Carmen

The BEST Carmen I'd ever seen - and I had seen more than 5 different versions of it live. I saw it live in San Francisco by the SF Opera -different singers, same artistic director- so I got interested in Calixto Bieto stage direction so I order this version by the Liceu Theater (Barcelona). I can only say this is a Master piece of a Master piece. If the Opera is heading into the 21st century with a refreshed look but based on the classics, this is the way to go. Highly recommended.

Iam completed disagreed with the last written review of this Carmen. Opera in itself is like a "Pandora Box".We have to accept that not always we have good acting with great voices. This is a reality we have to face.I have seen the worst Carmens at many of todays great opera houses. Many times we are moved by a good acting performancewith a regular voice or by the contrary, a magnificent voice combined with a poor acting. According to the versionpresented on this dvd the completed performance was well accepted, received and ovationed. The heroine part waswell done and projected considering the open space place, with no microphones to projet the voices. The tenor sanghis part good considering his light lyric voice. The Micaela part was great. The orhestra good and well conducted.

Beautiful production, and Domingo is increadable - a voice at it's prime and worth the price alone. And Obraztsova as Carmen ain't bad also.

This Carmen is the worst I know, it looks that I love this opera and I have nothing more, nothing less, than 25 video versions of Bizet's masterpiece. Just the facts: The mezzo-soprano Nino Surguladze (Nino writes to it) has a strident voice, gets to be boring, annoying sometimes. The Guria is pretty, but does not show the sensuality, the role requires that the Roma. Have two expressions in her repertoire, sad and happy, his character is cold, monotonous and dull. Dona Carmen Surguladze watch with Luciana Bueno and learn how one interprets the gypsy. Carmen has to leave the men urchins, horny, crazy, willing to go to bed with her. Surguladze makes them run away, thus acting, even with Viagra. The tenor Phillipe strives to Do, but his Don José has metallic voice, sings in the race, he lacks technique. His timbre is opaque, scenic reasonable performance, hampered by voice. Still I find an oriental who sings well. The baritone Simone Alberghini (I know, no use complaining, he's even Simone, I checked in the catalog) is lost in the toreador aria. It has material for vocal works, his serious lack luster, lack the strength of the matador. Miss Paulo Szot. The recording was made by Sferisterio Opera Festival in Macerata, 2008. Scenarios almost nonexistent, costumes transported to the mid-twentieth century, without adult choir pitch, children's choir lost. The dialogues are characteristic of "opera comique" were replaced by recitatives, where I think the original shape more interesting. Dance scenes reminiscent of a tango, the story takes place in Spain, nothing against "los hermanos" but each dance in its place. The orchestra does not, is at the base, often bureaucratic. The only thing that saved in the midst of so much badness is the soprano Irina Lungu. His voice combines with the dark heart of the character Micaela. For the first time I see powerful voice, thick and bulky for a character who is usually light and lyrical.Friends, shelf them. This deserves to be trampled by a wild bull of a thousand pounds.PORTUGUESE:Essa Carmen é a pior que conheço, olha que eu adoro essa ópera e tenho nada mais , nada menos, que 25 versões em vídeo da obra prima de Bizet. Vamos aos fatos: O mezzo-soprano Nino Surguladze (escreve-se Nino mesmo) tem voz estridente, chega a ser chata, irritante muitas vezes. A guria é bonitona, mas não mostra a sensualidade, a atuação que a cigana exige. Têm em seu repertório duas expressões, triste e alegre, sua personagem é fria, monótona e sem graça. Dona Surguladze assista a Carmen com a Luciana Bueno e aprenda como se interpreta a cigana. Carmen tem que deixar os homens ouriçados, com tesão, malucos, com vontade de ir para a cama com ela. Surguladze os faz sair correndo, atuando assim , nem com Viagra . O tenor Phillipe Do até se esforça, mas seu Don José tem voz metálica, canta na raça, carece de técnica. Seu timbre é opaco, atuação cênica razoável, prejudicada pela voz. Ainda vou achar um oriental que cante bem. O barítono Simone Alberghini (já sei, não adianta reclamar, ele se chama Simone mesmo, conferi no catálogo) perde-se na ária do toreador. Não tem material vocal para a empreitada, seus graves não têm brilho, falta a força do toureiro. Saudades do Paulo Szot. A gravação foi realizada pelo Sferisterio Opera Festival em Macerata, 2008. Cenários quase inexistentes, figurinos transportados para a metade do século XX, coro adulto sem afinação, coro infantil perdido . Os diálogos característicos da "opera comique" foram substituídos pelos recitativos, sempre acho a forma original mais interessante. Cenas de dança lembram um tango argentino, a história se passa na Espanha, nada contra "los hermanos" , mas cada dança em seu lugar. A orquestra não compromete, fica no básico, muitas vezes burocrática. A única coisa que se salva no meio de tanta ruindade é o soprano, Irina Lungu. Sua voz escura combina com a coragem da personagem Micaela. Pela primeira vez vejo voz potente , densa e volumosa para uma personagem que geralmente é leve e lírica.Amigos, prateleira neles. Essa merece ser pisoteada por um touro bravo de mil quilos.Ali Hassan Ayache

