United States Bizet, Carmen: Soloists Refrain and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, New York / Daniele Rustioni (conductor). Transmitted Dwell in HD (directed by Gary Halvorson) from New York to the Avenue Cinema, Belfast. 27.1.2024. (RB)
Manufacturing:
Manufacturing – Carrie Cracknell
Set designer – Michael Levine
Costume designer – Tom Scutt
Lighting designer – Man Hoare
Projection designer – Rocafilm / Roland Horvath
Choreographer – Ann Yee
Dwell in HD Host – Matthew Polenzani
Forged:
Carmen – Aigul Akhmetshina
Micaëla – Angel Blue
Don José – Piotr Beczała
Escamillo – Kyle Ketelsen
Frasquita – Sydney Mancasola
Mercédès – Briana Hunter
Le Dancaire – Michael Adams
Morales – Benjamin Taylor
Zuniga – Wei Wu
The distinguished English theatre and movie director, Carrie Cracknell, is making her Metropolitan Opera debut on this new modern-day manufacturing of Bizet’s Carmen. Cracknell’s focus is on up to date points on the coronary heart of the opera together with violence towards ladies, abusive labour constructions and the will to interrupt via societal boundaries. She is supported by a powerhouse forged of soloists together with the beautiful 27-year-old mezzo-soprano, Aigul Akhmetshina, within the title position of Carmen.
Cracknell transfers the motion from nineteenth-century Seville to a twenty-first century city within the American Southwest, someplace alongside the border with Mexico. Within the opening act a excessive wire fence separates the employees within the cigarette manufacturing unit from the gang. Within the second act Carmen and her pals are seen partying within the trailer of a really giant truck. A backdrop of flickering LED lights and revolving wheels create the phantasm of the truck shifting. Escamillo is a rodeo rider slightly than a toreador and he arrives in a purple sports activities automotive. In Act III Cracknell replaces the wild spot within the mountains specified within the libretto with a truck cease and one of many vehicles seems to be on its aspect. Within the closing act a metallic amphitheatre turns into a rodeo enviornment, and it’s right here that Carmen meets her destiny. Following an indignant alternate, José kills her with a baseball bat slightly than the knife specified within the libretto.
I appreciated Cracknell’s general conception of the opera and lots of the concepts which she brings to the manufacturing. Over the previous few years, giant numbers of Spanish talking migrants have tried to cross the border of the US with Mexico. This manufacturing confirmed comparatively disadvantaged migrant manufacturing unit employees making an attempt to flee from their environment and smuggling contraband into the US. The hostile navy presence on the border confirmed the extent of hostility going through these individuals. In the course of the Prelude and the entr’actes Roland Horvath’s monochrome visible photographs had been projected on to the display screen. These strengthened the concept Carmen and her pals had been trapped by their very own social and financial circumstances. This manufacturing was efficient in illuminating these up to date points and giving a voice to those individuals.
Having mentioned that, there was scope for Cracknell to develop a few of these concepts extra. Points round male machismo and violence towards ladies might be seen in each manufacturing of Carmen. I used to be not satisfied Cracknell’s manufacturing added something new to what had already been mentioned. Michael Levine’s units created a sombre darkish environment, however some weren’t all the time as inspiring as they could be: I used to be not satisfied the truck cease in Act III enhanced or illuminated the drama. A few of the Tom Scutt’s costume selections had been impressed significantly the choice to decorate Carmen in cut-off wrangler shorts and turquoise cowboy boots and Escamillo in black leather-based and chaps. Nonetheless, Micaëla’s costume was bland compared and there was nothing significantly eye-catching in the remainder of the forged’s costumes.
Aigul Akhmetshina was completely terrific within the position of Carmen. She was flirtatious and seductive with Don José but in addition fiery, assertive and defiant when she wanted to be. Her Carmen was open and free spirited, unwilling to be tied down or to simply accept the hand which life had dealt her. She introduced a voluptuous tone and shimmering sensuality to the well-known Habanera. The following Seguidilla was beguiling and vivacious with the ornamentation elegantly dealt with. Akhmetshina labored effectively and blended fantastically together with her bandit pals. The group danced alongside to ‘Les tringles des sistres tintaient’ in Act II and actually captured the life affirming pleasure of the music. Piotr Beczała portrayal of José was virtually pitch good. He did an excellent job displaying the dramatic trajectory of the character from his preliminary infatuation with Carmen, the conflicting feelings related to neglecting his military duties and his obsessive jealousy and descent into violence. Beczała introduced heat and tenderness to ‘La fleur que tu m’avais jetee’ and large energy and emotions of rage in his closing confrontation with Carmen. On this event, Beczała’s excessive notes didn’t all the time appear as easy as they normally are though, general, the vocal line was very effectively dealt with.
I used to be not fully satisfied by Angel Blue’s portrayal of Micaëla. She got here throughout as a slightly tepid love rival for Don Jose’s affections and dramatically this portrayal lacked focus. Blue’s dealing with of the vocal line, nevertheless, was one other matter and he or she produced a few of the greatest singing of the night. Her Act III aria, ‘Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante’ was an impassioned, voluptuous tour de drive which deservedly introduced the home down. Kyle Ketelsen captured the swaggering Escamillo to perfection: at varied factors we noticed him strutting round and taking selfies with different forged members. Her gave a virile, resonant rendition of the well-known Toreador’s Tune and made it sound contemporary and invigorating.
The remainder of the forged all acquitted themselves effectively. The ensemble numbers that includes Carmen and her bandit pals had been an absolute delight. The Met ‘s refrain had been firing on all cylinders all through the night and gave a stirring rendition of the massive set piece numbers within the opera.
Daniele Rustioni ensured forged, refrain and orchestra remained on observe. Within the overture I used to be struck by the freshness and vitality of the rhythms and Rustioni’s eye for element. The pacing of the fabric was effectively judged, and cautious thought had clearly been given to Bizet’s shifting textures and sonorities. Rustioni managed to coax some very stunning taking part in from the strings and woodwind throughout the entr’actes to the opera. He additionally ensured there was a very good stability of sound between the soloists and orchestra and ensured the orchestral accompaniment was versatile when required.
General, this was a first-rate manufacturing of Carmen from a forged firing on all cylinders.
Robert Beattie
