On February 20th, touring southern UK opera company “Opera in a Box” performed its second of six performances of Georges Bizet’s best-known operas “Carmen” to a packed black-box theater within The Station in Bristol, UK. With a cast of mostly young and early-career singers, accompanied by a single pianist and subsumed in transfixing lighting arrangements by a modest crew of {…}
The National Theatre Prague is set to present a new production of “Carmen” this March. The opera, which opens on March 10 and 12 will star Nana Dzidziguri and Ester Pavlů as Carmen; Luis Gomez and Michal Lehotský as Don José; Łukász Golinski and Svatopluk Sem as Escamillo; and Kateřina Kněžíková, Alžběta Poláčková and Jana Sibera as Micaäla. Grischa Asagaroff {…}
On March 8, 2022, the Orchestre classique de Montreal will present a concert staging of Bizet’s “Carmen.” Held at the Pierre-Mercure Hall, the production will feature Julie Nesrallah in the title role, joined by Ernesto Ramirez as Don Jose, Suzanne Taffot as Micaëla, and Hugo Laporte as Escamillo. Centaur Theatre’s artistic director Eda Holmes will direct, with Boris Brott conducting. {…}
When she was a child, Lillian Groag’s family treated opera as if it were pop music. So it’s no surprise that by the time she was but five, she was already attending her first opera and falling in love with the art form. “By 10 I knew the words of all the big 10 which I wailed around the house {…}
Pacific Opera in Victoria, British Columbia has announced the postponement of its February production of “Carmen.” The company will announce new dates at a later time. “The February performances of ‘Carmen’ were sold out with subscriptions and pre-sales, and a waiting list taken should capacity limits be eased. Instead, B.C. Provincial Health has urged vigilance and caution for the next few weeks, {…}
La Monnaie / de Munt has announced the cancelation of its 12 performances of “Carmen.” The company noted that the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 forced the company to only be able to perform for 200 people. Unfortunately, as per an official statement, that would result in the loss of 900,000€. “Add to this the fact that we {…}
New National Theatre, Tokyo is set to stream its production of “Carmen” on Oct. 18, 2021. The opera, which is directed by Àlex Ollé and conducted by Kazushi Ono, will star Stéphanie D’Oustrac in the title role and Toshiaki Murakami as Don José. Alexandre Duhamel interprets the role of Escamillo while Ryoko Sunakawa takes on Micaëla. Other cast members include {…}
(Photo: Josef Fischnaller) Fatma Said has had a remarkable career. She was the first Egyptian vocalist to perform at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where she sang the role of Pamina in Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte.” She has performed in both opera and concert settings in some of the leading opera houses throughout Europe and is an artistic representative for her {…}
The Sarasota Opera has announced its 2021-22 season featuring five masterworks from the Italian and French repertoire. Fall Season Rossini’s rarely performed gem “La Scala di Seta” will open the season. Performance Dates: Oct. 29-Nov. 13, 2021 Winter Season The first production of the winter will be Puccini’s beloved “Tosca” in the company’s classic production. Ann Toomey and Ben Gulley {…}
(Credits: Dario Acosta / © Gregor Hohenberg / Sony Classical / Angela Gheorghiu official website / Michael Cooper / Kasskara/DG / Chris Singer) The Royal Opera House Covent Garden has announced full details of its exciting 2021-22 season, which will star some of the world’s greatest performers. The Royal Opera House Live Cinema Season and digital program will be announced {…}
“Page to Opera Stage” looks at stories – real-life or fiction, old and new – that have inspired operas, and the ways these narratives have been edited and dramatized to fit a new medium. This week’s article looks at the stylings of Prosper Mérimée’s novella “Carmen” and Bizet’s streamlined operatic adaptation. In terms of French literary history, Prosper Mérimée may not {…}