Prom 52: Bizet - Carmen (Glyndebourne Prom), LPO, Chaieb / E.L. Johnson / Bihlmaier

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  • bluestateprommer
    Full Member
    • Nov 2010
    • 3007

    Prom 52: Bizet - Carmen (Glyndebourne Prom), LPO, Chaieb / E.L. Johnson / Bihlmaier

    Thursday 29 August 2024
    18:30
    Royal Albert Hall

    Georges Bizet, Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy: Carmen (opera in four acts; semi-staged)

    Rihab Chaieb, mezzo-soprano (Carmen; Proms debut artist)
    Evan LeRoy Johnson, tenor (Don José; Proms debut artist)
    Lukasz Goliński, baritone (Escamillo; Proms debut artist)
    Janai Brugger, soprano (Micaëla; Proms debut artist)
    Dingle Yandell, bass (Zuniga)
    Thomas Mole, baritone (Moralès; Proms debut artist)
    Elisabeth Boudreault, soprano (Frasquita; Proms debut artist)
    Kezia Bienek, mezzo-soprano (Mercédès; Proms debut artist)
    Loïc Félix, baritone (Le Dancaïre; Proms debut artist)
    François Piolino, tenor (Le Remendado; Proms debut artist)
    Esteban Lecoq (Lillas Pastia; Proms debut artist)
    John Mackenzie-Lavansch (Le Guide)

    Adam Torrance, concert stage director (Proms debut artist)

    Chorus of Glyndebourne Festival Opera
    Children from Glyndebourne Youth Chorus and Trinity Boys' Choir
    London Philharmonic Orchestra
    Anja Bihlmaier, conductor

    Glyndebourne Festival Opera makes its traditional visit to the Proms with that most red-blooded of operas, Carmen. Anja Bihlmaier conducts Glyndebourne’s cast and chorus along with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.




    Live at the BBC Proms: Anja Bihlmaier conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
    Starts
    29-08-24 18:30
    Ends
    29-08-24 21:45
    Location
    Royal Albert Hall
    Last edited by bluestateprommer; 31-08-24, 14:58. Reason: added childrens' choristers to roster
  • bluestateprommer
    Full Member
    • Nov 2010
    • 3007

    #2
    Acts I and II sound pretty good so far. I didn't know anything in particular ahead of time about the Glyndebourne production, so it was a bit of a surprise to hear spoken dialogue, i.e. closer to the original opera-comique version. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised, as the recent Zurich Opera production by Andreas Homoki (saw it via OperaVision) also featured spoken dialogue. I don't know enough about world-wide performances of Carmen to know if the use of spoken dialogue might be a mini-trend. Enjoyable interval discussion between Sarah Linton and Martin Handley.

    Comment

    • Darkbloom
      Full Member
      • Feb 2015
      • 706

      #3
      I thought it was usually done with spoken dialogue. I've never heard it done as recit. I'm enjoying it (in the hall) with reservations. I don't think the conducting is much more than capable, no more. Don Jose is a big guy and a fine singer but is no Jon Vickers when it comes to intensity. Carmen is OK but isn't charismatic enough for me. Some of the best singing is coming from the Zuniga, who has a very fine baritone. Still, it's an incredible masterpiece and even a half-decent performance is going to make an impression.

      Comment

      • oliver sudden
        Full Member
        • Feb 2024
        • 595

        #4
        As I understand, it was written with spoken dialogue and the recits were added later by Ernest Guiraud.

        This may be of interest by the way…

        Comment

        • LHC
          Full Member
          • Jan 2011
          • 1555

          #5
          I don't think the Guiraud recitatives have been used for decades by any opera company in the UK. I've only ever heard them used on older recordings.
          "I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance. Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone. The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the upper classes, and probably lead to acts of violence in Grosvenor Square."
          Lady Bracknell The importance of Being Earnest

          Comment

          • Ein Heldenleben
            Full Member
            • Apr 2014
            • 6732

            #6
            Originally posted by Darkbloom View Post
            I thought it was usually done with spoken dialogue. I've never heard it done as recit. I'm enjoying it (in the hall) with reservations. I don't think the conducting is much more than capable, no more. Don Jose is a big guy and a fine singer but is no Jon Vickers when it comes to intensity. Carmen is OK but isn't charismatic enough for me. Some of the best singing is coming from the Zuniga, who has a very fine baritone. Still, it's an incredible masterpiece and even a half-decent performance is going to make an impression.



            Joined late for Act 3 - singing good but one wonders what Jurowski or Gardner might have achieved in terms of musico-dramatic intensity…

            Comment

            • Darkbloom
              Full Member
              • Feb 2015
              • 706

              #7
              Originally posted by Ein Heldenleben View Post




              Joined late for Act 3 - singing good but one wonders what Jurowski or Gardner might have achieved in terms of musico-dramatic intensity…
              It really makes you appreciate what top conductors can do, even if you're not sure how they do it. You're just engaged. It reminded me of one of those nights at the opera house where the staff conductor is given a couple of performances at the end of the run. It's tidy but feels flat and you can tell the band are going through the motions.

              I don't know what other roles the tenor has in his repertoire but I hope he sticks to lyric ones and isn't tempted to try Wagner.


              Comment

              • Retune
                Full Member
                • Feb 2022
                • 313

                #8
                A couple of reviews:

                If you ever doubted that Bizet’s Carmen, 150 years young next year, is one of the greatest operas of all time, this performance would have changed your mind. Among the four principals only Rihab Chaieb’s utterly convincing, consistent protagonist was the same as on first night 22 performances ago, and as ringleader we had the vivacious conductor of the second run, Anja Bihlmaier.



                I thought it was great. For me, Chaieb has charisma to burn and there were fine vocal performances in all the major roles. 'Semi-staged' at the Proms too often means little more than a concert, but there was nothing static about this production, fully acted and choreographed with all the props and costumes and lighting you could ask for, the higher levels of the stage used to advantage by the chorus, and clear surtitles. The denouement was as shocking as it should be, with Don José at the end a coercive controlling killer rather than a tragic hero.

                Comment

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