Coming soon to an opera house near you: Eugene Edition

Hello again, everybody!  The time has come to start looking forward to next season's offerings, both in our area and slightly beyond.  We will take a look at what is planned for each opera company in Oregon, or at least those of whose existence I am aware, and then we will broaden our view and see what's going on to the north and south of our beautiful state.  I will be starting off with Eugene Opera, as it is very near to my heart (and every other part of me).

First things first: a very exciting announcement that you may or may not have heard at some point over the last few months.  For the 2015-2016 season, Eugene Opera will be producing not two, but four operas!  Yes, you read that correctly.  They will be adding two chamber operas to their schedule, and will begin their season in October, a full two months earlier than their traditional New Year's Eve opening night!  And it promises to be a very exciting season, too!
First up, just in time for Halloween, is Benjamin Britten's haunted telling of Henry James' Gothic ghost story, The Turn of the Screw.  The performances will sandwich the holiday, with opening night on October 30th and a matinee show on November 1st.  Here is a little taste of what you can expect to see and hear.

Last season, operagoers in Eugene were treated to the delightful spectacle that is Donizetti's Elixir of Love.  This season brings us a much darker work by the bel canto master, Lucia di Lammermoor, with performances on New Year's Eve and January 3rd.  Based on the novel by Sir Walter Scott, The Bride of Lammermoor, Lucia has showcased many great coloratura sopranos, and features one of opera's greatest mad scenes.  Here is Natalie Dessay performing said scene at the Metropolitan Opera.

March brings us one of my personal favorites, Tchaikovsky's beloved Eugene Onegin, based on the novel in verse by Alexander Pushkin.  This thought-provoking tale of missed opportunities, set to an unspeakably beautiful score, is not one that is easily forgotten.  Performances will be on March 11th and 13th.  Here is the great baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky performing Onegin's Act I aria.  

And finally, Eugene Opera will wrap up its season with Mark Adamo's adaptation of Little Women on May 13th and 15th.  Growing up, I was probably one of the only little girls I knew who never really felt inclined to read Louisa May Alcott's classic story, so I'm going into this one blind.  But I did find a little excerpt for you, featuring the incomparable Joyce DiDonato.

And that, my dear readers, is what we have to look forward to in the coming year.  It promises to be a very exciting season.  I hope to see you there!