Mozart Opera Excerpts Performed at Lakehead University March 14 & 15

(March 10, 2009 --Thunder Bay, ON) On March 14 and 15 Lakehead's Department of Music will perform scenes from Mozart's operas, The Marriage of Figaro and Così Fan Tutte. This is the second of the Opera Studio performances, following last year's sold-out performance of Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas.

The Marriage of Figaro is a tale of love, infidelity, and mistaken identity. Premiering first in Vienna in 1786, with Mozart himself as the director, the opera is now regarded as a cornerstone of the standard operatic repertoire, the sixth most-performed opera in North America. The action of The Marriage of Figaro recounts a single day in the palace of the Count Almaviva in Spain.

The play was banned in Vienna because of its satire of the aristocracy, a theme that made many feel uncomfortable in the decade leading up to the French revolution. In spite of the controversial nature of the original stage play, Figaro has become one of Mozart's most loved, and one of the most performed operas in the repertoire.

Così Fan Tutte, which translates as "Women are like that," or "The School for Lovers," is based on a wager that all women are fickle, and it revolves around the relationships between two couples and the ease at which women become unfaithful to their lovers.

Dr. Dean Jobin-Bevans, director of the Lakehead University Opera Studio says, "Mozart composed these operas while he was at the height of his musical genius. He enjoyed creating these young lovelorn characters, and putting them in impossible situations just to see what might happen, and the music captures this comic aspect." He explains, "As a musical form, opera includes elements of singing, drama, movement and dance, and has been called the ultimate art form, and it is an important part of a singer's training."

The performance of Mozart scenes is a co-production between the Department of Music, and the Department of Visual Arts. Katelynn Clarey, an undergraduate from the Department of Visual Arts, has designed several static prop elements and canvases that are a part of the production. The operas feature Maria Tassone who plays Susanna, singing, "Siunse alfin il momento...Deh vieni, non taddar," Mary Armstrong, who plays Cherubino, singing, "Voi, che sapete," and Mike Mason, who plays Figaro, singing, "Non piu andrai."

The Lakehead University Opera Studio's production of Mozart scenes are the only live, fully staged performances of opera in Thunder Bay. Sung in both English and Italian, these performances are a perfect introduction to opera for the newbie and a refresher for experienced opera lovers.

Performances take place Saturday, March 14 at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, March 15 at 3:00 p.m. at the Bora Laskin Theatre. Tickets are $15 at the door or in advance by calling 343-8787.

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Media: Dr. Dean Jobin-Bevans is available for media interviews. For more information contact Lisa Pelot, Communications Officer, at 343-8177, or commun@lakeheadu.ca

About Lakehead

Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. With a main campus located in Thunder Bay, Ontario and a campus in Orillia, Ontario, Lakehead has over 7,900 students and 2,250 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. In 2006, Research Infosource Inc. named Lakehead University Canada's Research University of the Year in the undergraduate category. For more information on Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca