First came 23 years as a professional opera singer (40 leading roles, things like Salome, Pagliacci, a dozen foreign countries, Carnegie Hall, Detmold, La Scala, Pippin's Pocket Opera.) Now I write, compose, arrange, and do opera translations.
"Tossed in the whirl of a dance divine,
Lost in a dream of romance and wine,
Once in your life, set your fancy free;
Sway to the music and dance with me."
The Fledermaus Waltz
"Quade Winter's new translation is playful, witty, sometimes a bit naughty — such a fresh departure from the stilted, stuffy, slavishly literal opera translations one usually hears." - The Salt Lake Tribune
"Vilya, o Vilya, oh what have I done?
Why must I love you, my pale ghostly one?
Vilya, o Vilya, my sun and my sky,
Why must I love you or die?"
The Merry Widow
One director told me, "I like to drop in on performances just to count the laughs."
And just for fun, here’s my manifesto on the singer’s greatest refiner’s fire, and my favorite party piece, "THE AUDITION".
They come in piano-vocal scores prepared especially for each of them, (Finale software) incorporating all lyrics and dialog. For Boccaccio and Orpheus in the Underworld, I offer complete, authentic, engraved orchestra materials, full score and parts. Full score and parts for Die Fledermaus, The Gypsy Baron, and The Merry Widow featuring my translations are now available from WVD Press, in both full and reduced orchestrations. I have just completed a reduction of Pagliacci for 17 musicians.
THESPIS, my own "completion" of Gilbert and Sullivan's original of 1871 (it was their first collaboration, most of the music is lost) The Ohio Light Opera premiered it in 1996, and other G&S companies have begun doing it.
THE CARP (click to listen to the entire score in midi files), a one-acter for three singers, one set, piano or small orchestra. Click to hear recordings from The Carp: Trio , Memories .(OLO, 1999. Click here to see Concert Operetta Theater's Version of The Carp on Youtube.
In seven years as Composer-in-Residence for The Ohio Light Opera, I restored full orchestra scores from the composers' original manuscripts. Victor Herbert's EILEEN, (Newport Classics CD) THE RED MILL, SWEETHEARTS, and DeKoven's ROBIN HOOD (Albany Records CD)
Check out the Victor Herbert Source on the web. You can download piano-vocal scores and full, authentic orchestral scores of all the Great One’s greatest hits. The selection is constantly expanding so check back often.