Review: SF Opera’s “Carmen” a traditional take on Bizet’s beloved classic with sumptuous music, livestreamingtonight
With so many recent memorable performances, San Francisco Opera’s “Carmen,” which closes its fall season, is wonderfully entertaining and vocally stupendous. Saturday evening’s sold-out performance was anchored by the thrilling singing of Chilean-American tenor Jonathan Tetleman in his role debut as Don José and French mezzo-soprano Eve-Maud Hubeaux as Carmen in her U.S. and SFO debut. The duo, however, did not deliver the heat—the provocative, bold sensuality and onstage fiery chemistry that would have made the whole experience really sizzle. If not with one man, then another. Sparks flew during Carmen’s interaction with the charismatic Christian Van Horn as Escamillo, the bullfighter.
SFO’s “Carmen,” directed by Francesca Zambello, and last performed at SFO in 2019, is a co-production of SFO and Washington National Opera, originally created by Opera Australia based on the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and Norwegian National Opera co-production. It updates the setting from 1820’s Seville to Seville at the time of the opera’s premiere in 1875. Associate director and choreographer Anna Maria Bruzzese assists Zambello with this revival which showcases the work of production designer Tanya McCallin, original lighting designer Paule Constable and revival lighting designer Justin A. Partier.
The eight performance run was sold out before it even opened. (See “Details” below for how to buy tickets.) “Carmen” has been staged in 35 of SFO’s 102 seasons and ranks as the Company’s fourth most-performed opera, falling behind Puccini’s “La Boheme,” “Madame Butterfly,” and “Tosca.” On Saturday evening, there was a definite buzz in the air at the opera house, some were humming the opera’s familiar songs while entering the hall and one woman was demoing her “Habanera” ringtone.
In her U.S. and SF Opera debut, French mezzo-soprano Eve-Maud Hubeaux as Carmen sang with dazzling range and color, expressing passion and defiance, but lacked that all-enthralling stage presence, impulsiveness, and smoldering sensuality to be truly magnetizing to her suitors and the audience. A lot of this could be attributed to the absence of palpable chemistry between her and co-star, John Tetelman as Don José, which kept their physical interaction more tepid than sizzling. Even in Act II, when she danced for Don José and clapped her castanets, the impact was pretty mild for a woman with Carmen’s freewheeling lust for life. Her singing was where the passion flowed; it was alive with color and sultry emotion. Her native French dovetailed perfectly with production’s use of spoken dialogue which allowed her to deliver some seductive lines. Her famous arias were a delight—“Habanera” (“L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” or “Love is a rebellious bird”), “Seguidilla” (“Près des ramparts de Séville” or “Near the Ramparts of Seville”), and the Card Aria “(“En vain pour éviter” or “In vain to avoid”). In Act II, when dynamo toreador Escamillo arrived at the tavern, she was not initially interested in him but, by Act IV, the connection between the two was undeniable and we felt it in their brief time together on stage. It was a shame she and Don José did have this vibe.
Chilean-American tenor Jonathan Tetelman in his role debut as Don José was astounding vocally. His Company debut as Alfredo in the SFO’s Centennial Season’s new production of Verdi’s “La Traviata” put him on my tenor watchlist. And for those of us who attend Festival Napa Valley, his opening night appearance last summer with Pretty Yende was magical. As mentioned previously, his stage presence on Saturday evening was not as convincing as his wonderful and quite skillful singing. He masterfully adapted his voice and style as his character matured emotionally and experientially through the opera from innocent country boy to a jealous killer. In his Act I duet “Par le-moi da me mere” (“Tell me about my mother”) with Micaëla, he conveyed the lightness and inexperience of youth. In Act II, his tender “Flower Song” (“”La fleur que tu m’avais jetée”) was beguiling. This is where he tries to win Carmen by showing her the flower that he saved throughout his imprisonment that she had tossed him when they first met. As the opera progressed, he sang more dynamically, darkly, culminating in him snapping emotionally when Carmen derides him for saying he will return to his barracks instead of staying with her. He sang magnificently in Act III, first singing to Carmen in an angry frenzy and then quite tenderly to Micaëla who has come to inform him of his mother’s illness, a feat requiring him to switch quickly between vastly different emotional spaces and modes of singing. When he snaps at the end of the opera and kills Carmen, he is completely unhinged and defeated.
As Micaëla, British soprano Louise Alder, in her U.S. and SFO debut, sang beautifully conveying sincere emotion with a naturally powerful voice. A virginal counterpoint to tempestuous Carmen, her character is from Don José’s home village and is young, naïve, and in love with him. Her Act I duet with Don José, “Parle-moi de ma mere” (“Tell me about my mother), coming after she delivers a letter from his mother to him that asks him to marry her, was sung quite tenderly. Her Act III Scene IV aria, “Je dis que rien ne m’epouvante,” (“I say that nothing frightens me”) was sung with requisite fear and prayerful gestures as she informed Don José, who is in hiding with the seedy smugglers, that his mother is gravely ill.
As the bold womanizing matador, Escamillo, American bass baritone Christian Van Horn, was bursting with sensuality and swagger, by far the most charismatic and dashing character on stage, a joy to watch and listen to. Van Horn has appeared in several roles at SFO and most recently sang at its centennial concert in 2023. With his dreamy bass, his Act II “Torreador” (“Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre”) was delivered with aplomb from the saddle of his equally dashing mount, Drogen, a glorious white Gypsy Vanner gelding from Penngrove. Fully aware that Carmen toys with men and tosses them aside, he is game for the adventure. The immediate chemistry between the two injected the performance with energy.
