The eye-catching Catalan director brings his Carmen to San Francisco this month, his Forza del Destino to the Met in 2017-18.
Carmen, a staple at ENO since 2012, is the one set in Franco’s Spain where soldiers could do with women more or less as they pleased. Not terribly shocking.
Still, they’re getting excited in San Fran: That is why San Francisco Opera’s premiere of a Bieito production is so important. This is not just a violent, sexy production of Carmen; it’s the possibility of a different approach to opera — an approach that will help opera survive as a relevant medium by combining stunning, old scores with modern social commentary. San Francisco Opera is taking a brave first step; it’s up to us to attend, applaud and ask for more.
Bieito’s Carmen will also be staged at the Boston Opera House on September 23, 2016.
Peter Phillips has, after 33 years, written his last column for the Spectator.
‘Things have moved on from my habitual think pieces, outraged rants, ad hominem demolition of palpable idiots written in the back of aeroplanes,’ he reflects.
Obviously it didn’t pay well enough for him to travel business class.
Phillips is a busy choral conductor and entrepreneur, founder of the Tallis Scholars.
The New York Post today names the woman believed to be the reason of Jed Bernstein’s dismissal as president of Lincoln Center. She was some 30 years his junior.
The paper further alleges that, having ‘plucked her from the chorus’, he twice gave her promotions to key posts at the Center.
Both were single at the time and the relationship is now said to be over. The woman has kept her job. ‘Lincoln Center is fully supportive of her, and she is remaining with the organization,’ a source told the Post.
Report here.
I just got to tell ‘er, man….
David Barnard asked Myriam Mazouzi, Director of the Academy of the Paris Opera, what chance an Australian has of gaining a place at the prestigious academy. Her reply:
‘None – there are so few places and the standard is so high across Europe, why would we even consider looking to Australia? In Europe, Australia is not regarded as a country for opera and we would most likely spend the whole time bringing the Australian artist up to standard in the basics of style and language first – we don’t have time for this.’
Read more here.
Stage design for Mefistofele at the Baden Baden Whitsun Festival.
The deepening plight of the Memphis Symphony just took another turn for the worse.
The orch has abandoned its premises and moved into student accommodation at the university campus. It will be officially retitled Memphis Symphony Orchestra in Residence at the University of Memphis.
That’s bound to improve matters.
Memphis somehow brags the title ‘City of Music’.
Given the shared history, it’s apt that the German cellist Jan Vogler chose a peace offering by a British composer to open the Dresden music festival last night.
In a week when divas are rejigging their repertoire, Kristine Opolais has told Munich she won’s sing Rachel in Halévy’s La Juive, come October. Ms Opolais, who is married to the Boston music director Andris Nelsons, has a complicated schedule to juggle.
Stepping in for Kristine will be the Polish soprano Aleksandra Kurzak, who will be singing the role opposite her husband, Roberto Alagna.
Aleksandra, in turn, will be replaced in the production as Eudoxia by the German soprano Hanna-Elisabeth Müller (marital status presently unknown).
Many Russian musicians this morning are expressing pride that their president chose to mark the ‘liberation’ of Palmyra by Russian and allied forces with a symphony concert.
Syrian government representatives at the concert seemed acutely uncomfortable.
Valery Gergiev spoke on television about the defeat of ‘terrorism’, as did President Putin in a video message (you can watch here). The president’s favourite cellist played a quadrille by Shchedrin.
As the concert went to air, reports came in of an air strike on a refugee camp in Syria, killing 28 people. The strike is reported to be by Russian or Syrian government forces. There is supposed to be an international ceasefire in Syria.
So what was achieved by the concert?
As far as the West is concerned, nothing. But the event was stage chiefly for internal purposes. For Russians, the concert reinforces the Stalin-era perception that their government is uniquely civilised because it places culture at the centre of state propaganda.
And Valery Gergiev is its willing instrument.
Ulf Schirmer is stepping down next year from the Munich Rundfunkorchester.
His successor will be Ivan Repusic, 37, who has just started as Generalmusikdirektor in Hannover.
Ivan intends to hold both jobs.
… while maintaining a busy international conducting schedule.
It’s the irrepressible Leif Segerstam.
And he’s titled the latest symphony ‘Status Quo’.
