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Advantages: Smooth voiced protagonists, nice sound Disadvantages: Slightly tame Escamillo, maybe lacking in some french style
Arguably the best recording of Carmen in the past 30 years. Teresa Berganza has a smooth and warm voice here, rather darker than Victoria de los Angeles (Thomas Beecham conducts, EMI) but smoother and lighter than Maria Callas (Georges Pretre conducts, EMI) and Regine Resnik (Schippers conducts, Decca). Her performance is similarly balanced - dramatic without being too vampish and with that sultry latin quality (a little bit lacking in Victoria de los Angeles in my opinion). She sings with greater precision in the runs and leaps than Resnik and her voice seems like balm after the altogether different instrument of Maria Callas (even at the later's best she growls rather more than Berganaza which you either love or hate). Placido Domingo is a king amongst recent Don Joses on record. Jose Carreras with Karajan may bring more passion to ...
operalover2000 04.04.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Bizet: Carmen
Advantages: Callas in one of her best studio performances, Great Sound Disadvantages: Some fans might not like Callas' voice
This was Callas' first complete studio recording for years and it was a big step- some would say that it proves she should have sung mezzo roles all along. The voice is dark and powerful, without the flappy high notes she had singing higher soprano roles by this late stage in her career. She has lots of character and, despite her reputation as a 'tigress', lots of subtlety as well. She had sung french arias in the studio for about four or five years before recording this carmen and she has very good diction and a good awareness of style. She is most effective in her duets with Gedda, that most stylish of tenors. His smooth voice lacks the virility of say Domingo but Gedda is very french sounding and can be exciting. The conducting is very effective with Pretre being more successful here than in some of his other opera recordings ...
operalover2000 04.04.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Bizet: Carmen
Advantages: A feisty, funny, memorable heroine plus a great story Disadvantages: It came to an end
wonderfully rounded. They are all given great parts in this busy story and not one is a disappointment. I loved and hated them as necessary.
No way does the story focus totally on Annie's job as a Personal Shopper. You won't find screeds of fashion tips and hints cunningly included within the plot. You will find some, of course, but the theme is certainly not intrusive. We meet a few of Annie's favourite customers and their parts are well written and the interaction between them and Annie is not in any way unnecessary to the story. There's no padding in Ms Reid's writing.
Oh! And I have to tell you that Carmen Reid is also the only author I've read to date who can write a lovemaking scene which is actually delightfully sexy and funny and not at all clinical or mucky.
With lots of love and laughter, a little sadness and a huge ...
