Customer Reviews

Georges Bizet - Carmen / Nuria Espert · Zubin Mehta - M. Ewing · L. Lima · L. Vaduva - ROH Covent Garden

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I debated long and hard which Carmen to get: this live version from the Royal Opera House or or filmed version with Placido Domingo. Here is the Great news and the Good news. In short, this is a wonderful (hence great) production marred by a few technical flaws which limit it's brilliance (hence good).

The great is firstly Luis Lima's wonderful, charasmatic performance as Don Jose. Imminently believable, sad, boyish and gullible--his voice is stronger than I've seen him in comparable roles (e.g. La Boheme). Maria Ewing's performance is less credible, not passionate or seductive enough--seems somewhat more self-serving and machiavellian (which is the way the liner notes suggests--"Carmen thinks like a man.") Nonetheless, Ewings vocal performance is outstanding. Also great is the the lavish Royal Opera House production and Zubin Mehta's orchestral flair.

The limits of this video, is the technical editing and audio production. Some of the scene editing appears sloppy, with angle cuts too sophisticated to be effective (e.g. cutting faster during faster paced arias.) Or cutting to slightly blurred scenes. And the audio quality, while uncompressed and in stereo, is not dolby surround...hence slightly hollowed.

But, in it's whole, while not perfect (although Lima is close), this is a good, if not long (over 2.5 hrs) production that shows beautiful Carmen in all its glory. A nice addition to any library.

If Zefferelli had been involved with this produciton, this would have been an unbeatible staging.

Whoever said no big stars, please take back your words! I am an opera fanatic, conductor, and composer and I have been studying the art seriously for years. If you haven't heard of Maria Ewing or Gino Quilico, please open your ears and your eyes! This is a star-studded cast with great truth to Bizet's critical score and also, to the gentlemen who reviewed this DVD above my review, Carmen is SUPPOSED to be in French. I hope you didn't think it was in Italian.

This is the Carmen which I have in my imagination. In spite of the great performance by Migenes and Domingo on the other DVD, I have some reservations about a movie-style Carmen with its lip-synching and the explicit 'realism'. I still prefer a 'live' stage performance where the excitement is all there in the singing.

Of the video recordings of stage performances I've seen, this is the most moving. Baltsa and Berganza might sing the role better, but Ewing's characterization is the best. Baltsa's Carmen (at the Met) sometimes seem to exhibit pre-adolescent playfulness and Berganza's is a sweetie-pie Carmen. None of them are dangerous, as Carmen should be.

I do not agree with a viewer that Ewing's Carmen is Machiavellian. If that's the case, so is Callas' Carmen on EMI. Carmen is a self-assured woman who follows her instinct, and fearlessly. She goes all out to get what she wants. The seguidilla scene is so convincing compared to the others. Ewing's Carmen's character does not change in the course of the opera. She remains steadfastly what she is, from the day she picked up Don Jose to the day she got stabbed by him.

We have here also a very convincing Don Jose in Luis Lima, even though Domingo is a better singer. Just watch the finale scene and compare him with Carerras opposite Baltsa. Neither of them can compare with Lima or Ewing. Just watch Lima's frustration and fury.

Another wonderful point about this production is its faithfulness to the score in putting back those traditional cuts, even in the dialogues. It makes so much more sense.

Vaduva is a pretty Michaela and well-liked by the audience. Quilico is rather cold and self-absorbed as Escamillo. He could have been more flirtatious at least if not passionate. In this respect Samuel Ramey is better, in the Baltsa Carmen.

Overall a wonder production, with beautiful costumes and settings. Mehta conducted wonderfully, better than Levine in the Met production.

Maria Ewing is at her usual. To me, the best Carmen, ever. This is of course from the point of view of an opera lover who believes that opera is theater, not just singing. From that point of view only, Leontina Vaduva is a compromise.She sings well, but not credible as a 17-year old (Micaela).
But... Ewing is Ewing and this is one of her best, perhaps the Glyndebourne performance (Bernard Haitink conducting) was a little better for the drama that Ewing can provide (the first appearance of Carmen on the square at Glyndebourne is unforgettable), but that performance may not be available on DVD. Recommendation: buy it.

'Carmen' is a favourite, but this version lives up to its promise. It also demonstrates the problems with the 'star' system, but there are no 'big names' on the stage (just one in the orchestra pit). But what there is on the stage are some of the finest performers and grand voices you may ever hear. Don Hose and Carmencita are stunning, and the delicate delivery in French is correct ! The flamenco sequence in the tavern is another delicate embellishment, and just perfectly understated. Not a demonstration of violent stage strutting, but the kind of 'play' typical of taverners. Five stars easy !

I was very pleased with the clear focus, the perfect sound level (did not sound like a distant voice singing like many theater recordings do)and ease of use. The menu was adequate and I expected much less when ordering this DVD, therefore I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable the show was. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys opera, since it gives a person a chance to enjoy the theatre even when we do not have a chance to get to the opera house.

Carmen is the favorite opera of many people, but surprisingly it is very hard to get it right. Very few singers have been able to characterize Carmen in a way that seems dramatically viable. The good news here is that Ewing is a magnificent actress and makes a brilliant Carmen. This is an intelligent production and there are many fine directorial points made along the way. The thematic elements are fully brought out and (for a change) the opera makes complete sense. Carmen is far from Machiavellian. She is a creature of passion who thrives on anarchy and danger--a woman for whom life has to be lived as its most intense. When Don Jose fails to respond to her challenges that he abandon what is most safe for the complete freedom she craves, she leaves him for a bull fighter. In this production the toreador is rather a weak link. Gino Quilico can be a superb performer but his talents are not well utilized here and he comes across as rather dull. This may have been what the director intended but it only makes Quilico come across as a poor casting choice. This is not as serious a flaw as you might think because overall this is a fine production that makes it perfectly clear why Carmen is such a profound meditation on the nature of love (and life). This opera is art of the highest order and not just a popular array of wonderful tunes. Attentive viewers will note the amazing play of words: Toujours L'amour, Toujours La Mort which seems to say it all.

Carmen is one of the most popular and performed operas, so not just any performance can be put on screen. I liked this version. It is well acted (specially by Luis Lima and Leontina Vaduva) and well sung (by everybody) and I felt each singer had the right timber voice for their respective roles. A very appropriate use of cameras and a clever and tasteful set design, direction and montage contribute as well to make this version worthy of its release on DVD. You will not be deceived by this one.

This was the second Opera we purchased for our home and I have to say that it is just marvelous. The production quality is fantastic and taken as a whole this Carmen is riveting entertainment. So much so that my 6 year-old daughter loves it; and my 4 year-old son - while he can't sit still to watch - loves to listen to Bizet's superb music while he plays with his trains.

Maria Ewing is a marvelous and compelling Carmen: I cannot imagine anyone else in this role now. She is young and feisty and very believable. Beautiful voice.

Five Stars. Sound quality is outstanding. Acting and costuming is very good, as well. If you purchase only one opera for yourself and your children, I would make it this one.

Note for Parents: There is mock violence in this video and even worse cigarette smoking (Carmen works in a cigarette factory afterall) so be prepared with that 'no smoking' lecture.

I was skeptical at first about watching an opera somewhere other than at the opera house, but I was very pleased when I sat down and watched this recording. The images were focused, adequately lighted, the sound was just the right level (it didn't seem way off in the distance like some other recordings of theater I have seen). It was a great way to enjoy opera in the privacy of my own home!