VERO BEACH — Opera Studies programs are offered through a unique partnership between the Vero Beach Museum of Art, and the Vero Beach Opera, at the Museum’s Leonhardt Auditorium on Sunday afternoons from 1 to 4 p.m. To register, call the Vero Beach Museum of Art directly at 772-231-0707.
November 14 – Tristan und Isolde (an extended scene version), by Richard Wagner, and Dido and Aeneas, by Henry Purcell. We open the season with these outstanding operas about two of history’s greatest love legends – presented by Opera Studies Chair, Wayne Kleinstiver. *
December 12 – Rasputin – An opera by Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara, this 2005 performance at the Finnish National Opera features the great Finnish bass, Matti Saminen as Rasputin, The story follows truthfully the Rasputin phenomenon in the history of Russia. *
February 13 – Francesca da Rimini – 1984 live Metropolitan Opera rendering of this opera by Riccardo Zandonai – rarely performed in America; often performed in Italy – featuring tenor Placido Domingo, soprano Renata Scotto and baritone Cornell MacNeil, at the height of their careers, in the title roles.*
March 6 – Salome, by Richard Strauss, a 1992 live from Covent Garden performance, featuring Maria Ewing in the title role, and Bluebeard’s Castle by Bela Bartok, featuring two Hungarians, bass Kolos Kovats and soprano Sylvia Sass, in the title roles. These two one act, early 20th Century operas pair very well. *
April 10 – Orlando Furioso – This 1990 production of Antonio Vivaldi’s opera at the San Francisco Opera, features the legendary mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne. This is a magnificent production of a baroque period opera as it would have been most likely played during the 1727 premier in Venice. *
May 15 – The Love for Three Oranges – Written by Sergei Prokofiev for the Chicago Opera Association, it premiered in Chicago in 1921 with Prokofiev at the podium. This is an exquisite production of the opera, live from the Netherlands Opera, Amsterdam. The program will include a very interesting behind-the-scenes look at how this production was put together – staging, costumes, and conductor comments.*
* English subtitles for all programs.
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Additional Opera Studies
Free Admission: Opera Studies for the Met Live in HD Production of Boris Godunov by Mussorgsky – Sunday, October 17 at 2 p.m. at the Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center
Special Event
An Afternoon with Legendary Diva Virgina Zeani - Sunday, January 23 at 2 p.m. at the Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center.
Includes an interview by Dr. James Drake, Master Class instruction, costumes from her performances and video clips. For tickets call the Box Office at 772-564-5537.
