Carmen Highlights

On this CD:

1. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts Overture
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

2. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts Dans l'air, nous suivons des yeux (Chorus of Cigarette Girls)
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

3. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts La voila, la voila
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

4. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera)
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Leontyne Price
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

5. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts Pres des remparts de Seville (Seguidilla)
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Leontyne Price, Franco Corelli
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

6. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts Act II Entr'acte
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

7. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts Les tringles des sistres tintaient (Gypsy Song)
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Leontyne Price
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

8. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts Messieurs, Pastia me dit
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Leontyne Price, Monique Linval, Genevieve Macaux, Frank Schooten
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

9. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts Vivat! vivat le Torero!
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Leontyne Price, Bernard Demigny, Monique Linval, Genevieve Macaux, Frank Schooten
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

10. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts Votre Toast (Toreador Song)
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Leontyne Price, Bernard Demigny, Monique Linval, Genevieve Macaux, Robert Merrill, Frank Schooten
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

11. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts Nous avons en tete une affaire (Quintett)
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Leontyne Price, Jean-Christophe Benoit, Maurice Besancon, Monique Linval, Genevieve Macaux
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

12. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts Lalalala-Attends un peu, Carmen
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Leontyne Price, Franco Corelli
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

13. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts La fleur que tu m'avais jetee (Flower Song)
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Franco Corelli
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

14. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts Act III Entr'acte
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

15. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts Melons! Coupons! (Card Scene)
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Leontyne Price, Monique Linval, Genevieve Macaux
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

16. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante (Micaela's Air)
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Mirella Freni
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

17. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts Act IV Entr'acte
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

18. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts C'est toi!...C'est moi
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Leontyne Price, Franco Corelli
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

19. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts Ou va tu!..Laisse moi!
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Leontyne Price, Franco Corelli
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

Tracks:

Carmen: Act I: Prelude
Carmen: Act I: Mais nous ne voyons pas la Carmencita! ... - L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera)
Carmen: Act I: Parle-moi de ma mere
Carmen: Act I: Pres des remparts de Seville (Seguidilla)
Carmen: Act II: Les tringles des sistres tintaientI
Carmen: Act II: Vivat, vivat le torero! ... Votre toast (Toreador song)
Carmen: Act II: Nous avons en tete une affaire
Carmen: Act II: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee (Flower song)
Carmen: Act II: Non! tu ne m'aimes pas!
Carmen: Act III: Melons! Coupons!
Carmen: Act III: Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante
Carmen: Act IV: Les voici, les voici
Carmen: Act IV: C'est toi! - C'est moi!

Customer Reviews:

Nice music, nice voices.......2000-06-15

This is Georges Bizet! He doesn't need any special advertising!

Average customer rating:

The Greatest By Far
Absolutely the Best Carmen
No, please
L'amour est un oiseau rebelle

Bizet: Carmen [Highlights]

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001G52
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Carmen: Prelude
Carmen: Act 1: Sur la place (Micaela)
Carmen: Act 1: Avec la garde montante
Carmen: Act 1: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Carmen)
Carmen: Act 1: Parle-moi de ma mere (Don Jose, Micaela)
Carmen: Act 1: Pres des remparts de Seville (Carmen, Don Jose)
Carmen: Act 2: Les tringles des sistres tintaient (Carmen)
Carmen: Act 2: Dialogue
Carmen: Act 2: Vivat! vivat le Torero! (Carmen)
Carmen: Act 2: Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre (Escamillo, Carmen)
Carmen: Act 2: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee (Don Jose)
Carmen: Act 3: En vain, pour eviter les reponses ameres - Parlez encore, parlez, mes belles (Carmen)
Carmen: Act 3: A dos cuartos!
Carmen: Act 3: (musique de transition)
Carmen: Act 3: C'est toi! - C'est moi! (Carmen, Don Jose)

Customer Reviews:

The Greatest By Far.......2006-03-09

Agnes Baltsa [Carmen] ** José Carreras [Don José] ** José van Dam (baritone) [Escamillo] ** Katia Ricciarelli [Micaëla] ** Christine Barbaux (soprano) [Frasquita] ** Jane Berbié (soprano) [Mercédès] ** Alexander Malta (bass) [Zuniga] ** Mikael Melbye (baritone) [Moralès] ** Gino Quilico (baritone) [Le Dancaïr] ** Heinz Zednik (tenor) [Le Remendado] ** Michel Marinpouille (tenor) [Andrès] ** Berlin Philharmonic ** Herbert von Karajan (conductor]

There is no doubt in my mind that this studio recording is by far the most powerful Carmen I've ever heard. This 80's recording captures both the lush, beautiful musicality of this opera-comique and the intense visceral "verisimo" drama, thanks to the efforts of Karajan and his illustrious Berlin forces and the great singing from Agnes Baltsa, Jose Carreras, Katia Ricciarelli and Jose Van Dam.

