Amazon Prime's "Utopia" Lifts From Bizet's "Carmen" For New Ad

A new television ad for Amazon Prime's new show Utopia features a deconstructed version of Bizet's famous Habanera "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" from Carmen. "Utopia is an upcoming American drama web television series adapted by Gillian Flynn from the 2013 British original. It is scheduled to premiere on September 25, 2020, on Prime Video." The plot is as follows: "Utopia is a conspiracy thriller that follows a group of young fans who come together when they discover that the conspiracy in an elusive comic, Utopia, is real. The comic foretells the demise of humanity and the world as we know it, thrusting this group of underdogs to embark on a high-stakes twisted adventure to use what they uncover to save themselves, each other and ultimately humanity." 

"The score of the aria was adapted from the habanera 'El Arreglito ou la Promesse de mariage,' by the Spanish musician Sebastián Iradier, first published in 1863, which Bizet thought to be a folk song. When others told him he had used something written by a composer who had died 10 years earlier, he added a note of its derivation in the first edition of the vocal score which he himself prepared. Although the French libretto of the complete opéra comique was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, the words of the habanera originated from Bizet. The Habanera was first performed by Galli-Marié at the Opéra-Comique on 3 March 1875. Bizet, having removed during rehearsals his first version of Carmen's entrance song, in 3/4 with a refrain in 6/8, rewrote the Habanera several times before he (and Galli-Marié) were satisfied with it. Although Bizet kept the basic layout of the Iradier song, which has each verse in D minor and each refrain in the tonic major, he let go of the long ritornelli and second half material, and by adding chromaticism, variations in the refrain and harmonic interest in the accompaniment, made it a memorable number. The reharmonization, addition of triplets in the vocal line and the flute in its low register add to the effect."

Watch the Amazon commercial and a full clean version of Bizet's famous aria after the jump.

 [Source, Source, Source]

In Conversation: Lawrence Brownlee Interviews Denyce Graves

As part of his online interview series, Sit Down With LB, tenor Lawrence Brownlee has a Facebook LIVE conversation with the legendary mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves. From their homes in Florida and New York, the discussion covers the gamut from hearing Leontyne Price the first time and knowing she wanted to become an opera singer to when she gave Samuel Ramey his wake-up call as a clerk working at the Omni Parker House! We also get to hear about her experience singing with Zubin Mehta and Riccardo Muti; learning to become a better cook; being friends with Ruth Bader-Ginsburg; admiring singers like Kathleen Battle and Elly Ameling; coping during quarantine life with a family; nurturing her life outside opera by spending time on the farm with horses, dogs and alpacas; and how teaching young singers has brought her a renewed sense of appreciation for the art form. You can see the full interview here.  Watch Denyce Graves sing the "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" (Carmen) and "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" (Samson et Dalila) after the jump.

Claritin Allergy Medicine Could Save Escamillo From Spring Allergies

Claritin allows you to get back to your daily activities which may include kicking a soccer ball
into a shopping cart or going to the opera!

The latest commercial for allergy medication product Claritin features the overture from Bizet's Carmen. The tune is from the aria "Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre," more commonly known as Escamillo's "Toreador Song." Watch the commercial, and a video of James Levine conducting the overture, after the jump.

Katherine Jenkins To Make "Carmen" Her First Stage Role In Opera

Katherine Jenkins showing baby bump last week at
Wimbledon with husband Andrew Levitas. 

"Mum-to-be Katherine Jenkins has signed up to sing all the arias from Bizet's Carmen at next year's Llangollen International Eisteddfod. Katherine Jenkins will perform her first ever full opera at next year’s Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, when she takes on the classic arias of Carmen. The mezzo soprano, who has never sung a full opera in one concert before, will appear at the festival for the first time since 2010. She will be treating the audience at the opening night of the 2016 Eisteddfod to a concert version of Bizet’s Carmen, the tale of the downfall of Don José, a naïve soldier seduced by the fiery gypsy. The singer said: 'I’m really excited as it something I always wanted to do. I studied Carmen at the Royal Academy of Music before I graduated. It’s special as it was written for a mezzo soprano. I’ve always talked about doing this and it will be the first time fans will be able to hear all the arias in one evening. I do usually include several operatic arias in my concerts but I have never condensed and performed all the arias from a single opera into one concert. It’s something I’m really looking forward to; it’s going to be a special Llangollen evening. It’s always been a dream of mine to perform Carmen. Carmen is such a wonderful character and it’s one of the most popular operas and every aria is special. It’s going to be a wonderful night, something I hope everyone will really look forward to.' Katherine, 34, is now planning on taking a break until the New Year as she, and husband, Andrew Levitas, are expecting their first baby in the autumn. She said: 'I have always said I want

