Of course if you are a Bocelli fan you will buy this whether it’s good, bad, or indifferent; if you just love Carmen you probably own at least one really good recording–Angeles/Gedda (EMI); Callas/Gedda (EMI); Verrett/Domingo (Opera d’Oro)–and therefore won’t need to add this one to your collection.
In brief, Myung-Whun Chung’s leadership is somewhat breakneck but it is also undeniably exciting; his orchestra and chorus cannot compare with the three that play with the above-mentioned artists, but they are good enough. The recorded sound is quite good, and for once Bocelli does not sound as if he comes from another ambience or that his tone has been pumped up. The spoken dialogue is well-handled, although all four of the principals are clearly non-natives.
Marina Domashenko is a fine Carmen, rich of voice and full of insinuations, with a solid top and nice, dusky low register. She does not exaggerate, the set numbers are impressive. Bryn Terfel’s Escamillo is a tough cookie, blustering in Acts 2 and 3, and lovingly tender in Act 4. And of course his voice encompasses the entire range with ease. Eva Mei’s Micaela is pretty dull and her tone is not secure.
Bocelli exhibits his usual flaws and attributes. The voice is pretty and instantly recognizable; there is real “ping” to some top notes, and particularly in this role–that of a not-too-bright soldier who is led astray–his unpretentious delivery is very attractive. At the same time, the tone is occasionally pinched and unappealing, and his “Flower Song”, though infused with some lovely quiet singing in the middle, is sort of a dud. His duet with Escamillo in Act 3 is a high point, and his final scene, played more for pity than danger, is oddly effective. But he is still a pop singer performing opera; the voice lacks breadth and depth and the role of Don José needs heft. Why not record Ernesto in Don Pasquale?
The remainder of the cast is quite good and ensemble work is clean. Fans of this opera should look into the Opera d’Oro set under Solti (live from Covent Garden) or one of the others listed above. This one is for completists.
