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Wednesday, June 27, 2018

BONJ ANSWERS THE QUESTION: What is a Trouser Role?

What is Trouser Role?

The term is mostly used in the opera world.  It refers to a male character intended to be sung by a female soprano or mezzo-soprano.   Most commonly, the character is a young male.

What are some famous trouser roles?

There are many famous trouser roles in great operas. Cherubino in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro is one. Oscar in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera is another. The most recent one would be Octavian in Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier.   

What is the trouser role in Die Fledermaus?

Prince Orlovsky, at whose palace the Act II party is held, is a trouser role. He is a young—maybe 16-17 years old—Russian prince who is bored with life. He hopes the party trick being enacted by Falke will make him laugh. Strauss most likely cast the role for female singer both to convey the character's youth and to add another female voice to the ensemble.

The 2018 BONJ Summer Music Festival opens Sunday August 5 at 3:00 pm with a semi-staged performance of Johann Strauss's Die Fledermaus commonly known in English as Revenge of the Bat. The reference is to a joke played by one character on another, but in reality it's all an excuse for one big party. Featuring BONJ singers Timothy Maureen Cole, Kevin Peters, Jason Adamo, Maria Alu, George Spitzer, Teresa Giardina, Dmitri Zigrino, Josh LaRose, Alessia Santoro and BONJ Opera Chorus, the opera will be performed in English so all the zesty humor can shine. Join the fun at Dolan Hall, The Annunciation Center, The College of Saint Elizabeth, 2 Convent Road, Morristown, New Jersey.

Other events of the 2018 festival include

  • The Summer Cabaret (August 11, 7:30 pm, Grace Church)
  • Chamber Music Celebration (August 12, 3:00 pm, Grace Church)
  • Lunchtime Keyboard recitals (August 6-10, 12:15 pm, Grace Church)
  • Summer Breezes Orchestra Concert (August 19, 3:00 pm, Dolan Hall)

Click below to order individual tickets or for further information. Save money - order a festival pass and hear it all.