on board.

After the concert, Deb and I spent the evening into the late hours talking with our new friends as the evening unfolded perfectly. I hope our friends at home are faring well, and although we'll be sad to leave, I know this experience is changing and inspiring us in ways we had not imagined.

We sailed into Atronto this morning and spent the day walking the lovely cobble stone streets lined with old fashioned stores and coffee shops. This lovely little city was lined with tiny fishing boats and a beatiful lighthouse that James, Deborah and I jogged past this morning. I especially enjoyed watching the fishermen in the harbor prepare for the days work. Tomorrow we sail to Dubrovnik, which I am especially excited about as I've never been to Croatia. Stay tuned for details!!!

Ciao!

Dean

It's been three days of brilliant sun, shimmering water, majestic temples and cathedrals, fascinating museums, and delightful meals with new friends on board the luxurious Corinthian II cruise ship. From Napoli to Pompeii to Agropoli to Palermo, we have travelled to some of the most magnificent destinations in southern Italy.



For me, the highlight so far was our visit to Pompeii. As we arrived via tour bus, we all gaped at the imposing Mt. Vesuvio. I remember learning in school about the amazing city frozen in time, but I never could have imagined the awe I would feel visiting the city myself.



It is hard to believe that, after 2000 years, so much of the original city's structure and spirit has survived. As we wandered through the maze of streets among hundreds of tourists and the many stray dogs who make it their home, I imagined the streets filled with 15,000 people in its heyday. You could see the grooves in the stone streets where carriages once travelled and the large boulders used as stepping stones to avoid the murky and smelly street water. Street after street offered glimpses into what were once homes and shops. Most striking, of course, are the legendary bodies preserved by the imprints left in the ash from the volcano eruption. When the site was excavated, the bodies had obviously decomposed, but the imprints left in the ash remained intact. Archeologists were able to recreate the bodies by pouring plaster into the empty space that remained. The "mummified" bodies and their terrified facial expressions instantly capture a unique moment in time. Two thousand years later, we can see the people of Pompeii facing their last breath on earth. One cannot help but feel transported back in time.


After this chilling experience, we then went into what remained of a villa with an almost completely intact fresco. The painting's vibrant colors light up the wall and it was a breathtaking realization to know that a artist had painted it sometime between 500-400 BC!


This trip offers many opportunities to learn new things and meet new people, but, most importantly, it exposes us all to incredible beauty and inspiration I know we will carry with us for years to come.

Arrivederci for now!
Deborah

With all of the excitement opening the season of the Pittsburgh Opera, it was difficult for me to imagine that I would spend the second week of production for Madama Butterfly many miles away sailing along the Italian coastline! I felt as if I had just met the new family of Resident Artists and the cast of Butterfly, and with all of that excitement and preparation, I couldn't wrap my mind around the amazing opportunity that lay before me.

The afternoon of the exciting performance for the Rising Stars concert, it finally hit me! I felt like one of those game show guests who had just won a cruise-- yet I was going not only to enjoy the view and see the sights, I was also given the opportunity of a lifetime to perform along the coastline that inspired many of the works I regularly perform.

That opportunity was requited last evening during our performance of light Italian-inspired song and opera. It is rare that one gets to perform for an audience that over the past few days, Deb, Dean and I had gotten to know so personally. To add to the feeling that we were performing for people at this point we had considered friends, we had just begun a cruise of some of the most visually inspiring coastlines in the world!

Deb kicked off the program with the Italian Street song making a visually stunning entrance along the back staircase! It was a truly memorable experience to perform this piece within days after being in Napoli and literally hearing the mandolin players on the streets and in the dining area on one of our lunch excusions.

Shortly into the program, Dean was also able to experience singing "Santa Lucia" having just passed near this body of water! As a coach, I can honestly say it was an inspired performance!
Above all, the performance was special because we were performing in an intimate space where we could see the expressions of the audience-- the laughter, the tears, and looks of bliss from the full audience of colleagues, passengers, and crew!

