Prima Donna:
A Symphonic Visual Concert
Concert by Rufus Wainwright
Promotional artwork for the program
OrchestraHong Kong Philharmonic
ComposerRufus Wainwright
ArrangerRufus Wainwright
Venue
Associated albumPrima Donna
Date(s)
  • September 15, 2015
  • November 27, 2015
  • March 1, 2016
No. of shows3

Prima Donna: A Symphonic Visual Concert is a music and visual concert inspired by American-Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright's 2009 opera Prima Donna. The two-part program features a concert adaptation of the opera accompanied by a film directed by Francesco Vezzoli, produced by Petite Maison Production and featuring Cindy Sherman, followed by a performance of Wainwright singing well-known songs from his repertoire.

Description

Prima Donna: A Symphonic Visual Concert is a 2015 program in two parts, inspired by Rufus Wainwright's 2009 opera Prima Donna. Wainwright "reconfigured" the opera's musical compositions and scheduled a tour to coincide with the release of the opera's studio recording of the same name.[1] The first half is a 60-minute concert adaptation of the opera accompanied by a film conceived by Wainwright and directed by Italian artist and filmmaker Francesco Vezzoli. It features Cindy Sherman as the opera's main character, who was inspired by American-born Greek soprano Maria Callas, wearing Callas' actual costumes borrowed from the Rome-based costume suppliers Tirelli Costumi and Costumi d'Arte.[1] The film, produced by Tessa Louise-Salomé and Solveig Rawas from Petite Maison Production was shot during Spring 2015. Main photography took place in Paris, at Théâtre des Variétés.

The program's second half features Wainwright performing popular songs from his repertoire with full orchestra accompaniment and special appearances by opera singers.[2]

Performances

The program premiered at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus at the Athens Festival in Greece on September 15, 2015.[1][3] It was performed at the Gulbenkian in Lisbon, Portugal on November 27, 2015, at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Argentina in February 2016,[4] and at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre's Concert Hall as part of the Hong Kong Arts Festival on March 1, 2016.[1][2] The latter performance marked Wainwright's Hong Kong debut and featured accompaniment by the Hong Kong Philharmonic.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Rufus Wainwright presents Prima Donna: A Symphonic Visual Concert". Music-News. August 28, 2015. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "A night of star power". Hong Kong Arts Festival. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Rufus Wainwright | Athens & Epidaurus Festival 2016". Greekfestival.gr. Archived from the original on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2017-02-11.
  4. ↑ "Prima Donna | Teatro Colón". Archived from the original on 2015-11-05. Retrieved 2015-11-05.
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