CARMEN

(Pic: The set model for Act III of “Carmen”)

New York Met passionate production is set to knock the socks off everyone who sees it (Review by Lynne Goodman)

With its heady blend of sexuality and skill, this highly passionate production of Carmen from the New York Met is set to knock the socks off everyone who sees it.

Bizet’s Carmen is one of the world’s most popular operas with its riot of familiar melodies and recognisable story of love, infidelity and violence. Although it dates back to 1875, it is very much a drama for our time. This is in spite of its exotic Spanish setting and characters (gipsy girl tempts a soldier to abandon his sweetheart and follow her, then dumps him for a matador) and the fact that it is hardly politically correct with its celebration of cigarette smoking, bull fighting and sexual promiscuity!

It has a built-in appeal as a crowd pleaser with a plethora of rousing numbers like the Toreador song that have been plagiarised as pop tunes over the years. But this production by Richard Eyre (who won an Olivier award for his Guys and Dolls at the National) adds an artistically brilliant dimension to elevate the cliches. The lovely Latvian mezzo soprano Elina Garanca dons black curls and a sultry sizzle to be completely convincing as the brazen seductress in the name role. She even manages to hit her high notes to perfection while being bounced on her back by the chorus. This is a very physical production and you can almost see the sparks fly in the electricity generated by Carmen and the seasoned tenor Roberto Alagna as Don Jose.

The sets, which range from a town square and a tavern to a smugglers den, are endlessly imposing and the action includes two sensational ballet pas de deux to the entr’acte music - starting with an erotic almost nude love duet.

Like the rest of the filmed series from the famed American opera house, Carmen features enlightening interval interviews - this time charmingly conducted by the celebrated soprano Renee Fleming. And, though sung in French, it offers subtitles to clarify the action even further. The screening time is just over three hours with a 20 minute interval. The run probably won’t even last for three weeks, so catch it as soon as you can. – Lynne Goodman