Program Description
Event Details
Join us in the Scott Room for an afternoon of one of the great staples of classic opera!
The New York Opera Forum will be presenting a concert version of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio).
Die Entführung tells the story of Belmonte, a Spanish nobleman, and Konstanze, his betrothed. After Konstanze falls into the hands of pirates and is sold to the Ottoman Pasha as a slave, Belmonte conducts several schemes to sneak her and her lady's maid out of the palace. When the Pasha captures Belmonte and his servant Pedrillo trying to scale the walls with ladders while disguised as gardeners, all seems lost when it is discovered that the Pasha and Belmonte's father - Lostados - are bitter enemies. However, the Pasha decides that he can make a better point against Lostados by setting Belmonte and his companions free.
Die Entführung was a huge success in Austria at the time, but there is an anecdotal story that Emperor Joseph II did not like the opera, complaining of its complexity and the fact that it had "too many notes."
Please note that this program is lengthy. There will be an intermission.
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About the company
The New York Opera Forum was founded by Richard Nechamkin in 1983 to give classically trained singers the opportunity to learn and perform standard operatic repertoire in the original languages. They work with singers on all levels, from students to professionals, providing quality training and performance opportunities. Complete operas are performed in concert with piano accompaniment; scenes programs are staged with minimal props and costumes.