Houston Grand Opera Tackles Paris With the World's First Mariachi Opera
By: Gabrielle Sierra Oct. 12, 2011
Houston Grand Opera crossed the Atlantic to open the season at the illustrious Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris with the first-ever Mariachi opera, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna (To Cross the Face of the Moon). This pioneering work about the nature of the immigrant experience - with music by composer and writer José "Pepe" Martínez (music director of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán) and lyrics by Broadway director and author Leonard Foglia - struck a universal chord. Reporting from Paris, the reviewer for Classical TV said: "This was heartfelt, sophisticated, shockingly melodic music that is direct and brimming with emotions. . . At the end of this moving work, Théâtre du Châtelet shook with applause. You could hear weeping (I was not alone in getting teary-eyed), but most of all you heard the shouts of joy at the discovery of something wonderful and fresh." A recording of Cruzar - captured live at last season's world premiere in Houston - is now available on CD from Albany Records, showcasing a score that resonates with plaintive, folk-lIke Balladry as well as rousing Latin dance rhythms.
Perryn Leech, managing director of Houston Grand Opera, gave his own report from the Théâtre du Châtelet: "The final performance in Paris was as electric as the first night, and the rhythmic clapping was like another number added to the show. Jean-Luc Choplin, who is the general director at the Châtelet, was onstage at the end hugging and kissing everyone and saying how he had no idea that Parisians would, or indeed could, react in such a way. I have had inquiries from quite literally all over the world, and we are hopeful that some of these will lead to future opportunities to show that relevant new work is not only needed, but can also engage new audiences and broaden the appeal of what we all do."Commissioned by Houston Grand Opera through its "Song of Houston: Mexico 2010" project (in celebration of the anniversaries of Mexican independence and revolution), Cruzar la Cara de la Luna chronicles three generations of a family divided by countries and cultures, depicting the emotional-spiritual connection to one's country of origin; the challenges of being a stranger in a strange land; and the very nature of home that is at the heart of the immigrant experience. As in the Paris performances, the CD of Cruzar features Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán - the world's top mariachi ensemble, led by Pepe Martínez - along with mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte as Renata (praised by the Houston Chronicle for her "intensity and conviction") and baritone Octavio Moreno as Laurentino (hailed as "warm and sympathetic").Videos