Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Toronto, April 2, 2013: Queen of Puddings Music Theatre proudly presents La Selva de los relojes (The Forest of Clocks) as part of the Canadian Opera Company’s Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre on Tuesday, April 30th at 12 PM. Commissioned from acclaimed Canadian composer Chris Paul Harman, this world premiere vocal chamber work is written for Canadian mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó and an ensemble of 6 instruments. La Selva de los relojes takes its title from a collection of eight poems by Spain’s iconic poet Federico García Lorca. Drawn from his unfinished Suites (1920-23), these brief poetic gems constitute one of Lorca’s most charming and melodious poem series. The delicate and beautiful music settings of the poems by Chris Paul Harman are hauntingly evocative.
Mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó has become highly sought after in both North America and Europe as an artist of supreme musicianship and stagecraft. She is recognized as a stunning practitioner of contemporary vocal repertoire; in this genre she most recently sang the role of The Pilgrim in Kaija Saariaho’s opera Love From Afar for the Canadian Opera Company, and has appeared in several Queen of Puddings productions. An award-winning composer, Chris Paul Harman was born in 1970 in Toronto where he studied classical guitar, cello and electronic music. His music has been performed here and abroad. Federico García Lorca was born in 1898, in Fuente Vaqueros, a small town a few miles from Granada. Lorca is possibly the most important Spanish poet and dramatist of the twentieth century.
This is the very last presentation by Queen of Puddings Music Theatre. As announced in February, the Toronto company will conclude operations this year on August 31, 2013, after twenty years of developing and producing new Canadian chamber opera. “With Queen of Puddings, we’ve achieved what we set out to do, which was to commission and produce original Canadian opera to a high artistic standard, and to develop an international profile for this work”, stated Artistic Directors Dáirine Ní Mheadhra & John Hess. “We want to conclude in a year like this, which is full of artistic pleasure, highlights, and fulfillment of our goals, with continued financial stability due to a deficit-free track record.”
Queen of Puddings Music Theatre is known for creating boundary bursting music theatre – a music theatre that is dynamic, provocative and precedent setting. The company was founded in 1995 by Dáirine Ní Mheadhra & John Hess. www.queenofpuddingsmusictheatre.com
La Selva de los relojes (The Forest of Clocks)
Eight poems by Spain’s iconic poet Federico García Lorca – Music by Chris Paul Harman
Starring Krisztina Szabó
Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 12 Noon
Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen Street West
www.coc.ca 416.363.8231
This performance is free to the public, with admission on a first-come, first-served basis.
Concertgoers are encouraged to arrive early as late seating is not available.
Photo: Federico Garcia Lorca.
2013-04-02
Toronto: Queen of Puddings Music Theatre presents the world premiere of “La selva de los relojes” April 30