Adamo & Aristophanes @ NYCO
1st March 2006
Nico (Chad Shelton) seduces a blindfolded Lysia (Emily Pulley).
© Brett Coomer, Houston Grand Opera
Adamo — who also serves as NYCO’s composer-in-residence — created both the score and libretto for his “tragicomedy for singers and orchestra,” which he adapted after Aristophanes’ classic play on the Peloponnesian Wars. “I love Lysistrata’s strut and wit and nerve,” Adamo noted before the world premiere. Now, a year later, he observes, “I’m delighted at having this work come to City Opera. New York is the theater capital of the world, and the sensibility of New York audiences is attuned to the speed of the work and the blending of the tones. Someone once said ‘We turn to comedy when matters are too serious for tragedy,’ and that’s how I view this story. And since City Opera is known for presenting baroque romantic comedy and contemporary works, Lysistrata is a delicious blend since the opera is a serious work in the guise of a Baroque romantic comedy. It feels like a homecoming.” Tony-nominated Michael Kahn directs and George Manahan conducts.
New York audiences will get a sneak peak at Lysistrata on 13 March, when Adamo joins members of NYCO for the Guggenheim Museum’s “New Visions” series which explores the behind-the-scenes details of the creative process.
