An electrifying Carmen from Oper Leipzig

By Gregor Forbes, 24 November 2019

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Reviewed at Oper Leipzig, Leipzig on 23 November 2019

Bizet, Carmen

Oper Leipzig

Matthias Foremny, Conductor

Lindy Hume, Director, Set Designer

Dan Potra, Costume Designer

Kathrin Göring, Carmen

Leonardo Caimi, Don José

Gezim Myshketa, Escamillo

Magdalena Hinterdobler, Micaëla

Gal James, Micaëla

Jean-Baptiste Mouret, Zuniga

Franz Xaver Schlecht, Moralès

Aneta Ručková, Frasquita

Christiane Döcker, Mercédès

Sandra Maxheimer, Mercédès

Jonathan Michie, Le Dancaïre

Alvaro Zambrano, Le Remendado

Dan Karlström, Le Remendado

Matthew Marshall, Lighting Designer

Nele Winter, Dramaturgy

Thomas Eitler-de Lint, Choirmaster / chorus director

Leipzig Opera Children's Chorus

Oper Leipzig Chorus

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra

Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at Oper Leipzig

Mark Pullinger, 25th May

Two notable debuts dominate Oper Leipzig's notable Lady Macbeth revival: Kristine Opolais as Katerina and Andris Nelsons in the pit.

****1

Spellbinding Parsifal caps Oper Leipzig's massive Wagner 22 Festival

Ako Imamura, 14th July

Ulf Schirmer bows out as General Music Director as the last of Wagner's 13 operas completes a successful Festival Wagner 22 in Leipzig.

****1

Lohengrin as chamber opera in Patrick Bialdyga's Leipzig production

Ako Imamura, 26th March

A new production of Lohengrin at Oper Leipzig is conceived as an intimate chamber opera and succeeds with brilliant musical performances.

*****

Leipzig's Ring Cycle concludes with a satisfying Götterdämmerung

Ako Imamura, 2nd July

Despite some weakness in the main singers, the overall level of musical performances was consistently high in Leipzig, with a stark and effective production.

****1

Magnificent singers, orchestra and production in a Leipzig Siegfried

Ako Imamura, 1st July

Siegfried in Leipzig succeeds on all fronts: an engaging production, a great ensemble of singers and a well-conducted orchestra.

****1

Die Walküre is full of anxiety in Leipzig

Ako Imamura, 29th June

Die Walküre in Leipzig turns the family drama into a tragedy of fear and anxiety, with glimpse of hope at the end.

****1

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Gregor Forbes

Gregor Forbes (b. 1993) is a composer and pianist from Scotland. Since 2014 he has been the Artistic Director of Glasgow Experimental Music Series, which was twice nominated for 'Making It Happen' in the Scottish Awards for New Music. In 2019, Gregor was the inaugural recipient of the Scholarship and Composer-in-Residence programme of the Hanns Eisler Haus, Leipzig, which culminated in the performance of a major new work for Ensemble Avant Garde at the Gewandhaus Musica Nova series. Since 2021, Gregor has been the Musical Director of the composers' lecture-recital series 'Neues bei Grieg!' at the Grieg Begegnungsstätte, Leipzig.