Samuel Ramey coaches stars of WSU’s ‘Don Giovanni’

Sexual intrigue and violence are not limited to the 21st century. Neither are operas about seducers or murderers.

Next weekend in Wichita, one of the world’s greatest operas, “Don Giovanni,” composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1787, will be performed by renowned bass vocalist and opera star Samuel Ramey.

Ramey, who has recorded and performed “Don Giovanni” at the Metropolitan Opera, recently joined the faculty of his alma mater, Wichita State University.

One of the reasons Marie King, the director of the opera department at WSU, choose “Don Giovanni” was because Ramey has performed the title role at least 200 times and the role of Leporello more than 30 times. But more importantly for this international celebrity, is the role of coaching a new generation of performers.

In this production, Ramey will be playing the Commendatore, whose daughter Don Giovanni tries to seduce. With his natural deep resonance, he is well-equipped to both walk right into the role as well as instruct the WSU students in articulation, character and projection.

“I’ve sung opposite the Commendatore so many times; the part has been so ingrained in my mind,” Ramey said.

The Commendatore, like Don Giovanni and Leporello, calls for a bass or bass-baritone.

An unrepentant Don Juan, Don Giovanni brags about having seduced more than 2,000 women. Yet his charm continues to allure.

“He’s a real alpha male who is a completely amoral individual,” King said. “He’s become a sort of cautionary figure in art.”

“Don Giovanni” is considered a comic drama, King said. “There is lots and lots of black humor in it.”

Complete with swordfights, romance and ghosts, the opera relies on the universal themes of good and evil.

“Don Giovanni” will be sung in Italian, but subtitles will be shown above the stage. By keeping the performance in its original language, the intended tones and nuances remain accurate.

Singing in a foreign language is typical for an opera performer. Ramey drills this point home to his students.

“I wish I had taken my language training in college more seriously,” he said. “I never spent the time.”

After graduating, Ramey realized that knowing German, Italian, Russian and French were crucial for his career. He now coaches his WSU master’s students to study languages in college and not wait until after graduation.

The show’s lead, Constantine Novotny, understands the need for language development. A second-year master’s student from Michigan, Novotny is fluent in Greek and studies Italian, French and German at WSU. A bass-baritone like Ramey, Novotny wants to learn as much as he can from his mentor.

“He (Ramey) is one of the definitive sources of how to do this role,” Novotny said.

Although at first Novotny, 23, was intimidated by being on stage with the opera legend, he soon realized that Ramey, a Colby native, was true to his roots.

“He is so giving and kind,” Novotny said.

Since Ramey joined the faculty at WSU, the graduate opera program has risen from 7 to 19 students.

“We’re poised to go to another level of excellence,” King said. “He (Ramey) loves working with the kids. His presence keeps them focused.”

This story was originally published October 24, 2014 at 2:10 PM with the headline "Samuel Ramey coaches stars of WSU’s ‘Don Giovanni’."