CARMEN AND FORGOTTEN LAND
Alberta Ballet presents a new take on Georges Bizet’s masterpiece
1 Falling Flat It’s seen as a masterpiece now, but Carmen was a flop when it debuted in 1875. Parisian audiences couldn’t be bothered with it, even when the theatre gave away free tickets; critics found the music dull and the story scandalous. It wasn’t until composer Georges Bizet died partway through the theatrical run that audiences started paying attention.
2 Third Time’s the Charm Alberta Ballet first performed Carmen more than two decades ago, with choreography by Giuseppe Carbone. It revisited the music in 2003, using artistic director Jean Grand- Maître’s choreography. That performance earned the Alberta Ballet an invite to the Beijing International Dance Festival in 2004, which means Yukichi Hattori’s new choreography has some big slippers to fill.
3 Sympathy for the Devil Nineteenth- century audiences saw the opera’s title character, a seductive gypsy who corrupts the naive Don Jose, as completely amoral, with one critic calling her “the very incarnation of vice.” Hattori’s approach is more sympathetic, portraying Carmen “as a woman who is ahead of her time,” according to the choreographer. “My view of Carmen is likely inspired by the strong and empowered women I see around me every day.”
4 Seductive Melody Maybe the reason Carmen lends itself to adaptation is that there is no definitive version. Bizet revised the work up to and after its premiere, and the vocal score is different from the published score, which is different from the conducting score. But Hattori’s explanation of its appeal is much more straightforward: it’s all about the music. “Since the score is so attractive, we desire to dance to it.”
5 Forgotten Partner The world premiere of a new Carmen seems ambitious enough, but Alberta Ballet is also presenting a performance of Jiri Kylian’s Forgotten Land. Inspired by an Edvard Munch painting and set to music by Benjamin Britten, Forgotten Land will be the first of Kylian’s notoriously difficult works to make its way into Alberta Ballet’s repertoire.