Carmen!

[DarkAngel]

I forgot to mention a good contender in the record sweepstakes: the Frühbeck EMI benefits from lively and very elegant playing, possibly the best since Cluytens. Excellent playing, choral singing, sound and comprimarii. I've never liked Freni's prissy Micaela nor Vickers' crooning José, but better that than the pumped up, strangulated capon that occasionally ventures in the streets of Séville...

Yes that is one of the better versions and very cheap now on 2CD EMI Gemini series, I will choose Grace Bumbry easily over Leotyne Price, she has a little of that gypsy blood I believe (still not quite a Callas)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs0E2CufQ7c

[knight66]

That Burgos is a favourite version of mine. It was, I think, the first to use spoken dialogue and some small excised part was restored in Act 1. I like Vickers a great deal, at least he puts meaning into his singing. Bumbry has always been criticised for being under characterised in the role, but I enjoy her a lot. The card scene is especially dramatic and I especially enjoy Burgos' way with the score.

Mind you.....I enjoy Price, I like that set, except that the whole thing sounds overblown, like it is by Verdi, it loses points for losing the feel of being a French opera.

Bernstein mauls some of the music. I enjoy Horne a lot, but her Don I find hard on the ear.

For my taste, de los Angeles is too nice...the dark side seems missing to my ears.

Ozawa surprised me and Jessye Norman provides what sounds like excellent French. She has both the playful and the cruel in her voice and also restrains herself. She does not flood  the role with the sheer sound of her voice, no Isolde here. I think it is a very successful take on the part, though Norman and Gypsy are not an obvious combination.

BTW, she had the same remarkable French language coach as did Callas.

The Jose for Norman is Shicoff who is the Shirley Bassey of Tenors, everything is at full throttle and he is constantly in a state of high drama. Freni is rather too old for her repeat of the sidekick, but overall, the set gives me a lot of pleasure.

Mike

[Tsaraslondon]

I used to have the Fruhbeck de Burgos on LP, but, though well sung, I always found Bumbry's Carmen a little anonymous, rather like the Carmen of Troyanos on the Solti.

Baltsa was a favourite Carmen of mine in the theatre, in fact the best I have ever seen, but she has to contend with Karajan's conducting (slow and overblown), and the use of an actor to speak her dialogue. Lord knows why; she sounded perfectly capable when I saw her on stage. I also like Carreras as Jose and Van Dam's Escamillo (also to be heard on Abbado and Solti), but Ricciarelli is little short of disastrous as Micaela. There is also a DVD of Baltsa singing the role with Carreras at the Met. It's not bad, but, again, somewhat overblown, and, by this time Baltsa and Carreras had been singing their roles all over the world together for quite some time, and there is just the hint of routine in their performances.

Abbado's set with Berganza has always been a contender, and she does the Gallic charm part very well, but for me she lacks that last ounce of gypsy fire, rather like De Los Angeles on the Beecham.

Callas's recording hasn't always had a good press, and I keep trying others, but it is always the recording I return to most often - and not just for Callas. I like Pretre's swift, no nonsense conducting, the plucky Micaela of Guiot, the boastful, swaggering Escamillo of Massard, and Gedda's impeccably sung Jose. And Callas's Carmen, endlessly fascinating,  is never quite as I remember it. There is always something, sometimes a small aside, sometimes a phrase shown in relief , that is not quite as i remembered it. And, as Barak mentions, she is one of the few non French singers to deliver the language easily and fluently, and as if she actually understands what she is singing about. Without question, it would be my desert island choice. I could easily do without 2 more (which Dark Angel allows) and save those for something else.

[DarkAngel]

Great discussion going, placed an order for this 3CD older 1973 live Solti version that has the deep luxury cast:
Shirley Verrett - Placido Domingo, Kiri Te Kiwana, Jose van Dam

Some comments say Verrett is the only singer to seriously challenge Callas as the sensuos gypsy with a firey cat on the prowl performance. Very deep supporting cast, live sound has typical stage noises, moving around etc.
The Opera d'Oro version in 2nd photo was much cheaper so I opted for that.....will report upon arrival.

Anyone have this now?

[DarkAngel]

I used to have the Fruhbeck de Burgos on LP, but, though well sung, I always found Bumbry's Carmen a little anonymous, rather like the Carmen of Troyanos on the Solti.

Baltsa was a favourite Carmen of mine in the theatre, in fact the best I have ever seen, but she has to contend with Karajan's conducting (slow and overblown), and the use of an actor to speak her dialogue. Lord knows why; she sounded perfectly capable when I saw her on stage. I also like Carreras as Jose and Van Dam's Escamillo (also to be heard on Abbado and Solti), but Ricciarelli is little short of disastrous as Micaela. There is also a DVD of Baltsa singing the role with Carreras at the Met. It's not bad, but, again, somewhat overblown, and, by this time Baltsa and Carreras had been singing their roles all over the world together for quite some time, and there is just the hint of routine in their performances.

