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Carmen
This performance of Carmen is red-hot thanks to the efforts of Placido Domingo and especially Fiorenza Cossotto. Cossotto's voice was far from the prettiest but she brought a wild abandon that made her thrilling in the dramatic mezzo roles. She and Domingo turn up the heat during their many scenes together culminating in their final scene which will chill you to the bone no matter how many times you have heard this opera. As Micaela, Adriana Maliponte proves a very wise counterpart to Cossotto's wild Carmen. José Van Dam brings a touch of class to Escamillo opting out of the normal brash swagger we are used to for a more aristocratic approach.
Track List
Act I
1. Prélude
2. Sur la place chacun passe
3. Avec la garde montante
4. La cloche a sonné. Nous, des ouvrières
5. Mais nous ne voyons pas la Carmencita!
6. L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
7. Quels regards! Quelle effronterie!
8. Parle-moi de ma mère!
9. Restelà maintenant, pendant que je lirai
10. Que se passe-t-il donc là-bas?
11. Mon officier, c'était une querelle
12. Près des remparts de Séville
13. Voici l'ordre; partez, et faites bonne garde.
2. Sur la place chacun passe
3. Avec la garde montante
4. La cloche a sonné. Nous, des ouvrières
5. Mais nous ne voyons pas la Carmencita!
6. L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
7. Quels regards! Quelle effronterie!
8. Parle-moi de ma mère!
9. Restelà maintenant, pendant que je lirai
10. Que se passe-t-il donc là-bas?
11. Mon officier, c'était une querelle
12. Près des remparts de Séville
13. Voici l'ordre; partez, et faites bonne garde.
Act II
14. Entr'acte
15. Les tringles des sistres tintaient
16. Messieurs, Pastia me dit….
17. Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre
18. La belle, un mot
19. Eh bien vite… Nous avons en tête une affaire!
20. Halte-là! Qui va là? Dragon d'Alcala!
21. La fleur que tu m'avais jetée
22. Non! tu ne m'aimes pas
23. J'ouvre moi-même… et j'entre
15. Les tringles des sistres tintaient
16. Messieurs, Pastia me dit….
17. Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre
18. La belle, un mot
19. Eh bien vite… Nous avons en tête une affaire!
20. Halte-là! Qui va là? Dragon d'Alcala!
21. La fleur que tu m'avais jetée
22. Non! tu ne m'aimes pas
23. J'ouvre moi-même… et j'entre
Act III
24. Entr'acte
25. Écoute, écoute, compagnons, écoute!
26. Reposons-nous içi, mes camarades
27. Mêlons! Mêlons!
28. En vain pour éviter les réponses amères
29. Eh bien? Eh bien, nous essayerons de passer
30. C'est des contrebandiers… Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante
31. Je ne me trompe pas c'est lui
32. Holà! Holà! José!
25. Écoute, écoute, compagnons, écoute!
26. Reposons-nous içi, mes camarades
27. Mêlons! Mêlons!
28. En vain pour éviter les réponses amères
29. Eh bien? Eh bien, nous essayerons de passer
30. C'est des contrebandiers… Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante
31. Je ne me trompe pas c'est lui
32. Holà! Holà! José!
Act IV
33. Entr'acte
34. A deux cuartos!
35. Si tu m'aimes, Carmen
36. C'est toi!… C'est moi!
34. A deux cuartos!
35. Si tu m'aimes, Carmen
36. C'est toi!… C'est moi!
Customer Reviews
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4.7
Based on 3 reviews
✓ Top Reviewer
Romania
✓ Top Reviewer
United States
Exciting Performance in Very Good Sound!
One doesn't usually associate Fiorenza Cossotto with Carmen, but she is in thrilling form in this performance. Typically she sang the role in her native Italian (there are at least two other pirates and one TV production available), but here she sings, very capably, in the original French. Her Carmen is vivacious and fun - until things don't go her way in which case "Prends garde!" She and Domingo make a dynamic couple and they feed off each other in the best way. Andy is right in his comments above: the heat they generate in the final scene is almost palpable. Domingo is also in terrific voice (the audience adores his flower Aria) and gives a great account of one of his best roles.Maliponte sings a lovely Micaela (her aria is also enthusiastically applauded) and Van Dam is Machismo personified as Escamillo, his ringing, beautiful voice making the toreador a potent figure in the drama. Pretre conducts swiftly, leading almost the entire Choudens version of the score with the recitatives. He adopts a noticeably faster tempo for the Act Four choral music than it is in the prelude.This sounds like it was taped in-house, but with the voices very audible over the orchestra. Andy has managed to fit the performance on two CDs as compared to the Opera D'Oro version that takes three discs. Lovers of Carmen should get this!
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✓ Verified Buyer
United Kingdom
Good fun
I thoroughly enjoyed this performance. Cossotto was a fine musician as well as a great singer and she sings the title role with fire and some refinement when called for. Domingo delivers as usual. Adriana Maliponte, much underrated, sings a very appealing Micaela and José van Dam of course is marvellous as Escamillo, with the right voice for this tricky role. Prêtre’s tempi are in general fairly brisk. He doesn’t hang around. This makes for a very exciting performance, if just very occasionally sounding a little more like La Gioconda than Carmen. But I highly recommend this recording for the singing of the four major principals and because it sounds like everyone is having a great time - public included.
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