The In Series - Opera and More
IN Series' unique series of conversation with artist and scholars on the themes of each production continues in a digital form with this enlightening conversation with Benjamin Williamson (Orpheus), Paula Sides (Eurydice), and Andrew Albin, poet, translator, and scholar or literature, led by Artistic Director Timothy Nelson.
On the third and longest night in their playing, the fairies play out the story of four young lovers in the woods, As they sleep the fairies led by Puck, Oberon, and Titania, confuse their love with drops from the magical flower. When they wake they learn that there is no fairy tale in A Fairy Queen as they confront heartbreak and confusion. As spring breaks and the sun rises they begin to rebuild their lives.
On the second evening of their revels, Puck narrates the feud between Fairy King Oberon and his Queen Titania, who soon square. Cursing Titania and her fairy band, Oberon consorts with Puck to pick an herb which will make her, when placed on her eyelids while asleep, love the first creature she sees upon waking. Finding her asleep he administers the drops of the flower, and when she wakes she spies Bottom, with an ass's head upon his shoulders. In love she seduces him, coddles him, tickles him, and makes love to him. Oberon is broken by this and wakes his queen and they begin to heal as the sun rises around them.
In this opening episode a prologue introduces the world of fairies and the plots that they will play. First come the Mechanicals, a group of odd folks setting out to perform a play. They are led by Quince and their stay is Bottom, a stuttering fool who's ass like personality becomes transformed to reality when he encounters Oberon, the Fairy King. Now drunk and transmuted, Bottom is molested by a band of fairies and forced to recite verse to them before falling fast asleep as dawn breaks.
Finally the Mechanicals return to perform their play. Chaos mysteriously turns to comfort as fiasco becomes revelation, The fairies gather in an epilogue just before the fourth nights end, at break of day, and Puck makes amends.
An abbreviated episode on the limits of language, the usefulness of silence, and the need for noise.
As we look forward we look backwards at music that came out of times of crisis.
Insanity, In sanity, and INsanity - a conversation through three approaches to the same turn of phrase - from budgets to passions to poetry.
A musical meditation from Johne Donne to Robert Johnson to Gabriel Garcia Marquez and the paradox of solitude.
In this final installment of our RING listening guide, Artistic Director Timothy Nelson explores not only this final segment, but also the power this work and Wagner's music continued to hold throughout the entire 20th century, even impacting how opera is made today.
A look at the third opera in Wagner's Ring Cycle - SIEGFRIED.
An INtro to night two of the Mets Ring Cycle - DIE WALKURE
From Handel's appeal for a place to mourn to his later assurance that the sun also rises, this podcast looks at not only how we measure the times, but perhaps how the times might also measure us.
Artistic Director Timothy Nelson kicks off the Metropolitan Opera's Ring Cycle (rebroadcast March 23-26 2020) with an introduction to DAS RHEINGOLD.
IN Series Artistic Director Timothy Nelson introduces Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde" in advance of the Metropolitan Opera's March 23rd streaming of the opera.
IN Series Artistic Director Timothy Nelson starts a new series of INtune podcasts, musing of the mind for a brave new world. In this episode he talks epics, the Decameron, and plays music from Vivaldi's "Griselda".
An INsider's look at all that's been going on at your IN Series in the start of 2020.
An introduction to Berlioz's "L'Enfance du Christ" (The Childhood of Christ) - and amazing piece for a new immersive collaborative production.
An wrap-up of Butterfly, an invitation to participate in L'ENFANCE DU CHRIST, and audio from out STORMY WEATHER Director's Salon.
A preview discussion of BUTTERFLY, its sources (Puccini and otherwise), why its important that IN Series present this work today, and what our audiences can expect.
A live recording of our Director's Salon for THE TALE OF SERSE with Fatemeh Keshavarz and Parinaz Pahdori in conversation with Timothy Nelson about Handel, Rumi, and the connections of the universe.
Hear Artistic Director Timothy Nelson discuss the shows in our 2019-2020 LEAN IN Season.
Hear mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Mondragon sing the beginning sequence of LA PALOMA AT THE WALL
Listen to audio from our Director's Salon for LA PALOMA AT THE WALL - a community conversation with musical performances.
Hear In Series soprano Mi Rojas sing and talk about Cielito Lindo from the new production LA PALOMA AT THE WALL.
A conversation with mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Mondragon, who is premiering the title role in LA PALOMA AT THE WALL.
INtune - Episode 10 - IN conversation with Dr Anna Deeny Morales by The In Series
A broadcast of the Director's Salon of "From U Street to the Cotton Club" - performances from the production and a community conversation on the genesis of the work and the place of art in a quickly gentrifying community.
A brief discussion of the issues in the In Series' collective mind at present, and a look ahead at "From U Street to the Cotton", with an introduction and sneak peek into all that's planned for it.
A broadcast of our November 11th Director's Salon for "Operetta Wonderland - The Magic of Victor Herbert" with guests Dr. Tracey Elaine Chessum and Loras Schissel from the Library Congress, moderated by Brian J. Shaw and featuring music director Carlos Rodriguez and the cast of "Operetta Wonderland".
INtune: Episode 7 - Figaro in Four Quartets Director's Salon by The In Series
INtune: Episode 6 - A Look INside "Figaro in Four Quartets" by The In Series
IN conversation with theater director and producer Alison Wong.
In this episode we interview tenor Brian Arreola about the artistic-technical nexus and give insights into new developments to our 2018-2019 season.
In this episode of INtune, In Series Artistic Director Timothy Nelson gives a short update of on the opening of "Viva V.E.R.D.I. - The Promised End" and talks about Anne Midgette's recent review in the Washington Post
An upload of our August 28th Director's Salon, with special guests from the Washington National Opera, the Washington Shakespeare Theatre, and the National Institutes of Health.
INtune: Episode 1 - Viva VERDI by The In Series