Carmen without bull

Carmen - Salzburg Festival, 25 August 2012

Who is Carmen? A seething volcano of unfettered passions? An independent woman with the courage to forge her own destiny? A projection of male nympho fantasies? Or a whey-faced Berlin housewife with the voice of an angel and two left feet?

Magdalena Kozena was the only weak link in this production, first seen earlier in the year at the Salzburg Easter Festival. The voice is celestial. But the role is non-negotiably earthy, and the excruciatingly self-conscious singer could never quite let herself go. The dance-stuffed production (the director is choreographer Aletta Collins) exposes her physical limitations too. Even in real life I’ve never seen anyone step up for a tabletop boogie quite that cautiously.

She had zero chemistry with Jonas Kaufmann’s heroically sung Don Jose either, though perhaps both could be forgiven when her other half was standing ten feet away wielding a pointy stick. The vibrant, springy sound Simon Rattle coaxed from the Vienna Philharmonic had more than a hint of period practice about it, though thankfully none of the near-parodic ‘Hispanic’ flair that tempts so many conductors.

Kostas Smoriginas acquitted himself well in the thankless role of Escamillo, though most of the audience’s love was directed towards local girl Genia Kuhmeier as the sweet and tragic Micaela.

The colourful and literal production is set for no apparent reason at the time of the Spanish Civil War. Though inept in places – picking out characters with tracking spots instead of intelligent blocking for example – it avoids both offence and the usual thigh-rubbing clichés.   

Comments

[Liane Bierau]

I saw this production on the 19th and though I had the lousiest possible seat for a lot of money with someone tall in front of me so that I could not see, I still enjoyed it very much except for the dancing which I did not particularly like. However, I did like Kozena, even if she is not the usual Carmen. Her voice is wonderful and she does not deserve the unfavourable and unflattering reviews she got. I have never heard or seen her before, but still she impressed me.And after "my" performance she did receive a lot of applause, more than I expected she would have, after having read of the boos she got at the Premiere.

[Tinkerbelle]

Thank you IM for the very interesting reviews and pictures you have been sending from Salzburg over the last few weeks. They are much appreciated!

[FragendeFrau]

Absolutely charming photos! I thought you were seated behind a pillar?

Thanks for your review. I'm listening to the CD and enjoying it.
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Intermezzo replies - I was able to shoot to the left of the pillar - it was certainly a distraction, but no more of an obstruction than some of the basketball player-sized gents I've sat behind.

[bryan]

Another Carmen set during the Spanish Civil War--like the Met's production (which, btw, our critic for the Times loved--wrote a review like no one had ever thought of this--the director explained in the program that Spain in the 1930s (unlike Spain in the 1820s I guess) was a sexually repressive society--and he had dancers for the preludes--this passes for daring at the Met). All these creative regie directors out there and this is all they come up with for one of the greatest most dramatic operas ever written (I really , really like Carmen)? Its almost like no one takes Carmen seriously--lets set it during the Spanish Civil War because it won't upset anyone and I can't be bothered thinking about this stupid warhorse. A director doing this kind of crap with Lulu (another favorite of mine) would be laughed at (well maybe not at the Met where only 38 people attend one of the 3 performances given every 5 years and they are just thrilled to be able to see it performed). I'm sick of this cliche--do something out there like the Herheim Graz production I've read so much about or just do it in circa 1820 Seville and focus on the characters and their interactions (which after all is what the opera should be about anyway). Have not heard this performance but I loved Kozena in Cosi and Pelleas at the Met--really can't see her as a Carmen though. Back in the 80s at the Met we got stuck with a miscast Maria Ewing in order to get her husband to direct a lousy production, at least Salzburg gets a great conductor.

[Rannaldini]

Kuhmeier is a absolute star, and we all in Casa Rannaldini love her voice.

[Kenneth Conway]

Hey! Us opera-loving over-sized gents do apologize, but really there's not much we can do about our height, alas. I always try to slouch down in my seat as much as possible, which usually isn't very much (knees interfere). This is one reason that at the Met I prefer sitting in Dress Circle Boxes, seat 5 or 6. Nothing behind me but a wall to annoy.

[Francis]

If you want to see a highly dramatic Carmen production that focuses on the modernity of the characters and their conflicts, rather than trying to be faux-exotic and decorative, I recommend the DVD of the Bieito production at the Liceu, Barcelona. You get the added bonus of some truly idiomatic singing from Alagna and Uria-Monzon.

[FragendeFrau]

The Rattles & JK look so happy with the children onstage...is there any possibility they brought their own kids along as extras for the final performance? Not that I know how much blocking was involved in the non-singing children's performance.

[Albertine]

I'll second the recommendation!