Abbado's set with Berganza has always been a contender, and she does the Gallic charm part very well, but for me she lacks that last ounce of gypsy fire, rather like De Los Angeles on the Beecham.

Callas's recording hasn't always had a good press, and I keep trying others, but it is always the recording I return to most often - and not just for Callas. I like Pretre's swift, no nonsense conducting, the plucky Micaela of Guiot, the boastful, swaggering Escamillo of Massard, and Gedda's impeccably sung Jose. And Callas's Carmen, endlessly fascinating,  is never quite as I remember it. There is always something, sometimes a small aside, sometimes a phrase shown in relief , that is not quite as i remembered it. And, as Barak mentions, she is one of the few non French singers to deliver the language easily and fluently, and as if she actually understands what she is singing about. Without question, it would be my desert island choice. I could easily do without 2 more (which Dark Angel allows) and save those for something else.

Many good points, I agree as alluded to earlier that Berganza lacks the sensous gypsy fire of Callas but by default the overall quality of entire performance moves Abbado/DG near the top of any Carmen shortlist, seems any Carmen discussion must always come back to comparisons to Callas

[DarkAngel]

Knight
I pulled out the 1958-1959 Beecham/EMI in the newest GROC remaster with De Los Angeles as Carmen, I am feel the same that it is very good but again despite the cult status afforded this version (as evidenced by astronomical prices on Amazon) Carmen is is too safe and lacks some fire that any top version must have. We get Gedda as Done Jose again....very active in recording Carmens!

Beecham does a very good job orchestrally, but the sound is not great for 1959 studio performance and the sound become grainy during peak climax passages even with this remaster.........BTW I love to buy these deluxe EMI Great Recording of the Century versions, booklet is always packed with cool stuff 

[Wendell_E]

I caught two Carmens on the wings, in bits and pieces. I do my errands on Saturday, and that's opera day on the radio. A Bavarian Opera production with  Julia Gertseva and Jose Cura I heard about a month ago, and today's Met broadcast with Elina Garanca and Roberto Alagna. ...

Very good Carmens, but outstanding Don Josés. Apparently Alagna suffered from a bad cold and his cover sang from the wings in Act 3 (from what I gather - I missed it, but caught the after show comments).

Actually, that happened during the final dress rehearsal, last December.  Alagna's sung the entire role for all the actual peformances, including yesterday's broadcast.  Brandon Jovanovich, who gave Alagna the offstage assist, is scheduled to make his Met debut as José on January 27th.

[Lilas Pastia]

Thanks, Wendell. I gather that the whole performance went quite well, then. Following the performance there was a fascinating interview with Alagna (on CBC's french network). I never had a high opinion of him but he came across as very outgoing, frank and totally un-divo. He stressed the primary importance of words and diction in french opera. I was glad to hear someone agree with me on that one . In particular, he tries to go back to the sort of natural declamation made so unique by Georges Thill. He specifically mentioned the importance of naturally rolled R in the french language. Anyone listening to Alagna singing in french opera will notice how differently the R is sounded. I tried different tongue/larynx positions to figure how he does it. Not exactly easy, as it differs substantially from the conversational - spoken one.

Hopefully a record or video will come out from the met and Munich productions. The leads are all physically personable and totally credible in terms of appearance and age (that was the weak point of the Bernstein set, with an Aunt Jemima of a Carmen and a José who would make anybody raise eyebrows in disbelief at Carmen's declaration 'Je suis amoureuse - Amoureuse à perdre l'esprit!.

BTW, I agree with Tsaras' assessment of the DG Carmen. I bought that and resold it after a couple of years. This is a humourless, joyless, sometimes brutal Carmen. Much like his contemporaneous take on Don Giovanni. Best forgotten.

[DarkAngel]

Was able to get the Sinopoli/Teldec Carmen with Jennifer Larmore for good price........but I fear this may have to be sold eventually, not sold on Larmore's more mature rendition, not enough dramatic effect, a bit too straight I don't feel any sizzle from Carmen. Sinopli does a good job orchestrally along with very good chorals, some supporting cast are noteworthy including Sam Ramey as Escamillo and Angela Gheorghiu as Micaela.

I'll give it some time and another listen before selling...........anyone feel strongly in favor of this one, am I missing something?

[DarkAngel]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djsuP0uta7s

I finally checked into this cult 1984 DVD movie performance by Julia Migenes........wow what a femme fatale Carmen!
A young looking Placido Domingo makes a great partner, has that bohemian feel I love, no wonder the price on used market is outrageous, I need this 

[Lilas Pastia]

You mean it's OOP ? It definitely has to be seen as well as heard. Migenes is a light weight Carmen, saved by her looks and acting. It's not an actual staging, but a bona fide film version (Francesco Rosi, director).

