Series of opera screenings returns
The Cultural Center of the Philippines keeps true to its commitment to developing the nation’s appreciation for all art forms
A scene from Offenbach’s ‘Les Contes d’Hoffmann.’
Photographs courtesy of CCP
The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) The Met: LIVE in HD continues to bring the magic of opera closer to Filipino audiences in its 10th season beginning this February. In partnership with the Metropolitan Opera of New York, The Filipinas Opera Society Foundation, Inc. (FOSFI) and the Ayala Malls Cinemas, eight new operas will be screened at Glorietta 4 in Makati City with the surround sound technology of Dolby Atmos.
'Les Contes d’Hoffmann' is about the ramblings of a man drunk in wine and love.
Curtains of the CCP The Met: LIVE in HD reopened with Jacques Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann, directed by Tony award-winner Bartlett Sher, on 4 February. Les Contes d’Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann) are the ramblings of a man drunk in wine and love. Tormented poet Hoffmann (played by Benjamin Bernheim) adores Stella, an opera singer. In three dramatic acts with fantasy elements, he narrates anecdotes of his past lovers: a mechanical doll named Olympia, the young Antonia and the courtesan Giulietta residing in Venice.
Because it drew inspiration from three stories written by its namesake Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann (E. T. A. Hoffmann), Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann faced numerous setbacks. It was originally intended for Paris’ Théâtre de la Gaîté-Lyrique in 1877 but Offenbach missed the deadline. After his death in 1880, French composer Ernest Guiraud was commissioned to finish the opera.
Les Contes d’Hoffmann has no “official” version. Music historians questioned Offenbach’s intentions with its spoken dialogues, resulting in multiple iterations in the order of its acts. However, they strived to honor Offenbach’s plan of mapping the spiritual journey of love from the early stages of infatuation to the occasional indulgence of passing fancies.
Jeanine Tesori’s ‘Grounded.’
Among the lineup of CCP The Met: LIVE in HD this season are Jeanine Tesori’s Grounded, Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca, Aida by Giuseppe Verdi, Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Fidelio, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Salome of Richard Strauss and Gioachino Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia.
Tesori’s Grounded focuses on former fighter pilot Jess who finds her passion psychologically and ethically challenged. Under the guidance of critically acclaimed conductors Steven Osgood and Yannick Nézet-Séguin, this fast-paced tale of modern warfare graces the Philippine cinema on 4 March at 5:30 p.m.
Tosca is a political thriller set in 1800s Rome. The lives of diva Tosca, her lover Cavaradossi, and corrupt police chief Scarpia intertwine in this tale of love and deception. Witness Tosca confront her darkened fate on 8 April at 5:30 p.m.
