[email protected] Opera Weekend at the Dead Sea June

== Page 1 of 2 Opera Weekend at the Dead Sea June 2010 Daniel Oren, Paata Burchuladze and Jessye Norman The Israeli Opera announced the inauguration of one of the most exciting and unique opera events in the history of the State of Israel. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Israeli Opera, the company will present an opera weekend at the Dead Sea area, highlighted by a production of Nabucco, Giuseppe Verdi's Jewish opera, at the footsteps of Mt. Masada, one of the major symbols of the heroism and survival of the Jewish people. Internationally renowned Israeli opera conductor Daniel Oren will lead the production that features internationally acclaimed opera singers headed by Georgian bass Paata Burchuladze. The opera weekend will also features a variety of special events including sunrise concerts on top of Mt. Masada, and will be highlighted by a gala concert with American opera singer Jessye Norman. The first Masada opera weekend will take place on June 3-5, 2010. OPERA AL FRESCO Summer opera festivals take place all over the world and above all in open-air sites such as the Arena in Verona, the amphitheatre in Orange, the Caracalla baths in Rome and others. With the Masada Opera Weekend, the Israeli Opera puts Israel on the international summer opera festival circuit and enables tourists from all over the world to travel to Israel and enjoy an opera production in the open air, situated at one of the most significant and gorgeous historical sites of the Jewish people. Local weather conditions promise an unprecedented open air experience in a country in which there is no chance of rain in the summer. The performances in Masada will be on a huge stage situated at the bottom of the mountain, with Masada featured as a backdrop to the scenery and the performance. THE MASADA EXPERIENCE The Masada Opera Weekend features two performances of Verdi's Nabucco (June 3 and 5, 2010), a gala concert with Jessye Norman and the Israeli Opera Orchestra (June 4, 2010) and a variety of extra curricular events including tours and special sunrise concerts on top of Mt. Masada. Tickets for the Masada Opera Weekend can be purchased only as a package, which includes hotel rooms in the Dead Sea area, transfers to the performances and performance tickets. NABUCCO Nabucco is one of Verdi's most popular operas, and is considered the Italian composer's Jewish opera. The story of this opera follows the Babylonian King Nabucco who destroys the Temple in Jerusalem, exiles the children of Israel to Babylon and eventually seeks forgiveness from the God of the Jews and restores their freedom. The plot moves from the Temple in Jerusalem in the first act to the hanging garden of Babylon and features one of Verdi's most touching and powerful choruses – Va pensiero, the song of the exiled Jews on the waters of Babylon, longing for their freedom and their homeland. It is a chorus that has become a symbol for bravery, heroism and hope for a better future. THE PERFORMERS Renowned Israeli opera conductor Daniel Oren, one of the leading opera conductors of our age who is a champion of the Italian opera in general and the operas of Verdi in particular will conduct the production of Nabucco. Italian opera director Massimo Gasparon and Israeli special effects and outdoor events director Ronen Peled will direct the production. The lighting will be designed by internationally acclaimed Israeli lighting designer Avi Yona Bueno (Bambi). Bass Paata Burchuladze as Zaccaria will lead the cast. MASADA Masada (Hebrew for fortress) is situated atop an isolated rock cliff at the western end of the Judean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. It is a place of gaunt and majestic beauty. On the east the rock falls in a sheer drop of about 450 meters to the Dead Sea (the lowest point on earth, some 400 m. below sea level) and in the west it stands about 100 meters above the surrounding terrain. The natural approaches to the cliff top are very difficult. The only written source about Masada is Josephus Flavius The Jewish War. Born Joseph ben Matityahu of a priestly family, he was a young leader at the outbreak of the Great Jewish Rebellion against Rome (66 CE) when he was appointed governor of Galilee. He managed to survive the suicide pact of the last defenders of Jodfat and surrendered to Vespasian (who shortly thereafter was proclaimed emperor) events he described in detail. Calling himself Josephus Flavius, he became a Roman citizen and a successful historian. Moral ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ טיילור מייד תיירות , ישראל בע"מ , המסגר 59 תל- אביב ת ד. 57408 מיקוד 67217 פקס 03-6242200 'טל 03-6845000 Tailor Made Tours, Israel LTD, 59 Hamasger St., P.O.B. 57408 Tel-Aviv 67217 ISRAEL Tel: 972-3-6845000 Fax: 972-3-6242200 www.IsraelDeal.com www.TailorMade.co.il E-mail: [email protected] == Page 2 of 2 judgement aside, his accounts have been proved largely accurate. According to Josephus Flavius, Herod the Great built the fortress of Masada between 37 and 31 BCE. Herod, an Idumean, had been made King of Judea by his Roman overlords and was hated by his Jewish subjects. Herod, the master builder, furnished this fortress as a refuge for himself. It included a casemate wall around the plateau, storehouses, large cisterns ingeniously filled with rainwater, barracks, palaces and an armoury. Josephus Flavius dramatically recounts the story told him by two surviving women. The defenders almost one thousand men, women and children led by Eleazar ben Yair, decided to burn the fortress and end their own lives, rather than be taken alive. And so met (the Romans) with the multitude of the slain, but could take no pleasure in the fact, though it were done to their enemies. Nor could they do other than wonder at the courage of their resolution, and at the immovable contempt of death which so great a number of them had shown, when they went through with such an action as that was. The heroic story of Masada and its dramatic end attracted many explorers to the Judean desert in attempts to locate the remains of the fortress. The site was identified in 1842, but intensive excavations took place only in 1963-65, with the help of hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers from Israel and from many foreign countries, eager to participate in this exciting archaeological venture. To them and to Israelis, Masada symbolizes the determination of the Jewish people to be free in its own land. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ טיילור מייד תיירות , ישראל בע"מ , המסגר 59 תל- אביב ת ד. 57408 מיקוד 67217 פקס 03-6242200 'טל 03-6845000 Tailor Made Tours, Israel LTD, 59 Hamasger St., P.O.B. 57408 Tel-Aviv 67217 ISRAEL Tel: 972-3-6845000 Fax: 972-3-6242200 www.IsraelDeal.com www.TailorMade.co.il E-mail: [email protected] .

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