![]() James Charles Taylor was overparted in Don Jose’s declamatory outbursts but he deployed his dulcet lyric tenor with an elevated sense of refined Gallic style. This was clearly a Carmen to be reckoned with. When the cards foretold the protagonist’s fate, Kelly projected shock and horror through the sheer intensity of her dusky chest register. Although Kelly’s Seguidilla needed greater lightness and seductive allure (in the manner of Victoria de los Angeles), her climactic La Liberte in Act II rang the house. Her solid, deftly phrased Habanera basked in rich, dark mezzo tones. ![]() Sporting a flaming red gown, this femme fatale dominated every scene. Sondra Kelly, a Met veteran, proved vocally agile in the title role. A seven-member vocal group essayed the remaining chorus scenes with aplomb. Doris Lang Kosloff’s conducting was more pedantic than inspirational but she managed the ensembles with a firm hand. ![]() Missed entrances and wind and brass fluffs abounded while the strings exhibited uncertain intonation. The scrappy twenty-two piece orchestra could hardly approximate Bizet’s brilliant, colorful instrumental writing. With most of the choral music shorn, the evening might have been dubbed “Carmen’s Greatest Hits.” Only Act II was presented in substantially complete form.Īrtistic director Raffaele Cardone’s mini-staging effectively suggested drama and emotion with singers in formal attire. With a score bathed in melodies that have long since transcended operatic status to become true standards, Carmen is a multi-layered tour de force.ĭue to the current economic problems that have plagued many cultural organizations, Miami Lyric Opera presented a concert version of this classic score rather than a fully staged production Thursday night at the Colony Theater in Miami Beach. Even in less than stellar performances, this tale of a gypsy temptress who brings down a tarnished nobleman can be a moving and exciting evening of music theater. Georges Bizet’s operatic masterwork Carmen is virtually indestructible.
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