Music Academy's Hahn Hall to Screen
Met Opera Simulcast of 'Orfeo ed Euridice'
For Immediate Release January 14, 2009
Contact:
Tim Dougherty
805.695.7908
Santa Barbara, CA – An acclaimed production of Orfeo ed Euridice featuring a commanding star turn by American mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe will be the focus of the Metropolitan Opera's next "Live in HD" simulcast at the Music Academy of the West on Saturday, January 24. The Music Academy's Hahn Hall will air the live simulcast at 10 am and present an encore screening at 2 pm on Sunday, January 25. Tickets cost $22. Free parking is available on the Music Academy campus.
New York Times critic Anthony Tommasini has hailed Ms. Blythe as a "once-in-a-generation opera singer." In Orfeo ed Euridice she stars as Orfeo, who travels to the underworld in search of his adored wife, Euridice, performed by Danielle de Niese. The Met's revival of Mark Morris's 2007 production of Gluck's sublime masterpiece is at once fanciful and affecting, with Mr. Morris serving as both director and choreographer, and designer Isaac Mizrahi overseeing the rich array of costuming for the various nymphs, ghosts, and heroes who encounter the opera's main characters. Met Music Director James Levine conducts. According to Mr. Tommasini, however, it is Ms. Blythe who shines brightest as Orfeo – a touchstone trouser role for many mezzo-sopranos. In a recent review, he fervently praised her "deeply poignant" performance, observing that her voice is consistently "rich and beautiful," even during fortissimo outbursts.
The 2008-09 "Live in HD" series will continue on Saturday, February 7, with a live simulcast of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, featuring the dynamic opera duo of Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón. Most Met performances are simulcast on Saturdays at 10 am local time, with encore screenings on Sundays at 2 pm.
Launched in December 2006, the Met's groundbreaking "Live in HD" series features live transmissions of Met Opera performances to select venues in 17 countries throughout the world. The transmissions are in high definition, and performances are captured using robotic cameras and other advanced technologies. Simulcasts also include behind-the-scenes features, live interviews with cast and crew, and insightful short documentaries.
For more information, call 969-8787.
Founded in 1947, the Music Academy of the West is among the nation's preeminent summer schools and festivals for gifted young classical musicians. The Academy provides these promising musicians with the opportunity for advanced study and frequent performance under the guidance of internationally renowned faculty artists, guest conductors, and soloists. Academy alumni are members of major symphony orchestras, chamber orchestras, ensembles, opera companies, and university and conservatory faculties throughout the world. Based in Santa Barbara, the Music Academy of the West presents more than 200 public events annually. For more information, visit www.musicacademy.org.
