Choral Art Society Presents Mendelssohn’s “Elijah,” March 31
| The Choral Art Society |
PORTLAND'S CHORAL ART SOCIETY PRESENTS MENDELSSOHN'S ELIJAH ORATORIO, MARCH 31 PORTLAND, Maine – In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Felix Mendelssohn's birth, Portland's Choral Art Society will present Mendelssohn's oratorio Elijah in its full splendor on Tuesday, March 31 at Merrill Auditorium. Widely known as the best oratorio of the 19th century, this production of Elijah includes the Choral Art Society Masterworks Chorus, live orchestra and special guest soloists Lisa Saffer (soprano), Jennifer DeDominici (mezzo-soprano), John McVeigh (tenor) and Philip Cutlip (bass). The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Elijah depicts various events in the life of the Old Testament prophet Elijah. Mendelssohn did not shrink from the harshness of the Old Testament plots, and his music for Elijah is full of power, drama and compelling scene-setting. Composed in the spirit of Mendelssohn's Baroque predecessors Bach and Handel, whose music he greatly admired, the style clearly reflects Mendelssohn's own genius as an early Romantic composer. An oratorio is an elaborate musical presentation composed of an orchestra, choir and soloists. A sacred response to the secular, oratorio was popularized in response to the birth of opera in the early 1600s, but in a manner appropriate for church performance. The oratorio is similar to opera in the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters and arias; however, as opera is musical theater, an oratorio is strictly a concert piece, often dealing with sacred topics, with little or no interaction between characters and no props or elaborate costumes. Scored for a full orchestra, a large chorus, and four vocal soloists, the part of Elijah is sung by the Philip Cutlip and is a major role. The soloists include:
The Choral Art Society's presentation of Elijah will be performed at Portland's Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle Street, Tuesday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $15-$47 and are sold through PortTix at (207) 842-0800 or www.porttix.com. (Phone and internet orders subject to $5 per ticket handling fee.) Tickets may also be purchased in person at the box office at 20 Myrtle Street, Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. About The Choral Art Society: The Society has more than 150 members who perform in three distinct ensembles: the symphonic Masterworks Chorus, the mid-sized Choral Art Singers, and the intimate a cappella Camerata. All singers are skilled amateurs, selected by audition. The Society offers an annual concert series and appears regularly as guests of the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Robert Russell, professor of music at the University of Southern Maine, is the conductor and artistic director of The Choral Art Society. For more information about The Choral Art Society and the 2008-09 performances visit www.choralart.org or call (207) 828-0043. |
Labels: Choral Art Society, concert, mendelssohn, Merrill Auditorium, Portland