Bizet: Carmen / Norman, Freni, Shicoff, Estes; Ozawa

Georges Bizet (Artist), Seiji Ozawa (Artist), Jessye Norman (Artist), Neil Shicoff (Artist), Orchestre National de France (Artist), Choeur et Maitrise de Radio France (Artist), Mirella Freni (Artist), Simon Estes (Artist), Jean-Philippe Courtis (Artist), François Le Roux (Artist), Ghyslaine Raphanel (Artist), Jean Rigby (Artist), Nicolas Rivenq (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 7, 1989)
• Number of Discs: 3
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B000004108
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #304,978 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #61 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Divas > Freni, Mirella
  • #65 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Divas > Norman, Jessye

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Carmen: Prelude

2. Carmen: Act One - No. 1: Introduction - Sur la place, chacun passe (Morales)

3. Carmen: Act One - No. 1: Introduction - Regardez donc cette petite (Micaela)

4. Carmen: Act One - No. 2: Marche et Choeur des gamins - Avec la garde montante

5. Carmen: Act One - No. 2: Marche et Choeur des gamins - Il y a une jolie fille (Morales, Don Jose)

6. Carmen: Act One - No. 2: Marche et Choeur des gamins - Et la garde descendante (

See all 22 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Carmen: Entracte

2. Carmen: Act Two - No. 11: Chanson - Les tringles des sistres tintaient (Carmen, Frasquita, Mercedes)

3. Carmen: Act Two - No. 11: Chanson - Vous avez quelque chose a nous dire - No. 12 Choeur et Ensemble - Vivat! vivat le torero (Zuniga, Pastia, Frasquita, Carmen, Morales, Mercedes)

4. Carmen: Act Two - No. 13: Couplets - Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre - Toreador, en garde (Escamillo)

5. Carmen: Act Two - No. 13: Couplets - Messieurs les officiers, je vous en prie. - Marche (Pastia, Zuniga, Escamillo, Carmen)

6. Carmen: Act Two - No. 13: Couplets - Le Dancaire et le Remendado ont a vous parler (Pastia, Frasquita, Carmen)

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Carmen: Entracte

2. Carmen: Act Three - Scene 1: No. 18: Introduction - Ecoute, compagnon, ecoute! (Frasquita, Mercedes, Carmen, Don Jose, Le Dancaire, Le Remendado)

3. Carmen: Act Three - Scene 1: No. 18 Introduction - Halte! nous allons nous arreter ici! (Le Dancaire, Le Remendado, Don Jose, Carmen)

4. Carmen: Act Three - Scene 1: No. 19: Trio des cartes - Melons! Coupons! (Frasquita, Mercedes, Carmen)

5. Carmen: Act Three - Scene 1: No. 19: Trio des cartes - Carreau! Pique!... La mort! (Carmen, Frasquita, Mercedes)

6. Carmen: Act Three - Scene 1: No. 19: Trio des cartes - Eh! bien?... (Carmen, Le Dancaire, Le Remendado, Frasquita, Mercedes, Don Jose)

See all 19 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensuous, sultry, January 16, 2011

By 

enbeng - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bizet: Carmen / Norman, Freni, Shicoff, Estes; Ozawa (Audio CD)

Jessye Norman is extraordinary in this recording and so is Neal Shicoff. I view Carmen in a different light after listening to this recording. Carmen is so overexposed, so sugar-coated that usually it is hard to bear it. When I started listening towards the middle, to this recording on Sean Bianco's capradio (this is a .org site in Sacramento) program, at first I didnt recognize it, it sounded so different, so beautiful. I thought how sensuous, how exotic. Norman sings beautifully and in addition her French accent is the most delicious (you can hear it also in La Belle Helene). She gets across the sultry, fiery, luscious woman Carmen is supposed to be. I admit I havent listened to all of the famous Carmens but whatever I listened to, especially any of the newer artists, dont come close to this in terms of quality.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Norman is an absolute Isolde but.....Carmen?, April 9, 2004

By 

Paulino Partida "The Batman" (Guadalajara, Mexico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bizet: Carmen / Norman, Freni, Shicoff, Estes; Ozawa (Audio CD)

What can I say of an absolute wonderful soprano who has a blooper? Carmen is not for her. She sounds so soft, that no man's heart can sense the Carmen's traditional dangerous fire.
The Orchestra sound is spectacular, but lacks of the grandeur that Ozawa has in Philips' Carmina Burana, for example. I am big Norman Fan, but I think she was born for singing spirituals, or Isolde or Poulenc Songs. The Figaro Countess under Davies is absolutely delicious. What can I say? Carmen is not for her.But she is a wonderful singer. Period. My Carmen is Julia Migenes and Placido Domingo under Lorin Maazel.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Stay away from this recording, November 20, 2000

By 

J. Luis Juarez Echenique "pepechenique" (Mexico City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bizet: Carmen / Norman, Freni, Shicoff, Estes; Ozawa (Audio CD)

I have no idea who was the "genius" who thought of Jessye Norman as Carmen. It is a pity that such an important singer as she turned out such a disastrous performance. Everything is wrong in her portrayal: sense of style, characterisation, charm...,the Don Jose and the Escamillo are hardly better, only Mirella Freni, even well past her prime, gives any pleasure. Ozawa conducts a grandiloquent, verismo Carmen, like they used to do in the 50's. Even if you are a fan of Norman, I would strongly recommend to stay away from this recording. If you are looking for a truly great recording of Carmen look no further than Teresa Berganza/Claudio Abbado in DG, the best recording ever of Bizet's masterpiece. Other good alternatives are Victoria de los Angeles/Beecham and Tatiana Troyanos/Solti, but Berganza is the most passionate and magical Carmencita of all.