Carmen / Troyanos, Domingo, van Dam, Te Kanawa; Sir Georg Solti

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Tatiana Troyanos was reportedly never comfortable on stage as Carmen, but she sings it ravishingly well in this recording, in good voice and at home with the character. Placido Domingo, seemingly the only Don José of our era, gives one of his best accounts of the role; Dame Kiri Te Kanawa sings beautifully as Micaëla, and Jose van Dam's Escamillo offers just the right blend of macho swagger. The dialogue is unusually well done, and Georg Solti's conducting, though lacking some Gaelic wit, gets the serious parts spot-on. --Sarah Bryan Miller

Tracks:

Carmen: Act 1: Prelude
Carmen: Act 1: Sur la place, chacun passe (Soldats)
Carmen: Act 1: Avec la garde montante (Gamins)
Carmen: Act 1: La cloche a sonne (Jeunes Gens)
Carmen: Act 1: Mais nous ne voyons pas la Carmencita! (Soldats)
Carmen: Act 1: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Carmen)
Carmen: Act 1: Carmen! sur tes pas nous nous pressons tous! (Jeunes Gens)
Carmen: Act 1: Parle-moi de ma mere! (Don Jose)
Carmen: Act 1: Au Secours! au secours! (Cigarieres)
Carmen: Act 1: Avez vous quelque chose a repondre? (Zuniga)
Carmen: Act 1: Pres des remparts de Seville (Carmen)
Carmen: Act 1: Voici l'ordre; partez... (Zuniga)

Tracks:

Carmen: Entr'acte
Carmen: Act 2: Les tringles des sistres tintaient (Carmen)
Carmen: Act 2: Vivat, vivat le torero!
Carmen: Act 2: Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre (Escamillo)
Carmen: Act 2: Nous avons en tete une affaire (Dancaire)
Carmen: Act 2: Halte-la! Qui va la? (Don Jose)
Carmen: Act 2: Je vais danser en votre honneur (Carmen)
Carmen: Act 2: Au quartier! pour l'appel! (Carmen)
Carmen: Act 2: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee (Don Jose)
Carmen: Act 2: Non! tu ne m'aimes pas! (Carmen)
Carmen: Act 2: Hola! Carmen! Hola! Hola! (Zuniga)
Carmen: Act 2: Bel officier (Carmen)

Tracks:

Carmen: Entr'acte
Carmen: Act 3: Ecoute, ecoute, compagnon (Contrebandiers)
Carmen: Act 3: Melons! Coupons! (Frasquita) (Mercedes)
Carmen: Act 3: Quant au douanier, c'est notre affaire! (Frasquita) (Mercedes) (Carmen)
Carmen: Act 3: Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante (Micaela)
Carmen: Act 3: Je suis Escamillo (Escamillo)
Carmen: Act 3: Hola! hola! Jose! (Carmen)
Carmen: Entr'acte
Carmen: Act 4: A deux cuartos! A deux cuartos! (Marchandes) (Marchands)
Carmen: Act 4: Les voici, les voici (Marchandes) (Marchands) (Bohemiennes)
Carmen: Act 4: C'est toi! (Carmen)
Carmen: Act 4: Viva! viva! (La Foule)

Amazon.com

Tatiana Troyanos was reportedly never comfortable on stage as Carmen, but she sings it ravishingly well in this recording, in good voice and at home with the character. Placido Domingo, seemingly the only Don José of our era, gives one of his best accounts of the role; Dame Kiri Te Kanawa sings beautifully as Micaëla, and Jose van Dam's Escamillo offers just the right blend of macho swagger. The dialogue is unusually well done, and Georg Solti's conducting, though lacking some Gaelic wit, gets the serious parts spot-on. --Sarah Bryan Miller

Customer Reviews:

Finally, Carmen as Carmen was meant to be.......2007-07-12

First of all, History:

Carmen is not a grand opera. The belief in the opposite is one of the most artistically catastrophic malapropisms in the history of Western music. Georges Bizet, the greatest French composer of his day (in the world of Charles Gounod and Jacques Offenbach), is remembered today as a tiger of a conductor, an unbending an inflexible stalwart of musical realism, anti-establishment, and verismo (that red-blooded dramatic art perfected in part by Puccini and Mascagni). He composed Carmen in the tradition of the opéra-comique, an operatic sphere dating back to Mozartian comedy a la Le Nozze di Figaro, with musical sections accompanied by spoken recitatives or dialogues.

