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L'Orient-Le Jour
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- L'Orient-Le Jour
No, 'Carmen' is not a French opera
This is a staging of "Carmen" that will no doubt be hotly debated and rejected, as the appreciation of this most popular opera is so often based on a misunderstanding of its true values in favor of a routine falsely called "tradition". Whether we like it or not, no, "Carmen" is no longer a French opera. It is one of the few masterpieces to have been internationally appropriated. This internationalization has been both Bizet's greatest triumph and an open door to all sorts of new interpretations beyond the habits of public and music lovers alike. It is this kind of recreation that director Jorge Takla and conductor Father Toufic Maatouk brought to life last Friday and Saturday at the prestigious Baalbeck Festival. Let's say right away that the result differs quite a bit from what we're used to. Changes were made to the opera, likely due to a time limit of two and a half hours and probably budget constraints as well. But to me, Father Maatouk's direction is a complete success — not just for how it blends music and action with Takla, but because the action itself seems to grow naturally from the music. It is always difficult to achieve convincing staging in an open-air setting, and Takla managed to adapt it perfectly to the venue. The freedom of this direction will no doubt be criticized, even though there are no flashy effects, nor even the less gratuitous ones found in some familiar versions. The movements change constantly, adjusting to the fluidity of emotions and, most importantly, to the space and stage. Yet, in the rare places in the score where Bizet gave specific directions, these are always respected. For example, the marking "don't rush" at a particular moment in the Act II quintet, which the so-called "tradition" never observes. Otherwise, one notes that the flexibility of tempos, accents, and rubato bring out both the pure musical value of Bizet's inspiration and writing, and add to the dramatic meaning of the music. Generally speaking, the main originality of Maatouk's conducting is how he creates a dialogue between the orchestra and the singers. This goes beyond simply accompanying the voices, the orchestra becomes a protagonist, just like Carmen or Don José. Its presence is an active force, immersing the characters in a brilliant sound environment, but also shaping them in spite of themselves, the sonic expression of the fate that, as Carmen sings, is the true master. The progression is fascinating and culminates fantastically in the final scene. All of this is achieved with a restraint that the singers' occasional excesses only barely disrupt. But what about the singers? Marie Gautrot is certainly a remarkable Carmen. Her interpretation is as compelling as Callas', but her vocal timbre is even better suited to the role of the gypsy, and at rare moments, she tends to push her acting — perhaps because this is open-air rather than a traditional opera stage — though not in the veristic style of Puccini, but more in the direction of realism. Julien Behr has a voice whose impact is stunning in the most violent passages and in the climaxes of Acts III and IV. His Don José, more external than Jon Vickers', has the raw power of a wounded animal. The lyrical moments — "Parle-moi de ma mère", "La fleur que tu m'avais jetée" — shine with melodic elegance and intrinsic vocal beauty. Vannina Santoni, on the other hand, phrases delightfully as Micaëla, and though Jérôme Boutiller's tone lacks a little brilliance for Escamillo, he sings with all the desired panache. The secondary roles are overall well cast: Mira Akiki (Frasquita), Grace Medawar (Mercedes), César Naassy (Zuniga), Fadi Jeanbart (Morales), Philippe-Nicolas Martin (Le Dancaïre), and Jason Choueifaty (Le Remendado). The Antonine University choir and the Romanian Radio Chamber Orchestra were magnificent, possessing tremendous dynamism. As for the "Olles!" and other added exclamations that will no doubt shock some purists, I think they form an integral part of the realistic aesthetic deliberately chosen by the conductor and director, without disfiguring Bizet's musical intent. In conclusion, bravo to the Baalbeck Festival committee. A grand spectacle, an extraordinary version for Carmen fans — many of whom perhaps love Bizet's masterpiece for the wrong reasons? One thing is certain: you had to be there. Because beyond the striking impression it made, many music lovers that evening discovered, thanks to the conductor, new beauties in a score they thought they knew well.