Karajan had previously recorded Carmen in the 70's, in a more dramatic, overblown fashion when he conducted the Vienna Phil with the voices of Leontyne Price and Franco Corelli. Although that recording has its individual merit, it was not really his best effort. He had scored greater success with Grace Bumbry in the lead role and Jon Vickers as Don Jose, productions he conducted at the Salzburg Festival in the late 60's. In the 80's he was a white-haired old man, the image many younger music lovers remember him from after seeing videos and recording covers he was in fact experiencing the last phase of his career before his death in the late 80's. He is nevertheless a supremely gifted conductor, masterful and able to bring out the best from his orchestra. The Berlin is actually better than the Vienna Phil in his earlier recording with Leontyne Price. The Berlin forces weave great music, capturing the colorful slices of life in this steamy, sordid opera. Yes, it is of the "grand opera" and verisimo vein and not the more simplistic, opera-comique Carmen but it is absolutely powerful in its wake. Karajan has never done a better job. It is his second recorded Carmen and his best.

Each of the singers bring a vitality and nuance to their performance and sing with the freshness of their prime. It is not surprising to find Jose Carreras and Katia Ricciarelli in the same cast. Theses two worked well together and recorded and performed operas throughout the 80's, even carrying out an affair together. Ricciarelli and Carreras as Don Jose and Micaela sing with glorious harmony, making their romance all the more tragic because Don Jose rejects the purity of her love and destroys himself in his passionate relationship with the temptress Carmen. Their duet in the beginning feels prolonged but that's a great thing because their voices are so beautiful to hear together.

From the beginning, Jose Carreras sings with a darker voice. He understands that Don Jose becomes obscessed with Carmen and develops a psychosis. It is a rich, powerful and masculine voice, albeit darker and edgier than even Jon Vickers and Placido Domingo. He sings everyting with great passion, despite the fact that his voice may not have done what he may have wanted it to. He is somehow, strangely, through sheer force of will, the best Don Jose, the most dramatically satisfying. His detractors and critics claim he was in bad vocal shape, at least in regards to his age (he was past his prime, he had been operated for leukemia, etc) and worse, his Don Jose has been called "melodramatic, hysterical". I whole-heartedly disagree. Carreras sings with so much integrity to the character's essence that he single-handedly blows all other contenders away. I've heard them all- Franco Corelli (in the Leontyne Price recording) Placido Domingo (in the Berganza recording and the Obraztsova, and Migenes movies) and Jon Vickers (in the recording and film with Grace Bumbry). His tenor voice is right on target for the darker side of Don Jose. He is passionate, yet lyrical in the first part and by the climatic finale he is understandably pushed to the edge. There is definate chemistry between Carreras and Baltsa and they would also make a film of the Metropolitan Opera stage production, which is wonderful. Please give Carreras a chance. He is the best Don Jose I've ever heard.

Ricciarelli is a very nuanced, soulful Micaela, bringing passion and grandeur to the role, instead of singing the role like a shrinking violet. This Micaela is willing to fight to get her man back from Carmen. In this way, she is a lot like Mirella Freni, who also sang a feistier Micaela. Ricciarelli is in great vocal form, and her rendition of "Je Dis" is beautiful and heart-felt. Those who have criticized her for what they feel is forced singing didn't really listen to the recording. She is mannered, she is mellow and in control. She has a genuinely dramatic way of singing, but then again, I've already made the comparison to Mirella Freni, whose Micaela is also dramatic. Quite frankly, this is the way Micaela should be sung. She is still a soprano, usually the lead in an opera and Ricciarelli understands that if she doesn't impress in the few moments she has in the opera, then she is letting the mezzo-soprano take all the glory. Ricciarelli is wonderful here and Micaela is one of her greatest roles, despite the fact she moved on to sing heavier roles like Tosca, Leonora, Aida and Turandot. She is probably better in the subdued lyrical roles then the heavier roles.

Jose Van Dam's Escamillo is dark, "butch" and strongly sung. He has a sharp musical intelligence and recognizes that Escamillo is also not the star but has his moments of radiance. He sings the famous Toreador Aria with great gusto and power. Karajan's slow conducting and colorful orchestration allows his few moments in the opera to really burst with maximum energy. Upon hearing Jose Van Dam's Escamillo, one can understand why Carmen jilts the now lackluster Don Jose. Van Dam is absolutely superb.

Last but certainly not least, there is Agnes Baltsa's Carmen. She was born to sing this role. It is a Carmen of several levels- she is playful (listen to how she slides her voice in the Habanera and Seguidilla) she is feminine but wordly. If she sounds mature and not youthful this is still to her credit. Carmen is a wordly, experienced libertine. Baltsa lives the character in ever scene. She sings with great power and beauty. The Death Card Aria has a tragic quality to it and she sings with a resigned spirit, acknowledging her fate. More than any other mezzo-soprano who has sung Carmen on record, to my knowledge, she really acts the hell out of that final scene. She is singing with grand flair, dramatic to the point she is boiling over with rage. Listen to how she emotes when she declares "Libre Elle Nee e Libre elle Morra" (I was born free and I shall die free!) and "E Bien! Frappe-Moi Donc, Or Lassez Ma Passe! (Very Well Then! Kill Me! Or Let Me Pass!). Finally, she nearly cracks her voice with the high, anguished cry of "C'este Autefrois Que Tu Me Vais Donne - TIENS!!!" (This ring you once gave me - TAKE IT!!!). Both Carreras and Baltsa take the trophy when it comes to dramatically belting out this famous scene in opera.

