[ad_1]
Cologne (dpa) – When "Carmen" was created in 1875, it was simply unimaginable that in a few years anybody would be interested in this opera.
The orchestra and the choir were already mutinied during rehearsals against difficult music and demanding vocals, critics and the public were struck by history. A gypsy girl who falls in love with a sergeant and leads him to destruction? This was not suitable.
How many of their contemporaries have made a mistake then can be seen in Cologne on Thursday (July 19, 8 pm), when "Carmen la Cubana" celebrates its premiere in Germany. The material, once developed in a novel by Prosper Mérimée and transformed into an opera by Georges Bizet (1838-1875), is becoming its next incarnation musical in the Cuban framework. Instead of a classical orchestra, a Latin-Big-Band sits on the stage, the plot is moved to Cuba in the days of the revolution. After the Kölner Philharmonie, where the first previews will be broadcast on Tuesday 17 July, shows are planned in Leipzig, Frankfurt, Berlin and Munich.
"It's the first Cuban musical in Germany, it's rather unusual because Cuba is known for music and dance, but this is not the case for musicals" says producer Ralf Kokemüller. The piece was premiered in Paris in 2016. Alex Lacamoire is responsible for the orchestration, including a Grammy for his work on the Broadway hit Broadway – and has Cuban roots.
The ancient tunes of Bizet are now musical and varied numbers with Cuban styles. The starting point for this, in turn, is a 1940 "Carmen" adaptation: "Carmen Jones" by Oscar Hammerstein II The main actress Luna Manzanares Nardo herself comes from Havana. It does not necessarily have a classical operatic voice – but soul and jazz.
The title heroine in "Carmen la Cubana" is now a cigar-dancer. The soldier Jose, who is supposed to take her to prison after a feud in the cigar factory, even if she is really engaged, attaches. Destiny leads the couple to Havana, where the revolution is in full swing. We do not betray too much when we say that their love is not under a good star. As Carmen gets closer to boxer El Niño, it's time for a tragic finale.
For opulent performance, the scene of the Kölner Philharmonie – which is not a classical musical theater – is extensive. "It's a very ambitious project because the Cologne Philharmonic is not really designed for such an elaborate show," says producer Kokemüller. But you have years of experience to build such large-scale production.
If the musical then enters the canon of the big variations "Carmen"? Let's see. It's already long enough. Bizet's story about the strong and libertine Carmen is one of the most played plays of all, including movies, ballet and theater. There is even a parody of Charlie Chaplin. At that time, in 1875, no one really doubted it.
Trailer
Carmen the Cubana
Source link
