After 5 years, Carmen by Georges Bizet returns to the Teatro Lirico in Cagliari, the opéra-comique in four acts – with a libretto by Henry Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy – based on the homonymous novel by Prosper Mérimée.
The new debut on stage is expected on Friday 30 June at 20.30 (round A), with reruns until 9 July . What is shown to the faithful Cagliari public is a new staging of the Lirico which makes use of the direction of Renato Bonajuto , a fine esthete and visionary Piedmontese artist on his return to Cagliari after the success of Puccini's Villi in the summer of 2021. Signing the scenes is Danilo Coppola , the costumes are by Marco Nateri , the lights by Valerio Tiberi and the choreography by Luigia Frattaroli .
The story that comes to life on stage is set in Franco's Spain in the 1950s, thus moving away from the oleographic Seville of the libretto. For the director « Carmen is sensuality, audacity, sincerity. Freedom. And the yearning for freedom has no time. For this reason the story of Bizet's work is not strictly linked to an era ».
The Orchestra, the Chorus of the Lyric Theater and the Children's Choir of the "Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina" State Conservatory of Music in Cagliari are led by Fabrizio Maria Carminati . The choir master is Giovanni Andreoli . The master of the children's choir is Francesco Marceddu .
The opera, represented in the edition with recitatives by Ernest Guiraud (Vienna, 23 October 1875), makes use of prestigious singers/actors such as: Carlo Ventre (30-2-5-7-9)/Mikheil Sheshaberidze (1- 4-6-8) (Don José), Pablo Ruiz (30-2-5-7-9)/Askar Abradzakov (1-4-6-8) (Escamillo), Giuseppe Esposito (Le Dancaïre), Andrea Schifaudo ( Le Remendado), Luca Bruno (Moralès), Luca Dall'Amico (Zuniga), J'Nai Bridges (30-2-5-7-9)/Martina Belli (1-4-6-8) (Carmen), Marta Mari (30-2-5-7-9)/Martina Gresìa (1-4-6-8) (Micaëla), Ilaria Vanacore (Frasquita), Maria Ermolaeva (Mercédès).
The opera, lasting approximately 3 hours and 10 minutes including two intermissions, is performed in the original French language. The public will be able to avail itself of the help of the surtitles in Italian which, scrolling over the scenic arch of the proscenium, favor the understanding of the libretto. Carmen is repeated: Saturday 1 July at 7pm (set G); Sunday 2 July at 8.30 pm (round D); Tuesday 4 July at 8.30 pm (non-subscription); Wednesday 5 July at 8.30 pm (round B); Thursday 6 July at 8.30 pm (set F); Friday 7 July at 8.30 pm (round C); Saturday 8 July at 8.30 pm (round I); Sunday 9 July at 8.30 pm (round E).
(Unioneonline/vf)