SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

 Production:

Set Designer: Robin Don

Costume Designer: Robert Perdziola

Lighting Designer: Jason Brown

Director: Harry Silverstein

Choreographer: August Tye

Chorus Master: Donald Nally

Conductor: Alain Altinoglu

 

Cast:

Carmen: Katharine Goeldner

Don José: Yonghoon Lee

Micaëla: Elaine Alvarez

Escamillo: Kyle Ketelsen

Zuniga: Craig Irvin

Frasquita: Jennifer Jakob

Mercédès: Emily Fons

Dancaïre: Paul Scholten

Remendado: René Barbera/James Kryshak

Moralès: Paul La Rosa

 

Production Picture © Dan Rest 

 

For this revival of its 1999-2000 production of Carmen, Lyric Opera of Chicago, the exceptional cast merits attention, but some performances differed because of the conducting that was at times extremely slow or inexplicably quick. On opening night the tempos in the first act allowed the text to be heard distinctly, but the phrase structures were sometimes distorted, with transitional passages overblown. In the second act the rapid tempos challenged the singers, especially in ensemble passages. Ultimately the final act seemed perfunctory, and Carmen, like other operas, requires a musical and dramatic drive to take the work to its tragic conclusion. Some of these matters improved on a second viewing, but overall, the interpretation lacked the intensity that usually distinguishes performances by this company. Notwithstanding these concerns, the audiences responded enthusiastically.

 

As Carmen, Katharine Goeldner gave a fine performance, well conveying her command of the character. In a solid reading, grounded in the score, she depicted Carmen convincingly and used the distinctive qualities of her voice to her advantage. Her sense of ensemble emerged easily, and she brought welcome balance and interaction to various numbers, particularly in those scenes with the young Korean tenor Yonghoon Lee. Goeldner was matched by the dramatically appealing, musically strong, and overall exemplary Escamillo of Kyle Ketelsen, whose performance demonstrated how this role should be done. Elaine Alvarez gave fine voice to the role of Micaëla.

James L. Zychowicz