“Bravo Rossini!” May 21st at the Latino Cultural Center
“Bravo Rossini”, featuring Rossini’s first comic opera, La Cambiale di Matrimonio (The Marriage Contract), as well as songs and duets from “Serate Musicali”, will be presented by Opera in Concert on May 21.This performance by Dallas’ newest professional opera organization will take place at 8:00 pm in the Latino Cultural Center.
The cast features two former Metropolitan Opera and Dallas Opera bass-baritones, Edward Crafts and Stephen Morscheck, joined by tenor Martin Clark; bass John Kuether, mezzo Charis Peden and soprano Haley Sicking. Stephen Dubberly is the music director and pianist for this performance.
Edward Crafts, who also serves as Artistic Director of Opera in Concert, took part in the first Dallas performances of Rossini’s La Cambiale di Matrimonio with TDO in 1985. “I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for this little opera, because I have such fond memories of that TDO production, working along with Sesto Bruscantini , Frank Lopardo and the legendary Maestro Nicola Rescigno. That was an unforgettable cast, but I think Opera in Concert’s outstanding singers will also turn in a memorable performance”. Crafts explained that the opera will be sung in Italian, with the recitatives replaced by dialogue in English. “There is actually an Italian historical precedent for this practice; the second production of the opera was in Naples, and the Neapolitans used spoken text in their local dialect.”
Opera in Concert also raises money to support Texas singers studying in Italy; this year they will be bringing 11 Texas singers to Urbino, Italy for a three-week-long program focusing on intensive Italian language classes and operatic coaching. The singers selected will perform in historic Italian theaters, castles and churches.
Tickets for the May 21 concert are $20 general admission and $10 for students, available in advance from www.operainconcert.org.
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