You might call this a revisionist Carmen, but even if that sounds like the last thing you want to hear, don't go running for the hills just yet. The husband-and-wife team of Simon Rattle and Czech mezzo soprano Magdalena Kozená have forged an internally consistent release that's at the very least worth hearing. In a nutshell, this paragon of erotic opera has had its erotic elements mostly stripped away: Kozená's Carmen is restrained, even a bit melancholy, and generally not the least bit sultry or obstreperous. That sounds ...
Read More
You might call this a revisionist Carmen, but even if that sounds like the last thing you want to hear, don't go running for the hills just yet. The husband-and-wife team of Simon Rattle and Czech mezzo soprano Magdalena Kozená have forged an internally consistent release that's at the very least worth hearing. In a nutshell, this paragon of erotic opera has had its erotic elements mostly stripped away: Kozená's Carmen is restrained, even a bit melancholy, and generally not the least bit sultry or obstreperous. That sounds odd, but it may be what Rattle had in mind: the net effect is to shift a portion of the listener's attention to Jonas Kaufmann's Don José, and his brooding, volcanic performance nearly carries the whole opera on its own. Rattle, too, is unexpectedly strong. Opera is not his forte, and still less so is French opera the forte of the Berlin Philharmonic, but he makes the band sound for all the world like a French opera orchestra, and the performances, nicely recorded at the Philharmonie...
Read Less
Portions of content provided by Rovi Corporation. © 2024 Rovi Corporation.