August 3, 2013: IL Trovatore in El Vendrell, Spain

2013-08-03 Il Trovatore (G. Verdi), El Vendrell (Spain)

Count of Luna = Fernando Alvarez
Leonora = Michelle-Marie Francis Cook
Manrico = Sergi Giménez Carreras
Azucena = Montserrat Carreras
....

Joan Toldra, conductor
Orquesta Musica Viva y la Coral Polifònica del Vendrell.
Acompanyado de la escuela de baile, La Factoria

So there I was, in El Vendrell, to see IL TROVATORE in the tiny Plaza Vella.

Michelle Francis Cook, a soprano destined to sing big roles in the big stages of the world (my opinion), sang Leonora with aplomb and delicacy. Sergi Gimenez never lost his way even when the orchestra sounded truly lost in Verdi's masterpiece. I loved his acting, but as he is the nephew of Josep Carreras he (and I) can never escape the memory of Carreras' voice. Fernando Alvarez was a strong, commanding Conte di Luna.

Of the main singers, Montserrat Carreras as Azucena was the one to suffer most from the lack of sync between the orchestra and stage. She had to do with what she had and what she had was the support of the other singers. Sergi was a great support!!

The chorus did an admirable job. I believe the cut in the score was not helpful. One had to take leaps of logic or know Trovatore well to understand it. It also made it harder for the orchestra to follow the score and the singers. Maestro Joan Toldra's tendency to go slow did not help. The orchestra also lacked some of the instruments needed to really make the music swing.

In many ways I could hear the complexity of Giuseppe Verdi's score and to suffer when it became to much to achieve in this night in lovely El Vendrell. But what can one expect after just one real rehearsal. To perfectly understand the musicality and the story of Il Trovatore much rehearsal is needed. But with their limited resources it was admirably done.

OD Travel & Photos
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For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com If you want to see more photos from my OperaDuets Travels, go to www.operaduetsphotos.com

July 20, 2015: Carmen in Barcelona

2015-07-20 Carmen (Bizet), Palau de la Música Catalana (Barcelona)

Carmen = Marta Valero
Don Jose = Sergi Giménez
Micaela = Elvira Galo
Escamillo = Alberto Cazes Spinoglio
Frasquita = Sara Banares or Itziar Espinar
Mercedes = Carla Mattioli
Dancaire = Xavier Aquilar
Rememdado = Jorge Jasso
Zuniga = Nestor Pintado

Orquestra Terrassa 48
Xavier Puig, conductor

Jesús Fernández, stage direction

Yasmina Pulido, choreograph

It was not the very different version of Carmen, it just had more cuts in the score. It was Carmen with orchestra on the stage with the stage area used to showcase Carmen as opera as opposed to just a concert. It had seemed to me that this was to be Carmen as 2 hrs continuous play. In that case the opera would have had serious cuts. In stead it was act 1+2 in 2 hrs and the rest as 30 minutes. We had real Flamenco dancers that danced to Bizets music. Carmen, Don Jose, Micaela, Escamillo, Mercedes, Franquita, Dancaire and Remendado was all there and Zuniga was there, too.

It was beautiful and realistic staged.

It started 2030 and ended 2310. It was as lovely as it could be, but no revolutionary vision.

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For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com If you want to see more photos from my OperaDuets Travels, go to www.operaduetsphotos.com

May 1, 2014: Carmen in Barcelona

2014-05-01 Carmen (Bizet), Barcelona

CARMEN - Ana Ferro
DON JOSÉ - Sergi Giménez
MICAELA - Cristiana Oliveira
ESCAMILLO - Nuno de Araujo Pereira
FRASQUITA - Anna B. Gómez
MERCEDES- Carla Mattioli


Piano - Montse Pujol Dahme

A great opera erlebnis in an Opera Salon

Sitting just a few feet from the opera singers this was intense. On sofas and chair in a living room with a piano we sat. The prelude and entr'acte was played on speakers. Then the pianist starts the live opera or maybe we should call it lived opera. The space was used for optimal operatic tension. The staircase was used theatrically and so was other rooms used as backstage. One of the best Carmen performances and in such a limited space! Amazing!!!


