An intriguing triple bill of 20th and 21st century chamber operas will be presented by Eastman Opera Theatre Thursday, Nov. 4, through Sunday, Nov. 7, in the Eastman School of Music’s Kilbourn Hall.
The three works — Hin und zurück (There and Back) by Paul Hindemith, Roman Fever by Eastman graduate and Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Ward, and To Hell and Back by Jake Heggie — present the full range of large operatic emotions: passion, jealousy, and violence.
Hindemith’s one-scene work lasts for just 12 minutes. It depicts a domestic tragedy, then reverses the action and music for an unexpected ending. Hin und zurück will be sung in German with English supertitles.
Roman Fever is based on an Edith Wharton story of the same name about two American widows who reveal their secrets about an earlier romantic rivalry. Sung in English, the work features a number of musical styles, including a jazz duet, Italian ballad, and an operatic aria. Ward received his Bachelor of Music degree in composition at the Eastman School in 1939.
Heggie’s To Hell and Back is a compelling contemporary version of the Greek myth of Persephone. The 40-minute long, one-act opera for two singers explores the issue of spousal abuse.
The production design will feature projections onto the stage, with the orchestra performing on stage behind projections.
Performances of the three-opera production, which is being presented during National Opera Week (Oct. 29 to Nov. 7), are at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 4, Friday, Nov. 5, and Saturday, Nov. 6; with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Nov. 7. Tickets are $10 to $20 (discounts with University of Rochester and student ID) and are available at the RPO Box Office, 108 East Ave.; by phone: 585-454-2100; by fax: 585-454-7885; online: www.esm.rochester.edu/concerts/tickets.php .
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Thursday, November 4, at 7:30 PM
Eastman Opera Theatre: Triple Bill of Chamber Operas – Hindemith, Hin und Zurück; Ward, Roman Fever; Heggie, To Hell and Back. Steven Daigle, Stage Director. Benton Hess, Conductor.
Kilbourn Hall, 26 Gibbs St.
Pre-performance lecture in room 120 one hour before performance
Tickets: $10 to $20 (discounts with University of Rochester and student ID), available at the RPO Box Office, 108 East Ave.; by phone: 585-454-2100; by fax: 585-454-7885; online: www.esm.rochester.edu/concerts/tickets.php
Friday, November 5, at 7:30 PM
Eastman Opera Theatre: Triple Bill of Chamber Operas – Hindemith, Hin und Zurück; Ward, Roman Fever; Heggie, To Hell and Back . Steven Daigle, Stage Director. Benton Hess, Conductor.
Kilbourn Hall, 26 Gibbs St.
Pre-performance lecture in room 120 one hour before performance
Tickets: $10 to $20 (discounts with University of Rochester and student ID), available at the RPO Box Office, 108 East Ave.; by phone: 585-454-2100; by fax: 585-454-7885; online: www.esm.rochester.edu/concerts/tickets.php
Saturday, November 6, at 7:30 PM
Eastman Opera Theatre: Triple Bill of Chamber Operas – Hindemith, Hin und Zurück; Ward, Roman Fever; Heggie, To Hell and Back. Steven Daigle, Stage Director. Benton Hess, Conductor.
Kilbourn Hall, 26 Gibbs St.
Pre-performance lecture in room 120 one hour before performance
Tickets: $10 to $20 (discounts with University of Rochester and student ID), available at the RPO Box Office, 108 East Ave.; by phone: 585-454-2100; by fax: 585-454-7885; online: www.esm.rochester.edu/concerts/tickets.php
Sunday, November 7, at 2 PM
Eastman Opera Theatre: Triple Bill of Chamber Operas – Hindemith, Hin und Zurück; Ward, Roman Fever; Heggie, To Hell and Back. Steven Daigle, Stage Director. Benton Hess, Conductor.
Kilbourn Hall, 26 Gibbs St.
Pre-performance lecture in room 120 one hour before performance
Tickets: $10 to $20 (discounts with University of Rochester and student ID), available at the RPO Box Office, 108 East Ave.; by phone: 585-454-2100; by fax: 585-454-7885; online: www.esm.rochester.edu/concerts/tickets.php