On July 21 2018 Annalisa Stroppa reprises the title role in Carmen at the Bregenz Festival, in the celebrated and spectacular Kasper Holten production and under the musical direction of Maestro Antonino Fogliani alternating with Maestro Jordan de Souza, the first of a series of ten performances running through August 20, 2018. She will share the stage with Martin Muehle as Don José, Andrew Foster-Williams as Escamillo and Mojca Bitenc as Micaëla.

Annalisa Stroppa had already interpreted the role of the seductive gypsy when this production was first unveiled last year. “It is a huge pleasure to return and work on this stage, so unique in the world, set in such a charming landscape as Lake Constance”, states the Italian mezzo-soprano. “Certainly, compared to last summer, having already lived this experience, I am more confident with the peculiarities of the Seebhune to sing one of my favorite roles! It is a pleasure to meet again our beloved stage director, Kasper Holten, who has created this wonderful Carmen, an ideal mise-en-scène for this stage, and was able to have the lake partecipate to each scene and thus become the true protagonist of the show! Compared to last year, there will be a new conductor, Antonino Fogliani, in addition to Jordan de Souza with whom I had already worked. Mr. Holten asked for some changes from an interpretative point of view, but I myself have changed in one year, and my interpretation of the role has certainly grown more mature. Each role evolves in time according to our life experiences, artistic maturity and vocal development, and thought it is a revival, my Carmen will certainly be richer.”

After this Carmen in Bregenz, already announced engagements for Annalisa Stroppa’s 2018/2019 season include a concert in Zaragoza, Spain, Siebel in Faust at the Teatro Real Madrid, Adalgisa in Norma al the Teatro Colón Buenos Aires, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Berlin State Opera, Nicklausse in Les Contes d’Hoffmann at the Teatro San Carlo Naples and Suzuki in Madama Butterfly at the Bavarian State Opera Munich.

Information about Carmen at the Bregenz Festival:

Carmen: Carmen Annalisa Stroppa; Don José Martin Muehle; Escamillo Andrew Foster-Williams; Micaëla Mojca Bitenc; Frasquita Cornelie Isenbürger; Mercédès Judita Nagyova; Zuniga Yasushi Hirano; Moralès Rafael Fingerlos; Remendado István Horváth; Dancaïro Adrian Clarke

Antonino Fogliani / Jordan De Sousa, conductors; Kasper Holten, stage director

Performances: 21, 26, 29 July 2, 4, 8, 10, 14, 17, 20 August

http://bregenzerfestspiele.com/en/node/1163

[Photo by Karl Forster]