The evening was overwhelmingly received, and not only were the artists granted an ovation after the concert, when we arrived for dinner, we were greeted with applause from the entire ship! Seated at the table, it hit me what a rare and beautiful adventure we were on: not only were we seeing monuments, works of art, and natural landscapes that have inspired centuries of artistic achievement-- we were able to share how inspired we were by this setting and experience with an entire ship of audience members doing what all of us love to do: perform!

I have to say that I was floored by the audience's raving response to tonight's performance. The accolades carried on through desert and cocktails. Sharing the stage with my two pheonomenally gifted new friends and colleagues is now a close second to the first morning's sunrise for a trip highlight.

I was offstage getting "champagne" for Verdi's Libbiamo when Deborah flirted with one of our patrons during her "Quando m'en vo", but I understand it was quite the sight!

Tomorrow we go on to see an Ancient Greek amphitheatre, but we don't have to sing until we return to the ship in the evening. For now, I think I'll enjoy the stars over the Meditteranean sea and the lounge pianist.

Good night.

Dean

Well, actually we open in Palermo, but close enough. Palermo is quite a change from yesterday's visit to Agripoli and the ruins of Paestum. The bustling streets reminded me a bit of Napoli, from where we went to the ruins of Pompei.

I have found myself quite taken aback by the strong Greek, Spanish and Arabic influences on the island of Sicilia. We just saw a Byzantine Catholic church that was originally Orthodox Christian and had latin words spelled with Greek letters. It is interesting to see so many influences combine to make one strong, proud ethnicity that even has its own dialect. The melting pot of European nations is also well represented by the crew of the ship. Our hosts come from the Phillipines, Italy, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Germany, Poland, Greece, Croatia and more! Infact my new Greek friend/ship staff member Vasili is recently married to our Croatian hostess Anna. Getting to know these interesting people has been a huge part of the trip for me.

This afternoon the other guests go by bus to the Medievil city of Monreale, which is about 45 mintues away. Deborah, James and I will stay on board to relax a bit and prepare for our first performance on board the Corinthian II for what seems to be an extremely eager audience of opera fans.

Wish us good luck!

Dean K.

When I reflect on truly memorable moments in my life, and skip cliches such as graduations and weddings (not my own), I have to admit that the list is rather short. I'll never forget my first opera - Romeo et Juliette in 1998 with David Miller singing Romeo, I'll always smile and remember the day I met the young lady who is now my fiancee, and I can't think of getting the phone call inviting me to join the POC without feeling a little foolish; I actually dropped the phone. This morning the list grew a bit. At 5:30 am I woke and went from my Cabin aboard the Corinthian II to the observation deck and watched the Coast of Napoli, lit only by a picturesque lighthouse, fade into the darkness as we set on our way past the isle of Capri and the Amalfi coast on our way to Agripoli.

We were served breakfast al fresco as the coasts rolled by and cameras flashed as if it was the Diamond Horseshoe Gala. I had the pleasure of meeting many new guests this morning, all of whom seem very eager for our first concert of Italian arias, duets and folk songs tomorrow evening. As if the view was not a delight enough, Deborah, James and I spent the early morning jogging around the deck of the ship with sea spray blowing into our faces.

We spent today at Agripoli touring Pasteum, which has temples built by the Ancient Greeks in honor of Poseidon and Athena in 450 BC and an accompanying museum. Of particular interest was a tomb that was opened in the 1970s. Inside the tomb were several vases sealed with wax. When the vases were opened they revealed 2000 year old honey that had been perfectly preserved. Honey was placed in the tomb as a memorial symbol of life everlasting.

On another note, the luggage of seven guests, including me, arrived today after a few days of cat and mouse with the air line.

Tonight we had a lovely dinner party and cocktail hour and are on our way to Palermo where we will spend the day tomorrow. Check back soon for more details and, if I can find a USB cable, some pictures too!

Dean Kokanos