Once upon a time I thought that Jon Vickers and Grace Bumbry were the greatest Carmen/Don Jose interpretors. I don't believe that anymore after hearing Jose Carreras and Agnes Baltsa.

Absolutely the Best Carmen.......2004-12-14

This CD is not only for opera lovers, but for anyone with an appreciation of classic voice music. I have seen productions of Carmen the world over, in Paris, in Vienna, multiple times at the Met in New York and many local companies. None has come close to the perfection of the voices on this recording. The emotion and quality of L'amour est un oiseau rebelle, one of the most recognized arias in all of opera, is unsurpassed. The gypsy dance which begins act 2 (Les tringles des sistres tintaient) is rich with fevor and lust. The music leaps off the CD and provides excellent insight into the intensity of this work.

This CD is for everyone, from the novice to the expert, and will be appreciated by all. It is the best opera recording I have heard and has stood the test of time. This should be a required addition to the collection of anyone with an appreciation of fine music.

No, please.......2000-06-10

This is an surprisingly boring recording, especially when looking at the star-cast, of one of the most enjoyable operas ever. I think the greatest problem with it lies in Karajans conducting.

The kindest thing I can come up with about this highlights recording is just the fact that it's a highlights edition - you don't have to listen to the whole debacle. Karajan has done a much, much better recording for RCA (Price, Corelli & Freni), where he doesn't suffocate his singers in an unengaging search for nothing but beauty. This search makes me lose my hair, and for example disturbes much of Carmen's music. Carreras here is not even close to the vocal prime he was in ten years earlier. His voice surely is soft and beautiful in the more quite parts, but he avoids using it to full power, even when called for, and his performance therefor gets rather boring. Baltsa probably would have done much better if she'd been supported instead of opposed by Karajan. Van Dam is definately the best of the cast in the role of Escamillo.

My very favorite of Carmen is the Beecham (de los Angeles, Gedda on EMI) set. You can also try a highlight of either Karajan (RCA - Price, Corelli) or Abbado (DG - Berganza, Domingo), which both give different but very good accounts of Carmen - use the Amazon.com possibility to listen to samples of these version to find out which one you prefer.

L'amour est un oiseau rebelle.......2000-06-09

This highlights CD happilly dismisses most of the dialogues and has an hour-plus of great music. The complete version is also available on amazon.com. Maestro Von Karajan achieves his trademark perfection with the Berliners and with the cast of ideal singers for Biset's masterpiece. Greek mezzo-soprano Agnes Baltsa is simultaneously playful, witty, self-indulgent, and, for all purposes, dangerous Carmen. She has a very long vocal phrase and plenty of power; listen to fiery rendition of "Les tringles des sistres tintailent"! Jose Carreras shows Don Jose's character development extremely well, from ardent and passionate, ready-to-leave-everything young soldier to a man obsessed; gradually you begin to believe Don Jose could kill. His Flower Song is very gentle and tender, as opposed to the war-cries often displayed by others. The final scene is so vividly enacted, I had "tingles down my spine". Katia Ricciarelli is fully "at home" with a role of angel-like Micaela, her 1st Act duet with Carreras is one of the most beautiful things one could ever hear. Van Dam brings out everything we like to see in Escamillo: single-mindedness, arrogance, and swagger. Karajan uses an interesting orchestral arrangement of the Toreador Song before "Tout d'un coup, on fait silence..." making you imagine the pause just before the bull charges. He also slows it down a bit, increasing the tension throughout and the last chords of it are like wineglasses clashing triumphantly together. Supporting roles are taken by some impressive vocal powers, including Jane Barbie and Gino Quilico. Btw, there is a Carmen video featuring Baltsa and Carreras, also from DG, fantastically sang and recorded.

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Bizet: Carmen (Highlights)

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bizet: Carmen (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda, Georges Pretre, Paris Opera Orchestra

ASIN: B000006OGH
Release Date: 1998-06-02

Tracks:

Carmen: Avec la garde montante
Carmen: Habanera: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
Carmen: Parle-moi de ma mere!
Carmen: Seguedille: Pres des remparts de Seville
Carmen: Chanson boheme: Les tringles des sistres tintaient
Carmen: Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre
Carmen: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee
Carmen: Melons! Coupons!
Carmen: C'est des contrebandiers... Je dis, que rien ne m'epouvante
Carmen: Les voici!
Carmen: C'est toi!... C'est moi!

