(Credit: Sébastien Mathé) Vincenzo Bellini’s last opera, “I Puritani,” premiered in 1835 at the Theatre d’Italie in Paris, in the same year he untimely died at 35. The story is set in England in the 17th century, during the civil war between Cromwell’s republicans (the Puritans of the title) and the Stuarts’ royalists. While the music sets this work as {…}
Opera Australia has announced that it will present the nationwide premiere of Laurent Pelly’s production of Massenet’s “Cendrillon” next year. The production heads to Australia following stints at the Metropolitan Opera and Royal Opera House Covent Garden. It will feature Emily Edmonds in the title role alongside Margaret Plummer as Prince Charming. As the Fairy Godmother, audiences will experience the {…}
Photo credit: © Dominique Jaussein The Opéra de Nice Côte d’Azur inaugurated their 2023-2024 season with a new staging of Léo Delibe’s “Lakmé” coproduced with the Opéra-Comique in Paris, which premiered the production in September-October 2022, and the Opéra national du Rhin which will present performances in Mulhouse and Strasbourg in November 2023. Pelly’s Anti-Kitsch ‘Lakmé’ This coproduction marks the {…}
(Photo credit: Clive Barda/Royal Opera House) Nestling zest into impressionable appetites, bel canto master Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore” is a succulent confectioner’s delight: a cavalcade of strawberry and rhubarb shades that never age out of their calorific bubble. High on hyperactive captures of unravelling roulades and supercilious trills, its teasing feast of overblown, meringue-like vows empowers risk-taking directors. Decking his décor {…}
The Spanish opera coliseum presented a new production of Rossini’s opera buffa, “Il turco in Italia,” signed by Laurent Pelly. There were two different casts and three different sopranos for the leading role, performing in the ten performances planned. But superstar Lisette Oropesa, was sick and had to cancel opening night. In this case, the fantastic Spanish soprano, Sara Blanch, {…}
French stage director Laurent Pelly is one of the most prolific and renowned stage directors today. Many of his productions are still being performed after premiering 20 years ago. He is a specialist in French repertoire and comedy. He also designs the costumes of his creations. His productions can be seen all over the world from Japan and Europe to {…}
Glyndebourne is now streaming a Poulenc double bill on its official platform Glyndebourne Encore. Audiences can check out “La Voix Humaine” and “Les Mamelles de Tirésias” in a production by Laurent Pelly. The production premiered during the 2022 festival. Of the staging, The Telegraph said, “‘Glyndebourne’s final offering of the season is both scintillatingly brilliant in its own right and {…}
(Photo: Karen Almond / Met Opera) The Metropolitan Opera’s production of “Cinderella” is set to make its premiere on Great Performances at the Met on May 8, 2022. Audiences in the New York metro area will get to see the opera on Sunday, May 15, 2022 on THIRTEEN. The opera stars Isabel Leonard in the title role alongside Emily D’Angelo {…}
(Credit: Marty Sohl / Metropolitan Opera) In the current social climate of today, Laurent Pelly’s vision for “Manon,” which premiered at the Met Opera back in 2012, remains as relevant as ever. And with top notch performers in the leading roles, the performance on Sept. 24, 2019, allowed this vision to rise to the top. The Male Gaze Back in {…}
(Credit: Sebastien Mathe) The works of Bellini’s, and Bel-Canto in general, have been underrated for centuries, with many judging the orchestration of the pieces as simply being accompaniments for the voices carrying the main melodies. But as every genius composer of opera, Bellini kept looking for the best way to transmit the drama of the libretto through the music and {…}
The 14th annual OPERA NEWS Awards were held on April 7, 2019, with a star-studded gala that honored five major figures of the opera world. The evening began with a cocktail hour before guests and honorees were brought to the main hall of the Plaza Hall to get the ceremony underway. OPERA NEWS editor F. Paul Driscoll kicked off the proceedings by {…}