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Allegra De Vita Allegra Reviews Carmen at New York City Opera  Georges Bizet's Carmen was first performed in 1875 to a shocked and scandalized audience. Despite much pressure to reduce the raciness of his opera, he firmly stood by his original vision. Overcome by depression from the criticisms he received when it opened, however, Bizet, only 36 years old, fell ill and died three months after it's premiere. Sadly, he never realized his critics would soon turn in his favor as he created the most popular opera in history! I suppose I should begin this critique with the warning that, for obvious Fach reasons, Carmen is my favorite opera. And I'm afraid I may display a certain smugness toward those sopranos who believe that they are the only ones who get to die at the end of an opera. That aside, I will begin by saying that, from the moment the conductor raised his baton, I was totally enraptured. The orchestra flew through the prelude with such grace and agility, matching note for note the feistiness and liveliness that Bizet poured into his masterpiece. The curtain rose and I sat in great anticipation as we were transported to the busy streets of Seville, Spain in 1830. I smiled watching the children's chorus march, singing one of my favorite melodies and enjoyed the colorful cigarette girls sauntering out of the factory. I absolutely adored the beautiful, naïve Micaela, Don Jose's fiancé. Her sweet soprano voice was so delicate and lyrical that I was saddened when Don Jose turned from her. Speaking of Don Jose, his acting was so convincing that I could see his emotional and physical deterioration as his obsession with Carmen overtook him. But there was no doubt in anyone's mind why he was so infatuated with her. From her seductive movements to her lush voice, Carmen absolutely commanded the stage. I was enthralled watching her sing "Jes vais danser en votre honneur" as she seduced Don Jose away from his military obligations while dancing on a chair and playing the castanets all in perfect rhythm. And of course, I absolutely adored Escamillo's famous entrance number, "Votre toast, je peux vous le render," also known as the Toreador song. You know -- the fearless (crazy) Spaniard who waves a red cape in front of angry bulls. Despite the fact that I was ready to applaud the opera before the curtain even rose, I was quite disappointed by Carmen famous Habanera in Act I. She seemed to be vocally and emotionally holding back, not using the fullness and richness that her voice definitely possesses. This was confirmed as the opera progressed and her voice grew into the lush fullness expected of Carmen. Thinking back on this, I believe the reason that she held back may have been due to the high energy movement required by the demanding choreography in the scene. The aria is difficult enough to sing standing still, but compound that with seductively swirling around the stage (and the men) and it must make for an incredibly daunting task. One thing I most definitely noted about this opera was the magnitude of teens and children sharing the fourth tier with me in this packed house. After Act I, curiosity got the best of me and I decided to put on my press hat and get a little feedback from the teen audience. Here were the results:
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