This is an excellent recording of Bieito's Carmen (Barcelona 2010, live). I am no regie fan, but I appreciate good theatre and this staging is tremendously effective. True, this production is unusually violent and sexually explicit; but the singing- actors inhabit their parts, the music and chorus are an integral part of the action, the conducting first class. There are exciting performances by all principals - particularly Alagna as Don José is superb - and the minimalistic sets and lighting are effective . Most of the spoken recitatives are cut from this production adding in dramatic intensity.The story is unconventionally set around nineteen-seventy , in poverty-stricken Southern Spain; all Carmen's associates are frankly criminal smuggling cars, electronics, and hard drink/ drugs ; It's a violent world, where Don José's colleagues are no national army upright soldiers, but mercenaries, under harsh discipline in their camp and behaving outrageously off duty. Our very first image of Don José is when he and Carmen catch each other's eye for the first time: both seem transfixed. In his first scene with Micaella, while singing of his mother and home (and singing perfectly ) Alagna seems already aware that all that belongs to the past . His lack of response to Micaelas's kiss looks like honest lack of attraction, not repression: this Don José is reserved rather than sexually repressed: he's also single-minded and absolute in his passions, fatally combining this with the potential for violence in his character (it's past homicide, after all, that brought him to the army). Poplaskaya's Micaella is not the traditional innocent girl, but a woman set on winning her man and - despite her uneven singing -her interpretation is convincing. While Beatrice's Uria-Monzon acting is wonderful, her singing is less than ideal for Carmen - but seems appropriate for this older and rough-living woman . Her passion for Don José seems genuine (while it lasts) making his obsession with her all the more convincing . Finally, Erwin Schrott's Escamillo is well sung in a clever parody of this macho character: he is a beautiful virile animal likely to attract Carmen, escaping from José's possessive passion. Alagna's duet and fight with Schrott and his final confrontation with Monzon's Carmen are particularly memorable in itensity .Although the newcomer to Bizet's opera might enjoy more a traditional production (eg the MET Garanca-Alagna DVD ), this Carmen is a rare treat for those who love opera as lyrical drama.

La mejor versión de Carmen que he visto/escuchado. Absolutamente magistral. Y la puesta, bellísima.

Franco Zeffirelli inszenierte hierbin den späten 70er Jahren in Wien ein Meisterwerk, dirigiert von Carlos Kleiber und perfekt gesungen von Placido Domingo und vielen mehr.In den zwei Probemonaten auf der Bühne der Wiener Staatsoper mussten ALLE anwesend sein, auch jeder Statist (Insider-Wissen).Abschließend: ein Hör- und Sehgenuss!

La version audio serait déjà très bonne, mais tout l’intérêt de cette version scénique est dans la mise en scène : l’Espagne des années 70, un décor dépouillé, qui vaut mieux que les décors traditionnels empoussiérés, ou totalement décalés. Une arène de lumière entourée de ténèbres. La Bandera espagnole. Le taureau Osborne. Pas les dialogues chantés d’Ernest Guiraud, peu de dialogues parlés, apparition très tardive de Don José. Tout cela est cohérent et ne trahit pas l’œuvre. Cela me rappelle la Carmen de Peter Brook.Une nouvelle fois ce couple vedette était réuni. Superbe Uria-Monzon, dont le talent scénique est particulièrement mis en valeur dans cette production. Très intelligemment, et contrairement aux autres, on sent, dans la scène finale, que cela lui fait de la peine de faire de la peine à notre Don José national, toujours beau, vaillant et à l’aise sur une scène.Michaela n’est pas l’oie blanche habituelle. Les compères sont plus marlous que contrebandiers, avec leur Mercedes (la voiture). Le toreador est un vrai beau gosse.Excellente direction de Marc Piollet, chef français à solide formation allemande, acclamé un peu partout…on l’attend toujours à Paris.Une belle version scénique et musicale. Bien captée (son et vues), tout à fait recommandable.

Bellissima edizione del capolavoro di Bizet. Interpreti, regia tradizionale ma non banale, costumi, tutto molto bello. Bella la custodia del dvd in cartoncino lucido composta da quattro pagine con due belle immagini di scena. Sottotitoli anche in italiano. Il formato 4:3 penalizza lievemente il campo visivo, ma è veramente irrilevante.

Watched this on television from a subscription channel and it was an immediate "must buy" for me.An incredible and impressive staging of Carmen recorded at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona.The crowd scene in front of the bullring was so spontaneous and enthusiastic. To obtain the action and movement I suspect it was choreographed and intensively rehearsed yet was overwhelming.Felt I was not a spectator of a stage production but being drawn in to participate on what was happening. Another amazing scene was the gypsies hideout. The stage had space of about eight Mercedes cars and a large cast. With the large number of people on stage it seemed to me that I was at Appleby Fair or similar gathering.Makes UK Covent Garden seem like a Village Hall and the soldiers of the excellent New York Met production appear..... well ..slightly less macho!