Opera director John La Bouchardière's work includes his critically acclaimed film The Full Monteverdi (based on his award-winning live production which toured worldwide), Semele and Tamerlano for Scottish Opera, Rigoletto of London's Opera Holland Park and Don Giovanni in Varna, Bulgaria. He has recently revived his Semele for Florentine Opera, Milwaukee, and created Kvinneliv, a devised programme of English, American and Scandinavian song for Randi Stene and Solveig Kringlebotn in Trondheim. Plans include a return to Norway to create a production of Carmen for the opening of the new opera house in Nordfjordeid and Cavalli's Giasone with Jane Glover at the Royal Academy of Music. He is currently developing a new film project.
Click on the links above and below for more information, production photos, reviews. You can also contact John using the form on the biography page.
FROM SEMELE'S ASHES...
John's production of Handel's Semele, originally created for
Scottish Opera, has once again been received with applause and acclaim
in his revival of the show for Florentine Opera, Milwaukee. According
to one critic, it is the best production the company has done in his 26
years of watching.
Following the huge, sell-out success of The Full Monteverdi live
at New York's prestigious Lincoln Center Festival, the film version was
released in autumn 2007, to exceptional and continuing critical
acclaim, including a Choc du Monde de la Musique award. The Full Monteverdi film has been broadcast in the UK, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Czech
Republic, New Zealand, Spain, Canada and Australia; it has been released on DVD release was released world-wide by NAXOS and is available from all good retailers; you can also order the film directly from Polyphonic Films or watch The Full Monteverdi online (U.S.A. only). The film will soon enjoy a wider theatrical release (see new trailer below).
"A stroke of genius that defies a
genre... that sets a standard of what can be done... a way to open the
treasures of this great music to our literal-minded and lazy age. This
film helps me to understand how the dreams of Wagner... for a unified
experience could finally come to pass." American Record Guide
John's new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Operosa Exinograd Festival in Varna, Bulgaria, opened on 23rd June 2007 and was a resounding success - "a vibrant and vastly enjoyable performance" (Opera Now). Conducted by Eraldo Salmieri, the set was designed by Jamie Vartan (Rigoletto for Opera Holland Park), with costumes by Magail Gerberon (Semele, Scottish Opera) and lighting by Simon Mills (Eugene Onegin, Scottish Opera).
ROYAL PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY AWARDS 2006
On 9th May 2006, I Fagiolini won a Royal Philharmonic Society Award as ensemble of the year. The award is made for performances in 2005, a year in which I Fagiolini performed John's The Full Monteverdi more than thirty times.
BBC Music Magazine's coverage of the awards described the success:
"In touring The Full Monteverdi worldwide, I Fagiolini has taken live performance to new levels of imaginative brilliance."
It is only the second time in the society's history that a vocal ensemble has been awarded Britain's most pretigious award for live classical music-making.
You can now view a short sample of The Full Monteverdihere.
