Word: opera
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Such was the case in Literature and Arts B-55: "Opera: Perspectives on Music and Drama," on the first Wednesday of shopping period...
...should be mentioned that producer John Cearley and his directors daringly chose to tackle an obscure and risky sleeper of an opera in "Hoffmann"--foregoing the insurance of a familiar crowd-pleaser like "The Marriage of Figaro" or "La Boheme." Although Offenbach was referred to as the "Mozart of the Champs-Elysees" earlier in his career, "The Tales of Hoffmann" was his first real opera, departing from his jokier opera-bouffe compositions of the past...
...Mozart Overture to "Le nozze di Figaro" fits right into the Valentine theme with the opera's classic comedic plot, replete with anticipated marriages, star-crossed crushes, and a character named Cherubino. Like the opera, the overture too is a classic. It is a sweeping, theatrical piece with sudden dynamic changes and deft technical work in the string section, all of which were handled perfectly by the orchestra. The effect produced by the period instruments on a piece normally performed by a much larger orchestra was interesting; the thin, pure sound of the violins juxtaposed with the raw yet perfectly...
Rossini's Overture to "L'italiana in Algeri," like most of Rossini's work, was composed in a hurry; opera companies often lost their commissions and (more often) composers procrastinated up to the last moment. Such haste, though, was not evident in the H&H's sparkling performance. The piece is highly whimsical and melodramatic in an almost burlesque manner, making it easy to see why Rossini overtures figure so prominently in cartoon soundtracks. Despite the overture's comic nature, the beautiful oboe solo at the beginning of the piece was highly expressive. A flute and oboe duet later...
...festival ends with a trio of shorts that both exalt and skewer classical music and opera. "Rhapsody Rabbit," "The Rabbit of Seville," and "What's Opera, Doc?" are wonderful, if skewed, introductions to music and theater...