New Camerata Opera Announces FAUST ET HELÈNE And L'HEURE ESPAGNOLE

New Camerata Opera (NCO) announces details for a double bill of French one-act operas - Lili Boulanger's Faust et Hélène and Maurice Ravel's L'heure espagnole - from September 16 through September 24, 2022 at 8pm at Irondale Center, 85 South Oxford Street, Brooklyn, NY. Tickets are $25 mezzanine, $45 general admission, and $80 VIP and are available for purchase at newcamerataopera.org/double-bill.

For the first time ever, New Camerata Opera brings its unique blend of immersive and fun performances to Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Music Director Kamal Khan and Stage Director John de los Santos conjure a gorgeous world in which clockwork photography by NYC-based artist Atom Moore creates a striking backdrop to this timeless story.

This double bill is part of the company's groundbreaking 7th season that breaks boundaries by bringing classic stories to the stage and re-contextualizing them for today's audience. New Camerata Opera will exceed its pre-pandemic levels with four mainstage productions along with pop-up concerts presented at locations throughout New York City's five boroughs. The organization also remains committed to creating video operas for audiences of all ages, worldwide.

Faust et Hélène

Boulanger was a contemporary of Ravel's, and his influences can be heard in this piece that won her the Prix de Rome composition prize at the age of 19. With just three voices, this rarely-staged work offers a generous glimpse into the genius of Boulanger's compositional skill and deserves to be featured more frequently in the operatic canon. Taken from Goethe's retelling of the story of Faust, Boulanger's opera focuses on the moment when Faust is persuaded by Méphistophélès to sign over his soul to eternal damnation in return for being shown one moment of true happiness. The theme of time connects the two operas in this double bill and provides a framework for Moore's unique displays.

L'heure espagnole

First performed in Paris in 1911, L'heure espagnole is set in a clock shop in central Spain. It follows the fortunes of Torquemada, the hardworking clockmaker, as his young wife Concepción negotiates her way through her collection of ridiculous lovers. Ravel's music is bursting with hummable melodies, lively habanera dances, and other Spanish folk song elements that will defy audience's preconceived notions of opera.

A season-opening new production of Faust et Hélène and L'heure espagnole

Lili Boulanger and Maurice Ravel

September 16, 17, 23, and 24, 2022

Irondale Center, 85 S Oxford St, Brooklyn, NY 11217

NewCamerataOpera.org/double-bill

New Camerata Opera will present a double bill of French one-act operas, conducted by Music Director Kamal Khan. For the first time ever, New Camerata Opera brings its unique blend of immersive and fun performances to Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Stage Director John de los Santos conjures a gorgeous world in which clockwork photography by NYC-based artist Atom Moore creates a striking backdrop to this timeless story.

Concepción and Hélène: Eva Parr, Tesia Kwarteng*

Faust and Gonzalve: Victor Khodadad, Chris Carr

Méphistophélès and Ramiro: Markel Reed*, Kyle Oliver*

Torquemada: Gabriel Hernandez, Anthony Laciura*

Don Iñigo Gomez: Angky Budiardjono, Andy Dwan

Music Director: Kamal Khan*

Stage Director: John de los Santos

Projections and Set Designer: Atom Moore*

Costume Designer: Ashley Soliman*

* New Camerata Opera debut

PLEASE NOTE: This production contains adult content and partial nudity.

Visit NewCamerataOpera.org for continually updated casting information and performance dates. Artist headshots and production photographs are available upon request. All programs, artists, and dates are subject to change.

New Camerata Opera was founded with the mission of building new audiences for the art form through engaging, exciting, and educational productions. The organization accomplishes this via three main initiatives: full-length operas presented at innovative and daring venues, newly arranged and adapted children's operas (Camerata Piccola), and originally commissioned, short operatic films for presentation online (CamerataWorks). It is through these multifaceted operations that NCO has successfully brought countless new opera lovers into the cultural fold. The organization has been hailed as "the future of opera" and is one of the most consistently active and present opera companies in New York. New Camerata Opera empowers each member of the company to have agency in all aspects of decision making. This innovative democratic structure promotes greater collaboration, ownership, equality, and diversity -- both on and off the stage. New Camerata Opera is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving New York City's five boroughs. Learn more about the company at NewCamerataOpera.org.

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