Average customer rating:

Leontyne Price is in her prime here.
A Sumptuous French Feast: Leontyne Price/Franco Corelli/Mirella Freni/Robert Merrill/ Von Karajan = La Gloire Carmen!!

Bizet: Carmen (Highlights)

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003EVY
Release Date: 1990-06-26

Tracks:

Carmen: Overture
Carmen: Chorus Of Cigarette Girls
Carmen: La voila, la voila
Carmen: Habanera
Carmen: Sequidilla
Carmen: ActII - Entr'acte
Carmen: Gypsy Song
Carmen: Messieurs, Pastia me dit
Carmen: Vivat! Vivat le Torero!
Carmen: Toreador Song
Carmen: Quintet
Carmen: Lalalala - Attends un peu, Carmen
Carmen: La fleur (Flower song)
Carmen: Act III - Entr'acte
Carmen: Card Scene
Carmen: Micaela's Air
Carmen: Act IV - Entr' acte
Carmen: C'est toi! - C'est moi!
Carmen: Ou va-tu? - Laisse-Moi!

Customer Reviews:

Leontyne Price is in her prime here........2007-02-10

This recording was made in the early '60's, when Leontyne Price was in gorgeous voice. I was skeptical about hearing a soprano in the role of Carmen. I needn't have been; Price does a wonderful job. Her voice is velvety. Franco Corelli also sounds good in this recording. I am not a Corelli fan; nevertheless, I thought he did an excellent job here--and what high notes! The only small negative is Robert Merrill, but he was, at least, OK. This compilation gives you 74 minutes of music. I bought a used copy for a couple dollars. What a great deal!

A Sumptuous French Feast: Leontyne Price/Franco Corelli/Mirella Freni/Robert Merrill/ Von Karajan = La Gloire Carmen!!.......2006-07-19

This Cd contains a generous portion of "Highlights" form one of the GRANDEST versions of Bizet's CARMEN you're likely to ever encounter. It's also one of the most enjoyable for both neophyte and opera fanatic alike. If you listen to Opera primarily for the artists' abilities in enunciatng the texts idiomatically, then perhaps this performance(and most others in the repertoire)will leave you profoundly dissatisfied. Those listeners who are able to forego such erudition should be immensely satisfied by the sheer enormity of prodigious vocal artistry that pervades this classic recording.

Soprano Leontyne Price, tenor Franco Corelli, and Maestro Herbert Von Karajan always produced spectacular results when performing together. The legendary Salzburg "Il "Trovatore", a splendid Vienna 1962 "Tosca", and the historic MetOpera debut of La Price/Corelli, again in "Trovatore" (without Karajan) which produced her record-breaking 42 min. ovation, are testaments to the excitement these artists elicit from each other when together. This performance of "Carmen" is no exception. Maestro Herbert Von Karajan was an ardent champion of this opera, recording it twice and filming it once as well. His expert hand is felt (and heard) throughout this perfomance, and the renowned Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra responds with ambient beauty, clarity, & verve, especially so in the more 'public' scenes. The playing is magnificent. Von Karajan's concept of the title-role remained consistent throughout his career, and though unsuccessful in his attempt to lure Leontyne Price to the stage as Carmen, he (& we) were fortunate in her recording of the role. The great soprano responds with one of her most electrifying performances ever, aided immeasurably by her mentor Karajan. She utilizes every aspect of her glorious instrument, producing firm secure tops, a sensuous, rich, and velvety middle that can purr or snarl with conviction, & a dark, husky, surprisingly strong chest voice. Ms. Price is nuanced in her singing; dismissive & teasing in the "Habanera", as seductively inviting in the "Seguidille", coy, taunting ("ta-ra-ta-ta...") and mercurial in Act II, dark and foreboding in a superb reading of the "Card Scene". However, her greatest moments come in the final scene with Jose, where Ms. Price stuns with her electric responses to his desperation. Carmen's initial irritation exploding into volcanic rage, frustration,& ultimately death, are all voiced with a passion and intensity rarely associated with this treasurable artist. Leontyne Price is a stupendous Carmen. Franco Corelli possessed one of the most glorious tenors in operatic history, with tonal beauty, pulse, and vibrant power defining his instrument. His charismatic vocalising was often compromised, however, by poor musical habits, and an inattention to dynamic shadings and texts. His performance here contains all of the above, but his characterful vocalism and dramatic involvement triumph over the all else. Mr. Corelli sings fearlessly in a role most tenors compromise to get through it. His "Flower Song" is heartfelt and ardent, he rages convincingly with Carmen & Escamillo in Act III, and yet is successful in the more tender scenes with Micaela. Franco Corelli also reaches his peak in the final duet,imbuing Don Jose's music with the hurt, pathos, and frenzied despair of a wounded animal, while singing with a secure vocal authority unsurpassed by any rivals. His is a galvanizing performance. Soprano Mirella Freni has recorded 'Micaela' at least (3) times with notable Carmens (Price/Bumbry/Norman), and filmed it with Von Karajan/Bumbry. She is THE standard for this role, no more so than in this performance, where she lavishes her lovely, creamy, full- bodied lyric on the music of the country girl. While her girlish characterization is sometimes general, her singing always has purpose, and is simply heavenly. Baritone Robert Merrill's dramatic contributions are static as Escamillo, but he too is a veteran in this music, singing with suave assurance, virility, and beautiful tone.
The comprimario roles are all vividly performed, and bring a vital energy to the scenes they appear in. They are well-matched by the gorgeous choral singing of the Vienna State Opera Chorus and Vienna Boy's Choir. This "Carmen" is conducted with all of the atmospheric color, buoyancy, and exquisite musical details that Maestro Herbert Von Karajan is justly famous for, as well as his almost equally renowned idiosyncratic tempi & dynamics.

