Stage director Richard Brunel orchestrates this musical UFO with much dexterity and intelligence, surrounding himself with virtuosi singers, committed to the highest degree of extravagance.
Première.fr
Richard Brunel’s directing, evocative yet restrained, is magnified by Laurent Castaingt’s lighting, mapping out the space of the stage and highlighting the depths and contours of bodies and décors. The comings and goings of the four singers and four actors, masterfully directed, sometimes verges on choreography.
Hélène Cao, Avant-Scène Opéra
Meticulously staged and directed by Richard Brunel, (…) this is theatre at its best!
Web théâtre
The mechanical set, at once sleek and luxurious, plays on depth and verticality, favouring a centrepiece made of a table and a canopy bed which, in turns, descends and ascends thanks to the fly system. (…) Richard Brunel graces us with an original and spirited mise-en-scène.
Michèle Tosi, ResMusica
High-quality costumes and decors, along with a well-polished direction, allow for the smooth incorporation of both singers and actors within the play.
Jacques Doucelin, ConcertClassique.com
Re Orso has been conceived and shaped for the stage and the theatrical element integrated into its composition from the very beginning, born out of a remarkable synergy between the composer and the director, Richard Brunel. (…) Closing your eyes for a single minute would very literally mean maiming this production, whose strength comes first and foremost from the almost organic fusion between sound, movement and image, tackled here in all its potential, a rarity in the operatic genre. The various aspects of this composition appear to be so deeply interwoven that we can hardly conceive of a different mise-en-scène. (…) The show works wonderfully, smooth yet well-paced, impactful, and its unique energy never fails nor fades.
Forum Opéra
The close collaboration between composer Marco Stroppa and stage director Richard Brunel was very probably a key element in achieving the impressive coherence displayed in this little gem of an opera. While extremely sophisticated, the show’s fluidity endows it with a sense of spontaneity.
Pierre Rigaudière, Diapason
Richard Brunel and his team of little-known singers exude brilliance and a sense of unforgettable musicality. We are properly enthralled.
Claude Glayman, Les lettres françaises
Richard Brunel has designed an efficient arrangement that makes use of the orchestra pit as well as the stage, a mechanical and metaphorical gear that never lets go of its characters, backing them into corners with almost sadistic delight.
Opéra
Re Orso
Marco Stroppa
A musical legend for 4 singers, 4 actors, electronic ensemble, and totem acoustics.
Libretto Catherine Ailloud-Nicolas and Giordano Ferrari
Adapted from Re Orso, by Arrigo Boito
Music director Susanna Mälkki
Director Richard Brunel
Dramaturgs Catherine Ailloud-Nicolas and Giordano Ferrari
Set and costume designer Bruno De Lavenère
Lighting designer Laurent Castaingt
Movement director Thierry Thieû Niang
Magician Alpha
Marionette consultant Émilie Valentin
Music Assistant Oliver Hagen
Assistant director Ester Pieri
Set assistant Émilie Roy
Costumes Assistant Pascale Paume
Music informatics director (Ircam) Carlo Laurenzi
Scientific consultant (Ircam) Jean Bresson
Répétiteurs Christophe Manien, Joël Soichez
Commissioned by the State, Opéra Comique, Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Ircam-Centre Pompidou, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Françoise and Jean-Philippe Billarant.
Produced by the Opéra Comique
Co-produced by the Théâtre de la Monnaie, Ircam-Centre Pompidou
Cast
Rodrigo Ferreira
Monica Bacelli
Marisol Montalvo,
Alexander Kravets,
Geoffrey Carey
Cyril Anrep,
Daniel Carraz,
Piera Formenti
Ensemble Intercontemporain