Maria de Buenos Aires

Posted on Monday, July 25

Summer Opera Presents:

The Tango Operita “Maria de Buenos Aires” by Astor Piazzolla and Horacio Ferrer
Stars Soprano Catalina Cuervo, Baritone Ricardo Herrera and
Grammy Award-Winner Raul Jaurena on the Bandoneon

The 20th-century Tango Operita, “Maria de Buenos Aires,” tells the story of the seductive Maria, played by the astonishing young soprano Catalina Cuervo, who embarks on a journey through life, death and the after-life with the hauntingly beautiful sound of the bandoneon, played by Grammy Award-winner Raul Jaurena. Cuervo performs in the company of highly praised baritone Ricardo Herrera.

Music Director Gerardo Moreira travels from Rio de la Plata to conduct the Chicago production of “Maria de Buenos Aires,” which he has been championing since 1992 in the most prestigious concert halls in the world including Teatro Colon of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Teatro Solis in Montevideo, Uruguay and throughout Latin America.

Elbio Barilari narrates in the original dialect of Rio de la Plata, lunfardo. The fully staged production incorporates stunning tango sequences performed by guest dancer Victoria Vargas, of the Joffrey Ballet, and dancers of Tango 21 under the direction of Jorge Niedas, Artistic Director of Tango 21. Barilari and Niedas share credit for the Stage Direction of this production.

The Argentinean Tango was born in the brothels, reared in bars and backstreets in the outskirts of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, nurtured by the souls of the downtrodden. This Tango Operita celebrates the heights to which this once lowly dance has been elevated. First performed in 1968, it was a key work in Piazzolla’s revolutionizing of the tango, transforming it from dance music to concert music by bringing in elements of jazz and classical composition for the first time.

Ticket and Schedule Information
“Maria de Buenos Aires”

Friday, August 12 and Saturday, August 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 14 at 3 p.m.

Preston Bradley Hall
Chicago Cultural Center
78 E. Washington St.

All Summer Opera performances are free and open to the public; however, tickets are required and must be obtained in person in advance at the Chicago Cultural Center Ticket Office, 78 E. Washington St. Tickets will become available beginning Tuesday, August 2 at 12 p.m. A limit of four tickets can be reserved per person. Space is limited and tickets are subject to availability. The box office is open Tuesday – Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 12 to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.ExploreChicago.org or call the box office at 312.742.8497.

“Maria de Buenos Aires” is presented in collaboration with the Latino Music Festival, a program of the ILCC, International Latino Cultural Center. Accommodations are generously provided by Seneca Hotel and Suites in downtown Chicago.