Customer Reviews

Bizet: Carmen [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As others have stated this is a wonderful production. It is presented in a true to life production. The story and venues are totally believable. It is much the better for not being in modern dress. Paradoxically this makes the story seem utterly modern and something we read about far too often in the news papers these days.

The orchestral playing and singing are of the highest standards. Anne Sofie Von Otter not only has a wonderful voice, which we all know, but proves herself in this performance to be an actress of the first rank. The pace of the production and tempi are perfectly judged. Despite being an athletically acted performance it did not detract from the quality of the singing one iota.

Others have spoken of the high quality of this performance all round. However some reviewers have given this disc undeserved criticism on technical matters. Technically this disc is as good as the performers. The video quality on my system is of the first rank, and has nothing of the artifacts mentioned in the other reviews. As far as the sound of the Dolby True HD 5.1 soundtrack is nothing short of a revelation. It has the best balance between stage and pit of any opera on disc I know.

The 5.1 Dolby True HD sound gives a real sense of the size and perspective of the venue.

I'm certain any shortcomings reported by the other reviewers are due to problems with their equipment and or settings, and not due to the engineers.

For this disc you need equipment with the finest video processing and a superior display, preferably a video monitor or good projection system

To get good audio from the Dolby 5.1 True HD audio, you need a receiver or preferably a pre pro that can decode the new loss less codecs such as Dolby True HD and DTS Master HD. This necessitates an HDMI 1.3 connection between BD player and the receiver or pre/pro. The other alternative is to have a BD player with 7.1 analog outs and have the player do speaker set up and bass management, and connect it to the 7.1 analog ins on the receiver or pre/pro. The former is the preferred solution.

Finally but not least, the display must be correctly calibrated and speaker management done very carefully. Level matching and delays must be optimally set and bass management done correctly.

It goes without saying that all speakers and amplifiers need to be of the highest quality. When these conditions are properly met with this new technology you can get within 90% of being there. This is a disc that can really drive the point home.

This production of Carmen is an all around winner. The concept of staging the opera as it was first conceived at the Opera Comique is interesting and well done. The action is set on the "wrong side of the tracks" with some truly sleazy staging that helps us realize that the main characters are everyday working people and wandering gypsies (who smuggle for a living). The sets are realistic and certainly not grandiose. The lighting is fantastic. Stage movements are realistic and well done...there are no big stand and sing moments when the chorus is static. The acting is great. Costumes, makeup and hairstyles are also very well done. In the opening scene the women look like they have been sweating in a cigarette factory! Anne Sofie von Otter especially so. This is not my grandefather's "grand-opera" Carmen. I liked the grittiness of the whole production.

Musically, this was a great evening in the theater. The LPO, under Philippe Jordan, play like gods. The orchestral preludes are glorious and the (smallish) chorus sings with verve and excellent ensemble. All of the singers are first rate. Marcus Haddock's Don Jose changes from a stiff (almost pious) soldier to a passionate and ultimately murderous lover. His voice in very good from top to bottom. Laurent Naouri is in fine voice as is Lisa Milne. The knife fight between Don Jose and Escamillo is realistic and frightening with the huge knives. Escamillo's sparing of Don Jose is well acted by Naouri who makes the bull fighter a human character and not a cardboard cut-out. Finally, Anne Sofie von Otter's Carmen is well sung and beautifully acted. She is brilliant! Her best singing (for me at least) was in the scene where she reads her own death in the cards. I'd never thought of her as a Carmen but she is beautiful, sexy, and dangerous only ocassionally registering a little fear. I'd say if you are looking for a new Carmen in Blu-ray, then look no further. Bravo Glyndebourne!

I don't know if this was the best performance musically, but the staging and set design was wonderful.
The one thing that always bothers me is opera traditional, over sized sets and static staging.
Here the characters flow, about the set. Anne Sofie von Otter was perfect as Carmen.

The presentation/performance is very good and it looks like the original production would have been spectacular to see live. However, small details like the video transfer quality (occaisional snow and fringe at the limits of the scan) are annoying and not something expected from a blu ray disc. Audio was good, but not spectacular. Surround sound is somewhat lost on this type of production and can actually detract from enjoyment.

Performance was worth watching, but maybe not buying..

Cheers

This new Blue Ray is superior in picture and sound. By the way, the singers are all excellent also. It is one of the first products I have purchased in Blue Ray and we feel sets quite a standard for the new medium.