by Phyllis Neumann | Sep 30, 2019 | Recent Operas
Saturday afternoon, October 12th at NOON If you can, I would suggest that you watch the Hitchcock movie of Marnie before seeing the opera, Marnie. It will give you a better understanding of the characters and the interplay between them. The Hitchcock movie, Marnie, can be rented or purchased from Amazon Prime, watched on YouTube or borrowed from the library. Though not yet out in DVD we will be showing Marnie through the magic of DirecTV. This performance was originally shown on television’s “Live from the Met” on February 1, 2019. Composer Nico Muhly was fascinated by Winston Graham’s 1961 novel, “Marnie,” which also inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s spellbinding 1964 film with Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery. Muhly thought that Marnie would make a intriguing opera as well. Marnie is an intense psychological drama revolving around a beautiful but disturbed woman. She works as a clerk at the accounting firm of Crombie & Strutt resourcefully moving from job to job, changing her looks and her identity, while also compulsively stealing money from her employers. As a customer of Mr. Strutt, Mark Rutland first meets Marnie at Crombie & Strutt, whose business was recently robbed by his secretary, the mysterious Marnie Edgar. Marnie next applies for a job with Rutland, with the full intention of also stealing from him. Mark, who has become obsessively infatuated with Marnie, blackmails her into marrying him. However, he soon discovers that she suffers from severe psychological trauma and resolves to help her come to terms with her past. Nico Muhly’s opera, Marnie, with an effective libretto by Nicholas Wright, painstakingly tries to use his imagination and his proven skill at...
by Phyllis Neumann | Sep 15, 2019 | Recent Operas
Saturday afternoon, September 21st at NOON To celebrate our 17th opera season we’re going to be showing the fabulous 2011 Covent Garden production of Puccini’s Tosca. This intense melodrama includes political intrigue, corruption, sexual intimidation and exploitation — all set in Rome during the Napoleonic era. It is the story of the love between the famous opera singer, Floria Tosca, and the painter and political activist, Mario Cavaradossi. While searching for an escaped prisoner, Baron Scarpia, the sadistic Chief of Police, upon entering the church can’t take his eyes off the elegant Tosca, who is the lover of Cavaradossi. Scarpia devises a sinister plan to claim Tosca for himself while, at the same time, sending Cavaradossi to the gallows. Tosca is a very powerful opera and a great one for beginners to appreciate. Puccini’s lush music adds to the intense drama unfolding on stage, making it a heart-wrenching thriller. This Covent Garden production brings together three of today’s opera superstars: Angela Gheorghiu, Jonas Kaufmann and Bryn Terfel, whose menacing Scarpia steals the show. It is a production not to be missed! Tosca is listed as #8 on Opera America’s 20 most-performed operas in North America. After the opera. We’ll show a video clip of Maria Callas singing the famous aria “Vissi D’arte” as no one else can. For those of you wishing to stay, we’ll have an open discussion about this production of Tosca — your feelings and opinions are most welcome. Running time: 120 minutes, with two intermissions Read / download the synopsis: Tosca Read / download the English libretto: Tosca — libretto Newcomers to opera — These DVD...
