A Night of French Baroque Splendor on the Upper East Side
Tuesday night, Maria Eugenia Maury and William A. Haseltine welcomed friends at their art filled Upper East Side residence for a chamber concert by Opera Lafayette and to announce plans for a May 9th gala chaired by the indomitable Barbara Tober.
Guests were treated to excerpts from the eighteenth century opera comique La Servante Maitresse by Pergolesi, featuring soprano Hannah De Priest and pianist Aya Hamada, led by conductor Patrick Dupre Quigley. Opera Lafayette had previously performed the piece at the Kennedy Center.
William Haseltine and Barbara Tober warmly welcomed sixty guests, including Opera Lafayette’s co chairman Dr. Nizam Peter Kettaneh, along with Afsaneh Akhtari, Yanna Avis, Peter Bacanovic, Edgar Batista, Tony Bechara, Ludmila and J. Truman Bidwell, Joan Hardy Clark, Wendy Diamond, Jill Esterman, Mark Fichandler, Maria and Kenneth Fishel, Carole and John French III, Boo Grace, Susan Gutfreund, Margaret and Gregory Hedberg, Sharon King Hoge, Urban Karlsson and Juan Montoya, Michele Gerber Klein, Jeanne Lawrence, Helen and William Little, Merri Moken, Princess Caroline Murat and Antoine Turzi, Marc Rosen, Sana Sabbagh, Dr. and Mrs. Thomas P. Sculco, and Shining Sung.
An Evening Steeped in Royal History
Beyond the music itself, the evening carried a quiet sense of occasion, one rooted in centuries of courtly tradition. The works chosen for the May gala trace back to the salons and stages of eighteenth century France, where opera served not only as entertainment but as a reflection of power, romance, and artistry at the highest levels of society. That lineage will be honored directly when Princess Chantal d’Orléans joins the festivities as a royal guest, lending the celebration a sense of continuity between the world that first inspired this music and the audience gathered to experience it today.
Opera Lafayette’s May 9th gala will present two short opéra-ballets: Pierre de La Garde’s Léandre et Héro, originally performed by Madame de Pompadour herself, and the world premiere of Jean Philippe Rameau’s Io, with costumes by Machine Dazzle, a protégé of Mrs. Tober. The evening will feature renowned soprano Emmanuelle de Negri and, marking his American debut, tenor Maxime Melnik, both performing in the title roles. Their performance at El Museo del Barrio will be followed by dinner next door at the Museum of the City of New York, with Princess Chantal d’Orléans of France in attendance. The evening kicks off a joyous three day celebration of French baroque music.
Opera Lafayette is the preeminent American interpreter and producer of period instrument opera from the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries and an international leader in this repertoire. Grounded in meticulous research and the creation of modern performing editions, the company’s compelling performances and recordings of rediscovered gems and historical masterpieces highlight the works’ original appeal while introducing a new generation to their contemporary relevance. Opera Lafayette remains the only opera company to perform full seasons in both Washington, DC and New York City.
For more information visit www.operalafayette.org.
