A powerful production signed by Richard Brunel in Lille. (…) The scenography and the delicate lighting of this long, spectacular night convey images of cinematic frescoes.
Guillaume Tion, Libération
Zefirelli’s touch is palpable in the literal beauty of the work and teeming liveliness of the chorus; the darkened Latino playground atmosphere is reminiscent of West Side Story; John Carpenter’s They Live and Escape from New York come to mind as well, with their destitute or violent supporting characters and their strong physical presence.
Guillaume Tion, Libération
This production vibrates with scenic and musical urgency. (…) Its coherence and the intelligence of its dramatic and musical vision is striking.
Emmanuelle Guiliani, La croix
Successful teamwork is at play here and, as the simple yet insightful words of the conductor, Rizzi Brignoli, and of the director, Richard Brunel, suggest, there is a shared, loving admiration for this impassioned Trovatore. Brunel’s lively, tense and yet smooth direction is echoed in the desire to give the characters life and a psychological depth which is also to be found in the chorus, whose precision and range of nuances and colours is admirable.
Emmanuelle Guiliani, La croix
Against a backdrop of turf wars, fates are sealed in an expertly arranged “beat up” décor which looks like the Calais Jungle on one side and an abandoned theatre on the other. The crowd and the protagonists alike throw themselves in an intense hand-to-hand and heart-to-heart melee. Clad in rags found here and there, but full of dignity thanks to a careful direction which eschews vulgarity, they are all on the road to ruin.
Emmanuelle Guiliani, La croix
The revolving stage system proves extremely effective, allowing for seamless shifts from one environment to another, with no time wasted. It leads us all the way down to a derelict theatre turned refuge for the poor wretches, and into an appalling gaol from which a chilling miserere rises up.
Paul K’ros, Liberté Hebdo
Choosing to bring Il trovatore close to West Side Story and plunging us into 19th century underworlds turns out to not only be clever, but also convincing.
Sophie Bourdais, Télérama
Il trovatore (Le trouvère)
Giuseppe Verdi
Drama in 4 acts
Libretto by Salavatore Cammarano
Music director Roberto Rizzi Brignoli
Director Richard Brunel
Assistant director Ester Pieri
Dramaturg Catherine Ailloud-Nicolas
Set designer Bruno de Lavenère
Costume designer Thibault Vancraenenbroeck
Wig and makeup artist Cécile Kretschmar
Lighting designer Laurent Castaingt
Chorus director Yves Parmentier
Répétiteur Nicolas Chesneau
Produced by Opéra de Lille, Theâtre de la ville de Luxembourg and Théâtre de Caen
Cast
Igor Golovatenko,
Jennifer Rowley,
Sung Kyu Park,
Elena Gabouri,
Ryan Speedo Green,
Evgeniya Sotnikova,
Pascal Marin
Orchestra Orchestre national de Lille
Chorus Chœur de l’Opéra de Lille