Georges Bizet - Carmen / Peter Hall, Bernard Haitink, Maria Ewing, Barry McCauley, London Philharmonic, Glyndebourne Festival Opera

As unpredictable (and occasionally unsettling) as Maria Ewing has proven to be as a singing actor, her performance as Carmen in this film is unassailable. She owns every inch of it, and from her stunning committment the whole piece blazes like a fire. The results can be unsatisfying when Ewing takes on a role (her Salome comes to mind), but, as a voice teacher and coach, I've yet to find a performance of hers that fails to completely exemplify an unyielding prescription: I tell my students - singing is an act of daring and committment in which you must literally be willing to die. It's that simple - and that profound. Ewing grabs hold of her art in the way Callas did. Like Callas, she has suffered in the voice department - willingly and knowingly, I suspect. Her Carmen misses no opportunity to rebel, to ignite, but Ewing is an actor of magnitude and knows the boundaries; pushes against them, but never at the cost of making real art. She's manifestly a singer of intelligence, breathtaking risk and seduction, always. This particular Carmen strikes me as her finest performance committed to film. I like this version filmed without an audience because it doesnt attempt to become an 'outdoor' film. Bizet's original ideas are thereby showcased to magnificent advantage, musically and dramatically. Kudos to this one-of-a-kind artist for an incomparable Carmen here; it's a take no prisoners performance. McCauley's thick and unwieldy tenor fails to impress, whatever the macho/puppydog presence may provide. An able actor, his singing is generic, if reliable. I've enjoyed Marie McLaughlin at Glyndebourne, and her turn as Micaela is satisfactory, a bit wary - better than tenor McCauley - but I could name a number of memorable Micaelas without mentioning her. Maria Ewing is firepit, kindling, logs, match, and blazing glory from beginning to end in this film, and she alone makes it worth double the price here! On her bewitching account alone, hotly recommended!

This is not a "music professional's review". Carmen is theater, Carmen is about human nature, about jealousy, about life. Perhaps the most popular opera ever. It can be presented and performed in many different ways. This performance, this presentation is the best. Not just as an opera, but perhaps one of the best performances in the recorded performing arts.One does not have to be an opera-lover to enjoy this Carmen. It is like the first Star Wars movie - an instant classic - with one difference. This one has one superb actress in it - Maria Ewing.She is Carmen from the first appearance to the end. Of course, she can sing, but what really counts is that she can act. She is perfect for the role. To be clear about this: I am not just praising Carmen, Bizet's opera. It can be performed badly, or questionably - just three weeks ago (November 2005) I saw a performance in Denver that was mediocre at best - mostly because of the somewhat weird ideas in directing, trying to be original... But this Carmen is unique: it has everything.Is this something your children can see? Yes. My daughters, thankfully, have seen over and over this one (in the VHS tape edition) since they were about five.I probably never recommended anything as a "you should buy this one", but this is it. It is very good news that finally this performance is available on DVD. Even if you never saw an opera, or never want to see one, get this DVD, and you will be glad you got it.

Back in 1967, I plunked down the then-outrageous price of $12.99 for a 3-lp boxed set of Carmen with Maria Callas (you may remember it, the red one with the little booklets inside). Most opera albums were selling for $9.99 in those days, but this one was special and all the "operatzzi" were buzzing about it. I now have a remastered cd from the same album which is the only other Carmen I have, but it's enough.On this DVD, Ewing has adopted the same vocal style that I remember so fondly from the famous earlier lp. She really seems to be channeling Callas. The other singers are also good. Mccauley`s Don Jose and Mclaughlin`s Michaela are strong and satisfying.The sound quality is mixed. Apparently, the arias and duets are lip-synced; they are strong and fulfilling. But the choruses are apparently recorded live on stage with a few ill-placed microphones. This leads to a disappointing imbalance of chorus and orchestra in comparison with the old recording. The children's choruses in particular are washed out by the orchestra. (See my review of La Boheme for a long technical discussion of this issue.)The video quality is just ok. I certainly wouldn't rush out to buy a HDTV just to watch this opera. The staging likewise is just ok. I've often wondered why an opera dvd couldn't have real locations like a movie, such as a real cigarette factory and a real bull ring.

Marie Ewing has a magnificant voice. Her expressions were great. However, sexy or sensuous she wasn't. This performance would be excellant for family viewing, but I don't think in necessarily portrayed the sensuous gypsy girl.