Bizet: Carmen / Price, Corelli, Merrill, Freni; Karajan

This is a very well-known performance, so there is no need to spend any time discussing the merits of this recording. This is one in a series of remastered opera sets from the RCA label. However, the product I received was not from the main production runs of the original remastered release. This was, in fact, an officially sanctioned manufacture under license affair. That in and of itself is not a problem. The problem is that it was not made clear in the product description that this would be the case. The product did come in a standard double jewel case, with full printed libretto, and a slip case. The artwork is that from the European version that was sometimes seen in the United States as an import. The artwork is different from that of the domestic release of this series. Again, not a major issue. The label side of the disks has the screen printing of information that one would expect, and the graphic design again mirrors that of the European import releases. It is only when you turn the disk over and examine the read side of it that you see the telltale blue tinge that is the hallmark of a CD-R. In this case, it does appear to be a higher quality stock of this type, though this is not the standard stock one would normally see from a primary major label production run. I only mention this because in the past my personal experience with this type of stock is that it tends to be a bit less scratch resistant and a bit more prone to an occasional skip when compared to standard stock. Again, not a big deal if you take care of your CDs. One positive about this particular provider is that we are still able to purchase titles that are older, and due to slow sales often become unavailable. So far, the sound appears to be just fine, and is a slight improvement over the original issue. The point here is transparency. Amazon should fully disclose the origin of the product that a customer will be receiving. I will have to complement the speed of shipping. I ordered this in the evening, and received it the next day. One virtue of living in the New York City area.

One of the sad ironies of opera history is that Bizet never lived to see Carmen become the smash hit of the opera world. Described as the world's first musical, with one hit song after another, the opera is packed with great music and memorable melodies such as the Seguidilla, the Habanera and the Toreador Song. It is one of the first operas set in real time in a real place with ordinary people. Today it is arguably the most popular opera in production.While there are many wonderful recordings, here it's the voices that make this recording so memorable. Leontyne Price is simply in sumptuous form, with the richness of a mezzo in the lower register plus her ringing top notes. Franco Corelli is a clarion and passionate Don Jose, Mirela Freni a sweet voiced Micaela, and Robert Merrill a rich and robust Escamillo. In some respects this is the "Italian" Carmen, (Corelli and Freni don't have the best French accents and Price was never known for her diction), but the quality of the voices make up for any linguistic deficiency.As is his wont, Herbert von Karajan emphasizes his orchestra, which becomes almost another member of the cast in his hands--this can sometimes be at the expense of his singers, but Price, Corelli, Freni and Merrill hold their own. But a von Karajan performance is always thrilling, whether it is this album or his Salzburg Festival DVD with Grace Bumbry, Jon Vickers, Mirela Freni and a very young Justino Diaz.For a fan of Leontyne Price this is a MUST HAVE, and a worthy addition to any opera collection.

This recording was made in 1963, when Leontyne Price was in her absolute prime and 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. Franco Corelli also sounds good in this recording. I am not a Corelli fan--his constant scooping drives me crazy; nevertheless, I thought he did an excellent job here--his singing was very impassioned, and what high notes! The only small negative is the sound. Even though the quality of the sound is excellent, the overall level of sound is quite low, and both Leontyne Price and Robert Merrill are under-miked in relation to the orchestra.

There is no definitive recording of Carmen--nothing to equal the DeSabata Tosca or the Beecham Boheme. But this recording stands out in a crowded field of very good recordings. It is odd that two of the greatest Carmens on record, Price and Callas, never performed the role on stage. Price was in her vocal prime when this recording was made, and she sings the role with panache. All of the other parts are very strongly cast. Corelli and Freni sing two of their signature roles superbly. Von Karajan's conducting is some of his best on records with its revealing details, spot-on tempi, and unified vision of the whole work. Lovers of the French language may fault the accents of the international cast, but it is as good an ensemble as we could ever expect to see in the theater.

One of our favorites!

I could not afford a new set of CDs of the opera Carmen but found the set I purchased to be a joy to listen to.

It was great. One of the best full lyric sopranos i have ever heard in my life. Best dramatics.

Opening the package was a disappointment. It was not as shown on Amazon. I expected quality artwork on a sturdy box typical of RCAs Red Seal remastered discs but found a flimsy piece of card with tacky artwork covering 4 sides of a plastic disk holder and a booklet. The flimsy piece of card fits very tightly around its contents: allow 5 minutes fiddling time to slide the contents back in. The front of the disc holder was cracked, and despite the fact that this is a standard item, the holder contrived to be difficult to open and close. On the positive side the booklet contains the full libretto in French and English in parallel columns, but it would have benefitted from better proof-reading and the pages started to come away from the spine before I had finished the first disk. This was all quickly forgotten (but not forgiven) listening to the music. The recorded sound is excellent. The performances of orchestra, chorus and soloists are dazzling. Karajan conducts with all the drive and energy the piece requires. Franco Corelli as Jose puts in a very fine performance as does Robert Merrill as Escamillo, but the jewels in the crown are the two ladies. Mirella Freni as Micaela is a joy and Leotyne Price is surely the best Carmen ever? If the review system allowed, I would give the packaging a reluctant one star (a libretto was included albeit in bits) and the disks a resounding five stars. It is the performance that matters so put up with the lousy packaging and pay the high price for a tacky box full of real gems.

Love it, am learning the alto line in the chorus and this recording is so well put together that the parts are very clearly distinguishable. The Principal singers are wonderful too. really glad I found this.

Even though this is only a high ligh version the quality of the performances is one of the best I've heard.

excellent

Perfect thanks