GQ Encourages A One-Night Stand With Carmen Based On Bieito

"Calixto Bieito's raunchy production of Georges Bizet's Carmen at the English National Opera proves that opera is no longer for the old (or boring). For those of you hoping to expand your horizons, Carmen is the perfect introductory sampler to whet your appetite and keep you coming back for more. The image of opera-goers squinting into their binoculars with their powdery, wrinkly faces is over. A younger audience is quickly encroaching into operatic territory, and here's why. Opera's saving grace comes in the form of Carmen. Why invest in opera now when we've only just managed to master the musical? Sex, that's why, and lots of it. OK, not just sex, but other themes that we can also relate to such as love (love triangles, unrequited love) and lust....This Carmen could very possibly drive a new (younger) audience to the opera. When GQ saw the production, a lady sitting next to us said, 'It's a bit cruder than I remember,' during the intermission. This surprised us, as Carmen is the definitive story of action fuelled [sic] by sexual tension. The story is almost entirely based entirely on sex, infidelity, and hot-blooded desire. And if that doesn't draw younger people to the opera, we're not sure what will." [Source] For more information about Carmen at ENO, click here. Watch a trailer of the production, and see the full cast performing through July 3, after the jump.

Hopelessly Devoted To You: Don José (Eric Cutler) wants more than one night with Carmen (Justina Gringyte).

Bryan Hymel On Family, Santa Fe Opera, High Notes, "Les Troyens"

Shaken, Not Stirred: Bryan Hymel brings cool to opera with his heroic high notes. (Photo: Dario Acosta)

"French grand opera makes great demands on singers, with performances clocking in at times that rival Wagner and orchestras crowding the pit. New Orleans native, Bryan Hymel (pronounced ee-mel) will continue to embrace that repertoire in performances of epic works like Les Troyens in San Francisco next month and Les[sic] Damnation de Faust in Paris this coming December. In between, he’ll sing the roles of the Duke in Rigoletto and Don Jose in Carmen at Santa Fe and Washington National Opera respectively. His bow as Rodolfo at the Met last year earned him continued praise from the New York press, which had welcomed his triumph on short notice in 2012, stepping in for a save-the-day kind of performance in Les Troyens appropriate for someone whose voice type is most often described as heroic. His list of awards is long, and illustrious, and includes the Metropolitan Opera’s Beverly Sills Artist Award and first

Regardez Tout Le Gala Du Tricentenaire De l'Opéra Comique

Watch the entire gala celebrating 300 years of the l'Opéra Comique with opera stars Anna Caterina Antonacci, Sabine Devieilhe, Patricia Petibon, Julie Fuchs, Stéphane Degout, and more. "Carmen, Lakmé, Pelléas et Mélisande, La Fille du régiment... Autant de chefs d'oeuvre de l'art lyrique nés sur les planches de l'Opéra Comique. Depuis sa création en 1715, cette prestigieuse maison fait rayonner l'opéra à la française, accueille des artistes de renom, programme des oeuvres de tous les répertoires. Un lieu chargé d'histoires que cette soirée de gala ambitionne de résumer. A grand renfort d'images d'archives, d'interventions et bien évidemment de chants, apprêtez-vous à voir défiler trois siècles de création artistique. En maître de cérémonie, Michel Fau. Avec son impertinence habituelle, l'homme de spectacle redonnera vie aux petits et grands moments de la célèbre institution. A ses côtés, chanteront Anna Caterina Antonacci, Sabine Devieilhe, Julie Fuchs, Patricia Petibon, Frédéric Antoun, Stéphane Degout et Vincent Le Texier. Des chanteurs d'envergure internationale, familiers de la Salle Favart, qui interprèteront les airs qui ont marqué l'Opéra Comique et l'art lyrique en général. Ils seront accompagnés dans ce voyage dans le temps par Jérôme Deschamps, des chanteurs de l'Académie de l'Opéra Comique, le choeur Accentus et l'orchestre Les Siècles dirigé par François-Xavier Roth. « Si l’Opéra Comique m’était conté », une soirée exceptionnelle pour un lieu qui l'est tout autant. Le 28 décembre, Arte diffusera une version enrichie de ce Gala du tricentenaire. Sujets documentaires et témoignages viendront s'ajouter à la captation du 13 novembre. La soirée sera également diffusée en direct sur France Musique." [Source] More photos and the video are after the jump.

Top Performers: Carmen, Jenson Button, And Mobil Synthetic Motor Oil

As unsuspecting drivers pull in for a car wash, they are soon met with a pit crew cleaning their cars and a surprise visit from British Formula One race car champion Jenson Button. The overture from Bizet's opera Carmen plays under the action during the commercial.

