ONE AUDIO PIECE The Tempest, the second opera by Thomas Ades, comes to the Metropolitan Opera next year after several smashing productions at the Royal Opera in London, in Santa Fe, and throughout Europe. The premiere was in 2004, and this wasn't the first time Shakespeare's richest text had been "musiked." Sibelius provided incidental music for a production Scandinavia, and Luciano Berio turned to Shakespeare for his opera Un re in ascolto. But Thomas Ades, born in the UK in 1971, worked with a superb libretto by Meredith Oakes, and succeeded in giving not only each character their own musical signature, but especially celebrates the elements: water, air and fire, in music. Shakespeare's tale is of royalty shipwrecked and at the mercy of Caliban and Ariel, complete with mismatched lovers, mistaken identity and the imagery of the sea. Ades and Oakes have compressed this daunting play into a witty and moving opera. I hope the Met will include The Tempest in its HD transmissions into movie theatres in 2011, so we can all hear and see this marvelous opera. For now, here's a selection from Act 3, the Quintet "How Good They Are" Prospero introduces Ferdinand and Miranda to the King, who can scarcely believe his son Ferdinand is still alive. Ferdinand introduces Miranda as his wife. The courtiers are surprised to find both their prince living and their ship repaired, and the King announces the match between Naples (Ferdinand) and Milan (Miranda). Recorded in performance at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, with Simon Keenlyside (Prospero), Kate Royal (Miranda), Toby Spence (Ferdinand), and Philip Langridge (King of Naples). Thomas Ades conducts [audio:tempest]
Christopher Purdy is Classical 101's early morning host, 7-10 a.m. weekdays. He is host and producer of Front Row Center – Classical 101’s weekly celebration of Opera and more – as well as Music in Mid-Ohio, Concerts at Ohio State, and the Columbus Symphony broadcast series. He is the regular pre-concert speaker for Columbus Symphony performances in the Ohio Theater.