In sum, this "Carmen" is a sumptuous, sonorous, sonic feast, and "La Splendissima" Leontyne Price is the 'entree Magnifique!!!!

50 Classical Highlights: Essential Classics

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50 Classical Highlights: Essential Classics

Manufacturer: St. Clair Entertainment
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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50 Classical Highlights: Concertos
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50 Classical Highlights: Baroque

ASIN: B00006L3OH
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Tracks:

Voluntary
Allegro
Allegro
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Allegro
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(Cherubino)
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'Fur Elise'
'Judas Maccabaeus
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Waltz
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Rakoczy March
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Liebestraum
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October
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Carnival Of The Animals
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Bizet: Carmen / Maazel (1984 film) [highlights]

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Definative Carmen

Bizet: Carmen / Maazel (1984 film) [highlights]
Georges Bizet , Orchestre National de France , Lorin Maazel , Julia Migenes , Plácido Domingo , Faith Esham , Susan Daniel , and François Le Roux
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Diva: The Singles Collection

ASIN: B000009HUZ
Release Date: 1999-06-22

Tracks:

Ouverture: Premier Acte - Act One
Habanera: 'L'amour est un un oisseau rebelle'
Duo: 'Parle-moi de ma mere'
Seguedille et duo: 'Pres des remparts de Seville'
Chanson boheme - Deuxieme Acte:Act Two: 'Les tringles des sistres tintaient'
Couplets: 'Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre'
Couplets: 'La fleur que tu m'avais jetee'
Air: 'Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante'
Marche et choeur: 'Les voici, voici la quadrille des toreros'
Duo et choeur final: 'C'est toi ?' - 'C'est moi !'

Amazon.com

This set of excerpts from Bizet's perennial favorite comes from the soundtrack of what is probably the finest film of an opera ever made, the production by Francesco Rosi. Julia Migenes is a soprano Carmen, not the usual mezzo, but her lustiness and vivid word-painting put her in the top rank of Carmens even if she lacks the correct vocal weight for the part. Domingo's Don José is by now familiar, but this is probably the best of the three times he's recorded the role; indeed, his final act desperation is something to behold. Faith Esham is dreary as Micaela, but Ruggero Raimondi sings a dangerously appealing Escamillo. Lorin Maazel does some very odd, unexpected things with tempi (they didn't seem so odd in the film--maybe you had to have been there), but he still holds the opera together (as well as one can with highlights, that is). All told, this is exciting--and recommended. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Definative Carmen.......1999-07-25

This is the one we have all been waiting for.In my opinion this has the perfect cast,conducter and orchestra. What can one say about Domingos Jose.It seems as if the part was written for him.I don't think there has been a finer exponent of the part.Ever. Bravo!(This is no exception to Domingos other recordings by the way)Raimondis Toreador is magnificent.He has a glorious bass voice and can also put across the characters arrogance perfectly I believe he is one of the greatest basses of his generation.Migenes Carmen is also wonderful,sexy and passionate.A1. Lorin Mazzels conducting is outstanding,perfect tempos all the time.Bravo!This is a must for all fans of this magnificent opera.Get it!!!

Average customer rating:

Great recording
very enjoyable
Highlights Are Fine But The Whole Opera Is Better
Get the complete recording!

Bizet: Carmen (Highlights)

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Most Famous Opera Arias

ASIN: B00004ZDL9
Release Date: 2000-10-24

Tracks:

