ESU Opera Talk Continues Through Fall Semester

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Posted by: Elizabeth Richardson on October 9, 2026, No Comments

East Stroudsburg University professor of mathematics and opera enthusiast, Eugene Galperin, Ph.D., is continuing his lecture series, “Why Opera Still Is Relevant Today”, through the fall 2026 semester.

On Thursday, October 15 at 7 p.m. in Stroud 117, Dr. Galperin will present “Macbeth: The Play and the Opera,” which will discuss how the 19th century Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi helped advance Shakespeare revival by creating Macbeth, his first true operatic masterpiece. A brief history of the opera and Roman Polanski’s 1971 classic film adaptation will also be discussed.

One of the most famous of all of Shakespeare’s tragedies, Macbeth explores the corrosive psychological and political effects that follow when evil is chosen as a way to fulfill the ambition for power. Verdi’s dark-hued musical rendition of the classic story is the first genuine music drama in the history of western art.

The program, geared toward people with little or no knowledge of opera, will provide an introduction to the Metropolitan Opera production of Macbeth to be screened on Saturday, October 17 at 12:55 p.m., and Wednesday, October 21 at 6:30 p.m., at the Cinemark Theater in the Stroud Mall. These Cinemark screenings are part of the Metropolitan Opera’s Live-in-HD series designed to make reputable opera productions accessible to audiences throughout the world.

On Thursday, October 29 at 7 p.m. in Stroud 113, Dr. Galperin will give a talk titled “Shostakovich: Music as a Mirror of History” to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the birth of Dmitriy Shostakovich, one of the most celebrated Soviet composers. The discussion will focus on Shostakovich’s ability to survive during the worst period of the Soviet totalitarian regime and yet find a way to “write between the lines” to produce music of tremendous sincerity and emotional depth that reflected his country’s experiences.

On Thursday, November 12 at 7 p.m. in Stroud 113, he will present “Carmen – Spanish Dance, Music, and Human Drama.” This lecture will explore the fascinating and exciting world of Spanish music and will discuss the long and eventful history of the Iberian Peninsula in Spain, its rich musical culture, and its exploration by Georges Bizet in his timeless operatic masterpiece Carmen, a riveting tale of seduction, jealousy, and love at its best and worst. The event is intended as an introduction to the upcoming Metropolitan Opera Live in HD broadcast of Bizet’s Carmen, which will be shown at the Cinemark Theater on Saturday, November 14 at 12:55 p.m. and Wednesday, November 18 at 6:30 p.m.

Earlier this semester, Dr. Galperin presented “The School for Lovers and Why Was Opera So Important to Mozart” on September 30. The discussion provided an introduction to Mozart’s opera, “Cosi Fan Tutte,” which was shown at the Cinemark Theater in early October.

The presentations at ESU are open to the public at no cost. For more information on the opera talk at ESU, contact Dr. Galperin at egalperin@esu.edu.