Classical & More
The young musicians give old works new life.
Posted by: Julia Scherzinger on Jul 12, 2011 at 12:30PM
Photo courtesy Google Earth / examiner.com
Will wood nymphs and frat boys join the Greek chorus at UW’s Sylvan Grove Theater?
Seattle opera aficionados have to endure this summer’s brief dry spell, devoid of Verdi or Wagner, counting the weeks until Porgy and Bess begins. It’s the perfect time for a group of rising sopranos to step in. Beginning this Friday, University of Washington’s Vespertine Opera Theater, accompanied by the fresh-faced Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, will perform Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Gustav Holst’s Savitri at UW’s Sylvan Grove Theater.
Dido and Aeneas, a three-act based on Virgil’s Aeneid, and Savitri, taken from an Indian text written in the eighth century BC, are both ancient stories of love and tragedy given new life by the young performers. Opera director Dan Miller chose Savitri, in part, because he could experiment with the setting. The chamber opera was written for smaller venues or outdoor performances, so the Grove’s lush stage—nestled within a cluster of oak trees, with four freestanding Ionian columns as backdrop—is ideal.
The setting may be green, but not so for the roster of classically trained performers: UW vocal music program graduates or students who’ve trained with local masters. To wit: Soprano Nataly Wickham, who’ll sing the role of Dido, has worked with Seattle Opera grande dame Jane Eaglen. “We’re putting forth all of the most talented young musicians we can find in Seattle to do this show,” Miller said.
The cast will be accompanied by the equally promising Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra: a group of 25-plus musicians mostly in their twenties, graduates of Juilliard and music conservatories across the country, led by founder and conductor Geoffrey Larson (age 24). Despite having only two years under its belt, SMCO has already played Benaroya Hall and is gearing up for its first world premiere in October. This is the orchestra’s first opera performance, but the score fits into its regular repertoire of small, intimate works.
Larson believes the youth of the musicians gives fresh energy to the music. “It’s so exciting because the music is served by people who are experiencing it for the first time—people who aren’t bored by the music. People who aren’t bored by anything.”
Dido and Aeneas and Savitri will be performed July 15, 20, and 23 at 8pm in the Sylvan Grove Theatre on the UW campus. Tickets are $20 general admission or $15 for students and seniors, available at brownpapertickets.com.
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Tags:
University District,
Opera,
Outdoor Performance
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