Await Cavalleria Rusticana, an opera in one act
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Classical music lovers will once again be in for a treat when Barbara Segal Music International together with Menaka De Fonseka Sahabandu presents Pietro Mascagni’s well known opera Cavalleria Rusticana at St Andrew’s Church (Scots Kirk) 73, Galle Road Colombo 3 on November 30 at 7.30 p.m.Cavalleria Rusticana (Rustic Chivalry) is an opera in one act. A short and intense work, it sets to music the Italian writer Giovanni Verga’s short story and play of the same name, which tells a story of love, betrayal, and revenge in Sicily. Mascagni’s opera was an instant success when it premiered in Rome in 1890, and it started a trend in opera for the naturalistic often violent verismo style associated in literature with Verga and his contemporaries.
British tenor Thomas Kinch will play the role of Turiddu alongside other Sri Lankan soloists Jehani Gamalathge (Soprano) as Santuzza, Hiruni Perera ( Mezzo Soprano) as Lucia, Nishantha Warnakulasuriya (Baritone) as Alfio and Rachel Halliday (Mezzo Soprano) as Lola. They will be supported by a chorus of 24 .
Kinch has regularly appeared on stage in both recitals and operas. He has taken part in masterclasses with the renowned British tenor John Treleaven who spoke of him as a ‘major talent with clear international potential’. In the summer of 2016, Thomas also reached the semi-finals of the “Debut” competition in Schloss Weikersheim, where despite being the youngest competitor by at least four years, he progressed to the Top 16 out of 500 other seasoned professionals.
Stage Direction is by Christopher Cowell and Maestro Peter Crockford will be Music Director and pianist with Neranjan De Silva on the keyboard. Menaka De Fonseka Sahabandu will be Chorus Director.
Peter Crockford studied at the Birmingham School of Music (where he won the Chamber Music Prize and the Concerto Prize) and The Royal Northern College of Music (winning the Lieder Prize and Principal’s Concert Prize). During his early career he worked for several opera companies including Glyndebourne Festival and Touring Operas, Wexford Festival, Opera 80 and Welsh National Opera, and studied conducting with George Hurst, Colin Metters and Peter Gellhorn. He conducted Mozart’s Cosi fan tutti for the Commonwealth Institute, Britten’s Church Parables in Paris and the revival for the Camden Festival in London and made his debut with The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra at the Henley Festival and was then invited to conduct the European tour of Bernstein’s West Side Story.
Christopher Cowell is a graduate in Modern Languages and History of Art from Cambridge University. In the earlier part of his career he forged the beginning of a long-term association with Surrey Opera, and is now their Associate Artistic Director.
2008 saw his main-house début at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, directing Rolando Villazon in a revival of Les Contes d’Hoffmann.
Alongside this work, he has maintained his freelance directing career.
Admission is by programme priced at Rs. 2500. For reservations call 0759317497 or 0714811228.