An evening at the Opera
A different CARMEN...
Saturday, 18 June 2011
, 19.00
A different Carmen, after the performance at Teatro alla Scala on December 7th 2009 with Anita Rachvelishvili, Jonas Kaufmann and Erwin Schrott, under the baton of Daniel Barenboim and the one at the Metropolitan Opera from January 2010 with Elīna Garanča, Roberto Alagna and Mariusz Kwiecień conducted by Yannick Nézet Séguin. Is this actually possible? I must confess I didn't think so.
What first comes to my mind when I think of the live broadcast from the Scala is that macho air as well as the fact that I had to practice more on my French. From the MET, the exquisite posture of Elīna Garanča. Therefore, remembering all these, it was extremely difficult for me to wish to listen to the performance on October 1st 2010 at the Gran Teatre de Liceu in Barcelona, an event within the European Broadcasting Union.
For Carmen was not Garanča!
Don Jose was still interpreted by Roberto Alagna whom I had listened to and seen in the recording from the MET, the Convent Garden in London as well as the Chorégies D'Orange Festival. The latter I found very convincing, memorable and somehow enough.
Escamillo was performed by "Mr. Netrebko" and the conductor was neither Barenboim, nor Nézet Séguin but…the less-know Marc Piollet.
So why would I or you want to listen to another Carmen performance? And why particularly the one at the Gran Teatre del Liceu?
Here are the answers I could find:
- this was going to be my first Carmen "made in Spain"
- the title role was to be performed by Béatrice Uria-Monzon a French mezzo soprano (so no difficulties with the language) who is actually a Spanish-born musician with typical Iberian looks, and, I thought, a personality that may be more authentic and convincing than Garanca's
- one can always discover in a certain performance an approach that unfolds musical secrets yet to be revealed, artistic reflections to be understood and new emotions to be felt…
So I took the time to listen to the performance at the Gran Teatre del Liceu without thinking of comparing it with the ones at the MET or at the Scala, only focussing on the "song" of the performers, as related to the events in Bizet's opera.
Therefore, I invite you as well to listen to a different Carmen. Tune in this Saturday, June 18th on Radio Romania Music!