The Homeric tale of opera's creation, premiere, and juvenile existence is a hallmark in artistic tragedy. Bizet's vision was not (and, for the most part could not be) accepted nor appreciated in the Europe of 1875, the Europe of Wagner, Ludwig II, and Bayreuth. Audiences were shocked by the "vulgarity" of the characters (the lewd and lecherous gypsy, the cowardly and un-laudable corporal, the heinous sportsman), the onstage homicide, and the musical "coarseness"; Carmen offended the blue-blooded aristocracy which peopled the Parisian operatic world. Thus, in light of the disillusioned Bizet's premature death after the premiere, the opera's fate was sealed. Charles Guiraud, who supplied Offenbach with his musical recitatives, compiled the formerly ubiquitous vocal passages where the former melodramas had existed.

However, the true nature of the opera was preserved in the end by Bizet himself, who published a complete and unadulterated version of his conducting score shortly before his demise. (It was, at least, the version of the opera that existed before rehearsals began; due to the laceration of memoirs surrounding the notoriously savage practices, little is known of the various addendums Bizet made, as well as any deletions.) Fractions of the post-rehearsal score were also discovered by the esteemed German musicologist, Fritz Oeser. Sir Georg Solti conducted what has become recognized as the Oeser Score for the first time at Covent Garden in 1967; this was the first time since its cataclysmic premiere that the world has truly known Bizet's masterpiece.

In terms of the recording...

The London Philharmonic Orchestra, under Solti, is in impeccable form. The instantly recognizable Prelude is appropriately bombastic and the Entr'actes to Acts III and IV are ethereal and enthralling moments, respectively. Particularly outstanding additions to this recording are the effervescent choral sections, provided by the versatile John Alldis Choir (who excelled in Mehta's historic 1973 Turandot recording). "La choche a sonné" is idyllic in its maundering and weightless vivacity. "Au secours! Au secours!" is a masterpiece in chaos and disorganization; "A deux cuartos! A deux cuartos!" is the epitome of a magnanimous operatic scene, with urchins, peddlers, exotic pedestrians, and the sun-drenched, dusty Spain of Goya.

The entire cast is inspired under the inimitable Solti. Due to the opéra-comique recitatives, one might fear that the singers might lack the acting talents necessary to provide convincing and engaging performances. This is not the case; Tatiana Troyanos and Plácido Domingo, are, in many ways, actually more convincing when acting than singing, their vocal prowess notwithstanding!

Tatiana Troyanos is known for admitting that she was never comfortable when performing Carmen onstage. One must wonder why, for she is a vocal temptress and seductress, both irresistible and insidious in her interpretation. She possesses an exotic flare and presence unknown to most singers who attempt to conquer the role. Her darker, mezzo-soprano register provides her with a tortuously sublime, sexually invigorating autonomy, and yet, in spite of her depth, she is never glottal or throaty. She performs the Habanera ("L'amour est un oiseau rebelle") with garrulous abandon and levity. Her Seguidilla ("Près de remparts de Séville") is tantalizing; Troyanos brilliantly undoes Domingo's Don José, rendering him defenseless against her bewitching powers. "Les tringles de sistres tintaient," featuring Norma Burrows as Frasquita and Jane Berbié as Mercédès, is one of the finest trios to be found on operatic disc; Solti is also in grand form here and fails to fly off the handle like most conductors.

