Boston's MetroWest Opera To Sing Ravel's "L'enfant et les sortilèges” and Mozart's "Impresario"

Feb. 19, 2009 - PRLog -- BOSTON—The Boston Area's MetroWest Opera said today that it will perform Maurice Ravel's "L'enfant et les sortilèges” (The Child and the Spells) in French and Wolfgang Mozart's "The Impresario”  in English March 21-29 on the stage at Weston's First Parish Church.  The church is located at 349 Boston Post Road.

A sensational opera with significant jazz and ragtime accents, Ravel's "The Child and the Spells” introduces us to a land of magic. It tells a story of a spoiled child who, locked in a room, gives a show of anger.  A live armchair, clock, fire and a beautiful princess talk to him, reproaching him for bad behavior.  The scene shifts in a marvelous way to a magic garden, where they meet talking animals. After those experiences, the child starts to look differently at the surrounding world and, as it happens in a fairy-tale, the world around changes rapidly.  

Mozart's timeless classic The Impresario is about a small-time opera company with big-time problems, spurred on by the rivalry between the resident diva and an up-and-coming ingénue.  It concerns the woes of an impressario, Mr. Scruples, who must put together a company of actors and singers while dealing with their whims, rivalries and pretensions. The company faces economic difficulties which are ultimately solved thanks to the intervention of Mr. Angel, a banker.

The musical passages of the opera occur when the auditions of the singers begin.  A faded prima donna of opera with whom Mr. Angel has an amorous relationship, Madame Goldentrill, sings an aria ranging from an initially pathetic and sentimental character to a bright conclusion, rich in virtuosities. The following aria tests the young Miss Silverpeal, with whom Mr. Angel also has amorous relations.  In "I am the best singer!", the two ambitious singers confront him on who the prima donna will be.  The two women fight and demand higher and higher contracts.  In the end, the singers and actors determine that art can thrive only through the peaceable cooperation of all their strengths.  Mozart wrote this opera as his entry in a musical competition sponsored in 1786 by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II at the Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna.  There are only four vocal numbers in the score, and the musical content (about 30 minutes, including the overture) is surrounded by much spoken dialogue.

The cast is comprised of fantastic trained opera singers from New England Conservatory, Boston Conservatory, Boston University and the Longy school of music. The artistic staff is top notch, featuring Adam Boyles as conductor and Andrew Ryker as stage director.  The shows will be presented staged, costumed, and with chamber orchestra.  This double-bill is expected to be a big success, one not to be missed!  Buy Tickets online at www.metrowestopera.org

DONATION  INFORMATION:

MetroWest Opera is presenting these two one-act operas through a meager and carefully planned budget.  In order to make this program a reality, MetroWestOpera needs your help!  DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE AND DONORS WILL BE SENT A TAX RECEIPT!

BECOME A SPONSOR:
Donation: $1,000 or more
Donor names appear in the program as a Sponsor.
BECOME A PATRON:
Donation: $500 or more
Donor names appear in the program as a Patron.
BECOME A SUPPORTER:
Donation: $250 or more
Donor names appears in the program as a Supporter.
BECOME AN ENTHUSIAST:
Donation: $100 or more
Donor names appear in the program as an Enthusiast.
BECOME A FRIEND:
Donation: $50 or more
Donor names appear in the program as a Friend.

DONATION INSTRUCTIONS:
MetroWest Opera is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of MetroWest Opera may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.   Please make checks out to "Fractured Atlas" (NOT MetroWest Opera) and send them to:

Dana Schnitzer, Artistic Director & Founder
MetroWest Opera
115 High Street #1
Waltham, MA 02453
 
ONLINE DONATIONS:
Opera supporters may also make donations online by visiting the "Donate" section of the MetroWest Opera website: www.metrowestopera.org. Please follow the instructions on the website.    To avoid disappointment, opera fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets well in advance online at www.metrowestopera.org

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Welcome to the MetroWest Opera website! We had our inaugural season in March 2008, which was a huge success. We presented Purcell's Dido and Aeneas and Douglas Moore's Gallantry. Both operas were fully staged and costumed, the first with chamber orchestra, and the second with piano. We featured some of the Boston area's finest emerging young opera singers! Information about our upcoming season is now available on the site. Thanks for visiting, and we hope to see you at the opera!
www.metrowestopera.org