Granit and Weiss present a new season: 2 Israeli productions and 6 famous operas, “Meitar” Studio and a change of management. They close the successful season “Dialogos de Carmelitas” and “Rigoletto” By Chiquita Levov. Text and photos
Granit and Weiss
The Israeli Opera organized a press meeting in which it announced news for the next season. The artistic program for 2024-2025 includes 8 opera productions that will bring to the local stage the best artistic samples of Israel and the world: directors, conductors, designers and singers. They will all come together on the stage of the Tel Aviv Opera to give audiences an international operatic experience. Also 2 Israeli productions that have already been very successful in recent years return to the stage this season in light of public demand and critical praise: “Theodore” and “Mothers”. They have meant a change in the reaction of the Israeli public, who are showing interest in original works and stories close to their hearts. More data: https://www.israel-opera.co.il/eng/
A change in the management structure of the Israeli Opera was also announced, due to the significant increase in self-productions in recent years. The position of general director and artistic director of the opera, which until now was both held by Tzach Granit, will be divided starting next season. Granit will remain in the position of artistic director and a new general administrative director will be selected.
Meitar conductors and soloists
Another topic presented was the activity of the “Meitar Opera Studio” directed by Shirit Lee Weiss. He reported that it is a practical study and performance program of the Israeli Opera for the best young opera singers graduated from music academies who manage to perfect themselves in this framework. Many students and graduates of this studio will perform in the new season, because according to the director she assures “they are outstanding artists who know how to present themselves on stage very well.” During this season there will be many collaborations with orchestras and work with artists from abroad.
The 2 Israeli operas are"Theodore, an original production backed by a great Israeli creative team consisting of composer Yonatan Cnaan and director and librettist Ido Ricklin, conducted by Nimrod David Pfeffer and a team of Israeli creators who are leaders in their field. The praised production was filmed for screening in cinemas in Israel and around the world. A wonderful team of Israeli singers, led by Oded Reich as the adult Herzl and Anat Czarny as his wife Julie, brings to the stage two periods in the life of the state just before it became a legend.
“Mothers”
“Mothers” (Mothers – Imahot), the modern opera by David Zebba who wrote the text and composed it, brings to the stage the voices of women who had been silenced in the Bible to tell family stories from their point of view. The director is Shirit Lee Weiss. An opera in which the director used the connection between operatic poetry and speech accompanied by music. It is the result of the extraordinary collaboration between the Israeli Opera and the Gesher Theater.
In addition to the Israeli works, there will be six opera productions from the best repertoire in the world. The season will open with a new production of Gaetano Donizetti's “The Elixir of Love,” directed by Shirit Lee Weiss, inspired by Omri Nitzan's iconic stage version. A field of sunflowers and an orange orchard on a kibbutz located somewhere in the 40s become the setting for Adina and Nemorino's love story. Conducted by the Italian maestro Alessandro de Marchi. It is presented in November.
At the end of 2024, “Peter Grimes” by British composer Benjamin Britten will appear on the opera stage as part of a co-production with the Warsaw Opera and directed by Mariusz Trelinski and conducted by Alexander Ioel. The program is completed with: “Ottelo” by Verdi, “La Boheme” by Puccini, “Ariadne Auf Naxos” by Strauss, “Turandot” by Puccini, operas that will be conducted by Dan Ettinger, Asher Fisch and Carlo Montanaro and directed by Ido Ricklin, Emilio Sagi and Andrei Serban.
Carmelitas
“Dialogues of Carmelites”, “Hanoch Levin” and Rigoletto
We cannot fail to highlight the latest productions of the closing season, which had an excellent programming. Among the last stagings of the opera, the “Dialogues of Carmelites” Francis Poulenc's masterpiece that was presented for the first time in Israel, and turned out to be a fascinating production, about faith, sacrifice and the love of human beings, set during the time of the French Revolution. Written in 1957, it is one of his most ambitious works, an authentic and personal work that combines a fascinating historical drama. The beautiful and emotional music performed by the Rishon LeZion Symphony stood out.
Fisch and cast
Maestro Asher Fisch, who had conducted it for several years in the past, returned to conduct this opera and stand in front of the orchestra. It is noteworthy that most of the soloists in this production were members or graduates of the “Meitar” Studio, among them Yael Levita, Anat Czarny, Shira Patchornik, Shay Bloch, Alla Vasilevitsky, Ionut Pascu, Oded Reich, and many more. As well as the Israeli opera choir directed by Itay Berckovitch.
The revival of the original production was highly anticipated. “Hanoch Levin-Opera” at the request of the public and after enthusiastic reviews. It is a piece for which the Israeli Opera commissioned 5 Israeli composers to create a rich world with fragments of plays, sketches and the most beloved songs of this beloved playwright: Yossi Ben Nun, David Sebba, Yonatan Canaan, Yonatan Kerat and Roni Rashef. Each composer brought with him his own unique musical language and together they created a magnificent musical mosaic. The opera, directed by Sebba and Shirit Lee Weiss, connects the world of opera with Levin's famous and unforgettable characters, and each song is a show in itself, with different color and style.
Opera Levin
The season closes with Verdi's opera “Rigoletto,” one of the audience's favorites, about the court jester who wants to protect his daughter, but a corrupt duke achieves a tragic and inevitable end. Directed by Regina Alexandrovskaya according to the production of the renowned Spanish director Miguel del Arco at the Madrid Opera. With a cast of numerous soloists led by Ionut Pascu, Hila Fahima and Lucian Petrean. It is presented until 17.7 More information and entries: https://www.israel-opera.co.il/eng/?CategoryID=1283&ArticleID=6693