Festival d'Aix 2018 is all over the press!
Share
ARIADNE AUF NAXOS
OPERA TODAY - Michael Milenski
Katie Mitchell brilliantly brokered this Von Hofmannstahl / Strauss dispute by pulling it all together into one totality.
The Aix Festival is famed for its casting sophistication, and this Ariadne is no exception.
Be advised, it is a production worth crossing continents, even oceans to see.
LUXEMBURG WORT - Stéphane Gilbart
For this Strauss, happiness is musical and vocal.
The composer is admirably served by his performers: there are fifteen of them, and they are well cast!
LES ÉCHOS - Philippe Venturini
The young soprano [Sabine Devieilhe] is obviously radiant and aerial, with astounding panache.
The Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen performs Ariadne with impressive dramatic power and a superbly full voice.
The American tenor Eric Cutler triumphs insolently over the difficulties of the role of Bacchus.
Angela Brower, irresistible as the sickened composer.
EL PAÍS - Luis Gago
The French soprano Sabine Devieilhe has created a character with immense vocal resources […] and great self-confidence.
Lise Davidsen’s Ariadne is wonderful. She is an overwhelmingly powerful singer with resounding bass tones, brilliant trebles, a rich and even timbre, and first-class musicality.
THE FIERY ANGEL
LE MONDE - Marie-Aude Roux
Masterful and very inspired direction by Kazushi Ono, who transmutes an Orchestre de Paris of stunning sonic beauty.
The actors are directed with immense energy.
TÉLÉRAMA - Sophie Bourdais
The dramatically and vocally demanding role of Renata has wisely been entrusted to the Lithuanian soprano Aušriné Stundyté. She embraces it wholeheartedly, holding nothing back, in almost constant motion, and manages to be heard over the orchestra without forcing her voice.
AVANT-SCÈNE OPERA - Chantal Cazaux
The vocal cast are flawless, in musical and dramatic terms.
BACHTRACK - David Karlin
It’s wacky, strange, fragmented, unexpected – but completely enchanting. The central theme captivates you and never lets go.
This production is not to be missed.
LA CROIX - Emmanuelle Giuliani
The Fiery Angel by Sergei Prokofiev throws the spectator at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence into an operatic exaltation in which the luxuriant frenzy of the orchestral writing triumphs.
LE TEMPS - Sylvie Bonier
The force of this Angel has much to do with the stunning conducting of Kazushi Ono who literally explodes the inflammatory expressionism of the score with a sumptuous Orchestre de Paris.
LUXEMBURGER WORT - Stéphane Gilbart
The direction of the performers is just as intense and flowing. It is true, and it really must be underlined, that Aušrinė Stundytė-Renata and Scott Hendricks-Ruprecht are almost permanently on stage, and are in full possession of their roles which are as beautiful as they are demanding. What a performance!
DIE RHEINPFALZ - Gilmar Gilcher
In any case, when The Fiery Angel is performed with such musicality as is the case in Aix with Kazushi Ono, former Musical Director at Karlsruhe, to conduct the Orchestre de Paris and the Lithuanian soprano Aušrinė Stundytė as Renata it quite simply catches your breath.
THE MAGIC FLUTE
L'HUMANITÉ - Hélène Jarry
This vision of Mozart's chef d'œuvre combines with humour the most elaborate technical means with the most elementary effects. [...] Everything is masterfully articulated around Simon McBurney's rather crazy but accurate ideas. [...] The delicate subjects, in particular that of the role of women, are not swept under the carpet but provoke in today's spectator a retrospective reflection. [...] Mari Eriksmoen in the role of Pamina transcends the cast: from her very first notes, we can enjoy the colour, the volume, the dreamy expressivity.
TÉLÉRAMA - Sophie Bourdais
What an extraordinary show, to make you cry with beauty, intelligence and emotion! In osmosis with the spirit of this Mozartian Singspiel, it speaks to the spectators as if they were old sages who would then, just for an evening, become children of six and a half again.
LE TEMPS - Sylvie Bonier
A phenomenal Flute
In this "special" edition, a revival of Simon McBurney's phenomenal production of The Magic Flute has been placed, production which had a huge success in 2014. This time, Raphaël Pichon and his Ensemble Pygmalion are in charge which is very good news.
DIDO AND AENEAS
LE TEMPS - Sylvie Bonier
Bouleversant. Un exemple de réactualisation réussie.
La liberté laissée par les espaces manquants de la partition convient idéalement au traitement de Vincent Huguet. Le metteur en scène a ajouté un prologue subtilement écrit par Maylis de Kerangal, avec Rokia Traoré pour le dire. Cette bouleversante histoire d’avant l’histoire éclaire l’action.
DIAPASON.FR - Benoit Fauchet
Un chœur en majesté
OLYRIX - Florence Lethurgez
L’Ensemble Pygmalion (Chœur et Orchestre) offre un accompagnement d’exception à un plateau vocal courageusement mis à l’épreuve par le drame et son décor carthaginois.
SEVEN STONES
LE MONDE - Marie-Aude Roux
The first opera by the Czech composer Ondřej Adámek, is a frank success. [...]
Opera or Music-Theatre?"An a cappella chamber opera" shoots back the composer who shares with his associate Léo Warynski the musical direction of this nonstandard show, of which the high level of performance is proof of the exceptional aprenticeship developped between each member of this community of strong minds. Heaps of praises for the singer-intrumentalists of the choir Accentus/axe 21, mind-boggling prestidigitators.
LIBÉRATION - Guillaume Tion
A brilliant score and powerfully original using a number of prototype instruments.
Adámek is the contemporary scene's troublemaker, but it is obviously his score which is the most impressive originality of this show.
LUXEMBURGER WORT - Stéphane Gilbart
The music is admirable in its invention, in its humour, in its realisation on stage. It is the revelation of this edition.