Domingo, a champion of the honorable but thick role, is a definitive Don José. He surpasses Franco Corelli and Mario del Monaco in the lyrical sense, and he is more commanding than José Carreras; only the magnanimous Jussi Björling and Nicolai Gedda have provided comparable interpretations. The "Flower Song" ("La fleur que tu m'avais jetée") is one of the most charming moments on the set. Domingo uses his baritonal depth to his advantage and paints a freshly mature portrait of the corporal, never descending into whining or peevishness. Dame Kiri te Kanawa is a redolent, auspicious Micaëla; the radiant New Zealander, even at this preliminary level of her career, is ineffably chaste and elegant in tone. "Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante," her Act III solo, is a luminous highlight and adds a gorgeous dimension to an otherwise bland and overlookable character. José van Dam, a denizen of the role of the pompous Escamillo, gives the most meretriciously turgid and bombastic performance of "Votre toast je peux vous le rendre" in modern recording history. He is truly the only viable toreador an opera fan is likely to hear. Bravo for the Belgian master! Stupendous!

Sir Thomas Allen, luxuriously cast, is excellent, immoral, and conniving in the small but potent role of Moralès. Michel Roux and Michel Sénéchal are a delightful duo as the dubious smugglers Dancïare and Remendado. Their Act II quintet "Nous avons en tête une affaire," with Troyanos, Burrowes, and Berbié, is jovial and irresistibly jaunty. Bass Pierre Thau is surprisingly admirable as the flirtatious, boorish Lieutenant Zuniga. Even harsh-voiced Jacques Loreau is a treat as the oafish cantina proprietor Lillas Pastia, particularly in the conversations prior to and following the "Toreador Song."

This is the recording of Bizet's Carmen to own, even if exclusively. Few others have captured the same explosive drama and tension Solti, a spiteful and venomous Troyanos, and an enraged and enamored Domingo created in the homicidal finale of Act IV. (Leontyne Price and Franco Corelli form a close second in the RCA Victor Herbert von Karajan recording with the Wiener Philharmoniker.) One should not enjoy other versions of Carmen without experiencing this monumental achievement.

Excelente!!! Bravo Domingo.......2006-01-20

Excelente grabación de la Carmen de Bizet, Domingo ejecuta a la perfección su rol del atormentado Don Jose, Troyanos nos hace sentir la pasion, amor, libertad y desden de una Carmen que nos ha cautivado por años. Te Kanawa muestra a una Micaela sumamente tierna (escuchen su dueto con Domingo en el primer acto, muestra al maximo el amor filial) y Van Damme es un Escamillo con presencia y señorio todo un Don Juan. Solti dirige esta Carmen combinando las 2 versiones de esta obra y con gran dramatismo. Haganse un favor y consiganla

Spectacular!!.......2003-12-25

Solti conducts a spectacular Carmen. This is a legendary Carmen that is surely one of the finest in the catalogue. If you want an exciting spectacular Carmen, this is it!!! This is the one to get. It was based on a Convent garden production and the live atmosphere comes in convincingly. It boasts Domingo's first Don Jose - a terrific portrayal. The creamy singing of Kanawa is mesmerizing from start to finish. Legend Trayonas is amazing as Carmen. Van Dam is the conssumate artiste. You don
t know Carmen if you haven't heard this.

Fast and "Boomy".......2000-04-21

I've given up on the notion that there's only "one" best recording of an opera. Certainly, there are classics, e.g. Callas' Tosca. Still, there is so much variation in opera in terms of multiple singers, an orchestra, etc. that it's hard to tell someone they should prefer one to another. Everyone finds something different in the same opera that appeals to them. That said, I find this Carmen extremely appealing. Troyanos has a "dusky" voice that sounds like she really COULD have worked in a cigarette factory. Domingo, is, well, Domingo. Solti's conducting is at it's usual quick tempo, which is particuarly suited to Carmen. I think the reviewer below who preferred the "Gaelic" recording of Abbado might have a good point. Carmen, although written by a Frenchman, is set in Spain of course. So, having a "Spanish" as opposed to a "French" sound shouldn't deter. All in all, very rewarding! (Caveat: the Penguin guide qualifies the third star it gives this recording on the grounds that the orchestral bass is "boomy." I agree, but think it adds rather than detracts in Carmen, which I prefer to be played fast and "boomy." Again, that's a matter of personal preference...)