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For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com If you want to see more photos from my OperaDuets Travels, go to www.operaduetsphotos.com

April 28, 2013: Viva Verdi concert in Barcelona

2013-04-28 Viva Verdi, Teatre Tivoli (Barcelona)

Michelle-Marie Francis Cook, soprano
Sergi Giménez Carreras, tenor
Alberto Cazes Spinoglio, baritone

Miguel Ángel Martínez Montés, conductor
Coral Càrmina & Orquesta Sinfónica del Vallés

Wonderful Barcelona! Were I not Facebook friend of Sergi Gimenez Carreras then I would have stayed in Nice/Monte-Carlo because I would not have known about this wonderful Verdi concert. Sergi is a tenor just like his uncle, Josep Carreras. He has his own sound and just like Carreras when Sergi sings there is an emotional impact. Tears was in my eyes when he sang La mia letizia infondere from I Lombardi. Rolando Villazon had sung it well in Frankfurt (25/4) but Sergi won my heart and ears. It was the dramatic Verdi that was in the programme where I felt that my tenor was more lyric. Sergi was totally involved in all his arias, duets and tersetts.
Sergi Gimenez Carreras was flanked with the supreme soprano Michelle-Marie Cook and baritone Alberto Cazes Spignolo. The soprano was powerful in all appearances. She sang so wonderful that I have difficult to find words. Here we heard a soprano of world class, powerful voice, deep dramatic insight, simply a joy to hear and see. How I want to see her in full opera production of Ernani, La Forza del Destino, Un Ballo in Maschera, or in short any opera by Verdi that have a soprano part.

The baritone sang the famous Verdi baritone arias and did it well. Perhaps I am not a baritone person.

Bravi, tutti!! And come to Norway, please!

The concert had no pause and I sat in the front seat. The best seat. But although it had the shortest distance to the singers, voices are often heard better further back in the theater. So my dear Sergi when I listen to the videos from this concert you sound much stronger, much better. BRAVO, Sergi!!


Miguel Ángel Martínez Montés, conductor
Coral Càrmina & Orquesta Sinfónica del Vallés

Obertura (La forza del Destino)

“La mia letizia infondere” (I Lombardi) - Sergi Giménez Carreras

“Ernani involami” (Ernani) – Michelle-Marie Francis Cook

“O Carlo, ascolta” (Don Carlo) – Alberto Cazes Spinoglio

“Patria opressa”(Macbeth) - Coro

“O fede negar potessi - Quando le sere al placido” (Luisa Miller) - Sergi Giménez Carreras

"Tu se Ernani" (Ernani) - Michelle-Marie Francis Cook, Sergi Giménez Carreras y Alberto Cazes Spinoglio

“Va pensiero” (Nabucco) – Coro

“Dio, che nell’alma infondere” (Don Carlo) - Sergi Giménez Carreras & Alberto Cazes Spinoglio

Coro de Gitanas y toreros (La traviata) – Coro

“Pace, pace mio Dio” (La forza del Destino) - Michelle-Marie Francis Cook

“Eri tu” (Un ballo in maschera) - Alberto Cazes Spinoglio

“Vedi! le fosche notturne” (Il trovatore) – Coro

“Tace la notte!” (Il trovatore) - Michelle-Marie Francis Cook, Sergi Giménez Carreras y Alberto Cazes Spinoglio

EXTRA
Brindisi LA TRAVIATA Cook, Gimenez, Cazes
Va, pensiero NABUCCO Cook, Gimenz, Cazes

Dirección Mtro. Miguel Ángel Martínez Montés | Producción Barmont Productions SC | Solistas Michelle-Marie Francis Cook (soprano), Sergi Giménez Carreras (tenor), Alberto Cazes Spinoglio (barítono)

OD Travel & Photos
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For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com If you want to see more photos from my OperaDuets Travels, go to www.operaduetsphotos.com