While producers of operas often cast extraordinary singers and performers, it is quite difficult to find the appropriate actress to portray Carmen and Don Jose. Unexpectedly, Jennifer Johnson Cano appeared to be a good fit for the role, both in beauty and voice, though not ethnicity. Her gift in performance was clear in her commanding presence upon the stage and she was quite appropriate for the role of the femme fatale. Aided by theatrical elements and her role, it was clear the audience could not take their eyes off of her when she was on the stage. At times, she also appeared to be the best female singer, with her full, mezzo-soprano voice. To my surprise, Chelsea Basler, who played Micaëla, overcame her during Micaela’s captivating aria
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While I was expected him to have dark hair and eyes, after referring to Prosper Merimee’s novella, I realized that image had been misconstrued. Merimee describes Don Jose has having “fair hair, blue hairs, blue eyes” (3). Furthermore, as he played the protagonist, I anticipated his voice to be the strongest male part. Yet, by Act 3, when Escamillo and Jose duelled and sang a duet, it became increasingly apparent that the actor playing Escamillo had the better voice. However, it is possible that the performers were not utilizing their full capacity in an attempt to save their voice for Opening …show more content…
In addition to the pleasing familiarity of the musical numbers, I was eager to see the modern-day portrayal of the opera. Although watching the translated lyrics was unnecessary after studying them in depth, I was curious as to if the language would be modernized. Despite reading both the novella and libretto, actually viewing the production was quite different, highlighting the role of the orchestra, music, and acting. However, attending the opera tied together all of the studying materials to enable an analysis. This was illustrated through the fate leit-motif, which regularly worked its way into each act. Only after identifying the motif through coursework was I able to make the connection during the opera. Holding an in depth knowledge about a piece of work contributes to the pleasure of attending the opera and contributed to an overall rewarding and enjoyable
While I was expected him to have dark hair and eyes, after referring to Prosper Merimee’s novella, I realized that image had been misconstrued. Merimee describes Don Jose has having “fair hair, blue hairs, blue eyes” (3). Furthermore, as he played the protagonist, I anticipated his voice to be the strongest male part. Yet, by Act 3, when Escamillo and Jose duelled and sang a duet, it became increasingly apparent that the actor playing Escamillo had the better voice. However, it is possible that the performers were not utilizing their full capacity in an attempt to save their voice for Opening …show more content…
In addition to the pleasing familiarity of the musical numbers, I was eager to see the modern-day portrayal of the opera. Although watching the translated lyrics was unnecessary after studying them in depth, I was curious as to if the language would be modernized. Despite reading both the novella and libretto, actually viewing the production was quite different, highlighting the role of the orchestra, music, and acting. However, attending the opera tied together all of the studying materials to enable an analysis. This was illustrated through the fate leit-motif, which regularly worked its way into each act. Only after identifying the motif through coursework was I able to make the connection during the opera. Holding an in depth knowledge about a piece of work contributes to the pleasure of attending the opera and contributed to an overall rewarding and enjoyable