One-act ballet based on G. Bizet–R. Shchedrin's "Carmen Suite"
The fatal picture of Carmen has been stirring the imagination of artists of various fields for more than a hundred years. We have Prosper Mérimée to thank for it: the third part of his short story "Carmen" also inspired Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, who wrote the libretto for Georges Bizet's opera. Although in 1985 the premiere of the opera in Paris was a fiasco, it earned the composer eternal fame, and the passionate melodies of "Carmen" are well known to listeners of all generations. They exist in various shapes and forms: from theater productions to concert performances, from transcriptions for various instruments to mobile phone ringtones.
Panevėžys is no exception - the restless story of Karmen will become a spicy spice in the autumn season of the Music Theater of the city famous for its operettas. According to G. Bizet–R. Shchedrin's "Carmen Suite", a one-act ballet for four dancers and holograms, will be the first production version of this work, in which a special place is given to technology: holographic video projections will be integrated into the play's dramaturgy as if it were a separate character.
"The role of Carmen is every ballerina's dream," says director and choreographer M. S. Šimulynaitė, who entrusted the main role of the ballet to Evelina Fokina. Carmen's loved ones and other characters will be embodied by three dancers - Pijus Ožalas (Don Jose), Simonas Laukaitis (bullfighter Eskamiljas) and Svajūnas Valiūnas (soldier, fortune teller, giltine), and such a record-small ballet production will probably be unique not only in Lithuania, but also in the world .
This is not the first time that the choreographer and director have combined dance and holographic video projections. The audience of the modern ballet performance "Army of Solitude" could also see this impressive spectacle, where the artists danced to the music of Bjork. The latest experiment of the developer has attracted a lot of attention. The premiere of the play "Karmen" is another attempt to combine different art forms, inviting the viewer to an impactful and multi-faceted performance.
The performance uses the legendary interpretation recording of Saulius Sondeckis and the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra.
