La Belle Hélène 1893

One of the nation's most adventurous opera companies, Odyssey Opera, continues its sixth season with the Boston premiere of the rarely performed 1858 opera Le medecin malgre lui (The Doctor in Spite of Himself). On the occasion of the bicentenary of Charles Gounod's birth (1818-1893), Odyssey Opera offers a chance to become better acquainted with one of the largest French composers of the second half of the 19th Century. Based on a play by the great French satirical playwright Moliere, Gounod's Le medecin malgre lui is a three-act comic opera set to a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carre. Odyssey Opera will feature baritone Stephen Salters (Sganarelle), mezzo-soprano Tascha Anderson (Jacqueline), the Boston debut of tenor Piotr Buszewski (Leandre), and a full orchestra and chorus conducted by Gil Rose, with stage direction by Daniel Pelzig (Santa Fe Opera, Met Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago). The fully-staged production will be sung in French with English subtitles, with never heard recitatives added by Erik Satie.

One of the nation's most adventurous opera companies, Odyssey Opera, continues its sixth season with the Boston premiere of the rarely performed 1858 opera Le medecin malgre lui (The Doctor in Spite of Himself). On the occasion of the bicentenary of Charles Gounod's birth (1818-1893), Odyssey Opera offers a chance to become better acquainted with one of the largest French composers of the second half of the 19th Century. Based on a play by the great French satirical playwright Moliere, Gounod's Le medecin malgre lui is a three-act comic opera set to a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carre. Odyssey Opera will feature baritone Stephen Salters (Sganarelle), mezzo-soprano Tascha Anderson (Jacqueline), the Boston debut of tenor Piotr Buszewski (Leandre), and a full orchestra and chorus conducted by Gil Rose, with stage direction by Daniel Pelzig (Santa Fe Opera, Met Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago). The fully-staged production will be sung in French with English subtitles, with never heard recitatives added by Erik Satie.

One of the nation's most adventurous opera companies, Odyssey Opera, begins its sixth season with the U.S. premiere of La reine de Saba by French composer Charles Gounod (1818-1893). This powerful love story of the famed Queen of Sheba will be presented as a concert performance in French with English subtitles marking the Boston debut of singers Kara Shay Thomson (Queen of Sheba) and Dominick Chenes (Adoniram), and the return of Kevin Thompson (King Solomon). This kick-starts the company's 2018-19 season: a two-part journey with the first in Fall 2018 memorializing the 200th anniversary of Gounod's birth (as well as the 125th death anniversary), and the second in Winter/Spring 2019 inspired by one of the most enigmatic figures in ancient history, Helen of Troy.

Culture at the crossroads in Belle Époque France will be explored at the ninth annual Bard SummerScape festival, which once again features a sumptuous tapestry of music, opera, theater, dance, film, and cabaret, keyed to the theme of the 23rd annual Bard Music Festival.

Culture at the crossroads in Belle Époque France will be explored at the ninth annual Bard SummerScape festival, which once again features a sumptuous tapestry of music, opera, theater, dance, film, and cabaret, keyed to the theme of the 23rd annual Bard Music Festival.