PRESS RELEASE 

July 16, 2007

OPERA COMPANY OF BROOKLYN TO PERFORM AT THE HORTON POINT LIGHTHOUSE IN SOUTHOLD, NY

SOUTHOLD, NY.  The Southold Historical Society is pleased to announce that at 5pm on Saturday, August 18th, 2007 the Opera Company of Brooklyn, one of the premier modern Opera Companies in the Unites States, will perform Mozart's "Cosi Fan Tutte" at the Horton Point Lighthouse in Southold, NY.  This performance will be the final public event honoring the 150th anniversary of the Lighthouse.

"We have been planning this event for more than a year now," stated Geoffrey Fleming, the Society's Director.  "We hope that residents and visitors to the area alike will take advantage of this special performance and join us on August 18th," he continued.

The Opera Company of Brooklyn makes opera accessible and affordable throughout the New York City area to all generations by offering a diverse selection of opera favorites and overlooked rarities. The Company draws talented singers and musicians from the rich resources of the New York Metro area, and allows them to share their enthusiasm and love for the world's greatest art form with audiences in an intimate, dynamic setting.

The Company interprets opera with minimal costuming and music, while stressing the impressive voices that are part of their troupe.  This allows the Company to do more outreach (including extensive school based programs for children) and to operate at cost for below their more elaborately staged counterparts.

Cosi Fan Tutte is one of the three Mozart operas for which noted librettist Lorenzo da Ponte (1749-1938) did the libretto. (The title is often shortened to Cosi in the English-speaking world.) The other two da Ponte-Mozart collaborations were Le nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni.  Cosi was written and composed at the suggestion of the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II. The libretto was originally intended to be set to music by Mozart's contemporary Antonio Salieri (1750-1825) but Salieri only completed parts of the first act and then broke off work on the opera. Once  a rarely offered piece, it is now frequently performed, being the 15th most performed opera in North America.

A Synopsis of the story:  Ferrando and Guilielmo think that their fiancés, Fiordiligi and Dorabella, will always remain loyal. Don Alfonso, an old bachelor, bets the two young men that their fiancés are no more faithful than other women are. As part of the bet, the two men pretend to be sent off to battle but instead dress up as two Albanian suitors. After a series of hilarious attempts, the two Albanians mange to gain the love of Fiordiligi and Dorabella. After losing the bet and being enraged at their fiancé's lack of will, the two men decide that they are all a bit wiser. The men still love their fiancés, despite their infidelities, and want to get married.

The ticket price for the performance is $15 for adults and children over the age of 12.  Children under 12 will be admitted free.  The performance will take pace at the Horton Point Lighthouse, located on Lighthouse Road in Southold, NY.  In case of inclement weather, the performance will be held at the Southold High School, located on Oaklawn Avenue in Southold. 

Following the performance there will be an Afterglow at the Home of Herb Adler Jr. where visitors can meet and talk to the performers while enjoying fine local wine and other light refreshments.  The Afterglow is a separate fundraiser for the Society and is $25 per person.

Reservations are suggested for both the Opera and the Afterglow and can be made by called (631) 765-5500 or emailing the Society at sohissoc@optonline.net. 

Payment can be mailed to the Society at P.O. Box 1, Southold, NY, 11971, or can be made at the Society's office located in the Prince Building on Main Road in Southold (next door to North Fork Bank) or at the gate on the day of the event.

The Society is very grateful that this program is supported, in part, by funds provided by the Suffolk County Office of Cultural Affairs, Steve Levy, Suffolk County Executive.

For further information on this and other Society programs, please visit us on the web at www.southoldhistoricalsociety.org

** PLEASE NOTE : The performance will take place in the naturally occurring landscape 'bowl' at the lighthouse.  Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs for seating as the steepness of the bowl does not make the use of straight folding chairs easy.  Thank you.