Ainadamar (Photographer: Steve Di Bartolomeo)
Information for next week’s field trip:
On February 14, please meet me & your classmates at BART at 12:50pm, Downtown Berkeley. I will be located on one of the benches waiting for the train. We will promptly leave as a group at 1:00pm.
Take either the Fremont or San Francisco BART train. Exit at Montgomery Street station (or transfer at MacArthur if you’re taking the Fremont train). Walk from the BART station to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Lam Research Theater.
The performance lecture starts promptly at 2pm and ends at 4pm. You may choose to meet our class at this performance on your own.
“Ainadamar – Arabic for ‘fountain of tears’ – refers to the place in Granada, Spain, where poet Federico García Lorca was executed by Fascist solders in 1936 for the simple, but heroic act of speaking his mind. What a privilege to work on an opera that focuses on an artist that had such convictions and self-respect – certainly true heroism.
It is however, not only because of the subject matter that I chose this opera as our next production in February. So many elements attracted me to this opera. First, the music is exquisite – true lyricism coexists with powerful rhythmic drive. Those of you that are familiar with Osvaldo Golijov’s music know the impact of his musical style. A true musical polyglot with a worldly background, Golijov brings this powerful story to life with an ability to capture the essence of 1936 Spain. By blending age-old musical traditions with his own personal style he creates an incredibly original soundscape. His use of pre-recorded sound effects – water, gun shots, galloping horses, children and fascists voices – are cleverly integrated in the orchestra texture to heighten the dramatic impact of the piece. The audience will be both transported to a new level of lyricism while being also riveted to its seat.
I was also very attracted to the way playwright David Henry Hwang presented the story in the libretto. Rather than a chronological rendering of the story, we experience Lorca’s final years through actress Margarita Xirgu’s eyes – a very close friend of Lorca – who left Spain and dedicated her life to spreading awareness of the poet’s powerful texts. The whole narrative of the opera is presented in a series of flashbacks. This original way of presenting the story opens the door to interesting staging possibilities and concepts. As with our past productions, OP’s production team, with concept designer Brian Staufenbiel at the helm, has had a wonderful time creating a fiery and innovative production. See you at YBCA in February!”
Nicole Paiement
Artistic Director, Opera Parallèle
http://operaparallele.org/ainadamar/
In preparation for next’s week performance at the Yerba Buena Center, please read the following background resources before our next class on Tuesday, February 12:
*****************
Thanks for visiting our course website!
Here you will find updated materials, events, classroom notes, questions, comments, images, interviews, and videos.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Humanities seen through various forms of expression: The arts and society, such as dance, painting, music, sculpture, and mythology; theory and practice in artistic creation to stimulate personal awareness.
We will explore “art” as a form of “deep play” and “performance” in our everyday lives. Through fun lectures, games, films, discussions, workshops, and multi-sensory projects, we will examine several forms of human creativity that individuals and groups around the world use to engage and entertain one another on an aesthetic level: e.g., language, storytelling, folklore, literature, humor, games, memorials, architecture, rituals, poetry, songs, foodways, fashion, film, and technology.
HUMANITIES 1: SECTION B1 (CCN: 42742)
OUR CLASS MEETS TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS FROM 2:45PM-4:00PM IN ROOM 031, GROUND FLOOR. STARTS TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2012 AND ENDS TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2012.
Combining old and new technology, our required course readings will include a free online reader found within the ASSIGNMENTS section.
***********************************************
My intention is to make your learning experience as lively, active, and playful as I can, so enjoy the ride. I look forward to working with all of you!
Your instructor,
Dylan Eret
I was wondering what the class ID and password are for turniti.com
Look under Grades.
It is stated somewhere in the syllabus