Humanities West is proud to celebrate its 100th weekend program with Cleopatra: The Last Pharaoh, a unique 2-day lecture and performance series bringing to life one of history’s most powerful and intriguing women. More than two millennia after her death, Cleopatra VII remains an enigma and an object of fascination. Amassing enormous wealth and power, Cleopatra lived dangerously and died sensationally. Ever since, she has been an iconic figure, continually re-imagined through the cultural prisms of successive ages. A panel of noted scholars and acclaimed Bay Area performers celebrate her rich legacy.
On Friday evening Stacy Schiff (Pulitzer Prize-winning author) opens the program with Cleopatra: The Last Pharaoh providing an overview of Cleopatra as both woman and ruler, revealing a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator. Clifford ‘Kip’ Cranna (SF Opera) introduces excerpts of Handel’s opera Cleopatra performed by Sara Duchovnay (soprano) and Mariya Kaganskaya (mezzo-soprano) accompanied by Andrew Wang (piano) and Steven Harmon (French horn).
The Saturday program begins with Grant Carter’s (Stanford) presentation of Cleopatra’s Alexandria, exploring the capital city of Alexandria as the greatest center of learning in the Western world. Lisa Pieraccini (UC Berkeley) follows with Cleopatra’s Mark on Rome, discussing Cleopatra’s relationships with two of Rome’s most famous leading men Caesar and Mark Antony.
Presentations continue with a musical performance Mark Antony and Cleopatra: A Chamber Cantata by Antonio Scarlatti. Introduced by Kip Cranna, vocalists Sara Duchovnay and Mariya Kaganskaya return to perform accompanied by Andrew Wang on piano.
The final talk, Death Becomes Her: The Suicide of Cleopatra in Western Culture, by Robert Gurval (UCLA), surveys the literary and visual representations of Cleopatra’s dramatic death, from Chaucer’s Legend of Good Women to the mini-series HBO Rome in the 21st century. This illustrated lecture will explore the potent symbolism of the suicide in classical antiquity and subsequent eras.
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On Friday evening Stacy Schiff (Pulitzer Prize-winning author) opens the program with Cleopatra: The Last Pharaoh providing an overview of Cleopatra as both woman and ruler, revealing a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator. Clifford ‘Kip’ Cranna (SF Opera) introduces excerpts of Handel’s opera Cleopatra performed by Sara Duchovnay (soprano) and Mariya Kaganskaya (mezzo-soprano) accompanied by Andrew Wang (piano) and Steven Harmon (French horn).
The Saturday program begins with Grant Carter’s (Stanford) presentation of Cleopatra’s Alexandria, exploring the capital city of Alexandria as the greatest center of learning in the Western world. Lisa Pieraccini (UC Berkeley) follows with Cleopatra’s Mark on Rome, discussing Cleopatra’s relationships with two of Rome’s most famous leading men Caesar and Mark Antony.
Presentations continue with a musical performance Mark Antony and Cleopatra: A Chamber Cantata by Antonio Scarlatti. Introduced by Kip Cranna, vocalists Sara Duchovnay and Mariya Kaganskaya return to perform accompanied by Andrew Wang on piano.
The final talk, Death Becomes Her: The Suicide of Cleopatra in Western Culture, by Robert Gurval (UCLA), surveys the literary and visual representations of Cleopatra’s dramatic death, from Chaucer’s Legend of Good Women to the mini-series HBO Rome in the 21st century. This illustrated lecture will explore the potent symbolism of the suicide in classical antiquity and subsequent eras.
Humanities West is proud to celebrate its 100th weekend program with Cleopatra: The Last Pharaoh, a unique 2-day lecture and performance series bringing to life one of history’s most powerful and intriguing women. More than two millennia after her death, Cleopatra VII remains an enigma and an object of fascination. Amassing enormous wealth and power, Cleopatra lived dangerously and died sensationally. Ever since, she has been an iconic figure, continually re-imagined through the cultural prisms of successive ages. A panel of noted scholars and acclaimed Bay Area performers celebrate her rich legacy.
On Friday evening Stacy Schiff (Pulitzer Prize-winning author) opens the program with Cleopatra: The Last Pharaoh providing an overview of Cleopatra as both woman and ruler, revealing a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator. Clifford ‘Kip’ Cranna (SF Opera) introduces excerpts of Handel’s opera Cleopatra performed by Sara Duchovnay (soprano) and Mariya Kaganskaya (mezzo-soprano) accompanied by Andrew Wang (piano) and Steven Harmon (French horn).
The Saturday program begins with Grant Carter’s (Stanford) presentation of Cleopatra’s Alexandria, exploring the capital city of Alexandria as the greatest center of learning in the Western world. Lisa Pieraccini (UC Berkeley) follows with Cleopatra’s Mark on Rome, discussing Cleopatra’s relationships with two of Rome’s most famous leading men Caesar and Mark Antony.
Presentations continue with a musical performance Mark Antony and Cleopatra: A Chamber Cantata by Antonio Scarlatti. Introduced by Kip Cranna, vocalists Sara Duchovnay and Mariya Kaganskaya return to perform accompanied by Andrew Wang on piano.
The final talk, Death Becomes Her: The Suicide of Cleopatra in Western Culture, by Robert Gurval (UCLA), surveys the literary and visual representations of Cleopatra’s dramatic death, from Chaucer’s Legend of Good Women to the mini-series HBO Rome in the 21st century. This illustrated lecture will explore the potent symbolism of the suicide in classical antiquity and subsequent eras.
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On Friday evening Stacy Schiff (Pulitzer Prize-winning author) opens the program with Cleopatra: The Last Pharaoh providing an overview of Cleopatra as both woman and ruler, revealing a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator. Clifford ‘Kip’ Cranna (SF Opera) introduces excerpts of Handel’s opera Cleopatra performed by Sara Duchovnay (soprano) and Mariya Kaganskaya (mezzo-soprano) accompanied by Andrew Wang (piano) and Steven Harmon (French horn).
The Saturday program begins with Grant Carter’s (Stanford) presentation of Cleopatra’s Alexandria, exploring the capital city of Alexandria as the greatest center of learning in the Western world. Lisa Pieraccini (UC Berkeley) follows with Cleopatra’s Mark on Rome, discussing Cleopatra’s relationships with two of Rome’s most famous leading men Caesar and Mark Antony.
Presentations continue with a musical performance Mark Antony and Cleopatra: A Chamber Cantata by Antonio Scarlatti. Introduced by Kip Cranna, vocalists Sara Duchovnay and Mariya Kaganskaya return to perform accompanied by Andrew Wang on piano.
The final talk, Death Becomes Her: The Suicide of Cleopatra in Western Culture, by Robert Gurval (UCLA), surveys the literary and visual representations of Cleopatra’s dramatic death, from Chaucer’s Legend of Good Women to the mini-series HBO Rome in the 21st century. This illustrated lecture will explore the potent symbolism of the suicide in classical antiquity and subsequent eras.
show less
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609 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
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