Tag Archives: Carmen

Carmen, Glyndebourne, May 2024

Last month the Royal Opera staged a new production of Carmen, and this month Glyndebourne did the same. On balance I preferred the Royal Opera’s, but wish there had been better communication between the two administrations to avoid a clash. Both productions had their merits, and this one by a female director seemed too focused …

Read more >


Carmen, Royal Opera, April 2024

A terrific opening of Covent Garden’s new Carmen. Olga Kulchynska made a seductive gypsy and Piotr Beczala a suitably weak but vocally strong and effortless Don José in this new production by Damiano Michieletto. The lighting beautifully conveyed the light and dark of Bizet’s opera — see my review in The Article.

Read more >


Carmen, Welsh National Opera, September 2019

In her new production for Welsh National Opera, director Jo Davies has grasped the essence of this work, setting it in a Brazilian favela, and under the baton of Tomáš Hanus with Virginie Verrez in the title role this was a compelling performance. My review in The Article.

Read more >


Carmen, Royal Opera, ROH, Covent Garden, February 2018

Carmen as a musical is what the first part (Acts 1 and 2) felt like, but a musical needs better dance sequences, and the choreography was ineffective. Yet Barrie Kosky, whose production of Shostakovich’s Nose appeared at Covent Garden in late 2016, is ever a theatrical innovator. The orchestra starts without warning as the proscenium …

Read more >


Carmen, Bregenz lake-stage, July 2017

The opening night of the Bregenz Festival saw a spectacular production of Carmen in the pouring rain. The performers got soaked, but no matter because Carmen escapes at the end of Act I by leaping into the lake, and in the final moments Don Jose drowns her — see my review in the Telegraph on …

Read more >


Carmen, English National Opera, ENO, London Coliseum, May 2015

The energy and insight of Richard Armstrong’s conducting carries all before it in this revival of Calixto Bieito’s production, first seen two and a half years ago. That and the excellent portrayal of Don José by American tenor Eric Cutler, whose voice and stage presence carry a nobility at odds with the rough machismo of …

Read more >


Carmen, English National Opera, ENO, London Coliseum, November 2012

The ENO’s new production of Carmen by Calixto Bieito is a stunner. No romantic gypsies here, but a bunch of nasty crooks who don’t bother to tie up Zuniga when he appears in Act II, but simply kick the hell out of him behind their Mercedes. And in Act III after Micaëla, beautifully sung by Elizabeth Llewellyn, …

Read more >


Petit Triple Bill: L’Arlésienne, Le jeune homme et la mort, Carmen, English National Ballet, ENB at the London Coliseum, July 2011

Roland Petit died less than two weeks ago, and the remarkable timing of this triple bill made it a wonderful tribute to his choreography. That I happened to go on July 22, rather than the first night was entirely fortuitous, and we were rewarded by an incredible performance of Le jeune homme brilliantly danced by guest artist Ivan Vasiliev, shown in …

Read more >


Carmen, Metropolitan Opera live relay, January 2010

At the end of this opera, Roberto Alagna as Don Jose made me think that here is the man who killed the gypsy, which says something about the success of this new production by Richard Eyre.

Read more >


Carmen, Royal Opera, October 2009

With Elina Garanča as Carmen, and Roberto Alagna as Don José, both entirely convincing in their parts and singing so powerfully, this was a glowing performance.

Read more >