Tag: french

REVIEW: Carmen: The Met Live in HD

musicalsoup Leave a comment

The Metropolitan Opera hosts viewings of select operas in movie theaters across the country, under their series “Met Live in HD”. These performances on screen are marketed at an affordable price, to increase accessibility efforts in opera. The 2024 year premieres with Bizet’s Carmen, an iconic staple of Opera literature. 

Young Russian Soprano, Aigul Akhmetshina, takes the stage as the youngest ‘Carmen’ to perform at The Met. Her demanding presence is alluring, along with her spunk and sense of unpredictability. She was a force to watch on stage, equally expressive and keen to the role. She sings alongside Met Opera greats: Piotr Beczała, Angel Blue, and Kyle Ketelsen. This quartet was truly remarkable, each buzzing with personality and vocal virtuosity. Akhmetshina is contracted to sing ‘Carmen’ at opera houses and festivals around the globe until at least August 2024.

The story of Carmen’s success is quite a tragic one for the composer, Georges Bizet. Bizet struggled to get his work on stage, though a fresh winner of the Prix de Rome. 1875 Paris was not fond of his depictions of proletarian life, lawlessness, and a tragic ending with an aggressive on-stage death. However, the historically controversial themes have been embraced by modern viewers and the score has trickled into aspects of pop culture, making songs like “Habanera” one of the most well-known arias to date.

The Met revels in creating the most aesthetically unique productions of Carmen year after year. Director Carrie Cracknell makes her Met debut taking a stab at a modern adaptation of ‘Carmen’s’ adventures and escapades. This production is set in the 21st Century, with references to gun violence, systemic labor abuse, and female empowerment. Her directing choices were clear and concise, revitalizing a story seeping with stereotypes and sexism. 

I would recommend seeing a Met HD Opera in theaters. It is an intimate way to experience some of the most distinguished operas in the United States. 

 

 

235 minutes. Not Rated. Includes gendered violence, cigarettes, and sexual themes. Sung in French with English subtitles.

Synopsis and more on Carmen HERE.

Met Live in HD showings HERE.

 

Image thanks to New York Theater Guide.

REVIEW: Orpheus in the Underworld

Sappy Leave a comment

Unlike what the title suggests, Orpheus in the Underworld (Orphée aux enfers) didn’t focus much on Orpheus being in the Underworld nor did it remain true to the romantic and sorrowful story told in Greek myths. Instead, what SMTD brought to life was a goofy comedy contrasted with powerful French opera, and they described it as “a cheeky twist” on the famous love story between Orpheus and his wife, Eurydice.

In mythology, Orpheus and Eurydice were deeply in love, so when Eurydice met her untimely death, he played the lyre (an instrument similar to the harp) and used his musical genius to charm his way into the Underworld and bring her back to the world of the living. 

In this version, the two shared a terrible marriage and were both cheating on each other. They portrayed Orpheus as a lackluster violinist, which was one of the many things that drove his wife crazy. Eurydice constantly asked for a divorce, but Orpheus always refused with sweet words. He had a different plan in mind to get rid of her. When Eurydice died, he jumped with joy; however, his happiness was short-lived when soon after he was threatened by Public Opinion to save his wife and thus dragged to the Underworld. 

Operas place a greater importance on music than storytelling, so although the dialogue was in English, the majority of the show was in French. Orpheus in the Underworld was performed at The Power Center for the Performing Arts, and they provided screens with English subtitles for the audience to follow along. Some technical difficulties threw off the timing of the words, but I wasn’t that disappointed since the students’ acting and singing were so captivating it felt like a waste to take my eyes off them.

The story took place in the late 1950s, so all of the backdrops, from the farm to Olympus and the Underworld, were all unique. I also loved the wardrobe, especially the outfits of the gods. They were totally different from the traditional white robes I normally associate with Greek mythology. My favorite costume was when Jupiter, also known as Zeus, transformed into what was supposed to be a seductive fly.

Overall, I had fun! It was my first time watching an opera, and it combined humor with musical prowess. I’ve really enjoyed each of SMTD’s productions and look forward to watching more.

REVIEW: Orpheus in the Underworld

musicalsoup Leave a comment

Orpheus in the Underworld (translated title) marks the premiere opera this season for the School of Music, Theater, and Dance’s vocal department at the Power Center for the Performing Arts. This runs for one weekend only, so get your tickets soon! Of the many versions of Orpheus and Eurydice’s tragic tale, this reigns as the goofiest production thus far. This whimsical satire is accompanied by fanciful costumes, a wholly creative set, and an ingenious allegory about the nature of capitalism. Director Mo Zhou brilliantly stated: “[Orpheus] is a mirror that reflects not only the capricious antics of the deities but also our contemporary world. It teases out the subtleties and complexities within the upper echelons of society, a world painted in various shades of grey.” (I don’t think I could give a more brilliant explanation if I tried!) I thoroughly enjoyed this opera and thought it was a refreshing choice after last season’s close with Don Giovanni by W.A. Mozart. If opera-singing and can-can-dancing Greek gods are an interest of yours— this opera is for you!

