Opera: Giacomo Puccini’s La Boheme (Greek National Opera – screening) – Chania 23rd December

Giacomo Puccini’s timeless much-loved masterpiece is presented on
Tuesday, 23rd December at the “Mikis Theodorakis” Theatre, Venetian Harbour, Chania
Time: 20:00
Free Admission

The collaboration between the Municipality of Chania and the National Opera, which was sealed with the signing of a memorandum of cooperation, is evolving with a series of actions. Screenings of opera and ballet performances bring young and old even closer to the rich work of the Opera. Festive days with music, dance, rich sets and avant-garde productions.

LA BOHEME:
The extremely popular La Boheme is signed by Graham Wick – “the man who saved opera in Britain” (Telegraph). His successful reading of La Bohème, the action of which he chose to transfer from 19th-century Paris to 21st-century Athens, has created a landmark performance for the Greek opera. The sets and costumes are by Richard Hudson, the lighting by Giuseppe di Iorio.

La Bohème  is based on the novella Scènes de la vie de bohème (“Scenes of Bohemian Life”) by Henry Murger, and was first presented in 1896 at the Teatro Regio in Turin, conducted by Arturo Toscanini. Set against the backdrop of an icy Paris at Christmastime, the plot of this opera tells of the love between the poet Rodolfo and the seamstress Mimì, from the moment they meet to the moment of her death from consumption. With his powerfully evocative music, Puccini makes audiences run the gamut of emotions in ways sublime: joy and abandon, great love and despair.

Puccini describes with his music the entire palette of emotions: carefreeness, joy, great love, despair.

In 2007, the then artistic director of the GNO, Stefanos Lazaridis, commissioned the famous British director Graham Vick to direct a new production of La Bohème for the Greek National Opera, a choice that proved to be ideal for this work, as Vick was a director who knew how to dare, experiment and creatively break down the clichés that traditionally accompany the art of opera. “We attempted to unfold the essence of the work, so that there would be something universal that would suit every era. Not so much as a timelessness as a realization that humanity never changes; death will always be death, poverty poverty, students students,” he noted in the production’s program for the 2007/08 season.

With this presentation of La Bohème, the Greek National Opera honors the memory of Graham Vick, who passed away in 2021. His highly successful reading of La Bohème, the action of which he chose to transfer from 19th-century Paris to 21st-century Athens, has created a landmark performance for Greek operatic theater.

Musical direction: Jacques Lacombe
Direction: Graham Vick
Revision of direction: Katerina Petsatodi
Set design, costumes: Richard Hudson
Lighting: Giuseppe di Iorio
Chorus direction: Agathangelos Georgakatos
Children’s choir direction: Konstantina Pitsiakou

Rodolfo: Ivan Magri
Sonnar: Marios Sarantidis
Benoit: Vangelis Maniatis
Mimi: Anna Son
Marcello: Nikos Kotenidis
Colline: Tasos Apostolou
Alcindoro: Kostis Rasidakis
Musetta: Danae Kontora
Parpignole: Thanasis Evangelou
Chief Customs Officer: Ioannis Kontellis
Customs Officer: Yiannis Stamatakis

With the Orchestra, Choir and Children’s Choir of the National Opera, as part of its educational mission.

Source: chania-culture.gr