Films based on opera often feel inadequate. They are frequently an attempt to introduce reality into art, and this concept is flawed. Directors fail to realize that what it should be is the other way around: bringing art into reality, making opera about human beings and their everyday trials. Luckily, some directors do know what they’re doing, and Italian director {…}
The Opéra Comique has announced a cast change for its production of “Carmen.” The company said that “due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Maestro Long Yu and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra are unfortunately unable to participate in performances of the new production of ‘Carmen’ directed by Andreas Homoki from April 24 to May 4, in co-production with the Beijing Music Festival and {…}
The Royal Opera House has announced additional online programming available for audiences to stream during the holidays. Subscribers of Royal Opera House Stream can enjoy access to two different versions of Bizet’s “Carmen.” The first is directed by Barrie Kosky and conducted by Jakub Hrusa, featuring Russian mezzo Anna Goryachova in a staging which includes rarely-heard music omitted by Bizet. {…}
Romanian mezzo-soprano Carmen Topciu is in the midst of a run of “Carmen” with Opera Australia, following her acclaimed performances with the company in 2020. The production is being performed on Cockatoo Island. The evening begins with a ferry ride across the water to the world-heritage-listed sanctuary of Cockatoo Island. Audiences will be surrounded by layers of history and then {…}
This review is based on performances on Nov. 15 & 18, 2022. In every opera house, there is always an informal smoker’s meeting outside in the entr’acte. It is the best place to “feel the mood” of how an opera performance is being received. Hence, I am there solely for journalistic reasons, and nothing more. On this occasion, I went {…}
Kristine Opolais is set to perform the title role of “Carmen” in Vienna’s Oper im Steinbruch. The festival announced in a press conference that it will present Bizet’s opera in a production by Arnaud Bernard and will be conducted by Valerio Galli. The cast will be headlined by Opolais who will share the role with Lily Jorstad as well as {…}
Opera Australia’s brand new, Sydney-exclusive open-air event, Opera on Cockatoo Island, is set to launch in November with a new production of Bizet’s “Carmen.” The production is set in the industrial surroundings of Sydney’s historic Cockatoo Island and will be directed by director Liesel Badorrek. The set and costumes will be designed by Mark Thompson. The unique Sydney summer experience {…}
The Calgary Opera is set to present Bizet’s “Carmen” on November 19, 23 and 25, 2022 at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. “Carmen” will feature Tunisian-Canadian rising star Rihab Chaieb, Panamanian-American baritone Nmon Ford, Canadian tenor David Pomeroy, members of the Cantaré Children’s Choir, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and the McPhee Artists of the Calgary Opera. Mark Morash conducts with {…}
Arizona Opera has announced it will release “Carmen: the Graphic Novel” in early December, just in time for the holidays. The book is a project of Alek Shrader, an operatic tenor and director who appeared in “The Audition,” a documentary about the Met Opera National Council Auditions, now called the Laffont Competition. Shrader served as the graphic novel’s writer and {…}
Photos: Erin Baiano If you were to walk down a street, stop a stranger, and ask if they’ve heard of the opera “Carmen,” more than likely, many would say yes. Ask the follow-up question: What’s it about? There may be some head scratching and faces scrunched in concentration as they try to recall … “Bullfighter.” Whether it was in an opera {…}
The Jerusalem Lyric Opera Festival has announced its 2023 Festival lineup, featuring works beloved by opera-goers. The Festival will run July 4-25, 2023. The Jerusalem International Opera Competition kicks off the season in July. Favorite arias are on tap as singers compete before a jury comprising conductors, singers, and casting directors from several of the world’s top opera houses. Performance {…}