Bizet - Carmen
Antonacci; Kaufmann; ROH Orch. / Pappano

Decca 074 3312

Release date September 2008

Earthy, passionate, a realistic portrayal of life lived proudly on the fringes of society - it’s hard to believe today that some of the very qualities that make this DVD such a success caused Carmen to be poorly received at its first performance. (Critics also described the opera as obscure, devoid of colour and undistinguished in melody.) This new recording, filmed at Covent Garden in December 2006, boasts an almost ideal cast. Anna Caterina Antonacci smoulders vocally and dramatically as Carmen, Jonas Kaufmann is equally magnificent as Don José, and the chemistry that develops between them on stage is almost palpable. Ildebrando D’Arcangelo’s Escamillo is suitably arrogant, and although Norah Amsellem looks and sounds a touch mature for the part of Micaëla, the quality of her acting makes up for this. The production, complete with horses on stage, is in the traditional mould, enhancing the feeling of a true drama unfolding. Add to that the fluent marrying of the vocal numbers with the spoken dialogue (the latter sounding entirely natural and unstilted) and the result is a scorching, three-dimensional performance.

Reviewed by Anne McAlister