EVDOL 30 - Opera This Season

Scott Eyerly
Designed for both newcomers and enthusiasts, this course explores the delights of a great art form from contrasting angles. The operas surveyed will mix the traditional and the new, including two highly anticipated Met premieres: Grounded, a searing portrayal of a female fighter pilot by two-time Tony Award-winner Jeanine Tesori, and Ainadamar, a chronicle of the turbulent life and death of poet Federico Garcí a Lorca, by Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov. Other operas include classics such as Jacques Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffman), a fascinating mix of the romantic and the bizarre – and the first opera to feature a singing mechanical doll; Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman Without a Shadow), Richard Strauss’mysterious fable that some consider his greatest work; and, in a new Met production, Verdi’s Aida, a masterpiece so often performed it practically defines the term “war horse” (or more accurately, war elephant). After a brief look at the historical background for each opera, focus turns to the score and libretto itself: How does Offenbach conjure one of the most famous melodies in opera, using only three notes? What are the advantages and pitfalls of depicting a real historical character, as in the case of Golijov and Lorca? Why does Verdi flood the stage with soloists and chorus (plus several elephants) in the first half of Aida, then restrict himself to just a few characters in the last half? Enhanced by recorded audio and visual excerpts, this lively course encourages novices and aficionados alike to think differently about opera.

13 weeks

Online Section

Tuesdays 5:30–7pm ET
September 17–December 17

In Person Section

Wednesdays 5:30–7pm ET
September 18–December 18

$663