05.07.2012
Pride and Passion: Rinat Shaham’s Carmen
On 18 July, Rinat Shaham will be making her Russian debut on the stage of the Mikhailovsky Theatre. The Israeli singer will perform the title role in a concert version of the opera Carmen. This role has brought her worldwide acclaim. Critics note that Shaham’s «lived-in voice suggests desire, pride and danger».
The singer made her debut in the role of Carmen at Glyndebourne in 2004 and received rave reviews in the British press. The Guardian noted that «her Carmen is sexually assured, yet wilful rather than assertive». The Independent referred to her portrayal of Carmen as a «sensation», saying, «this one uses the music like promises and threats, coaxing, cajoling, insinuating, bending the melody, shamelessly exploiting the chesty rasp of her bottom notes».
Born in Haifa, Rinat Shaham received her musical education at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She began her career there as well; while still a student, Rinat made her debut on the stage of the Philadelphia Opera in the role of Zerlina. She has performed with such acclaimed conductors as Daniel Barenboim, Simon Rattle, and André Previn, and has sung in major opera houses, including the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, La Fenice, La Monnaie, the Sydney Opera House, and the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. Rinat Shaham’s repertoire includes Cherubino (The Marriage of Figaro), Blanche (Dialogues des carmélites), Dorabella (Cosi fan tutti), Mélisande (Pelléas et Mélisande), and Cinderella from the eponymous opera by Massenet.
The singer made her debut in the role of Carmen at Glyndebourne in 2004 and received rave reviews in the British press. The Guardian noted that «her Carmen is sexually assured, yet wilful rather than assertive». The Independent referred to her portrayal of Carmen as a «sensation», saying, «this one uses the music like promises and threats, coaxing, cajoling, insinuating, bending the melody, shamelessly exploiting the chesty rasp of her bottom notes».
Born in Haifa, Rinat Shaham received her musical education at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She began her career there as well; while still a student, Rinat made her debut on the stage of the Philadelphia Opera in the role of Zerlina. She has performed with such acclaimed conductors as Daniel Barenboim, Simon Rattle, and André Previn, and has sung in major opera houses, including the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, La Fenice, La Monnaie, the Sydney Opera House, and the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. Rinat Shaham’s repertoire includes Cherubino (The Marriage of Figaro), Blanche (Dialogues des carmélites), Dorabella (Cosi fan tutti), Mélisande (Pelléas et Mélisande), and Cinderella from the eponymous opera by Massenet.
