| Dynamic and exciting production |
Welsh National Opera |
| Welsh National Opera- Carmen , Wales Millennium Centre , February 27, 2020 |
WNO associate conductor Harry Ogg sets the highly spirited pace for this well-known opera with the WNO orchestra, again on top form, giving Bizet’s Carmen overture a perfect gypsy flavour highlighting the story that is about to emerge.From America, Julia Mintzer with her clear seductive mezzo gives her Carmen a wild gypsy touch almost and at times literary fighting her feisty way through the narrative. All credit due to fight director Lisa Connell. We first meet her alter ego, the innocent beauty Micaëla. Welsh soprano Elin Pritchard sings and acts the role with a delightful perfection. Her unfruitful appeals to Don José to visit his dying mother are moving and heartfelt. He has not yet appeared but will be there as soon as the guard changes. We are in modern-day France, in a square in front of a four story, tenement type building. It cleverly adapts itself in this design by Leslie Travers, to fit each location in the narrative. A group of soldiers are waiting for the changing of the guard. This gives the male members of the WNO’s acclaimed chorus an opportunity to describe the place to us. They are also waiting to see the girls leaving the tobacco factory at the end of their days work. As the guard changes they are ‘emulated’ by a crowd of young ruffian children. We see Carmen come out of the factory and sings a seductive habanera, “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle’ ‘Love is like a rebellious bird’. Julia Mintzer just is Carmen she brings Carmen’s gypsy quality to flavour her strong mezzo and to her acting. She also has a strong physical quality that we see more and more of as she ‘dashes’ from scene to another. She is the show and we are very much excited by her. An extraordinary brilliant performance to watch. She eyes Don José but he is annoyed by her. Don José, played by Peter Auty, with great realism and with a wonderful, all embracing tenor voice, another one of the joys of this thrilling production. Back in the factory Carmen has used a knife on one of the other girls. She is arrested and given to Don José to tie up and guard but she beguiles him with her ’seguidilla’, tempting him boldly with the joys of Lillas Pastia’s tavern. As they leave for the tavern she pushes him down and runs way, free. Don José is arrested. At the tavern we meet bull-fighter Escamillo and, from Giorgio Caoduro we get a fine and elegant rendering of the Toreador song. After more fun and games at Lillas Pastia’s and some delightful dancing from Josie Sinnadurai and Carmine De Amicis Don José returns Army officer Zuniga appears looking for Carmen. A strong performance by John Savournin. José fights with him and to avoid arrest he goes off with the smugglers. They return and celebrate their pickings with some robust singing Écoute,compagnon écoute. Carmen joins her friends, reading the cards. Carmen picks a card telling of her and Don José death! Don José discovers that Escamillo has fallen for Carmen and he is not pleased. They fight but are stopped by a friendly crowd; “Holà, holà José’”. Escamillo declares his love for Carmen. They sing together very movingly, “Si tu m’aimes, Carmen". José pleads with Carmen to return to him she throws his ring back at him. She goes, he stops her, stabs her, she dies. Jose kneels beside the body. With a heavy note of sadness marking his still crystal tenor he sings, “Ah! Carmen! Ma Carmen adore!” but it is too late. |
Reviewed by: Michael Kelligan |
This review has been read 865 times There are 115 other reviews of productions with this title in our database:
|
