SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

SEEN AND INTERNATIONAL OPERA REVIEW

Bizet, Carmen: Soloists, Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra. Coro Premier Ensemble.Conductor: Piotr Sulkowski.Auditorio El Baluarte de Pamplona, 19. 3.2010 (JMI)

Production from Palau de la Música de Valencia.
Direction: Jaime Martorell.

Sets: Manuel Zuriaga and Josep Simón.

Costumes: Pedro Moreno.

Lighting: Eduardo Bravo.

Choreography: Nuria Castejón.

 

Cast:

Carmen: Geraldine Chauvet.

Don José: Luca Lombardo.

Micaela: Sabina Cvilak.

Escamillo: Denis Sedov.

Frasquita: Auxiliadora Toledano.

Mercedes: Marifé Nogales.

Dancaïre: Vincenç Esteve.

Remendado: César San Martín.

Zúñiga: José Antonio García.

Morales: Andoni Sarobe.

AGAO (Asociación Gayarre Amigos de la Ópera) celebrates its first twenty years and chooses Bizet’s masterpiece to do so. The opera is so much related to Navarre, since Don José Lizarrabengoa comes from Elizondo and Carmen herself is declared to have been born in Echalar. Judging by the favourable reception from the audience, we can conclude that the Association enjoyed a happy birthday. Let me just add my own very best wishes and hopes for many more years to come.

In recent times it has become common for opera houses plagued by financial problems to turn back to old and forgotten productions. This has allowed through some unjustly forgotten productions but on the other hand a few of the revived productions have aged rather badly. In my view a new production of an opera should be something exceptional.

AGAO has decided to follow the cost-saving path and has turned to an old production of Carmen from the Palau de la Música in Valencia. If my memory is right, this had its premiere at Teatro Principal in 1997. The production bears the signature of Majorcan director Jaime Martorell and it revival in Pamplona was very well received. This is a classic traditional production, perfectly suited to a city that had not seen this opera for probably more than fifty years. The sets are very simple, somewhat outdated, but perfectly appropriate. The least convincing stage is in the final act which takes place in dark arcades. There we miss Seville’s light, so important in this act. The production is completed with good lighting and remarkable choreography, offering dancers during each of the Preludes and in Lilas Patias’s Tavern. Mr. Martorell’s direction is quite good, with remarkable work done with the chorus and extras. There are other aspects that are less interesting such as the excessive number of children on stage, the insistence on showing donkeys and horses, which is always a risk and adds nothing to the action, and the fact that he has two “banderilleras” entering the bullring. That said, this is a production that works well and was been warmly received by the public.

The musical direction was in the hands of Polish conductor Piotr Sulkowski, whose performances have in general been really good. He always conducts with a firm hand, which is very important for a company not over-blessed with time for rehearsals. He secured a very good performance from the orchestra; so far as I can remember one of their best in the pit. Tempi were, in general, lively and Sulkowski could with advantage have slowed them down in some of the arias where the singers were getting into trouble. Good work from AGAO’s choir, offering good sound though little in the way of nuance.

 

The protagonist was French mezzo soprano Geraldine Chauvet, who was overall a most convincing Carmen. She offers a pleasant voice, a very expressive bearing, medium to petite stature and cuts a very credible figure. On the debit side she encountered a few breath control problems, particularly in the first act. She can be rather weak in lower part of her register and she lacked the ultimate in credibility in the seduction scene. She was at her best in the final act. She made for a fine Carmen - better than many I have seen in other more prestigious theatres in Spain and with more expensive ticket prices.

Don José was French tenor Luca Lombardo, whose performance was rather mediocre. Possibly the best aspect was his outstanding diction. His middle register is appropriate for Don José, although the voice is not that beautiful. His top register is rather bleached and somewhat tight, particularly in the final act. He is not a singer with much in the way of nuance, with too many open sounds. The famous Flower Song went without pain or glory, finishing with a high B flat, where he mistook "forte" for "piano", as happens so often.

Popular acclaim greeted Slovenian soprano Sabina Cvilak as Micaela. It must be said that this young singer offered the most interesting contribution of the evening. Hers is an appealing light lyric instrument and she was the only one able to sing piano. She was quite good in the smugglers’ aria, although some high notes were not fully controlled. In the first act she was much better than her colleague.

 

Russian bass-baritone Denis Sedov was Escamillo. The best part of his Toreador was his figure. His voice is very poorly projected.

The smugglers were very well cast. They were Auxiliadora Toledano, as Frasquita of pleasant voice who dominated the ensembles with her well-placed high notes, and Marifé Nogales, who was a good Mercedes. Vicenç Esteve was an appropriate Dancaïre, while César San Martín disappointed me as Remendado. I was expecting more from him. Alfonso Echevarría was announced as Zúñiga, but he had to cancel the day before the premiere due to a liver transplant. I hope to see him back in business fully recovered and with new strength. Obviously, AGAO was in an emergency situation with his substitution. Finally, José Antonio García saved the performance. Even so, he and Andoni Sarobe as Morales were below par.

The Baluarte offered sold out houses. The public enjoyed the opera, offering frequent ovations during the performance. At the final bows the triumph went to the ladies, particularly Sabina Cvilak. Maestro Sulkowski was also roundly applauded. The creative team was warmly received.

 

José M Irurzun

Picture courtesy of El Baluarte de Pamplona