"To prove the outstanding, all-around performance of Mobil 1™ synthetic motor oil, we authenticate our lab results in some of the toughest, most extreme, real-life conditions anywhere in the world. That’s why:
- More than half of all NASCAR teams choose it
- Many automakers choose it for factory fill
- It has received more automaker and industry approvals
And that’s why Mobil 1 is the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand. Time after time Mobil 1 delivers. [Source]

Watch the video and read more about Jenson Button after the jump.

Evans Mirageas Explores Daily Makings Of "Carmen" In Cincinnati

Evan Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilkins Artistic Director for Cincinnati Opera, has devised a unique marketing tool to spread the word about the company's upcoming production of Bizet's Carmen. On May 20, the first video hit YouTube titled "Evan's Daily Digest - Carmen Day 1." The videos now total 12 and continue to multiply. Each segment offers a day-to-day behind the scenes look at the building of the opera. Some episodes even feature trivia about locations the Cincinnati Opera has performed in the past, like the Cincinnati Zoo. Other factoids include why we say "break a leg" to performers just before curtain. It's an ingenious way to engage audiences before they arrive at the opera on opening night June 12. You can watch all of the videos by clicking here.  More about Evans Mirageas and rehearsal photos after the jump.

L'amour est un oiseau rebelle: Carmen (Stacey Rishoi) plays hard-to-get
during rehearsal for Cincinnati Opera's production, directed by Alain Gauthier,
that opens June 12. For tickets, click here.

Famous August Sings Carmen "Habanera" Video Gets Selected

The original video posted on YouTube by August Schram a year ago has garnered nearly 1 million page views. It was chosen as an "Official Selection" in the Shorts Competition at the Sundance Film Festival 2014 and has won countless accolades at other festivals in other countries. From their website: "George Bizet`s 'Habanera' from Carmen has been reinterpreted and enhanced with electronic sounds for MeTube, a homage to thousands of ambitious YouTube users and video bloggers, and gifted and less gifted self-promoters on the Internet. About the Director: Daniel Moshel was born in 1976 in Offenbach am Main, Germany. During his multimedia studies, he directed the short film komA. In 2003, he founded the production company Moshel Film. In 2009, he produced the short film Der Doppelgänger, which was directed by Stephanie Winter. The film won the Excellence Award at the Busan International Short Film Festival. Login 2 Life (2011) was his first feature-length documentary. MeTube: August Sings Carmen 'Habanera' is his first music video." [Source] Cast, credits, and the video, are all after the jump. Remember, you can't un-see after you have watched it. For more information and photos, click here.

Melissa McCarthy Is A Rebellious Bird In "Identity Thief"

"L’oiseau que tu croyais surprendere, battit d’aile et s’envola"

In Seth Gordon's 2013 comedy, Identity Thief, there is a scene shot in a mall where the lead female character (played by Melissa McCarthy) is on an afternoon shopping bender with someone else's credit card. The background music begins and it is none other than Bizet's Carmen. The aria being played is "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" or more commonly known as the Habanera. "Habanera is the popular name for the aria 'L'amour est un oiseau rebelle' (Love is a rebellious bird) from Georges Bizet's 1875 opera Carmen. It is the entrance aria of the title character, a mezzo-soprano role, in scene 5 of the first act. The vocal range covers D4 to F♯5 with a tessitura from D4 to D5. The score of this aria was adapted from the habanera 'El Arreglito,' originally composed by the Spanish musician Sebastián Yradier. Bizet thought it to be a folk song; when others told him he had used something that had been written by a composer who had died only ten years earlier, he had to add a note to the vocal score of Carmen, acknowledging its source. The French libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. It is based on a descending chromatic scale followed by variants of the same phrase in first the minor and then the major key, corresponding to the vicissitudes of love expressed in the lyrics." [Source] Watch Maria Callas sing the famous aria, and a trailer for the film, after the jump.

"Sandy Patterson (Jason Bateman) gets a nice call confirming his name and other identifying information. The next thing he knows, a spa in Florida is reminding him of his appointment and his credit cards are maxed out. With his identity stolen, Sandy leaves his wife, kids and job to literally bring the thief to justice in Colorado. Keeping tabs on the other Sandy (Melissa McCarthy) and run-ins with bounty hunters is harder than he was expecting, and ultimately the cross-country trip is going to find both Sandys learning life tips from one another." [Source]

Beverly Sills Lives On In Rare Recordings Released From Ohio

Beverly Sills as Tosca (Photo: Cleveland Public Library)

"DoeHeads – those die-hard fans of Douglas Moore’s opera, The Ballad of Baby Doe – have new reason to rejoice. Among the eight live recordings of operas performed at Musicarnival in Warrensville Heights in the 1950s and 1960s soon to be available to the public is a 1958 production of Baby Doe starring soprano Beverly Sills in one of her signature roles. There’s a lot more here than Moore, who served as director of music at the Cleveland Museum of Art in the 1920s and conducted the Cleveland Orchestra in the premiere of his Four Museum Pieces in 1923. Sills, who lived in Cleveland in the late 1950s, appears in four other productions in the Musicarnival series, including the title roles in two great potboilers – Bizet’s Carmen and Puccini’s Tosca – she performed only in John L. Price’s tent theater-in-the-round. By the end of

Motorcyclist Yvonne Fontane Sings and Directs "Carmen"

"An opera singer who has a passion for motorbikes and hiking will be taking on the title role and directing a new production of Bizet's Carmen at Winslow Hall Opera. Yvonne Fontane will take the lead for all six performances, alongside a cast which includes Italian tenor Gianluca Paganelli as Don José, South African baritone Njabulo Madlala (winner of the 2010 Kathleen Ferrier Competition) as Escamillo and Scottish-Polish soprano Natasha Day as Micaëla, conducted by the company’s Founder and Music Director Robert Secret. It will mark nine years since Fontane first took on the dual role of singer and director in Carmen at Stowe Opera - now known as Winslow Hall Opera....And in her spare time she loves tango dancing and riding motorbikes. She loves them so much she even toured on a motorbike in the UK. She also holds a diploma in Personal Training, Sports Massage, Nutrition and Lifestyle Management." [Source] Learn more about Ms. Fontane by clicking here. Check out a photo of the mezzo-soprano on her motorcycle after the jump.

Bizet Meets Bank of America in New TV Commercial

Passion of Bizet's Opera "Carmen" Strikes BalletMet in Ohio

David Ward and Adrienne Benz in Carmen (Photo: Fred Squillante/The Columbus Dispatch)

"Carmen, the great story of Spanish passion, will be performed by BalletMet Columbus starting Friday in the Riffe Center’s Capitol Theatre. Set in early 19th-century Spain, Carmen centers on a beautiful, strong-willed woman with a fiery temper and her lover, army corporal Don Jose, who gives his all to the affair. Soon, though, her love shifts to Escamillo, a bullfighter, and the scorned suitor stabs his beloved to death. French composer Georges Bizet wrote the music for the work, among the most popular in the operatic repertory. Italian choreographer Amedeo Amodio, whose adaptation of Carmen will be used by BalletMet, is one of several choreographers who have translated the opera into dance. The production will be the third version of Carmen that the company has performed and the first in 14 years...Amodio retains Bizet’s lush music, applying it to what he calls a “contemporary ballet” in which dancers wear pointe shoes, soft shoes and, sometimes, no shoes. His Carmen begins, literally, where the traditional opera ends, with the demise of the title character and the curtain falling. The curtain rises again, to reveal post-opera backstage bustle, including a male fan with flowers, a truck driver and a woman violinist from the orchestra." [Source]

Callas, Bizet and The Museum of Sex?

WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS NUDITY AND IS NSFW (BUT THE SOUNDTRACK IS PERFECTLY FINE FOR WORK...):

obscene diary from onur karaoglu on Vimeo.

"Last year saw the rediscovery of a major figure whose remarkable story illustrated the secret history of gay life throughout the 20th Century. In Secret Historian: The Life and Times of Samuel Steward, Professor, Tattoo Artist, and Sexual Renegade, author Justin Spring tells the thrilling tale of Sam Steward, a man who documented every one of his many sexual exploits in obsessive detail, providing a wealth of understanding to future generations looking to understand the pre-Stonewall era. Now the artifacts of Steward’s life have been collected and displayed in a brilliant, inspiring show at the Museum of Sex in New York City. Keep the Lights On‘s documentarian Onur Karoaglu asked Justin Spring to show him around the exhibition one morning a few weeks ago. Secret Historian, along with An Obscene Diary: The Visual World of Sam Steward is in bookstores now." [Source]

Side-by-Side: Elena Obraztsova Sings Carmen's "Habanera"

"Carmen" Becomes a Battle-Cry For Gay Rights in Russia

Gay activist Lieutenant Dan Choi was in Russia marching peacefully in a pride parade when he was attacked by the police (see the shocking video). One of the others detained, Louis-Georges Tin, is also a fierce advocate against racism and homophobia. He really caused a stir when he broke into a rendition of "Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre" from Bizet's Carmen. Read more in-depth coverage of the chaotic event here. Incredible how quickly events change for the worst. Read Lt. Dan Choi's complete twitter feed for the last 10 hours after the jump.