In the Scope of French Opera
X International Seminar of Opera Critics
17 October, 2015
Chamber Hall of the LNOBT
Vilnius
In Lithuania, the French opera is still often perceived as an unknown aesthetic territory, which is a bit strange – from the historical point of view, various examples of the French operatic tradition were willingly performed in the 19th century Vilnius or inter-war Kaunas. Why then we speak about French opera as a genre of musical theatre that we have yet (or again) to perceive? Is the situation similar in neighbour countries as well? On the other hand, how relevant and interesting is a work like Manon, created in Paris in 1884, to the contemporary audience? How do directors interpret “classical” female images in the opera productions of our days? Is the phenomenon of a prima donna still topical in current operatic world?
To celebrate the premiere of Jules Massenet's masterpiece Manon, the LNOBT hosted the X International Seminar of Opera Critics, which discussed the aforementioned enquiries. The speakers included specialists of opera from Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Belarus, Slovenia and Lithuania. In this way, the Seminar attempted to draw a perspective of French opera in the context of musical theatre thriving in Central Europe.
The project is partially financed by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.
PROGRAMME
11.10–11.10 Opening speech by prof. Jonas Bruveris.
French Opera on the “Fringes” of Europe
11.10–11.40 Beata Baublinskienė (Vilnius, Lithuania). French Opera in Lithuania: the Forgotten Tradition
11.40–12.20 Kristel Pappel (Tallinn, Estonia). French opera in Estonia: a Transfer from Germany, an Influence of Russia?
12.20–13.00 Ryszard Daniel Golianek (Poznań, Poland). Between Italian Bel canto and French Grand Opéra: Giuseppe (Joseph) Poniatowski’s Opera Pierre de Médicis (Paris 1860)
13.00–13.30 Coffee Break
Prima Donnas, Courtesans, Manon...
13.30–14.10 Vlado Kotnik (Ljubljana, Slovenia). The Nations and Their Prima Donnas: Toward a Critique of the Mechanism of National Homogenisation of Cultural Policy, Media Landscape and Opera Management in Slovenia
14.10–14.50 Olga Borshchova (Minsk, Belarus). Manon Lescaut as an Archetypal Figure: Image of a Courtesan in the Art and Literature of the 18–20th Centuries
14.50–16.00 Final Discussion moderated by Leonarda Kestere (Riga, Latvia). With excerpts of video interview with Manon's (LNOBT) director Vincent Boussard
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17 October – 6:30 p.m. Jules Massenet Manon. An opera in 3 acts. Premiere: 18 September, 2015.
Music director Cyril Diederich, conductor Julius Geniušas, director and costume designer Vincent Boussard (France), set designer Vincent Lemaire (Belgium), lighting designer Levas Kleinas, chorus master Česlovas Radžiūnas.
Cast: Viktorija Miškūnaitė (Manon Lescaut), Michael Spadaccini (Le Chevalier Des Grieux, Belgium), Eugenijus Chrebtovas (Lescaut), Julija Karaliūnaitė (Puossette), Kristina Zmailaitė (Javotte), Laima Jonutytė (Rosette), Liudas Norvaišas (Le Comte Des Grieux), Jonas Sakalauskas (De Bretigny), Mindaugas Jankauskas (Guillot De Morfontaine), Arūnas Malikėnas (Hotelier).
Co-production between the LNOBT, San Francisco Opera and the Israeli Opera.
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2015 10 07 / Updated 2015 10 11 / 2015 10 22
In photos: 1) Leonarda Kestere and musicologist Živilė Ramoškaitė, 2) The Seminar, 3) Ž. Ramoškaitė and Beata Baublinskienė, 4) Jonas Bruveris, 5) Ryszard Daniel Golianek, 6) Kristel Pappel, 7) Olga Borshchova, 8) Students, 9) Vlado Kotnik. Photographer Martynas Aleksa (LNOBT)
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