Hats off to soprano Arianna Rodriguez, a second year Adler Fellow, who sang Papagena in the Company’s recent production of “The Magic Flute.” Her sparkling Frasquita was a highpoint of the performance. Ditto for mezzo-soprano Nikola Printz, also a second year Adler Fellow who sang New Ofglen in “The Handmaid;s Tale.” Their warm, rich voice as Mercédès was glorious. Their Act III Card trio “Melons! Coupons!” sung with Carmen with a harmonious melding of their voices, was a highpoint of the opera’s ensemble singing. Printz will be singing the title role for this week’s “Carmen Encounter.” Tenors Alex Boyer (Remendado) and Christopher Oglesby (Dancaire) also bolstered the ensemble numbers.
Winning the hearts from the moment he walked on stage was the opera’s unflappable equine star, Drogen, in his second Carmen at SFO. The huge stunning 18-year old Gypsy Vanner gelding appears in Acts II and IV and is riden onto the stage by Escamillo. It was my joy in 2019 to meet and write an ARThound feature story about Drogen, who is stabled in Penngrove at Sky High Ranch, just a few miles from my home. His handler, Caryn Hoeflein of Sky High Ranch, appears on stage as an extra in the opera and works with Drogen to ensure all goes as planned for his stage appearances. Christian Van Horn visited and communed with Drogen at his rural home before their opera appearance. After the opera, we rushed out of the house to see Drogen lovingly loaded into his trailer for the ride home, wearing a blanket to protect from wind chill.
Conductor Benjamin Manis in his Company debut led the SF Opera Orchestra at a quick pace, particularly in the joyous opening overture which introduces a recurring motif associated with the fate of Carmen and Don José which is so familiar to audiences I noticed some people near me humming along. Bizet’s music is so sumptuous you want to savor every moment of it and the overall experience on Saturday evening was rapturous—the score’s brilliant melodies, harmonies, and colorful atmosphere all worked to bring the character’s emotions to the forefront and to move the audience. Susan Kang’s flute solo, with its warm and bright tones, was sublime in the entr’acte before Act III.
The SFO Chorus, under the direction of John Keene sang robustly and gloriously, adding drama to various scenes. The children’s chorus, with members from the San Francisco Girl’s Chorus, were delightful, singing with gusto and adding real warmth to the production.
Associate Director Anna Maria Bruzzese’s dance choreography with its echoes of flamenco, which is rooted in centuries-long cultural exchange between Roma and the cultures of Spain, was a welcome and energetic addition to the production.
Tanya McCallin’s set, in shades of burnt orange and sienna, is comprised of roughly a half dozen tall wall-like panels finished with stucco which can be quickly and easily configured to represent both outdoor and interior spaces in the opera’s four scenes—a public area close to the cigarette factory in Seville; Lillas Pastias’ inn where the smugglers congregate; the smugglers’ mountain hideout; and the entrance to the bullfighting ring. All scene changes were executed in the entr’actes or intermission so there was seamless continuity in the staging. The opening set, featuring a simple orange tree illuminated with Justin Partier’s lighting was elegant, evoking the beauty of Seville.
Details:
Run-time: 2 hours and 50 min with one intermission. Sung in French with English supertitles. There are six remaining performances of Carmen: Tues/Nov 19/7:30 PM; Fri/Nov 22/7:30 pm; Sun/Nov 24/2 PM; Tues/Nov 26/7:30 PM; Fri/Nov 29/7:30 PM and Sun/Dec 2 PM. All of these performances are sold out. There is hope. The best strategy for purchasing tickets is to check the website and call the Opera Box Office (415) 864-3330 frequently. There are frequent patron ticket returns and donations right up to an hour before the performance which do not always show up on the website.
Carmen Livestream: Tues/Nov 19/7:30 PM. The on demand period begins Wed/Nov 20/ 10am PT and ends Fri/Nov 22/10am PT. Tickets: $27.50 / https://www.sfopera.com/operas/carmen/livestream/: https://www.sfopera.com/operas/carmen/livestream/
Carmen Encounter (Thursday, November 21, 7:30 PM) Welcome to Carmen’s world! Enjoy a memorable evening at SF Opera that is part opera/ part party. Doors open to themed lobby spaces at 6:30 PM. Listen to “Carmen’s” 45-minute Act I at 7:30 pm and then party the rest of the night away at a Carmen-themed extravaganza that replicates the steamy streets of Seville inthe opera house lobby spaces. Last call is at 11 PM. (Some lobby content includes adult material; recommended for 21+) Tickets are extremely limited. Call the Box Office (415) 864-3330 for latest seating availability.
November 19, 2024 - Posted by genevaanderson | Opera | Alex Boyer, Anna Maria Bruzzese, Arianna Rodriguez, Benjamin Manis, Bizet, Carmen, Carmen Encounter, Caryn Hoeflein, Christian Van Horn, Christopher Oglesby, Drogen, Eve-Maud Hubeaux, Francesa Zambello, Gypsy Vanner, Howard Hoeflein, John Keene, Jonathan Tetelman, Justin A, Justin Partier, Louise Alder, Nicola Printz, Paule Constable, San Francisco Girls Chorus, San Francisco Opera Chorus, Sky High Ranch, Susan Kang, Tanya McCallin
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