Explore the fascinating world of opera with popular opera lecturer Murray Dahm.
Since 2003, Opera Bites Co-Founder Murray Dahm has delivered accessible, friendly and informative lectures, drawing on its history, culture and music.
Join him as he explores a variety of areas of operatic history from composers and voice types through to genres and quirky bits of opera history, utilising his extensive (and ever-growing!) CD and DVD collection.
“The Operas You Know & The Operas You Don’t”
Have you heard of the composers Cilea or Gomes? How about operas on Hamlet or Mary Stuart? The world of opera contains many gems and surprises that even the most seasoned opera-goer will be delighted to discover. Whether connoisseur or opera newcomer, come and explore operas hidden treasures!
The series will be full of surprises, and there will be so much delightful music to discover, and all of it with a connection to composers or subjects which we already know. In several cases the classes will begin with an aria or an opera, an ‘oh, I know that one’ moment, and then move on into other works by those composers which are less well known. Both Pietro Mascagni and Ruggero Leoncavallo (who are today know as ‘one-hit wonders’ with Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci respectively) wrote several operas all of which are worth hearing (Mascagni wrote fifteen, Leoncavallo eleven – and both wrote operettas too!).
Upcoming lectures:
- Thursday May 16th | Hamlet
This week we’ll be looking at settings of Hamlet – not only the most famous one by Ambroise Thomas but also other settings, most recently by Brett Dean and also the Italian setting by Franco Faccio.
- Thursday May 23rd | Gomes
Then we’ll be looking at the Brazilian composer Antonio Gomes who had a successful career in Italy in the 19th century but whose operas are all but forgotten – a couple of arias are sometimes performed but much of his wonderful music is forgotten.
- Thursday May 30th | Pauline Viardot
Then we’ll be taking a look at Pauline Viardot who was not only a famous singer in her own right and part of one of the most famous singing dynasties of the 19th centry but also a composer in her own right.
- Thursday June 6th | Russian gems
And then the world of Russian opera – most people know Eugene Onegin and Boris Gudunov but there is an incredibly rich opera world awaiting the listener.
Further lectures:
- Thursday June 13th | Mascagni
- Thursday June 20th | Leoncavallo
- Thursday June 27th | It’s a mystery!
- Thursday July 4th | It’s an enigma!
Book your place in this fabulous lecture series now! Cost per person is $214, which is a special rate for classikON readers!
Alternatively, casual drop in is $40 per class (Subject to space availability).
WHEN
Thursdays 10.00am – 12.00pm
2 May – 4 July 2019 (Incl.)
VENUE
Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts
280 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000
For further information phone Murray direct on 0403 780 108
