Death for Five Voices is based on a historic event: On October 16, 1590, Prince Carlo Gesualdo entrapped and brutally murdered his wife, Maria D’Avalos, and her lover, Fabrizio Carafa, at the Gesualdo home, the Palazzo San Severo in Naples. At the time, the murders were widely known and documented, but nothing was done to apprehend Carlo who, as an Italian nobleman, and having caught the lovers “in flagrante delicto,” was within his rights.
This new musical drama explores the complex artistic personage of Carlo Gesualdo, a groundbreaking composer of the late Renaissance, and investigates how his creative internal life and subsequent compositions may have been related to his brutal external actions. Peter Mills' sophisticated original score, which incorporates musical themes from Gesualdo's compositions, blends period musical style with contemporary theater storytelling to create a compelling portrait of a troubled artist, living at a moment in history when complex political and religious forces collided and changed our perceptions of the possibility of art.
music and lyrics by Peter Mills
book by Peter Mills and Cara Reichel
directed by Cara Reichel
music directed by Max Mamon
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY @ 7:30 PM
THURSDAY thru SATURDAY @ 8 PM
SUNDAY @ 2 PM
