To My Distant Love

A one-on-one live telephone experience featuring Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte

Music by Ludwig van Beethoven
Song text by Alois Isidor Jeitteles
Additional English dialogue by Monet Hurst-Mendoza

At a time when we are all kept apart from those we hold dear, Beethoven’s song cycle, An die ferne Geliebte (To the Distant Beloved), set to Jeitteles’ aching poetry, resonates profoundly with its lamentations of separation and hopes of reunion. The desire to call out to a loved one from afar speaks directly to the current climate of social-distancing and uncertainty about the future.

This new immersive opera experience invites you to be “the distant love” for a one-on-one performance featuring a live singer (you choose soprano or baritone) and pianist over the phone – no need to download any additional app or platform. The “site” for this performance will be yours to decide as your beloved calls you by phone to express their longing and joy to you, their distant love. Where will you take such an intimate phone call? A walk through the park? A cozy chair by a window? The immersive experience will begin even before your phone call, as your beloved will send you e-mail love letters in anticipation of finally re-connecting.

This production of An die ferne Geliebte is being done in honor of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth.

PERFORMANCE INFO

June 18 – August 23, 2020

Tickets – $40

All performance times are in Eastern Time (ET).

Jennifer Zetlan, soprano / David Shimoni, piano | Mario Diaz-Moresco, baritone / Spencer Myer, piano

Thursday, June 18: 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Friday, June 19: 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Saturday, June 20: 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Sunday, June 21: 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Wednesday, June 24: 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm
Thursday, June 25: 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Friday, June 26: 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Saturday, June 27: 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Sunday, June 28: 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Wednesday, July 1: 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm
Thursday, July 2: 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Friday, July 3: 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am, 11:30am, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm, 8:30pm
Sunday, July 5: 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 2:30pm
Monday, July 6: 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 2:30pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm

Thursday, July 16: 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am
Friday, July 17: 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Saturday, July 18: 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Sunday, July 19: 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm
Thursday, July 23: 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am
Friday, July 24: 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Saturday, July 25: 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Sunday, July 26: 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm
Thursday, July 30: 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am
Friday, July 31: 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Saturday, August 1: 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Sunday, August 2: 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm
Thursday, August 6: 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am
Friday, August 7: 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Saturday, August 8: 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Sunday, August 9: 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm

Thursday, August 13: 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am, 11:30am
Friday, August 14: 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm, 8:30pm
Saturday, August 15: 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Sunday, August 16: 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Thursday, August 20: 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am, 11:30am
Friday, August 21: 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm, 8:30pm
Saturday, August 22: 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Sunday, August 23: 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm

WHAT TO EXPECT

In the days leading up to your performance, you will receive two love letters via email that will contain song text translations. On the day of the performance, the artist will call you at a phone number you provide promptly at your ticketed performance time. All performance times are in Eastern Time (ET).
Running time: Approximately 20 minutes
Interaction: The performer will speak/interact directly with each audience member.
Language: Sung in German, with additional dialogue in English.

To ensure the safety of our artists, On Site Opera has engaged singer-pianist duos who live together. All rehearsals and performances will be held remotely. There are two casts, and audience members will be able to buy a ticket to a performance featuring either a soprano or a baritone.

Cast

Jennifer Zetlan

Soprano

David Shimoni

Piano

Mario Diaz-Moresco

Baritone

Spencer Myer

Piano

Creative Team

Monet Hurst-Mendoza

Playwright

Geoffrey McDonald

Musical Consultant

Eric Einhorn

Director

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Will I receive any information prior to my phone call?
Yes. In addition to your ticket confirmation, you will receive two email “love letters” from your “distant love” prior to the performance. The first love letter will arrive shortly after purchasing your ticket. The second love letter will arrive a few hours before your performance time. Both love letters will include English translations of the song texts. You will also receive a final email love letter following your performance.

How long will the phone call last?
This experience will last approximately 20 minutes.

Do I need to download a special app or use a computer for this?
No. This entire performance will occur by phone. When you purchase your ticket, just be sure to register the phone number on which you would like to receive the call. We encourage you to be creative in picking a spot to take the call!

I’m not in the United States. Do you make international calls?
Yes! Just be sure to register the full phone number on which you would like to receive the call and include your country code. The call will come from a U.S. phone number. All performance times are listed as U.S. Eastern Time (ET).

What if I want to give this experience to someone else as a gift?
There is an option in the ticket purchasing process that allows the ticket to go to someone else. Be sure to register the gift recipient’s phone number when prompted.

What can I expect when I get the phone call?
At the start of the call, the singer will engage you in a brief interactive conversation. You can take the call on speaker phone, using headphones, or simply with the handset. However you choose, please be able to speak back to the singer, as they will will be engaging you in conversation. After the conversation, the musical performance will begin. Feel free to refer to the song translations that we will send you ahead of time as you listen.

What happens if I can’t make the performance time I purchased?
Rescheduling is possible up to 4 pm Eastern Time (ET) the day before your ticketed time, pending availability. Contact info@osopera.org should you want to reschedule.

What happens if I miss the call?
The singer will call you promptly at your ticketed performance time. Should you not immediately answer, they will try again several times within the first five minutes of your performance slot. If the singer is unable to reach you after five minutes, the performance will be considered over. Neither refunds nor rescheduling are available for missed performance times.

What happens if the call gets dropped in the middle of the performance?
The singer will do their best to call you back in order to finish the performance within the 20-minute performance timeslot.

SUPPORT

This production is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

This production is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Your contribution today helps On Site Opera turn all of New York City into an opera house!

Gallery

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Photos by the artists.

An email was the opening shot in a playfully ardent and intimate new production of Beethoven’s “An die ferne Geliebte,” a song cycle about the power of music to transcend time and space. Texts by the playwright Monet Hurst-Mendoza add a touch of contemporary whimsy, and invited me to entertain the illusion that this collection of songs written in 1816 were in fact personally, passionately, pandemically intended for my ears only.

The New York Times
I will probably judge every other hearing of An die ferne Geliebte against this one, partly because it was for my ears only and partly because Diaz-Moresco sang so beautifully and ardently. Music should always feel this personal. The telephone is not known for its ability to convey subtlety (or music, for that matter), but Diaz-Moresco’s rich, resonant baritone was surprisingly present and affecting. He infused his singing with an extra jolt of energy, which allowed me to appreciate his excellent diction and to discern nuances.

Opera News
On Site Opera has come up with a winning premise here. The current COVID situation has forced theaters to rethink how to present performances that will attract audiences and draw them into the story.

The Epoch Times
To My Distant Love is grand and intimate at once, much like love itself. There is something spectacular in combining the monumental sound of opera singing with the intimacy of a phone call.

No Proscenium

Productions

To My Distant Love