American Opera Theater's next, typically provocative production may be its last
One of the more interesting stories on what might be called Baltimore's alternative opera scene has been the innovative little company that arrived earlier in the past decade with an emphasis on the baroque. Initially called Ignoti Dei Opera, the ensemble, founded by Timothy Nelson, eventually changed its name to American Opera Theater and moved well beyond the baroque as it tackled off-the-beaten-path fare and provocative interpretations of more standard works.
The 2010-11 season will apparently be the company's last.
December's production, a re-imagining of Puccini's "Madama Butterfly," was canceled. Now, the February venture, a collaboration with the Handel Choir of Baltimore and Peabody Conservatory, is being billed as a swan song.
Press releases received Tuesday from Nelson and the Theatre Project both announce that American Opera Theater is "finally hanging up its hat," but "going out with a bang"; the company's own Web site uses the word "goodbye."
However, Nelson sent me a subsequent email saying there is "some possibility of saving" a spring production of Kurt Weill's "Lost in the Stars," if money can be found. UPDATE: Heard again from Nelson, who says "the needed resources for 'Lost' were just confirmed, so we are going forward with it."
Meanwhile, next month's "bang" is a most intriguing double bill Feb. 4-13 at the Theatre Project: Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas" (the work that launched AOT eight years ago) and the local premiere of
If the double bill does turn out to be AOT's finale, Nelson and company can certainly feel good about the way they shook things up over the years. I recall some very cool productions of works by Cavalli, Charpentier (the rarely encountered "David and Jonathan," played out on a stage filled with sand), Handel (the literally high-flying, circus version of "Acis and Galatea") and Weill (the intriguing "Songspiel" with the fabulous Sylvia McNair).
That AOT should be reaching the folding-up-the-tent phase is not surprising. Nelson hasn't lived in the area, or even the country, for some time; it's harder to maintain or develop a company's profile and support from afar. And Nelson is more interested in directing than the day-to-day running of a company, with the endless fundraising that entails. So, even if "Lost in the Stars" materializes later this season, the company is not likely to go on as it has. Instead, we might get periodic Nelson-directed ventures in the future, rather than a regular season.
It's impressive how much Nelson managed to achieve, despite the financial and logistical odds. Baltimore has benefited considerably from his creative spark.
Comments
If someone wants to know why the right wing does not support public funding for the arts, one should only look at this program: the Gonzales Cantata. Far from being provocative, this is an instance of preaching to the crowd. Even more. it's an instance of shameless opportunism which will get a few performances while Bush is still remember but has no chance of surviving - and if you don't believe me, how many works by Gossec, who glorified the French revolution, are still in repertoire? And Wellington's Victory is only remember because the composer is a guy called Beethoven, because the work is a monstruosity.
And has anyone dared to do a Biden Cantata - and boy, there is plenty of material. Or even the supidities of our president such as "the Austrian language." But conservatives see this blatant bias and this is why they oppose the funding. Yes, the composers should have the freedom of writing whatever they want. But don't ask us to pay.
Posted by: Right Wing Nut | January 5, 2011 10:38 AM
Right Wing Nut is an appropriate name for you isn't it? You should try to be a little more intelligent and informed before you start sounding like an idiot. If you had done the tiniest amount of research on the piece you would realize that it is absolutely non-partisan, in fact it is extremely sympathetic to Gonzales the historic figure. And the Democrats on the congressional committee are the most ridiculous, and perhaps ridiculed, characters in the opera. The most sympathetic characters are obviously Gonzales and Hatch.
Beyond that, and in what is a dramatic conceit perhaps too much for the mind behind such a non-subtle and anti-contextual coment as yours, this really isn't about the historic figure of Gonzales or any of the senators represented at all (just as Handel's Giulio Cesare isn't a representation of the historic Roman emperor). It is instead a metaphor for the broken American political system, aside from any partisan point of few.
As your comment demonstrates, people like you don't support public funding of the arts because you can't understand the arts, it has nothing to do with the content of the art presented.
Posted by: Dan | January 6, 2011 11:41 AM