Therese? Tiresias?
|
Housewife Therese tires of her husband's domination, pops her breasts, grows a beard and turns into a man (Tiresias).
So who is going to have the babies?
That is the question posed by Francis Poulenc's delightful, fizzy "Les Mamelles de Tiresias" ("The Breasts of Tiresias").
The 1944 opera bouffe opens at 8 p.m. tonight (November 6) in Patricia Corbett Theater at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, with repeats at 8 p.m. November 7 and 2:30 p.m. November 8 in PCT.
The semi-staged production by CCM's Opera Studio closes "Fete Francaise," a four-part focus on music of France at CCM this fall.
The farcical "Mamelles" was not so funny in a France ravaged by two world wars. The Prologue to the opera -- by the Theater Director, a baritone role -- is serious in tone, concluding with "O public, soyez la torche inextinguible du feu nouveau, et faites des enfants." ("O public, be the inextinguishable torch of the new fire and make babies.")
Interestingly, the first two sopranos who rehearsed Therese for Poulenc did, in fact, become pregnant and had to drop out of the production. (See the composer at the piano -- and as Therese's outraged husband -- with the soprano who premiered the role in 1947, Denise Duval, on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCg-x_bO820)
Poulenc took his text from a 1903 play by Guillaume Apollinaire, the man who coined the word "surrealist" and certainly gave it expression here. Apollinaire was sincerely concerned about replenishing France's population (see his Preface to the play).
In "Mamelles," Therese's scorned husband produces 44,000 babies by himself, a pair of gamblers cheerfully shoot each other, Therese's breasts turn into balloons and float into the air where she gleefully pops them, and Poulenc/Apollinaire spoof the press, the law and the entire citizenry of an imaginary town on the French Riviera named Zanzibar (Apollinaire's play was set in the real Zanzibar off the coast of East Africa).
Somehow it all comes together at the end, and there has been tongue-in-cheek speculation that the opera contributed to France's post-war baby boom.
There is plenty of spirited singing in addition to the wacky stage action, and making it ultimately audience-friendly, it all transpires in two acts totaling less than one hour.
Poulenc, a member of France's avant garde "Les Six" (with Georges Auric, Louis Durey, Darius Milhaud, Germaine Tailleferre and Swiss composer Arthur Honegger) was opposed to lengthy German music drama.
The student cast will be conducted by Karl Shymanovitz. Stage director is Robin Guarino. Tickets are $10, $5 for non-UC students, free for UC students. Get them at the door or call the CCM box office at (513) 556-4183.
There is more opera this weekend, but you have to go to the movies to see it. The Metropolitan Opera's "Live in HD" series presents Puccini's "Turandot" live from the stage of the Met at 2 p.m. November 7 in these area theaters:
Regal Deerfield Town Center, 5500 Deerfield Blvd., Mason; Showcase Cinema De Lux, 7860 Mall Rd., Florence, Kentucky; Springdale Cinema De Lux 18, 12064 Springfield Pike, Springdale. There will be an Encore presentation of "Turandot" in the same theaters at 6:30 p.m. November 18.
This is the stunning Franco Zeffirelli production and stars soprano Maria Guleghina as the Ice Princess Turandot and tenor Marcello Giordani as Calaf, the Unknown Prince who sings the popular show-stopper "Nessun dorma." Soprano Marina Poplavskaya sings Liu, with bass Samuel Ramey as Timur. The conductor is Andris Nelsons.
Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance at http://www.ncm.com/Fathom/Opera/MetLive09_10Series.aspx
Note: The Met's "HD Live" of Verdi's "Aida," transmitted into movie theaters October 24, can be seen in its Encore presentation at the above theaters at 6:30 p.m. November 11.
In other weekend music, the Vocal Arts Ensemble opens its 30th anniversary season at 8 p.m. tonight (November 6) in St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, downtown. Conducting will be the VAE's newly appointed music director Donald Nally. Featured works i James MacMillan's powerful "Cantos Sagrados" on poems dealing with political repression in Latin America. Admission is $20, $10 for students and Enjoy the Arts members. Information and tickets at at www.vaecinci.org. (See related story, "Vocal Arts Ensemble's Donald Nally to Highlight Music of Our Time," in "News" on this site.)
Xavier University's Classical Guitar and Piano Series continues its 2009-10 season with guitarist Jason Vieaux at 2:30 p.m. November 8 in Gallagher Student Center Theater at Xavier. Vieaux will perform music by Albeniz, Bach, Barrios, Brouwer and Pat Metheny. Tickets are $12, $9 for seniors and $3 for students, at the door. Information at www.xavier.edu/musicseries