$15/general admission, $10/seniors, $5/students
Two young single sisters, a curious will left by their uncle guardian, and a mysterious young man figure in this Gilbert and Sullivanesque plot of the delightful 1817 vaudeville opera The Ship’s Captain. Carl August Blum, a popular composer and actor, crafted this clever one act piece using entirely melodies of Mozart, Beethoven and German folksongs. Like Mozart’s Magic Flute, the dialogue between the songs tells a story on many levels. Written for three singers and three instrumentalists, The Ship’s Captain will leave you laughing at the antics and humming the memorable melodies.
Musicians of Ma’alwyck has reconstructed several historic operas, including Thomas Arne’s Alfred and William Shield’s The Poor Soldier. This production features three former Glimmerglass Festival Young Artists: Yvonne Trobe and Joelle Lachance as the sisters , and Charles Eaton as Waller. The production is directed by Byron A. Nilsson, who also translated the libretto into English.
Musicians of Ma’alwyck is a flexible-size chamber ensemble in residence at the Schuyler Mansion New York State Historic Site and Schenectady County Community College. Founded in 1999 by violinist and director Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz, the group specializes in music performed in America during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Many of the performing materials are drawn from the Special Collections of the New York State Library. In 2002, Musicians of Ma’alwyck performed by invitation for television producer Norman Lear in celebration of his purchase of the last private copy of the Declaration of Independence. Musicians of Ma’alwyck has been presented on National Public Radio, WMHT-FM and WMHT-TV. In 2009 the ensemble produced the 1783 opera The Poor Soldier by William Shield, drawing national attention. Musicians of Ma’alwyck was named the best chamber music ensemble of the Capital Region for both 2008 and 2009 by Metroland. In the spring of 2019 and 2020 Musicians of Ma’alwyck was nominated for an Eddie Regional Music Award.
Musicians of Ma’alwyck first commercial CD, which Joseph Dalton of the Times Union praised, calling it “elegant and charming,” is Music in the Schuyler Mansion. Our second CD Hyde Hall and the Silver Goddess was just released.
Musicians of Ma’alwyck also performs regularly at Hyde Hall, the 19th century home of the George Hyde Clarke family. Musicians of Ma’alwyck can be seen in a series of video shorts on Youtube in various historic locations, including Hyde Hall.