BaL 14.03.14 - Bizet: Carmen

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

0930
Building a Library
Flora Wilson tackles one of the most popular operas in the repertoire - Carmen by Bizet. It's a potent brew of sex, violence, jealousy and passion with an intoxicating score filled to the brim with romantic tunes and colourful orchestration. As the heroine herself sings in the famous habanera, Love is a bird that no one can tame.

Available versions:-

Teresa Berganza (Carmen), Plácido Domingo (Don Jose), Ambrosian Singers, George Watson`s College Boys` Chorus & London Symphony Orchestra, Claudio Abbado

Lily Djanel, Licia Albanese, Raoul Jobin, Leonard Warren, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus, Thomas Beecham

Jean Madeira (Carmen), Piero Miranda Ferrero (Don José), Teatro Colon Buenos Aires, Sir Thomas Beecham

Victoria de los Angeles (Carmen), Nicolai Gedda (Don Jose), Choeurs et Orchestre National de La Radiodiffusion Francaise, Sir Thomas Beecham

Ebe Stignani, Beniamino Gigli, Gino Bechi, Vincenzo Bellezza

Marilyn Horne (Carmen), James McCracken (Don José), Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein

Böhme (Kurt), Höngen (Elisabeth), Chor und Orchester der Staatsoper Dresden, Karl Böhm

Christine Rice (Carmen), Bryan Hymel (Don José), Orchestra of the Royal Opera House & Royal Opera Chorus, Constantinos Carydis (Blu-ray 3D)

Rinat Shaham (Carmen), Dmytro Popov (Don Jose), Opera Australia, Brian Castles-Onion (DVD/Blu-ray)

Marina Domashenko (Carmen), Andrea Bocelli (Don José), Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Myung-Whun Chung

Ira Malaniuk (Carmen), Hans Hopf (Don José), Cologne Radio, André Cluytens

Solange Michel, Raoul Jobin, Martha Angelici, Michel Dens, Chorus & Orchestra of the Opéra-Comique Paris, André Cluytens

Raymonde Visconti & Georges Thill, Chorus et Orchestre Symphonique de Paris, Elie Cohen

Fiorenza Cossotto, Placido Domingo, Jose Van Dam

Jean Madeira (Carmen), Nicolas Filacuridi (Don José),L'Orchestre de l'Association des Concerts Pasdeloup, Choeurs du Conservatoire, Pierre Dervaux

Anna Caterina Antonacci (Carmen), Andrew Richards (Don Jose), The Monteverdi Choir, Maitrise Des Hauts De Seine & Orchestre Revolutionnaire Et Romantique, Sir John Eliot Gardiner (DVD)

Anne Sofie von Otter (Carmen), Marcus Haddock (Don José), The Glyndebourne Chorus & London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philippe Jordan (CD/DVD/Blu-ray)

Giulietta Simionato (Carmen), Giuseppe Di Stefano (Don José), Teatro alla Scala Chorus and Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan

Giulietta Simionato, Nicolai Gedda, Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfeunde in Wien, Wiener Symphoniker, Herbert von Karajan

Grace Bumbry (Carmen), Jon Vickers (Don José), Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

Grace Bumbry (Carmen), Jon Vickers (Don José), Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan (DVD)

Agnes Baltsa (Carmen), José Carreras (Don José), Paris Opera Chorus, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan

Elena Obraztsova (Carmen), Orchestra and Chorus of the Wiener Staatsoper, The Vienna Boys’ Choir and Ballet of the Wiener Staatsoper, Carlos Kleiber (DVD)

Agnes Baltsa (Carmen), José Carreras (Don José), Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chorus & Ballet, James Levine (DVD)

Régine Crespin (Carmen), William Lewis (Don José), Orchestra & Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera, Henry Lewis

Béatrice Uria-Monzon, Christian Papis, Choeur du Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, Orchestre national Bordeaux Aquitaine, Alain Lombard (download)