Prld - Orch Of The Paris Nat Opr Theatre/Rafael Fruhbeck De Burgos
Act I: Avec La Garde Montante - Chor Of The Paris Nat Opr Theatre/Claude Meloni/Jon Vickers/Bernard Gontcharenko
Act I: Quand Je Vous Amerais?...L'Amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle 'Habanera' - Grace Bumbry
Act I: Parle-Moi De Ma Mere!...Ma Mere Je La Vois! - Mirella Freni/Jon Vickers
Act I: Pres Des Ramparts De Seville - Jon Vickers/Grace Bumbry
Act I: Entr'acte - Orch Of The Paris Nat Opr Theatre/Rafael Fruhbeck De Burgos
Act II: Les Tringles Des Sistres Tintaient - Grace Bumbry
Act II: Votre Toast, Je Peux Vois Le Rendre 'Song Of The Toreador' - Kostas Paskalis
Act II: La Fluer Que Tu M'Avais Jette 'Flower Song' - Jon Vickers
Act II: Entr'acte - Orch Of The Paris Nat Opr Theatre/Rafael Fruhbeck De Burgos
Act III: Melons! Coupons! - Grace Bumbry/Jon Vickers/Eliane Lublin/Victoria Cortez
Act III: Je Dis Que Rien Ne M'Epouvante - Mirella Freni
Act III: Entr'acte - Orch Of The Paris Nat Opr Theatre/Rafael Fruhbeck De Burgos
Act IV: Les Voici! - Chor Of The Paris Nat Opr Theatre/Bernard Gontcharenko/Eliane Lublin/Victoria Cortez
Act IV: C'est Toi! - Chor Of The Paris Nat Opr Theatre
Act IV: Ou Va Tu? - Grace Bumbry/Jon Vickers/Chor Of The Paris Nat Opr Theatre

Customer Reviews:

Great recording.......2005-07-08

Nice Carmen version... if you are looking for one brilliant version... choose THIS one...

very enjoyable.......2004-09-08

this is an enjoyable version of carmen. bumbry has a dark, sultry voice that's well suited for this gypsy vixen. and when she's on - and this is most of the time - she's hot. but there are times when she seems a little aloof, and her voice doesn't have the all the colors that callas has (but who does?), so she doesn't bring quite as much insight to the role. still, a good interpretation. her don jose is the excellent jon vickers. at first, i was skeptical that his heldentenor voice was right for this mama's boy, but vickers turns down the volume and turns up the heat. his trademark acting abilities are on full display here. his might not be the most beautifully sung jose, it is the most characterful. too bad vickers and callas never recorded carmen together. that would have been THE carmen for the ages! freni is ok as micaela. her diction is fine and she's in fresh, youthful voice, but she sometimes sounds like she's singing puccini and not bizet, a problem that's made worse by her distinctly italianate voice. a light lyric soprano, or a lyric soprano like ileana cotrubas would be more suitable for this role. the escamillo here does a workmanlike job, not particularly suave and the voice a little undersized, but still serviceable. the conducting is idomatic and non-obtrusive. you hear all the colors and the lines are clean. a tres french performance which is what you want.

on the whole, an enjoyable carmen. maybe not the best, but it's worth hearing for bumbry's carmen and vickers' jose.

Highlights Are Fine But The Whole Opera Is Better.......2002-08-31

Grace Bumbry and Jon Vickers are undeniably the greatest interpretors of Don Jose and Carmen. This cd contains highlights from the 70's performances of the two singers. Bizet's Carmen is easily the most recognizable opera in the world. Because there is such a tradition around it, there have been so many excellent mezzo-sopranos who have mastered the role, including Maria Callas at the end of her life, Marylin Horne and most recently Susanna Guzman. But Grace Bumbry's voice is full of fire, mischief and seduction, as evident in the arias that have made Carmen herself opera's sexiest woman "Habanera" "Seguidilla" and other songs including the Gypsy Song. Jon Vickers is a dramatic, intense Don Jose, and Mirella Freni, although lower in the vocal talent range on this recording, does a passable Micaela. The Spanish music is full of flavor, especially striking are the bullfight music and its chorus and the ever famous finale. I seriously suggest you hear the whole opera, and in my opinion, the finest Carmen out there is the rarest- Black Dog Opera Library contains audio books with two cd's and the libretto. Grace Bumbry, Jon Vickers, Mirella Freni, Kostas Paskalis (Escamillo). There is no doubt that Burgos is the most apt conductor of Bizet's score for the opera. Listen to the intensity and fatalism of the fate theme, played in a subtle, psychotic wind-down as Carmen and Don Jose confront for the last time, as well as the overture, duet music between Micaela/Don Jose and Carmen/Don Jose, the preludes, and the ensemble music (two ensemble finales- at the end of the second act and the scene before the bullfight). I hope you find this review helpful.

Get the complete recording!.......2002-05-26

This is one of the best sung and conducted Carmens I have heard, but get the complete opera recording on the EMI Black Dog Series for less than 18 dollars, for, unlike other recordings, they squeeze it onto two discs. Moreover, it is packaged in a booklet which, in addition to the libretto and plot synopsis, gives you a lot of information about the background and genesis of this opera, and also contains a number of pictures of noted exponents of the principal roles. Furthermore, this is the first recording to include the spoken dialogue that was intended for it as an opera-comique, and there is no better trio than Bumbry, Vickers and Freni, who were all in peak vocal form at the time of this recording (1970). In particular, Vickers digs deeper into the role of Don Jose than Domingo ever did with his more externalized approach. Finally, De Burgos conducts with real intensity and fire and the sound is quite good. This definitely has to be the best bargain available by far for recordings of Carmen.

