The Opera Tattler
Reviews of Performances and their Audiences
Category: Carmen
-
* Notes * A revival of Carmen opened last night at San Francisco Opera with some very fine singing and lively, brisk playing. Francesca Zambello's 2006 production is both pretty and functional, there is never a pause in the music to set up the stage. Conductor Benjamin Manis had the orchestra at a quick pace. The…
-
* Notes * Festival Opera put on a visceral production of Carmen at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek last weekend. The staging was effective and there was a lot of great singing. The small orchestra was conducted by Robert Mollicone, who is on the music staff at San Francisco Opera and…
-
* Notes *A colorful production of Carmen opened at Opera San José last weekend with a sharp cast. Director Lillian Groag's staging is lively with supernumeraries and flamenco dancers. Music Director Joseph Marcheso kept the orchestra fairly neat, only a few moments here and there were off-kilter. The brass were clear and the woodwinds lovely.…
-
* Notes * “Enjoy your hundredth Carmen!” teased my husband as I left for the opening of the latest production of this opera at San Francisco Opera last night. Quite an exaggeration, at best I’ve seen this opera twenty-five times, though I have seen this staging by Francesca Zambello way back in 2007 at Royal Opera,…
-
* Notes * The second cast of San Francisco Opera's current Carmen (Adam Diegel as Don José and Ginger Costa-Jackson as Carmen in Act II pictured left, photograph by Cory Weaver) production was performed a day after the first. The production is consistent, and it was impressive to me seeing it this time from Row…
-
* Notes * Calixto Bieito’s new production of Carmen (The chorus in Act IV pictured left, photograph by Cory Weaver) San Francisco Opera marked his US debut last night. Directed here by Joan Anton Rechi, the show was not nearly as shocking as some of Bieito’s work. In fact, the staging was quite deft, and…
-
* Notes *My review of Opera San José‘s Carmen is up on San Francisco Classical Voice. * Tattling * The audience was very happy for this performance, though it was odd to note someone behind me on the orchestra level that was surprised the opera is in French.
-
* Notes *Anita Rachvelishvili (pictured left, photograph by Cory Weaver) is singing five performances as the leading lady in Carmen at San Francisco Opera this month. Rachvelishvili has an arresting voice, resonant and earthy. Her pronunciation of French may have been imperfect, but she seemed fully committed to her role. Rachvelishvili never looked like she…
-
Production Web Site | SF Opera's Blog Reviews of San Francisco Opera's Carmen (Act II pictured left with Kendall Gladen as Carmen and members of the San Francisco Opera Chorus, and supernumeraries; photograph by Cory Weaver) are trickling in. Performance Reviews: San Francisco Chronicle (Kendall Gladen) | San Francisco Chronicle (Anita Rachvelishvili) | San Francisco…
-
Kate Aldrich has withdrawn from San Francisco Opera's Carmen. Kendall Gladen (pictured left in Act IV of Carmen, photograph by Cory Weaver), who already sang the prima yesterday, and will sing the second performance on Wednesday, will also take over from November 26 through December 4. Press Release | SF Opera's Official Site
The Opera Tattler 