Polifemo – Opera Neo 2024
Schedule
Fri Jul 19 2024 at 08:00 pm to Sat Jul 20 2024 at 11:00 pm
UTC-07:00Location
UC San Diego Park & Market | The Forum | San Diego, CA
About this Event
Polifemo by Nicola Porpora
July 19 & 20 @ 8:00pmUC San Diego Park & Market | The Forum
1100 Market Street, San Diego, CA 92101
Opera Neo presents the American premiere of Nicola Porpora’s Polifemo, performed for the first time outside of Europe.
Nicola Porpora was one of the most brilliant and influential musical figures of the Baroque period. A rival of Handel, and teacher of the great castrato Farinelli, Porpora was a prolific and dramatically gifted composer of opera. We are excited to bring this important work to American audiences for the first time.
Based on Ovid’s Metamorphosis, Polifemo weaves together the stories of Polyphemus, Acis, and Galatea and an episode of Homer’s Odyssey featuring Odysseus, Polyphemus, and Calypso. The opera was composed in London, where Porpora was invited by a group of English noblemen, at the urging of two famous singers, Farinelli and Senesino, (both students of Porpora) to compete with Handel. It was a rarity to hear two superstar castrato singers in the same opera, along with the other renowned performers who appeared in the premiere.
Porpora’s score was written to be the perfect vehicle to showcase the virtuosity of these legendary artists, full of impressive fireworks and moving slow arias.
Performed at the UC San Diego's Park & Market, this American premiere is directed by Daria Zholnerova, in her Opera Neo debut, with Peter Kozma leading Opera Neo's period instrument orchestra.
Doors open at 7:30pm.
CAST
Polifemo - COLIN RAMSEY
Aci - CHUANYUAN LIU
Galatea - ASHLEY FABIAN
Ulisse - KEITH WEHMEIER
Calipso - LAUREN RANDOLPH
Nerea - NINI MARCHESE
Where is it happening?
UC San Diego Park & Market | The Forum, 1100 Market Street, San Diego, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 10.00 to USD 75.00