NIJINSKY by courageous Canadians in Paris
10/18/17 •
PARIS/FRANCE: Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, finally presented for the first time in 45 years, the growing Canadian company in Paris. The TrandscenDanses festival at the Theatre des Champs Elysees has presented work as exciting as Alexander Ekman’s A Swan Lake with den Norske Opera Ballett recently and so John Neumeier’s ballet NIJINSKY is a perfect choice for the Canadians to present because of the challenging choreography that highlights the improving company quality. A few dancers were exceptional and brought the company level to a new standard than it is known for.
Review by Henning Høholt.
Recent Posts
Mindre betaling uten klær på Met
10/15/17 •
NEW YORK/USA: Kanskje virker det lidt overraskende her på Kulturkompasset med en historie, som fortæller, at de nakne medvirkende skal få mindre betaling. Men den er god nok. Denne har vi lånt fra webbsiden til vår meget erfarne kritikerkollega og kulturskribent i Danmark John Christiansen på jcKlassisk.dk – han vet vanligvis hva han skriver om.
Verdis Requiem i Sandefjord og Tønsberg
10/15/17 •
SANDEFJORD/NORGE: Det er en glede å ønske velkommen til Hjertnes kulturhus og åpningskonserten for MiSKs kirkefestdager 2017, 21.10, kl.18.00. og til Oseberg Kulturhus 22.10. kl. 19.00. 2017.
På programmet står Giuseppe Verdis mektige «Requiem», et musikkhistorisk verk med mye kraft og nerve. Dette blir debuten til Vestfold Oratoriekor, et prosjektkor i MiSK som ble etablert tidligere i år, nettopp med tanke på å kunne fremføre store verk som dette. Som korsangere vil også en gruppe kirkemusikkstudenter fra Norges musikkhøgskole delta, slik at det totalt blir rundt 120 sangere på scenen. Svein Rustad dirigerer Vestfold Symfoniorkester og fire norske sangsolister: Birgitte Christensen, sopran, Ingebjørg Kosmo, alt, Marius Roth Christensen, tenor, og Magne Fremmerlid, bass.
Madeleine Onne – Artistic Director – Finnish National Ballet
10/14/17 •
HELSINKI/FINLAND: Madeleine Onne has been appointed as the new Artistic Director of the Finnish National Ballet. The Board of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet made their final decision in a meeting held today, Tuesday October the 10th. The Board invited the personnel groups of the Opera and Ballet to share their views on the appointment, and their statements were unanimously positive. Onne will start her new position in August 2018.
“Operaorkestret puster Oslo Filharmoniske orkester i nakken”
10/14/17 •
OSLO/NORGE: Publikum som følger Operaorkestrets strålende utvikling har gjennom de senere årene merket en sterk kvalitets økning, blant annet takket være dets forskjellige musikksjefers ønske om å gi orkestret egne konserter og konsertserier. Dette gir inspirasjon, og dette kan høres. “Operaorkestret puster Oslo Filharmoniske orkester i nakken”
Besøkt av Henning Høholt.
Kulturbudsjett med tydelige prioriteringer
10/12/17 •
OSLO/NORGE: Regjeringen har som mål at innbyggere over hele landet skal kunne ta del i et rikt og mangfoldig kulturliv. Forslaget til kulturbudsjett for 2018 er på vel 13,9 milliarder kroner. Det er en økning på nær 300 millioner kroner fra saldert budsjett for 2017.
Renée Fleming in Paris
10/12/17 •
PARIS/FRANCE: The américain world soprano Renée Fleming is back at the scène of the Théâtre presesnting a program of Lieders and opera parts. 10th October she visited Théâtre des Champs Élysées, Paris. Review by Henning Høholt.
Norgespremiere på Shrek The Musical
10/11/17 •
SANDEFJORD/NORGE: Sandefjord Teaterforening spiller i disse dager ”Shrek The Musical” i Hjertnes Kulturhus. Musicalen hadde premiere på Brodway i 2008, og den spilles fortsatt av profesjonelle kompanier verden over. Premieren i Sandefjord fant sted 29.september. Musikken er av Jeanine Tesori og tekstene av David Lindsay-Abaire etter William Steig’s bok ”Shrek”. Av Synnøve Elisabeth Nord.
