Jack Bunch
Cincinnati is one of the top cities in the United States for the arts. From its stunning visual murals on the sides of buildings to the roaring music scene, it has something for everyone, especially during the summer months. One of the biggest music events of the summer is the Cincinnati Opera’s annual festival, the second-oldest opera company in the United States. Many people associate opera with the elites of the past, but many of the stories explore themes of humanity that we have been grappling with both 300 years ago and in today’s modern age. With summer and its fantastic season right around the corner, let’s take a look at some of the work they are putting on this summer.
The Season opens with Richard Strauss’s Salome. The opera premiered in 1905 and is based on a German translation of Oscar Wilde’s 1893 French play of the same name. This opera tells the biblical story of the titular Salome and her obsessive love with John the Baptist. Salome pleads with John to accept her love, but he rejects her affection. Later in the opera, she performs a dance at her stepfather Herod’s birthday feast, who is so entranced with her that he offers her any reward, even half his kingdom. Instead of wealth or power, Salome makes a different and much more gruesome request: the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter! The opera is a tale of desire and obsession with a fittingly dramatic score to accompany its grim tale. See Cincinnati Opera’s production to see how the story unfolds on June 18 and 20.
The next major production of the summer festival is the premiere of a new Afrofuturist opera entitled Lalovavi. It was composed by Kevin Day and features a Libretto by Tifara Brown. It is set 400 years in the future and tells the story of Persephone, the youngest daughter of Titan, the ruler of Atlas, who once ruled the city of Atlanta. The society of Atlas is centered on a gene known as Syndica, which promotes vitality and longevity. The drama kicks off when Persephone is found to possess a version of Syndica that is the key to everlasting life, and she is forced to flee for her life. She then embarks on an epic quest for immortality and to uncover a hidden past. The opera is a part of Cincinnati’s Black Opera project and is sung in both English and Tut. See the world premiere at Cincinnati Opera on July 9 and 11.
The next major production at Cincinnati Opera is arguably one of the most famous and most recognizable operas in the world: Bizet’s Carmen. The opera debuted in 1875 and is based on a 1845 novella of the same name by Prosper Mérimée. The opera tells the story of Carmen, a fiercely independent Romani woman living in Seville, Spain, and her tumultuous love affair with Don José, an uptight Spanish soldier who gives up almost everything for her. The seemingly classic love story is thrown into turmoil when the toréador (bullfighter) Escamillo enters, and it quickly becomes a tale of jealousy and desire. This story of passion has broken into pop culture with some of the iconic music, including the “Toréador Song” and “Habanera.” Come see this iconic opera brought to the stage by the Cincinnati Opera on July 25, 29 and 31, as well as August 2.
The last opera being brought to the stage this season is Ricky Ian Gordon’s Orpheus and Euridice. It is based on the classical Greek myth of Orpheus, a musician, who loses his love, Euridice, and is so consumed by grief and determination that instead of letting her go, he descends into the underworld to bring her home. Over the centuries, this opera has been told by many different composers and mediums, such as the 1607 Baroque opera L’Orfeo by Monteverdi, to the 2016 musical Hadestown by Anaïs Mitchell. Gordon’s telling blends both the classical styles of voice with a more contemporary style of music, resulting in a haunting tale of love and loss. See this classic tale on July 28 and 30, as well as August 1.
Opera is one of the oldest mediums for telling stories, but some people believe it is a dying art form or too “highbrow”. This could not be further from the truth. In our modern age, it has become more accessible than ever through online recordings and festivals such as the one from the Cincinnati Opera. If you have never experienced an opera, go watch one this summer, whether through local Opera companies, which often have student tickets, or by engaging with the endless archive of performances that exist online.