In its genre it has not been equalled. Recommended.

[DarkAngel]

You mean it's OOP ? It definitely has to be seen as well as heard. Migenes is a light weight Carmen, saved by her looks and acting. It's not an actual staging, but a bona fide film version (Francesco Rosi, director).

Only $179 at Amazon...............


Another CD version I would buy if price were not ridiculous is the Cluytens........

[Lilas Pastia]

If you can tolerate dated sound (serviceable and wide-ranging, but no more), this has claims to be the most idiomatic and satisfying Carmen around.

You can dowlnoad the whole thing for 1 euro HERE. I use this site regularly and never had any problem. It's mp3 but then, it's an old recording anyway, so I don't think much - if anything - is lost in translation. What's an euro? 1.50$

[DarkAngel]

barak
Can't beat that MP3 price.....

I also see that Archiv Music has the Cluytens in CD version for reasonable price as re-issue, didn't realize it was that old in mono 1950 sound........will hold for now. Solange Michel has over 500 stage performances of Carmen so she really knows the part

[Lilas Pastia]

I always prefer to have a nice commercial CD issue, but as you say, you can't beat that price. I just purchased Fournet's Les Pêcheurs de perles, Cluytens' Symphony in C and Callas's Medea (1953 under Bernstein), all for 3 euros.

[DarkAngel]

I always prefer to have a nice commercial CD issue, but as you say, you can't beat that price. I just purchased Fournet's Les Pêcheurs de perles, Cluytens' Symphony in C and Callas's Medea (1953 under Bernstein), all for 3 euros.

I just purchased my first Pearl Fishers a couple weeks ago..........


I have most of my Callas bases covered a couple years ago with this purchase 
($70 for 70 CD boxset at Amazon)

[Lilas Pastia]

Got that Callas set last year, but haven't listened to anything yet - mind you, no rush as I already have (had) 3/4 of them. It's a beautiful product, no doubt, and at the price, it nicely fills all the gaps in one's collection 

DA, you should enjoy that Pearlfishers. All roles are filled in by excellent singers. Not 100% sure about Aler's style in his great aria 'Je cois entendre encore', one of the most difficult of the whole tenor repertoire. For a *different* take on this popular aria, try Tino Rossi. TR was the Bing Crosby of french radio and music hall scenes of the 30s and 40s, but his voice production, phrasing and enunciation hark back to the kind of stuff Bizet would have been familiar with. Nowadays, Vanzo and Simoneau are often touted as the models of that style. They simply had to listen to their mother's radio and hear it from the true practitioners of the art.

A few Youtubes excerpts later, I can only confirm the above. Even the liquid silver voice of Sergei Lemeshev doesn't achieve that kind of postorgasmic crooning. Tricky, as the ethereal high notes are followed by a treacherous descent into the lower register at "comme un chant de ramiers" (many croak or disapperar altogether here). I'll try to get ahold of Aler's art here (maybe my favourite tenor aria). For the moment Simoneau, Vanzo and Rossi reign supreme.

[DarkAngel]

Great discussion going, placed an order for this 3CD older 1973 live Solti version that has the deep luxury cast:
Shirley Verrett - Placido Domingo, Kiri Te Kiwana, Jose van Dam

Some comments say Verrett is the only singer to seriously challenge Callas as the sensuos gypsy with a firey cat on the prowl performance.

I had high expectations for a seductive sassy Carmen performance from Shirley Verrett after the hype I read at Amazon, but it did not work out that way for me. Callas has nothing to fear from this rival performance, also 1973 Solti is a bit relaxed for my taste and doesn't have the excitement shown in his later Decca recording with Troyanos

[DarkAngel]

Was able to get the Sinopoli/Teldec Carmen with Jennifer Larmore for good price........but I fear this may have to be sold eventually, not sold on Larmore's more mature rendition, not enough dramatic effect, a bit too straight I don't feel any sizzle from Carmen. Sinopli does a good job orchestrally along with very good chorals, some supporting cast are noteworthy including Sam Ramey as Escamillo and Angela Gheorghiu as Micaela.

I like this a bit better now after 2nd listen and will keep it despite expecting more from Larmore's Carmen, price was very good used and I suspect I would later regret selling it   

[DarkAngel]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djsuP0uta7s

I finally checked into this cult 1984 DVD movie performance by Julia Migenes........wow what a femme fatale Carmen! A young looking Placido Domingo makes a great partner, has that bohemian feel I love, no wonder the price on used market is outrageous, I need this 

I was not going to get ripped off for extremely high used price at Amazon for complete Migenes Carmen CD set, but did order a 1 CD highlights to tide me over for low price............