Spring Break
Singing puppets to grace von der Mehden with Williams, Menotti
Katie Hannafin
Issue date: 3/27/09 Section: Focus
UConn's Voice and Opera Department will be joining forces with Ballard Institute of Puppetry, the Department of Dramatic Arts and the Department of Irish Studies for a unique opera theater experience at 8 p.m. Saturday at von der Mehden Recital Hall.
This opportunity to explore the harsh conditions of rural Ireland at the turn of the twentieth century is paired with a haunting journey through the human psyche and the powers of fear and love.
The night will feature Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Riders to the Sea" and Gian Carlo Menotti's "The Medium" - a thrilling double bill of the struggle between the natural and supernatural.
"Riders to the Sea" combines the drama of Irish playwright J. M. Synge with the music of Vaughan Williams, a great British composer, into a one-act tragedy illuminating the difficult lifestyle of old rural Ireland through one family's struggle to survive against poverty and nature itself.
Menotti's "The Medium" will follow this epic masterpiece: an exciting modern puppet opera that will be a creepy presentation to remember.
Both acts are quite short, but highlight the talents of over 30 UConn students both as performers and behind-the-scenes workers. The depressing plight of "Rising to the Sea" and unexpected eerinesst of "The Medium" will be sure to leave the audience wanting more.
Following Saturday night's performance, the singers will expand UConn Opera and travel to New York City to present an encore performance of "Riders to the Sea" in the Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center Plaza, according to Constance Rock, coordinator of UConn Vocal Studies and Opera. This will be performed as part of a series commemorating the Centennial Anniversary of Synge's death.
There is rich culture and history to be absorbed during this performance that combines two unlikely yet compatible works that have collaborated the efforts and funds of an impressively large group of UConn students, faculty, staff and outside supporters.
Tickets are $7 for general admission and free for children and students with their ID.
This opportunity to explore the harsh conditions of rural Ireland at the turn of the twentieth century is paired with a haunting journey through the human psyche and the powers of fear and love.
The night will feature Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Riders to the Sea" and Gian Carlo Menotti's "The Medium" - a thrilling double bill of the struggle between the natural and supernatural.
"Riders to the Sea" combines the drama of Irish playwright J. M. Synge with the music of Vaughan Williams, a great British composer, into a one-act tragedy illuminating the difficult lifestyle of old rural Ireland through one family's struggle to survive against poverty and nature itself.
Menotti's "The Medium" will follow this epic masterpiece: an exciting modern puppet opera that will be a creepy presentation to remember.
Both acts are quite short, but highlight the talents of over 30 UConn students both as performers and behind-the-scenes workers. The depressing plight of "Rising to the Sea" and unexpected eerinesst of "The Medium" will be sure to leave the audience wanting more.
Following Saturday night's performance, the singers will expand UConn Opera and travel to New York City to present an encore performance of "Riders to the Sea" in the Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center Plaza, according to Constance Rock, coordinator of UConn Vocal Studies and Opera. This will be performed as part of a series commemorating the Centennial Anniversary of Synge's death.
There is rich culture and history to be absorbed during this performance that combines two unlikely yet compatible works that have collaborated the efforts and funds of an impressively large group of UConn students, faculty, staff and outside supporters.
Tickets are $7 for general admission and free for children and students with their ID.
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