Hans Tashjian, Bass; Jeffrey Mandelbaum, Countertenor; Elyse Anne Kakacek, Lyric Soprano; Heather Hill, Soprano; Hai-Ting Chinn, Mezzo Soprano; Rebecca Pechefsky, Harpsichordist, Baroque String Quartet (Rebecca Nelson, Rafa Prendergast, Jessica Park & Cullen O’Neil) Orlando, a knight from the Crusades, is originally the central character of an epic poem by Ludovico Ariosto. The story dramatizes his struggle between love and military glory. However, this production updates this conflict to reflect contemporary sensibilities, centering the questions of what it means to love truly, and how to endure pain and loss. George Frideric Handel brought baroque opera to its apogee, as his compositional brilliance amplified music’s distinct power to communicate drama. Opera began as an experiment to demonstrate music’s ability to reveal and manipulate the emotions behind a text, as opposed to solely mimicking the words. Baroque music relies heavily on a technique of bittersweet dissonance resolving into consoling consonance, which impacts a listener viscerally. The term “baroque” connotes this kind of lavish intensity, which captivates audiences’ passions, bringing them personally into the experience.
New York City, NY; NYC