The Rochester Lyric Opera and The New York State Ballet are thrilled to collaborate in a memorable musical extravaganza May 5/6, in the beautiful and historic Lyric Opera Theater, at 440 East Ave. in Rochester’s historic downtown.

 A 17 piece professional orchestra will be conducted by Dr. Jared Chase, Assistant Professor of Music, Director of Bands and Coordinator of Instrumental Music at Nazareth College.

 Vocal parts will be sung by Sue Cotroneo, Managing Director of the Rochester Lyric Opera, Katie Hannigan, Jessie Keim, Shaya Greathouse, and Mitchell Hutchings.

 Choreography will be by guest artist Robert Royce (Carmina Burana) and New York State Ballet’s own Sarah Rothrock-Rickel, Assistant Creative Director to Katherine Johnson, founder of The New York State Ballet.

 The dancing will be performed by the twelve full-time professionals of The New York State Ballet, a group of talented and diverse artists from around the United States and Rochester.

 Carmina Burana- Probably the most frequently performed choral work of the 21st Century, the name has Latin roots and translates to "Songs of Beuren” - where they were discovered in 1803.  The name refers to a collection of 13th century songs and poems that originated in the Seckau

Abbey in Austria.  Carl Orff chose 24 songs of the original 1000 songs in 1934 from an anthology entitled “Wine, Women, and Song.”  It is written in 3 sections:  Springtime, In the Tavern, and In the Court of Love.  It was first performed triumphantly in 1937 and went onto international acclaim.

 Carmen- Is one of the most popular and frequently performed operas in all classical repertoire.  Composed by the Frenchman George Bizet, it was first performed in Paris in 1875 where its breaking of conventions shocked and scandalized its first audiences.  

It soon went onto international acclaim.  The “Habanera” (referring to a Cuban dance) and the “Toreador (bullfighter) Song” are among the best know arias in all opera.  It is set in southern Spain and tells the story of a naive soldier who is seduced by the wiles of the fiery gypsy Carmen.  He abandons his childhood sweetheart and deserts from his military duties for the mesmerizing Carmen yet loses her to a glamorous toreador, after which the soldier kills her in a jealous rage.  The music has been widely acclaimed for its brilliance of melody and orchestration, and for the skill with which Bizet musically represented the emotions and suffering of his characters.

 

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