Tuesday, December 28, 2010

LA Opera Talk: Il Turco in Italia

SUNDAY, January 16th 2:00 p.m. L.A. Opera’s community educator BOB BERNARD will present a free audio-visual presentation about Rossini’s Il Turco in Italia, part of the very popular OPERA TALK series at Crowell Public Library. Mr. Bernard will present background on Rossini and his times and entice one and all into experiencing the full production at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion downtown. He is a consulting board member of the Los Angeles Opera League, a previous chair of the Artist Services Committee and has contributed to OLLA’s quarterly newsletter Bravo. Gioacchino Rossini's zaniest comedy, Il Turco in Italia has been described as The Barber of Seville meets Così fan tutte. Nino Machaidze performs the role of Fiorilla, a woman determined to rid herself of the two men in her life -- her exasperated husband (Paolo Gavanelli) and tedious admirer (Maxim Mironov) -- in favor of a more exotic suitor, a pompously beguiling Turk (Simone Alberghini). The great Thomas Allen plays the poet, Prosdocimo. Whether a hardcore opera aficionado or a curious novice, attendees will be delightfully entertained and encouraged to ask questions and offer comments. Make Crowell Library your LA Opera gateway!