Evento

A Tale of Divine Love and the River Spirit - Lakeville

Antonio de Líteress Acis y Galatea (1708) is a zarzuela in two acts with a libretto by José de Cañizares. The work quickly became one of the most famous of zarzuelas, the Spanish popular music-drama form that flourished in the late Baroque. Zarzuelas were a blend of sung and spoken episodes, usually performed by women actors who took both male and female roles, featuring characters that often are a mixture of gods, mythological creatures and rustic or pastoral comedy characters. This work tells of the love between mortal Acis and the sea-nymph Galatea. Líteres brilliantly weaves together Italianate da capo arias, French sung minuets, and Spanish seguidillas (sung popular dances). The singers are accompanied by traditional Baroque instruments and castanets, which give a typical Spanish flavor. A small group of ensemble singers act as a traditional Greek Chorus, commenting in fast-moving and rhythmical choruses on the dramatic action.

Salomé Sandoval, mezzo soprano (Acis), Baroque guitar, percussion and co-director, Catherine Hancock, soprano (Galatea), Malina Rauschenfels, mezzo soprano (Tisbe), Roman Testroet, baritone (Momo), Tom Schindler, (Polyphemo), are joined by Crescendos Vocal Ensemble Singers, and period instrument players Tricia Van Oers, recorder, Christa Patton, recorder and Baroque harp, Hideki Yamaya, Baroque guitar. Christine Gevert leads this semi-staged performance from the harpsichord.

$60 (Premium) / $35 (General) / $10 (under 18 years)

The concert will also be performed the previous day, on Saturday, Dec. 28, 4 pm at Saint James Place, 352 Main St., Great Barrington, MA.

For more information: www.worldclassmusic.org