Tonight we premiere our production of Gaspare Spontini’s Fernand Cortez, ou La conquête du Mexique at Opernhaus Dortmund. This is after a two year delay; originally we were to have premiered this in 2020, but history intervened.
There are many versions of this opera floating around, and we are doing a version that has – until today – never been performed in the original French. If you look for a synopsis, you will likely find one that does not describe our version accurately, except in bits and pieces.
I am performing the second prisoner, and I sing as part of a trio of prisoners headed by the tenor Alvar (Sungho Kim). Our music is, frankly, gorgeous stuff and a pleasure to sing. The piece sits in a period of transition; it’s definitely within the definition of “Classical”, but one can hear the traits of Romantic-era opera as well.
I wish my colleagues and the creative team a hearty toi toi toi. Participating in this has been an immense pleasure.
More Information:
https://www.theaterdo.de/produktionen/detail/fernand-cortez-oder-die-eroberung-von-mexiko/