Pagliacci / Bluebeard's Castle
Sunday April 29, 2007, 2 p.m.
The Rose Theatre
Tickets: (905) 874-2800
Today's pop culture is often criticized for being too dark and violent. However the fascination with the macabre and the tragic is as old as story-telling itself. On Sunday April 29 at 2 p.m. at The Rose Theatre, you will have a chance to be lured into the enchanting darkness, as Brampton Lyric Opera, in a departure from its earlier comic and family-oriented productions, presents two intensely emotional love stories with tragic endings – Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, and Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle.
Nowadays, stories 'torn from today's headlines' are routinely featured in movies and on TV.This is not a recent phenomenon.Pagliacci, written in 1892, is based on an actual incident reported in the newspapers of the day. The opera was an instant success and has remained extremely popular ever since.And talk about enduring… references to it have cropped up in productions by the Marx Brothers, Jerry Seinfeld, The Simpsons, Woody Allen, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, just to name a few.
Long before that however, Enrico Caruso's recording of the famous aria from Pagliacci was the first record in history to sell one million copies.In 1907, Pagliacci was the first entire opera to be recorded; it was also the first complete opera to be filmed with sound, in 1931.
Bluebeard's Castle, written in 1911 and first performed in 1918 in Budapest, is loosely based on a folk tale.This folk tale was definitely not, however, intended for children. The disturbing story is accompanied by viscerally dramatic music. The dark, seductive harmonies and nervous tension reflect the mind of a woman about to discover her husband's terrifying secret behind the seventh door. She has already declared that she will never leave him...
So, come out and enjoy. I promise you the beautiful music and voices will make these strange journeys worthwhile.
Submitted by: By Beth Tokawa
As a non-profit opera company and registered charity, Brampton Lyric Opera's ambition is to perform operatic productions on a yearly basis in a traditional full-staged production manner. Moreover, Brampton Lyric Opera's main goal is to provide opera productions to the public with affordable ticket prices and employing local artists in our shows. It is clear that Brampton has a wealth of talent that we are excited to showcase. We are therefore most grateful for the incredible support we have thus far received. We hope to serve Brampton for many years to come and we look forward to seeing you at our productions - Emilio Fina, Artisitc Director