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Opera in four acts , Libretto by Henry Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on Carmen, the novel by Prosper Mérimée.The opera, written in the genre of opéra comique with musical numbers separated by dialogue, tells the story of the downfall of Don José, a naive soldier who is seduced by the wiles of the fiery gypsy Carmen. José abandons his childhood sweetheart and deserts from his military duties, yet loses Carmen's love to the glamorous toreador Escamillo after which José kills her in a jealous rage. The depictions of proletarian life, immorality and lawlessness, and the tragic outcome in which the main character dies on stage, broke new ground in French opera and were highly controversial.
Georges Bizet's 19th century masterpiece of French opera, has constantly been a worldwide success since its laborious creation at the Opera Comique in Paris; to such an extent, in fact, that today it is the most popular opera in the world. Olivier Py is directing it in Lyon just four years after having presented Curlew River by Britten. The dramaturg, stage director and playwright, actor singer and, until recently, manager of the Odéon Theatre in Paris, claims his Catholic faith loud and clear. Although his dramaturgy is deeply marked by theological, philosophical and metaphysical cocnerns it also has a sulphurous reputation but nonetheless speaks to us by its strength and the original way in which he approaches his work.Nobody doubts that the complexity of Bizet's heroine has served as an inspiration for a breath taking performance, as amazingly successful as his version of Berg's Lulu, a very similar and just as fascinating heroine as Carmen, produced at the Geneva Opera in 2010.Py will be all the more capable of exalting the diversity of this magnificient character with the leading role played by Josè Maria Lo Monaco, heard recently in Jomelli's Demofoonte, diected by Riccardo Mutti at the Paris Opera in 2009; with her perfect physic her warm mezzo soprano voice she will undoubtedly be a wonderfull Carmen." Bruno Serrou
Josè Maria Lo Monaco (Carmen), Yonghoon Lee (Don José), Giorgio Caoduro (Escamillo) Elena Galitskaya (Frasquita), Nathalie Manfrino (Micaëla), Angélique Noldus (Mercedes), Vincent Pavesi (Zuniga), Pierre Doyen (Moralès), Christophe Gay (Le Dancaïre), Carl Ghazarossian (Remendado),Cédric Cazottes (Lilas Pastia) Orchestra Choirs and Children's chorus of the Lyon Opera
Conductor: Stefano Montanari, Stage Director: Olivier Py, Set and Costumes: Pierre André Weitz, Choreography: Daniel Izzo, Lighting: Bertrand Killy, Choir master: Alan Woodbridge
French
French
Production compagny : Telmondis
Coproduction compagny : Mezzo with France Television
Running Time : 1x180’
Production Year : 2012
Distribution compagny : Telmondis distribution
Video Format : HDCAM, Digibeta 16/9