The Guardian
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘It's a high-wire act. Every choice matters': Danielle de Niese takes on opera's most notorious femme fatale
Not a flounce, ruffle or rose clenched between teeth is in sight when Danielle de Niese sashays onstage as Carmen – dressed in a boiler suit. The Australian-born lyric soprano's Carmen will not be the Gypsy seductress audiences have come to expect. In Opera Australia's new production, set in present-day Seville, she is a grounded woman ending another long shift in a cigarette factory. She loosens the fastenings around the neck of her uniform – a glimpse of glistening shoulder, an arch of the back and throat. To her female co-workers, she is hot, exhausted and stiff. To the lads waiting and watching, she is something else. 'Through the male gaze, something functional can appear alluring,' de Niese says. 'To the males watching that moment becomes charged.' De Niese, speaking to the Guardian in June shortly after arriving in the country to begin rehearsals for her debut performance in the Bizet opera, says her iteration of Carmen has not emerged out of a desire to 'just do something different for the sake of it'. 'I just want every word, every gesture, to feel believable. That's the only thing that matters.' Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning For years, de Niese's fans had nudged her toward Carmen – a natural fit, they assumed, for a sultry-looking soprano known as much for her theatrical flair as her vocal precision. But until now she had resisted the obvious casting. 'It wasn't about the aria's reputation,' she says of the instantly recognisable Habanera, Carmen's opening solo. 'It was the story in the lyrics that really caught me. I realised I'd never actually listened to them before – not really.' What drew her in was the way Carmen's fate is foretold in her first few lines: Love is a rebellious bird / That no one can tame. 'We hear the Habanera and think, 'Oh here she comes, the femme fatale.' But the text is full of foreboding. It's a warning. That's what I wanted to tell – not just the song, but the story.' In this new take on Carmen, directed by Melbourne Theatre Company's Anne-Louise Sarks, cliches are both acknowledged and upended. In one sequence, the ensemble parades through a surreal Carmen-themed carnival, donning the very stereotypes the opera has long perpetuated – mantillas, castanets, off-the-shoulder peasant blouses. But the Carmen in this production is emotionally complex – proud, spirited and caught in a love that corrodes as much as it consumes. 'I'm really interested in the kind of love that can unravel you,' de Niese says. 'The kind that starts as passion and turns into something toxic – and you don't see it happening until you've lost yourself.' This is the challenge de Niese has set herself: not to reinvent Carmen, but to restore her complexity. 'I don't want her to be a cool enigma,' she says. 'I want her to feel like someone you know. Someone whose choices you understand, even if you don't agree with them.' She points to the recent testimony of singer Cassie Ventura in her case against her ex-boyfriend Sean 'Diddy' Combs as a contemporary example of 'those emotional entanglements, that blurring of control and desire. That's very real. And very now.' To an outsider looking in, de Niese's own life appears less than real, more like a fairytale. Born in Melbourne to Sri Lankan parents, her first taste of fame came early, becoming Young Talent Time Discovery Quest's youngest ever winner at the age of nine in 1988. The family moved to Los Angeles, and at the age of 16, de Niese won an Emmy for her role as a regular guest host of the TV program LA Kids. By then, the child prodigy had already made her operatic debut with the Los Angeles Opera. At 19 she was singing Barbarina in The Marriage of Figaro at the Metropolitan Opera. Seven years later, she wowed audiences as Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare at the prestigious Glyndebourne festival. Marriage to Gus Christie, the third generation of Christies to own and operate Glyndebourne, followed. Her life as lady of the manor at the historic English estate is 'idyllic,' she admits, but it took a bit of work initially to be accepted by elitists as something more than an American interloper. She was interrogated about her knowledge of cricket – amusing she concedes, given her Australian and Sri Lankan backgrounds – and pilloried when the last of Glyndebourne's famous dynasty of pugs died and she replaced them with bulldogs and Portuguese waterdogs. Today, she graciously wears the New York Times title of 'opera's coolest soprano', and in 2023 Tatler named her as one of Britain's 25 best dressed. 'People see the highlights and think it was all silver platter,' she says. But her career, she insists, has not been filled with shortcuts: 'I've been the tortoise, not the hare. I've taken risks, yes, but every step, slow. Every choice, deliberate.' That discipline has preserved her voice – and allowed it to evolve. 'Ten years ago, I couldn't have sung Carmen,' she says. 'Now it sits perfectly. My voice has broadened, darkened. It feels like it's grown into its home.' As Carmen, she intends to do just that. Not an archetype, not a cautionary tale – but a woman, vivid and vulnerable, stepping out from the smoke, fully alive. 'Opera is a high-wire act,' she says. 'Every choice matters. But the most important one is this: tell the story like it's happening for the first time. Make it real.' Opera Australia's Carmen runs until 19 September at Sydney Opera House; and from 15-25 November at Regent Theatre, Melbourne
