Arts and culture enthusiasts, mark your calendars! Opera Neo is returning to UC San Diego Park & Market for two nights only on Friday, July 19, and Saturday, July 20 with the American premiere of Nicola Porpora’s Polifemo.
This remarkable performance signifies the first time this masterpiece will be performed outside of Europe. The experience will highlight the brilliance of the Italian opera Polifemo, brought to life by Opera Neo at Park & Market: the perfect venue to blend tradition with innovation.
“Preparing for a premiere is such an exciting experience,” said Peter Kozma Opera Neo’s founder and artistic director and the conductor of Polifemo. “It’s awe-inspiring to sit back and realize that this music written in 1735 is being heard live on this continent for the first time in history.”
Polifemo: A Historical Gem Revived
Nicola Porpora, a luminary of the Baroque period, was a formidable rival of Handel and the esteemed teacher of the legendary castrato Farinelli. Porpora’s Polifemo, based on Ovid’s Metamorphoses, intricately intertwines the tales of Polyphemus, Acis, and Galatea, along with an episode from Homer’s Odyssey featuring Odysseus, Polyphemus, and Calypso.
This opera, originally composed in London at the behest of English noblemen and the urging of Farinelli and Senesino showcases the virtuosity of these legendary artists with its blend of impressive vocal fireworks and slow-moving arias.
“Fusing ancient stories and historically informed musical performance with modern, innovative stagings is a catalytic combination!” continued Kozma. “Our artistic team is inspired by the juxtaposition of the old and the new, yesterday and today. We think our audiences will find something of themselves in this music and these characters, and walk away with a better understanding of our modern world and a renewed connection to the traditions of the past.”
Opera Neo Bridges Past and Present
Opera Neo’s American premiere of Polifemo is more than just an opera performance; it’s a cultural event that bridges the gap between the past and the present, showcasing a piece of Baroque history in a cutting-edge venue. Both long-time opera aficionados and newcomers to the art form can expect an evening of exceptional opera, music, and storytelling that’s not to be missed.
Daria Zholnerova, making her debut with Opera Neo, will direct the production. Peter Kozma will lead Opera Neo’s period instrument orchestra, ensuring an authentic Baroque sound that pays homage to Porpora’s original vision. Their combined expertise promises a performance that is both historically informed and dynamically engaging.
Park & Market: A Venue for the Modern Era
Opera Neo’s return to UC San Diego Park & Market after last year’s stunning performance of Mitridate, re di Ponto underscores the importance of modern, adaptable performance spaces in bringing historical works to contemporary audiences.
“Park & Market is the perfect place for this production,” shared Kozma. “Our Mitridate performances last summer at Park & Market were very well-received and incorporated a lot of technological elements that the venue makes possible. We chose to return for Polifemo because the space, with the giant video wall and inspiring design, is perfect for this production.”
Park & Market’s state-of-the-art digital video screens help create an immersive experience, enhancing the visual and auditory grandeur of Porpora’s composition and providing subtitle access to a libretto presented in the original Italian language. The Park & Market Forum Lobby offers a dramatic backdrop to Polifemo’s mythic themes, with floor-to-ceiling windows soaring 26 feet high and an elegant staircase spiraling from the first to the second floor as if to the very heavens where Polifemo’s gods and goddesses scheme.
“We also really enjoyed working with the team at Park & Market, and are very excited to be back,” said Kozma. “…performing Polifemo at Park & Market lets us build on the multimedia storytelling we experimented with last season in Mitridate, bringing this ancient story vibrantly to life with the cutting-edge visual language of today.”
Experience Opera Neo’s Polifemo
The American Premiere of Nicola Porpora’s Polifemo, an opera in two acts with one intermission, will be sung in Italian with English subtitles on Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20, from 8-11 p.m.
UC San Diego Park & Market invites you to participate in this historic moment. Learn more and purchase tickets.
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