A different Snow White in Oslo
10/10/17 •
OSLO/NORWAY: This original and colorful «Snow White» shows the everlasting potential in the old story. The most beautiful princess, the mirror, the poisoned apple, the evil queen and the seven dwarfs, – it is a classic story during two hundred years. In the Grimm fairytale the mirror tells the truth about who is the fairest. This new musical continues the story and let the princess go outside the mirror palace. The queen insists that beauty is enough, but Snow White is a modern girl searching for identiy and her own thruth in the garden. Review by Torkil Baden, Photos: Gisle Bjørnebye
Celebrations -150° anniversary – Teatro Verdi in Pisa
10/08/17 •
PISA/ITALY: One hundred and fifty years are an important milestone for any House, also for the glorious beautiful Teatro Verdi in Pisa which was inaugurated on November 12nd 1867, although the opening was scheduled (as we can read in the original poster) for the 9th of the same month and postponed a few days for technical reasons. Review by Fabio Bardelli
NICHT SCHLAFEN in Bærum
10/07/17 •
BÆRUM/NORWAY: An extraordinary guesting by the Les ballets C de la B, presented the very good, active, Nicht Schlafen, at a small Norway tour first to Stavanger, and in Bærum Kulturhus 22. & 23. September. Followed by Stockholm. – Deliviouse presented in a frame of music by Gustav Mahler. It became a large success for the company and for the culture house in Bærum. Review by Henning Høholt, applaus photos Tomas Bagackas.
Nijinsky – Dhiagilev a beautiful gay love affaire
10/06/17 •
PARIS/FRANCE: Canadian National Ballet, artistic directeur Karin Kain, presents for the first time in 45 years, the Canadian company in Paris. With John Neumeiers ballet NIJINSKY who tells about the beautiful love affair between the young dancing star Nijinsky – Guillaume Cote and his mentor Serge Diaghilev – Evan McKie. A fantastic performance about one of the 20th centurys famouse gay love affairs. By Henning Høholt.
TOSCA in Firenze
10/05/17 •
FIRENZE/ITALY: “Last night I attended Tosca by Puccini. It was a great performance from every point of view, we are really stunned to find something similar in a provincial Austrian city. But the opera! In the first act a solemn procession with a continuous peal (the bells went from Italy). In the second act a man is tortured with horrendous screams and another man is stabbed with an acuminate bread knife. In the third act again an immense peal on a view of whole Rome from the top of a fortress – again another different series of bells – and a man is shot by a platoon of soldiers.
Before shooting I got up and went away. No need to add that everything is put together as always with a master ability: nowadays every bungler is able to orchestrate excellently “.
Gustav Mahler
(from a letter to Alma Mahler, 1903)
Review by Fabio Bardelli, Fotos: Fotos: Michele Borzoni.
The merry widow – reloaded in Dresden
10/04/17 •
DRESDEN/GERMANY: October 2nd 1947: Dresden’s city center laid in ruins, as well as all its theatres. The entrepreneur Fritz Randow rented a ballroom around 5 miles from the destroyed city center, invested his private money, and reused whatever he could reuse from the destroyed Centraltheater to create a new stage. Nevertheless the money was not enough for the ambitious project. When the “Apollo-Theater” was opened, the Socialist city government already had kicked him off the project. The first piece on stage was Franz Lehár’s “Die lustige Witwe”
Review by Christoph Münch.
Wonderful La Boheme in Metz
10/02/17 •
METZ/FRANCE: La Boheme premiere of Paul-Émile Fourny and Giacomo Puccini´s La Boheme in Metz, became a large success for the Metz Operahouse – which is actually the oldest theatre house in France, still in use. Conducted with great musicality by Roberto Rizzi Brignoli, and with a splendid cast, headed by Yana Klayn as Mimi, Diego Silva as rodolphe, Gabrielle Philiponet as Musette, Régis Mengus – Marcel, Mikhail Piccone – Schaunard, Tapani Plathan – Coline, and Jean-Fernand Setti had his stage debut as Benoit and Alcindor. By Henning Høholt, fotos: Arnaud Hussenot
Ingun Bjørnsgaard Prosjekt (IBP): Urpremiere
10/01/17 •
SANDVIKA/NORGE: Ingun Bjørnsgaard, en av nestorene innenfor norsk samtidsdans, markerer sitt 25-års jubileum under CODA festivalen. I nært samarbeid med fire markante dansere og nyskrevet musikk av Christian Wallumrød, undersøker Ingun Bjørnsgaard kompleksiteten i kvinnelighet som tema. Bærum Kulturhus foajeen
TOR 19/10 & FRE 20/10 18.45
STANLEY KUBRICK – THE EXHIBITION – Photo HASSE FERROLD
9/27/17 •
COPENHAGEN/DENMARK: NEW EXHIBIT at Kunstforeningen GL STRAND www.glstrand.dk
Present at the Opening was also Stanley Kubrick´s Producer JAN HARLAN.
