Annalisa Stroppa Headlines Teatro Massimo’s ‘Carmen’ Production

By Francisco Salazar
(Credit: © Silvia Lelli)

The Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Italy is set to open “Carmen” with Annalisa Stroppa singing the title role.

The mezzo soprano made her role debut  decade ago at the Teatro Sociale in Trento and has sung it at the Limoges Opéra-Théâtre, the Bregenz Festival, the Ópera de Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, the Teatre Principal in Palma, the Wiesbaden Staatstheater and the Teatro Grande in Brescia.

In a statement, Stroppa said, “I made my debut in the role in Italy at the beginning of my career and I am happy to be able to perform it again in this marvelous theatre which I am always so keen to return to. Carmen is a very up to date woman, who embodies the ideal of freedom. She has unique strength and charisma, she is authentic, true to her ideals and firm in her convictions to the point of paying the price for them and sacrificing her life. She is a complex character and her complexity and multi-faceted character fascinate me. We should not limit ourselves to the superficial and stereotypical idea of her as a femme fatale, because Carmen is much more than that: she is energy, sensuality, extreme passion but at the same time vulnerability and pain.”

“Carmen” is set to be directed by Calixto Bieito, a co-production and will also star Jean-François Borras as Don José, Ruth Iniesta as Micaëla, and Bogdan Baciu as Escamillo. Omer Meir Wellber conducts.

The production is set to open on Sept. 17 and run through Sept. 22, 2021

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