Bizet: Carmen / Troyanos, Domingo, Te Kanawa; Sir Georg Solti [Highlights]

Average customer rating:

A smattering of Carmen
A smattering of Carmen

Bizet: Carmen / Troyanos, Domingo, Te Kanawa; Sir Georg Solti [Highlights]
Georges Bizet , London Philharmonic Orchestra , Tatiana Troyanos , Plácido Domingo , Kiri Te Kanawa , Sir Georg Solti , Jane Berbié , Norma Burrowes , José van Dam , Pierre Thau , Michel Roux , Michel Sénéchal , and John Alldis Choir
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00002DDOB
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Tracks:

Prelude - G. Bizet
Mas Nous Ne Voyons Pas La Carmencita! - G. Bizet
Pres Des Ramparts De Seville - G. Bizet
Les Tringles Des Sistres Tintient - G. Bizet
Vivat, Vivat Le Torero!... Votre Toast - G. Bizet
Nous Avons En Tete Une Affaire! - G. Bizet
La Fleur Que Tu M'avais Jetee - G. Bizet
Non! Tu Ne M'aimes Pas! - G. Bizet
Melons! Coupons!... En Vain Pour Eviter Les Responses Ameres - G. Bizet
Je Dis Que Rien Ne M'epouvante - G. Bizet
C'est Toi ! C'est Moi ! - G. Bizet

Tracks:

Prelude
Mas nous ne voyons pas la Carmencita! - L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
Pres des ramparts de Seville
Les tringles des sistres tintient )
Vivat, vivat le torero!... Votre toast
Nous avons en tete une affaire
La fleur que tu m'avais jetee
Non! tu ne m'aimes pas!
Melons! Coupons!... En vain pour eviter les responses ameres
Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante
C'est toi? C'est moi!

Amazon.com

This collection of highlights may be OK for the Carmen beginner, but even its generous selection will leave listeners hungry. It has most of the "hits," that is, the recognizable numbers, and all of it is well sung, but not much else. José van Dam's "Toreador Song" is probably the set's highlight. The role of Escamillo, halfway between baritone and bass and making neither happy, is just right for van Dam's oddly placed voice, and his French is stunning. In 1975, Placido Domingo was at his best: ripe and rich and passionate. Kiri Te Kanawa's Micaela is beautiful in a Muzak sort of way. In the title role, Tatiana Troyanos sings with handsome, buzzing tone, but she seems too premeditated for Carmen. There's a spontaneity lacking that great, tricky Carmens have. Georg Solti is, as usual, fierce in his attacks and exactitude, but he seems to have taken the sex out of the opera. One can do better for a highlights CD with Lorin Maazel leading Domingo and Julia Migenes. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

A smattering of Carmen.......2000-06-16

For those not familiar with Bizet's Carmen this is an excellent choice. It covers the major highlights and the more familiar favorites. However it is not perfect. I thought the orchestra performance was a bit uneven but it is hard to fault the solists. It is not Solti's best effort but it better than a lot of other conductor's attempts to condense Carmen. If you want to hear Carmen at its best then I would recommend an album with the complete performance-say Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Deutsche Grammophon #10088; if you just want a quick introduction or "greats hits" this one is for you.

A smattering of Carmen.......2000-06-16

Leontyne Price: Prima Donna Collection (Highlights)

Average customer rating:

Price's best work, a real treasure.
Fascinating and Unreservedly Marvelous

Leontyne Price: Prima Donna Collection (Highlights)

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003FPS
Release Date: 1995-01-10

Tracks:

Dido And Aeneas: Act III: Thy Hand, Belinda!
Dido And Aeneas: Act III: When I Am Laid In Earth
Alceste: Act I: Divinites du Styx
Rigoletto: Act I: Gaultier Malde
Rigoletto: Act I: Caro nome
Louise: Act III: Depuis le jour
Simon Boccanegra: Act I: Come in quest'ora bruna
Carmen: Act III: C'est des contrebandiers
Carmen: Act III: Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante
Tristan und Isolde: Act III: Lebestod: Mild und leise
Suor Angelica: Senza mama, o bimbo, tu sei motro!
Manon: Act II: Allons! il le faut!
Manon: Act II: Adieu, notre petite table
Andrea Chenier: Act III: La mamma morta
Rusalka: Act I: Song To The Moon: Mesicku na nebi hlubokem
Die Tote Stadt: Act I: Marietta's Lied: Gluck, das mir verblieb
Vanessa: Act I: He Has Come, He Has Come!
Vanessa: Act I: Do Not Utter A Word

Customer Reviews:

Price's best work, a real treasure........2005-01-29

This album is a rare find, featuring some of the greatest products and clearest reproductions of Price's talent. Her recording of Caro Nome is quite fascinating, in part because you have to wonder if it was a very good choice for her voice. Even though it is bit out of her fach, she pulls it off masterfully. Her Depuis le Jour is, in my opinion, the quintessential recording of that aria, as are her La Mamma Morte, Je Dis, Marietta's Lied, and the Liebestod. The orchestras, under the batons of four different conductors, all compliment her voice perfectly with rich interpretations and lush dynamics which allow her to take the listener on a truly unforgettable muscical journey. I value this recording as the most valuable in my posession, and every opera-lover and listener of classical music in general should have a copy.

