Backstage at a World Premiere
Florida Grand Opera gives the world premiere of David Carlson's opera, Anna Karenina, on April 28, 2007. Secretary-Treasurer and Florida Classical Orchestra member Jeffrey Apana tells what it's like to be in the pit.Page 2
Well, we've had our first dress rehearsal, and the opera is really something. It has the emotional impact of a good Puccini opera. Two parts that stand out are the hauntingly beautiful melody sung by Anna near the beginning of the opera and the edge-of-your-seat music at the horse races that really makes you feel like you're there.
This is also an opera that has many different levels. You can just sit back and be swept away like at a good movie, but there's also a lot of depth and there are things that you might notice the second (or third!) time that you missed on the first hearing. And the more you know about the story, the more you will understand the depth of the opera...for example, the sad character of Anna's music, or the brooding quality at Levin's entrance, makes a lot of sense if you've read how Tolstoy has portrayed them. If you don't have time to read the book (!), I'd highly encourage reading the synopsis and program notes in advance (FGO even has them available on their website). And Justin Moss always gives entertaining previews prior to each performance...even though I usually know a bit about the opera before we start performing it, I always like to hear Justin's take and the odd facts he is usually able to dig up!
- 1. Backstage at a World Premiere
- 2. Page 2
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