Pivoting The Glenn Gould School Spring Opera

The Glenn Gould School’s Spring Opera, Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, turned out to be a very contemporary project, demonstrating GGS’s tremendous ability to pivot during a pandemic to present a classic story with current-day resonance. 

Due to changing COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s opera – led by Music Director Gordon Gerrard and Dramatic Coach Marilyn Gronsdal – was scaled back from a fully staged production complete with orchestra to a filmed live performance featuring plexiglass barriers, limited theatrical interaction, and a single performance pianist. Ultimately, the heightened focus on interpreting the work’s tonally complicated score and dense libretto, the latter of which was written by Ronald Duncan, enabled the singers to produce extraordinary vocal performances.  

Adrianne Pieczonka, Vocal Chair and Head of the Vocal Department at GGS, praised the cast and crew for their resilience and agility during the ever-changing creative process:
 

“This has been a long process that has gone through many changes and transmutations, but I’m proud of our creative team, our students, and our conductor. We have worked tirelessly, and everyone has done such a wonderful job.” 

The Glenn Gould School Spring Opera, Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, featuring students of the Price Opera Program, will premiere on Thursday, April 29 at 3 p.m. on RoyalConservatory.Live, the new digital channel of The Royal Conservatory of Music. Featuring outstanding performances filmed in acclaimed Koerner Hall, engaging talks and documentaries, and inspiring events, new content will be added weekly. 
 

WATCH THE TRAILER: