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Thomas Adès's Powder Her Face with Odyssey Opera

Jun. 04, 2015

Thomas Adès's <em>Powder Her Face</em> with Odyssey Opera

This month, Boston’s Odyssey Opera concludes its British Invasion Festival of English musical dramas with a production of Thomas Adès’s Powder Her Face. Nic Muni directs the production with Gil Rose conducting the Odyssey Opera Orchestra and a cast led by mezzo-soprano Patricia Schuman as The Duchess. Following Opera Philadelphia’s 2013 production of Powder Her Face, Opera News hailed Schuman’s performance as “sensational” and “affecting”.

Powder Her Face chronicles the highly publicized, extramarital exploits of socialite Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll. Also known as the “Dirty Dutchess,” Campbell’s story is relayed through a series of flashbacks from moments leading up to the demise of her marriage. Through Campbell’s infamy, Adès presents a satirical outlook on media scandal, while exploring the sensationalized power and celebrity often attributed to public figures by society. Alex Ross refers to Powder Her Face as a “rare modern opera that has you walking out with melodies on your lips… Adès has the extrovert panache of a great opera composer.”

Odyssey Opera’s production takes place June 18-20 at The Boston Conservatory.

Details on the performances can be found at odysseyopera.org.

To learn more about Thomas Adès, go to fabermusic.com.

Thomas Adès
Powder Her Face (1995)
chamber opera in two acts
libretto (Eng) by Philip Hensher
2 sopranos, tenor, bass
3cl(I.bcl, ssax, bsax; II.bcl, asax, bsax ad lib; III.bcl, cbcl, swanee whistle)-hn.tpt.trbn-perc-hp-pno -accordion-2vn.va.vc.db
115’

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