C(H)ŒURS Choirs/Hearts: A Contemporary Ballet

July 01, 2018 in Ballet

C(H)ŒURS ("Choirs/Hearts") dance production. Choreographed and directed 2012 by Alan Platel at the Teatro Real in Madrid. Music by Verdi and Wagner; additional music by Steven Prengels; short spoken part with words of Desmond Tutu. Features dancers from Patel's dance company, les ballets C de la B: Bérengère Bodin, Daisy Ransom Phillips, Ido Batash, Juliana Neves, Lisi Estaras, Quan Bui Ngoc, Roman Guion, Rumeu Runa, Rosalba Torres Guerrero, and Serge Aimé Coulibaly. The other star of this show is the Chorus of the Teatro Real (and individual members thereof). Consuelo Garres is a chorus member who sings solo. Two boys, Martin López Malgesini and Nicolás Del Real Sasaki, join the Chorus for special roles.

Fuenteovejuna

November 06, 2013 in Dance

Fuenteovejuna flamenco dance piece. Directed and choreographed by Antonio Gades to a script by José Manuel Caballero Bonald and Antonio Gades. Stars Cristina Carnero, Ángel Gil, Joaquín Mulero, and Alberto Ferrero. Additional women dancers are Carolina Pozuelo, Conchi Maya, Luisa Serrano, Mª José López, Maite Chico, María Nadal, Merche Recio, Vanesa Vento, Virginia Domíguez, Virginia Guiñales, and Yolanda Rodríguez. Additional men dancers are Ángel Bleda, Antonio Mulero, David Martín, Elías Morales, Jairo Rodríguez, Miguel Lara, Miguel Vallés, and Pepe Vento. The flamenco woman singer is Ángela Núñez "La Bronce". Flamenco men singers are Alfredo Tejado, Enrique Pantoja, Gabriel Cortés, and Joni Cortés. Guitarists are Antonio Solera and Camarón de Pitita. Music by Antón García Abril, Modest Mussorgsky (Cuadros de una exposición), Antonio Gades, Faustino Núñez, and Juan Antonio Zafra. Set and costumes by Pedro Moreno; folk ballet instruction by Juanjo Linares; television direction by Ángel Luis Ramírez; produced by Ángel Álvarez Rilla. Released 2012, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+

Carmen (Vento)

October 31, 2013 in Dance

Carmen in flamenco dance version, based on the novella Carmen by Prosper Mérimée. Performed 2011 at the Teatro Real. Script, choreography, and lighting by Antonio Gades and Carlos Saura. Stars Vanesa Vento, Ángel Gil, Joaquín Mulero, and Jairo Rodríguez. Additional women dancers are Conchi Maya, Cristina Carnero, Luisa Serrano, Mª José López, Maite Chico, María Nadal, Merche Recio, Virginia Guiñales, and Yolanda Rodriguez. Additional men dancers are Alberto Ferrero, Ángel Bleda, Antonio Mulero, David Martín, Elías Morales, Miguel Lara, Miguel Vallés, and Pepe Vento. The woman flamenco singer is Ángela Núñez "La Bronce"; flamenco men singers are Alfredo Tejado, Enrique Pantoja, Gabriel Cortés, and Joni Cortés. Guitarists are Antonio Solera and Camarón de Pitita. Music and poetry by Antonio Gades, Antonio Solera, Ricardo Freire González, Georges Bizet (Carmen), Manuel Penella (El Gato Montés), José Ortega Heredia, and Federico García Lorca (Verde que te quiero verde). Stage setting by Antonio Saura. Released 2012, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: B

Bodas de sangre & Suite flamenca

June 10, 2013 in Dance

Bogas de sangre (Blood Wedding) flamencodance piece and Suite flamenca. Performed at the Teatro Real in Madrid. Choreography and light design are both by Antonio Gades.

