School of Music present a modern version of opera ‘Venus and Adonis’

On Feb. 21, the FIU School of Music gave a modern re-imagining to John Blow’s English opera “Venus and Adonis”.

The production was done in collaboration with the FIU Collegium Musicum and the Conchita Espinosa Academy Choir.

It had been inspired by the arrival of Shakespeare’s First Folio to the Frost Museum, given that “Venus and Adonis” was based on the famous Shakespeare poem of the same name.

Aesthetically, the stage production and design was intended to be a modern-day setting. It gave the audience a “contemporary lens through which to view a 17th century court masquerade”, as written on the program.

The opera itself explored the transparency behind an idealized concept of love, and its fresh design choice was intended to reflect this ever-present notion in our modern society with the internet.
The opera is also very short — roughly an hour. Blow’s original inception wasn’t intended to be long and drawn out, which is unusual for an opera but nonetheless, it was still an enjoyable experience.
Venus and Adonis are lovers, but Venus decides to play with his affections and desires for her own satisfaction.

This comes to play a risky decision in a deathly way, painting a poignant picture on what it really means to play with someone’s heart.

The depiction of a more modern-day setting with operatic music was somewhat jarring initially, but it was a swift draw when we were introduced to the beautiful voices of the performance.
Amanda Orihuela delivered perfect high notes in her performance as Venus, and was accented well by Adolfo Rodriguez as Adonis in their last scene together.

DJ Cupid, played by Edgar Sanfeliz-Botta, held his own very well as a standout performer, his voice doing well for the pitch he held consistently.
The performance of the FIU Collegium Musicum, led by director David Dolata, as the opera’s orchestra brought the baroque drama to life with song, creating a beautiful mood and structure.

“How many of you have heard ‘Venus and Adonis’ before?” Dolata asked at the end of the performance during a Q&A had between the audience and the cast and crew.“Yeah, we hadn’t either,” Dolata responded following crickets and no show of hands. “And that’s part of the fun of things like this, because you rediscover new music.”

The Q&A featured comments from Dolata, the production’s director Phillip M. Church, and several of the cast including Rodriguez and Sanfeliz-Botta. Sanfeliz-Botta actually revealed to be a teacher for the children of the Conchita Espinosa Academy Choir, who played “Cupid Interns” in Acts Two and Three.

“It crossed my mind, if we need some kids why not work with them. I’m very happy and very proud of their work.”“I thought this was very well done, especially the music and the singing,” said Nora Quinlan from Nova Southeastern University. “I was very impressed with Adonis, Venus and Cupid. Just the whole staging.”
Quinlasn commented on the modern theming, saying that it worked.

Though the opera suffered minor hitches in the execution of the production’s design, it by far doesn’t overshadow the things it does right.

Its wit in relating the narrative to contemporary culture simply by changing its aesthetic is what made it interesting.

There was even a clever input of Venus and Adonis communicating by cell phone – which took some people by surprise when they heard a phone going off to find it was actually coming from Venus.
The last performance for the month was Monday, but this will not be the last for the semester. The opera will have one last performance at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Coconut Grove Friday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit the School of Music’s website for a calendar of concerts and events.

LifeStyle points is a column covering films and pop culture by Joseph Cardenas. For suggestions and comments email joseph.cardenas@fiu.edu