Biography
Ponnelle was born in Paris. He studied philosophy, art, and history there and, in 1952, began his career in Germany as a theatre designer for Hans Werner Henze's opera Boulevard Solitude. He was greatly influenced by the work of art director Georges Wakhévitch who also designed sets and costumes for the theatre, the ballet, and the opera.
In 1962, Ponnelle directed his first production of Richard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde in Düsseldorf. His production of that opera at the Bayreuth Festival in 1981 was widely praised as one of the most aesthetically beautiful in its history.
His work throughout the world included stage productions at the Metropolitan Opera and the San Francisco Opera; productions for television (a Madama Butterfly in 1974 notable for performances by Mirella Freni and the young Placido Domingo); and filmed versions of operas such as the well-known Karl Böhm-conducted The Marriage of Figaro. His 1969 production of Mozart's then neglected La Clemenza di Tito for Cologne helped re-establish this work in the repertory. Ponnelle also was a frequent guest at the Salzburg Festival.
Often, his productions were controversial. His 1986 Aida at Covent Garden, in which he replaced the usual ballet dancers with young boys, was soundly booed and never revived, though his earlier Don Pasquale at the same theatre had been a triumph, as were his interpretations of well-known works.
He died in Munich, Germany in 1988 of a pulmonary embolism following a tragic fall into the orchestra pit during rehearsals for a production of Carmen with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta. His son is the orchestra conductor Pierre-Dominique Ponnelle and his nephew is the French guitarist and producer Jean Pierre Danel.
Read more about this topic: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
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