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Musica Lirica to bring Puccini’s Tosca to Preston Minster in November

Posted on - 28th October, 2015 - 7:00pm | Author - | Posted in - Arts & Culture, Preston City Centre, Preston Minster, What's On in Preston

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Musica Lirica Opera presents Tosca by Giacomo Puccini, sung in English, rather than Italian, with orchestra at 4 North West venues in its short Autumn tour.  This evergreen opera will be perfomed at the Preston Minster on Monday 23 November 2015.

Tosca, along with La Bohème and Madam Butterfly is among Puccini’s greatest and most dramatic masterpieces.  Great melodies sung by massively identifiable characters combine with intense scenes of power and imagination to produce an evening of unforgettable tension and emotion.

The jealous and fiery opera singer, Floria Tosca, is coerced into betraying her lover, the painter, Mario Cavaradossi by the evil and lecherous Baron Scarpia intent on having his evil way with her.  How does it all end?  Not well for anyone.  The opera described by George Bernard Shaw as “a shabby little shocker” has become one of the world’s favourite pieces of music theatre.

Well experienced in Puccini, Musica Lirica Opera has also produced the three Puccini operas: Gianni Schicchi, Sister Angelica and Il Tabarro which together make up his Il Trittico and the company has future plans for Madam Butterfly.  Musica Lirica which can be described as a “pro-am” society consisting of both professional and talented amateur musicians has recently completed a successful tour of Lehar’s The Merry Widow and is looking forward to bringing its productions to new audiences across Lancashire and the North West.

Evil Baron Scarpia and Tosca

Evil Baron Scarpia and Tosca, during rehearsals.

The leading role is played by Jayne Woollam who studied singing at The Royal Northern College of Music. Early in her career she sang with Opera North before embarking on a teaching career. No stranger to dramatic parts, Jayne sang huge roles such as Lady Macbeth with Preston Opera as well as in Nabucco, Il Trovatore, The Tales of Hoffman, Faust and, Die Fledermaus. Peter Bowden, Tosca’s lover and tenor lead also studied at “The Northern” and with Angelo Marenzi in Tawain. His opera credits include Alfredo in La Traviata in Tawain and  as well as several leading roles with Musica Lirica Opera.  Peter insists that singing these beautiful duets in Tosca with Jayne gives him goose pimples and carries him away. The third and final protagonist in this ménage à trois is Scarpia, played by the youngest member of the cast, the 28 year old baritone, Dan Woodhouse.  For his age Dan has played a wide variety of roles with Musica Lirica including lighter ones like Figaro, and Papageno in The Magic Flute as well as dramatic roles such as Michele in Puccini’s Il Tabarro.  Dan is also a member of Heritage Opera’s Young Singers Programme where he has sung roles in La Traviata, Rigoletto and The Barber of Seville. Michael Hall who conducts the company is a singing coach who studied at the Royal Academy of Music and in his spare time from teaching and running his theatre school pursues his longstanding love of opera and promotes it wherever and whenever he can.  “My long-term ambition is to take opera into schools and convert the whole world to this, the greatest art form. The problem is, that to be done properly it needs the full works: principal singers, chorus, orchestra, set, costumes and lights. Not an easy task, but it gives you something to get up for in the morning.”

Tosca and lover Cavaradossi

Tosca and lover Cavaradossi, during rehearsals.

Performance starts at 7.30pm, ends 9.45pm: Monday 23 November at Preston Minster. Further information on 01253 696990

Preston Minster
Church Street
Preston
PR1 3BT

Tickets: £14.00 ~ Concessions £12.00

Further information on the Musica Lirica website

And, the Musica Lirica Facebook page.

Are you thinking of attending this operatic performance? Let us know in the comments below.

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