Straits Times
04-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Norway newlywed Bizet loving Swiss Euro 'honeymoon'
Very few blushing brides choose to spend their honeymoon time almost lobbing the keeper for a goal at a major tournament but that was the case for Norway's Celin Bizet Donnum, who recently married fellow player Aron before flying to the Women's Euros. Following a fairytale wedding on the shores of Italy's Lake Como, the bubbly 23-year-old came on in her country's 2-1 opening win over hosts Switzerland on Wednesday and almost got the perfect wedding present but her effort flew just wide. "It's hard to sometimes organise when to have stuff like weddings but we thought in the next five years everything can happen and obviously he's on the national team too and if they go to a tournament, it's going to be for how long?" Bizet told Reuters of the decision to get married so close to the Euros. "But it was no stress, to be fair, it was all chilled and nice and a lovely place in Italy, and I had the best days of my life." With husband Aron playing for Toulouse in France and Celine having completed a busy season in the Women's Super League with Manchester United, the crammed football calendar leaves little time for long-distance relationships, let alone weddings. "I think I'm kind of used to it. It's my life, it's my husband's life. He's two days off and then training again, or two weeks off on holiday and then straight to training," she said. "So I think we're very used to it, and it's not like we're not going to have our honeymoon (very soon), it's going to be in the future, so I'm looking forward to that." Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore PAP has begun search for new candidates; PM Wong hopes to deploy them earlier ahead of next GE Singapore $3b money laundering case: 9 financial institutions handed $27.45m in MAS penalties over breaches Singapore Banks tighten vigilance and processes following $3b money laundering case Singapore Seller's stamp duty hike surprises some amid moderating property market, but is ultimately prudent Singapore Trilateral work group formed to address allegations of foreigners illegally taking on platform work Singapore Power distribution system in renewal project may be linked to Bukit Panjang LRT disruption: SMRT Singapore Rise in number of scam e-mails claiming to be from Cardinal William Goh: Catholic Church Singapore Tourism bump from Lady Gaga concerts raked in up to estimated $150m for Singapore economy To ensure they could remain focused on their football, the couple enlisted the services of a wedding planner to sort out the logistics of hosting around 80 guests who were present when they tied the knot, and Bizet laughed off the suggestion that she might have wanted to control everything in great detail. "We had the wedding planner so we didn't do much to be fair, we just sat down and were just saying yes or no to flowers or bouquets or a boat or this and that. So no, not a control freak and was just chilled, just saying yes or no to messages, so it was nice," she said. For now, husband Aron is staying close to Norway's base in Neuchatel but the winger will soon be heading back to France for pre-season training, while his new wife keeps her sights firmly set on Norway's Euro campaign. "It's like a normal thing in football, I think, it's life -- someday we'll finish with football and we can be together every day, so I'm not taking it hard, it's life. Everyone does it," she said. Bizet suggested that, when the time comes, the pair might go on a safari for their honeymoon, but Norway are looking to qualify for next year's men's World Cup in the United States, with Aron likely to be part of the squad if they make it. Bizet is looking no further than Norway's next game at the Euros, but she allowed herself to look at photos and Instagram posts from their special day before the tournament got under way. "It was more (than I dreamed it could be). Nothing went wrong. Everyone had the best time, the vibes, the music, my husband. Everything was just perfect," Bizet recalled. "It's cliche, but it was the most perfect day of my life." REUTERS
Vancouver Sun
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Listen to classical music and opera outdoors (and for free!) this summer
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Where: Sunset Beach When: Saturday, July 5 at 8 p.m. Info: Where: Deer Lake Park, Burnaby When: Saturday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m. Info: Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Where: Deer Lake Park, Burnaby When: Sunday, July 13 at 7:30 p.m. Info: Summer is here and Vancouver's two classical home teams are offering you music — free and outdoors. You can think of this as an end-of-the-season dividend, if you like. Both the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Vancouver Opera toil indoors from September to June. How wonderful it would be if Vancouver possessed an outdoor venue like Ravinia, the summer home of the Chicago Symphony, or like Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl. Wishing won't make it so, and the unpredictability of weather during our short summer renders such ideas mere pie in the sky. But we do get two mega concerts by the VSO and a sampler from VO