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Wednesday, 26 June 2013

The world's earliest opera, performed with instruments from the 17 th century, have won a UWA research fellow the Golden Mask - Russia's equivalent of the Oscars.

Andrew Lawrence-King, Senior Visiting Research Fellow in the ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions, scooped the pool with the Jury's Special Prize for Music-Theatre across all categories, including opera, operetta, musicals and ballet.

The Golden Mask (an actual mask-like trophy of enamelled gold with diamonds and rubies) is Russia's most prestigious prize for all genres of theatrical art, awarded by the Theatre Union in conjunction with the Ministry of Culture and the Moscow Government.

Dr Lawrence-King researches early 17 th century opera performance practices, in a long-term collaboration with Winthrop Professor Jane Davidson.

The Russian production of Emilio de Cavalieri's Rappresentatione di Anima et di Corpo (Drama of the Soul and Body) was nominated for best opera, best set design, best producer and best conductor (Dr Lawrence-King).

It was the first production in the new hall of Moscow's Natalya Satz theatre.

Dr Lawrence-King conducted the opera while playing harp, harpsichord, regal (a reed-organ) and tambourine.

Russian Opera News wrote: "The work of musical director Andrew Lawrence-King deserves the highest praise...(the) true pleasure he and his team experienced, playing authentic historical instruments, communicated well to the public."

The opera is the oldest surviving example of its genre, first performed in Rome in 1600.

Dr Lawrence-King and his team translated the Italian libretto into Russian, working on preserving Cavalieri's ‘word-painting'. They then worked through the whole text again, to reconstruct in the Russian language the varied rhythms of Italian verse.

"During rehearsals with the singers and musicians, we concentrated on the historical yet practical priorities of text, rhythm (there was no stick-waving conductor in 1600) and sound," Dr Lawrence-King said. "The instruments are divided into four independent groups: cornetto and sackbuts (baroque trombones) represent nobility and seriousness; strings suggest the power of music and dance; reeds are martial; and the whole opera is led by the improvising orchestra of the continuo (harps, theorbos [long-necked bass lutes], harpsichord, organ, regal and percussion).

"We added polyphonic music at the beginning and later in the show there is its oppposto , an improvised ciaccona , associated in the early 17 th century with wild parties and dancing."

Dr Lawrence-King's interpretation would have pleased Cavalieri who was known as a musical pioneer.

It is also pleasing Moscow audiences where the opera continues to run in repertory.  Most audiences are aged under 30, with a high proportion in their 20s.

Two years ago, Dr Lawrence-King won a Grammy (from the US Recording Academy) as a harp soloist in the category of Best Small Ensemble Performance, playing alongside Jordi Savall, famous Spanish viol player, conductor and composer.

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