(Photo: Siim Vahur) It would be unrealistic to expect a new production of Bizet’s masterpiece to reveal anything that has not already been presented many times before. The best one can reasonably hope for would be a tweak in emphasis that draws attention to elements that are sometimes underplayed. Pierre-Emmanuel Rousseau took exactly this approach for his production for Estonian {…}
As we wrap up 2024, here is a look back at some of the most-read articles of 2023. We will focus mainly on longer-form pieces like reviews and interviews for this article. Top 10 Most-Read Reviews of 2024 Metropolitan Opera Review of “Carmen“ Metropolitan Opera Review of “La Forza del Destino“ Metropolitan Opera Review of “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” Metropolitan Opera {…}
(Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera) Whether Nietzsche actually meant it when he declared Bizet’s “Carmen” to be the perfect opera, or whether it was merely a literary tantrum aimed at his once-beloved Richard Wagner, it matters not. The resounding overture to “Carmen” provides its own argument as to the opera’s justified and beloved place in the canon. Love is a {…}
Lincoln Center Presents will showcase “The Opera Next Door’s ‘La Carmencita.’” The showcase, which will take place at the David Rubenstein Atrium on Dec. 6, 2024, will reframe the classic masterwork through a modern lens. The production was conceived by Colombian soprano, TOND founder, and Bedford-Stuyvesant resident Sasha Gutiérrez, stage director Rebecca Miller Kratzer, and Latin GRAMMY Award-winning bassist and {…}
The Teatro de la Maestranza has announced a replacement for Elīna Garanča. The company said that Maria Kataeva will sing the title role of “Carmen” for performances on June 13, 15, and 17, 2025. Kataeva is a rising star who has performed at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, the Dresden Semperoper, the Grand Théâtre de {…}
Tenor Stanislas De Barbeyrac has spoken out against the Palazzetto Bru Zane’s handling of its home video release of “Carmen.” The company revealed that it was releasing a special edition package to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the famed Bizet opera in a historic staging from 1875 from Opéra de Rouen Normandie. The video book includes one DVD and one {…}
(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 {…}