Opera in an intimate setting, at a price that can't be beat

Formed in 2007, OperaHub was the brainchild of four recent college graduates who wanted to knock opera off of its pedestal and make it into something accessible. Not just conceptually, but financially: the company's first offering - Mozart's "Idomeneo," in June of that year - was free, and OperaHub has never charged admission since.

"When we decided to offer free admission to our first production, it was an experiment - we had no idea whether we were going to be able to cover our costs from donations alone," wrote codirector Brittany Duncan in a recent e-mail exchange. "We've been able to survive this far, which still astonishes me anytime I think about it."

OperaHub's latest production, "Spanish Sirens," goes up next weekend at the Factory Theatre in the South End. It brings together Ravel's first opera, "L'Heure Espagnole" with selected scenes from Bizet's "Carmen." Combined, they form a study in the powerful hold that Spain exerted over the imaginations of French composers - an exotic, highly sensual creation.

The Ravel is a comedy involving an absentminded clockmaker, his flirtatious wife, and her many suitors, including a particularly dim mule driver who eventually ends up in bed with the wife. "Spanish stereotypes are found throughout the piece - in the music, in the text, and in the characters themselves," Duncan wrote. The "Carmen" excerpts add context, since "both works feature many of the same musical and dramatic 'Spanishisms' and complement each other in interesting ways."

"L'Heure" is a rarity in opera houses, often overshadowed by Ravel's later and more assured opera "L'Enfant et les sortilèges." Duncan, though, thinks that its compact length (just under an hour) and farcical nature "make it perfect for both opera lovers who don't have a chance to see it performed very often, as well as folks giving opera a try for the first time."

Like all of OperaHub's creations, "Spanish Sirens" is designed for a small space, "so the audience is right there in the middle of the music and drama," wrote Duncan. (The Factory seats 49.) The production will be sleek and modern, with both sets and costumes reflecting the idea of time, which is central to the opera. Ravel's lushly colored score will be played in an arrangement for two pianos by Jordan Rodu, the company's music director.

Calling OperaHub a "company" is actually something of a misnomer. It's now run entirely by Duncan and Rodu, who assemble a cast and production team for each show. Duncan estimated that they've had almost 100 collaborators over six productions. "Getting to know and collaborate with so many people is one of the perks of having a flexible, production-based organizational setup," she wrote, though she admitted that "it does mean a lot of coordination and organizational work on our part."

OperaHub's commitment to productions without cost seems even more remarkable in the midst of a train-wreck economy that's giving most arts groups nightmares. "We're certainly optimistic that OperaHub will be able to continue to present free opera, even in this challenging economic climate," she wrote. "It's clear that people need affordable arts options now more than ever."

Nor do they plan to scale back productions. Duncan wrote that she's already looking ahead to their next project: an electronic reorchestration of one of the earliest surviving operas: Monteverdi's "L'Incoronazione di Poppea."

January 23-25 at the Factory Theatre, 791 Tremont St.; www.operahub.org

The Cantata Singers have announced a personnel change in tonight's concert, which was to have featured British horn player Michael Thompson. Because of a delay in visa processing, Thompson was not able to travel to Boston for tonight's performance. He will be replaced by a local favorite: the Boston Symphony Orchestra's principal horn player, James Sommerville.

www.cantatasingers.org