January 26, 2018
Fargo, N.D. – NDSU Opera presents Mozart’s musical comedy The Impresario along with Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortilèges on Friday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 18 at 2:00 p.m. Opera Wars will offer you a good laugh and a touching reflection on humanity.
Mozart’s The Impresario (1786) features the hilarious trials and tribulations of two warring sopranos fighting for the lead role in the impresario’s new opera production. This comedic Singspiel has spoken dialogue as well as sung arias and ensembles and will be performed in English.
Another type of “Opera War” will be presented in Maurice Ravel’s “The Child and the Enchantments”. In the original libretto by Colette, written around 1917, a naughty little boy throws a tantrum and the animals and inanimate objects that he has harmed or broken in the past come to life to confront him. The NDSU production will draw upon parallels between the story of the opera and Ravel’s actual experiences during WWI, when he served in the French Army. The child represents Ravel himself, confronted by his traumatizing memories of the War. Musical highlights include the beautiful final chorus which stands as a tribute to the innate compassion embodied in a human soul.
The production is performed entirely by NDSU students and is staged by guest director Frederic Heringes. Heringes is a Fargo resident with a rich experience on stage across the nation, he has directed productions regionally for the FM Opera’s Gate City Bank’s Young Artist Program as well as for Concordia College.
Mariane Lemieux-Wottrich who recently joined NDSU as assistant professor of voice and opera is producing the double bill. Originally from Montreal and specialized in French repertoire, Lemieux-Wottrich is thrilled to share a gem of French opera in L’enfant et les Sortilèges and to display some impressive vocal fireworks by NDSU students in Mozart’s The Impresario.
For more on the production, visit here.