‘Carmen’ opera returns to AKM stage

ISTANBUL

The Istanbul State Opera and Ballet (IDOB) is bringing the opera “Carmen” back to the stage at the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM).

According to a statement from IDOB, “Carmen,” one of the most frequently performed and highly regarded operas worldwide, will be staged for audiences on April 10, 12, 17, 24, 26 and 30.

The IDOB Orchestra will be conducted on April 10 and 12 by the renowned maestro George Pehlivanian, known for leading opera, philharmonic and symphony orchestras across the globe, from Europe to the Far East, and from the Americas to Australia. Pehlivanian is recognized as one of the leading conductors of his generation.

For the remaining performances, the orchestra will be conducted by İbrahim Yazıcı, while the production is directed by Italian director Vincenzo Grisostomi Travaglini.

With music composed by Georges Bizet, the libretto of Carmen was written by Ludovic Halévy and Henri Meilhac, based on Prosper Mérimée’s novella of the same name.

Although it faced harsh criticism at its 1875 premiere in Paris, the opera gained international acclaim and became a global success after Bizet’s death.

The production’s set design is by Zeki Sarayoğlu, costumes by Ayşegül Alev and Gizem Betil, choreography by Ayşem Sunal Savaşkurt, lighting design by Giovanni Pirandello, and dramaturgy by Ravivaddhana Monipong Sisowath. Paolo Villa is the chorus master, while the children’s chorus will be led by Gizem Berrak Taş Güzeloğlu.

In the performances, the role of “Carmen” will be alternated between Aylin Ateş and Nesrin Gönüldağ; Don José between Ali Murat Erengül and Efe Kışlalı; Escamillo between Göktuğ Alpaşar and Alper Göçeri; Micaëla between Özgecan Gencer and Ayten Telek; Zuniga between Emre Güngör and Erdem Sakarya; Morales between Ufuk Karakoç and Burak Kul; Frasquita between Sevim Ateş and Anna Sirel Etyemez; Mercedes between Ceren Şahin and Elif Tuğba Tekışık; Le Dancaïre will be performed by Alp Köksal; and Le Remendado by Çağrı Köktekin.

Set in Seville, Spain, in the 1830s, the plot of the opera is that Carmen, a young Roma woman working at a tobacco factory, captivates soldier Don José and seduces him away from his respectable life, convincing him to join her in the mountains. However, Carmen eventually falls out of love and finds someone new — yet Don José is not ready to let go so easily.