This year’s Hot Summer Nights Concert season finale at the Blount County Public Library will be on Sept. 2, with the Knoxville Opera Company performing a preview of their 2010-11 operas at the Blount County Public Library.  
Conductor, Brian Salesky, and two singers from this year’s productions will sing and perform.
One of the most popular operas of all time is the bittersweet romantic tragedy, Madama Butterfly, by Giacomo Puccini. The other two operas to be previewed at the library will be Manon by Jules Massenet and I Puritani by Vincenzo Bellini.  All three operas will be staged in their entirety during the 2010-2011 season at the Tennessee Theatre in downtown Knoxville under the direction of Maestro Brian Salesky.
Opera, an art form where singers and actors perform a dramatic work combining a text (libretto) and a musical score, is part of the western musical tradition.   Originated for court performances during the Renaissance, opera quickly became available for public audiences.  An orchestra accompanies singers, led by a conductor.  
In contrast to spoken theatre, opera is international and is performed in German, French, Italian and English and actors travel internationally.  At Knoxville’s Tennessee Theatre, when operas are performed in languages other than English, the translations are scrolled in English above the stage throughout the performance.
Free and open to the public, the program is at the Blount County Public Library, located at 508 N. Cusick Street, Maryville.
For further information about other library programs or services, call the library at 982-0981 or visit the Web site at www.blountlibrary.org.

… read the rest of the story by Subscribing now.

... read the rest of the story by Subscribing now.