Orphée aux enfers is a French-language opera composed by Jacques Offenbach with a libretto by Hector Crémieux and Ludovic Halévy (English translation by Jeremy Sams). You may be familiar with the famously known and cheekiest song from the opera, the “can-can”, which is often used in pop culture. In the score, it is called the “Galop infernal,” roughly translating to “the hellish gallop”, as they famously kickline in Hades’ Underworld. This opera is conventionally all performed in French, but for this version, all the dialogue was performed in English with arias performed in French. I came into the performance skeptical of this method for continuity’s sake but left the theater agreeing with the decision for a predominantly English-speaking audience. Since many of the performers were native English speakers, it was much easier to make conscious acting choices since they were not dealing with French diction. For an academic setting, this was a great choice! The arias were beautifully performed in the original French, with phenomenal, stand-out performances by Tyrese Byrd (Arsteus/Pluto), Jack Morrin (Jupiter), Sohyun Cho (Eurydice), and Veronica Koz (Cupid). The chorus was equally thrilling and brought a beautiful liveliness to the atmosphere of the show.

The design for this show was spectacular. Scenic design was created by Kevin Judge, costumes by Sarah M Oliver, lighting by Marie Yokoyama, and hair/make-up by Brittney Crinson. Truly, there was always something to look at, or a small detail to become enamored with. Each tableau filled the entire space on the Power Center stage. Within the first moments after the curtain, the set had transported me somewhere. The world that was about to be created was immediately understood by the audience. The colors, dimensions, and vintage image backgrounds were all so charming. The 1950s setting was a very lovely stylistic choice, and I found it well executed throughout. The style was consistent between direction and design choices and these ideas flourished well throughout the show’s tableaus and costuming changes. SMTD has an undoubtedly polished and impressive design team, consistently dazzling audiences with their work on University Productions.

Orpheus in the Underworld was directed by the infamous Mo Zhou, who is fairly new to the School of Music, Theater, and Dance, having joined as an opera director and assistant professor in 2021. Ms. Zhou is greatly appreciated by the opera community for her innovative and fresh ideas in beloved classical works. She has a decorated resume and has worked with renowned classical music programs such as Glimmerglass and Music Academy of the West. She has worked domestically with the Virginia Opera, Minnesota Opera, Boston Baroque, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, and Dallas Opera. Additionally, Professor Zhou has extended her skills to international levels, working with the National Centre for the Performing Arts in China, Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, and Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany. Ms. Zhou’s direction is playful, methodical, and keen. Orpheus was a testament to her brilliance—she created beautiful tableaus and effortlessly hilarious yet dramatic moments between characters. I admire her attention to detail in world-building and the thoughtful intentions behind each character. 

Orpheus in the Underworld proved to be a hit this Friday at the Power Center. There will be performances on Saturday, November 4th at 8 pm and a Sunday matinee on November 5th at 2 pm. Up next for the voice department will be Gianni Schicchi, the hysterically scandalous Puccini opera. This will be performed in McIntosh Performance Hall in the Moore Building on North Campus, on November 30th and December 1st. 

Images thanks to The University of Michigan and the School of Music Theater and Dance Facebook.

REVIEW: Titane

Nellie Shih Leave a comment

Disclaimer: this review includes vague spoilers/a fairly cohesive description of the basic plot of Titane, but this is not a film that I recommend you go and watch without possessing any knowledge of the subject matter. 

When you look up the film Titane, you may come across one of many synopses. For example, “after a series of unexplained murders, a man is reunited with his missing son.” Or, “a child has a titanium plate fitted to her head after being severely injured in a car crash.” There’s also the extremely vague, “titanium is a biocompatible metal, often used in prosthetics.” And how could I forget, “a woman is impregnated by a car.” All of these are plot points in Titane, a film director that Julia Ducournau describes as a love story. 

I agree that Titane is indeed a love story, as unconventional as it is. It is more so about familial love, from a woman who has been deprived of proper love and humanity growing up, who needs to be loved but also (desperately) needs to learn to love. Love in the film also comes in the form of a man who possesses an immense ability to love, but has nobody to give it to. This makes the film sound very warm and wholesome, but the film is extremely graphic in terms of violence and sexual content, and its gratuitous nature perhaps detracts too much from the heart of the film.

