Toronto Masque Theatre’s (TMT) season of desire & transformation continues with a double bill of two very different explorations of love & loss, obsession & heartbreak: one a dramatic cantata from the 18th century, the other a popular19th-century melodrama. This double bill of love & loss will feature Handle’s Baroque dramatic cantata Apollo & Daphne and Richard Strauss’s Romantic melodrama Enoch Arden.
Apollo & Daphne, a dramatic cantata by G.F. Handel
Cupid carries two types of arrows: one with a golden point, which fills the wounded Apollo with uncontrollable desire; the other a tip of lead, which leaves the nymph Daphne filled with loathing for the god who now pursues her relentlessly.
Handel’s great Italian dramatic cantata Apollo & Daphne is an exploration of the devastation unrequited love can have on those caught in its thrall.
Enoch Arden, a melodrama by Richard Strauss & Alfred, Lord Tennyson
The original definition of a melodrama was a dramatic work with musical accompaniment. In the late nineteenth century, Richard Strauss transformed Tennyson’s epic narrative poem into a popular melodrama, telling the story of a shipwrecked sailor who returns home after a ten year absence only to discover that his wife has married his childhood rival.
Herein a sample of what to expect…
Having attended several TMT events over the last few years, I have always enjoyed myself. All of the elements of music, dance, setting, and story work so well together, that you lose yourself in the performance. My friends and I look forward to each TMT performance because they are intimate, and expose us to pieces that we otherwise would not get to hear or see perform live. It is definitely a treat each time we attend a Toronto Masque Theatre event.
Be sure to get your tickets now and join the rest of us at the historic Enoch Turner Schoolhouse. You can also enjoy a drink from your candlelit table, and experience these two powerful short stories told through music & song, poetry & dance.
Handle’s Apollo & Daphne & Richard Strauss’s Enoch Arden
November 17-19 | 8 p.m. | pre-show chat at 7:15 p.m. each evening
Enoch Turner Schoolhous
Tickets: $20 – 50; available online or by calling 416-410-4561
**Addendum: After attending opening night this past Thursday, all I have to say is what a wonderful evening! My companion and I fully enjoyed the reading and music of Enoch Turner courtesy of Frank Cox-O’Connell and Angela Park, respectively. Wow, what a bittersweet story… I saw a few people with tears in their eyes.
The second half with Apollo and Daphne (Geoffrey Sirett and Jacqueline Woodley, pictured left) was absolutely delightful. Cupid (Stephanie Brochard) introduced us to the story and fated couple.
This Handel cantata is beautiful in its use of words and music. The story of unrequited love comes to life in an exquisite blend of music, song, and dance.
Whether you have attended a Toronto Masque performance or not, I encourage you to do so. Limited tickets available for the November 19 performance.
