Fri 4/13 @ 8PM
Sat 4/14 @ 8PM
Wed 4/18 @ 7:30PM
Apollo’s Fire, Cleveland’s baroque orchestra, closes its 2017-2018 with something a little different for it: a semi-staged version of Claudio Monteverdi’s 1607 opera L’Orfeo.
Their version of this piece, telling the ancient Greek legend of the singer Orpheus descending to the underworld to attempt to rescue his beloved Eurydice after her death, will feature dancing, scenic backdrops and supertitles. It will be conducted from her seat at the harpsichord by the group’s founder/director Jeannette Sorrell.
“The ancient Greeks knew the power of music,” says Sorrell in the event press release. “It is not surprising that one of their greatest myths centers on a musician. Orpheus was the son of Apollo (god of music and healing), who sang and played the lyre to charm wild beasts. In the myth of Orpheus, the power of Music takes on the forces of Death.”
The production features three lead vocalists familiar to Apollo’s Fire audiences: Karim Sulayman in the role of Orfeo, Erica Schuller as Eurydice and LaMusica, and Amanda Powell as Messagiera and Proserpina, along with the Apollo’s Singers acting as the traditional “Greek chorus,” commenting on the events of the story. British director Sophie Daneman handles staging, Carlos Fittante is dancer/choreographer and Camilla Tassi designed the projections.
Orfeo will be performed Fri 4/13 and Sat 4/14 at the Cleveland Institute of Music’s Kulas Hall, and Wed 4/18 at St. Raphael Catholic Church in Bay Village. The ensemble is also taking it on the road to Ann Arbor (Sun 4/15), Berkeley, California (Fri 4/20) and Sonoma, California (Sun 4/22).
Tickets range from $28-$77; student tickets are $10.
Cleveland, OH 44106
Bay Village, OH 44140