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Bizet, Carmen - The Younger Persons' View: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Greek National Opera, Conductor � Ilias Voudouris,  Rosarte Children�s Choir, Greek National Opera, Athens 18.10.2010 (CM) (NM)

Director � Vassilis Nikolaidis

Sets � George Gavalas

Costumes � Claire Bracewell

Note: Seen and Heard is always keen to encourage young people to attend concerts and opera performances and here we have a review from our European Editor Bettina Mara's daughters, aged 14 and 18. Theirs is a refreshing perspective that opera companies everywhere might usefully consider and the Seen and Heard Editorial team would welcome more reviews from our younger readers. Young people who might be interested in writing for us occasionally are invited to get in touch through the Contact Us link on the right. Bill Kenny - Consulting Editor

Marina Fideli as Carmen
 

Up to its ears in debt, Greek National Opera was forced to pull the plug on a number of new productions last season. Now they are doing the sensible thing and unearthing once successful productions from days of yore, mothballs and all. Anyone would agree that this is far better than closing down altogether, but unfortunately it would seem that the company can�t even afford a sufficient number of rehearsals anymore.  This turned not only the premiere but well nigh the entire run of this Carmen into a day of reckoning, with the singers� eyes hanging on to Ilias Voudouris� baton for dear life and denying them opportunity to act their parts.

Marina Fideli was last heard at GNO some years ago as a marvellous Cenerentola, since when she has sung many baroque roles and has been dabbling in the Hosenrollen of later periods elsewhere; much to her credit, but the drama required for Carmen is perhaps still an inch beyond her reach. Mina Polychronou as Mica�la and Svetan Mihailov as Don Jos� sang their roles correctly, albeit without even the verve one would expect at a concert performance. Yannis Yiannissis, although in impressive voice and clearly self-confident, somehow did not convey the impression that his was one of the main roles, while Tassos Apostolou, with his extraordinary voice and stage presence, almost succeeded in making Zuniga into the leading man. Hopefully he will be cast as Escamillo should this production be revived yet again.

The chorus was well-prepared as usual, as is to be expected nowadays with Nikos Vassiliou at the helm, but the look of some of its extremely corpulent female members rather spoiled the overall stage image of the cigarette factory girls. The orchestra had either been allowed more rehearsal time than the cast, or simply remembered the piece better (with the exception of brass section, perhaps), playing enthusiastically and saving what there was left to save, along with the delightful young singers of the Rosarte Children�s Chorus.

The last thing GNO needs at the moment is for critics to assign blame. Clearly, with no support whatsoever from the government, their means are extremely limited, but unfortunately this evening at the opera felt like watching a low quality, flickering rerun on television. An effort to conjure up all the fond memories that local opera fans have of this performance was essential to enjoying it - and was presumably also the reason why the entire run was sold out before it opened. Many of us feel very protective of GNO�s outdated Olympia Theater on Akadimias Street, with its 1950�s cinema feeling and limited means, so let us hope that the economic crisis and politicians� indifference don�t turn it into a waxwork museum.

Christina and Natasha Mara

English Translation by Bettina Mara

Production Picture � Greek National Opera /Stefanos