First day of rehearsals

Posted by DCA Theater on July 8, 2009 in Other, Summer Opera

Rehearsals for Acis and Galatea have officially begun at the Cultural Center.  The picture below is a painting from 1709 (a year after Handel first composed music to set the story of Acis and Galatea), titled “The opera rehearsal.”

Today, as in the 18th century, opera rehearsals always begin at the keyboard.  Singers review music with the conductor in initial rehearsals before blocking is added. Because Conductor Francesco Milioto had already been working with the soloists individually, the first group rehearsal in the Cultural Center ran smoothly and efficiently.

In the afternoon, pre-production meetings revealed a gorgeous set model and costume renderings by designer Chelsea Warren.  She’s busy working with her crew building props, sets, and costumes (photos will follow tomorrow).

Opera… in English?

Posted by DCA Theater on July 7, 2009 in Other, Summer Opera

Submitted by Stephen Raskauskas, Production Dramaturge

Handel was quite cosmopolitan and his career as a composer led him all over Europe.  He spent a significant portion of his career in England, and became a naturalized citizen in 1727.  As a result, he has left us with many enduring works with English texts, including The Messiah, Hercules, and of course, Acis and Galatea.

Last week, baritone Brad Jungwirth posted about learning Handel’s challenging but beautiful choruses.  Now that he’s spent a bit more time on the music, he’s learned that one aspect of the music makes it easier to learn – it’s in English.  Below, Brad reflects on opera in English;

Although I’m still in the throws of memorizing this music, at least parts of it are starting to stay in my brain! I’m thankful the music is in English, though, as that does makes things a bit easier.  Not that I have any trouble understanding or memorizing other languages, but since the work is in my native tongue, I don’t have to also worry about memorizing what the words mean.  It has always surprised me that Handel, German by birth, set English text so well.  His English-language works (The Messiah, Semele, etc) really demonstrate a strong knowledge of the natural stress and rhythm of English and the ways he brings the words to life really brings the text to life.  For example, at the end of the “Wretched Lovers” chorus, I have long, florid scales on the word “roars” that traverse the full range of the bass/baritone voice….the relentless, agitated musical lines really sound like roaring and help the drama leap off the page!  This sensitivity to the language coupled with a rather minimal use of text (see my previous post) Brad Jungwirth, brings a wonderful immediacy to the work and makes it understandable to modern audiences.”

Designing by the book

Posted by DCA Theater on July 7, 2009 in Other, Summer Opera

Submitted by Stephen Raskauskas, Production Dramaturge

The myth of Acis and Galatea has inspired composers, poets and painters for centuries.  This vivid tale from Ovid’s Metamorphoses provides ample artistic inspiration with its mythological characters, pastoral setting, and of course, the metamorphosis itself, when Galatea transforms her lost lover into a river. 

The Chicago Cultural Center Summer Opera production of Acis and Galatea has been updated, setting the story in Preston Bradley Hall as it was decades ago – a library. 

Much of the magic in this production will come from the designs conjured up by Production Designer Chelsea Warren, who will use books as props, set, and costume in exciting and creative ways.  Chelsea describes some of her inspiration;

When Joanie approached me about doing a production design for an opera that takes place in a library in which books become all the props, I knew I had to be on board and that this is the project for me.  I grew up an opera lover, studying voice in undergrad with soprano Dora Ohrenstein, as well as have always had a passion for books, libraries and book art.  The librarian characters will become the mythic gods and shepherds in the story by diving into the books.  The time period is the 1950s and there will be 3 costumes that will be made out of books—or look like they will.  A 1950s wedding dress made out of paper I believe is the most exciting!  As well as all sorts of props made out of books, including trees and all sorts of origami.  My main source of research has come from the Cultural Center’s history as a library as well as many inspirations from paper artists around the world.

Click “Read More” to see additional images which inspired Chelsea’s designs.

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Oh, the pleasure of the plains!

Posted by DCA Theater on July 2, 2009 in Other, Summer Opera

Submitted by Stephen Raskauskas, Production Dramaturge

Handel’s Acis and Galatea was originally performed outdoors on a terrace overlooking the gardens of Cannons – a ducal palace in England.  So, the Chicago Cultural Center’s final outdoor performance of Acis and Galatea in the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park is a perfect way to experience Handel’s glorious music as it was originally intended – in nature! 

The pastoral themes of the opera lent themselves perfectly to an outdoor performance at Cannons in 1718, when the work debuted.  However, Handel was no stranger to the genre of outdoor opera; in 1708, he composed an entirely different version of the Acis and Galatea story in Italy, called Aci, Galatea e Polifemo, which was also performed outdoors.  Acis and Galatea was so popular during the 18th century that it was frequently performed well after Handel’s death and was even adapted by Mozart!

On August 3rd, pack your picnics and enjoy the “pleasure of the plains” in Millennium Park to celebrate the sun, summer, and the 250th anniversary of Handel’s death with the Chicago Cultural Center Summer Opera!

All those little black dots…

Posted by DCA Theater on July 1, 2009 in Other, Summer Opera

Submitted by Stephen Raskauskas, Production Dramaturge

In many baroque operas, including those by Handel, the standard formula throughout the performance is as follows; songs called da capo arias express a character’s emotions while half-spoken, half-sung recitative propels action and carries dialogue.  Occasionally, an opera will begin and end with a chorus, and even more rarely, duets, trios, and other ensemble numbers are scattered throughout.  While Acis and Galatea contains a fair amount of solo arias and some recitative, the chorus plays a very important role throughout the entire story, not only beginning and ending the opera, but also providing commentary along the way.  Even more unique than standard baroque choruses, the choruses in Acis and Galatea sing multiple melodies at the same time (polyphony), often with different texts, like in the example below from the chorus “Wretched lovers”:

Click here to enlarge

This presents unique challenges for our chorus, since polyphonic music is usually reserved for church music, allowing choristers to read directly from sheet music while standing stationary in a choir loft.  However, the chorus of Acis and Galatea must navigate Handel’s elaborate webs of counterpoint completely from memory while also moving around on stage.  Click “Read More” to get an inside look at what it’s like to memorize “all those little black dots” from baritone Brad Jungwirth.

To hear a chorus from Acis and Galatea on YouTube, click here.

To see Handel’s polyphonic choruses directly in the score, click here.

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