This preview has been provided by the Duke University Department of Music.
Join Duke Opera Workshop as the group, now in its 56th year, presents scenes from beloved operas such as La Boheme, The Marriage of Figaro, Tales of Hoffman, and Eugene Onegin. “These are unusual scenes for a college opera workshop,” says director Susan Dunn, Professor of the Practice in the Duke University Department of Music. “It is rare to have two tenors who can manage Hoffman, Rudolfo from La Boheme, and Lensky from Eugene Onegin in one program. We are lucky this year to have just that.”
Accompanied by pianist David Heid, the production will feature staging, costumes, and sets. The scenes explore the difficulties of love — sometimes comic, sometimes tragic, and perhaps even fatal. On the lighter side, the group will present the end of Act I of The Marriage of Figaro, a comic scene in which Susanna must juggle the presence of three men in her apartment and make sure that they do not cross paths. “The Tales of Hoffman scene is somewhat comic,” Dunn says, “although the underlying theme of that opera is rather tragic. Hoffman has fallen in love with the doll Olympia. Despite the best efforts of his friend Nicklaus, Hoffman cannot see that Olympia, the ever acquiescent woman of his dreams, is just a robot.” The scene from La Boheme contrasts two sets of lovers managing their relationships in the midst of conflict. One couple surprisingly decides to stay together “until the spring,” the other seems to be in the midst of a break-up caused by jealousy.
A highlight of the production (and the case where the difficulties of love prove most dangerous) is the scene from Eugene Onegin where Lensky and Onegin are set to meet for a fatal duel over Onegin’s attempts to flirt with Lensky’s girlfriend, Olga. This scene also features Lensky’s famous aria.
Please join us:
Saturday, April 18 at 8 pm
Sunday, April 19 at 3 pm
Baldwin Auditorium, Duke University
Admission is free.
Info: 919-660-3333 or http://music.duke.edu
