Led by dramaturg Cori Ellison
With composers Jeremy Howard Beck Anthony Davis and Laura Kaminsky; librettists Thulani Davis, Richard Wesley, Stephanie Fleischmann, Kimberly Reed, and Mark Campbell; and memoirist Brian Castner
This is a three-part seminar and roundtable occurring on the following dates:
Part I: Tuesday, March 9, 2021 @ 7:30pm – 9pm ET
Part II: Wednesday, March 10, 2021 @ 7:30pm – 9pm ET
Part III: Thursday, March 11, 2021 @ 7:30pm – 9pm ET
From Claudio Monteverdi and Giovanni Francesco Busenello’s The Coronation of Poppea to Anthony Davis and Richard Wesley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning The Central Park Five, opera has always been an extraordinary mirror in which to reflect and challenge social, historical, and political events. Often, creators draw on the vernacular in both music and text to tell these stories. Through this seminar and workshop, we will explore:
How composers and librettists have reflected historic and contemporary events through the lens of opera
How opera has and can serve as a form of political activism and social justice
Best practices for historical research, and conducting subject interviews
Finding the story from the research: what makes a subject sing, and how to balance accuracy with theatricality
The use of abstraction and allegory in dramatizing history
What type of musical and textual vernacular can be drawn upon in creating new operas, and the implication of using vernacular influences
Composers and librettists alike will gain valuable perspective on approaches to dramatizing history, along with practical tools for developing works based on real-life events past and present.