Bizet: Carmen Review
While I cannot claim the "many of them" that "operamarty" can, I have seen perhaps a dozen, and have heard I don't know how many since I began listening to the Saturday broadcasts in the 1950s. And I will rank this presentation as the best of them. (Sadly, I did not see the Isola Jones performances of the 1980s.)
Finally, we have a Carmen who can believably entice a loyal soldier into leaving his army, his girl back home, and, yes, even his mother, to go with her. Elina Garanca exudes sensuality as she portrays this character. There is a big difference between sensual and sexy, and Garanca makes the most of it. The replacement of the usual dance, with her bathing her legs during the "Habanera," is a prime example.
The Met's rotating stage was used to full advantage, as sets were reversed into new locations. However, the closing scene, as the set turned to reveal Escamillo standing over the defeated bull, destroyed the feeling of the moment, and was, as "TheaterMania" called it, "crude and unnecessary."
One of the major strengths of this presentation is the use of camera close-ups. Look again at Carmen's expression as she is stabbed in the final scene. One wonders how Garance could possible make the curtain calls after this.
While this is the best Carmen I have seen, it is not without its flaws. While the rest of the cast adequately fill their roles, they do not measure up to Garanca. Roberto Alagna, as Don Jose, is beginning to show his age vocally, although he still exhibits the boyish exuberance of a young soldier, uncontrollably smitten. Teddy Tahu Rhodes begins his portrayal of Escamillo as if he had learned only three hours before the performance that he was to sing that day--oh, yes, he did learn only three hours before. However, as the play progresses, he does warm up to his part. Barbara Frittoli's Micaela is the weak link of the principals. She comes across as almost mechanical, lacking in feeling and character. Perhaps she was frightened by the brutality of the soldiers in the opening act, which replaced the good-natured flirting usually seen. Little has been written about him, but Keith Miller as Zuniga is the strongest of the supporting cast.
The updating to the 1930s does nothing to add to the production, except a change in the soldiers' uniforms. In fact, it is confusing as to the role of the smugglers. So much so that one critic granted them "a degree of respectability" in the Franco generation, and another called them "a threat to the regular folks." The use of Zippo lighters is questionable, being that they were not invented until 1936. And I do not understood why the cigarette girls had to come from an underground "sweat shop" for their cigarette break, but came rushing from backstage after the fight inside. Multiple entrances? Or just inconsistentcy?
However, even with these reservations, this the the best Carmen I have seen, and is a valuable addition to my collection.
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