I personally think Ducournau succeeded in crafting two compelling character arcs that intertwined and concluded in an almost satisfying way, with the highlight being that the character development is clever above all. However, I make this claim after several days of reflection. In the moment, I was more so focused on the variety of bodily fluids in the film being replaced by black car oil, which made me wonder whether the baby would turn out to be Lightning McQueen or a Transformer. I should also mention that the pair sitting next to me got up halfway through the film and never came back. I sometimes find that it can be difficult for films to balance meaningful storytelling through gratuitous means without becoming a film that is simply gratuitous to be gratuitous. Given the abrupt departure of those two audience members, I think I can assume that I was not the only one that night that was failing to identify proper justification for the disturbing visuals and tone in the film. 

I understand the bit about the car in the film is to emphasize how dehumanizing the environment the protagonist, Alexia, has grown up in, but she is already a serial killer so why was the car necessary? Yes, it shows how far Alexia was willing to go to experience some kind of pleasure, but, again, she is already a serial killer. That being said, I thought the unexplained crimes aspect of the film was very engaging – the action fight sequences were thrilling and John-Wick-esque, set to upbeat music that made the audience exclaim in disbelief and twisted enjoyment.

Especially with a very reactive audience – and I think this film will easily extract audible reactions from most if not all audiences – Titane is a surprisingly fun film to watch. I would not discourage you from seeing this film. 

REVIEW: German Film Series: “Transit”

Emma Pinchak Leave a comment

As soon as the credits roll I hightailed it out of the viewing room. I can’t stand the cold so I ran all the way home, and the scene was so terrible. There’s the harsh yellow of the streetlights reflecting all along the ice on the road, which is shining wetly like a giant tongue. I look back to check for headlights before I dash across the street to my block, and the wind takes the liberty of yanking through my hair so it flies in my face and mixes with the sickly lights.

So this might be my new favorite movie.

Georg’s expression at the last few frames was terrible. Forget Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile, this guy creates a symphony with his painfully hopeful eyes and the gentle set of his lips, scarred from a childhood cleft palate surgery, only adding to the confused ambiance he creates. Throughout the film he occupies a character with infinite, though guarded, softness, while maintaining a fairly traditional father-figure posture. He is not completely any one thing, but I recognized a fragility in him I hoped wouldn’t prove to be dangerous for him. 

Marie is by contrast mostly flat, though her wishy-washy approach to everything still makes her a wild card. She is a ghost, pale and able to see through people. She reacts to conversation quietly, choosing subtlety over big outward expression, and in this way, she haunts.

Director Christian Petzold has made me the exact right kind of unsettled with Transit. There is so much casualness in this: a complete disregard for metaphors in the weather, the sun out even in times of keen distress; traumatic events regarded with little ceremony. Strangely it’s the smallest things that are amplified. Right off the sound seems wrong: the tiny tapping of a glass on a table rings out, a door sliding shut is like a jail cell clanging. All throughout I don’t quite understand what I’m feeling, unable to cry though I can sense sadness here.

The way Petzold plays with time works so well with the confusion of identities throughout the movie–cars and clothing and language are modern, but there are typewriters present, and historical architecture. Members of the Navy in Crackerjack-esque uniforms dine with our Georg in the local pizza shop; air travel is not mentioned, only by ship. The sleepy brightness of the seaside seems infinitely ancient in its sun-bleached scenery. Nazis are occupying countries all throughout Europe, but The traveling itself is another element, coming upon a new place full of strangers, trying to reach another, more obscure land across the ocean. It all collects together to blur any useful divide between the real and imagined.

Going back and forth to the hotel room and port and consulate did seem repetitive, without any discernible reasoning. Already there is a considerable amount of confusion present, so the redundancy of the dashings does nothing for the film’s emotional success. It only creates repeating, nearly identical cycles that do not move the plot forward.

Cycles are, however, the most important part of the movie, and may say something about the message Petzold was trying to convey. After Marie disappears back into the city at the end (as she does so well), Georg is left eternally waiting for her in the pizza shop, mournfully gazing out to meet the eyes again of the woman he had immediately fallen in love with. It seems she is free now, like he used to be, and he is stuck wandering looking for his lost love, the very sickness that had plagued her.

It’s interesting to drag a historical event out of its place comfortably in the past and out into the open modern era. It makes us nervous to consider whether political and military atrocities will really stay away from the present, or if we’re still capable of unbelievable things even after we have advanced as a society. Maybe they take different forms, but it is foolish to think we are any less evil than before, and thus we cannot pretend we live safely apart from those terrors.