National opera troupe to stage modern ‘Carmen’
By Do Je-hae
Unlike many of the popular operas, the main female character in “Carmen” is a mezzo soprano.
For five performances of Carmen that started Thursday, Korea National Opera (KNO) has invited Kate Aldrich, a mezzo soprano from the United States as well as rising talent from Korea.
The performances are part of the national opera house’s 50th anniversary celebrations. There will be two performances of “Carmen” today and one more onSunday.
Tenor Chung Ho-yoon, the first Korean to be a member of the Vienna State Opera, will make his debut as Don Jose.
During a preview for the press Tuesday, Aldrich performed an enticing Carmen. She has performed with major opera houses around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, the Hamburg State Opera, Teatro Regio of Torino, Los Angeles Opera, and the New York City Opera.
The backdrop of French opera director Paul-Emile Fourny’s modern setting was eye-catching and Bizet’s music provided excitement through the 180-minute masterpiece.
Fourny’s previous staging of “Carmen” at Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera and Deutsche Oper Berlin has been successful.
French composer Bizet’s opera Carmen tells the tragic story of Carmen, a beautiful Spanish gypsy woman, and Don Jose, a soldier who is seduced by her.
When it was first performed at the Opera-Comique in Paris, on March 3, 1875, most reviews were critical with controversy surrounding its immorality, lawlessness and tragic outcome in which the main character dies on stage. However, the combination of memorable music, vivid setting and dramatic story has made “Carmen” one of the most popular operas in the standard repertoire.
The KNO conducted a survey last year, which showed that “Carmen” is the most favorite opera among Koreans.
The KNO will continue its 50th celebrations with Strauss’ “Der Fledermaus” or “The Bat” on Nov. 28 -Dec. 1.
The company will wrap up its season with the 2012 Opera Gala to be staged on Dec. 29-30 at the SAC Opera Theater.
Tickets for KNO’s “Carmen” range from 10,000 to 150,000 won. For more information, call (02) 586-5284 or (02) 580-1300.