It is a fantastic Exhibit- absolutely worth to see- with nostalgic relations to Great films
Top 100 reisemål i Reiselandet Tyskland
9/26/17 •
FRANKFURT AM MAIN/TYSKLAND: 24. august 2017 – Miniatur Wonderland Hamburg forsvarer sin topplassering på listen over de hundre mest ettertraktede severdighetene blant internasjonale Tysklandsreisende. På andre plass satte deltakerne i online-utspørringen Europa-Park Rust, på tredjeplass havnet Schloss Neuschwanstein.
Talentfullt Koreografihus
9/25/17 •
OSLO/NORGE: Koreografihuset, som er en mulighet som Nasjonalballetten gir sine unge koreografi talenter blant danserne, til å kunne vise hva de kan og vil innen koreografi. Sett av Henning Høholt
La Bohème in Firenze
9/24/17 •
FIRENZE/ITALY: This performance of La Bohème, second opera of the short “Passione Puccini” cycle at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence, seems to stand more on the expert shoulders of conductor Francesco Ivan Ciampa than on a cast of young singers. Review by Fabio Bardelli, Fotos: Pietro Paolini – Terra project – Contrasto
Festlig gjensyn med Tyllefløyten.
9/22/17 •
OSLO/NORGE: Nasjonaloperaen åpner sesongen med en lang serie med Mozarts populære opera “traver” Tyllefløyten, som den vell godt kan kalles i denne festlige og tullete versjon med Atle Antonsen som tullet Papageno, som har skiftet fløyten ut med et tutthorn, som han flittig benytter, den kunne kanskje ha blitt stemt lidt? I en eller annen toneart. Denne moderniserte produksjonen hadde premiere høsten 2015. Regi Aleksander Mørk-Eidem. Sett av Henning Høholt.
Berezovsky, Racmaninoff and Philharmonia in Bucharest
9/20/17 •
BUCHAREST/ROMANIA: The famous and well known 2nd. Piano concerto by Rachmaninoff, with Boris Berezovsky as soloist and Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Christian Mandeal became the afternoons big hit at the Atheneum in Bucharest during the Enescu Festival 2017. with the stage packed with musicians and the audience hall packed with audience and a lot of music students, who has came just to experience how this famouse pianist should form his Rachmaninoff concerto, and they became very happy over Berezovskys generosity. Visited by Henning Høholt.
Rubato – Schumann with Buniatishvilli and Mehta.
9/19/17 •
BUCHAREST/ROMANIA: My first meeting with the female socalled star pianist Khatia Buniatishvilli, (Georgian ?) as solist in Robert Schumanns well known pianoconcerto. Together with Israel Philharmonic Festival led by Zubin Mehta, who is too the new president of the Enescu festival, became a strange experience for me. By Hennlng Høholt.
MADAMA BUTTERFLY in Firenze
9/18/17 •
FIRENZE/ITALY: First of all a clarification for Kulturkompasset readers, following a surely correct and shared decision coming from the new Superintendent Mr Cristiano Chiarot, the “Teatro dell’Opera di Firenze” is called from now on “Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino”, so incorporating in its name a right quote of the most important and prestigious Italian Festival dating since 1933, hosted in the old abandoned Teatro Comunale until to the construction of the current Theater in 2011. So intending to point out continuity between the historic Festival and the current (though architecturally rather controversial) House. Review by Fabio Bardelli, Fotos: Pietro Paolini, TerraProject Contrasto
ENESCU FESTIVAL 2017
9/17/17 •
BUCHAREST/ROMANIA: The 2017 edition of the George Enescu International Festival has a new first-class international artistic directing team – Zubin Mehta, Honorary President and Vladimir Jurowski, Artistic Director, and it takes place between September 2-24 in Bucharest and seven other cities in the country, challenging the audience to experience new manners of artistic expression and to rediscover classical music in a new light. Kulturkompasset´s editor Henning Høholt is present in Bucharest for some days in the middle of the festival enjoying three outstanding international symphony orchestras, Philharmonia, London, Scala Symphonic Orchestra, Milano, and Israel Philharmonis Orchestra, conducted by the Unesco Festivals new president Zubin Mehta. Visited by Henning Høholt.