Club Opéra L'art de vivre à pleins poumons !
Carmen – G. Bizet
From : 24 January 2008 – To : 28 March 2008
« Carmen has an iconic sensuality but, most of all, she is a free spirit. » Francesca Zambello
Who is that woman ? The way she moves, those eyes, that voice… Is Carmen the ultimate femme fatale ? Opera Australia is thrilled to present a new production of Bizet’s most famous opera, directed by Francesca Zambello, and conducted by Opera Australia’s Music Director Richard Hickox. Zambello’s production, created for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, is gritty and exotic, while Bizet’s seductive score somehow taps straight into the heart of gypsy song.
Carmen’s steamy “Habanera” is charged with raw passion and the fiery choruses will fill every inch of the theatre. Don José is not the first man to fall for Carmen’s seductive wiles, and nor will he be the last. But the mysterious gypsy leads this innocent soldier from his duty into a world of bullfighting, smuggling and wild dancing, where the turn of a card will decide his fate, and hers. Kirstin Chà¡vez has created Bizet’s bewitching heroine on stages across America. Now she comes to Sydney to star in this compelling new production, while the spirited Pamela Helen Stephen who has turned heads on stages across Europe and the US, will make her Melbourne debut in the title role.
La Bohème – G. Puccini
From : 4 January 2008 – To : 20 March 2008
Life may not be easy, but it is beautiful in this tale of young love in Paris. Ever since its first performances Puccini’s La bohème has been adored.
A chance meeting by moonlight, a street-side café and the artists” garret — they all come alive through Puccini’s music, which delicately captures love at first sight, youthful exuberance and the sorrow of loss. This really is musical storytelling at its best. Opera Australia presents a bohème for now — romantic as ever, but with the buzz of a contemporary setting and an outstanding cast. Let yourself be carried away by the soaring voices of some of Australia’s finest artists under the baton of brilliant young Italian Giovanni Reggioli.
Un ballo in maschera – G. Verdi
From : 20 February 2008 – To : 29 March 2008
Deception and disguise rule at the Swedish court of King Gustav III. While the benevolent ruler plans a grand masquerade for the pleasure of his subjects, a band of conspirators are plotting his end.
The traitors, however, will only succeed if they can enlist an ally close to the king. Enter fate. In the end the only true conspirator in Verdi’s vividly crafted tale is love. For, in spite of the external machinations of a kingdom in turmoil, the real drama plays out internally, through Verdi’s evocative orchestral writing, his lush melodies and one of opera’s greatest love duets ever. The performers who brought Il trovatore to such thrilling life in Sydney and Melbourne during 2007 are back for this classic production with Andrea Licata conducting.