Irina Arkhipova (Carmen), Mario del Monaco (Don José), Teatro San Carlo di Napoli, Peter Maag (in Italian)

Anna Moffo (Carmen), Franco Corelli (Don José), Schoneberger Sängerknaben & Orchester Der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Lorin Maazel

Julia Migenes (Carmen), Plácido Domingo (Don José), Choeurs et Maîtrise de Radio France & Orchestre National de France, Lorin Maazel

Christa Ludwig (Carmen), James King (Don José), Vienna State Opera, Lorin Maazel

Alexandrina Milcheva (Carmen), Nikola Nikolov (Don José), Sofia National Opera Orchestra, Ivan Marinov

Nadia Krasteva, Aleksandrs Antonenko, Ballet Español de Valencia, Chorus & Orchestra of the National Theatre Brno, Ernst Märzendorfer (DVD)

Angela Bonfitto (Carmen), Jevgenij Taruntsov (Don José), Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Coccia di Novara, Elisabetta Maschio (DVD)

Risë Stevens, Mario Del Monaco, Frank Guarrera, Lucine Amara, Metropolitan Opera, Dimitri Mitropoulos

Patricia Bardon (Carmen), Julian Gavin (Don José), Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, New London Children's Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra, David Parry (in English)

Giulietta Simionato (Carmen), Franco Corelli (Don José), Orchestra and Chorus of the Arena di Verona, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli

Nino Surguladze (Carmen), Philippe Do (Don José), Fondazione Orchestra Regionale delle Marche & Coro Lirico Marchigiano "V. Bellini", Carlo Montanaro (DVD)

Elina Garanča (Carmen), Roberto Alagna (Don José), Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Yannick Nézet-Séguin (DVD/Blu-ray)

Jessye Norman (Carmen), Neil Shicoff (Don José), Choeurs de Radio France & Orchestre National De France, Seiji Ozawa

Anna Caterina Antonacci (Carmen), Jonas Kaufmann (Don Jose), Royal Opera House Chorus & Orchestra, Antonio Pappano (DVD/Blu-Ray)

Mario del Monaco (Don Jose), Irina Archipova (Carmen), Orchestra e Coro dell’Opera Bolshoi di Moscow, Alexandr Melik Pashayev (in Italian and Russian)

Licia Albanese, Charles Kullman, Gladys Swarthout, Leonard Warren, New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Wilfred Pelletier (download)

Béatrice Uria-Monzon (Carmen), Roberto Alagna (Don José), Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu & Cor del Gran Teatre del Liceu, Marc Piollet (DVD/Blu-ray)

Angela Gheorghiu (Carmen), Roberto Alagna (Don José), La Lauzeta, Choeur d’enfants de Toulouse, Choeur “Les Éléments” & Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Michel Plasson

Maria Callas (Carmen), Nicolai Gedda (Don José), Orchestre du Théâtre National de l’Opéra de Paris, Chœurs René Duclos & Chœurs d’enfants Jean Pesneaud, Georges Prêtre

Graciela Alperyn, Giorgio Lamberti, Doina Palade, Alan Titus, Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and Slovak Philharmonic Chorus, Alexander Rahbari

Magdalena Kožená (Carmen), Jonas Kaufmann (Don José), Chor der Deutschen Staatsoper Berlin & Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle

Risë Stevens (Carmen), Richard Tucker (Don José), The Metropolitan Opera & Chorus, Fritz Reiner

Rise Stevens (Carmen), Jan Peerce (Don José), RCA Victor Orchestra, Fritz Reiner

Belén Amparan (Carmen), Franco Corelli (Don José), Orchestra e Coro di Milano della Rai, Nino Sanzogno (in Italian) (DVD)

Regina Resnik (Carmen), Mario del Monaco (Don José), Suisse Romande Orchestra, Thomas Schippers

Elena Obraztsova (Carmen), Vladimir Atlantov (Don José),

Choir and Orchestra of the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of the USSR, Yuri Simonov

