Great were expectations of Carmen – returning to the prestigious Royal Albert Hall – judging from the full house there to witness the English-language rendition of this timeless classic.
The four-act opera unfolded within the brilliantly recreated Iberian settings of Seville and was staged on a round platform that allowed for the exquisite flamenco, acrobatic, fire juggling and other routines of no less than 100 performers whose costumes, although simple in design, became, through their colours, characters of their own.
Despite the tragic fate of gypsy femme fatale Carmen – whose power of seduction leads her into the troublesome dilemma of having three men (Don José, Lieutenant Zuniga and Matador Escamillo) seeking her interest – benefiting from the charisma of opera stars Cristina Nassif and Louise Poole (who will take on the lead role in rotation throughout the run of this production), it must be said that Elizabeth Atherton’s portrayal of lovelorn spinster Micaela stole the show with her vivid and engaging voice, which earned acclaim from the whole audience throughout! Her performance almost managed to make up for the fact that the performers’ diction did at times lack precision. A detail to some, but wasn’t the point of having Carmen translated into the English language to make her story intelligible to the largest possible audience? This said, musically, much credit must go to the ever-so-perfectly-synched Royal Philharmonic Orchestra!
After three hours of the universal crime-of-passion tale, somehow this Carmen felt more like witnessing an extensive musical than an actual opera. But if the (laudable) intentions behind it were to make this ‘popular’ story even more so, the mission has been accomplished…
At the Royal Albert Hall until 8 March
Tickets: £21.00-60.00
