Submitted by Bedford Center for the Arts
Opera lovers are invited to the second in this year’s Bedford Center for the Arts (BCA) opera lecture, Tales of Hoffmann, from 7 to 9 pm on Monday January 26, in the Bacon Room of First Parish on Bedford Common.
Dave Collins, Opera Boston’s resident lecturer and well-known Boston opera aficionado, will lead the lecture, using video clips and recording to delve into the opera’s background and plot. In addition to his work with Opera Boston, Collins has provided courses and lectures at many educational institutions in the greater Boston area, including MIT, Northeastern, Regis College, and the Adult Education Programs of both Boston and Cambridge. He has degrees from Boston and Lesley Universities and he studied at both the Hart School of Music in Hartford and the New England Conservatory of Music.
January’s lecture focuses on Jacques Offenbach’s fantasy opera Les Contes d’Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann). All lectures in the series are intended to serve as warm-ups for the MetOpera’s Live in HD performance simulcast in local theaters on the following Saturday, in this case January 31. Hoffmann is a fantasy opera based on three short stories written by E.T.A. Hoffman, a 17th century German author, the author of the story upon which Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker is based. In Hoffmann, each of the three acts is a story told by the Hoffmann character (a tenor) about his relationship with a different woman in his life. Fans of classical music will recognize the familiar Barcarole. Ensemble music and choreography abound, and the story provides an opportunity to hear three divas, a leading tenor, and a baritone to sing the obligatory villain roles.
The lecture will be held in the Bacon Room, First Parish Bedford. Pre-registration is required and space is limited. To register, send a check (made payable to Bedford Center for the Arts or BCA) to Bob Bass, 42 Fletcher Road, Bedford. BCA Members, $15. Non-members, $20.
For more information, contact Bob Bass at [email protected] or 781-275-5230.
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