Carmen is fun to sing- AND to listen to!.......2000-01-01

This is *the* best recording of CArmen I have ever heard. Carmen is a beautiful opera, with a wonderful story, and it really comes to life on these cd's. I have also sung excerpts from CArmen, and I just have to say it's a lot of fun, even if it is in French, and this is a great Cd to buy.

Bizet: Carmen / Troyanos, Domingo, Te Kanawa; Sir Georg Solti [Highlights]

Average customer rating:

A smattering of Carmen
A smattering of Carmen

Bizet: Carmen / Troyanos, Domingo, Te Kanawa; Sir Georg Solti [Highlights]
Georges Bizet , London Philharmonic Orchestra , Tatiana Troyanos , Plácido Domingo , Kiri Te Kanawa , Sir Georg Solti , Jane Berbié , Norma Burrowes , José van Dam , Pierre Thau , Michel Roux , Michel Sénéchal , and John Alldis Choir
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
ASIN: B00002DDOB
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Tracks:

Prelude - G. Bizet
Mas Nous Ne Voyons Pas La Carmencita! - G. Bizet
Pres Des Ramparts De Seville - G. Bizet
Les Tringles Des Sistres Tintient - G. Bizet
Vivat, Vivat Le Torero!... Votre Toast - G. Bizet
Nous Avons En Tete Une Affaire! - G. Bizet
La Fleur Que Tu M'avais Jetee - G. Bizet
Non! Tu Ne M'aimes Pas! - G. Bizet
Melons! Coupons!... En Vain Pour Eviter Les Responses Ameres - G. Bizet
Je Dis Que Rien Ne M'epouvante - G. Bizet
C'est Toi ! C'est Moi ! - G. Bizet

Tracks:

Prelude
Mas nous ne voyons pas la Carmencita! - L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
Pres des ramparts de Seville
Les tringles des sistres tintient )
Vivat, vivat le torero!... Votre toast
Nous avons en tete une affaire
La fleur que tu m'avais jetee
Non! tu ne m'aimes pas!
Melons! Coupons!... En vain pour eviter les responses ameres
Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante
C'est toi? C'est moi!

Amazon.com

This collection of highlights may be OK for the Carmen beginner, but even its generous selection will leave listeners hungry. It has most of the "hits," that is, the recognizable numbers, and all of it is well sung, but not much else. José van Dam's "Toreador Song" is probably the set's highlight. The role of Escamillo, halfway between baritone and bass and making neither happy, is just right for van Dam's oddly placed voice, and his French is stunning. In 1975, Placido Domingo was at his best: ripe and rich and passionate. Kiri Te Kanawa's Micaela is beautiful in a Muzak sort of way. In the title role, Tatiana Troyanos sings with handsome, buzzing tone, but she seems too premeditated for Carmen. There's a spontaneity lacking that great, tricky Carmens have. Georg Solti is, as usual, fierce in his attacks and exactitude, but he seems to have taken the sex out of the opera. One can do better for a highlights CD with Lorin Maazel leading Domingo and Julia Migenes. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

A smattering of Carmen.......2000-06-16

For those not familiar with Bizet's Carmen this is an excellent choice. It covers the major highlights and the more familiar favorites. However it is not perfect. I thought the orchestra performance was a bit uneven but it is hard to fault the solists. It is not Solti's best effort but it better than a lot of other conductor's attempts to condense Carmen. If you want to hear Carmen at its best then I would recommend an album with the complete performance-say Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Deutsche Grammophon #10088; if you just want a quick introduction or "greats hits" this one is for you.

A smattering of Carmen.......2000-06-16

Music Review: