tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949086046279498177.post6177643762585274244..comments2023-12-27T09:38:56.562+01:00Comments on Opera Cake: Carmen in BarcelonaOpera Cakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940773671378765685noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949086046279498177.post-20383439176052903412014-03-03T23:47:04.983+01:002014-03-03T23:47:04.983+01:00Why would we like to see today's bleakness in ...Why would we like to see today's bleakness in an opera? In which way this spanish prostitute is closer to me because she's living about in the seventies? This is terribly cheap, ordinary vulgarity, everything we hate in today's everyday. That was covering the problematic issue of the very existence of Calixto Bieito in the world of Opera. <br />Now the singing: being french i should love Alagna. Well i Don't. Case closed. I prefer a german or a mexican gent... Ms Uria Monzon's french is not very easily carried by her rounded honeyed mature voice. Shame. Erwan Schrott is good but rather unexpressive. literraly the singing reflects the staging. Flat, depressing, better to be forgotten. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949086046279498177.post-82127228387710089652010-10-11T16:05:45.719+02:002010-10-11T16:05:45.719+02:00Hi DT! Thanks for that. Habanera in Chinese - wou...Hi DT! Thanks for that. Habanera in Chinese - would love to see that ;)Opera Cakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08940773671378765685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949086046279498177.post-10445785011575808172010-10-08T14:32:05.399+02:002010-10-08T14:32:05.399+02:00What an intelligent, analytical review. Such a cha...What an intelligent, analytical review. Such a change to read someone who thinks about what they see instead of simply screaming. Carmen's an amazing archetype which resonates in all cultures. There's even a Chinese version which is pointedly political, and deals with the social disorder of China in the early 50's. The star is a nightclub artiste but her routines are based on opera. She gives pianist as score "You can't sing this!" he sneers, but she goes on and does La Donna e mobile. Female empowerment ! She sings the Habanera in Chinese too.Doundou Tchilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07469682216179706743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949086046279498177.post-10367004462763238992010-10-05T13:21:15.933+02:002010-10-05T13:21:15.933+02:00Fantastic show I enjoyed it enormously.Bieito know...Fantastic show I enjoyed it enormously.Bieito knows how to make opera close to our society.You don`t need to wear jewels or know the date of birth of Giuditta Pasta anymore.Just enjoy music and dramma.dandininoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949086046279498177.post-87110072136760319492010-10-05T00:52:18.361+02:002010-10-05T00:52:18.361+02:00@Lily The story is the same but the show is differ...@Lily The story is the same but the show is different wrt to the usual Carmen. Don't expect TOO much! I wouldn't like to see you disappointed ;)<br /><br />@La Cieca dear, it's really been busy here today and that show [Aida] is LOADED. Plus it's tricky to talk about it and avoid talking about politics. While Carmen is not disturbing at all - it's just positively different - Aida IS disturbing, but ultimately one of the most exhilarating operatic experiences I've had this year... CheersOpera Cakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08940773671378765685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949086046279498177.post-16266002760956667712010-10-04T20:36:42.696+02:002010-10-04T20:36:42.696+02:00And now, dear Cake, what about Aida in Basel?And now, dear Cake, what about Aida in Basel?La Ciecahttp://parterre.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949086046279498177.post-78465891421773534322010-10-04T20:23:31.580+02:002010-10-04T20:23:31.580+02:00I love, love, love the music of Carmen, but I hate...I love, love, love the music of Carmen, but I hate the story. I don't think there is any way to make it palatable; all these various productions are mere window dressing. Au fond, a man thinks he owns a woman, and she thinks otherwise. She also believes in fate (or destiny), and thus does not actively try to save her life--probably knowing that any efforts would be fruitless, as other women have discovered when dealing with stalkers. <br /><br />It's a story that speaks directly to our times regardless of naked toreadors, smugglers, automobiles, foreign workers who aren't citizens, etc. In fact, those elements tend to obscure the intense man-woman conflict that is the heart of this story.<br /><br />If I can find a movie theater 100 miles or so from my house, I'll try to see it anyway. The music is that good. <br /><br />LilyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949086046279498177.post-15852681673989392512010-10-04T18:55:56.529+02:002010-10-04T18:55:56.529+02:00@Carlos: This Carmen sits on the opposite side of ...