July 21, 2017
Karine Babajanyan to make her Festival Puccini debut as Mimì in La bohème
On July 21, 2017 Karine Babajanyan will make her debut at the 63rd Festival Puccini as Mimì in Là boheme, in a new production by Maurizio Scaparro conducted by Maestro James Meena. Alongside her, Piotr Beczala will sing the role of Rodolfo, Elisabetta Zizzo that of Musetta and Raffaele Raffio will be Marcello. She will sing one more performance on July 28, 2017.
The Armenian born soprano, with six Puccini operas regularly performed in her repertoire, can be considered a specialist of the Tuscan Maestro’s music, and is therefore thrilled to make her debut at the Puccini Festival, located just in front of the Maestro’s final resting place, and in a role such as Mimì, a long time favorite of hers. “There are many things I find fascinating in this opera: its plot is modern and eternal. But it’s Puccini’s music that gets under your skin and straight into your heart. Mimì’s personality is fascinating: I compare it to a flower, which at first is like a closed blossom, then it blooms, and quickly withers and dies.”
Upcoming 2017/18 engagements for the Armenian soprano include a new production of Aida in Hanover, Don Carlo and a revival of Manon Lescaut in Hanover, Tosca in Leipzig, Madama Butterfly in Stuttgart and Messa da Requiem at the Paris Philharmonie. In the 2016/17 season she returned to the Bavarian State Opera Munich as Elena in Mefistofele, to the Deutsche Oper am Rhein Dusseldorf as Ariadne auf Naxos, to Hanover in a new production of Manon Lescaut, and sang Tosca, Mimì and Senta in Der fliegende Holländer for the same opera company.
Information about La bohème at the Festival Puccini:
Karine Babajanyan: Mimì; Piotr Beczala: Rodolfo; Elisabetta Zizzo: Musetta; Raffaele Raffio: Marcello; Francesco Baiocchi: Schaunard); Gianluca Breda/Carlo Colombara: Colline; Claudio Ottino: Benoit; Armando Ariostini: Alcindoro; Francesco Napoleoni: Parpignol; Andrea Del Conte: sergente dei doganieri; Alessandro Biagiotti: Un doganiere.
James Meena (conductor), Maurizio Scaparro (stage director)
Performances: July 21 and 28, 2017