Top choice Carmen on DVD: Uria-Monzon and Alagna in smashing Bieito production

Carmen. DVD. Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona 2011. Production: Calixto Bieito. Conductor: Marc Piollet. Cast: Beatrice Uria-Monzon (Carmen), Roberto Alagna (Don José), Marina Poplavskaya (Micaëla), Erwin Schrott (Escamillo), Josep Ribot (Zuniga), Eliana Bayon (Frasquita), Itxaro Mentxaka (Mercedes).

My first experience with Calixto Bieito dates approximately 10 years back in Copenhagen when he introduced 14 men squatting with their trousers down on 14 loos in the opening scene of Ballo di Maschera leaving the auditorium in a state of shock. Later Calixto Bieito has evolved into the prototype of an advanced regietheater director with highly controversial productions involving plenty of sex and nudity regardless of what work he is staging.

However, his productions in the bigger European houses (as opposed to the smaller German) seem to be somewhat less “adventurous”, such as his visually stunning Wozzeck also from Barcelona.

Equally so with this production of Carmen: Less controversial than expected but entirely compelling and probably the best Carmen available on DVD.

The stage is virtually empty, an elliptic light vaguely evokes a bull fighters arena. Set around 1980-90 in Spain, the atmosphere is compelling: It is a tough world in which the women struggle to survive. Carmen, a jaded, tough beauty leads the gang while Frasquita and Mercedes have turned to drinking and meaningless sex. The violent gang of Lilas Pastia deal in stolen electronics, and violently beats Zuniga to death while soldiers (mercenaries?) runs a coloured prisoner to his death in the opening scene. Carmen is not young anymore, neither a vulgar nor sophisticated, but a woman who she simply does what she has to do to survive. Clearly a man´s world, even the small girls learn how to dress and act sexy. 

Beatrice Uria-Monzon is simply a smashing Carmen. She may not have the plush voice some of her colleagues have, but she is certainly vocally adequate and with a characterization and presence that leaves most of her colleagues behind in the dust. The details are far too many to mention but just watching her silent interaction with Frasquita and Mercedes during the Toreador song when she meets Escamillo for the first time is priceless. 

Roberto Alagna gives the perhaps most convincing performance I have seen from him and he really does seem to get plenty of positive reviews at the moment. His Don José is both credibly acted (no doubt thanks to Bieito´s direction) and well sung, significantly better than his 2010 performance at the Metropolitan Opera. 

Top marks to Erwin Schrott´s Escamillo, not necessarily for his occasional shaky voice, but he inhabits the stage as few as the wise guy type Escamillo, complete with a cheap suit.

Micaëla is a tough cookie as well, arriving in Andalusia in flowery garments with a camera she fights for her man, smiling haughtily at Carmen when she drags off with him (end Act 3). Also top marks to Marina Poplavskaya and for the same reasons as for Erwin Schrott: Vocally she is somewhat shaky (especially in the higher register) though I have heard her far worse. But what sets Poplavskaya apart, as always, is her complete identification with her character.
The details are plenty, the personenregie is exciting and there is not one dull moment. In this dazzling ambiance I almost forgot to mention Marc Piollet, entirely unfair, as he leads an entirely committed performance from the Liceu orchestra, especially in the beginning of the opera.

In my book, this is the best Carmen on DVD. However, there are several excellent recent DVD versions available, which may be recommended: Jonas Kaufmann and Anna CaterinaAntonacci burning up the screen at the Royal Opera in 2009, Elina Garanca andRoberto Alagna at the Met from 2010.
Of the not (yet?) commercially released versions, Daniel Barenboim has conducted two excellent ones: Marina Domashenko/Roberto Villazon in a Kusej production from Berlin 2006 and Jonas Kaufmann with Anita Rachvelischvili at La Scala in 2009.

Seguedille:

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

Beatrice Uria-Monzon: 5

Roberto Alagna: 5

Marina Poplavskaya: 5

Erwin Schrott: 5

Calixto Bieito´s production: 5

Marc Piollet: 4-5

Overall impression: 5

Carmen at The Met

Carmen. DVD. 2010. Metropolitan Opera. Production: Richard Eyre. Conductor: Yannick Nezet-Seguin. Cast: Elina Garanca (Carmen), Roberto Alagna (Don J), Teddy Tahu Rhodes (Escamillo), Barbara Frittoli (Micaela).

Last time The New York Metropolitan Opera presented a new production of Carmen was in 1997, directed by Zeffirelli with Waltraud Meier as Carmen ("it was the most horrible time in my career"), and Angela Gheorghiu ("that wig goes on stage with or without you") as Micäela. This time around, Angela Gheorghiu was originally scheduled as Carmen, but withdrew allegedly due to private problems - i.e. her separation from husband Roberto Alagna - as of now (2012) they seem to be together again though. However, so-called "dramatic issues" also played a part in her cancellation. Understandably so. As Carmen you´d need a vocal heft, particularly in the lower register, that Gheorghiu simply does not have and furthermore in a house the size of the Met..not an obvious recipe for success, I´d say.

The current production opened on New Years Eve 2009, directed by Richard Eyre, who chose to update the story to the 1930 Spanish Civil War, thus emphasizing the political context of the piece - i.e. underlining the inherent conflicts between soldiers and townspeople. The sets are relatively simple and the story is told in a straight-forward manner. Perhaps not overly exiting or inventive, but a staging which will satisfy most audiences, not an unimportant consideration for an production which is supposed to fill the house regularly with everchanging cast members for the next 10+ years.
The replacement for Angela Gheorghiu was Elina Garanca, a vocally superb, though cool Carmen. There are simply no other mezzo-soprano today with the same beautiful even tone throughout the entire register. At no point was she strained. Some may lack a bit of wildness and spontaneity, but this is just not Garanca´s style. Garanca portraits a woman in the 1930´s, who is definitely not a vamp, but a calculating woman. As such it is difficult to fault her something. Those wanting more wildness may look forward to seeing Anita Rachvelishvili when she appears in the same production in the 2012-13 season.

As for Roberto Alagna, he really does seem to have a vocal renaissance in these years. Don José is a good part for him. If I sound less than completely enthusiastic it is simply that I have never really taken to Alagna´s style. But he does what he always has been doing, and better than in a long time as well.
Barbara Frittoli´s vibrato unfortunately has widened quite a bit the last 4-5 years, but her appearance as Micaëla is wonderful. Teddy Tahu Rhodes replacing an ill Mariusz Kwiecien with three hours notice, looks great, but vocally he does not really have the vocal qualities of a great Escamillo.
Points to Keith Miller as well for excellent characterization as Zuniga.

Yannick Nezet-Seguin is repeatedly mentioned as one of the favourites to take over after James Levine, when the latter officially resigns (these years he is barely conducting due to protracted health problems). And why not? He is a fine conductor, delivering a colourful and dynamic interpretation of the score.

For many, this could be a first choice. Alternatively, for a bit more sparkle between the protagonists, look for Jonas Kaufmann and Anna Caterina Antonacci´s 2006 version from London.


Final scene:

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):


Elina Garanca: 5
Roberto Alagna: 4
Teddy Tahu Rhodes: 3
Barbara Frittoli: 3


Richard Eyre: 3
Yannick Nezet Seguin: 4-5


Overall impression: 4