“Sakuntala Song”
IN series
in washington and baltimore
Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St., NE
(Selected dates are June 6th to 14th)
Baltimore Theater Project, 45 W. Preston St., Baltimore.
(June 19th to 21st)
$25-35
inseries.org
IN Series Artistic Director Timothy Nelson rarely plays the horn himself, but he makes an exception for the world premiere of his opera, The Song of Sakuntala.
In a recent interview between afternoon and evening rehearsals, Nelson took time to talk about his opera (nearby a big dinner was prepared for the entire cast and crew by Nelson’s “husband’s blessing”).
Nelson, as intelligent and polite as ever, explains that he wrote the opera 10 years ago, at a low point in his life. He was divorced and wanted to immerse himself in a project akin to writing a thick novel, something musical and all-consuming.
At the time, Nelson’s mentor, Peter Sellers, an influential American stage and opera director, encouraged him to write again. Nelson reflects, “I hadn’t composed music for a while. I wanted to see if I could do it, and I wanted to revisit Indian classical music.”
“I never expected that to be produced. It was a way of processing and dealing with life in a healthy way,” he added.
Adapted from Kalidasa’s 5th-century dramatic masterpiece, The Song of Sakuntala brings together Western baroque and Indian classical music traditions in a story of “love, loss, memory, and redemption.” His scripts, which reflect the stories of South Asia, include words from great Indian poets, Tagore, Naidu and Vidyapati.
The story revolves around “a forest prince and a woman who fell in love and got married in secret. He leaves and she searches for him later, only he doesn’t recognize her at all. She disappears in his grief and he spends the rest of his life searching. Finally, in the same forest where they first met, they find each other again and are transformed.”
The 90-minute series features three singers (Alyssa Lee Birds, Teresa Ferrara, and Marvin Wayne Allen) with an instrumental ensemble led by acclaimed sitar player Rajiv Karmakar, who specializes in bridging Indian and Western classical traditions, and is conducted by Nelson, who also participates in the drone and harmonium music production.
Byrds plays the prince. Originally written for a countertenor, Nelson envisioned the role being sung by a man, but ultimately cast a woman in the role.
Nelson explains with a wicked laugh that he knew Byrds had the talent and sharp mind needed for the role, as the film is “diabolically difficult in almost unnecessary ways.”
The prince is cruel without explanation. Nevertheless, Nelson, who is in his 40s, admitted that he related to this operatic prince, saying, “When you reach middle age, you reflect on your mistakes. At least for now, that’s how I feel. It may have been different before, and it may change later.”
Nelson lived in India for nine months, and while backpacking and studying in various places, he absorbed a variety of musical styles and performed pieces as diverse and complex as Western music.
Additionally, while based in DC, IN Series rents various venues and performs in both Washington and Baltimore. “The Song of Sakuntala” will be performed with great acoustics both at the Atlas Performing Center in Washington, D.C. (6/6-6/14) and at the beloved Baltimore Theater Project in Baltimore (6/19-6/21).
Nelson, who lives in Adams Morgan, said in past conversations that every audience member brings something special to the table. Baltimore tends to take more risks, while DC viewers tend to lean more towards the intellectual side of corporate activities.
Nelson, who has been at the helm of the IN series for eight years, has enjoyed reimagining opera and musical theater, but only recently decided to program his latest work. The way “The Song of Sakuntala” blends Western and non-Western music is truly part of the IN Series music brand and seemed like the perfect selection to end the season.
“I’m doing this with great hesitation and humility. And while it may feel a little unseemly to endorse your own work, let me tell you, this is a work that has been successful in both places (West Asia and South Asia), and the Indian musicians involved are responding to that.”
The article about the premiere of Timothy Nelson’s opera “Song of Sakuntala” appeared first on Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News.
Source: Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News – www.washingtonblade.com
