Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen, it’s fingerlickin’ good! While you ask what’s for dinner, are you ever disenchanted to listen to fried rooster as the reply? After diminishing crowds for a few years (like nearly each different opera firm within the US, beginning with COVID), Virginia Opera revamped this season’s schedule to have broader enchantment, and judging by the dimensions of yesterday’s Sunday matinee crowd, it seems to be working. Carmen is likely one of the prime 5 hottest operas of all time. To make good on their funding, VO turned the reigns over to veteran director Kyle Lang for a traditional manufacturing and introduced in budding star mezzo-soprano Lisa Marie Rogali to play the sassy, attractive lead in addition to a bevy of gifted younger performers to encompass her. It labored. VO’s Carmen is a satisfying, totally satisfying manufacturing of a perennial favourite.
Carmen (Lisa Marie Rogali), at all times the focal point. Picture by Dave Pearson Pictures; courtesy of Virginia Opera.
Carmen premiered in 1875 and was not nicely acquired in Paris; initially, the music was favored, however the story was seen as too vulgar for well mannered society. Sadly, composer Bizet died from coronary heart illness on the age of 36 throughout Carmen’s preliminary run, and he by no means knew of the success he had created. I keep in mind my son saying to me on his first viewing of Carmen that it had too many hit tunes to be an opera. Provided that Carmen comprises some spoken dialog, it in all probability technically qualifies as a musical, although the vocals are absolutely operatic. Bizet did have a unprecedented reward for nice tunes. Anybody who has watched tv or is a fan of the flicks has heard at the very least excerpts of music from Carmen.
I took a danger on this efficiency. I invited our granddaughter to go along with us as her first opera, with out getting ready her for the story. She stated afterwards she was glad we had not. So, be forewarned:
Spoilers forward –
After the efficiency, our son requested me if I favored Carmen and Don José. How may you not like the feminine and male leads? Nicely, should you simply noticed Washington Nationwide Opera’s Macbeth, how’d that work out? Carmen is one other tragedy brewing. It’s difficult. Initially at the very least, I favored the pair of lovers. She was spirited and lived life her approach, cherishing her freedom, defiant, unwilling to be cowed. He appeared like a pleasant man, making an attempt to be an excellent soldier. Within the well-known aria “Habanera” she warns males typically, “I’d love you. If I do, beware!” He fails to see that as a severe warning. She fails to learn Don José correctly, the great man with a hidden, explosive mood and an ego wherein she turns into tragically enmeshed. Carmen causes him to desert his soldiering and to show from Micaëla, a younger girl from his village who really loves him; Carmen additionally leads Don José into a lifetime of crime. She then shifts her affection to the good-looking, daring bullfighter, Escamillo, and having sufficient of Don José’s jealousy, she lastly abandons him for Escamillo. Don José confronts her outdoors the bullfighting stadium in a single final try to get her again and failing that, kills her. So, do I like the 2 lead characters? For opera, it is determined by who’s singing the roles.
Officer Zuniga (Jeremy Harr) seeks to attract Carmen (Lisa Marie Rogali) to him whereas a jealous Don José (Zach Borichevsky) seems on. Picture by Dave Pearson Pictures; courtesy of Virginia Opera.
On this manufacturing, I favored Carmen and Don José rather a lot. Carmen is likely one of the coveted lead roles for a mezzo-soprano, and if you wish to know what a mezzo-soprano is and what she will be able to do, go hear this efficiency. The younger, multi-award winner, Lisa Marie Rogali has a stupendous instrument, beautiful lows that may soar thrillingly into the soprano vary. I felt that her wonderful performing abilities, honed in musicals such because the Sound of Music in addition to operas, allowed her to not solely hit the notes, however to play with them in a seductive method like a Carmen may do. I used to be captivated. How do you resolve an issue like Maria…er Carmen/ At first, I assumed Don José performed by worldwide star tenor Zach Borichevsky was too weak a presence to play the half, however like Carmen, I did not learn him accurately. Mr. Borichevsky has a high-pitched tenor voice that’s superbly expressive in love and anger. Their duets had been beautiful, and over the course of the efficiency, even I grew to become afraid of him. Soprano Sarah Tucker sang the position of Micaëla with a sympathetic gentleness. Her beautiful rendition of the aria expressing her concern as she ventured into the mountain hideout to make one final try to redeem Don José was a spotlight. Baritone Rolfe Dauz sang the position of the bullfighter Escamillo with swagger in a dashing method and gave us an excellent “Toreador Track”.
The dashing bull fighter Escamillo (Rolfe Dauz) attracts admiring glances from the females within the tavern. Picture by Dave Pearson Pictures; courtesy of Virginia Opera.
The supporting solid added admirably to the drama and singing; I’ll point out a number of. The duet between Carmen’s girlfriends Frasquita performed by soprano Chase Sanders and Mercédès performed by mezzo-soprano Aria Minasianusing, utilizing fortune telling playing cards to foreshadow their future, was an amusing delight that turns darkish, very darkish. Jeremy Harr, who has appeared a number of occasions in native productions, was a dislikable, conceited officer Zuniga who incurs Don José’s rage together with his makes an attempt to seduce Carmen.
One spotlight of Carmen is at all times Bizet’s implausible music, so melodic and pleasing, so many take house, hummable tunes. The music was delivered with zest and nice magnificence by the Virginia Symphony underneath the course of Affiliate Conductor Brandon Eldredge; bravi! I beloved the musical interludes between acts that includes solo devices taking part in temper setting toe tapping melodies, then meshing with the total orchestra to create a lush sound. No marvel that is such a preferred opera. Mr. Eldredge can be the Refrain Grasp for Virginia Opera and the singing of the refrain and their engagement within the motion on stage was beautiful. Kudos to all.
Carmen’s (Lisa Marie Rogali) attract begins to take management of Don José (Zach Borichevsky). Picture by Dave Pearson Pictures; courtesy of Virginia Opera.
The set, costumes, and lighting for this traditional manufacturing happening in early nineteenth century Seville had been pleasing and efficient; kudos to Scenic Designer Steven C. Kemp, Costume Designer Howard Kaplan, Wigs and Make-up Designer Elyse Messick, and Lighting Designer Driscoll Otto. The motion general was nicely paced and the motivations of the characters was clear. There have been lots of people on stage for a number of of the scenes with the solo characters and refrain members serving as townspeople, troopers, and outlaws. At first, I assumed the motion on stage appeared a bit of too programmed, however quickly every part took on a pure circulate. Particular kudos to Director Lang for a extremely efficient denouement, the ultimate scene. I felt concern and foreboding as the group outdoors the bullring stadium slowly dissipated, leaving Carmen alone with Don José. Nicely accomplished, throughout.
As an opera going veteran, I discovered this a extremely satisfying Carmen. How did my granddaughter like her first opera? Afterwards she stated it was nice; it glided by so rapidly, and she or he appears able to tackle one other one. She was impressed by the power of the voices and was glad I had not warned her concerning the ending. Whew!
The Fan Expertise: Virginia Opera scheduled performances for Carmen on November 8, 10 in Norfolk; on November 16, 17 in Fairfax; and on November 22, 24 in Richmond. The opera is sung in French with English supertitles. The efficiency lasted about 2 hours and 45 minutes with a 25-minute intermission. An informative pre-opera discuss is given 45 min prior to every efficiency. Tickets for remaining performances may be accessed by this hyperlink.
I’m compelled so as to add this observe: in case you are an endangered partner or girlfriend, search assist. My mom was a sufferer of deadly home violence once I was a toddler. Home violence stays a major problem within the U.S. right now.