Fascinating and Unreservedly Marvelous.......2000-07-30

Leontyne Price singing this collection is, for one thing, fascinating because it is a taste of what could have been. These arias are from operas that she didn't perform or sing complete. And that doesn't mean they are stolid, quite the opposite. In fact, there are some arias that I would claim, set the standard on how great an interpretation can get! Caro nome from Rigoletto, is a case in point. Callas and Sutherland do magnificent and very different interpretations of this aria, but Price comes in with yet again a take radically different than either of theirs. It has a wonderful structure that unfolds with nuance, her tone is warm, heartfelt and absolutely limpid in the stratospheric highs-it's a perfect mesh between the lyrics (of sighing, flying, and adoring) and the quality and tone of her singing. She creates a haunting, bittersweet, and ravishing image in Korngold's Marietta's Lied, again accomplishing a marriage between the lyrics and the voice. Her Dido from Purcell is the most moving and beautiful aria I have ever heard, its out of time and place. One more aria that is the best interpretation I have heard is Dvorak's Song to the Moon. With all the rest of the arias she comes through with flying colors. Perhaps with the Liebestod, there will be a few other sopranos with superior takes. The sound is very good; the conducting is not consistent due to the four different conductors. But overall the collection is sincere, fascinating, and amazing!

Vivaldi - Orlando furioso / Horne · de los Angeles · Valentini-Terrani · C. Gonzales · Bruscantini · Zaccaria · Kozma · I Solisti Veneti · Scimone [Highlights]

Average customer rating:

An opera for Marilyn Horne

Vivaldi - Orlando furioso / Horne · de los Angeles · Valentini-Terrani · C. Gonzales · Bruscantini · Zaccaria · Kozma · I Solisti Veneti · Scimone [Highlights]
Antonio Vivaldi , Claudio Scimone , Marilyn Horne , Victoria de los Angeles , I Solisti Veneti , Coro Amici dela Polifonia , Lucia Valentini-Terrani , Carmen Gonzales , Sesto Bruscantini , Nicola Zaccaria , and Lajos Kozma
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Horne, Marilyn | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000005EEB
Release Date: 1995-06-06

Tracks:

Ov - Andras Adorjan/Jurgen Hubscher/Gianni Chiampan/Kiyoshi Koyama/Edoardo Farina/Bepi De Marzi
Act 1, Scene 1: Aria: 'Nel Profondo' - Marilyn Horne
Act 1, Scene 5: Aria: 'Sol Da Te' - Sesto Bruscantini
Act 1, Scene 6: Aria: 'Amorose Ai Rai' - Lucia Valentini-Terrani
Act 2, Scene 2: Aria: 'Sorge L'irato Nembo' - Marilyn Horne
Act 2, Scene 3: Aria: 'Vorresti Amor Da Me?' - Lucia Valentini-Terrani
Act 2, Scene 4: Aria: 'Che Bel Morirti' - Sesto Bruscantini
Act 2, Scene 4: Aria: 'Se Cresce Un Torrente' - Carmen Gonzales
Act 2, Scene 5: Aria: 'Qual Candido Fiore' - Lajos Kozma
Act 2, Scene 5: Aria: 'Chiara Al Pari Di' - Victoria De Los Angeles
Act 2, Scene 8: Chor: 'Al Fragor De Corni Audaci' - Amici Della Polifonia Chor/Piero Cavalli
Act 2, Scene 8: Aria: 'Cosi Potessi Anch'io' - Lucia Valentini-Terrani
Act 3, Scene 1: Aria: 'Dove Il Valor Combatte' - Nicolas Zaccaria
Act 3, Scene 5: Aria: 'Poveri Affetti Miei' - Victoria De Los Angeles
Act 3, Scene 6: Aria: 'Fonti Di Pianto' - Marilyn Horne
Act 3, Scene 9: Aria: 'Andero, Chiamero' - Lucia Valentini-Terrani
Act 3, Scene 9: Chor: 'Con Mirti E Fiori' - Amici Della Polifonia/Piero Cavalli

Customer Reviews:

An opera for Marilyn Horne.......1998-09-10

Perhaps the best opera written by Vivaldi, and apparently written for Marilyn Horne! The role of Orlando suits her perfectly, with all the sensational coloratura, and several arie di tempesta (tempest arias, in which the voice mimicks a storm). There are also hilraious moments (unfortunately understandable only when the opera is staged), such as when the medieval hero Orlando, who has become mad, enters announcing he is Orestes, the Greek hero (Napoleon wasn't born yet!)

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