Jennifer Larmore (Carmen), Thomas Moser (Don José), Bavarian State Opera Chorus & Orchestra, Bavarian State Children's Chorus, Giuseppe Sinopoli

Shirley Verrett (Carmen), Placido Domingo (Don Jose), Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Sir Georg Solti

Tatiana Troyanos (Carmen), Plácido Domingo (Don José), London Philharmonic Orchestra, John Alldis Choir, Sir Georg Solti

Christa Ludwig (Carmen), Rudolf Schock (Don José), Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin & Berliner Symphoniker, Horst Stein (in German)

Giulietta Simionato & Mario Del Monaco, Nino Verchi (in Italian)

Vesselina Kasarova (Carmen), Jonas Kaufmann (Don José), Chor der Oper Zürich & Philharmonia Zurich, Franz Welser-Möst (DVD/Blu-ray)

[Nick Armstrong]

Flora Wilson tackles one of the most popular operas in the repertoire - Carmen by Bizet.

(Epic list though, EA )

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

(Epic list though, EA )

Operas are always the worst to list - who to include and who to leave out...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The RCA Leontyne Price/VPO/Karajan version doesn't seem to be available.

[Conchis]

The RCA Leontyne Price/VPO/Karajan version doesn't seem to be available.

Which is a shame as, if you discount Corelli's mangled French, it's probably the best ever made.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Which is a shame as, if you discount Corelli's mangled French, it's probably the best ever made.

It's available vis the river people at a reasonable ... ahem ... price.

As is the Grace Bumbry/Fruhbeck de Burgos ... rather a good performance & recording: the cheapest available back in the day when funds had to be carefully managed. As the financial aspect hasn't changed, I'm hoping my affection for the recording remains the same, too - just bought it for pennies.

[gurnemanz]

The RCA Leontyne Price/VPO/Karajan version doesn't seem to be available.

jpc have highlights - decent price even with 6 Euro postage.

[Beef Oven!]

Which is a shame as, if you discount Corelli's mangled French, it's probably the best ever made.

I was sure it was French

[teamsaint]

It's available vis the river people at a reasonable ... ahem ... price.

As is the Grace Bumbry/Fruhbeck de Burgos ... rather a good performance & recording: the cheapest available back in the day when funds had to be carefully managed. As the financial aspect hasn't changed, I'm hoping my affection for the recording remains the same, too - just bought it for pennies.

I trust you.
No , really !!
been on the lookout for a decent Carmen, so dipped into the weekend beer money for that set.

[Beef Oven!]

I trust you.
No , really !!
been on the lookout for a decent Carmen, so dipped into the weekend beer money for that set.

Try this for about £27 incl p&p from Amazon.

[teamsaint]

Try this for about £27 incl p&p from Amazon.

since the liefbraumilch you are on a roll....

[Beef Oven!]

since the liefbraumilch you are on a roll....

[Conchis]

It's available vis the river people at a reasonable ... ahem ... price.

As is the Grace Bumbry/Fruhbeck de Burgos ... rather a good performance & recording: the cheapest available back in the day when funds had to be carefully managed. As the financial aspect hasn't changed, I'm hoping my affection for the recording remains the same, too - just bought it for pennies.

For me, the F d B recording is compromised by having actors reading the dialogue who sound nothing like their equivalent singers. A shame, as Vickers and Bumbry are two of my favourite singers.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

There's also a ballet version, and... Erm...Carmen Jones.

[Flosshilde]

As is the Grace Bumbry/Fruhbeck de Burgos ... rather a good performance & recording:

That's the one I have - bought in a sale at Waterstones; can't remember how much, but not a lot. Yes, I know, Waterstones don't sell music CDs, but they had this one, packaged in a book (with a rather tame CArmen on the front) with full libretto with comments on the music interspersed, & an introductory essay. The performance also includes the French dialogue, & the essay says that the recording, "made in 1969-70, led the way in restoring the primacy of Bizet's 1875 Choudens score"