As our 2020-2021 season concludes at The Pleiades Project, join us for the grand finale of our German Romantics series on INVISION!
German Romantics: Fanny is based on Op. 10 by composer Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805-1847) with poetry by Nikolaus Lenau, Emanuel Geibel, and Joseph von Eichendorff. This song cycle describes a pastoral journey: our protagonist pauses under the evening sky, birds begin their migration southward, the reflection of stars sparkles over the water’s surface, and she follows her path into the mountains. Our film tells the story of a wanderer, historically male, but here female. She sets out into the unknown to chart her own course, rejecting the anxieties and strictures that have held her back.
German Romantics: Fanny stars NYC-based soprano Kristin Young and features the poetry of Atabey, a Dominicana Bronx-based poet, whose “work aims to make you feel something, to remember the very things that make us magical and powerful, to celebrate our messy, but beautiful lives.” For the setting of this pastoral journey, we also partner with the gorgeous 250-acre Olana State Historic Site, home to painter Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900), with panoramic views of the Hudson River valley.
Our premiere event will include a presentation about the life and music of Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel from Noelle McMurty, a poetry reading by Atabey, and a panel discussion with the creative team and performers. Come and meet our visionary women in front and behind the camera and celebrate the finale of a challenging season with us!
Starring Kristin Young (soprano) and Eric Sedgwick (piano), with voice-overs by Hannah Alexandra (soprano) and Noelle McMurtry (soprano)
Caroline Miller, Director
Elizabeth Van Os, Director of Photography
Caroline Miller, Audio Editing
Caroline Miller, Costume Design
Noelle McMurtry, Dramaturg
