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UID:1171189:Event:30903
DTSTAMP:20260429T130739Z
SUMMARY:Flower and Hawk -- Monodrama opera for soprano on the life of 
 Eleanor of Aquitaine
DESCRIPTION:\"Flower and Hawk\"\nMonodrama for Soprano on the life of 
 Eleanor of Aquitaine\n\nDunja Pechstein, soprano\nMichael Strauss, pia
 nist\n\nNOVEMBER 20, 2009 8pm\nRiver of Life Church\n440 Centre Street
 , Jamaica Plain, MA 02130\n\nadmission: $15 adults, $10 students\n\nSy
 nopsis\n\nFlower and Hawk is based on the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine
 , one of the wealthiest and most powerful women of the Middle Ages. In
  her long life of eighty-two years she was born the Duchess of Aquitai
 ne and Countess of Poitou, became Queen of France through marriage to 
 Louis VII and later became Queen of England when she married Henry II.
  The title of the opera is derived from her seal (on view in the Louvr
 e) in which she stands holding a hawk in one hand and a flower in the 
 other, suggesting a dualism in her character that is invoked in this w
 ork.\n\nFlower and Hawk takes place in 1189 in Salisbury Tower, where 
 Eleanor of Aquitaine has been a prisoner for nearly sixteen years: her
  husband Henry II had her confined after she and her sons led an unsuc
 cessful revolt against him. Overcome by feelings of despair, abandonme
 nt and betrayal she is contemplating to end her life by taking poison.
  Instead however, she resolves to distract herself by recalling happie
 r times. As she relives her memories of becoming Queen of France, the 
 tormenting memory of her beloved son Richard's death resurfaces. She a
 lso recalls a painful confrontation with Henry in which she forces him
  to choose between her and his mistress Rosamund Clifford. Again she f
 inds herself sinking into hopelessness wishing to end her life. She th
 en relives other pleasant memories from her past such as advising a no
 bleman about finding a suitable wife for his son. Later, she recalls w
 ith intense pleasure the nightly visits of her troubadour lover before
  again the bleakness of her current surroundings bring back the realit
 y of her confinement and her loneliness. Time and again her feelings a
 bout Richard's death force her into the present until at last she come
 s to an understanding of this tragic event. She is finally able to bur
 y her son emotionally and thereby finds release from her guilt and sel
 f-doubt. Finally, she is able to re-assume her role as Queen when the 
 tolling of the bells announces the death of Henry and her liberation f
 rom the Salisbury Tower.\n\nFor more information visit http://neighbor
 sforneighbors.org/events/flower-and-hawk-monodrama
DTSTART:20091121T010000Z
DTEND:20091121T030000Z
CATEGORIES:opera, performance
LOCATION:River of Life Church
WEBSITE:
URL:
CONTACT:
ORGANIZER:
ATTACH;FMTTYPE="image/jpeg":http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/
 file/get/2245120186?profile=original
ATTENDEE;ROLE=REQ-PARTICIPANT;PARTSTAT=ACCEPTED;RSVP=TRUE;CN="Joe Fall
 on":http://neighborsforneighbors.org/profile/JoeFallon
ATTENDEE;ROLE=REQ-PARTICIPANT;PARTSTAT=ACCEPTED;RSVP=TRUE;CN="Erin Sco
 tt -- Community Manager":http://neighborsforneighbors.org/profile/Erin
 Scott
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