A musical resurrection is underway in the picturesque setting of New York’s Hudson Valley. Bard College’s SummerScape festival, under the guidance of its longtime president, Leon Botstein, has once again brought a neglected operatic masterpiece back to life. This year’s feature, Giacomo Meyerbeer’s “Le Prophète,” opened on July 28th at the 900-seat Sosnoff Theater. The production ran through August 4th, marking its first major U.S. production since the Metropolitan Opera’s performances in 1977 and ’79.
“There is no composer in the history of classical music and opera whose posthumous career has been so startlingly destroyed as Meyerbeer,” remarked Botstein, highlighting the unjust neglect that has befallen many once-celebrated composers. This statement encapsulates Botstein’s mission to “protect and revise the history of music from unjust obscurity,” a goal he has pursued tirelessly throughout his career.
The production of “Le Prophète” at Bard is a testament to Botstein’s commitment to historical authenticity and contemporary relevance. Working alongside musicologist Mark Everist, Botstein restored the 11-minute overture cut by Meyerbeer and librettist Eugène Scribe during rehearsals, offering audiences a more complete version of the composer’s original vision. Director Christian Räth reimagined the 16th-century setting for modern times, noting, “The piece unfortunately, feels very, very modern and rings a lot of bells for today.”
Despite being composed in 1849, the opera’s themes resonate strongly with contemporary issues. “It’s about a cult of personality. Everyone’s manipulating everyone else,” said tenor Robert Watson about “Le Prophète,” a comment that could apply to many of the complex works Botstein chooses to highlight.
Looking ahead, Botstein shows no signs of slowing down. Next year’s SummerScape will feature Smetana’s rarely performed “Dalibor,” continuing the tradition of bringing overlooked masterpieces to light. This commitment to reviving forgotten works has been a hallmark of Botstein’s tenure at Bard and his leadership of the American Symphony Orchestra.
But who is the man behind this musical renaissance, and how did Bard College become a nexus for the revival of overlooked operatic treasures?
Leon Botstein’s Impact at Bard
Under Botstein’s leadership, Bard has become a distinctive liberal arts institution offering numerous undergraduate and graduate programs. However, it is perhaps in the realm of music that Botstein’s impact has been most profound. In 1990, he established the Bard Music Festival, a series that would become internationally renowned for its innovative, thematic approach to programming. This success led to the development of the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. This Frank Gehry-designed facility opened on the Bard campus in 2003, becoming home to the expanded SummerScape festival.
Botstein’s influence extends far beyond Bard and the Hudson Valley. As music director of the American Symphony Orchestra since 1992, he has transformed the ensemble into a pioneer in thematic programming, presenting overlooked works alongside acknowledged masterpieces. His international reach includes founding a partnership between Al Quds University and Bard College, establishing the first liberal arts college for Russian students in Russia, and serving as music director of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra from 2003 to 2011 and is now the orchestra’s conductor Laureate.
In 2015, Botstein founded The Orchestra Now, an innovative pre-professional orchestra and master’s degree program at Bard College. This initiative aims to prepare a new generation of musicians to break down barriers between modern audiences and orchestral music of the past and present, further extending Botstein’s educational philosophy into the realm of professional music-making.
Throughout his multifaceted career, Botstein has consistently challenged conventional wisdom about what music deserves to be heard and studied. His work at Bard, with the American Symphony Orchestra, and through initiatives like SummerScape and The Orchestra Now, is a testament to his belief that music can “renew our respect and gratitude for our own life and the lives of others.”
As we witness the revival of “Le Prophète” at Bard, we are not just experiencing a forgotten opera but the culmination of a lifetime dedicated to education, music, and the belief that understanding our cultural past is critical to shaping a better future.
The success of SummerScape and its operatic revivals is not just a triumph for Bard College but a testament to Botstein’s vision of what a liberal arts education can achieve. By bringing these forgotten works back to life, Botstein and Bard are preserving our cultural heritage and demonstrating art’s enduring relevance in addressing the complexities of the human experience. As the curtain rises on “Le Prophète,” it serves as a reminder that under Leon Botstein’s leadership, Bard College continues to be not just a place of learning, but a catalyst for cultural rediscovery and appreciation.
Written in partnership with Tim White.
