Metropolitan Opera’s Rusalka to be screened at Greenbelt in Makati

November 18, 2014, 6:30 PM

Greenbelt 3 (Cinema 1)

Ayala Center, Makati

The Metropolitan Opera series in high definition (HD) continues on November 18, 2014, 6:30 PM at Greenbelt 3 Cinema 1 in Makati with Antonín Dvořák’s Rusalka. The event is made possible through the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the New York Met Opera and the Filipinas Opera Society Foundation Inc. in cooperation with the Ayala Malls Cinemas and Greenbelt.

The great Renée Fleming returns to one of her signature roles, singing the enchanting Song to the Moon in Dvořák's soulful fairy-tale opera. Tenor Piotr Beczala co-stars as the Prince, Dolora Zajick is Ježibaba, and dynamic young maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin is on the podium.

This opera was composed by the Czech Nationalist composer, Antonín Dvořák. The Czech libretto was written by the poet Jaroslav Kvapil (1868–1950) based on the fairy tales of Karel Jaromír Erben and Božena Němcová. Rusalka is one of the most successful Czech operas, and represents a cornerstone of the repertoire of Czech opera houses. A Rusalka is a water sprite from Slavic mythology, usually inhabiting a lake or river.

The remaining screenings for this season are Giuseppe Verdi’s Othello on December 16, 2014, Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème on January 13, 2015, Jules Massenet’s Werther on February 10, 2015 and George Friedrich Handel, Antonio Vivaldi, and Jean-Philippe Rameau’s Enchanted Island on March 13, 2015. All screenings will start at 6:30 PM. 

The Met Opera in HD series is made possible through the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the New York Metropolitan Opera and the Filipinas Opera Society Foundation Inc. in cooperation with the Ayala Malls Cinemas and Greenbelt.

Ticket price:

P400

For inquiries:

Greenbelt 3 Cinema 757-3862, 752-7883

CCP & UP College of Music stage Philippine premiere of Dvořák’s Rusalka

September 11 & 12, 2014, 7:30 PM

Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater)

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

September 23 & 24, 2014, 6:30 PM

Abelardo Hall Auditorium

College of Music, University of the Philippines

Diliman, Quezon City

The Cultural Center of the Philippines and the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Music present the Philippine premier of Antonín Dvořák’s lyric fairy tale opera Rusalka on September 11 & 12, 2014, 7:30 PM at the CCP’s Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater) and on Septmber 23 & 24, 2014, 6:30 PM at the Abelardo Hall Auditorium at UP Diliman, Quezon City.

A full premiere of the work in the Philippines, UP's Rusalka will be adapted to a Filipino setting, particularly to the time of Isabelo de los Reyes (1864-1938), whose contribution to knowledge of Philippine folklore is pioneering. An ilustrado intellectual of late 19th to early 20th centuries, de los Reyes documented narratives of living Philippine folk beliefs and practices of his time in order to build an archive of Philippine culture so as to understand the uniqueness of Philippine society in relation to universal truth and science.

The love that Rusalka learns in dealing with a human being in this fairy tale opera, though originating far from the Philippines, is one such truth and Isabelo de los Reyes would have easily understood its universal message. As a homage to him as a cosmopolitan Filipino nationalist who is celebrating his 150^th birth centenary this year, UP College of Music juxtaposes, without translating, the original music of this opera that will be sung in English with characters whose names are familiar to Filipinos such as the spirits of the environment.

Included in the cast are brilliant young Filipino sopranos, 2013 Aliw Awardee Fame Flores and Philippine Madrigal Singers member Bianca Camille Lopez, both portraying the main character, the water sprite Rusalka who aspires to love a human being but, in the process, was rejected and who, therefore, learnt the hazards of loving a fleshly creature that a human being is. Tenors Malvin Macasaet and Christian Nagano will both play the Prince while rounding up the cast are students from the University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas.

The show is directed by Alegria Ferrer with chamber orchestra to be conducted by Josefino Toledo and with sets and lighting design by Danilo Silvestre and David Ohm.

Ticket prices:

September 11-12, 2014

P600

-50% student discount

-20% senior citizen discount

September 23-24, 2014

P500

For inquiries:

UP College of Music  926-0026, 929-6963

UP Trunkline 981-8500 local 2629

CCP Box Office 832-3704