A Musical and HistoricaL JourneY THROUGH Opéra comique
HOSTED BY julia doe
Julia Doe, Assistant Professor of Music, Columbia University, and author of The Comedians of the King: Opéra Comique and the Bourbon Monarchy on the Eve of Revolution.
In this series of three lecture-discussions, Julia Doe will draw on Opera Lafayette’s extensive discography to present a historical and musical tour through the lyric theater of Old-Regime France. At each stage, we will blend analysis of the musical features of these lyric works with a broader consideration of the ways that they resonated with the political and social changes of the turbulent pre-revolutionary years.
Opera for (and against) the Sun King
November 5, 2020, 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
The first event of the series will focus on Lully’s Armide — examining the political function of tragic opera at Versailles, as well as the satirical parodies of this repertory written for the upstart fair spectacles of Paris.
ENDED - REQUEST ON DEMAND ACCESS
Subversive Speech and Song in Mid-Century Opéra Comique
November 12, 2020, 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
The second event will consider the rapid development of the comic genre in the hands of Philidor (Sancho Pança) and Monsigny (Le roi et le fermier and Le déserteur) in the 1750s and 1760s.
ENDED - REQUEST ON DEMAND ACCESS
The Operatic Patronage of Marie Antoinette
November 19, 2020, 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
The final event will examine the impact of the Habsburg queen on musical production in France, with a primary emphasis on Gluck’s Orphée et Euridice and Grétry’s L’épreuve villageoise.
ENDED - REQUEST ON DEMAND ACCESS
EXPLORE MORE SALONS
The pricing for the Salon Series is $10/discussion, $25 for a complete 3-discussion series, $40 for a complete 6-discussion series, or $100 for access to all discussions in the entire Salon Series.
Overtures: hosted by principal players of opera lafayette’s
acclaimed orchestra
Before Opera Lafayette there was The Violins of Lafayette, a chamber ensemble of strings dedicated to exploring 17th and 18th century French musical culture. Over a quarter-century later, The Opera Lafayette Orchestra remains the musical foundation of the company. Opera Lafayette musicians play on period instruments - old instruments or modern replicas which would have been familiar to the composers whose music the company performs.
At each session you will meet principal players who will introduce you to his/her instrument and the role the section plays in the scores of early opera. In addition to hearing the individual instruments, the sessions will feature overtures recorded by the orchestra. Artists will include Andrew Appel, Charles Brink, John Feeney, June Huang, Anna Marsh, Loretta O'Sullivan, Margaret Owens, Christof Richter, Nina Stern, John Theissen, and Todd Williams.
Opera and Dance: HOSTED BY Seán Curran with guests anuradha nehru & catherine turocy
Dance was an intrinsic element of French baroque opera and has been an essential component to Opera Lafayette's performances. This series will engage with the artistic leadership of three frequent Opera Lafayette partners: Kalanidhi Dance, The New York Baroque Dance Company, and Seán Curran Company.
Each session will reveal the unique dance style of the company and share insights into the collaboration of projects such as Lully's Acis et Galatée, Handel’s Radamisto, and Geminiani's La forêt enchantée. The series will culminate with Ryan Brown hosting a discussion with all three artistic directors discussing the making of Rameau's Les Fêtes de l'Hymen et de l'Amour, ou Les Dieux d'Égypte, which featured all three dance companies.
From SCORE to Modern Premiere:
Hosted by Ryan Brown with guests Charles Brink,
Will Crutchfield, and Nizam Kettaneh
In its 25-year history, Opera Lafayette has built a reputation for returning to the stage operatic works lost to the passage of time. Each discussion introduces works that were popular in their day, influenced the composers of today’s musical canon, and maintain contemporary relevance. There are many steps Opera Lafayette must take when preparing a modern premiere beyond the planning required for the performance of a work in the current repertoire. This series looks at the process of recreating and preserving works not yet heard by contemporary ears, including several of Opera Lafayette's twelve modern premieres.