When Divergence Vocal Theater diva Misha Penton performed Klytemnestra at the MFAH in June, she was able to have Anton von Maron's 1786 painting, The Return of Orestes, as a backdrop, a painting that captures a moment in the tragic family saga – a tale that's been told and re-told over centuries. There she was riffing on a theme that also intrigued artists for eons. "My concept for the chamber opera is one of many tellings, with Klytemnestra at its center. Dominick DiOrio set my words to music, so our new version emerges from my words as the voice of Klytemnestra coupled with Dominick's powerful, intricate, psychologically charged music," says Penton. "The painting added yet another a rich layer to our performance and set our work within a broader historical context." By Nancy Wozny for Culture Map Houston.
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