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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Award winning performances from Antonacci and Kaufmann!!! Dec 13, 2008
If they give awards for opera performances, Anna Caterina Antonacci as Carmen and Jonas Kaufmann as Don Jose are surely both deserving of the highest honors. The singing, acting and sizzling passion between them in this production is extraordinary! I am a big admirer of Jonas Kaufmann and he was simply wonderful in this role. But, I've got to say, I was unexpectedly blown away by Anna Caterina Antonacci! I've seen her sing and act very expressively in a few Don Giovanni productions as Elvira, but I guess a role like Carmen is required in order to truly cut loose. And she did. Jonas Kaufmann I've compared to Placido Domingo before and here he sounds just as powerful and promising. The energy expended in the final act between these two was explosive.
Ildebrando D'Arcangelo was a gorgeous Escamillo entering on a gorgeous black horse. He was a perfect foil for Jonas Kaufmann. Norah Amsellem is a powerful singer with the intensity of an Isolde or a Brunnhilde, so to hear her cast as the shy, village girl Micaela is a little disconcerting. She has enough power and presence to be Carmen. But, I'm not complaining; she was excellent.
The supporting cast and chorus were terrific. The orchestra was perfect.
This is a marvelous Carmen. You'll love it!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Call it Don Jose. Dec 03, 2008
In plain English, Jonas Kaufmann steals the show. Not that everyone else is not good, but he is so intense in his singing and acting that the performance becomes exciting and electrifying when he is on stage. Buy it--you'll like it.
The cast is uneven, but the main cast saved it ALL. Nov 27, 2008
Oh, yes, the conductor had a few 'mishaps' in certain places, and the supporting cast of Micaela and Escamillo are not nearly as good as the leading roles of Carmen and Jose, but overall, this production is about the most entertaining and riveting available on DVD so far, and the 'smaller' roles of the Gipsy camp, are in fact nearly as good as the two leading ones.
Antonacci is a 'soprano' Carmen - this is the first time I see and hear about her, and the impression is not as bad as some critics would allege. Though she is no Berganza, Baltsa, Kasarova, Borodina..., she is every bit as good as Grace Bumbry (with Jon Vickers), and tons better than Julie Migens (with Domingo).
Then Kaufmann's Jose is nothing short of a revelation. I don't see why an opera singer would need to do funny things on stage in order to attract attention or 'upgrade' his/her performance. Kaufmann chiefly 'park and bark', as one diva says and claims that it would not work for modern day opera singing. HOWEVER, Kaufmann's way of 'parking' and 'barking' is intrinsically linked with the role that he is singing. There is absolutely no need for a singer to dance around the stage, or doing all sorts of 'funny' things like twisting of body truncks, throwing up of limbs, or grimacing of features, or dressing up in outrages outfits. No - none of such nonesense. Mr. Kaufmann teaches opera singers what ACTING is. I wonder if he has been to a drama school, but would not be surprised if he is being honored by such an institution for his superb stagecraft. And these are on top of his absolutely wonderful voice and singing.
Oh, yes, you will definitely regret if you miss this DVD.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
For Don Jose, a real breakthrough. Nov 24, 2008
This production in a way is a major breakthrough for the male protagonist - Don Jose.
Soprano Anna Caterina Antonacci is a very competent Carmen - in fact, in terms of acting, among the best available.
Other supporting roles like Escamillo and Micaela, however, are not much of a big deal by comparison.
So you would see that this production is unconventional in the sense that the star of the show shifts to Don Jose. And luckily his Carmen is both vocally and dramatically competent as his big 'supporting role'.
This is not a bad idea, either. If hitherto nobody holds much interest or pays much sympathy to this 'mama boy' Jose in Bizet's Carmen, Jonas Kaufmann managed to turn the tables around thoroughly.
His Don Jose is real human flesh and blood. Watch Jose's emotional evolution as the drama unfolds is thrilling experience. Even if Kaufmann has sung better versions of the Flower aria elsewhere, his performance here still steals the show as no Joses did before. And Herr Kaufmann rightfully claims the title of being the Mr. Acrobat of operas, the successor to Cesare Siepi who leaped over 15 feet on stage as Don Giovanni under the baton of Furtwangler at Salzburg more than half a century ago.
One question emerges, though - why the heck does Carmencita forsake Don Jose for the lacklustre Escamillo?
4 of 20 found the following review helpful:
 A ONE STAR PERFORMANCE Nov 10, 2008
What a budget production! I've seen better scenery at high school musicals. Anna Antonacci brings nothing new or exciting to the roll of Carmen. Idebrando d'Arcagnelo as Escamillo has no business singing this roll in a major house like the Royal Opera. Norah Amsellem is very good as Michaela but try counting the number of times conductor Antonio Pappano can't keep his orchestra in sync with the singers on the stage. If you're going to buy this DVD it will have to be for the great singing and acting of Jonas Kaufmann. What an operatic future this young man has!
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