Pittsburgh Opera Opens ‘Armida’ at CAPA; Mr. Smalls Hosts Lotus (Sat., 1/25/25)

ARMIDA by Joseph Haydn, with a libretto taken from Antonio Tozzi’s 1775 opera Rinaldo, as amended by Nunziato Porta. Pittsburgh Opera. Select performance dates from January 25 – February 2.

Lauryn Davis (Armida) and Fran Daniel Laucerica (Rinaldo) perform in Pittsburgh Opera’s ‘Armida.’ (Photo Credit: David Bachman Photography for Pittsburgh Opera.)

1) Rarely, indeed, is Joseph Haydn remembered for his musical labors on the operatic stage.  Rarer still is the opportunity to see the one opera Haydn himself exclaimed was his finest work. That story is Armida and it’s a deliciously entangled tale of evil intent falling to the supreme power of love. The Prince of Darkness summons the enchantress Armida to dissuade the righteous army of the First Crusades from taking Jerusalem. Rinaldo, the fiercest of the crusaders, manages to overpower Armida’s false advances, beguiling her in his pure love.  All is fair in love and war, right? Haydn might not have agreed. But the Pittsburgh Opera’s new production of an opera never before produced in our city promises to be a most agreeable evening of persuasive movements and powerful arias. The opera was only first performed in the U.S. in 1981, at the Monadnock Music Festival in Manchester, New Hampshire. The young director just happened to be Pittsburgh native, Peter Sellars, who launched his controversial career in the world of opera there, having first learned something about puppets as a young intern of Margo Lovelace and her beloved marionette theater in Shadyside. Pittsburgh Opera’s Armida will offer four performances only. Tickets may be as rare as this one opportunity to enjoy a Haydn opera. 8 p.m. (Pre-opera talk one hour before). At the Pittsburgh CAPA School Theater, 111 9th St., Cultural District. (C.P.O)

2) Lotus has a history of playing shows on or around New Year’s Eve in Pittsburgh. The band, originally from Indiana, is known for incorporating electronic elements into its music. On 2016’s Eat the Light, the group tried something new: vocals, with a different guest musician on every track. Concerts include elaborate lighting and occasionally themed shows. One 2009 concert saw David Bowie costumes. The band members play covers as well as originals during themed shows. 2024’s How to Dream in Color is Lotus’s latest album. In 2023 they recorded a live album in Pittsburgh, Live from Steel City. They chose to record here as they consider Pittsburgh their second home. The album is a tribute to their late percussionist Chuck Morris, and his son Charlie. Both died while kayaking in 2023. It’s not New Years Eve, but you can see them at Mr. Smalls Theatre. 8 p.m. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. (C.M., R.H.)

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