Bizet: Carmen [Blu-ray]

Bizet: Carmen [Blu-ray]
by Antonio Pappano

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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Anna Caterina Antonacci, Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, Jonas Kaufmann
Director: Antonio Pappano
Producer: Francesca Zambello
Writer: Henri Meilhac
Writer: Ludovic Hal?vy
Writer: Prosper M?rim?e
Audio: English (Original Language), DTS-HD High Res Audio; Chinese (Subtitled); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); German (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: AC-3, Classical, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 152 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-11-18
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Decca

Movie Reviews of Bizet: Carmen [Blu-ray]

Movie Review: Kauffman makes this worth seeing
Summary: 4 Stars

I'm fairly new to opera so take my review with a grain of salt. I have seen the wonderful Carlos Saura film, Carmen, which is based on the opera. That absolutely blew me away and I heartily recommend it. So I was set for some a high voltage performance here. Perhaps my expectations were too high as I found the first few acts of the opera a little slow. I kept thinking, "Is this the English version of a Frenchman's view of Spaniards?"

I loved the sets and cotumes and found the staging and lighting very lovely. The supporting cast was good. The gypsey group was particularly interesting in that they seemed to have been chosen for their good looks as well as their singing ability. This makes for an enjoyable viewing experience. The children were adorable!

I guess that, after a lifetime of seeing films I am expecting to see attractive people and good acting although I certainly realize that vocal ability is the first thing to consider in an opera star. It was for this reason that I was less than entranced by the performance of Anna Caterina Antonacci. When I was in acting school we were warned against playing one quality over and over. I wish someone would have given Ms. Antonacci this advice. She plays "lusty" over and over. We certainly get the idea especially with her very low cut blouses, but after a while I found her performance boring. I saw nothing of Carmen's real nature---Did she ever really love Don Jose? Why did she lose interest in him? Did she really love Escamillo? Was she capable of loving anyone? She is portrayed as such a one-dimensional stereotype that I really lost interest in her. Probably what annoyed me the most was her constant sneering expression. There were a few brief moments, mostly in the opening scene, in which she showed a full smile and she was truly beautiful then. She is not physically that beautiful; many of the other gypsey girls were a lot prettier, so it seems that she should have shown some sort of sparkle or charisma to get these men to risk their lives for her. I think that this type of "acting" is right for stage performances where projecting large emotions is necessary, but when one films it, we need to see the smaller, more subtle facial expressions. This is what Kauffman did so well and what Antonacci failed to do.

Kauffman was sensational! This is a performer who can act as well as sing. His facial expressions are wonderful, from the beginning when he discounts the antics of the wiley Carmen, throughout the opera as we see him descend into near madness at his passion for her. He was thorougly convincing as a real person, and won my heart so that at the final scene, when he kills Carmen, I wept for him. For her...good riddance. The final scene between the two of them is rivetting, due mostly to his performance.

I fell in love with Ildebrando D'Arcangelo as Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro with Anna Netrebko, so I was pleased to see him here as Escamillo. This role suits his wonderful good looks and deep voice and he plays the part of the dashing toreodor to a tee.
The duel between Don Jose and Esmaillo was one of the best scenes in the opera for me.

The final two acts are when the plots thickens and things heat up so I have to say that I did enjoy it. If there had been a more sympathetic Carmen it would have been a total smash. Maybe Anna Netrebko?

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Summary of Bizet: Carmen [Blu-ray]

Jonas Kaufmann and Anna Caterina Antonacci bring rare erotic intensity to the drama of Don Jos? and Carmen in this darkly passionate reading of one of the most popular operas. With an image up to six times sharper than conventional DVD and superior high-definition sound, Blu-Ray lets you watch opera and ballet performances from the front row of the theater. Experience every detail, no matter how small, in the highest quality possible. With five times the memory of standard DVDs, Blu-Ray is a completely new way to experience the theater at home.

This Covent Garden production of Bizet's Carmen, makes a vivid musical and dramatic impression. Director Francesca Zambello creates a properly Spanish atmosphere, filling the stage with a profusion of detailed characters. In Act One's town square each of the many soldiers, strollers, cigarette factory girls, and children are individuals, so there's a bustle of continuous, realistic activity. That attention to detail carries over to the rest of the opera, involving viewers in the action. Tanya McCallin's sets are a perfect foil for the direction: simple, movable panels that serve as lightly sketched backdrops for the town square, a tavern, the smugglers' mountain hideaway, and the final scene in front of the bull ring. But what makes this Carmen special is the singing and acting of the principals. Carmen is Anna Caterina Antonacci, a soprano known for the intensity she brings to her performances. Without taking anything to excess, her Carmen is a fiery temptress, sexy, insistent on setting her own terms for love and personal freedom. She sings all the set pieces well and, with tenor Jonas Kaufmann as her besotted lover, Don Jos?, makes the final scene a hair-raising experience. If anything, Kaufmann trumps her with a beautifully sung, rounded portrait of the village boy turned soldier ensnared in a world beyond his experience. Kaufmann conveys the complexity of the character and etches his slow descent into obsessive madness. His rendition of the Flower Song is extraordinary for beauty of tone, phrasing and the soft singing essential to make this aria's full impact. The toreador, Escamilio, is finely sung and acted by Ildebrando D'Arcangelo. He makes his entrance on horseback, sings the Toreador Song with brash arrogance, and projects this haughty, self-absorbed figure to perfection. And Norah Amsellem, as the village girl who loves Don Jos?, uses her attractive soprano to depict her purity and innocence. Smaller roles are well done, with special mention due to bass Matthew Rose as Zuniga, the lieutenant of the guard. The vibrant conducting of Antonio Pappano is a big plus here; pacing is perfect, rhythms vibrantly precise, and melodies shaped with care. Under his baton, the Royal Opera House chorus and orchestra complete a rich, well-detailed performance of Bizet's masterpiece. Lighting designs of Paule Constable add to the atmosphere of each scene, while television director Jonathan Haswell's cameras always seem to be where they should be. --Dan Davis

Carmen is an all-regions disc in 16:9 ratio. Sound options include PCM Stereo and DTS 5.1 Surrdound. Sung in French, subtitles include English, French, German, Spanish and Chinese.

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