More than a year after its groundbreaking premiere by the Canadian Opera Company in November 2009, The Nightingale and Other Short Fables continues to delight and amaze audiences. This spectacular production, directed by Canadian visionary Robert Lepage, is making headlines in New York in its US premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
"The first half of the program employs nimble acrobats and the most affecting and intricate puppetry I have ever seen . . . The Canadian Opera Company’s orchestra and chorus were vibrantly conducted by its accomplished young music director, Johannes Debus . . . Being half-submerged did not seem to inhibit the beguiling singing of Mr. Odinius or any other cast member . . . the effect is more splendid than the Imperial Palace scene in the Met’s popular production of Puccini’s “Turandot,” a Zeffirelli extravaganza . . . The first half of the program was equally amazing . . . that [Robert Lepage] is an enormously gifted director cannot be denied" - The New York Times
"Lepage . . . has packed this "Nightingale" with so many visual delights that it would be entertaining even with less than outstanding singers. But the cast assembled here is terrific . . . The COC orchestra, conducted by Johannes Debus, brings out the delicacy and haunting lyricism in this charming work." - The Associated Press
"the show, which is at BAM until Sunday, did not disappoint last night. Robert Lepage has been in the news this past year for his popular, headline-grabbing new Ring at the Met, and The Nightingale and Other Fables—set to various pieces of music by Igor Stravinsky—confirms why he's one of the most imaginative directors currently active . . . When [the COC Chorus] members simultaneously opened up their Chinese robes to reveal hitherto hidden puppets, it was pure magic—and the show was full of these moments of childlike wonder." - The New York Post
"This night of zesty, folk-inflected songs and one-act operas by Igor Stravinksy . . . is theatrical and operatic bliss. The stage illusions that Lepage and his marvelous cast use are fairly low-tech: beguiling shadow puppets formed by hands and dancers' bodies; Bunraku-style dolls floating across a 12,000-gallon pool of water (set up in the BAM Opera House's orchestra pit); a nightingale taking flight at the end of a long, tensile pole. Mind you, these painterly, delicate tableaux (on Slavic and Chinese themes) require tremendous craft and skill—but not millions of dollars and computer-generated video projections or dangerous stunt equipment . . . we can't recommend it enough—it's ideal for dates or a family night out. It would be a great way to introduce your kid to opera." - Time Out New York
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Video
The Canadian Opera Company has been invited to New York City to present its 2009 production of Robert Lepage's The Nightingale & Other Short Fables at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Opera Festival, March 1 to 6, 2011.
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Production designer Michael Curry demonstrates the puppets he built for the world premiere of Robert Lepage's The Nightingale & Other Short Fables, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Opera Festival, March 1 to 6, 2011.
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Visionary director Robert Lepage speaks on what inspired him to create The Nightingale & Other Short Fables, a collection of works by composer Igor Stravinsky.
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Visionary director Robert Lepage speaks on the journey he went through while creating the concept for The Nightingale & Other Short Fables.
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Director Robert Lepage talks about Igor Stravinsky, whose works are featured in his production of The Nightingale & Other Short Fables.
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Director Robert Lepage discusses how producing an opera is different than producing a theatre piece.
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Director Robert Lepage discusses repositioning the orchestra for his production of Stravinsky's The Nightingale & Other Short Fables.
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Director Robert Lepage discusses the role of puppetry in his production of Stravinsky's The Nightingale & Other Short Fables.
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Posted by Ceciliy Carver / in The Nightingale and Other Short Fables / comments (0) / permalink