This week we went downtown to see two excellent productions - Shakespeare's last play - "The Tempest" and Mozart's last work - "La Clemenza di Tito".
Both were unusual and excellent productions.
"The Tempest" at Steppenwolf was played in non-traditional dress, with the players shunning traditional Shakespearean declamatory style in favor of totally modern prosody. The result was an enthralling performance.
"La Clemenza di Tito" was played on a simple, but credible, set. By any measure the Chicago Opera Theater is Chicago's second string Opera Company. However, this production was in no way inferior to anything produced by the Chicago Lyric Opera. The voices of the young singers were world class. I have no doubt that their names will become famous. Watch, in particular, for Dominic Armstrong, Charlotte Dobbs, and Renata Pokupic.
What is not mentioned in the course of the performance is that the Tito of the title is the Titus who destroyed the second Temple in Jerusalem!
Both were unusual and excellent productions.
"The Tempest" at Steppenwolf was played in non-traditional dress, with the players shunning traditional Shakespearean declamatory style in favor of totally modern prosody. The result was an enthralling performance.
"La Clemenza di Tito" was played on a simple, but credible, set. By any measure the Chicago Opera Theater is Chicago's second string Opera Company. However, this production was in no way inferior to anything produced by the Chicago Lyric Opera. The voices of the young singers were world class. I have no doubt that their names will become famous. Watch, in particular, for Dominic Armstrong, Charlotte Dobbs, and Renata Pokupic.
What is not mentioned in the course of the performance is that the Tito of the title is the Titus who destroyed the second Temple in Jerusalem!
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