The Théâtre de la Monnaie slams the door in
Carmen
's face . The Brussels institution has chosen to cancel all performances of the opera in four acts by Georges Bizet, just a few days before the first performance. Initially scheduled from January 23 to February 13, the work, directed by Dmitri Tcherniakov in a production of the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence created in 2017, suffers the consequences of a virulent variant.
"Because of the too many obstacles that hinder its production, we have reluctantly decided to cancel our production of
Carmen
"
, justifies La Monnaie in a press release published on its site.
Peter de Caluwe, its general manager, despite disagreeing with the policy of gauges applied in performance halls since December 6 in Belgium -200 spectators authorized, regardless of the size of the hall-, has resigned himself to this cancellation of the twelve performances of
Carmen.
And explains it at the microphone of
France Musique
.
“There was this huge wave coming over us that was going to affect the whole society. There were cases among the members of the choir, the pit musicians, the solo singers... We were really afraid of not being able to arrive at the first, nor at the last!
, he says.
Incredulous, seventeen lyrical singers, including the headliners of
Carmen
at La Monnaie, signed a letter addressed to the Prime and Deputy Prime Ministers of Belgium, deploring the cancellation of the opera.
“I am writing to you, with the full support of my stage colleagues, as this is an unnecessary, disastrous decision and the result of the Belgian government's uneven and unbalanced position on health and safety. Your citizens as well as the visiting artists and workers are irreparably harmed and this must change immediately”,
introduces the American tenor Michael Fabiano, who was to interpret Don José on stage.
“Culture makes society know where we come from and where we will go. Without it, society is lost”
, he laments.
After noting the consequences of this deprivation of access to culture - including damage to mental health and personal discipline, reduced salaries and career suspensions for artists, the importance of art in a democracy -, the tone of this forum becomes more abrupt.
“Gyms, saunas and bars are open with limited movement restrictions but a theater of vaccinated, tested and masked people must be capped at 200 seats when there are almost 1,200?
Where is the equality or logic in this policy congruent with other sectors of activity?
On whose opinion, on what science is it based?
, wonders Michael Fabiano who hopes to obtain the
“Be our champions”,
he pleads with regard to the representatives of the Belgian government.