Word: orontea
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...simple, but somewhat less effective than the costumes. The only other Harvard Early Music Society production that I have seen was Orontea in 2001. My memory may be too kind, but I feel that Orontea’s staging location—the Fogg Art Museum—gave that show a dreamy appeal that would have greatly benefited The Æthiop. One cannot help but think that this production’s rough edges might have been less apparent in a more grandiose setting...
When the dispute between love and philosophy is unable to be settled, the two seek Queen Orontea's advice in the matter. As played by Georgia Walle '04, Orontea's incredibly sonorous and hypnotizing voice carries the audience (with the help of an unbelievably talented cast) through the production. Hopefully, more operatic outlets will develop within the Harvard community to showcase this rising star more frequently after this stellar performance...
...story continues with Queen Orontea swearing to stay faithful to her own freedom and never fall in love, but she soon finds this promise hard to keep. She becomes torn between the statements of her court advisor (Jesse Billett '01) who pushes her to follow reason, not passion, and the irresistible charm of her court painter (Jason McAdams, a New England Conservatory second-year Master's candidate), who is desired by every woman he encounters. Once this passion gets out of control, there is little that reason can do to reduce the chaos that ensues...
...center stage of the performance is a highly integral aspect of this particular production. Not only is it an extraordinarily open and resonant space in which to hear these operatic melodies, but the style of the music and time period associated with the particular instruments and costumes of Orontea are perfectly set against the marble floors and fluted columns of the Fogg's courtyard. The upper balconies of the museum and the musicians of the orchestra are not only decorative but also incorporated into the production. Thanks to Sarah Meyers' stage direction, asides, focal scenes and orchestral interludes...
...ORONTEA...