during July, the best meteorological bet of summer months in the Pacific Northwest. The VSO kicks things off with Symphony at Sunset, which takes place at Sunset Beach, where sea, mountains and cityscape combine in a spectacular if ephemeral space for music. This year, the program is July 5 with VSO music director Otto Tausk conducting. Each summer, the orchestra tries to produce a something-for-everyone, no-intermission mix of this and that. 2025's version will start with William Rowson's arrangement of The Coast Salish Anthem. Rossini's Overture to the Barber of Seville is next up, followed by a snippet from Bizet, then an excerpt from Michael Conway Baker's music for Vancouver, Through the Lions Gate. Sibelius's Finlandia follows, and then comes a real treat, the first movement of Dvořák's cello concerto with the VSO's wonderful Henry Shapard as soloist. The evening ends with selections from the Harry Potter and Star Wars franchises by Hollywood legend John Williams, then the electrifying final moments of Stravinsky's Firebird — music the composer himself conducted here many, many decades ago. The orchestra will reappear on July 12 in Deer Lake Park in Burnaby, on the grand, gently sloping lawn in front of the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. Conductor Andrew Crust's program is similar but not identical to the Sunset Beach affair, starting once again with Rowson and Rossini. There's selections from Bizet's Carmen, then former Burnaby resident Jared Miller's Buzzer Beater. Miller's got a strong repertoire of more serious works, but his little orchestral sparkler has become that real rarity: a contemporary work everyone loves to hear. Selections from John Williams's, this time from Star Wars and Jurassic Park, end the first half of the program. The second half begins with more music from French opera, the (in)famous Bachanale from Saint-Saens' Samson and Delilah, then music by Joe Hisaishi and more John Williams. A day later at the same site, Vancouver Opera offers its fourth Opera in the Park extravaganza. Here, the practice is just a bit different: Where the VSO offers audiences samples of a whole range of music — soundtracks, pops numbers and, of course, standard classical rep — VO has opted for a sampler of its season to come. With three extraordinarily popular operas slated for production next season, Deer Lake 2025 is devoted to Verdi, Mozart and Puccini. Though the final playlist isn't set at the time of this writing, music director Jacques Lacombe, singers and the Vancouver Opera Orchestra plan to showcase music from Rigoletto, Così fan tutte, and La Bohème. There is, of course, no reserved seating at either outdoor venue, so come early with blankets and cushions and your own selection of food and drink. Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances.
Qatar Tribune
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Qatar Tribune
QPO set to celebrate French composers at Katara concert
Tribune News Network Doha The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO) will pay tribute to the rich legacy of French classical music in a captivating performance on Monday, May 12, at 7:30 pm at the Katara Opera House. The concert, conducted by the distinguished Elias Grandy, will present a programme that journeys through evocative soundscapes, fairy-tale imagination and rhythmic brilliance. The evening opens with Georges Bizet's L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2, a vibrant selection drawn from his incidental music for Alphonse Daudet's 1872 play L'Arlésienne. Although the play closed after only 21 performances, Bizet's music gained lasting popularity. The suite, especially the spirited 'Farandole', showcases Bizet's gift for melody and his deft use of polyphonic textures, illustrating the emotional turmoil of a young man caught between love and betrayal. Next, the Philharmonic will perform Paul Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice, a symphonic scherzo inspired by Goethe's 1797 poem. The work, premiered in Paris in 1897 under Dukas' own direction, narrates the comical and chaotic adventure of a young apprentice who unwittingly unleashes a magical disaster. This piece gained global fame after being featured in Walt Disney's 1940 film 'Fantasia', and remains a favourite for its dramatic tension and playful orchestration. After the intermission, audiences will be transported into a world of fairy tales with Maurice Ravel's Mother Goose Suite (Ma mère l'Oye). Originally composed as a set of piano duets for children in 1910 and later orchestrated, the suite draws inspiration from classic stories including Sleeping Beauty, Tom Thumb, and Beauty and the Beast. With delicate textures and imaginative instrumentation, Ravel's music paints a whimsical and enchanting soundscape that appeals to both children and adults alike. The concert will culminate in Ravel's Boléro, one of the most recognisable and hypnotic compositions of the 20th century. Characterised by its persistent rhythm and gradual crescendo, Boléro builds a powerful sense of anticipation that ultimately erupts in a triumphant finale. Originally composed as a ballet in 1928, it has since become a staple of orchestral repertoire and a testament to Ravel's ingenuity. With its thoughtfully curated programme and masterful performances, this Qatar Philharmonic concert promises an unforgettable evening that celebrates the timeless beauty and storytelling power of French music.
