Join us for our latest lecture in our “A Note on Opera” series as we look at “A German in Paris: Giacomo Meyerbeer and Grand Opéra.”
Giacomo Meyerbeer, born Jakob Liebmann Beer in Berlin in 1791, was a Jewish expatriate who immigrated to France, eventually becoming the dominant musical presence in the French capital for much of the 19th-century. He developed the genre of grand opéra to its full scope, with its epic tone, sweeping historical narrative, huge casts, ballet, and special effects – including ice-skating on stage!
His works have never completely gone into obscurity and are now slowly being revived. Regardless of how one finds this “Andrew Lloyd Webber” of French opera, his influence is palpable in works by later composers as diverse as Richard Wagner, Giuseppe Verdi, and Modest Mussorgsky.
We’ll be looking at Meyerbeer’s life as a Jewish composer living in early 19th-century Germany and then his later life as the “Toast of Paris,” defining exactly what is grand opéra and how it evolved by examining bits of Meyerbeer’s “Les Huguenots” and “Le prophète.” Meyerbeer’s influence on other opera traditions will also be illustrated.
Course to be taught in English by David Kerr. No pre-existing knowledge of music required.
Please use the link to register in advance for this event: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07edlxbqnpf3cf842b&oseq=&c=&ch=
