Product Description
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Anna Caterina Antonacci, Norah Amsellem, Jonas Kaufmann, and
Ildebrando D'Arcangelo star in this Royal Opera production of the
Bizet opera conducted by Antonio Pappano.
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This Covent Garden production of Bizet’s Carmen, makes a vivid
musical and dramatic impression. Director Francesca Zambello
creates a properly Spanish atmosphere, filling the stage with a
profusion of detailed characters. In Act One’s town square each
of the many soldiers, strollers, factory girls, and
children are individuals, so there’s a bustle of continuous,
realistic activity. That attention to detail carries over to the
rest of the opera, involving viewers in the action. Tanya
McCallin’s sets are a perfect foil for the direction: simple,
movable panels that serve as lightly sketched backdrops for the
town square, a tavern, the smugglers’ ain hideaway, and the
final scene in front of the bull ring. But what makes this Carmen
special is the singing and acting of the principals. Carmen is
Anna Caterina Antonacci, a soprano known for the intensity she
brings to her performances. Without taking anything to excess,
her Carmen is a fiery temptress, sexy, insistent on setting her
own terms for love and personal freedom. She sings all the set
pieces well and, with tenor Jonas Kaufmann as her besotted lover,
Don José, makes the final scene a hair-raising experience. If
anything, Kaufmann trumps her with a beautifully sung, rounded
portrait of the village boy turned soldier ensnared in a world
beyond his experience. Kaufmann conveys the complexity of the
character and etches his slow descent into obsessive madness. His
rendition of the Flower Song is extraordinary for beauty of tone,
phrasing and the soft singing essential to make this aria’s full
impact. The toreador, Escamilio, is finely sung and acted by
Ildebrando D’Arcangelo. He makes his entrance on horseback, sings
the Toreador Song with b arrogance, and projects this
haughty, self-absorbed figure to perfection. And Norah Amsellem,
as the village girl who loves Don José, uses her attractive
soprano to depict her purity and innocence. Smaller roles are
well done, with special mention due to bass Matthew Rose as
Zuniga, the lieutenant of the guard. The vibrant conducting of
Antonio Pappano is a big plus here; pacing is perfect, rhythms
vibrantly precise, and melodies shaped with care. Under his
baton, the Royal Opera House chorus and orchestra complete a
rich, well-detailed performance of Bizet’s masterpiece. Lighting
designs of Paule Constable add to the atmosphere of each scene,
while television director Jonathan Haswell’s cameras always seem
to be where they should be. --Dan Davis
Carmen is an all-regions disc in 16:9 ratio. Sound options
include PCM Stereo and DTS 5.1 Surrdound. Sung in French,
subtitles include English, French, German, Spanish and Chinese.
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Review
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"Kaufmann...has everything for the part: youthful, Mediterranean
good looks; a dark, baritonal timbre; excellent French; and an
ability both to phrase his music stylishly and to sing viscerally
thrilling high notes." -- The Sunday Times on Kaufmann in Carmen
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