A quid pro quo. In other words, a hell of a mess. The kind that ends up at the police station. But a soft, dancing, happy, funny quiproquó. This is how we can describe a little of the production of “O Morcego”, Unicamp’s new operatic production, which premieres this Thursday (5), at Theatro Municipal de Paulínia. The assembly was sponsored by Unicamp's Social Benefits Management Group (GGBS) and has the support of Paulínia City Hall and Sanasa Campinas.
It all started with the idea of finding a festive piece with a lot of choral singing to celebrate the ten years of the Campinas Contemporary Choir, a partner in putting on the show by the Unicamp Symphony Orchestra (Osu), Ópera Estúdio Unicamp and the Coral Unicamp “Zíper na Boca”.
“The Bat”, by Austrian composer Johann Strauss Filho, fit like a glove. “It's the operetta that is usually performed at New Year's Eve in many opera houses around the world”, adds Unicamp professor and general director of the show Angelo Fernandes. Operetta because it is a light opera, without drama (or melodrama). Made at the end of the year because there is a party taking place in the production and, often, it is a New Year's Eve party.
When it debuted in Vienna, in 1874, the type of music that appeared throughout the show was the same as that played at balls where people danced. “The operetta is like a musical, almost a popular song of the time. The public will recognize the waltzes that, at the time, people danced at balls in Vienna”, says conductor and musical director Cinthia Alireti.
Those who have been to other opera productions at Unicamp will also recognize some of the artists on stage. The interpreter of the character Dr. Falke (the bat), for example, will be Willian Donizetti who also acted as Gianni Schicchi in the production with the same name, in May this year.
They are singer-actors who have already completed the Music course at Unicamp or who are still in their undergraduate studies, and who make up the Contemporary Choir. "These artists have the privilege of having an orchestra close to them and we (orchestra) have the privilege of having them so that we can perform contemporary operas together”, stated Cinthia.
The scenography of “The Bat” was designed in contrast to the characters’ performance. While on stage they are all “masked”, exaggerated or “opaque”, trying to appear to be what they are not; the scenery is structural, there are only frames instead of pictures, there are transparencies everywhere.
Scenic director Felipe Venâncio highlights that the entire group involved is much more experienced and confident. “We managed to do very complex interpretation work. In some cases characters play other roles besides their own. It's the character playing another character. Anyone who comes to watch will identify these body masks, they will see that they 'change bodies' from one scene to another, from one act to another.”
Perhaps it can now be announced that the region is an operatic hub, as this is the 12th opera staged in seven years, eight of them in partnership with OSU. Professor Angelo states that this has always been the goal. “I thought we produced few shows with staging and there was also a lack of greater integration of those who could work together. Paulínia welcomed us and the audience also got bigger and bigger. Furthermore, we had the support of the Rectory and now of GGBS with full sponsorship of the show”.
Traditionally the group premieres a grand opera in the first week of September. This is the case of “The Bat”. Other pieces are assembled at other times of the year. Also in 2019, in partnership with the Indaiatuba Symphony Orchestra, the opera “La Serva Padrona” will be released. “The regent of Indaiatuba is Paulo de Paula, who is doing his doctorate here at Unicamp. He is part of this group of people that Unicamp has formed and who have played important roles in music throughout the region”, added Angelo.
The professor noted that the demand for singing courses at Unicamp and also for postgraduate studies has even increased. “These are people who want to carry out research on the relationship between music and theater, that is, opera.”
GGBS made a quota of tickets available to Unicamp employees. Vouchers can be collected at the unit's headquarters, at Rectory III, from 9 am to 17 pm. Each employee is entitled to four tickets, but Friday, Saturday and Sunday are already sold out.
"The Bat", comic operetta in 3 acts by Johann Strauss
September 05th, Thursday, 20pm
September 06th, Friday, 20pm
September 07th, Saturday, 20pm
September 08th, Sunday, 18pm
Paulínia Municipal Theater
Tickets: R$30,00 (full) R$15,00 (half)
Sales: www.alphatickets.com.br
The organizers invite everyone to donate a kilo of non-perishable food on the days of the show.
Rating: 12 years
