Florentine Opera time-travels to Baroque with period approach to operas
The Florentine Opera is going for Baroque this weekend, presenting a double bill of operas from the 1680s.
Playing in the Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall in the Marcus Center, the Florentine will give fully staged performances of John Blow’s "Venus and Adonis" (1683), and Henry Purcell’s "Dido and Aeneas" (circa 1688).
Fans of the Florentine may remember the company’s 2011 production of these operas. But conductor and harpsichordist Jory Vinikour says this weekend's audiences will hear a very different incarnation.
“This will be a whole new sound world," said Vinikour, artistic director of Great Lakes Baroque, who will conduct performances from a harpsichord in the pit, leading some of the Midwest’s finest Baroque music specialists.
“The presence of a good, period string orchestra changes everything,” Vinikour explained.
The previous production featured members of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in the pit, playing in what Vinikour described as “historically informed” fashion, which means playing in Baroque style, with period ornaments and interpretations, but playing on modern instruments.
In addition to the period bowed instruments, audiences will hear and see a theorbo in the theater’s very shallow pit — a 6-foot-long member of the lute family.
Along with hearing a different sound from the orchestra than in the 2011 production, interpretive details and vocal colors will also be more period-influenced than in the previous production.
“There is a fairly clear, complex vocabulary of ornamentation that applies to the music of John Blow and Henry Purcell,” Vinikour said, saying that he is encouraging the singers to employ some of those ornaments in their musical interpretations.
“We are also looking at the importance of the text. Much of the color we get will be based on the text,” he said, adding that use of vibrato is a part of that color discussion.
The cast will feature soprano Alisa Jordheim, a familiar face from appearances with both the Florentine and the MSO, and mezzo-soprano Sandra Piques Eddy, who appeared in the Florentine’s 2012 production of “Idomeneo.”
Florescu said the production also will present current and past members of the company’s young artists program, now referred to as the Baumgartner Studio Artists. The program celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
Audiences also might want to watch for the creation of thunder, as one rarely gets to see Baroque-era sound effects in action, as well as choreographer Dani Kuepper’s (DanceWorks) blend of Baroque and contemporary dance.
IF YOU GO
Florentine Opera performs "Venus and Adonia" and "Dido and Aeneas" Jan. 26-28 at Marcus Center's Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall, 929 N. Water St. For tickets, visit florentineopera.org or call (414) 291-5700, ext. 224.