Programs · Episode

BIZET: Carmen

Program: At the Opera
Aired: Saturday, September 14, 2024 @ 6:00 pm
Hosted by Lisa Simeone

Bizet's masterpiece may have a greater selection of hummable tunes than any other opera, and also the purest, most smoldering brand of passion. This edition of At The Opera features three great singers in the drama's iconic title role:  mezzo-soprano Agnes Baltsa, alongside tenor José Carreras, in a recording from the early 1980s; mezzo-soprano Tatiana Troyanos, with tenor Placido Domingo, recorded in 1976; and finally, from 1964, soprano Leontyne Price starring as Carmen, with tenor Franco Corelli.

FEATURED RECORDINGS:

Herbert von Karajan, conductor
Berlin Philharmonic
Paris Opera Chorus
CAST: Agnes Baltsa (Carmen); José Carreras (Don José); José van Dam (Escamillo); Katia Ricciarelli (Micaela); Christine Barbaux (Frasquita); Jane Berbie (Mercedes); Alexander Malta (Zuniga); Mikael Melbye (Morales); Gino Quilico (Le Dancaire); Heinz Zednik (Remendado)
(DG 410088)

Georg Solti, conductor
London Philharmonic Orchestra
John Aldis Choir
CAST: Tatiana Troyanos (Carmen); Placido Domingo (Don José); José van Dam (Escamillo); Kiri Te Kanawa (Micaela); Norma Burrowes (Frasquita); Jane Berbie (Mercedes); Pierre Thau (Zuniga); Thomas Allen (Morales); Michel Roux (Dancaire); Michel Senechal (Remendado)
(London 414489)

Herbert von Karajan, conductor
Vienna Philharmonic
Vienna State Opera Chorus
CAST: Leontyne Price (Carmen); Franco Corelli (Don José); Robert Merrill (Escamillo); Mirella Freni (Micaela); Monique Linval (Frasquita); Genevieve Macaux (Mercedes); Franck Schooten (Zuniga); Bernard Demigny (Morales); Jean-Christophe Benoit (Dancaire); Maurice Besancon (Remendado)
(RCA 6199)

MORE ABOUT THE OPERA:

Generally, opera isn't tossed into the vast pot of entertainment that's loosely defined as "popular" culture. But if there's one opera that does fit the pop culture bill, surely it's George Bizet's blockbuster, Carmen.

For one thing, Carmen may have a bigger selection of hummable tunes than any other single opera. People who say they've never listened to a note of opera in their lives have probably heard something from Carmen, even if it was only in an elevator. The opera's string of hits includes the rousing toreador march that dominates the opera's introduction, the title character's sultry entrance scene and "Habanera," the playfully spooky "Urchin's Chorus" and the seductive "Seguedille" — all of which are heard before the end of act one!

As for the Carmen's plot, it showcases any number of elements that don't exactly mesh with opera's typical, highbrow image, proving that opera goers are attracted by the same sort of guilty pleasures that draw people to sensational TV mini-series, or lurid movies.

Carmen herself, for example, easily falls into the same, femme fatale tradition that includes cinematic characters ranging from Rita Hayworth's title role in Gilda to the Sharon Stone character in Basic Instinct. Early audiences professed to be scandalized by Carmen's overt sexuality and her violent death, but they went to the opera anyway — in droves.

The opera's devotees also seem to ignore its unflattering and oversimplified portrayal of the Roma people, just as fans of mafia stories put up with the stereotypes they often reinforce.

The popularity of Carmen was even helped by a real life tragedy, in the same way that movies such as The Dark Knight and The Crow developed a special fascination for some after the deaths of their stars, Heath Ledger and Brandon Lee. At a point when the long-term success of Carmen was still an open question, Bizet suddenly died. His admirers mourned, but lines at the ticket office promptly got longer — and the opera has been a hit ever since.

Over the years, Carmen has been treated to any number of fine recordings, starring some of opera's most distinguished voices in the title role. This time on AT THE OPERA, host Lisa Simeone presents three of them. One, from the early 1980s, features mezzo-soprano Agnes Baltsa, alongside tenor José Carreras. From 1976, we'll hear mezzo-soprano Tatiana Troyanos, with tenor Placido Domingo. And, to finish up, soprano Leontyne Price is Carmen, with tenor Franco Corelli as Don José, in a release from 1964.

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