The melodious harmonies of 17th century Italy will fill the air of Kanbar Auditorium this weekend at the University of Southern Maine's School of Music's performance of Claudio Monteverdi's "L'Orfeo?Favola in Musica."
This concert performance in the original Italian will be in the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the opera, which premiered on February 24, 1607 in Mantua, Italy. It is considered to be one of the first complete operas ever written.
"A group of composers, poets, artists and philosophers, mostly centered in Florence in the 1600s, decided to totally change procedures," writes artistic director Bruce Fithian in the program notes of this performance. "Harkening back to the distant past of Greece, they attempted to reenact the dramatic monody from classical theater."
"Their solution was ingenious," he continues. "The rhythms of spoken words would be transcribed carefully, musical pitches would be assigned according to the natural ebb and flow of speech, and most importantly], harmonies would strategically support the singing line. That is why Monteverdi's work is entitled 'Favola in musica,' a play in music."
"L'Orfeo," to which Alessandro Striggio wrote the libretto, tells the tragic love story of Orpheus, the mythological Greek musician who travels to the underworld Hades to bring his bride Eurydice back to life.
"As the symbol of music's power, the character of Orfeo was a perfect vehicle for Monteverdi. What is remarkable about his achievement is that, even though music was supposed to take a second place to the words, the very choice of his rhythms and harmonies transforms and intensifies the character's emotions," writes Fithian.
The performance will feature a cast of 14 singers, with Fithian in the title role of Orfeo. Sopranos Erin Niland and Jenny Lynd Robinson will sing Euridice and Proserpina respectively, while Malcolm Smith, bass, will appear as Plutone. Christina Astrachan, soprano, will be the narrator of the opera, La Musica.
The singers will be joined by Choral Art Camerata, a community chorus, and a small chamber orchestra featuring period instruments to play basso continuo, a characteristic accompaniment of the music from the Baroque era. Robert Russell will conduct. All soloists and orchestral members are faculty, alumni or students of USM School of Music.
Fithian, who teaches voice at USM, is an established tenor. He has performed worldwide at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Teatro Reale in Spain, and Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Italy, and he has recorded with Boston Camerata for labels such as Erato, Nonesuch, and Marmonia Mundi. He has performed the role of Orfeo previously with the Paris Opera with the renowned composer Pierre Boulez.
Russell is the director of choral studies at USM School of Music. He is also the music director of the Choral Arts Society, a community choral society of which Choral Arts Camerata is a part.
The opera will be performed on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in Kanbar Auditorium, Studzinski Hall.
This performance is $15 to the general public and free to all Bowdoin I.D. holders.