@Carlos: This Carmen sits on the opposite side of the spectrum with respect to that by Zeffirelli. Since I saw several shows directed by Calixto, I can tell you that this one is the least controversial. In fact there is nothing really controversial in there (if you were not disturbed by the "toreador" at the beginning of Act-3. <br />If you don't like this kind of theater, move on ;) Today, the productions of Carmen are mostly "traditional." A different touch to the story may open a whole different face to Carmen -- which is what Bieito did. <br /><br /><br />@ Hi Andrew! DVD with YOUR Don José from Opéra Comique is now <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bizet-Caterina-Antonacci-Monteverdi-Gardiner/dp/B0041HU3Z0/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1286211150&sr=8-20" rel="nofollow">available on Amazon</a>. That was superbly sung by all of you!Opera Cakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08940773671378765685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949086046279498177.post-64150291641379646582010-10-04T12:18:24.647+02:002010-10-04T12:18:24.647+02:00BRAVO tutti!!! Thanks OC for the report.BRAVO tutti!!! Thanks OC for the report.Opera Rockshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15646209938742888449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949086046279498177.post-20242044833491140242010-10-04T09:34:52.416+02:002010-10-04T09:34:52.416+02:00I do not agree with most of you. I have attended t...I do not agree with most of you. I have attended the premiere, so with Uría-Monzón, Alagna, Bayo (substituting Poplavskaya) and Schrott. I didn't like the production. To some of you talking about stereotypes, here you can find all of them. Not the so called spanish ones, but the Bieito ones, just added to feed the media and focuss on him instead that in the music and the artists. Distracting and noisy the guy running around the stage on the first act, completely avoidable the naked "torero", a mess of cars (one of them hitting something when leaving the stage)... I missed what someones call spanish stereotypes, nothing else than what it was about in the opera. I was lucky enough to attend the Zefirelli's production in Wien with Anna and the stage and costumes were absolutely beautiful.Carloshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13519033651140851117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949086046279498177.post-6479935169260459992010-10-04T06:57:15.578+02:002010-10-04T06:57:15.578+02:00Thank you for your recommendations. Unfortunately...Thank you for your recommendations. Unfortunately, the travesty that was the C Loy production of Entführing in HD (I think a travesty only as far as this particular production being quite unsuitable for an HD broadcast not to mention the serious technical problems apparently all the theaters experienced with the transmission) has killed any interest any movie theater in Tucson, AZ would have in broadcasting from Teatro Liceu. As much as I would love to see a Bieito production, I am not willing to drive two hours north on a weekday. I'll wait for the DVD. :)schmup53https://www.blogger.com/profile/03995304894519528582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949086046279498177.post-46543722208733722832010-10-03T22:21:50.208+02:002010-10-03T22:21:50.208+02:00I can't barely wait until Saturday when I will...I can't barely wait until Saturday when I will attend Carmen in Barcelona.<br />ArabellaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949086046279498177.post-59803184168217382852010-10-03T21:33:37.011+02:002010-10-03T21:33:37.011+02:00@Mei: Aaah now I feel better.
Yes yes, every time...@Mei: Aaah now I feel better. <br />Yes yes, every time someone mounts Carmen it's the same cliché that is miles away from what you can find in Spain. <br /><br />Aida is a much tougher in terms of the social mirror that Bieito is trying to make by his show. Hopefully I'll get 1 hour to put a string of sentences on Aida too.Opera Cakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08940773671378765685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949086046279498177.post-69893642197469640722010-10-03T21:22:45.706+02:002010-10-03T21:22:45.706+02:00This one will be in the movies. Maybe the theaters...This one will be in the movies. Maybe the theaters that normally broadcast the shows from The Met will broadcast also this show? <br /><br />You can also find his Wozzeck on DVD (which IMHO is the best Wozzeck in business - together with those by Marthaler and Kriegenburg). <br />http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alban-Berg-Wozzeck-DVD-NTSC/dp/B000W2FIIU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1286133675&sr=8-2<br /><br />There is also Don Giovanni on DVD [dir Bieito] but there a few roles so badly sung that they spoil the fun part. <br />http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Don-Giovanni-Wojciech-Drabowicz/dp/B000E1P3BG/ref=sr_1_15?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1286133744&sr=1-15Opera Cakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08940773671378765685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949086046279498177.post-89477297244927877352010-10-03T21:14:11.379+02:002010-10-03T21:14:11.379+02:00I'm glad you enjoy the show... Bieito offers u...I'm glad you enjoy the show... Bieito offers us a Carmen without all those spanish stereotypes and I appreciate that... <br /><br />And most importantly the show works...<br /><br /><br />PS: Don't be afraid I won't kill you, they really sell a lousy wine... xDMeihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00716612124717913648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949086046279498177.post-62657344078939439562010-10-03T20:57:45.527+02:002010-10-03T20:57:45.527+02:00Jossie Perez will be here in Arizona next month fo...Jossie Perez will be here in Arizona next month for Arizona Opera's Carmen. Thanks for reviewing. Wish I could see one of Bieito's productions. :)schmup53https://www.blogger.com/profile/03995304894519528582noreply@blogger.com