(Photo Credit: Bettina Stöß / Photo courtesy of Deutsche Oper Berlin) Voices that move your heart and acting that moves your heart – this is Opera. With a tux in Vienna or a smart-casual look in Covent Garden. Champagne or water. Sustained attention or simply laying back and enjoying the night. Pleasing surprises and unbelievable disappointments. From the Met to {…}
(Photo credit: Lennart Sjöberg) Göteborg Opera is celebrating its 30th season with an exciting lineup of favorites, beginning with Sir David McVicar’s production of Bizet’s “Carmen,” with libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on a novella by Proper Mérimée. This production was originally presented at Glyndebourne in 2002, and like most McVicar productions, it gets to the point {…}
(Photo: © Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. Photography by Richard Hubert Smith) “Carmen” is unquestionably one of the most popular works ever composed and has become an almost permanent fixture in the repertoire of opera houses. However, this presents something of a dilemma for those creative artists and directors who desire to produce the opera in a more contemporary setting and feel {…}
(Credit: Ken Howard / Met Opera) Great Performances at the Met is set to showcase Bizet’s “Carmen” on June 19, 2024 at 9 p.m. local time. The opera stars Aigul Akhmetshina in the title role. Joining her is Piotr Beczala as Don José, Angel Blue as Micaëla, and Kyle Ketelson as Escamillo. The opera is conducted by Daniele Rustioni, who {…}
France’s Les Voix des Forges has announced its programming for the summer of 2024 at the Festival de Musique Forges de Jaegerthal. The season opens with “L’Amur est un oiseau rebelle” will feature works by Verdi, Puccini, Bernstein, Bizet, and Gounod among others. Vocal performers include Camille Tresmontant, Guillaume Paire, Céline Mellon, Alexandra Hewson, Carole Meyer, and Rémi Ortega. They {…}
(Photo: © Richard Hubert Smith/Glyndebourne Festival Opera 2024) The picnic hampers are packed, dinner jackets dry-cleaned, cufflinks wrangled, and drizzle forecast: the British country house opera season is back. It opens with a new production of Georges Bizet’s box-office stalwart “Carmen” from Glyndebourne Festival Opera, directed by Diane Paulus and conducted by Glyndebourne Music Director Robin Ticciati. This latest version, {…}
The Royal Opera House has announced cast changes for its production of Bizet’s “Carmen” on May 17, 20, and 23. The company noted that Ramona Zaharia will replace Vasilisa Berzhanskaya in the title role while Adam Smith will replace Brandon Jovanovich in the role of Don Jose. Zaharia has performed the title role of Carmen at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein {…}
This week, Opera Southwest will make history with its production of Bizet’s “Carmen.” The opera, which is one of the most popular in the repertoire, will be performed in a Spanish version translated by Eduardo de Bray that premiered in Barcelona in 1890. The new production in New Mexico will mark the U.S. premiere of the version with Eliza Bonet {…}
(Credit: Camilla Greenwell) At the very opening of Damiano Michieletto’s new production of “Carmen,” I was struck by a very vivid sense of déjà vu! Before the curtain rises, a very sombre, spectral lady enters the stage, dressed in black with lace mantilla. For a brief instant, I thought I was back, four days PREVIOUSLY in the same house, where {…}
Vancouver Opera has broken records with its recent production of Bizet’s “Carmen.” The Vancouver Opera announced that the opera is the highest-grossing in the company’s 64-year history. The first two performances were completely sold-out, and limited tickets are still available for performances on May 2, 4, and 5. Tom Wright, General Director of Vancouver Opera said, “We’re thrilled to see {…}
Vancouver Opera has announced a cast change for its production of “Carmen.” The company revealed that Ginger Costa-Jackson will take on the title role in lieu of Carolyn Sproule, who was previously announced for the title role. Costa-Jackson starred in the company’s production of “Carmen” 10 years ago. “Carolyn Sproule, previously announced as Carmen for two performances of our extended {…}