Past Production Reviews
7"Jorge Takla, alongside scenographer Nicolás Boni, costume designer Fábio Namatame, and lighting designer Ney Bonfante, created a dark "Rigoletto." The sets evoke the original setting of the story in an interesting manner. In the first act, the palace of Frederick II (whom Verdi is said to have inspired to create the Duke) appears majestic yet in ruins, fragmented; in the second act, the neighborhood of Rigoletto in Mantua also appears monumental, as do the imposing waters that dominate the third act's setting, disturbed by the storm in the sky preceding the murder on land, as Rigoletto describes the "night of mystery" that concludes the opera. The monumentality conveys the smallness of the human being, and in the ruins, the failure of an idea of civilization and a suggestive vision of the relationship with time—and there lies the overall proposal of the show, as the director says, to demonstrate that the issues raised by the opera remain current: sexual and moral harassment, corruption, sexism, social exclusion. As he previously proposed in Puccini's "Tosca," presented at the Amazonas Opera Festival in May, Takla's return to the past seems a reminder about the world we live in, of a country that imagines a supposed transformation from hatred, the individual prejudice that purports to be a collective desire, the aggressiveness that replaces public spirit. And of misogyny, which, as musicologist Ligiana Costa rightly notes in her text in the show's program, is one of the themes of the opera, showing women as victims of the male figure on various levels, whether through harassment or the protection of a possessive father."
"In a festive atmosphere, last weekend on May 3, 4, and 5, 2024, "Carmen" returned to the Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, with all seven scheduled performances sold out. This production, which differs from the original, is set in the high fashion universe, where Carmen is a fashion icon also involved in the world of smugglers, placing the story around the late 1940s to early 1950s. Jorge Takla made a decisive contribution with his remarkable, meticulous, and emphatic direction, fully enhancing the voluptuous and passionate plot. The sets by Nicolás Boni are grandiose and function well with the lighting design by Mirella Brandi, and the costumes by Argentine Pablo Ramirez, both appropriate and luxurious, reflect the care taken in mounting the production and match Jorge Takla's vision. The choreography particularly stood out in the flamenco dances at the beginning of Act II and Act IV, receiving immediate and frenetic applause from the audience."
Istratii lacks neither temperament nor "physique du rôle," demonstrating robust and homogeneous vocal quality across all registers, without ever losing intensity or commitment throughout the three-hour performance.
Fiordiligi también ganó una intérprete de lujo en el estreno, el día 24, con la excelente soprano argentina Laura Pisani. Su voz y estilo son bastante diferentes a los de Pace, por lo que el público pudo escuchar a dos intérpretes muy diferentes, obteniendo naturalmente resultados diferentes, pero ambos excelentes. Es genial y estimulante cuando eso sucede. Además de ser una gran actriz, Pisani hizo gala de una voz homogénea, con peso desde los graves hasta los agudos. Fue una Fiordiligi impecable, de la que era imposible apartar la vista o oídos. Reinó absolutamente durante la noche del estreno.
Muito bem avaliada por vários de nossos mais prestigiosos jornais, a montagem levada atualmente pelo Theatro Municipal de São Paulo da ópera “Elektra” de Richard Strauss, dirigida por Livia Sabag, de fato merece muitos elogios.
Com trilha de Mahler executada ao vivo, Balé da Cidade estreia 'Titã'
