Life has gone so far over the top recently that even Puccini’s “Tosca” no longer seems farfetched. Once scathingly dismissed by musicologist Joseph Kerman as a “shabby little shocker,” this tale of love, politics, and the world’s most melodramatic diva is now so meta that the characters threaten to leap from the stage. If you’ve never seen it, well, never mind. Now’s your chance! One of the world’s most popular operas will be given three performances at The Princeton Festival, this Friday at 8:00, Sunday at 4:00, and Tuesday at 7:00.
Soprano Toni Marie Palmertree will sing the title role of the fiery opera singer who has a peculiar idea of what constitutes a kiss, tenor Victor Starsky her lover, the luckless artist Cavaradossi, and baritone Luis Ledesma, the slimy chief of police Scarpia. Puccini’s spinetingling score contains some of his most ardent, shattering music. And that is saying something!
The Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Princeton Festival Opera Chorus, and student singers of Princeton Middle School will be conducted by music director Rossen Milanov.
The opera will be presented in the state-of-the-art festival pavilion on the grounds of Morven Museum & Garden at 55 Stockton Street/Rte. 206.
Prior to the Sunday performance, Westminster Choir College’s Margaret Cusack and stage director Eve Summer will discuss the production in a special presentation at Morven’s Stockton Education Center at 2:15.
Of course, opera is not the only thing to look forward to this week. Tonight, Kentucky-born, classically-trained violinist Tessa Lark will introduce “Stradgrass” to Princeton. Lark went from playing in her father’s gospel bluegrass band to studies at the New England Conservatory and Juilliard. Her festival program will meld music by Telemann, Bach, and Ysaÿe with Appalachian and bluegrass licks. The concert will take place at Trinity Church Princeton at 33 Mercer Street (across the way from Morven Museum), beginning at 7 p.m.
Back under the Morven pavilion, and in between this weekend’s performances of “Tosca,” American Repertory Ballet will execute “An Evening of Pas de deux” accompanied by members of the PSO, again conducted by Milanov. On the program will be selections from Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” and Minkus’ “Don Quixote,” along with Ethan Stiefel’s “Delibes Duet.” The dancing will begin this Saturday at 7 p.m.
Yet to come, next week: “Baroque Brilliance” with The Sebastians, Motown with Masters of Soul, “Viva Vivaldi” with violinist Daniel Rowland and cellist Maja Bogdanović, and “ARRIVAL from Sweden: The Music of ABBA!”
For more information, visit the Princeton Festival website at https://princetonsymphony.org/festival.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Tessa Lark (“Stradgrass,” tonight at 7:00 at Trinity Church), Toni Marie Palmertree (“Tosca,” Friday at 7:00, Sunday at 4:00, and Tuesday at 7:00 at Morven Museum), inside the Festival Pavilion, and American Repertory Ballet (“An Evening of Pas de deux,” Saturday at 7:00 at Morven)
