Igor Stravinsky’s The Nightingale is a Russian conte lyrique based on the tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Under the direction of Robert Lepage the opera is transformed into a magical chinoiserie centered around a moonlit lake-created by filling the orchestra pit with nearly 20,000 gallons of water-and placing the musicians and chorus onstage. Floating traditional pan-Asian water puppets are manipulated by the same singers whose roles they represent, telling the tale of the ethereal nightingale who persuades Death to spare the Emperor. The program opens with Stravinsky’s satirical one-act opera-ballet The Fox, brought to life through shadow theater-an expressive and acrobatic art form drawing from Asian and African traditions. A unique selection of the composer’s Russian folk pieces is also included in this enchanting production.
March 4, 2011 (7:30pm), March 6 (3:00pm)
30 Lafayette Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11217