Rice’s Shepherd School of Music presents enchanting performances of Handel’s ‘Alcina’
Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music will present Handel’s “Alcina,” a baroque masterpiece of magic, deception and passion, in Brockman Hall for Opera Nov. 1 and 3. Under the direction of Crystal Manich and conducted by Louis Lohraseb, this production promises an engaging journey into a world of sorcery and timeless music, featuring some of Handel’s most exquisite arias.
“‘Alcina’ is my favorite Handel opera by far,” said Joshua Winograde, the Shepherd School’s director of opera studies. “It is outside of any kind of known historical time or place, so it allows you to really conceive of a world in which there is sorcery, magic, devotion and passion, but it really doesn’t dictate a specific century or location other than your imagination.”
Winograde added that this production aims to transport the audience into a realm where “the lead character is magical and the island that you’ve arrived at is enchanted and not what it appears to be.”
“We are creating a fantastical world that emphasizes the fact that there are sorcerers, nobility and warriors,” Winograde said, noting that the set design features a single rotating unit, enabling the creation of diverse scenes and perspectives throughout the nearly three-hour performance. “That gives us an opportunity to really play with visuals in a unique way that unfolds over the course of the opera, allowing the audience to essentially never know what’s about to happen.”
The choice of “Alcina” was driven by a focus on developing the talents of the Shepherd School’s singers, who are tackling the Italian language and building characters from scratch. That was also a priority as Winograde selected the creative team.
“I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Louis and Crystal for a long time,” Winograde said. “It was a real pleasure for me to be able to bring them in knowing that, in addition to having very strong artistic visions and a thorough knowledge of this repertoire, they also both share a real passion for helping young talent develop their dramatic and musical skills.”
Learn more about "Alcina" here: https://music.rice.edu/content/handel...