1. Bodas de sangre is based on the theatre play by Federico García Lorca. Stars Cristina Carnero, Ángel Gil, Vanesa Vento, Joaquín Mulero, and Maite Chico. Also stars Alberto Ferrero, Alfredo Tejada, Antonio Mulero, Antonio Solera, Camarón de Pitita, Carolina Pozuelo, Conchi Gómez, David Martín, Elías Morales, Enrique Pantoja, Jairo Rodríguez, Joni Cortés, Mª José López, María Nadal, Merche Recio, Miguel Lara, and Virginia Guiñales. Adaptation for ballet by Alfreho Mañas; set and costume designs by Francisco Nieva. Music by Emilio de Diego, Perelló y Monreal (¡Ay, mi Sombrero!), and Felipe Campuzano (Rumba).

2. Suite flamenca features Stella Arauzo and Miguel Lara. Also features women dancers Carolina Pozuelo, Conchi Gómez, Cristina Carnero, Maite Chico, María José López, María Nadal, Merche Recio, Vanesa Vento, and Virginia Guiñales. Men dancers are Alberto Ferrero, Ángel Gil, Antonio Mulero, David Martín, Elías Morales, Jairo Rodríguez, and Jaoquín Mulero. Flamenco dancers are Alfredo Tejada, Enrique Pantoja, Gabriel Cortés, and Joni Cortés. Guitarists are Antonio Solerá and Camarón de Pitita. Music by Antonio Gades, Ricardo Freire, and Juan Antonio Zafra. Choreography for Soleá por bulerías and Tanguillos by Cristina Hoyos.

Television producer was Ángela Álvarez Rilla. Released 2012, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. For both titles Grade: A

Tchaikovsky Iolanta and Stravinsky Perséphone

September 11, 2012 in Opera

This title has two shorter operas, both directed by Peter Sellers and connected by the same stage setting at Teatro Real:

Tchaikovsky Iolanta opera to a libretto by Modest Tchaikovsky. Stars Ekaterina Scherbachenko (Iolanta), Alexej Markov (Robert) , Pavel Cernoch (Vaudémont), Dmitry Ulianov (King René) , Willard White (Ibn-Hakia), Vasily Efimov (Alméric), Pavel Kudinov (Bertrand), Ekaterina Semenchuk (Marta), Irina Churilova (Brigitta), and Letitia Singleton (Laura). Sung in Russian.
Stravinsky Perséphone to a libretto by André Gide. Stars singers Dominique Blanc (Perséphone), Paul Groves (Eumolpe) as well as dancers Sam Sathya (Perséphone), Chumvan Sodhachivy (Déméter), Khon Chansithyka (Pluton) (Cambodian dance group Amrita), and the Pequeños Cantores chorus. Sung in French.

For both productions: Teodor Currentzis conducts the Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro Real and young singers of the JORCAM (Chorus Master André Máspero); set designs by George Tsypin; costume design by Martin Pakledinaz & Helen Siebrits; lighting design by James F. Ingalls. Directed for TV by Ángela Álvarez Rilla. Released 2012, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

Le nozze di Figaro

November 28, 2011 in Opera

Mozart Le nozze di Figaro opera to libretto by Lorenza da Ponte. Directed 2009 by Emilio Sagi at the Teatro Real. Stars singers Ludovic Tézier (Count Almaviva), Barbara Frittoli (Countess Almaviva), Luca Pisaroni (Figaro), Isabel Rey (Susanna), Marina Comparato (Cherubino), Jeannette Fischer (Marcellina), Carlos Chausson (Bartolo), Raúl Giménez (Basilio), Enrique Viana (Don Curzio), Soledad Cardoso (Barbarina), and Miguel Sola (Antonio). Stars dancers Remei Domingo, Damián Donado, Mª Ángeles Fernández, Pedro Fernández, Francisco Guerrero, Antonio Hidalgo, Olivia Juberías, Silvia Martín, Pedro Navarro, Susana Serrano, Jorge Vicedo, and Rosa Zaragoza. Also features extras Ana Urbano and Candela Valentín-Gamazo. Jesús López Cobos conducts the Corus and Orchestra of the Teatro Real and the Madrid Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (Chorus Master Peter Burian). Harpsichord continuo: Patricia Barton; cello continuo: John Paul Friedhoff. Set design by Daniel Bianco; costume design by Renata Schussheim; lighting design by Eduardo Bravo; choreography by Nuria Castejón; produced by Ángela Álvarez Rilla. [Mystery: who directed the recording of this for TV?] Released in 2011, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA