Let’s Talk Opera!
(in English)
The Let’s Talk Opera! series offers a friendly and dynamic introduction to various operas presented throughout the season.
Hosted by musicologist Pierre Vachon, in the presence of singers and a pianist, Let’s Talk Opera! dives deep into the heart of the works in 60 minutes to discuss the history, music, voices, cultural context, composer, style, etc., and offers musical excerpts by opera singers.
Guest: Prof. Jesús Pérez-Magallón, McGill University
Singers:
Emma Fekete, mezzo
Sydney Frodsham, mezzo
Kirsten LeBlanc, soprano
Piano: Christopher Gaudreault
Golijov | Hwang – Ainadamar
Ainadamar presents three images, three flashbacks to different key periods in the life of the poet and playwright Federico García Lorca through the eyes of his muse Margarita Xirgu. It features an orchestration whose striking intensity parallels the civil war that raged in Spain at the time, interwoven with the sounds of horse hooves and gunshots, where flamenco accents become the voice of pain.
Spain, 1936. A harrowing civil war pits the Republicans against the Nationalists. The poet turned revolutionary and then martyr, Federico García Lorca, is shot dead by the fascists, supporters of General Franco. He is survived by Margarita Xirgu, his muse and close collaborator, who remembers the man, his ideas, and his struggle.
In collaboration with l’Opéra de Montréal.
Information: 514 989-5226 or victoriahall@westmount.org