Hi all,

Hope to see you at some of these events

• “The Thief of Love” an Opera by Sheila Silver/Film by John Feldman
• “The Vagabond Queen” by Edward Barnes, a children’s opera at the Hudson Opera House
• “I Remember” by Michael Cohen, libretto by Enid Futterman, a song cycle based on the diaries of Anne Frank

See details below.

Best,
Gwen

P.S. Check out my website periodically for updates at www.gwengould.com 

Thursday, Sept. 14, 2006, 7:30 pm
Under the Tent at PS21 (Performance Spaces for the 21st Century)
Admission $12, members $10
The Thief of Love
An Opera by Sheila Silver
A Film by John Feldman

From composer/filmmaker team Sheila Silver and John Feldman comes an opera film that’s truly entertaining, enchanting, and cinematic.  Filled with twists and turns, The Thief of Love is a timeless love story set in ancient India. Vidya has vowed to marry any man who can defeat her in intellectual debate. Sundar is a wealthy game player who tries to win her through deceit and disguise.  They both must overcome their pride and arrogance before true love can prevail.  From the erotic seduction scene to the spectacular choral chant scene, the opera is filled with magic, mystery, and contemporary wit.

Feldman’s innovative use of subtitles – which allow the viewer to effortlessly follow every word – and his skillful filmmaking, colorful and nuanced, makes this a rich and cinematic experience. The Stony Brook production is charming and expertly sung, fully conveying the spirituality and humor of Silver’s passionate score. 

For a synopsis of the opera click here.

for more info go to:
www.ps21chatham.org or
www.hummingbirdfilms.com/ssopera.html
or call  518 392 6121

Saturday, September 30, 2006, 11am
Diamond Opera Theater and
The Hudson Opera House
327 Warren Street, Hudson
present
The Vagabond Queen
A children’s opera by Edward Barnes
Amanda Boyd, soprano
Uel Wade, piano

A Tour-de-Force for Soprano. Based on an old European legend, The Vagabond Queen is a combination opera, storybook theatre and performance art. The soprano performs the roles of five different characters: the King, the Queen, the Vagabond, the Foreign Ruler and the Minister, as well as narrating her own story. Admission is FREE.

518-828-7042
www.diamondoperatheater.org 

Saturday, September 30, 2006, 8pm & 9:30pm
Diamond Opera Theater and
The Hudson Opera House
327 Warren Street, Hudson
present
I Remember by Michael Cohen
Libretto by Enid Futterman
Nina Fine, mezzo-soprano
Lisa Hansen, flute
Susan Jolles, harp
Maxine Neuman, cello

I Remember, based on the diaries of Anne Frank, is a 25 minute song cycle commissioned by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum for its chamber music series. It premiered at the museum and has since been performed in many venues in this country, and in Amsterdam and Vancouver, including Weill Recital Hall (Carnegie Hall) and the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, and was recorded on CD (Newport Classics, available at many online sites).
 
At the Hudson performances, I Remember will be sung by Hudson resident and frequent Diamond Opera Theater (formerly Hudson Chamber Opera) performer, Nina Fine.  Lisa Hansen, flutist, commissioned I Remember for the Holocaust Museum; and both Lisa and Susan Jolles play on the CD. In the second half of the one-hour program, Michael Cohen and Enid Futterman, a Claverack resident, will speak on the genesis of the piece, and answer questions.
 
Here is an excerpt from a Chicago Tribune review of the Ravinia performance and the CD:
 
“Music inspired by the Holocaust isn’t exactly a rare commodity, but I Remember is one of the few efforts that work as a remembrance and as a strong individual work. Cohen brings it off with great success. His writing for the voice wraps seamlessly around the words with a Britten-like ease. Mostly lyrical and tonal, I Remember at times echoes Samuel Barber and Knoxville: Summer of 1915, but there is an edgy quality to the instrumental writing that is quite individual.  The text, by Enid Futterman, recreates the spirit if not the exact letter of Anne’s diary, but does so in a consistently affecting way. A haunting, moving work with moments of real beauty.”
–Lawrence Johnson on I Remember, The Chicago Tribune
 
Tickets are $15 and can be purchased by calling 518 828 7042 or online at www.diamondoperatheater.org.