17/01/2015

TheStarOnline|TheMPOsCarmenFestivalsettostiraudienceswithitsthemesoflove,passionandbetrayal

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The MPOs Carmen Festival set to

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stir audiences with its themes of
love, passion and betrayal
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MPOsCarmenFestivalwillbepresentedinaballet,aconcertandan
abridgedopera

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TheStarOnline|TheMPOsCarmenFestivalsettostiraudienceswithitsthemesoflove,passionandbetrayal

HertwosyllablednameCarmenjustringswithunbridledpassionand
wantondesire.Justsayinghernameoutloudconjuressomethingamorous.
ItisnosurprisethenthatDonJos,asoldierandamanoftheworld,fellunder
herspell.Neversofiercelyhasamanlovedawoman.Anditiswithsuchakind
oflovethehammerstrokeofbetrayalhitsthehardest.
Carmentransgressedtheirloveaffairandchoseanothermaninstead.Blinded
byhisjealousrage,DonJosunwittinglymurderedtheonewomanheso
passionatelyloved.
So,youdontreallywanttomissthistragictalepresentedinsuchoperatic
heightsandimpassionedorchestrationwhenMalaysianPhilharmonic
Orchestras(MPO)CarmenFestivalopenstomorrownight.HelmedbyMPOs
newprincipalconductorFabioMechetti,thethreeweekendfestivalatDewan
FilharmonikPetronasinKualaLumpuroffersdifferenttreatmentstothe
masterpiececomposedbyFrenchcomposerGeorgesBizetin1875.Thisyear
marksthe140thanniversaryofBizetsCarmen.
BrazilianbornMechettisrelationshipwithCarmenbeganatthetenderageof
sevenwhenhewaspartoftheoperaschildrenschorus.Hegrewfondofthe
operaforitstimelessandrawportrayalofhumanpassions.
Sometimesweartiststhinkeverythingthatbecomestoopopularisnotgood.
Andsomeofitistrue.ButinCarmenscase,itisnotso.Ithinkitisagreat
masterpiece,saysMechettiduringabreakfromrehearsalsatDFP.

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TheStarOnline|TheMPOsCarmenFestivalsettostiraudienceswithitsthemesoflove,passionandbetrayal

DonJos,playedbyValenti,killsCarmeninafitofrageandjealousy.

Itisaverydifficultscore,itisbeautifullydoneandtherearenomomentsinthe
operawhereyoulookdownandthinkyeah,okay,whatsnext,headds.
MechettievensharesabitoftriviaonCarmen.FriedrichNietzsche,the
philosopherandaverygoodfriendofanotheroperalegend,Wagner,actually
saidthatthegreatestoperaofthattimewasCarmen!saysthemaestro.
BizetsCarmentellsatragictaleoflove,passion,betrayal,lust,jealousyand
brokenheartedness.
Writtenoriginallyasafouractopera,itspassionateandsoaringscoreshave
mesmerisedaudiencesaroundtheworld.Suchisitspopularitythatithasbeen
adaptedintonumerousfilms,Broadwayplaysandseveralballets.
MechettipointedoutwhatmakesCarmenflexibleasabodyofmusic(theballet
suitewascomposedbyRussiancomposerRodionShchedrin)isthestoryitself.
Thestoryisaverypresentstory.Itsastoryofpassionandhowyoureactto
jealousy.ThisissomethingthathasbeenhappeningsincetheGreeks.We
havepassionatecrimeshappeningeveryday.
So,wecanusethatstoryasacommonthreadthroughoutgenerations.Itis
thestoryofajealousmanwhocantlivewithoutthewomanandtheonlywayto
dothatistokillher,explainsMechetti.

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TheStarOnline|TheMPOsCarmenFestivalsettostiraudienceswithitsthemesoflove,passionandbetrayal

SanFranciscoBallet'sprincipaldancer,TanYuanYuan,willplayCarmeninCarmenIn
Dance.

Thefestivalwillpresentaballetperformance,afamilyconcertandanabridged
versionoftheopera.
CalledCarmenInDance,the45minuteballetscorewillbeconductedby
MechettihimselfandchoreographedbyMalaysianChoongWanChin,the
artisticdirectorofKLDanceWorks.Shewasadancerbeforeshesustaineda
badinjurymanyyearsago.
TanYuanYuan,aprincipaldancerwiththeSanFranciscoBallet,willplaythe
titularrole.TheotherdancerswhowillbeinvolvedintheballetareSergey
Kheylik,ChewZiXin,SteveGohandSvetlanaDanilova,amongothers.

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TheStarOnline|TheMPOsCarmenFestivalsettostiraudienceswithitsthemesoflove,passionandbetrayal

BardonplaysthealluringgypsyCarmeninMalaysianPhilharmonicOrchestrasCarmen
Festival.

Thiswillbefollowedbyamorerelaxedandfamilythemedconcertcalled
CarmenForTheFamilyconductedbyCiaranMcAuley.Intendedtobean
introductoryconcertforthosewhoarenotfamiliarwithCarmen,thisissuitable
forfamiliesandyoungmusiclovers.
Thegrandfinaleisnaturallytheoperaitself.Ofcourse,thiswillbeanabridged
versionofBizetsCarmen.Nonetheless,itwillnotberentoftheoriginals
vivacityandpotency.
Thisstoryofvisceralloveandjealousywillsurelyenthral,hauntandbring
audiencestoelectrifyingheightswithitsstunningscores.
DublinbornPatriciaBardon,arenownedoperasinger,willassumetheroleof
Carmen,withMechettireturningasconductor.Bardonsrepertoireincludes
worksbyMonteverdi,Handel,Glck,RossiniandVerdi.AmericantenorJames
ValentiwillplayCarmensjealousloverDonJose.
Mechetti,ahighlyacclaimedoperaticconductorhimself,hadconducted
CarmenmanytimespreviouslyontopofLaBohemeMadameButterflyand
DonGiovanniandsharedthathistreatmentforthissemistagedperformance
willbeslightlydifferent.
Thisisverydifferentbecausethisisnotreallyanoperaperformance.The

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TheStarOnline|TheMPOsCarmenFestivalsettostiraudienceswithitsthemesoflove,passionandbetrayal

wholewritingofthescorewasdonewiththeideathattheorchestrawillbein
thepit.Allthedynamicswasforsuchasetting.
Thebalancebecomesaproblemwhenyoumovetheorchestraup.However,
theensemblecanbebetterbecausethecommunicationbetweensingers,
orchestraandconductorismoredirect,saysMechetti,whoendedhis14year
tenurewiththeJacksonvilleSymphonyOrchestra(UnitedStates)priorto
joiningMPOlastAugust.
Weareallattractedtotragiclovetales,likemothstoaflame.Andwesoarto
heightsofemotionswhengrandmusicandoperaticexcellencestirourdeep
setemotions.Carmenissuchataleanditwillbeatragicinjusticetodeprive
yourselfofathrillinghumanexperience.
TheCarmenFestivalopenstomorrownightattheDewanFilharmonik
Petronas,Level2,SuriaKLCC,KualaLumpurandwillplayuntilFeb1.
Schedule:CarmenInDance(Jan16&17,8.30pm,Jan18,3pm).CarmenFor
TheFamily(Jan2425,3pm).BizetsCarmen(Jan28&Jan30,8.30pm,Feb1,
3pm).TicketsforCarmenInDanceandBizetsCarmenrangeRM100to
RM320.TicketsforCarmenForTheFamilyrangeRM30toRM80.Forticket
booking,call0320517007orvisitwww.mpo.com.my.
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