There are times when we experience something very special, almost historical. This was the case at the world premiere of “Princess Maleine,” a new opera staged by the Dell’Arte Opera Ensemble. The premiere was part of Dell’Arte’s 2019 festival, “Voices from the Tower.” The series, as described by Artistic Director Chris Fecteau, is “dedicated to the female creative voices who {…}
Fresh Squeezed Opera Company NYC has announced its 2019-20 season. Entitled “Delicate Systems,” the new season begins with a 2019 showcase at the National Opera Center in New York. This performance will feature works by Sunny Knable, Julia Seeholzer, and the premiere of an FSO commission by Kaley Lane Eaton. Performance Date: Nov. 5, 2019 The season continues with “Electronic {…}
Dell’Arte Artistic Director Chris Fecteau was working on putting together the 2019 season for the company when he happened upon Lili Boulanger’s “Princess Maleine.” His hope had been to create a season centering on the works of Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck, who had inspired such works as Debussy’s “Pelléas et Mélisande” and Dukas’ “Ariane et Barb Bleu.” “My mentor Fiora {…}
The true tragedy of Benjamin Britten and Ronaldo Duncan’s “The Rape of Lucretia” is that its story, about a virtuous woman in Ancient Rome who is raped by a powerful man, continues to re-enact itself in the modern world. What is arguably most complicated about the opera itself is that this tragedy is framed by the male gaze, which only {…}
In Benjamin Britten and Ronald Duncan’s “The Rape of Lucretia,” a young Roman soldier is goaded into testing the chastity of Lucretia, who was the only woman not to betray her husband Collatinus. This roman soldier, Tarquinius, proceeds to show up at Lucretia’s home, awaken her from bed, and, despite being repeatedly rejected, he rapes her. Lucretia winds up killing {…}
“For 30 years my Dad thought he was a girl. This is the story of how he found himself.” So says eight-year-old William Bouk regarding “Mr. Liz: Living in the In-Between,” a showcase featuring mezzo-soprano Liz Bouk and his family. The show had a series of successful previews in late 2018, but will now get a run of shows at {…}
Dell’Arte Opera Ensemble previewed its upcoming “Princess Maleine” by librettist Bea Goodwin and composer Whitney George at a private event on Jan. 17, 2019. The event revealed sections from the opera’s libretto as well as one of the titular character’s arias, sung by Elyse Kakacek, who will originate the role. In this very brief preview of the work (which is {…}
The dell’Arte Opera Ensemble has announced its 17th annual festival and it will feature works exclusively created by women. Entitled “Voices from the Tower,” the festival will feature the world premiere of “Princess Maleine,” which will be written by Bea Goodwin with music by Whitney George. This piece was commissioned specifically for the festival this year. The production will feature {…}