BEMF Opera | 2011 Chamber Opera Series
Charpentier’s La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers & La Couronne de Fleurs
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 8pm
Sunday, November 27, 2011 at 3pm
New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall
Be there for the can’t-miss event of Boston’s concert season in this Boston Early Music Festival year of triumphant returns, as BEMF turns again to Marc-Antoine Charpentier for its fourth annual Chamber Opera Series production. Charpentier, the composer of Actéon in BEMF’s first presentation of chamber operas in 2008, is the creator of both works in this year’s double bill exploring the transcendental power of music.
The tragic La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers tells the famous story of Orphée who decends into the underworld to rescue his beloved Euridice using his musical charms. La Couronne de Fleurs, based on a text by Molière, depicts a musical contest in tribute to Louis XIV as shepherds vie for a crown of flowers from the goddess Flora for the most beautiful and eloquent aria. These miniature masterpieces showcase one of the great composers of the French Baroque.
This production was reprised at the June 2013 Festival and in a 2014 North American tour.

Critical Acclaim
“Zest and polish in equal measure.”
“Captivating… an evening of glorious music.”
“This was music making on another level.”
Production Video
Behind-The-Scenes Video
Directors
Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs, Musical Directors
Gilbert Blin, Stage Director
Anna Watkins, Costume Designer
Melinda Sullivan, Choreographer
Artists
Boston Early Music Festival Vocal Ensemble
Aaron Sheehan, Orphée
Mireille Asselin, Carrie Henneman Shaw, Michael Kelly, Olivier Laquerre, Thea Lobo, Jason McStoots, Megan Stapleton, Brenna Wells & Douglas Williams
Boston Early Music Festival Dance Company
Carlos Fittante, Olsi Gjeci, Caitlin Klinger & Alexis Silver
Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Ensemble
Robert Mealy, concertmaster
Cynthia Roberts, violin; Laura Jeppesen, Christel Thielmann, & Beiliang Zhu, viola da gamba; Gonzalo X. Ruiz & Kathryn Montoya, oboe & recorder; Avi Stein, harpsichord; Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs, Baroque guitar and theorbo