BEMF Opera | 2013 Centerpiece Opera
Handel’s Almira
Sunday, June 9, 2013 at 3:30pm
Wednesday, June 12, 2013 at 7pm
Friday, June 14, 2013 at 7pm
Sunday, June 16, 2013 at 3:30pm
Cutler Majestic Theatre at Emerson College, Boston, MA
Friday, June 21, 2013 at 7pm
Saturday, June 22, 2013 at 7pm
Sunday, June 23, 2013 at 2:30pm
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington, MA
Fully staged operatic centerpiece of the June 2013 Festival!
Written when Handel was only nineteen, Almira tells a story of intrigue and romance at the Court of Castile. The opera features a trio of love triangles as the newly crowned queen Almira and two princesses navigate the ever-shifting affections of a brave soldier, a loyal aide, and a mysterious foreign ambassador. These lovelorn characters must overcome misunderstandings, jealousies, duels, and dungeons on their way to a joyously happy ending.
A remarkable success when it was originally presented in Hamburg, the opera shows the early genius of Handel that would soon make him a star in Italy and London. This is truly a rare opportunity to enjoy this dazzling parade of entertainment and delight combining German, Italian, and French influences in a crowd-pleasing spectacle of dance, comedy, and drama.
Critical Acclaim
“Another triumph for the festival.”
“A stunning, revelatory production.”
“This meticulous production… honored the Baroque hunger for visual spectacle.”
Production Video
Directors
Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs, Musical Directors
Gilbert Blin, Stage Director
Caroline Copeland & Carlos Fittante, Choreographers
Anna Watkins, Costume Designer & Supervisor
Gilbert Blin, Set Designer
Lenore Doxsee, Lighting Designer
Ellen Hargis, Assistant Stage Director
Melinda Sullivan, Ballet Mistress
Robert Mealy, Concertmaster
Kathleen Fay, Executive Producer
Cast
Ulrike Hofbauer, Almira
Amanda Forsythe, Edilia
Christian Immler, Consalvo
Zachary Wilder, Osman
Colin Balzer, Fernando
Tyler Duncan, Raymondo
Valerie Vinzant, Bellante
Jason McStoots, Tabarco
Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra
Robert Mealy, Concertmaster
Cynthia Roberts, Julie Andrijeski, Johanna Novom, Miloš Valent, Daniel Elyar & David Douglass, violin; Laura Jeppesen & Sarah Darling, viola; Phoebe Carrai, Beiliang Zhu & David Morris, violoncello; Robert Nairn, double bass; Gonzalo X. Ruiz & Kathryn Montoya, oboe & recorder; Marilyn Boenau, bassoon; Ben Grossman, percussion; Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs, theorbo & Baroque guitar; Maxine Eilander, Baroque harp; Michael Sponseller & Kristian Bezuidenhout, harpsichord; Erin Headley, viola da gamba
Boston Early Music Festival Dance Ensemble
Melinda Sullivan, Ballet Mistress
Caroline Copeland, Carlos Fittante, Mickaël Bouffard, Olsi Gjeci, Caitlin Klinger, Karin Modigh, Alexis Silver & Scott Weber
BEMF Young Artists Training Program
Gilbert Blin, Founder & Director, Young Artists Training Program
Ellen Hargis, Associate Director, Young Artists Training Program 2013
Corrine Byrne, David Evans, Patrick Kilbride, Noelle McMurtry, Nola Richardson, Corey Shotwell, Kathryn Summersett & Mark Williams