As this Carmen bucks any bad luck of being in its 13th anniversary thanks to a cast that delivers the highlight of WNO’s otherwise so-so season.
Strong singing aside, the most interesting aspect is how the producers Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser turn their back on the opera as a spectacle, rather turning it as much as possible into a twisted love story.
Some may feel cheated by the way we don’t see all of the things that most people love about Carmen the show, so don’t expect lots of flamenco dancing and Andalucian life.
Instead designer Christian Fenouillat has created a dark and drab set, with earthy, characters, scraping a living on one side or other of the law. Our soldiers are bored, slack - if clearly well fed – men and the women hardened, vicious.
The action is referred to with a lot of pointing out into the auditorium so we look at the crowd’s reaction rather than seeing what is happening. Full marks to the chorus, vocally and dramatically, in making this approach to the big scenes work.
What makes this revival the season highlight is the standard of singing returning to the show, especially the strong and totally convincing Patricia Bardon in the title role, and others who return to the cast and newcomers. This Carmen acts as an animal teasing, tempting men, her steps are like an animal stroking the ground, she literally head butts Jose.
Two winners of the Welsh Singers Competition, Sarah Jane Davies as Micaela and Gwyn Hughes Jones s Jose, also demonstrate this is a cast that can sing with presence, beauty and dramatic conviction. Sarah Jane is a richly voiced, sensitive Micaela whose solo arias and duets with Gwyn are charming.
With tickets going on sale today (MON) for the 2010 competition how apt these two singers, Gwyn firmly established and Sarah Jane making her WNO debut, proved justifiably popular with the audience.
His is a Jose that manages to avoid the criticism of being a stupid mommy’s boy that loses the plot. With focused, clear singing, this Jose has been driven mad by newly-found passion and incapable of balancing his love with his treatment at her hands and the moral sacrifices he had made.
Versatile baritone David Soar again excels as Escamillo, dramatically given a darker torero to play and sung splendidly.
Conductor Frederic Chaslin demonstrates a firm musical grasp and his baton brings together this whole enjoyable event.
Wales Millennium Centre and touring.
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